A medieval pub crawl in York raised £1,500 for charity at the weekend.
The annual Assize of Ale event took place on Saturday 21 September. Led by the Sheriff of York, and joined by 50 people mostly in medieval attire, a tour of a selection of the city’s alehouses was taken.
The festivities kicked off at St Helen’s Square, where nearly 500 onlookers were joining in with the celebration. The Sheriff of York, Fiona Fitzpatrick, delivered the traditional assize proclamation, accompanied by the rest of the civic party – which included a toast to the King.
There was a festival atmosphere in the square with music from Shepherd’s Brass Band, who performed crowd-pleasers including ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.
YorkMix were also there on St Helen’s Square helping to bring the entertainment and adding to the festivities.
During the event, 15 ale houses were visited by three groups including: Roman Baths, The Old White Swan, The Last Drop Inn, The Punch Bowl and Kennedy’s.
As per the medieval tradition, at each venue a proclamation was read and the ale was tested for taste and price. The Sheriff of York’s group was led by the Town Crier, Ben Fry, who introduced the assize in each ale house with the sound of the iconic bell.
“The Assize of Ale event is one of the highlights of being the Sheriff of York,” said Fiona Fitzpatrick, Sheriff of York.
“It is a fantastic tradition of the city dating back to medieval times and I am thankful to everyone that supported us on the day.”
The other groups were led by The Sheriff’s consort, Geoff Cossins and former Sheriff of York, Verna Campbell.
The event ended with a fish and chip supper at York Mansion House, sponsored by Mister Chippy, Brew York, and The Potions Cauldron Group. It raised £1,500 for The Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York charities.
Gallery
