Four Times of the Day is 29 May, Oak Apple Day, a public holiday which celebrated the Restoration of the monarchy (demonstrated by the oak boughs above the barber's sign and on some of the subjects' hats, which recall the royal oak tree in which Charles II hid after losing the Battle of Worcester in 1651). Alternatively, Sean Shesgreen has suggested that the date is 3 September, commemorating the battle of Worcester itself, a dating that preserves the seasonal progression from winter to spring to summer to autumn. Charing Cross was a central staging post for coaches, but the congested narrow road was a frequent
The Royal Oak, Hail Weston The Royal Oak, Hail Weston The Royal Oak is an 18th-century public house in the village of Hail Weston, Cambridgeshire. It is the last remaining pub in the village, which is home to a population of around 610, and has a long history as a community centre. A number of local traditions revolve around the Royal Oak. These include the New Year's Day go-kart contest, where homemade push-karts are raced along the high street; an Easter Egg hunt in the pub gardens; the local Heartsease dances that takes place in and outside the pub; the 'onion bowl' where onions smoothed