A MILD Boxing Day found St Albans Mummers sweltering in their costumes but still performing to hundreds of supporters in five locations across the city centre.

The Mummers have been putting on their annual Boxing Day performance of St George and the Dragon for the past 40 years, mingling the traditional play with topical references and audience participation.

Particularly welcome this year was the number of people waiting to watch the play at the various locations – St Albans Town Hall, the yard of the White Hart Hotel, the West End of St Albans Abbey, the Olde Fighting Cocks and outside the Clock Tower.

Veteran mummer Sandy Glover, who takes the role of Father Christmas, said he thought the Abbey was the most popular location with a crowd of well over 200 people watching the performance.

Although the Mummers have a script and run through it before Boxing Day, the performances are very much dictated by audience participation.

As a result, one of the performances resulted in a youngster who had been handed St George’s helmet, sword and shield having a go at the dragon himself.

The only original member of the Mummers is Gordon Myland who has played the Doctor since the play began. But even though the performers are getting older, Sandy said: “It went very well and it will go on.”