Oak Apple Day has a particularly sad resonance in Stone Ties. Dating back to the Act of Parliament of 1661, Royal Oak Day as it is also known, commemorated the day when King Charles II rode into London on his birthday, 29^th May, in 1660, and restored the monarchy to England. The festival has resonated down the centuries, and in a handful of locations is still celebrated today. Worcester, a proudly Royalist city throughout the English civil war, continues to deck the gates of the Guildhall in oak leaves as a mark of respect and celebration.