For nearly two thousand years£¬people have been cultivating the common British oyster in the lower reaches of England' s Colne River£­£­ever since the town now known as Colchester was a Roman fortress£®The Romans exported boatloads of oysters to Italy£®

Colchester' s oyster harvest is still a big event£®On opening day in late September£¬the mayor and city council members don³⁾ ceremonial regalia⁴⁾ and travel via fishing boat to the “oyster£­fattening beds£®”There the mayor dredges the season' s first oysters and immediately eats one£®As is customary in this rite£¬he chases that with gin⁵⁾ and ginerbread£¬toasting the queen's health£®