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Common Ground

Wassailing 2007

Wassailing on Old Twelfth Night (17th January), a custom in cider making districts to exhort the apple trees to fruit well the following season. Cider is poured onto the roots and shots fired through the branches to ward off evil spirits. Warm cider is drunk and toast soaked in cider is placed in the branches 'for the robin'. Wassailing songs are sung. Wassail is from the Anglo-Saxon wes hal, to be in good health. It takes place across the country, notably at:

SOMERSET

Saturday 13 January
Old Ditch Farm, Westbury Sub Mendip – 6pm: Welcoming drinks of hot mulled cider or apple juice at Old Ditch Farm. Then singing of the village Wassailing song, the crowning of the Wassailing King and Queen. Then a procession around the orchards to oversee the hanging of cider soaked toast in the trees and the pouring of last year’s cider around the roots to encourage a good harvest in the autumn. Rifle shooting of evil spirits from the trees. Mummers play by Langport Mummers, Then back to Old Ditch Farm for the ceremonial burning of the ash faggot, lit from embers from last year's fire. Event organised by the Friendly Society.This is primarily a small local event so if you are planning to attend please contact Barry Lane on 01749 870457.

Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 January
Montacute House (National Trust), Montacute TA15 6XP – a weekend organised by Folk South West and Montacute House. Saturday from 10.30am is a day of community workshops open to the whole family in preparation for wassailing the village orchard on Sunday with sessions in lantern making, singing and percussion offered. All materials and equipment provided, entry £8 adults, £4 for under 18s. Please book with Folk South West on 01935 822911. Sunday 6pm Wassail the village orchard. A procession of lanterns and light accompanied by a local street band and percussionists, a stroll among the apple trees singing local wassail songs, shotguns fired into the apple trees, and Montacute’s Apple Play performed by local residents. Light refreshments. There will be a collection, donations welcome. More information from Folk South West on 01935 822911.

Wednesday 17 January
Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury - Wassail Evening. 7-9pm. Please book in advance. Adults £6.00, Children £3.00. Contact +44(0)1458 831197.

Wednesday 17 January
Barrington Court, Barrington near Ilminster (National Trust) - An evening event to bless Barrington Court's apple trees. 5.30pm-7.30pm. Admission FREE. Contact: +44(0)1460 241938, margaret.stone@nationaltrust.org.uk or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Wednesday 17 January
The Butchers Arms, Carhampton - claims the longest unbroken wassailing tradition in England. Slices of toast soaked in cider are put in the apple trees behind the pub, the Carhampton Wassailing song is sung, guns are fired to ward off evil spirits, and cider is poured around the tree's roots. Then back in to the pub for live music. An event enjoyed by the local community. From around 7pm. Contact the Butchers Arms for more information on 01643 821 333 or info@butchersarmscarhampton.co.uk

Saturday 20 January
West Croft Cider, West Croft Farm, Brent Knoll, Highbridge – traditional wassail with music, mulled cider and Morris dancing, hog roast, freebies, family friendly. Ticket only, £6 – call in or phone to book. +44(0)1278 760762.

Saturday 20 January
Horfield Organic Community Orchard, off Kings Drive Bishopston, Bristol - Wassailing in the Community Orchard with Morris and songs, mulled cider and cakes. Free entry. 2-4pm. Entry via lane opposite 23 Kings Drive, Bishopston.

Sunday 21 January
Willsbridge Mill (Avon Wildlife Trust), Longwell Green (signposted off the A431 in Longwell Green, 6 miles from Bristo and bath) -Cider splashed on apple tree roots, toast tucked in branches – not to mention a rowdy rousing of the sap with giant musical apple leaves! The proceedings will begin with storytelling from children's author Dick King-Smith. Prior to the event, children from the Meadows Primary School at Bitton have been making sculptural Wassail orchard ladders with Hazel tree prunings from recent coppice management in the nature reserves woodland.There will be fruit and nut trails, orchard games and homemade apple cakes using local recipes. Fruit tree pruning demonstrations will also take place. Local apple juice will be on sale. Visitors can help plant a new hedgerow, make fruity lanterns and noisy scrap instruments, followed by the lantern lit procession guided by Fred Falstaff, the Apple Caller, Willsbridge Mill’s wandering Wassailing minstrel. After wassailing the oldest apple tree, known as the ‘Apple Tree Man’, he will then lead the procession from the Wild Waste garden orchard to the newly planted fruity hedgerow which provides a new an natural boundary to the recently renovated Upper Mill pond. The finale sees the crowning of the Wassail Queen and Holly Boy. Both have important duties to perform in ensuring a bumper harvest the following season. All participants will be invited to place toast in the trees for the robins to feast on, which are considered to be the guardians of the orchard. After the beating of noisy instruments to wake the orchard from its winter slumbers, as well as scaring away evil spirits and apple pests that might be nibbling the emerging buds. The Communal Wassail cup was then passed around and the traditional Wassailing carols sung and poems recited.The event starts at 2pm and culminates in the exiting ceremony at 5pm: entry is free with material charges for art workshops. For further details please contact Ruth Worsley at Willsbridge Mill on 0117 9326885.

http://www.england-in-particular.info/new/n-wass.html

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Originally posted by Gents

Steve - cheers for the advice, do you know if they do food there?

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Originally posted by Steve The Wurzel

Was the Joe Strummer article still on the wall Gents?

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