WASSAIL - After a poor harvest in 2012, Colwall Orchard Group needs even more people to come wassailing on Saturday to wake up the spirits of the orchards. Wassailing is a traditional festivity designed to encourage the trees to bear a good crop in the coming year. Wassailers are asked to gather at Colwall Green from 6pm for a torchlit procession with drums and horns from the green to Cummins Orchard starting at 6.30pm.

Helen Stace of the voluntary group, which restores orchards in the area, said: “The wassailers gather around the oldest tree in the orchard for a traditional ceremony, led by the butler, who walks round the tree invoking the spirits of the orchard and urging the trees to wake up before pouring cider over their roots. Then a small boy, known as Tom Tit, is lifted into the tree to put slices of toast in the branches, to feed the robins and other small birds. Finally, everyone makes as much noise as possible, so you need to bring pots and pans, whistles and horns. After the ceremony we gather round a bonfire with sparklers, before retiring to the barn for hot food and drink. After the refreshments, our choir leads us in singing traditional songs, including a Colwall wassail written especially for us. The Wassail is one of our major fund raising events, so there is an entrance fee of £2.50 for adults - children go free - and you will need some money to buy food and drink.”