Put your Wassailing Hats on!
Liberty Fields will be holding Wassail celebrations at their orchards in Halstock, Dorset, (BA22 9SZ), on Sunday 22nd January from 3.30pm to 6.00pm. This ancient ceremony, which is carried out to ensure a good apple crop for the coming year, takes place in orchards all over the country in late January. By serenading the trees with songs and hot apple punch the orchard’s good spirits are encouraged before any bad spirits are nosily chased away, (possibly into neighbouring counties!).
‘We would love as many people as possible to join us for this most
anarchic of apple
events’ says orchard manager Ali Lemmey. Entry is free to all and visitors are
encouraged to don a wassailing hat for the occasion. ‘Any hat will do – just
decorate it with some winter greenery.’ A bottle of Liberty Fields’
recently launched
Porter’s Perfection vodka will be awarded to the owner of the best hat.
The team at Liberty Fields are very happy to say that Tim Laycock and members of
the Ridgeway Singers will be joining them this year to lead everyone
in the wassailing
songs. Lloyd Brown, local cocktail expert, will be giving out glasses
of his newlydevised
Liberty Fields’ hot Wassail punch, (alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions).
The afternoon will start with a free glass of warm punch and ‘green
man’ facepainting
for the children. At 4pm visitors will promenade down to the Wassail tree
for the ceremony and songs, followed by a noisy spirit-scaring
procession through
the orchards, (feel free to take your own pots/pans/wooden
spoons/dustbin lids etc.).
The celebrations will continue with the lighting of the bonfire and
judging of the
wassail hats before concluding with the firing of the Wassail rocket
For further details, contact Liberty Fields on 01935 892430 or e-mail
alilemmey@gmail.com
Line returns not mine – Ed.