Wassailers ensure a top crop of apples

Bridport folk went a-wassailing at the town’s community orchard to help ensure bumper crops later in the year. Around 200 locals gathered for the centuries-old tradition that is thought to drive out evil spirits and ensure the apple trees stay healthy.

The Wyld Morris dancing group began proceedings with a medley of traditional tunes and wassailing songs, featuring enthusiastic audience participation, followed by dancing.

Local cider producers helped keep people’s spirits high and volunteers served hot apple juice made from the orchard’s last crop. Bridport’s town crier attended in his full regalia to announce the start of the wassail, followed by Martin Maudesley telling the story of The Apple Tree Man, the name given to the spirit of the oldest tree in the orchard which exists all the fertility of the whole orchard.

After the story, Martin led the wassail ceremony, which saw the King and Queen of the wassail crowned before picking a tree to receive a gift of cider poured onto its roots and cider-soaked bread placed in its branches. Martin then introduced another folklore character, the Dorset Ooser, inset left, represented by his distinctive horn faced mask, before the ceremony ended with crowds making a great hullabaloo with drums, whistles, pans and spoons and rattles to drive out evil spirits.