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Stories from Young Carers
 Wassailing in Willsbridge - Bitton
Event on Sunday 20th January 2008
Young Carer Dominic was invited by the Student Community Action, University of Bristol Union with Young Carers Bristol and South Gloucestershire to join in the celebration of Wassailing. He made his own lantern and tied his toast with a W on the old oak tree in Willsbridge. He loved it.
WASSAILING - WILD AND FRUITY HEDGEROWS!
Cider splashed on apple tree roots, toast tucked in branches - not to mention a rowdy rousing of the sap with giant musical apple leaves! As part of the region's annual Wassailing tradition, Avon Wildlife Trust's Willsbridge Mill will be running its own ceremony on Sunday, 21st January 2007.
The proceedings will begin with special guest appearance from Dick King-Smith, well-loved children's author. He will present his ever popular story telling session for the younger visitors including stories of pigs - such as Gloucestershire Old Spots, who were important residents of orchards, gorging on their fallen fruits in autumn.
The word Wassail comes from the Anglo Saxon, 'Wes Hal', which means to be in good health or good fortune and 'Wassailing orchards, is an age old tradition associated with the UK's fruit growing areas, in particular the West Country, Sussex, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
It took place between Christmas and the Twelfth Night to protect fruit trees from evil spirits and ensure they bore a plentiful crop in the coming season.
Ruth Worsley, the Trust's community education officer, says 'This is a magical ceremony for both young and old that helps us to reconnect with the natural world and its marvellous seasonal rhythms at a time of year when both wildlife and people need cheering up!'
'Prior to the event, children from the Meadows Primary School at Bitton will be making sculptural Wassail orchard ladders with Hazel tree prunings from recent coppice management in the nature reserves woodland. These stunning structures will become frameworks for music making at the event.' She added.
Activities this year include 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 that, in time, will provide a welcome wildlife restaurant in winter for birds and small mammals with fruit and nut treats including crab apples and hazel nuts! Both young and old Wassailers can make fruity lanterns and noisy scrap instruments, vital for the proceedings, which traditionally take place as darkness falls.
This will be 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.
As part of the magical finale to the afternoons merrymaking will be 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.
Wassailing Vessel
Wassailing Green Man
A Wassail poem written by year five pupils from Longwell Green Primary School for Willsbridge Mill's Wassailing....
I stared at the crispy apple
My mouth watering at the sight
So appetising and refreshing
I couldn't resist a bite.
I bit into the apple
My tongue tingled at the taste
Deliciously juicy and ripe
It couldn't go to waste.
At the centre of the apple
I saw the core and pips
I planted them in the orchard
Before long I was licking my lips.
Wassailing provides an opportunity to celebrate our glorious apple heritage and highlights the dramatic decline of the traditional orchard. In Britain over 6000 varieties of apple are known, but only a few are available today. In the last 30 years 70% of our traditional orchards have been felled to make way for more intensive farming methods. Not only are we losing the huge variety of apples but also local recipes, songs, customs and of course valuable homes for wildlife.
However in recent years with the growing appreciation and demand for local foods, new orchards are being planted and the cider and apple juice industry is beginning to thrive once again.
Story by Howard Park
Avon Wildlife Trust 32 Jacob's Wells Road, Bristol BS8 1DR Telephone: 0117 9177270. Charity No 280422
Many thanks to the Student Community Action, University of Bristol Union with Young Carers Bristol and South Gloucestershire
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