PEOPLE young and old turned out in their hundreds on Saturday January 8th to the Slip Tavern in Much Marcle to join the Silurian Border Morris Men performing their annual Wassailing ceremony in the surrounding cider orchards.

This is an ancient and traditional celebration to the goddess Pomona to encourage good fruit and a bountiful crop and takes place around the Twelfth Night – January 6th.

In the bitter cold and under beautiful star-lit skies, the crowds walked in the torchlight procession to the cider orchard to the chosen tree, whereupon one of the Morris men poured cider round the roots. Children were invited to hang toast soaked in cider onto the tree, to attract robins, which are sacred to cider orchards.