Pagan ritual revived at orchard >video
The ancient Wassail ritual, meaning "good health," was witnessed by dozens of spectators at Pickering Road Community Orchard in west Hull.
Derived from a pagan Anglo-Saxon ceremony, participants poured cider on to the tree roots to give thanks for the harvest and created a "racket" to ward off disease from the new crop.
It was the second Wassail held at the orchard, which is run by volunteers.
Events co-ordinator Yvette Grindley told the Mail: "The ceremony has certainly worked for us in the past.
"We got a bumper harvest the year of the floods, even though we lost 10 per cent of the trees, and last year we also got a great harvest because of all the rain, with apples as big as saucers.
"It's all a bit of superstition and fun, but it's a great to bring back this tradition back to the area. In parts of the south, where there are more orchards this is a big event."
Visitors were entertained by the Raving Mae morris dancers and kept warm with hot mulled cider and apple tea.
Jacky Ward-Lomax, 66, of The Avenues, city centre, brought her grandchildren Orla, eight, and Erin, six, to watch the display.
She also played the drum at the head of the procession, as one of the Raving Maes.
She said: "Winter gets a bit grey and dark, so this is to wake up the trees for spring.
Granddaughter Orla said: "We dipped toast in cider and put it on the trees and woke them up for spring. I liked it because it was different to normal."
Phil and Lisa Broadley, of Anlaby Park Road South, west Hull went to the wassail with their eight-year-old daughter Amy.
Mrs Broadley said: "We came along because my parents sponsor a tree here. It's great to just appreciate nature and get back to basics.
"There are a lot of housing developments around here so it is important these green spaces aren't taken away."
However, the ceremony on Sunday came a day late to ward off thieves, who took valuable equipment from the site the night before.
Two grass strimmers and a generator worth £800 were stolen from a padlocked container.
Yvette Grindley, events co-ordinator at the orchard, said: "It was very sad to discover the break-in. We have no means of paying for replacement tools.
"It means that we cannot cut the grass when the spring comes. We are devastated.
"We are appealing for funds to replace this equipment and support the orchard because we get very little funding.
"This orchard is for the benefit of people living in west Hull so the thieves have stolen from their own community."
To sponsor a tree, call Yvette Grindley on (01482) 503577 or chairman Arthur Wilson on (01482) 561616.
Orla, left, and Erin Ward and their grandmother Jacky Ward-Lomax bless a tree with toast and cider
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