UNPRECEDENTED numbers of people attended this year’s traditional Carhampton Orchard Wassail on Saturday night (January 17).

A crowd of about 250 watched the age-old ceremony of ‘toasting’ the apple trees with cider-soaked toast to attract good spirits, in the form of robins, and firing guns into the air to scare away bad ones.

Organisers put out an appeal after the event for volunteers to help run the community orchard which hosted the wassail.

A spokesperson said: “It takes a lot of work to maintain this special place and to run its events through the year, and the more this work can be shared between willing volunteers, the stronger its future will be.

“If you have enjoyed the wassail or other Carhampton Orchard events, and can lend a hand with maintenance from time to time or help out at an event, please get in touch with Elizabeth and Emily on 01643 821756 or email [email protected].”

The orchard volunteers are also inviting people to attend a pruning training event on Saturday, January 31, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, where they can learn how to prune apple trees with expert Phil Greenland.

Anybody who attends should take along their own secateurs or pruning saws if possible, although some can be provided on the day.

Carhampton is credited with being the first village in the area to revive the wassail tradition in the 1920s, when the village public house the Butchers Arms re-started it after it had lapsed during World War One.

It was fitting, therefore, that this year’s wassail included a special celebration in the recently reopened Butchers Arms under the aegis of landlord Nick Moores, with music provided by Brian Heaton, Ruth Gasperini, and Keith Jones, plus a special exhibition of wassail memorabilia mounted by Carhampton Heritage Centre.