Wassail - fruitfields.co.uk

On the 27th December, 2019, two community walks set out from the centre of Barnt Green at Millenium Park. The first walking group undertaking the 5 mile round trip comprised 42 adventurers and the 3 mile route was made up of 50. With approximately thirty people coming to our orchards directly or on their own walks, a crowd of c.130 made for a wonderful 3rd Barnt Green Wassail.

It was the first year we had members of Alvechurch Morris dancing on the top track and we were again able to process round the trees with Jez on the drums and Andy on the melodium. We were also joined by Steve as green man, aka ‘the hedge’. He really is a sight to behold, (if you notice he is there).

As the sunset and the mist came in, the crackling bonfire lit up our Fruitfields stall and Sian and myself were busy running the Wassail and dishing out the hot & cold apple juice & hot & cold cider.

We hit pots and pans and made noise as we processed around the orchard. We enjoyed a few wassailing verses and as well as hanging toast on our trees with the help of children (to attract the robins the guardians of the orchards and the noise was to keep away evil nasties) we ‘toasted’ with a ‘wassail’ and ‘drink hael’ response.

We wished the health of the apple trees for another bumper harvest in 2020 and to thank them for their bounteous crop we’ve experienced in 2019.

Thanks to Barnt Green Parish Council for their help leading the walks and promoting the event. It seems to be building each year and this year was certainly bigger & better than previous years…

Love and joy come to you and to you your wassail to… Here’s to a great start to 2020!

We must thank James Crockford (James Crockford Photography) for capturing some great shots of this event:

To Wassail or ‘Was-hail’ is the middle English for ‘good-health’ and at fruitfields we’ve been delighted to work with Barnt Green Parish Council to combine their annual winter community walks with a Wassail at fruitfields.

Over sixty intrepid adventurers braved the near freezing and windy conditions on the afternoon of December 27th, 2017 and we were thankful that it was dry.

Despite the wind blowing the gas double burner out, the fire pit saved the day and the pre-warmed mulled cider provided a good alternative to the mulled hot apple juice.

We wished the trees good health to provide a bumper crop of apples in 2018 and to thank them for the 2017 crop. We banged pots and pans to awaken the orchard and ensure any nasty bugs were driven away. Everyone made a good amount of noise following Ges our drummer to hang toast at the bottom of the orchard in the oldest trees.

Toast is traditionally hung to thank the trees for the fruit they have provided, and attract birds to dispatch any nasty bugs.

Fruitfields in the snow at sunset!

Hanging toast in the trees to encourage a good crop and remove any nasty bugs!

Robert & Simon doing a sterling job with the banners and as walk leaders.

Walkers warming up aroud the firepit with glasses of mulled cider and apple juice

We drunk and sung to the health of the apple trees and this included the following wassail verses:

Here’s to thee, old apple tree,
That blooms well, bears well.
Hats full, caps full.
Three bushel bags full,
An’ all under one tree. Hurrah! Hurrah!

Here’s to thee, old apple-tree,
Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow,
And whence thou mayst bear apples enough,
Hats full, caps full,
Bushel, bushel sacks-full.
And my pockets full, too! Hurrah!

Wassail! Wassail! All over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.

Wassaile the trees, that they may beare
You many a Plum and many a Peare:
For more or lesse fruits they will bring
As you do give them Wassailing.
Apple tree prosper, bud, bloom and bear,
That we may have plenty of cider next year.
And when there’s a barrel, we hope there are ten,
That we may have cider when we come again.

Chorus:
With our wassail, wassail, wassail!
Joy come to our jolly wassail!

A-wassail, a-wassail! The Moon, she shines down;
The apples are ripe and the nuts they are brown.
Whence thou mayest bud, dear old apple tree,
And when thou mayest bear, we sing unto thee,

Chorus:
With our wassail, wassail, wassail!
Joy come to our jolly wassail!

Love and joy come to you
And to you your wassail, too
And God bless you, and send you
A Happy New Year and God send you a
Happy New Year!

Category Archives: Wassail

Our winter wassail in conjunction with Barnt Green Parish Council

Wassailing and our Fruitfields Wassail on the 27th December, 2017