BRIDPORT residents got into the celebratory spirit with their seventh annual wassailing ceremony in the town’s community orchard.

Over 170 people turned up to the orchard on Priory Lane to sing during the ceremony, playing their own musical instruments such as tambourines, cans and gongs.

Wassailing is a traditional folk ceremony involving singing and loud noises to scare away evil spirits and ‘wake up’ the trees so they will produce a good crop for the autumn harvest.

Master of Ceremonies Andy Jefferies blew a long horn to start proceedings, and Wyld Morris group danced and provided a musical accompaniment to four traditional folk songs, playing fiddles, accordions and guitars.

In keeping with the tradition, apple trees in the orchard were decorated with bread by seven-year-old wassailing maiden Evelyn Dilke and the tree roots were sprinkled with a small amount of hot mulled cider from West Milton Cider.

The last of the community orchard apple juice, pressed and pasteurised from the groups’ recent apple day, was also drunk around a blazing fire.

The orchard, which was set up 2009, now has around 60 trees of 45 varieties, including more traditional and unusual examples from all over the south west region.