AROUND 200 people attended the traditional Wassail held at the Laurie Jones Community Orchard in Abergavenny.

For the first time, the procession around the orchard was led by the orchard’s Green Man puppet, made by Susan Holder and Tom Bramley.

The procession was followed by a traditional wassail ceremony, led by Jeff Davies, and children were invited to places pieces of toast soaked in cider, in the branches of the apple trees, to please the orchard spirits!

The Jolly Wassailers performed The Cornish Wassail, and everyone then joined in singing The Gower Wassail, The Gloucestershire Wassal, and to finish, a rousing version of Wassail The Silver Apple. 

Cider and apple juice pressed from orchard apples, and apple cake, was then enjoyed by everyone present, and as the evening drew in the braziers and candles were lit to make the orchard look even more magical than usual.