Wolds Wassail: Side Oven Bakery at Foston on the Wolds ran their popular Winter Wildlife Walks Open Day

Side Oven Bakery at Foston on the Wolds ran their popular Winter Wildlife Walks Open Day in partnership with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
On Sunday 28th January the farm and bakery hosted an event where there were guided wildlife walks led by a YWT wildlife expert round the family's organic arable farm that is home to many species of wildlife.

Then the Makara Morris group performed a 'Wassail.' A Wassail is the blessing of the fruit trees in hope of a bountiful harvest in Autumn.

The Wassail happens at the beginning of the New Year with a gathering of local people who follow the ‘King/Queen in the green’, in a noisy procession to the orchard. To wake up the trees and ward off evil spirits, people bang, stamp, sing/shout wassail rhymes making as much noise as possible. Pieces of toast soaked in a large bowl of cider/fruit juice and are hung in the branches to attract robins to the trees as these are said to be the good spirits of the orchard.