About

Join us as we make merry and celebrate the success of our community orchards with our very own Wassail!

Our weird and wonderful Wassail is back!

An ancient rural English celebration giving fruit growers and pickers the opportunity to drink to the good health of their fruit trees and to an abundant crop in the coming year, as well as bring light, noise and cheer to long, dark winter months.

We will enjoy storytelling, crafts and singing, with a Wassail Master to oversee proceedings.

A community event not to be missed, so why not join us as we make noise, make merry and share Mike's warm spiced apple cider and some tasty snacks.

All are most welcome.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy footwear.

The walk will meet at the Vine Road Recreation Ground near the Pavilion.

Tickets include a cup of cider / hot mulled apple juice, and a hot mug of soup from the Vine Road Community Cafe.

The Cafe will also be selling hot and cold drinks and snacks on the day.

Timeline of the day:

10am - Arrival and crafts – mask making, noise makers and nature crowns

10:30am - Procession to the Orchard, led by the Wassail Master and Jester with lots of noise making.

11am - The Wassail ceremony begins - including a brief history of wassailing, community singing and the blessing of a tree

11:30am - Procession makes its way back to Vine Road Park, stopping for some themed storytelling and poetry around food growing

12noon - Live performance by the Age UK Richmond Patch Ukulele group, hot mulled apple juice, soup, wishing tree and socialising

1pm - Finish

TICKETS:

All proceeds from ticket sales will support our work in conservation and future learning events and we would encourage you, if you can, to pay full price. We do not want cost to be a barrier to our activities, as such we have a limited number of discount concession tickets available, please email development@barnescommon.org.uk for details.