HEADLESS Cross Community Orchard will host it’s fifth annual Wassail this new year, boasting an evening of traditional entertainment, noisy antics and hot spiced drinks.
Every January loud local revellers celebrate an ancient ceremony to awaken fruit trees at the Headless Cross Green orchard, with this year’s Wassail including a traditional Mummers comedy play.
Orchard volunteer Alistair Waugh said: “The annual Wassail was always the first celebration of the year in English folk custom, with noisy bangs and shouts to awaken the trees.
“In counties like Worcestershire, where we have a lot of orchards, ensuring an abundant harvest for the year ahead was vital. We’re keeping that tradition alive, albeit with a modern flavour. Bring your saucepans for banging or just your noisy neighbours. You’re in for a real treat!”
This year’s Wassail will be accompanied by the Mummers play, ‘Mum and Mummer’, written and performed by a new local group Forza Webheath Players & Friends.
Writer M A Bennett said: “Our Mummers play is a modern version of the traditional plays performed at this time of year. It’s a comedy featuring the kidnap of the Redditch Doddin apple by a mad scientist whose plans are thwarted by local children. This will be our first performance in public so we are all excited and a little bit nervous. Fortunately, as we say in the play, cider makes the heart beat steady!”
Held on Saturday, January 9 the event is free and family friendly.
Meeting at The Rocklands Social Club car park at 7pm the noisy procession will be led to Headless Cross Green, with music provided by Arrow Valley Brass Band. The event will last about an hour.
If you want to know more about the subject, a 2013 book ‘Wassailing’ by Colin and Karen Cater is available for loan from Redditch Library and features a chapter on the Headless Cross Wassail.
