Wassailing

Wednesday 27th January 2010, 3:34PM GMT.

GATHERED around a single, candle-lit tree, in a gently sloping field in St Andrew’s, stood a group of islanders armed with pots and pans.

To the untrained eye, it could have been an outtake from The Wicker Man – a cult gathering to invoke malevolent spirits and unleash all manner of hellfire.

Passing tourists would have been forgiven for reaching for the central locking.

But of course, it was nothing sinister.

Islanders had gathered for a wassail – a centuries-old tradition to ward off evil spirits and ensure a good harvest of apples.

The ceremony dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, according to James Meller, wassail organiser and manager of the Guernsey Cider Company, which produces Rocquette Cider.

Pictures by Tom Tardif.

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