COLWALL villagers came together on Saturday evening for an ancient ceremony intended to wake the village's apple tree and make the fruitful in the coming year.

Crowds defied the chill winter air to gather at the Colwall Stone in the heart of the village for the start of the ceremony.

The Old Meg morris side performed some traditional dances before the crowd rallied for the lighting of the torches and the procession down Stone Drive.

The procession was led by the butler, who by tradition is anonymous, onto the Colwall Community Orchard, where bonfire was lit, and the wassail ceremony is performed

The wassail is a traditional mid-winter festival designed to wake up the apple trees and encourage them to produce a good harvest.

The ceremony includes circling the oldest tree in the orchard, pouring a libation of cider on the tree roots, and making lots of noise to drive away the evil spirits.

It also includes lifting a young lad known as Tom Tit, this year played in great style by Arran Smith, into the tree to put toast on the branches.

After the ceremony, the crowd retired to the orchard's apple packing shed, where an ample supply of warming food and drink and been laid on, before gathering round the bonfire to sing wassail songs, including the Colwall Wassail, written especially for the village by local musician Joolz Webb.

Helen Stace of Colwall Orchard Group, which organises the event, said: "Formal thanks go to Rick James of Wallers butchers fame and Leslie Hitchin who donated the sausage rolls, Old Meg for performing at the stone, and of course to our inestimable Butler.

"Events like this don't happen by themselves; approximately 35 volunteers were involved in organising and running the event and keeping everybody safe, fed and watered. A huge vote of thanks and congratulations go to all of them."