Side Oven Bakery at Foston on the Wolds ran their popular Winter Wildlife Walks Open Day in partnership with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.<br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /> <br />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.
