THE ancient ritual of wassailing was held in orchards throughout the Bristol area at the weekend to encourage a good fruit harvest.

People met to make as much noise as possible to drive away evil spirits and wake trees from their winter sleep.

In Horfield Community Orchard, 100 fruit trees were dressed with ribbons and shiny items as they were toasted and asked to grow a healthy crop.

Bristol Voices Community Choir sang at Grimsbury Farm in Kingswood after the wassail ceremony, where visitors were asked to create a din to frighten the bad spirits away.

Thornbury's wassail featured a parade of river nymphs, a unicorn and mud men, as well as Morris dancers and the Cider King, all helping to raise money for the Kingswood-based Jessie May Trust. Meanwhile the Barley Wood wassail in Wrington included facepainting, creative workshops, story telling and a mummers play, with music provided by Lori Campbell and the band Poppy Perezz.

On Sunday another wassail was held at Tynings Field, Woodwell Road in Shirehampton. A new orchard was blessed, with morris dancing, food, mulled wine, wellie throwing and a bonfire. The word wassail comes from the old English phrase waes hael, meaning "be in good health" and used as a toast over the wassail cup in the new year.