CHRIS RUNDLE

CHRIS DECIDES LACK OF TRADITION SHOULD BE NO OBSTACLE TO ENDEAVOUR AS HE ADVOCATES THE USE OF FERMENTED APPLE JUICE IN COOKING - AFTER A GOOD WASSAIL, OF COURSE

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WELL now, will you be looking at the date? January 17 already. So I trust you'll be pulling on yer gaiters tonight and going out to beat the bejasus out of yer apple trees to make sure they produce some fruit this year.

We have, indeed, arrived at Wassail Night, once an unmissable rural ritual but which all but disappeared (as so many of the old ways did) as the First World War's cruel losses of men folk dealt a devastating blow to the spirit of the countryside.

Only at one pub - the Butcher's Arms, in Carhampton, near Minehead - was it kept alive, thanks to landlord Fred Tarr. Who dutifully handed over stewardship to his son, Eric, who decided it was time to raise the event's profile and turned it into a full-blown night out in the orchard with live music and copious amounts of mulled cider. And even forged links with apple growers in Washington State, who dispatched a wassail queen by way of a goodwill gesture.

And then the major cidermakers took up the idea and realised a wassail celebration would provide the basis for a useful bit of corporate entertaining and thus the tradition was revived and saved.

Wassailing is, of course, best confined to such events. I've got apple trees in the front garden but if I went out tonight, fired a shotgun through the branches to drive away the evil spirits and finished the job by singing the Somerset wassail song (go online and you can hear Eric Tarr singing it) the neighbours might be somewhat concerned for their safety and my sanity.