January is the month to wassail the orchards and bless the apple trees for a fruitful harvest. This ancient ritual pre-dates 1066 and was part of the Yule traditions, often held on the twelfth night. Nowadays a wassail is held between December - February in many cider producing counties.

I joined the Acid Morris at School Farm in Dartington. This merry band of techno druids came with their own spin on traditional Morris dancing. They also had a very cool homemade Mari Lywd - a mysterious folk hobby horse created using a real horse skull. The Mari was paraded around whilst they danced a jig and entertained everyone. A lot of noise was made, banging drums and saucepans to wake up the trees and scare away evil spirits. We toasted the trees with cider and apple juice for a bumper crop in 2024. The party continued late into the night, with a rave at a local venue and much bin banging!