Awaking the spirits at Caistor

Caistor's second Waes-Hal event took place under an azure sky at Caistor's Jubilee Orchard.

The purpose of Wassailing is to awake the apple trees and to scare away evil spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit in the Autumn and there was a large turnout to watch this ancient Anglo-Saxon ritual of the “toasting” of the trees.

Grimsby Morris Men danced, dressed in their brightly coloured rag coats, with the ceremony itself involving making loud noises to ward of evil spirits and hanging toast soaked in cider onto the tree branches.

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After the “toasting” of the trees they performed the Bassingham Men’s Play inside the Sports and Social Club.

They also made a collection for the charity Doorstep, a Grimsby based group that supports young people.

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