A RECORD crowd of almost 100 people attended the Bere Ferrers Wassailing event last Saturday organised by the Tavy and Tamar Apple Group.

The annual event is held to commemorate an ancient West Country rite to assist the apple trees in producing a bumper crop in 2015.

Participants were entertained by Dartmoor Border Morris within the church hall. The morris side even staged a participation dance involving those who attended the event, which included visitors from the district and even from Australia and Canada.

Everyone then processed to the adjacent orchard where The Tavy Tars sang a number of songs with an apple theme, aided by master of ceremonies William Spearing, leading everybody with the traditional Wassailing Song.

After the orchard ceremonies everybody returned to the church hall for pasties, cider and other drinks, followed by further dancing and singing.

The event raised the sum of £150 which will be shared between the Villagers' Fund for the provision of a hearing aid loop system in the church hall and the Mary Budding Trust of Tavistock.

Richard and Joyce Peden were thanked for organising the evening with other volunteers.