Ancient tradition for young orchard Clean Air Zone fine errors

A YOUNG orchard growing in Hillfields Park received a traditional wake-up call for the new year, in a celebration organised by residents.

Hillfields Community Garden supporters planted an orchard of 18 fruit trees at the end of 2021.

In January the group held the park's first wassail event, including singing, morris dancing and a ceremony where toast is attached to the tree branches.

Community garden cofounder Becca Jenkins, who was the event's Wassail Queen, said: "Wassailing is an old English tradition which involves waking the sleeping tree spirits and frightening off any evil demons that may be lurking in the branches.

"During the ceremony the wassail King and Queen led a procession through the orchard whilst participants banged pots and pans to wake up the tree spirits."

The idea of the traditional blessing was to ensure a good harvest for the year, and it is believed to date back to Saxon times or even earlier, surviving down the centuries in cidergrowing areas.

The toast is seen as a gift to the tree spirits.

The Hillfields Community Garden event included traditional wassail songs led by community singer Sorrel Wilde, a performance form

There were also hot drinks and cakes, and donations from the crowd of residents who came along will help support the garden's upkeep.

For more information on Hillfields Community Garden visit hillfieldsgarden. fishpondsbristol.uk or the group's Facebook page.

BRISTOL City Council says a "small number" of drivers have been charged for entering the city's new Clean Air Zone, despite having exemptions.

The Voice was contacted by a driver with a 'blue badge' disability exemption who was sent a penalty charge notice after entering the zone for a hospital appointment in an older diesel car on November 28, the first day of the charges.

The letter was sent on December 12 and arrived on January 2, by which time the initial £9 charge had risen to £129.

A council spokesperson said a "small number" of PCNs had been sent to drivers with valid CAZ exemptions but had now been cancelled, adding: "This was an isolated issue, which has now been rectified."

Anyone affected can call the customer support centre on 0117 903 6385.