Worthing souls out to banish evil spirits

12:33pm Sunday 6th January 2008

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Hundreds of people assembled under a starlit sky in a medieval street to take part in an ancient Anglo-Saxon "wassail" ceremony.

Every January Sompting Village Morris dancers drive away evil spirits with jeering, whistling and loud bangs to ensure fertile trees and a bumper apple harvest later in the year.

The ceremony in High Street, Tarring, in Worthing, began with a torchlit musical procession, past the Vine and George and Dragon pubs, whose customers peered out of the windows to watch the passing commotion.

The revellers then turned into the back garden of Tim and Sue Kempster, who live in the former Castle Inn pub which dates back to 1762.

The Kempsters, who have two children, Robert, 11, and Hannah, 13, laid on a keg of Sussex Gold real ale from the Arundel Brewery especially for the occasion.

Tim said: "We moved in three years ago so this is a tradition we have just inherited.

"The people who lived here before used to lay on mulled wine and we decided to carry on the tradition. We are a pretty sociable family and it's a good laugh."

Onlookers formed a circle ten deep in places around an apple tree which formed the focus of the festivities in the centre of the lawn.

They recited a chant which included the line "every little twig bear an apple big" and took part in community singing before deafening bangs echoed around the neighbourhood, part of which was constructed in medieval times.

Martin Frost, from Sompting Village Morris, whose members handed out pieces of apple cake, said wassail was also known as howling in parts of Sussex.

Martin praised the Kempsters, describing them as "regular and stalwart hosts", and also the Vine for supporting the event.

Sompting Village Morris has about 60 members who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.

Martin said the troupe was formed by postmen and fishermen and originally met at the Half Brick pub, in Brighton Road, Worthing, but now used the social club of the central post office in Chapel Road, Worthing, as its base.

The morris men and women will be out in force again on May 1 - May Day - when they dance around Worthing town centre from dawn.

The troupe also stages a conker festival, most recently at the Henty Arms, Ferring, near Worthing, every autumn.

The old Castle Inn isn't the only Tarring house to throw open its doors to the public once a year.

The owners of Bishops Garth, South Street, are required under a borough council order to open their fig garden for one day during the summer.

Before the First World War Tarring was renowned nationwide for its fig orchard, with visitors travelling from all over the country to visit.

It is said the first fig tree was planted by former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas A Becket, though historians regard this as a myth.

Today, only a fraction of the fig trees survive.