Carol Donaldson is a writer and conservationist. Originally from Essex, she has worked for many of Britain’s best wildlife charities and currently runs her own environmental consultancy. Her first book, On the Marshes, was published by Little Toller in 2017. She is a regular contributor to the Guardian travel pages and was BBC Wildlife Magazine‘s Travel Writer of the Year in 2011. Carol lives in Kent and enjoys wild swimming and cycling as well as volunteering.
The Volunteers: Excerpt
Wassailing is an old pagan tradition: villagers would visit the orchards on Twelfth Night to drive out the devil by creating a bit of a din and to appease good spirits by making offerings to the tree to ensure a good harvest. The word “wassail” is thought to be old English for good health.
August 13, 2024