JOLTER, the semi mythical curmudgeonly crackerbarrel Forest philosopher is off to Russia to lay dow its own form of ‘glass-nost’.

Jolter is best known as the wacky old forester immortalised by Harry Beddington, a Cinderford schoolteacher who wrote and performed poems and sketches in a strong local dialect.

More recently he has been the inspiration behind a new brand of craft ciders and perry produced in Mitcheldean under the banner of the Jolter Press.

Spokesman Pat Lock said: “We were exhibiting at a cider fair in Ross-on-Wye last year and some Russian people showed a keen interest.

“The next thing, we received an order for a substantial quantity of our cider to be exported to the city of Belgorod in South West Russia.

“They obviously liked the product and it seems cider is going down very well in Russia now.

“They were interested in where the name came from but it was very hard trying to explain his significance and that of the Forest dialect!”