Apple Day Celebration - 25th October 2008
We hope everyone enjoyed our first Apple Day event which was held on Saturday 25th October. There were lots of people there and they were able to sample apple cakes, toffee apples, and jams and people could get advice on apple trees, apple identifying, etc.
The apple juicer was a success and everyone agreed that our freshly pressed apple juice was much better than what you get from the shop. Children had the opportunity to have a go at apple printer, finding the maggot in the apple and four-in-a-row and there was also the challenge of the longest peel competition.
There were also displays from the Braunstone Town Heritage Warden and the Highways Spinney project. In the afternoon there was bulb and tree planting at the Community Orchard site and the Chairman of Blaby District Council, Mrs Jo Fox, planting a Weeping Willow tree next to our new wildlife pond.
Many thanks to everyone who helped out at the event and also for local residents for giving the event their support. The event is one of the first of its kind in the District so hopefully it will put us on the 'Apple Map'.
Trying out the Apple Crusher and Press
Sally Cunningham displaying the different varieties of apples
Find the maggot in the apple game
Alisha - Winner of the 'Find the Maggot in the Apple' competition
The Chairman of Blaby District Council, Mrs Jo Fox, trying out the apple press
Councillor Phil Fox making apple juice
John Dodd, Heritage Warden
Councillor Phil Fox's poetry reading
I had never seen an apple cart, A poem by Phil Fox
I had never seen an apple cart,
A cart purpose-built for apples
Trundling through apple groves, pulled easily by pickers
I had never seen an apple picker,
A picker propped on her ladder
Dark in apple-swollen boughs, coaxing out fruit by twists.
I had never savoured apple aroma,
An aroma so cider-pungent
Wooden kegs could not hold it, however copper-taut
I had never eaten a new apple,
Newly ripened sun-bloated
Red-brass baubles, teetering on threads of twig, swaying.
I had never stolen orchard apples,
Stolen with furtive greedy glee
As the vicar, unaware, prepared his Sunday sermon.
I had never waddled home, wobbling
Like a homing pond-pregnant toad,
Jumper jiggling with apples borrowed permanently.
But I had often sat at the table,
Often clicked my spoon and fork
Involuntary, as the steaming apple pie was cut.
The Deputy Town Mayor, Mr Widdowson, sampling the apple cakes
Apple Printing
The Longest Peel Competition
Longest Apple Peel Results
Juniors First Prize - Simran, Aged 12. Length 493mm
Seniors First Prize - Mrs Fairall. Length 1268mm
Heritage Warden Display
The apple cake and jam stall, raising funds for the Town Mayor's charity
Apple Cakes to sample
The Highway Spinney Project Display
Toffee apples galore
Allotments' Display
Apple printing
Apple Printing
The Heritage Warden's ever popular in a row game
Badge Making
An Apple Map of Braunstone Town
Apple printing
Bulb and Tree Planting
The Chairman of Blaby District Council, Mrs Jo Fox, planting the Weeping Willow by the pond
Apple Prints
PROGRAMME
BRAUNSTONE CIVIC CENTRE, Kingsway
From 10.00am to Noon (Free entry)
• Sample delicious apple cake
• Recipes for you to take away
• Learn about the different varieties of apples including local varieties
• Information about looking after apple trees
• Apple Games
• Help us keep a chart of where the apple trees in the Town are
FRANKLIN PARK COMMUNITY ORCHARD
Off Welcombe Avenue, From 1pm to 4pm
• Come and see progress with the Orchard, Meadow area and pond
• Help with bluebell and daffodil planting (donations welcome)
• Guided tour of site at 2pm with entertaining insight into the flora & flauna
• Fruit tree planting
• An opportunity to join the Franklin Park Working Group to help with the future development of the site
DO YOU HAVE ANY APPLES FROM YOUR TREE THAT YOU CAN SHARE?
If so, please contact us on 0116 2899270 and we will collect, or alternatively bring them along in the morning of the event for people to sample.
If you know the name of the apple, even better.
