Have you been to an Apple Day this season yet? Many of our local events have happened already (click on our Past events tab to see these), but some are still to come.
National Apple Day was launched in 1990 by Common Ground. Their aspiration was to create a calendar custom, an autumn holiday. From the start, Apple Day was intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too. It has also played a part in raising awareness in the provenance and traceability of food.
The concept was initially set as 21st October but, in practice, the date is variable depending on which area you’re in and what orchard group is doing what.
It has become incredibly successful over the 30 years since – with events taking place all over the country organised by local orchard and apple groups, across a range of dates throughout October.
For information on Apple Day events around the country visit https://ptes.org/campaigns/traditional-orchard-project/orchard-network/apple-day/
All are welcome to celebrate Apple Day with Horfield Organic Community Orchard
Sunday 16 October, 2 – 4pm
Details at http://www.community-orchard.org.uk/public-events or click here for flyer/poster
Turning Bristol into an orchard city since 1998
To find the orchard (nearest postcode BS7 8JP)
Walk down the lane beside 22 Kings Drive (between Bishop Rd & Kellaway Ave), turn left and enter the first gate on the right.
OR
Take the lane beside 134 Longmead Ave until you come to the third gate on the left.
Dogs on leads, please.
Contact: hocohello@gmail.com
phone: 0117 373 1587
http://www.community-orchard.org.uk/public-events
*Pre-ordering recommended to avoid disappointment.
See the HOCO website for more information:
http://www.community-orchard.org.uk
Helen and Dave at Days Cottage have been busy setting up the displays for their Apple Day next Sunday (16th October, 1-4pm). Helen has sent these pictures and notes:
This is part of the Gloucestershire collection – there will 90 varieties altogether of which 45 are Gloucestershire ones from the Days Cottage Museum Orchard.
Here are a few of the Gloucestershire varieties, starting with the delightfully named Hen’s Turds, followed by Gloucester Royal and then Ben Lans. Such beautiful fruit this year:
the next picture shows the genetic instability of Siddington Russet…you can see 2 heavily russeted apples and 2 smooth green ones all on the same branch! 
And lastly Cambridge Queening…a gorgeous apple from Cambridge, the village south of Gloucester on the A38. It is the best variety for making Tarte Tatin. Helen writes that they had a chef at one of their Apple Days who made lots of Tarte Tatins with different varieties and Cambridge Queening won the taste test hands down! Also known as Cambridge Quoining…thought to be from the angled shape reflecting quoin stones used on the corners of buildings.
Helen from Days Cottage getting a full work out while shaking a Severn Bank apple 
tree in the Museum Orchard at Day’s Cottage.
She writes that ‘we’ve used the fruit to make a first experimental barrel of 100% Severn Bank as the crop has been so heavy this season. Will let you know how it turns out next year.’
Orchard at Humphreys End , Randwick , Stroud (Croft farm)
For sale – An abundance of different eating/cooking apples – 15 large saplings of Gloucestershire varieties.
Also Bramleys and Newton Wonders from 8 mature trees.
Ripening from mid-October, and available for picking.
Further information – Julia Currie – 01453 764376
Big Apple, the orchard association for the Much Marcle area, is holding its annual Harvestime weekend on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October.
Nine venues are ready to welcome visitors to Much Marcle over the two days.
The venues have plenty to offer visitors. There will be opportunities to enjoy the local orchards, see, hear and smell cider and perry being made and taste and buy many different varieties of apples, local ciders, perries and apple juices.
Full details at https://www.bigapple.org.uk/harvestime2022/
Fishponds Community Orchard are holding their Apple day on 9th October at Thingwall Park Allotments.
From midday until 5pm.
There will be juicing, cider, other produce plus woodturning, live music and story-telling.
Details from fishpondsorchard@gmail.com or their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FishpondsOrchard/
Apple Day at our Rockness Orchard near Nailsworth, will be on Sunday 9th October in the afternoon. There is a wonderful amount of fruit.
The orchard has now been scythed and cleared. Particular summer profusion on the banks of betony, field scabious, St
Johns wort and wild marjoram. We also have newts in our little pond.
Great excitement, as where the huge ash was felled, plums have shot up bearing wonderful delicious fruit. What a gift.
If anyone can identify from a photograph, we would be thrilled.
Early fruit (in profusion) has gone to the Long Table in Stroud to be redistributed and shared.
More information from Fiona Valentine fionav@phonecoop.coop
An update on the previous news about this – the broadcast is due tomorrow, Friday 30th, at 20.00.
Details on the BBC website here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001clnc
Tim Andrews, from Orchard Revival in North Nibley says:
Watch us talk about the work we do restoring traditional orchards in Gloucestershire on BBC Gardeners World. Over the last 50 years Gloucestershire has lost over 75% of these amazing habitats. Here at Orchard Revival we prune and re-plant these traditional orchards and more importantly share orchard skills so others can do it too.
The segment was filmed in the beautiful Pocketts Orchard, in Whitminster where we help lead orchard restoration for the Cotswold Canals Connected project and the Gloucestreshire Wildlife Trust as part of the Stroudwater canal restoration.
If you miss us on TV you’ll be able to hear us on BBC Gloucestershire with Kate Clark on Sunday 2nd October from 10am. Kate and I will be having a good chat about all things orchards, along with my work with the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust, Cotswold Canals Connected, the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, CPRE Gloucestershire and The Ernest Cook Trust.
You must be logged in to post a comment.