An “exceptional” crop bodes well for Apple Day

If you’ve been through the orchard in Great Hill Wood lately it won’t have escaped your notice that the apple trees are laden with fruit, to the point where some branches are near to breaking under the strain. This year’s record apple harvest, described as “exceptional” by local orchard owners, is due to a combination of a warm and relatively dry early spring, which promoted flowering, and a particularly sunny April that allowed the pollinators maximum time in the air to work their magic, resulting in a very successful fruit set.

All of this bodes very well for the annual Parish Apple Day, which will take place at Chillington Village Hall on Saturday 20 September from 11am. Volunteers from the parish council and other community organizations will be collecting and bagging apples in the orchard on Wednesday 17th – all help gratefully received, just turn up and get stuck in!

The apples will then be transported down to the hall in time for Saturday’s event, at which they will be pressed to make lots of lovely apple juice for people to take away. Anyone who’s been before will know that this is a great fun event, with plenty of opportunities to join in – children in particular very much enjoy getting hands-on with the apple pulp, especially if it means free apple juice!

Tea, coffee and cake will be on sale, as well as hot and cold snacks, beer, wine and – of course! – cider, so come down with the family and make a day of it.