Wild blackberries are abundant around Abingdon this year. People have been out collecting them with bags and plastic containers.
Beside the Sustrans cycle path, outer branches had been trampled down to create a path into the heart of one large mound of brambles, but the blackberries in the picture were just out of reach.
Nicola Blackwood, MP for Abingdon, and Mike Badcock, Mayor of Abingdon, were there at the Apple Day run by Abingdon Carbon Cutters, and the South Abingdon Children’s Centre.
Nicola planted a representative tree as a symbolic start for a future orchard and forest at Caldecott School.
There were a number of stalls at the event… Ruth Ward was there with her book ‘A Harvest of Apples’ and a display of lots of different sorts of apples. As well as apple folklore, and history, her book contains lots of apple recipes.
There was Grow Your Own Allotment advice, from a lady who runs some training allotments on Peachcroft farm. Email on the board in the picture (gyoveg at hotmail.com). And there was a representative from Drayton Road Allotments.
There was Abingdon honey for sale from Virginia Arnott, beekeeper of Abingdon (v.arnott at ntlworld.com.) You can also get Abingdon honey from Radley Road bees – on sale at Added Ingredients, for they were there too.
But the main business of the day was apples…
juicing them
and drinking the juice. TV cameras, for BBC Local News, were there too and here is the link to the video story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15327064 saying how the people of Abingdon wanted to reintroduce more Heritage apples with a community orchard .
This ‘Being outside is fun’ map has appeared outside the South Abingdon Children’s Centre. It has lots of ideas what to do … watch the clouds … play Pooh sticks … play in the rain … take a picture book and read with you child ….
The map shows where to find playgrounds, where to find ducks, and suggests blackberry picking.
There is no better time.
The second Choose Abingdon Local Excellence market took place today with 15 stalls. It is run much like a Farmers Market, so produce needs to be local. This new Saturday Market will be quarterly.
There tend to be quite a few free samples at these markets, like bits of cheese, and sips of beer. This group of cyclists are trying out an Oxfordshire brew.
This family farm from near Wallingford make sausages from their own pigs and were selling them cooked in buns.