Category Archives: fruit

Apple Day – at South Abingdon Children’s Centre

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Apple Day
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.
Apple Day
Nicola planted a representative tree as a symbolic start for a future orchard and forest at Caldecott School.
Apple Day
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.
Apple Day
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.
Apple Day
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.
Apple Day
But the main business of the day was apples…
Apple Day
juicing them
Apple Day
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 .

Being outside is fun

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Being outside is fun maps
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 ….
Being outside is fun maps

The map shows where to find playgrounds,  where to find ducks, and suggests blackberry picking.

There is no better time.

Local Excellence Market – Jan 2011

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Local Excellence Market
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.
Local Excellence Market
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.
Local Excellence Market
This family farm from near Wallingford make sausages from their own pigs and were selling them cooked in buns.

Nature’s Harvest

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Harvest Festival Time
I see there is a Harvest Thanksgiving service at St Nics today. Such thanksgivings are worldwide and very ancient. I expect they will be decorating the church building with baskets of fruit and food and then sharing it with those who might need it more.  But not all of the harvest has been gathered in…
Harvest Festival Time
These apples, and about half as many again – still on the tree, are to be found by the BMX Track in South Town Parks – part of nature’s harvest that has not been picked but could well be pecked.
Harvest Festival Time
These elderberries were there a couple of weeks ago beside the River Ock – possibly already being brewed into wine or flavouring pies. But I’m sure enough escape to be dispersed by birds.
Harvest Festival Time
Nearby, Guelder Rose Berries, also known as drupes, stay on the tree longer – until the beginning of winter – when they provide birds with food.
Harvest Festival Time
The seeds of the cow parsley have no clever dispersal mechanism (via bird pooh) and usually fall and grow within a couple of feet of the parent plant. Lazy, but effective.