Apple Day 2023

Perfect sunny weather for our Apple day on Sunday 8th October. Thank you to all the people who came along, we’ve never seen so many people in the orchard before, absolutely packed with people enjoying the live music and various activities on offer. 

Lots of people got involved picking the apples, pressing them and then enjoying the fresh juice. Local home brewer enthusiast Matt Barton demonstrated two different types of scratters & juicers and Gordon Fielder brought along his homemade scratter to demo. Turned with a drill! There were a few trees with signage not to pick yet, like the Adam’s Pearmain apple, the Laxton’s Superb and the Late Tydeman’s orange as they are a late variety and their flavour improves over the next month or two. 

The Apple Day music line up was very much enjoyed by all. Relaxing and listening to the beautiful chilled tunes of Tom Lacey, joining in and drumming with Global Jamming, lots of Cornish dancing with Keskorra and lead dancer Tim and bopping to the brilliant bluesy tunes of the Hokum Boys. All performing on the brand new rustic platform recently built with Town Deal funds.

It was wonderful to have support from other businesses and groups in town at the event. The Lions Club did an amazing job running the BBQ with all profits going to the orchard. Tate St Ives ran an apple printing workshop, The Leach Pottery provided a clay pot-making workshop, the St Ives Library did a craft workshop plus brought along lots of books to read in our chillout Lotus tent. A lovely nature art printing workshop was provided by Annabel Wilkes too.

A huge thanks to the volunteers without whom this event couldn’t go ahead, who all gave so much energy setting up, serving drinks and food, pressing apples and arranging all the music. Also lots of washing up as the group are now trying to use only washable cutlery, plates and cups to reduce waste and cost. Volunteers also provided free crafty activities. Trace showed the amazing weaving you can do with Cordyline (Cornish pine) leaves and people could have a go making string or weaving. Sarah Taylor, her kids, Mum and Angela did a craft table making magical wands & colourful apple art. There was an amazing Harvest table set up showcasing the different types of fruit which included medlars, kiwi, Chilean guavas, aronia berries, raspberries and various types of apples. 

It was also a chance to see the new Community Learning Centre which is in the process of being built and vote on a selection of names that had previously been suggested in an online poll by the community. Some of the names to vote for were: The Seed Link, Pen Kres – (hill centre), Dor Kres (earth centre), Den Kres (people centre), Best Learning Centre, The Orchard House, The Apple Store, Lowen Dyski – means Happy Learn in Cornish, Kuntellva’—-meeting place in Cornish, The Core and The Round House and The OWL Centre (Orchard Workshop & Learning). Since then some great acronyms have come up for The CORE from orchard volunteers – The Community Orchard Resource for Education / Environment / Ecology & Everyone.

There were apple games, pin the worm on the apple, apple bobbing, an apple knock over game, as always lots of hulahooping and also a very silly orchard relay race. With silly outfits, silly movements and silly prizes.

There was a harvest table showing a selection of edible fruit found in the orchard. Not just some of the unusual apples but also medlars, Chilean Guavas (very deliciou, Aronia (choke) berries, kiwis and some of the more wild plants like hawthorn, elder and blackthorn and their uses.

There were some great entrants for the Apple Pie competition. Winner was Gabby with a close second from Jazmin.

Thanks again to everyone who came along.