Lots Of Fun At Abundance Fruit Fair
Juice pressing and apple bobbing amongst popular activities
The Abundance Fruit Day took place last Sunday in splendid warm autumn sunshine at ST Michael and All Angels.
The apple press and juicers were hard at work all afternoon as people brought their apples and pears to be turned into delicious drinks. As usual there were lots of fun things to do, ranging from bicycle-powered ' smoothie making', to taking part in the 'Longest Peel' competition.
The apples in storage were all picked by local volunteers and schools and there were lots of toffee apples, jams, chutneys and cakes to buy. Cultivate London herbs and honey from local bees were also popular.
These photographs are courtesy of Des McConkey;
The longest peel was won by Shania at 3m20.
Nearly two tonnes of apples and pears that had been collected over the previous weeks by volunteers and schoolchildren from Belmont, William Hogarth, Grove Park, and St Peter's primary schools were converted into "the most delicious apple juice ever tasted" (according to a non-partisan tweet).
The big press was in action all day, run by teams of volunteers of all ages, churning through the fruit. In addition there was apple bobbing, Hartington Road grape pressing, slacklining, craft activities for kids run by St Michaels & All Angels with a selection of preserves and cakes on offer. The Cabin provided Chiswick House Kitchen Garden pumpkin soup, and pulled pork with local apple sauce.
Abundance would like to thank all the volunteers who made the day so successful, the schoolkids who helped to pick the apples, the tree owners who offered their fruit, St Michaels for their hospitality, all the preserving cooks, especially Peter "Chutney" Milligan, and Chiswick Library for offering an apple collection base.
All funds raised by Abundance London go back into supporting environmental/educational/horticultural projects around Chiswick.
www.abundancelondon.com
October 9, 2015