Another apple picking and juicing day at Humphreys End

Yesterday we had another great afternoon picking apples and then juicing them - a video on my digital camera will be uploaded here soon - it is only my third attempt at a video - and is terrible quality filming but Owen the star of this short movie will go far - a natural behind the camera and gave a wonderful description of the process of picking apples, washing them, cutting them, mashing them then pressing them before drinking - and as noted before - this is the best tasting juice on the planet.

Anyhow apols also on the sound quality on this video - you can't hear all of Owen's wonderful descriptions about how to juice - I'll hopefully be better in future at making all the others stop talking and work out how to move this camera so that you can see stuff......enclosed also are some other photos of the day.

The photos start with one of the last juicing session then the new addition to this session - bicycle helmets! These were essential to avoid the worst of falling apples - and some of them were huge!!

Then below comes some of the chopping, mashing and juicing - I left before the end but around 30 people had turned up - many of them interested in exploring more community involvement with the orchard. Huge thanks especially to Julia and Guy for making it all happen yesterday.

See our juicing and picking at Humphreys End orchard two weeks ago here also with a short video - and see here about juicing and picking plans for the future of the orchard and how you can get involved.

It is great to see so much interest in orchards and old fruit varieties - this week I reported in this blog on the new project at Rockness near Nailsworth where they have lottery money to get an orchard up and running - I hear also of plans by a landowner in Rodborough to set up a community orchard. All exciting stuff - of course in Whiteshill the Parish have already established a Parish orchard - hopefully fruiting more next year....

....and next year plans for the Humphreys End orchard include apple songs, tractor rides and many apple-related games from cutting the longest peel in a minute to apple bobbing and possibly 'Gruacach's Treasure' - a hairy ogre from Celtic mythology who lies on a pile of apples that children try and take without waking him.....indeed already offers of a tractor driver and apple song singer....join us!!