An apple a day in the North Tyne Valley
Wark Town Hall will play host to its fourth annual Wark Apple Fair on Saturday 3 October 2009. Wark Apple Fair will celebrate all things apple-ly with stories and games, apple products, displays and information.
Apple varieties with evocative names such as Tower of Glamis, White Melrose, Annie Elizabeth, Newton Wonder and Worcester Pearmain conjure up links to an almost forgotten past, but you’ll be able to see smell and taste all of them at the Wark Apple Fair at Wark Town Hall in the North Tyne Valley between 10.30 am and 4 p.m. on Saturday the 3rd, celebrating national Apple Day (Note 3).
Peter Samsom, Steering Group Member of Transition Tynedale said: "Over recent years we’ve found some real rarities; Mrs Lakeman’s Seedling is the one officially named Northumberland variety and I know of just one place in the Tyne Valley were it still grows. As importantly, we’d really like to encourage people to learn to look after their fruit trees, so that we can become less dependent on imports from all over the world."
Peter added: "Thanks to the ongoing support of the National Park Authority and help from many people in Transition Tynedale, we are able to have Trevor Rogers here who will help people identify their unknown apples (Note 1), which is the first step in looking after their trees better. Ellie Langley , from Ireshopeburn in Weardale will be on hand to make apples out of felt, which is a fun thing to do. We’re having games such as apple bobbing and apple recipes from all over the world, but supplied by people living in the valley."
People who have a glut of fruit from their garden and who want to sell some of the surplus are encouraged to contact Peter to discuss how they can do so at the Apple Fair. They can also bring them along to turn them into fresh apple juice (Note 2)
Wark Apple Fair will open at 10.30 and finish at 4 p.m. Full price entry is £2.50 with £1.50 for under 12s. Wark Town Hall is on the village green in Wark, 11 miles north of Hexham and is on the bus route from Hexham to Bellingham.
