The 12th annual Apple Day celebrations at Morden Hall Park allowed visitors the opportunity to sample locally grown produce.
FAMILIES had the opportunity to taste Merton’s produce last Sunday at Morden Hall Park’s 12th Apple Day celebrations.
Held nationally around October 21st, Apple day is a celebration initiated by the Common Ground charity and lobby group.
It aims to focus attention on the hundreds of different local varieties of apples that supermarkets rarely offer to customers.
International Trust Gardener, Alan Green, said: “In this country we grow over 2,000 different varieties, and you can hardly get half a dozen in supermarkets nowadays.
“We do wish to introduce people to the different varieties so, possibly, they can pester, or if they see a different variety in greengrocers, they say ‘Oh, must try that!’.”
Mr Green said Apple day in Morden hall occurred 17 days before the official apple day date due to the warmth and ripeness of the apples. He also estimates around 700 people attended the event.
Wimbledon Beekeepers were also present at the event and sold Merton honey as part of their remit to promote beekeeping and everything in relation to it.
Phillip Barnes, Wimbledon beekeeper’s treasurer, said: “People are concerned about bees. I mean they have been about for 50 million years and in a hundred years we’ve already destroyed them in some parts of the world.”
The National Trust also displayed the film ‘Disappearance of the Bees’ at the event
Morden Hall Park is owned by the National trust and is located at Morden Hall Road, Morden, London, SM4 5JD, 020 8545 6850,
For more details visit, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-mordenhallpark-2.htm
