CARHAMPTON defied the threats of Storm Brian on Saturday (October 21) to celebrate its Apple Day – something the village has been doing for more than a quarter of a century.

The Village Hall was an Aladdin’s cave of apple-related objects and activities, and there was an encouragingly enthusiastic demand for Mave’s lunchtime soup and, for example, marmalade, jam, apple pies and crafted woollen toys

There were 15 varieties of Carhampton Community Orchard’s dessert and cooking apples on display and for sale, and the winner of the apple-peeling competition was octogenarian Laurie Fricker, a friend of the village from World War Two days who had travelled from Southsea by bus and train to renew his friendships.

Sacks of apples appeared from near and far for crushing by Orchard friends and members who also produced a winning home-grown blend of juice from Bramley seedlings and Ashmead kernels – an activity transferred at the last minute, wisely in view of the weather, from the orchard to a neighbouring garage.

Apple Day, pioneered by Carhampton in the early 1990s, has more recently been taken up by other local orchard and more people are discovering the flavours of old and little known apple species in the form of both fruit and juice.