An Amazing Apple Afternoon

Some of the apples on display at Apple Afternoon at the Butterfly Park.
Photo: Aidan Mangan

On Sunday 12th October we celebrated locally grown apples with our third New Ferry Butterfly Park Apple Afternoon.

Even more people came this year (estimate 60 - 70) - thank you to everyone who visited and our wonderful volunteers who make it possible to hold such an event.

Visitors to the Apple Afternoon. Photo: Aidan Mangan

The first Apple Day was organised on 21st October 1990 by Common Ground to celebrate apples and orchards. Many traditional orchards were being dug up and the country became reliant on imported apples, despite about 3,000 apple varieties having been grown in the UK. The aim was to bring the wide variety of local apples to the attention of the public.

A history of apples and Apple Day

At our event we have a traditional wooden apple press and other equipment. Apples are chopped, minced then put into the press. Several people collected apples for juicing and volunteers, including some Friends of Dibbinsdale, manned the apple press. Visitors could help with the juicing process, turn the handle and taste freshly pressed juice. Many people took some juice away with them.

Chopping apples, ready to be minced up and pressed.

Turning the handle on the apple press to make the juice flow

We had 28 varieties of apples picked from orchards at Brimstage, Upton Hall School and Ness Gardens plus varieties from some of our volunteer’s gardens. We are grateful for all these donations.

The display of locally grown apples on the tasting table

What wonderful names these old varieties have - some dating back to the 17th century. Some like Peasgood’s Nonsuch (one of my favourite names) are named after the person who grew them. This one was grown in the 1850s by Mrs Peasgood. Scrumptious is presumably named due to its taste. The name of Red Love apple denotes the colour of its skin and its flesh too, and was a great favourite with the children who tasted it. A full list of the varieties we had for display and tasting is given below.

The homeland of domestic apples lies in the fruit forests of Kazakhstan and surrounding regions. Apples belong to the genus Malus. Brimstage Orchard has a Siberian crab apple, Malus baccata. It is thought that breeding from these sorts of apples and selection over many centuries led to the many varieties of apple we can grow today. Apples will not breed true from seed, fruit from offspring may be better or worse than from their parent tree. Humans would choose the best to keep. Another problem is that apples do not grow well from cuttings and need to be grafted on to a rootstock to grow on. Just think of all the work that has preceded the development of the next apple you bite into.

Siberian crab apple Malus baccata, from Brimstage Orchard

Linda Higginbottom

New Ferry Butterfly Park Volunteer Coordinator



Apples on display

Annie Eiizabeth
Arthur Barnes
Blenheim Orange
Bramley
Catshead
Charles Ross
Cox’s Orange Pippin
Crawley Beauty
Discovery
Eccleston Pippin
Egremont Russett
Fiesta
Golden Noble
Grenadier
Herefordshire Russett
James Grieve
Jupiter
Lord Clyde
Lord Derby
Lord Lambourne
Millicent Barnes
Red Falstaff
Peasgood’s Nonsuch
Red Love
Scrumptious
Spartan
St Edmund’s Pippin
Worcester Pearmain

Tree Pruning Workshop at Dibbinsdale

Looking carefully before pruning the Bramley tree

planted by Alison McGovern MP and Stephen Ross in 2021.

We had an excellent training day on pruning fruit trees on 25th November, led by Katie Tonge of Heathfield Orchards. Katie talked us through the things to think about, then we went out for practical demonstrations and to try our own hand, in the walled garden at Dibbinsdale.

The tree before pruning (Katie Tonge in the baseball cap).

In the process the six apple trees we planted for Wirral Wildlife's 50th birthday in 2021 were given expert pruning to train their shape as they mature. Several members of the Friends of Dibbinsdale were left with guidance on what to do with the plum trees, come spring, and how to set about some of the older trees that have been neglected for the last few years through the pandemic.

"Yes, I really do mean take that much off"

If you have or are thinking about starting a community orchard, we can recommend booking a workshop with Katie to learn how to prune them to get a crop and to benefit wildlife. Thank you to Wirral Borough Council for use of the walled garden, Ste Smith, the Ranger, and the Friends of Dibbinsdale for hosting us.

Pete does the next cut.

Hilary Ash

A Tree-mendous Celebration of Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 60th Birthday

Tree planting at Brotherton Park, Dibbinsdale, to celebrate Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 60th birthday

One hundred and eighty tree whips planted in 22 minutes! Not sure if we would make the Guinness Book of Records but it is impressive.

On Saturday 26th November Wirral Wildlife celebrated the 60th birthday of Cheshire Wildlife Trust by organising a tree planting at Brotherton Park, Dibbinsdale. These trees will buffer Brotherton Park against pollution and noise from the busy Spital Road. They are native species and when grown will absorb carbon dioxide and pollutants and support wildlife.

Ron Warne (left), Howard Gibson (centre) and Tim Gannicliffe (right)

Around 40 people turned up to help on the day but much meticulous planning had gone on beforehand, by Hilary Ash and Paul Loughnane, who liaised with Dr Nicola Wallbank, Tree Strategy Landscape Manager for Wirral Council. Thanks also to Ron Warne and the Friends of Dibbinsdale, and the Wirral Countryside Volunteers.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust Vice-Chair, Charles Neame, about to cut the cake

Afterwards hot drinks and cake were enjoyed and Charles Neame, Vice-Chair of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, cut a celebration cake with a specially polished billhook. Thanks are due to the helpers baking cakes, boiling the kettles and washing up afterwards!

A close up of the birthday cake and the ceremonial billhook

Of course that is not the end of it. The trees will need weeding and mulching for the next two summers. We will be asking for volunteer help to do so. Ron and the Friends of Dibbinsdale will keep an eye on them and let us know when care is needed. If we get another drought, then Nicola will organise watering.

Stephen Ross, Chairman of Wirral Wildlife (left),
and Charles Neame, Vice-Chair of Cheshire Wildlife Trust (right)

 

Finally a message from our Chairman:


I cannot thank you all enough for making the 60th Anniversary of Cheshire Wildlife Trust such a success.

Never have I seen so many trees planted so rapidly by so many keen enthusiastic volunteers. It was pleasurable to converse with so many of you thereafter while the excellent cakes and tea were consumed with such vigour.

It could not have happened without so much planning and care, supported by our cake makers and caterers. To Ron and Friend's of Dibbinsdale, together with Wirral Countryside Volunteers who make such a profound contribution to wildlife conservation across Wirral, particular appreciation.

Once again, many thanks,

Stephen Ross


All photos by Richard Ash.

Calling All Photographers!

Peter Miller, Chairman of the Friends of Dibbinsdale, has a challenge for local photographers...

Do you visit Brotherton Park or Dibbinsdale with your camera?

The Friends of Dibbinsdale are going to produce a calendar for 2018 and invite everyone to submit their photos of the reserve. The best will be selected for the calendar.

Get snapping! We look forward to seeing what you come up with. The details are below.

As part of our continual aim to promote the enjoyment of visiting Brotherton Park and Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve, we wish to produce a calendar for 2018, which will highlight the beauty and diversity of the landscape, wildlife and flora through the seasons.

WE THEREFORE INVITE ALL YOU BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS, WHATEVER SKILL LEVEL, to visit the reserve and submit digital pictures which best capture the Reserve’s diversity. All we ask is for you to submit your digital picture(s) by email as a jpeg, no more than 4MB per photo, and preferably in landscape. Please add any notation you consider appropriate. 

When submitting your image could you please reference your file and the email subject heading with your telephone number. This is necessary for us to ensure the image and the submitter are cross referenced when we start the selection process.

During October/November we will, together with Wirral 20 Photography club, decide on 12 photos which will be submitted for printing.

If you have any queries regarding the above then please email the Friends of Dibbinsdale