market | Christine Lucas

Riley meeting Santa Paws

Day Nine: Today’s prompt is pets. It’s been a special day for Riley. Today he got to meet the one and only Santa Paws! Merseyside Dogs Home have an annual charity event, Santa Paws is Coming to Town at the Baltic Market. This year we just had to go along and see the event ourselves.

On a bright winters morning, David, Riley and I walked the two miles to the Baltic Market in the old Cains Brewery building. We got there 45 minutes early so wandered around for a bit before queuing up, patiently awaiting the time to meet Santa Paws. We were first in the queue but were soon joined by other like minded people all bringing their pooches to see Santa Paws.

Riley was a little nervous meeting Santa Paws but David managed to snap a few good pictures of both ‘dogs’ together. After our quick meeting we smooched around the stalls of dog treats and accessories on offer from independent traders, before heading the two miles back home.

Santa Paws is Coming to Town is a fantastic way to raise much needed funds fo Merseyside Dogs Home. David, Riley and I have wonderful memories of the day.

Have you done anything festive with your pets?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x

The nights are drawing in, the geese are flying south and there’s a smokey chill in the air. Perfect time for an apple festival!

This weekend (13-14th October 2018) was the annual Apple Festival at Gorse Hill Nature Reserve. The reserve has two orchards with more than 100 fruit trees, including apple, plum and pear. We first went last year, you can read about that visit here. This time we brought our parents along and had such a good time. The festival seems to just get better!

Discovery

Ellison Orange

Galloway Pippin

Being eager beavers, we arrived (on the Sunday) just before 11am when the volunteers were all having their huddle and pep talk in the barn. They were very welcoming and guided us through the displays of dessert and cooking apples. On the day there was an opportunity to go on a walk of the heritage orchard, spiralize apples and taste apple leather, a delicious cooked and dried delicacy. It made me think of stewed apples.

In a room adjacent to the barn there was a machine for pulping apples and an apple press. Here they offered apple juice to sample and purchase at £2 a bottle. In future they hope to also make cider from the apples that are left to waste. Sounds a good plan to me :p

Due to this years hot summer many of the heritage varieties had already been harvested, though there were a good number of Discovery Apples available. I promised myself that I would be more adventurous in my purchases this year. So after I had purchased a selection of Discovery and Ellison Orange, I went on to buy, Russets, Sunset, Lady Sudeley and Ribston Pippin. The costing of apples was very cheap (at 4 for a £1) and I wouldn’t have minded paying more.

Lady Sudeley

Sunset

I also purchased some cooking apple varieties such as the iconic Bramley Seedling, Lord Derby, Arthur Turner and the humongous Mere de Menage. I think I will be eating and cooking apples for the foreseeable future.

Mere de Menage

I really enjoyed my time spent at the apple festival at Gorse Hill Nature Reserve. I will undoubtedly visit again next year. I believe these heritage orchards are vital in keeping the history of British apple growing alive. It’s just a shame that future generations will mostly only know supermarket bought apples and not the variety, taste and texture of traditional/heritage apples.

What is your favourite apple? Have you visited a local fruit festival?

Thanks for reading,

Christine x