So Flamsteed Road’s 4th Apple Day is almost upon us. The apple pile is starting to look more respectable. Looks like the weather is going to hold up too – forcast is 10C and sunny. Perfect apple day weather.

So the format will be much like past years: we’ll start at about 10am, aiming for the first pressing at around 11am. Lunch will be served at around 1pm. We’ll carry on until the apples run out, usually around 5pm. As usual, a few last-minute tips:

1. Apples – there’s no such thing as too many apples so don’t give up on any last-minute scrumping!

2. Containers for juice – make sure you bring along a couple of clean bottles to take home some juice, e.g. old milk containers. Give them a good clean in hot soapy water amd a rinse. The juice will last about 4 days in the fridge after which it will start fermenting. It can be frozen and enjoyed later.

3. If you want to make some cider, you can – it’s easier than you think. We’ve got some spare kit here we can lend you if you want to give it a go. Explosive events are rare. Honest.

4. If you can, bring some food – I will be making the traditional hog roast (a special thanks to Balzano’s Delicatessen for donating the bread rolls again), but if you can bring some kid-friendly snacks or cake along it would help a lot. Extra points awarded for dishes involving apples.