We rely on the
National Trust for many things in this house, not least the vast apple orchard at the entrance to Ardress House at this time of the year! Not sure that they should trust us when we arrive for windfalls enough for a crumble!
I looked up "scrumping" on t'Internet and
The Wall Street Journal talks about how this is a "a fast-growing trend in urban London and throughout the U.K". I am surprised. I thought it had been de rigueur for centuries. A Robin Hood formula equating the haves (apple trees) and the haves (apple trees) not. The WSJ continues: " These women are part of a growing army of guerrilla fruit pickers" who have their own group called Abundance. Here in the Frozen North we're just Trusting the National!
Our favourite October spot is The Argory, just down the road from Ardress. We have been leaf admiring and conker collecting here for whole Autumn seasons of small boys to bigger boys. Though no conkers to be seen this year- not at the Argory and not even on our own new to us chestnut tree- apparently the wet summer and warm, dry Autumn have combined to confuse nature out of this particular abundance. Our blackberries are very late in ripening too- much to Mattman's disgust with all his jam-making plans.
Mostly what we trust the National Trust to provide for us is all year long opportunity to run and walk and play and just be outside. Last year at The Argory they expanded their adventure playground- just in time for two high-octane suns of mine. The "who is that trip-trapping over my bridge" bridge was getting slightly too small for my own burgeoning harvest. Now there is even more scope for running and jumping, high and far.
I confined myself to the swing. There was energy to be preserved for scrumping... (Don't tell!)
Well, it's been a very exciting day in and around the Meadowplace today. I know you're all waiting with bated breath to meet Jolly...
Hello! Sending you all lots of love from Northern Ireland, where nothing much changes just as everything changes, as usual. Time has stood ...
10 comments:
The swing looks fun! Mmmmmm apple crumble.
Do the National Trust apples belong to those of the country or those who pay the yearly fees? I wonder? No sense apples going to waste on the ground. I LOVE an apple crumble. Yum!
Does someone mind your scrumping? The National Trust belongs to all of you, does it not? I'd never heard that word before, but I hope to remember it, in case I have the opportunity to DO it :-)
An age age age old tradition surely! xx
If theyre windfalls and there's no polite notice...?
I must say, we experienced some VERY mean scrumping at my old house. it was a terraces house in a suburb, a high wall on one side, a high fence on the other side and then a low back wall with a cherry tree. There are terraces houses backing onto the wall. We had this marvellous crop of Reverend Wilks eating apples on a tree (only about 2m tall) that we were leaving to grow rosy and one evening, every single one vanished!!! It could only have been the people backing onto out garden. One of the people who lived there had apparently been interested in the tree according to my mum. My mum went to ask if they'd seen anything but all was denied. That is BAD scrumping!x
Thats a great picture of you on the swing! we have one here nearby but when it swings it goes over the river and I can just see me stopping in the middle and not being able to swing back on to the bank so have never dared try!
Lots of good appley fun! Gather all you can!
Windfall scrumping is fine. Shame to let them go to waste!
Gleaning is what I call it and been doing a fair share while driving hither and yon. I see an apple tree, pull over and start gathering apples. A bunch of different varieties make for lovely apple butter, apple sauce and pies. I think I'll bake a crumble tomorrow...thanks for the suggestion, Mags.
Scrumping! Yet another foreign word I must know! Is that like gleaning? :) Looks like lots of outdoor fun at the perfect time of year.
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