Apple Pressing 2021 Cancelled

Apple Pressing 2021 has had to be cancelled.

Writing articles for TarvinOnLine can be difficult for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes the difficulty lies in a lack of knowledge and, at other times, the problem lies with a lack of inspiration. This time, though, is really unusual, because I genuinely don't want to write what has to be written.

Over the years that Tarvin Community Woodland Trust has been running the Apple Pressing day, we have contended with all sorts of problems, from shortages of apples to deluges of biblical proportions – and in every case we have successfully run a splendid day. The days have proved to be highly enjoyable and great fun (not to mention educational!) for the youngsters and very popular with parents, who managed to have a low-cost family day out without leaving the village. The first time we had to cancel was in 2020, when CoViD19 resulted in most activities being cancelled. Trustees then were determined that we would be back for 2021!

And then we came to consider the safety aspects of such an event. By its very nature, it is a 'hands on' activity, involving people working in close proximity to produce juice which is to be consumed. We realised that we are in no position to be able to guarantee the safety of the participants, let alone folk who might be considered vulnerable (and that applies to a significant proportion of the Trustees!) The notion that our Apple Pressing could risk spreading the virus through our community or, even worse, might threaten the lives of folk from the village doesn't bear thinking about. Thus it was that the Trustees came to the unanimous conclusion that, yet again, we cannot hold Apple Pressing Day this year.

None of us wanted to cancel the day. We all hoped that we might find a way whereby we felt that we could run Apple Pressing Day safely. However, when it came down to it, we realised that we could not guarantee the safety of those people who joined in to press apples in our woodland. Once we got to that point, we had no alternative. So, regretfully, we have to tell you that Saturday 2nd October 2021 will NOT see apple pressing going on in the woodland behind Crossfields. I am truly sorry and immensely sad to be conveying this news to you. As one of the organisers, I have always enjoyed Apple Pressing Day immensely and my grand-children are booked to visit us for that weekend, so that they, too, could join in with the fun.

Let's be optimistic. Let's say that we'll all be here in Autumn 2022 and we will look forward to the first Saturday in October (next year on Saturday 1st October) when there will be an apple pressing day in the woodland. Fingers crossed!

Ed: Gutted to hear this but totally respect and understand... roll on Apple pressing 2022