Have you ever celebrated an Apple Day?
Since 2015 St Mark’s church in Hale, Farnham has been celebrating the fruit of their apple trees in their community orchard and you’re invited to join in with the celebrations on Sunday 24 September at 10am .
Bring your own apples to use the apple press for freshly pressed apple juice. Enjoy apple-themed songs and snacks, all followed by a celebratory harvest festival service in the church and a collection for Farnham Foodbank.
Rev’d Stella Wiseman explains how Apple Day has come about: “Back in 2014 we planted fruit trees next to St Mark’s to create a community orchard, with each tree being adopted by a different community group.
Our first Apple Day was in 2015 because we were so pleased that our trees were bearing fruit that we decided to celebrate! Since then, St Mark’s has celebrated every year apart from during the Covid pandemic. It is a great atmosphere with children and adults pressing the apples, drinking the juice, eating and listening to the music and chatting.”
Apple Day also complements one of the themes of the murals found in St Mark’s church. The murals, painted by local artist Kitty Milroy in the early 20th century, depict natural scenes including apple trees, and people representing seasons and the elements. Painted in the Arts and Crafts Movement style, a style that can also be admired in the Watts Chapel in Compton, the murals are now recognised as of national importance.
If you want to bring your apples for juicing on Apple Day, please bring apples that are in good condition, picked from the tree and washed, along with clean two-litre plastic milk cartons with the lid, to put the juice in.
The Farnham Foodbank is currently in need of tinned fruit, UHT puddings, tinned meat and chocolate treats. These can be presented at the altar at St Mark’s during the harvest festival service and will then be passed on to the Foodbank.