By Neil Barraclough
The Bengworden-Meerlieu 6th Annual Grafting Day combined a celebration of 25 years of grafting days. Seen in the photo from left to right were
Laurie Kirkham who learnt to graft at our first day and grafted many of the trees in their orchard as well as grafting for others in the following years.
Then Liz Kirkham, myself, Peter Frost, Janis Jones, my brother Ralph, Peter and Nola Mowbray, all original attendees with the two Peters, Ralph and myself all first day grafters.
Too late for the photo were Dennis Gedye, another grafter from the first day and Jane Gurling (talking to Angela Downey) who grafted at many of our early days but not sure about the first one. Getting five of the original grafters and seven of the early ones back after 25 years wasn't a bad effort. It was a bit of a reunion as some of us hadn't seen each other for over ten years and we were a very close group,
Well done to everyone in the Home Produce Group for a great organisational effort and thanks to grafters, Sal Testa, Ralph Barraclough, Nathan Goodman, Peter Frost and anyone I missed because I was yapping too much as I grafted.
The apple pie competition was won by Christabell from Picnic Point Apple orchard, well done.
The Bengworden-Meerlieu 6th Annual Grafting Day combined a celebration of 25 years of grafting days. Seen in the photo from left to right were
Laurie Kirkham who learnt to graft at our first day and grafted many of the trees in their orchard as well as grafting for others in the following years.
Then Liz Kirkham, myself, Peter Frost, Janis Jones, my brother Ralph, Peter and Nola Mowbray, all original attendees with the two Peters, Ralph and myself all first day grafters.
Too late for the photo were Dennis Gedye, another grafter from the first day and Jane Gurling (talking to Angela Downey) who grafted at many of our early days but not sure about the first one. Getting five of the original grafters and seven of the early ones back after 25 years wasn't a bad effort. It was a bit of a reunion as some of us hadn't seen each other for over ten years and we were a very close group,
Well done to everyone in the Home Produce Group for a great organisational effort and thanks to grafters, Sal Testa, Ralph Barraclough, Nathan Goodman, Peter Frost and anyone I missed because I was yapping too much as I grafted.
The apple pie competition was won by Christabell from Picnic Point Apple orchard, well done.
Ralph Barraclough found time between grafting to catch up with an old school mate.
The grafting day combined with a winter market. People could browse the stalls and it took pressure off the grafters as there were not long queues despite a very good crowd.
Always nice to have something different. Sally wanted a multigraft to go against a wall so got one grafted with branches only covering 180 degrees (half circle) with six varieties rather than the usual 360 degrees.