On Saturday 9th June we hosted the AGM of the East of England Apples and Orchards Project.  This organisation grows all the varieties of apples and other orchard fruit that originated in the East of England, and does a lot of research into their origins and how to grow them. It’s open for anyone interested in fruit to join, and it is really worthwhile.
After the business part of the meeting, it was our turn to give a short presentation on how this little orchard came into being. We could hardly believe it was first thought of over ten years ago! We used lots of photos to jog out memories – some of the photos you can find by exploring the links and early posts on this site. It wwas good to have the comments from so many other expert growers and owners of community orchards.
Many of those present joined us for a tour of the orchard itself. As you can see from these picures, the wildflower meadow around the trees was the star of the show. Everyone admired the swift tower, and looked to see the swifts themselves. Hopefully swift towers will be a feature of more community orchards, and the EEAOP site itself, in the future.

On Monday afternoon, a bus left the rails of the guided busway, went up the bank and came to rest in the hawthorn hedge at the back of the orchard. Very sadly five people on the bus were injured in the accident, and of course our main concern is that those injured, and all those affected, make a speedy and full recovery. We wish them all the best.
Meanwhile down in the orchard, once the bus had been removed, we stood and looked at the damage to the hedge with some shock and amazement. It looks – well – it looks as if a bus has flattened it. The two mature hawthorn trees have been completely torn out at the roots, and as for the rest only time will tell if any of it can be persuaded to grow back.
Cambridge Council and Stagecoach have both been to look at the site and we are communicating with them throughout.  We are also seeking advice from experts as to how to proceed.
In the meantime the quince tree will enjoy getting a bit of extra light, and those on the bus and the path have a totally new view into the orchard.
More information in the Cambridge News

The Cambridge Community Collection, an ambitious art project that will involve planting one of every type of apple tree, is going well. But the trees that have already been planted, close to the orchard, need our help to get them through this hot weather. So, we have organised a joint maintenance session for all interested volunteers.
Meet at the orchard at 11am on Sunday 12 July. We intend to spend an hour looking after the trees there, before moving on to those we planted along the Guided Busway. Please wear outdoor, working shoes and bring a waterproof and/or a bottle of water to allow for all types of summer weather.

This photo shows all the lovely new trees that have been grafted at Brogdale, all growing happily away in the best of conditions.