...or 40 carrier bagfuls and a few boxes, of Bramley Seedling, Grenadier, Cox and many other varieties. This donation of bounty kept us busy all day on Saturday (15 October) on Reigate High Street. We were celebrating national Apple Day, by sharing delicious fruit from local trees. The first donation was from Slipsatch Road. Apples and pears soon followed from locations including Earlsbrook Road, High Trees Road and St. Mary's Road. And three bags of chillis from Blackborough Road too! Three cheers for Sarah and Bryn, who had picked lots of lovely eating apples from a tree outside the Feathers Pub in Merstham. This is the second year the Feathers has joined in Free Fruit Day, as we like to call it.

It was great to hear the publicity in the Surrey Mirror, posters and word of mouth had brought people to the stall, with bags to fill with free produce. We may have found a few new members for Growing Redhill in the process. Several people have asked me why is this not happening in Merstham, Redhill, Caterham or Dorking? I'd be happy to share the model for the event, it is very simple. But one stall is enough for me - I was exhausted on Saturday night! Do get in touch if you'd like to donate apples next year, or run a local stall in your area.

By 3pm on the day, all we had left was a pick-n-mix of eaters and a couple of boxes of Grenadier, which is a tart eating apple and a good cooker. These will not go to waste! I made two apple and blackberry crumbles today, one of which is in the freezer, and the other...well it was great with custard.