Marcher Apple Network APPLES & PEARS Volume 3 No 1 Non-members £2 Autumn 2019 © Steve Hughes Reviving the old varieties of apples and pears in the Marcher counties www.marcherapple.net1 Apples & Pears Autumn 2019 Apples &www.marcherapple.net Pears Autumn 2019 Man’s official business: Chairman’s report AGM Notice CURRENT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE work of members and others, many local (Officers): Peter Austerfield, Sheila Leitch, apple varieties once thought to be lost. These Notice is hereby given that the 25th ANNUAL Wade Muggleton, Daniela Bergman, David ‘finds’ have been propagated and planted in GENERAL MEETING will be held at the Cider Olivier, Andy Pillow, Stephen Ainsleigh Rice, its orchards. Gradually this has established Museum, Ryelands Street, Hereford, on David Smith. All of these have indicated they a valuable local heritage orchard collection. Saturday 16th November at 11:00. The are willing to continue serving subject to purpose of the AGM includes receiving and, member and Board approval. Whilst MAN continues to look for other old if thought fit, accepting the annual report and varieties with local connections, its focus is accounts, and electing four Trustees to the Any member who would like to join the becoming more directed towards ensuring Board. Committee is cordially invited to do so. The the well-being of the collection — increasing process is that any member nominated is knowledge about the varieties, and conserving Coffee will be available from 10.30 a.m. subject to Board Approval. Nomination may be them as a living genetic resource for future made at any time, for instance you can contact generations. AGENDA the Committee’s Secretary Wade Muggleton at [email protected]. Alternatively With this in mind, the Trustees are considering 1. Apologies for Absence you may contact any Trustee or Member of setting up an endowment fund, which will help 2. Minutes of 24th AGM the Committee (Officer) or seek nomination ensure that there is always an income available 3. Matters Arising at the AGM or after the AGM. Please give to cover the costs of future maintenance of this 4. Annual Report your special interests, e.g. help at shows and core heritage collection that is independent of 5. Presentation and Adoption of exhibitions, practical orchard work, secretarial, MAN’s other membership activities. Accounts IT, PR and publicity. We meet three or four 6. Other Reports times a year and travel and out-of-pocket The proposal that the Trustees will be asking 7. Election of Directors expenses can be paid. members to ratify at the AGM will be to 8. Appointment of Examiners for establish such a fund, which might include: Accounts 2019/20 VACANCIES ON THE COMMITTEE AND THE 9. Open Forum BOARD l designating a capital sum from MAN’s 10. Any Other Business We have been delighted to welcome David reserves to launch the fund, Olivier to the Committee. We would greatly l allocating a proportion of each membership Our VISITING SPEAKER, at around 12.15 p.m, benefit from further members joining the subscription to the fund, will be Helen Woodman of Much Marcle who Committee. We’re very welcoming and will l inviting further donations and legacies to the will tell us of her passions for cider, orchards give help to let you settle in nicely. It’s not an fund. and conservation. onerous responsibility as we meet only three with the details being agreed by the meeting. times a year at places most convenient to the Jim Chapman PROXY VOTING Committee’s “centre of gravity/residency”. If you are not able to attend the AGM but would ORCHARD SHOWS like to vote on any motions, you may do so by Our Articles allow for twelve Trustees. We will We intend to have a presence at shows exercising a proxy vote. A form is available to have three vacancies by the time of the next at Tenbury Wells, Big Apple, Leominster, anyone wishing to do so. It has to be returned AGM, so if you are interested in serving, please Craven Arms, Berrington Hall, Cider Museum, duly signed, or notarised, to MAN’s Registered ask the Company Secretary, Andy Pillow, for Chepstow and Acton Scott, as listed in the Office (Brock House, Pelham Road, Upton more information. Events section (page 27) and at which we hope Magna, Shropshire, SY4 4UA) 48 hours before to see some of you and some most interesting the general meeting. VOLUNTEERING apples. We are keen to give members the opportunity CURRENT DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEES: to work in MAN orchards. It is seen as a Peter Austerfield, Mike Porter, Jim Chapman, benefit to members for experiencing the ORCHARD NEWS Jackie Denman, Nick Dunn, Sir Andrew Large, management of trees and orchards, becoming Plans have been prepared for Management Andy Pillow, Stephen Ainsleigh Rice and David sensitive to the complexity presented by of four of our orchards as mentioned below. Smith. MAN’s large range of varieties and priorities. Plans for developing both Paramor and Ty This work is more suited to members who Glyn are being consider by the Committee. Four are retiring, Peter Austerfield, Nick Dunn, wish to embed and hone skills from prior For Lower Ffordd-fawr and Tredomen the Andy Pillow, David Smith, all of whom are experience of orchard management, including remaining issue is ensuring grafted copies willing to, and seek, re-election. Any member planting, pruning, grafting, careful and detailed of all trees of interest are taken during our interested to become a Trustee is cordially observation. withdrawal. invited to contact the Company Secretary, Andy Pillow, at the registered office given above. MAN – POSSIBLE ENDOWMENT FUND If you’d like to visit any of the orchards, please Since 1993 when it was founded, MAN has contact Ainsleigh via 01497-820332. rediscovered, through the expertise and hard 2 Apples & Pears Autumn 2019 The times they are a changing – an Editorial We, The Marcher Apple Network, are now the vision they had, their achievements...and is done by the same seven or eight folk. If you 26 years old and from humble beginnings our desire to carry on in the smae spirit. There are passionate and enthusiastic then please in 1993 we have a come a long way from is no way to put it subtly but MAN is facing just get involved. You don’t necessarily need those eight founder members wishing to challenges going forward: it is a fact that the to sign up as a full blown committee member: track down and conserve the heritage demographic of our involved members and we have two or three fringe members apple varieties in the Marches area to today committee is top heavy toward the three-score- who contribute variously without being on with the Network owning its own orchard, years-and-ten (and occasionally considerably full committee (but please feel free to do curating collections and delving into the world beyond that!). In short we need some new so — see Chairman’s report opposite). We of DNA identification. blood, enthusiastic younger folk to get involved encourage those members most local to any and take the organisation forward into the next event to add their support at local events. Times certainly change and the years pass decade and beyond. by: we have in the last year held committee So please help us to keep MAN going meetings at which, for the first time, none of If we fail to engage new committee members forward…. yes YOUR APPLE GROUP REALLY those founder members were present, some and other doers of the work, then we will not DOES NEED YOU ……. please contact the having passed away and others standing be able to carry on as we have done in previous secretary at [email protected] if down due to age and having “done their years. So this is a plea to you…… we have over you would like to get involved. stint”. We reflected with great appreciation 250 members yet most of the doing in MAN Paramor allowing raptors feeding opportunities in the With these changes Paramor will become We reported in the News Sheet of this Spring long grass, while downslope of the nursery field substantially filled to capacity in the nursery that the Cwmdu Support Group kindly gave in wet ground annually cut and rake back grass area and with about 10–20 spaces for excellent support doing a tough but vital job. In for reducing soil enrichment. Elsewhere there standards remaining in the main orchard. the main orchard they have replaced twenty of is a preference to move from grass mowing After last year’s bumper harvest, many of the the original tanalised stakes of trees planted to grazing once the trees are large enough trees have few apples on them. Some trees about eight years ago, that had rotted, with to be effectively protected. Thus a phased have been attacked by aphids. Caterpillars had pressure treated creosoted stakes. These approach over the next 10–20 years will be largely defoliated Lord Hindlip and Tewkesbury new stakes should have a life of fifteen or more adopted. Until then mowing will be continued Baron but they are recovering foliage now. years so making the premium price very well in the nursery areas around semi-dwarf trees Yes, Paramor is looking glorious with grass worth it. Missing ties and labels were also and main orchards around younger standard recently cut. replaced. Chris Ralph has again cut the hedge trees unless small equipment for hay-making and incursions of black-thorn and brambles. is available locally. Tredomen Billie Jones continues to keep the grass neatly As reported in the Spring News Sheet, over mown; the orchard looks very well.