With just two weeks to go before Christmas, 'are my readers short on ideas for a present for family members who have an interest in apples & pears?
There are a number of excellent apple & pear books worthy of consideration as Christmas Presents. The English Apple Man recommends some ideas for Christmas presents for anyone interested in apples & pears.
Top of my list would be Joan Morgan's - Book of Pears available on Amazon @ £29.25 & Joan's 'New Book of Apples' available on Amazon @ £24.38
Joan's New Book of Apples was published in 2002 while her 'Book of Pears' has only been available since October
For a more detailed review of Joan Morgan's Book of Pears - Click on Joan Morgan's 'Book of Pears' in The English Apple Man Journal for 23rd October 2015 and 'scroll down' to my review...........
My next recommendation is Michael Clarke's Apples; a Field Guide @ £15.35 on Amazon
Michael's 'Apples; a Field Guide' is also a recent publication and full of colourful representations created by his own hand'
For a more detailed review of Michael Clarke's - Apples; a Field Guide - click on Apples; a Field Guide reviewed by The English Apple Man in the Journal for 30th October 2015.
Below: Barrie Juniper's - Story of the Apple - and - the illustrated World Encyclopedia of APPLES
The illustrated world encyclopedia of APPLES is available at Amazon Books for £16.99 (hard cover version) Barrie Juniper's 'The Story of the Apple' is becoming a 'collectors item' with prices on Amazon ranging from £47.32 upwards to £362.72......
Below: the 'Fruit Tree' expert by Ben Pike - and - Nick Dunn's 'Trees for Life'
These two books are excellent value and the EAM has both; Nick's 'Trees for Life' covers just about every tree which can be grown in Great Britain...
Finally: Roger Worraker and Malcolm Withnall's - Apple Pruning Manual should be on any enthusiastic Amateur Gardeners' Christmas present list!
Copies of the book can be obtained from Malcolm Withnall, Woodcut Cottage, Ashford Road, Hollingbourne, Kent ME17 1XH; e-mail: Malcolm Withnall
On Thursday evening The English Apple Man and his Lady joined members of Essex & Suffolk Fruit Growers Society for their annual dinner at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel & Golf Club near Colchester in Suffolk
Over many decades this Fruit Society has given so much pleasure to its members; until relatively recently (5 years ago) the E&SFGS traveled overseas each summer to gain experience of fruit growing in other countries. These visits took in Europe, USA, South Africa and South America .... sadly as top fruit growing in Essex & Suffolk has declined membership has also faded. But, the annual dinner and a summer visit in the UK survive on the Society Agenda.
Below: E&SFGS Treasurer Mark Tully and his wife Tracy & Suzannah Workman with her husband Kevin E&SFGS Secretary - on the right - Phil Taylor & Joanna Wood enjoy the pre-dinner atmosphere
Below: This is not the original, but a superb copy of The Haywain - Constable's famous painting - and - just one of the beautiful Christmas Trees at Stoke by Nayland
Click on The Stoke by Nayland Hotel for details of this excellent venue.
NOSTALGIA.....50 years ago, The EAM and his team mates Won The Hawkhurst Charity Cup a much coveted Trophy with a history of fierce competition between Village teams in West Kent and East Sussex. It was the first time Hawkhurst had won the trophy since 1935 when the EAM's father was the 'star centre forward' - in 1965 Hawkhurst beat Smarden 6-2 with the EAM scoring a goal and his 19 year old brother David scoring 4 of the goals - Andrew (Andy) Rutherford scored the 6th goal of what was a very memorable triumph....
The medals changed a bit in those thirty years - my father won three HCC Winners Medals in the 1930's and all were gold - our Winning Medal was a block of wood with a chrome shield.......'ahh well'....that's a sign of the times...today it would probably be plastic!
1935 and 1965
Below: Hawkhurst United on Easter Monday 1965 with the Hawkhurst Charity Cup - The EAM is third from the left....
Below: Seven of the 1965 winning team survive and pose here with two club members who played a part in earlier rounds of the competition - The EAM is on the far right....
Next week The English Apple Man will be exploring the changing world of recruitment for the fruit industry..........
Take care
The English Apple Man