Volunteers gathered at
the 100-year-old orchard at the Dick Turpin Restaurant on Saturday 7th January
to prune the apple and pear trees ready for bumper crops in the
autumn.
Pruning the trees and
many months work clearing the mass of ivy and brambles means that light will
now reach the fruiting boughs, ensuring that we have a better crop - which will
be picked for the benefit of the local community. It was a cold, damp day
but the work kept the volunteers warm. The bowls of steaming hot soup at lunchtime
provided by the Dick Turpin Restaurant were most welcome!
Arboriculturist Russell
Miller and Orchard Restoration Project Manager Stephanie Irvine demonstrated
how to prune and soon the volunteers were hard at work with a variety of
specialist tools and equipment.
The team
tackle pruning included Suzanne and Lorna Batey, Chris Gannaway, Russell
Miller, Stephanie Irvine, Jenny Chalmers and Graham Carter.
