Past Apple Days

Apple Day 2022 – Saturday October

Apple Day 2022 was particularly special as it marked our tenth anniversary. We were delighted to have the Duchess of Devonshire come along to the event.

It was a very full event with highlights that included:

  • Live music
  • Stilt walkers who delighted the crowd young and old, notable Bob the Butterfly and Gerry the Gerbera
  • Ask the expert –  many questions were asked and all answered!
  • Refreshments including minestrone soup courtesy of Il Lupo- popular as ever
  • Apple pressing and with a bumper year for apples the “pressers” were kept very busy
  • A William Tell archery competition which proved very popular

As ever, our many supporters make the event happen.

Apple Day 2019 – October 12

Highlights from Apple Day 2019 included:

  • Apple pressing.
  • Children’s games, including build and fly your own paper rocket.
  • Garden games from Becky Lyne
  • Tug-of-war
  • Story telling with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust
  • Ask the Expert – bring your apples to be identified.
  • Refreshments: WI hot drinks, cakes and crafts; St Anne’s PTA sandwiches and cakes; Minestrone soup courtesy of Il Lupo, Vegan soups courtesy of Neil Angus; jacket potatoes
  • Live music throughout the afternoon from the Litton Band and Chris and the Heartbreakers.
  • Apple recipe competitions for adults and children.
  • Garden Society plant sale.
  • Bakewell Scouts activities

Apple Day Supporters

Apple Day could not happen without the help of many contributors. We would like to thank all our regular helpers; Neil Angus and Il Lupo for their help with this year’s soups; and the Chatsworth Trust for their help with printing costs.

Finally, a big thank you to all our exhibitors and volunteers, as well as thanks to our competition judge, Max Fischer

Apple Day 2018 – Saturday October 6

Despite poor weather forecast the event went off well. Here are some photographs:



Apple Day 2017 – Saturday October 14

We were blessed with glorious weather which brought out good numbers of people. There were lot of people there and plenty to do. The stalls and tents were full of activities. Malcolm Roper’s soups were top class as were the WI cakes. The Garden Society, Baslow WI and PTA all had bumper stocks and bumper interest.

The apple juicing activity was a success despite a poor harvest and it was good to see people bringing their own apples and doing their own juicing. (Remember the orchard group’s press is available to village residents to borrow).

The baking competitions were very popular. Special thanks go to Max Fischer for his own baking in “Guess the Ingredients” event and to Bridget Skinner for providing tray-bakes to celebrate the “5th birthday” of the orchard.

From an organisational perspective, much more help from volunteers the year made everything run smoothly – set-up, help at the event and afterwards. Our aim is to break even, and this we did, with a small surplus of income over expenditure.

Highlights were:

  • Apple recipe competitions for adults and children.
  • Music from the Litton Band and St Anne’s School
  • Games including apple bobbing and rocket launching.
  • Apple pressing and apple identification
  • Soup, baked potatoes and cakes
  • Plant stall

Download the Apple Day 2017 leaflet. (Its designed to be printed double-side and folded in thirds).

Photos from Apple Day 2015 are here.
Here are some photos from Apple Day 2014:

William Tell game:

St Anne’s Choir

Story Telling in the Story Circle

Apple Creatures

Apple Owl

Apple Crab

Origami, face painting and tombola with the Scouts

Soup, baked potatoes and cakes

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust stand

Building and flying paper rockets

Baslow Belles

The Crowd (from behind!)

Entries in the Apple Pie competition


Judging the Apple Pie competition

Apple Pie winners!

Our new apple press

The apple press in operation

Apple identification

Thanks to Common Ground the inspiration. Take a look at Common Ground’s page on the history of Apple Day