Core blimey! This is why we’re Garden of England
Plans to celebrate the harvest bore fruit this weekend, as hundreds of families had a tree-mendous time at events across the borough.
More than 1,000 people attended a two-day apple and cider fair at Kent Life in Sandling near Maidstone.
The tourist attraction has its own orchards growing 38 varieties of the fruit. Visitors were able to taste the difference between the many types and could also watch as they were pressed into juice.
For those who liked their beverage a little stronger, the cider tent had 28 tipples on offer, all made from Kentish-grown apples.
To top off the entertainment there was live music from a string of local bands on Saturday, and dancing from the Invicta and Hannah’s Cats Morris groups on Sunday. Meanwhile, over at St Peter and St Paul’s in Headcorn, villagers were holding their own flower and apple festival.
The church was decorated with 37 flower arrangements on the theme of Autumn Glory, submitted by a host of individuals, organisations, other churches in the benefice and the primary school.
Visitors were greeted in the churchyard on Saturday with all kinds of apple-themed activities, including apple games and apple-cake to try.
That evening saw a concert by the Company of Singers and the next day the Rev Fiona Haskett conducted a traditional harvest festival service attended by youngsters from all the local Scout groups.
Jenny Morrison, one of the organisers, said: “The weekend was really well supported by the whole community with hundreds of people coming along.”
For coverage of Oktoberfest turn to pages 38-39