happy memories

On Saturday as I chatted to my parents on the phone, they told me that some friends of ours who own an orchard had been on Countryfile last week, talking about the apple juice & cider they make at their orchard. This conversation brought back some very fond childhood memories. On Saturday night when I was having trouble sleeping, I got up and watched Countryfile on iplayer to see the slot with our friends. I don't know about you, but the moments that friends appear on the TV are few and far between, so I wanted to seize the opportunity before this episode stopped being available to view.

I never thought that I would be learning new computer skills at 3am, but that's exactly what happened - I learned how to take a screen shot so I could share a glimpse of the orchard with you.

  It was at this orchard that, as children, my siblings and I would charge around between the trees in the pitch black on Bonfire Night each year, along with the many other children from church. I remember squealing with nervous excitement at the prospect of getting lost amongst the orchard trees, but secretly, I knew I had nothing to fear, as my parents were happy for us to run free. When we'd had enough of playing hide & seek, we would follow the light of the bonfire, blazing brightly, and on our way, we'd collect a cup of hot soup to warm our cold fingers. There was always great big industrial size baking trays of iced buns on offer too - the owners of the orchard also used to own a bakery.

Oh, the bakery. Every now and then, we would pop in to say hello to Margaret, the wife of the dream-baking-team, and I would look forward to seeing the perfectly formed mice meringues in the window of the bakery, with their bright, beady chocolate eyes staring out at passers by. I still remember the texture & crunch of those meringues now. 

 

Although Robert & Margaret sold their bakery on long ago, their baking skills still remain - last year Margaret very kindly made us a traditional tier of a wedding cake to sit in splendour on the dessert table at our wedding. Sadly, I did not get to keep it, or eat any of it, as it got devoured by our church the day after our wedding, without our knowledge. At least I know that a lot of people in Bristol got enjoyment from the cake that came all the way from Kent!

Watching the clip of Broomfield Orchard in Kent makes me want to go and do a photoshoot among the apple trees, with children who have yet to discover the delights of running up and down the rows of perfectly lined trees.