Autumn Highlights. First ever Apple Day at Clovelly on Friday, 28th October

It is Apple Season – so Clovelly are holding our first Apple Day with lots of lovely apple crafts and activities. On arrival at Clovelly you will see apple pressing by Gatcombe Valley Juices outside the Visitor Centre, so please do bring a bag of apples, watch them being pressed and taste the fresh juice or if you wish, you can bring more for pasteurisation and bottling for which there will be a charge (£1.90 per 75 cl bottle).

On entry to Clovelly (free for children under 7 years old), you will find the Apple crafts and activities in the Visitor Centre from 12:00-16:00. The round shape of the apple with the great reds and greens makes the apple a perfect base for creating art. So enjoy some Apple Art with The Plough and either carve, sculpt, decorate or do all of them with your apple to enter the Apple Art Competition!

There will also be Live Music by "no rest for the fiddlers", apple bobbing, apple stamping, and especially for adults, apple cup making, which you can then use to enjoy a refreshing cider drink (available at the café bar) or perhaps some fresh apple juice! Clovelly Court Gardens produce, including a pick of pumpkins, will be on sale and Merry Harriers Garden Centre will also have some of their interesting products on display.

At 4pm families can take part in a fun Harvest Hunt with the Clovelly tour guide, Jana Edwards, who will take you down the village street telling spooky stories and looking for clues to win a harvest treat, finishing at the New Inn at 5:30pm. Please book your place on arrival as spaces are limited.

Apple Day, Clovelly
Friday 28th October 2016
  Clovelly Visitor Centre/Clovelly High street
Time: Apple pressing: 11.00-13.00

Apple day activities: 12.00-16.00

Harvest Hunt: 16.00–17.30.
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Contact: Visitor Centre. Tel: 01237 431781

 Email: visitorcentre@clovelly.co.uk
www.clovelly.co.uk

Protecting Devon's trees for the future at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank

A local charity is playing a key part in an initiative which is protecting the nation's 'tree heritage'.

Throughout October Devon Wildlife Trust is collecting seed from a series of well-known local wild tree and shrub species including rowan, crab apple, raspberry, silver birch, honey suckle and elder. The collections are an important part of a national project to protect the UK's trees.  The charity is undertaking the work as a partner in the UK National Tree Seed Project, which has been set up by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, with funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery.

The Devon seeds are being gathered by staff and volunteers at Devon Wildlife Trust's 49 nature reserves throughout the county. Tree seeds collected as part of the project will be safely banked in the underground vaults of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank - forming the UK's first national collection of tree seeds. These can then play a vital role in conservation work to protect UK trees and woodlands, including against pests and diseases such as ash dieback. The collections, and associated data, will be available to researchers working on solutions to tackle the many threats facing our woodlands.

Devon Wildlife Trust's Andrew Warren has been one of the team who have done the seed collection work. Andrew says:

"We have been asked to gather sufficient seeds to provide researchers and conservationists with the opportunity of increasing education, scientific research and a greater understanding of the challenges facing UK forests.

The project has also helped us focus on the amazing shapes, sizes and distribution of trees on our own nature reserves. Because we've had to seek out suitable trees of particular species it has meant going into half-forgotten and less accessible parts our nature reserves to find unfamiliar trees, rather than merely selecting a few well-known trees which live along the reserves' more obvious paths and routes."

Clare Trivedi, UK National Tree Seed Project Co-ordinator at Kew Gardens, says:

"Building up our seed collections of the nation's favourite and most important tree species is a vital step in combating the multiplying pests and diseases which threaten to alter our landscape dramatically. We are delighted that Devon Wildlife Trust is supporting this project to help us ensure that seeds from across the UK are collected and conserved."

The UK National Tree Seed Project launched in May 2013 with the aim of securing genetically diverse collections of UK native trees and shrubs. The species target list takes into account factors such as conservation status, prevalence in the landscape and vulnerability to pests and diseases. The target species include many which underpin the UK's wider plant and animal diversity, as well as supporting woodland industry, tourism and recreation, such as ash, juniper, Scots pine, alder, beech, silver birch and yew.

Devon Wildlife Trust's Steve Hussey says:

"As a charity working for the county's wildlife we are very conscious of the great pride that people hold for particular local trees. Because of the great age that trees can live to they become store-houses for people's memories and even for local folklore. The trees are, of course, also vital homes and food sources for local birds, insects, fungi and mammals. For these reasons they are priceless natural assets and we are very pleased to be doing our bit to preserve their distinctiveness for the future."

Devon Wildlife Trust's Andrew Warren with part of the crab apple harvest from the charity's Dunsford nature reserve

Devon Wildlife Trust staff pick crab apples at the charity's Dunsford nature reserve (Teign Valley)

All Photos copyright DWT (All rights Reserved)

Devon bound Wille and the Bandits "Steal Tour" October live gigs at Barnstaple and Plymouth

Wille and the Bandits "Steal Tour" kicked off on the 1st October, 39 dates in all including gigs at Plymouth The Junction on Friday 21st October and at Barnstaple, The Factory on Saturday 22nd. Their brand new album "Steal" will be available at shows ahead of the official release date in January 2017.

The band have been building a reputation throughout the UK and Europe as one of the best live acts around, playing over 200 gigs a year. Among the artists they have shared festival stages with are Joe Bonamassa, Deep Purple, JJ Grey, Beth Hart and Wilko Johnson. 

The UK trio's socially aware lyrics and multi-instrumentation makes for the most original and refreshing sound heard in years.

Now signed to the Jigsaw label, the new album "STEAL" sees the band deliver all the excitement and power of their electrifying live performances, while mixing it up with dynamic music choices, from hard to soft, electric to acoustic, a music roller coaster seldom achieved by recording artists these

days.

The band of Wille Edwards (Lead Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Electric Lap Steel, Weissenhorn and Dobro), Matt Brooks (Six String Electric Bass, Five String Double Bass, String Arrangements and Backing Vocals) and Andy Naumann (Drums and Percussion) are joined by Don Airey from Deep Purple (Hammond/Keyboards) for three tracks on the album.

  Website - Wille and the Bandits

Facebook - Wille and the Bandits

YouTube - Wille and the Bandits 

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WILLE AND THE BANDITS 
gigs at PLYMOUTH, THE JUNCTION on Fri 21st Oct. 
and BARNSTAPLE, THE FACTORY on Sat. 22nd Oct.
Tap here for Tickets

The FactoryPetroc Brannams Campus Oakwood Close Barnstaple Devon EX31 3NJ
The Junction 6 Mutley Plain, Plymouth PL4 6LA