Real appeal with apple art

Paintings of apples that will be judged in a competition as part of the celebrations for the Bramley Apple Festival are on display in Southwell Library.

More than 80 paintings by adults and children are on show until the Bramley Apple Festival, which is on Saturday, October 18, and Sunday, October 19.

The festival takes place in Southwell every year to celebrate the apple that was first grown on Easthorpe.

All the paintings have an apple theme and entries include paintings of apple trees and apple pies.

A senior librarian, Mrs Nicola Ellis, said she thought the exhibition was a good way to start the festival.

She said: “Whenever we have the paintings up we always get a really good response from people.

“I like all the paintings, but I think the children’s entries are always nice to see.

“They are quite simple and I think they look fresh.”

Entry to the competition cost £5. Money raised will go to the British Heart Foundation.

The competition will be judged at 3pm on October 18.

Other events taking place in the library as part of the festival include a painting workshop led by Mr Peter Millward of Society For All Artists.

Mr Millward organised the painting competition and an apple pie competition.

A story teller, Mrs Nikky Rafferty of Oxton, will tell apple-themed stories.

There will also be a display of 500 apples from the heritage orchard at Tuxford, and refreshments will be served at the Core Youth Centre.

On Friday, October 17, a celebration of the Bramley apple, led by Mr Roger Merryweather, the great-grandson of Mr Henry Merryweather, the first person to commercially market Bramley apples, will take place at Southwell Minster.

Mrs Ellis said: “I think the festival is excellent for the town because it attracts visitors.

“Last year we had about 1,000 people visit the library during the festival.

“People really like looking at the display of apples from the heritage orchard as it is unusual to see that many varieties of apple in one place.”