CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT WINTER 2009

It is strange that some people see me as Mr. Grumpy whereas Anna, my partner, accords me the “pussy cat” status that I undoubtedly deserve. Well, she should know shouldn’t she? Although, I would have to admit to flexing the odd palsied claw.

An association that we subscribe to sends stuff out in the post. The latest stuff was about “2010 – The international Year of Biodiversity” organised for the U.K. by the Natural History Museum in London. After what seemed ages of caving through websites and downloads all it seemed to centre on was the right to display the “2010 IYB” logo. In a base moment I sent a sniffy email to the Association Secretary (who was a friend – please note the tense) and something similar to the Museum pointing out the significant difference in “them that talk and them that do”. I have given a clue as to the reaction of the Secretary but the Natural History Museum fazed me; unwittingly Tidnor Wood Orchards CIC found itself enrolled as                “a partner” in the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

U-turning has long been a speciality of mine; an endearing quality says the few whilst I suspect that the silent majority think otherwise. Although our Legal Director did write in October “I prefer to think of you as having the capability of rapid manoeuvre on the battlefield – more U-boat than U-turn, perhaps”. It seems that I might still retain the confidence of some on our Board. Phew.

From the hallowed offices of the National History Museum we received a manifest of our fellow partners and a sprauncy convoy they made too; top universities, loads of councils, government bodies, public schools, even the BBC – and little Tidnor Wood Orchards C.I.C. listed in there as well. With dusk representing the dying light for endangered species, there is Tidnor, pressed between the serried ranks of the transports with their huge silhouettes and volatile cargoes of intellectuals, in a surreal U-boat heaven. But, of course, far from being a threat, what we actually represent is a LIFEBOAT.

We will have over 400 different varieties of UK, Eire and Channel Island varieties of cider apple trees planted in our orchards by the end of this winter. We are having great difficulty in sourcing more; arguably we have a complete, achievable collection. We now have full National Collection® status from Plant Heritage (NCCPG). What is more our trees are proper trees, planted at least fifteen feet apart, and as half standards, not cordons or bush trees. People will be able to enjoy a picnic under our trees. Future generations will be able to applaud their biodiversity as they will be protected by CIC regulations.

 We have been certified as fully organic by the Soil Association for two years now and the diversity of the flora and fauna reflects this; people come regularly to study our birds and our plants and our fungi. Last year I reported that we were principal sponsors for an art competition in conjunction with the Hereford Cider Museum.  This year we decided to opt for a “Living Picture” and commissioned Felicity Burge, a talented amateur biologist, to salt our orchards with the appropriate wild flowers to speed up the natural process now that our 26 acres are not consistently bathed in chemicals. To the consternation of Mike, our Orchards Director, Felicity, normally a placid and convivial lady, has exhibited the eyes and claws of one of our local buzzards when it comes to protecting her seedlings.

When the local Wildlife Trust eschewed our advances we declared ourselves to be a Nature Reserve anyway and it would seem that the animal kingdom has got the message. For example, the latest bird survey, by Simon Barker for the National Trust, accredited us with both the Greater Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. Being so protective towards our wildlife does have its downsides; witness Mike’s disgust at being forbidden to disturb a wasps’ nest in the roots of one of our Museum trees or his ire at being tracked and attacked by a lonely cock pheasant this autumn.

I was able to report to the eggheads at the Natural History Museum that Tidnor is not only amazingly bio diverse (no point in underselling ourselves) but “International” too. Mike and I planted another thirty trees in our Vergers Tallevende in Normandy in February and we have another sixty French varieties for this approaching season. Furthermore, when we are in France next, a very obliging Frenchman has agreed to conduct us round a couple of orchards in Normandy to collect graft wood for another 72 true cider apple varieties that we can add to trees that we shall source from French nurseries. Marchons citoyens......

The “thirty” Frenchies that we planted this year are worthy of the Tidnor Storybook. Before World War 2 representatives of the Bulmer family visited France in search of new cider apple varieties in order to augment their burgeoning cider making business in Hereford. Records indicate that they were treated generously and returned with a large number of varieties. The resultant trees were planted in the Bulmer family orchard in Breinton, Hereford. The residue of this French collection is still there and we thought that it would be a good idea if we were to obtain grafts and return the varieties as trees to France as           “les rapatriées” (the repatriated ones). Our first approach to a scion of the Bulmer dynasty was refused outright and only by dogged endeavour did we eventually take delivery of thirty varieties, propagated by the self-same Bulmer nursery that hosted the incoming consignment, but at a cost that would have brought tears to the eyes of those original French donors. Planted in February, I had the opportunity to visit les rapatriées in the summer and it warmed my heart to see that they were bonny beyond belief.  Silly as it sounds, it just seemed that they were triumphant in having their roots back in French soil.

Apart from the 60 trees for France we have about 100 trees to plant at Tidnor this winter. We are also planning to move a few basket cases from out of Museum Orchard and put them into a nursery hospital temporarily. Against the cost of all this we have experienced a worse than expected harvest this year and we will be lucky to cover our running costs over the next twelve months. There is no threat to our survival but there will be no spare cash for fripperies.

Speaking of fripperies I commend our Tidnor Cider Cup to you. We have commissioned Dunoon Ceramics of Stone, Staffordshire, market leaders in fine bone china, and who exceptionally agreed to produce a limited edition of just 250 cider cups, each separately numbered in gold. The two-handled cup depicts the 30 cider apple varieties that appear on our poster painted for us by Jonathan Latimer and handling the cup invariably produces warm appreciation of its qualities. At £12.99 each the cup produces a gross profit of about £4 which we ring-fence and will use to promote another orchard related venture. We have, for example, purchased the copyright from Jonathan Latimer for the artwork for a Perry Pear Cup; if we could twist Dunoon’s arm again.

For many years I have been banging the drum for Tidnor and what Tidnor stands for. In October Anna and I managed to get away for a few days and we visited the Eden Project in Cornwall. I came back from there a much chastened chairman. It made me realise what a minnow Tidnor is. What we do, saving cider apple varieties safe for future generations in an organic and bio-friendly environment, is important, I have no doubt about that, but our cicada phase has to end I fear (I had to look that one up).

Hang on!! What about those huge car parks at Eden, nicely screened and comfortingly named Pear and Banana and Plum and the like. The daily pollution from hundreds if not thousands of exhausts must result in a huge carbon footprint for the Cornish venture. Whereas Tidnor has this year had scientists from Bangor University computing the carbon sequestration from our 2,500 trees. We lock up vastly more carbon in our trees than we create. Perhaps we could do a deal with Eden for some carbon offset?

We have had some unsolicited publicity this year apart from the ever increasing references to our apple collection found on internet search engines. The National Trust has been awarded several million pounds in order to promote traditional orchards etc. and their first publication of Orchard Matters generously gives us a short article thanks to their Orchards Officer, Kate Merry, who visited Tidnor in the summer. At long last CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has recognised our existence and I was grateful to have been invited to contribute a page on museum orchards in their glossy 2009 publication “Cider”                                     (ISBN 978-1-85249-259-5).

As chairman, in any year I write an extraordinary number of letters on Tidnor stationery to all sorts of bodies and organisations. Most go unanswered and unacknowledged, despite the fact that I put a deal of effort into their content. I usually wait about a month. After that it is unusual if I do not flex the palsied claw and send a second letter that is crisp and very much to the point. This tends to have one of two effects on the recipients. Either they ignore me completely for ever after, despite whatever I do to try and rebuild bridges, or they shower me with a profusion of apologies whilst nursing a hidden agenda to get me back at the first opportunity. Nomination forms for the election of a new chairman can be obtained from our Secretary.

(Chair) Man with Costrel

I can hardly believe that we have failed to find a cider maker who could use our splendid cider house to work up his or her business. I have put out feelers in many directions and the search will continue. This year we have completed the main works to our Victorian stable block which has three “stable” compartments; a public lavatory, a store and an office cum crew room. We still have to get electricity and water dug round from our secure store and complete the internal fixtures and fittings but when the building is finished we should be confident in opening our doors to visitors on a regular basis including the holding of the much vaunted Open Days.

It is my opinion that the addition of a clock tower with the face inscribed “Tidnor Wood Orchards” was money well spent and helps to set off our little coven of buildings splendidly. Visitors almost invariably comment that our structures, mainly constructed from old recycled materials, look as though they were always there and easily meld into the landscape. Please come and see for yourselves and tell us what YOU think.

We do have a problem with our four or so acres of Yarlington Mill variety cider apple trees in Bottom Orchard abutting our buildings. These were planted in about 1963 as half standards and spaced accordingly but, for whatever reason, they have grown as if standard size and are starving each other of air and light and are cropping very badly. We did take out a good number a few years ago but that has made scant difference. The trees are just too big, too old and too close together. But they do make a magnificent photograph and I have not seen their like elsewhere. It falls to Mike and me to make the decision to take the drastic step of felling a two acre block of these trees and establishing an entirely new and traditional standard orchard in their place.

If nothing else this could present the opportunity for someone to sponsor the new orchard and have their name immortalised accordingly; The Bert Scroggins Memorial Orchard – a bargain at £20,000? Any takers?

We do have a number of other initiatives bubbling up. I am tempted to write that these could be secret weapons for our next U-boat foray. Instead I am reminded that all we are is just a dreary old LIFEBOAT.

Adieu.

Henry May

Directors : Anna Bogucki (Company Secretary) David Hartwell (Legal)

Mike Law (Orchards) Henry May (Managing) David Wall (Agronomy). Registered No 6569694

Correspondence : Knockmoyle, Strone, Dunoon, Argyll PA23 8TB

Email : directors @ciderapples.eu