By Kate Hodges
19th October 2022
EVENT AND MAKE PEEL SESSIONS
This Friday is Apple Day, a celebration of the most English of fruits. Apple Day is both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too. There are parties across the country this weekend. Press apples and get your bike mended in Gillespie Park in London, juice and listen to music in Port Talbot’s Margam Park’s community orchard, try apple crafts and enjoy bands at Cambridge Botanic Gardens and get your apples identified at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket. Find apple days at National Trust venues here, ten more places to juice up your weekend here or find out about the joy of pressing your own apples here
Continuing the apple theme (yes, we’re hard CORE), this is a good time to try some fruity crafts. Crack out the paint and recreate Van Gogh’s Starry Night with twinkly apple prints, or make a super-cute apple tote bag. Our favourite spooky craft has to be these dried apple witches; make yours now in time for Halloween. Find more sweet apple crafts for preschoolers and older kids here.
Don’t forget, we have a sweeeet selection of recipes online. Find some of our favourite appley ideas here, including chai spiced apple ricotta galette, apple waffles, easy apple crumble and apple and sweet potato muffins.
DO GET READY TO RAMBLE!
Ramble for red squirrels, amble for avocets or hike for a hedgehog! Vital change makers and force for good, the Wildlife Trusts are asking people to help raise funds as part in the Big Wild Walk for nature from Monday 24th October to Sunday 30th October. As we all know, UK wildlife is in big trouble and people can help by raising vital funds to further the charity’s vision to restore at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. The aim is to walk 30km over the week, or younger children can try the Hedgehog Challenge and walk 3km – the same distance a hedgehog can cover in a night. Sign up here for free autumn nature spotter sheets, a Big Wild Walk tracker sheet and more.
EVENT WILD WORDS
Words are everything at the Southbank Centre this weekend. This year’s London Literature Festival gathers writers from across the world in a series of free and ticketed events, including a free discussion about how authors capture wildness, and, on Saturday, a day of free family events that uncovers the power of words and stories and how they can connect us to the natural world, and, on Sunday, a free, family friendly exploration of how words can facilitate change for good. The weekend also sees a new, fun exhibition at the venue’s National Poetry Library, that explores the intersection of poetry and play through interactive games; roll lyric dice, dive into a virtual world made from sculpted text, or make your own generated poem (until January 15). Find the full programme here.
EVENT SHUT UP AND DANCE
This year, Lewisham is London’s Borough of Culture. This weekend, discover the area’s history in a new way, as an intergenerational cast of hundreds come together for an exhilarating dance performance. Close To Home: The Mass Dance Event will see a cast of hundreds of dancers of all ages weave together real-life stories of migration, community, activism, history and the people of Lewisham through movement and music. And you can join in! Watch the Learn at Home instruction video then join in and take part in the show. If you can’t make the performance, you’ll still have a chance to get involved online. Find out more here
EVENT LET THERE BE LIGHT
Diwali climaxes on Saturday – expect to hear the crashing and banging of fireworks! The Festival of Light is celebrated by those from the Hindu and Sikh religion. It’s all about the sparkle; candles are placed in homes, there are firework displays. Find our suggestions for celebrations here. You might like to make eco-friendly rangoli, the symmetrical patterns that look complicated, but are as simple as connecting dots. Lamps are a Diwali essential; try making yours from flour dough or clay. As a special, warming treat, indulge in mugs of home-made spicy chai.
WHAT WE’RE EATING Golden Milk Latte I remember my first Golden Milk Latte; it was love at first sip says Laura Fuentes. The combination of spices with almond milk and honey was a match made in heaven. Get the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE READING I used to be ashamed of being a fangirl. Now I see how joyous and creative it was “Lady Gaga was my idol, but I didn’t dare tell anyone. Now a new wave of books and films shows us why female obsession is such an important part of growing up.” Find out more here
