By Kate Hodges
21st October 2017
EVENT Core Blimey
October 21 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. Find an event near you here. Ely’s event with mummers and candle making looks great, there’s corn dolly making and vintage engines in Porlock, or the magnificent October Plenty at Borough Market in London, where you’ll see the parading Berry Man, and take in sumptuous theatre shows and apple peeling competitions.
RECIPE, MAKE, LEARN Peel Sessions
If you’re not heading to an event, why not celebrate Apple Day at home? We’ve been itching to try Yotam Ottolenghi’s (vegan) apple and celeriac salad, while this cobnut and apple loaf is more traditionally autumnal. Alternatively, gear up for Halloween by making these shrunken apple witchy heads, or create this pretty apple-print wreath. Alternatively, find out why apples go brown with this experiment, make an apple boat, or even create a dramatic apple-cano!
EVENT Life In Squares
The (mostly free) Bloomsbury festival is one of the highlights of our year – the area is a great place to visit, with its strange museums and odd little nooks and crannies, and even more fun to explore this weekend. Many of the events are great for kids, but Sunday is the designated Family Day, with a hub at Goodenough College. Visit the Bureau of Silly Ideas at Bloomsbury Farmers Market, sing out at Store Street, or create things that aren’t quite what they seem at the Institute of Making. Taking Diwali as a springboard, many of this year’s events have an Asian twist; take in a free Bollywood movie, take an immersive walk through Cornershop’s Urban Turban album, or help make a huge rangoli for the area.
EVENT Planet Love
An alternative to soulless and tacky half-term films, this week sees the release of BBC Earth’s Earth: One Amazing Day. Narrated by Robert Redford, this is the long awaited sequel to box-office smash Earth which celebrates the natural world by following the journey of different species through the course of one day; starting with the sun rising in the highest mountains to the sun setting in remote islands. Gorgeous, inspiring, and a prompt to reconnect with nature and redouble our efforts to protect our beautiful world. Watch the trailer here
EVENT and DO Wild Shots
The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens today (although if you don’t have the budget for tickets, hang on for the Horniman’s British Wildlife exhibition in November or watch out for the exhibition touring next year). The images are always sensational – and may inspire you to try out wildlife photography for yourself. Kids don’t need fancy gear – an old telephone with a camera will do – there are some great hints here. Take your cameras out on an autumn walk, and hold a mini exhibition when you return. There are some great tips here and here. You don’t need to be in the countryside proper; urban wildlife can be just as fun to try to capture – be inspired by the work of Sam Hobson .
