HEAVY rain failed to spoil Alton Local Food Initiative’s first community picnic at the Jubilee Orchard on September 3 – even if picnics had to be eaten under the shelter of the pavilion!

With hot drinks and squash provided inside, it was hailed “a great success”.

The orchard is on the Jubilee playing fields, next to the sports centre, where the local food initiative group has an orchard of 15 fruit trees. Balloons children later took home decorated the area and guided members and visitors to the event.

An event spokesman said: “A range of activities were organised for participants, the fields looked splendid with newly-cut grass, and some of the fruit trees were full of fruit and decorated with attractive bunting for the occasion.

“The afternoon included a conducted tour of the orchard to look at the range of apple, pear, plum, cherry and quince trees. The main table was attractively laid out with a basket of fruit and flowers and had cut pears and apples to sample, dried apple slices, bramble jelly pancakes, courgette cake and freshly picked local blackberries to sample or take away.

“Emma Crofts prepared a scavenger hunt for the children that directed them toward the orchard, and an apple and spoon race had two heats with a final that was won by Sophie Tomson, one of the children, although the adults also enjoyed the heats.”

Some imaginative hats were entered for the ‘hat with a fruity theme’ competition, from real fruit to a waste paper bin with fruit painted on it – and everything in between!

The children’s section was won by four-year-old Elise Clark, with a straw cap that she had decorated herself, face paint reinforcing the fruity theme. Melissa Pritchard won the adult section with an elegant apple hat made of paper with a toilet roll core.

Prizes were given to all the winners and those who had won the schools competition earlier in the year also received their prizes.

The Alton Local Food Initiative spokesman said: “We all had a fun time and we were pleased we could go ahead in spite of the weather, thanks to everyone who came, but the sun is ordered for next time.”

The Alton Local Food Initiative Harvest Festival will be held on Saturday (September 30), from 10am to 2pm at Alton Methodist Church Hall, and will offer coffee and homemade cakes at any time or vegetable soups and bread at lunchtime.

An apple expert from Sparsholt College will be on hand with a special display of ‘Apple Wisdom’ covering growing, pruning, tasting, advice and identification of apples.