We have had quite a good apple harvest this year
apples smaller than usual, because of the drought, but quite plentiful
We did more juicing than previously
We have a good store of Worcesters
Howgate Wonders
and Egremont Russets
among others.
But…
…every November there is a toot at the gate announcing the arrival of The Apple Man.
For fifty years he has been filling his van with orchard apples and bringing them to all corners of Wales. (His father before him used a horse and cart but probably did not range as far)
This year he brings more Howgates
bigger than ours
Plus
and trusty Coxes
He muses that for twice the cost of our purchase he filled up his van for his first run … and bought the van. Then he continues on his way.
This winter we will be fuelling ourselves with apple pie, baked apples
and other fortifying creations.
(Oh, and he brought pears too)
Gribin Isaf 
They look delicious. A lot to store, though!
Sent from my iPhone
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They do store well. We have to use the pears up quite quickly but the apples last ages. At the end of Winter when there’s not much food about, especially if the ground is hard, we give some to the blackbirds.
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We are fascinated by your Apple Man and wonder about his ‘business model’? Times have changed so much since he started up and his father before him. We presume he can buy from you and others at a reasonable enough price, then sell for enough to enable him to run his van and hopefully make a living – or 50 years down the line, is it a ‘hobby job’ for him? Whatever, the fruit looks wonderful!
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The Apple Man brings us apples, we don’t sell them. Ours are not quite up to the same standard as his. I must admit I have always wondered what he did for the rest of the year when there were no apples to sell but I think he’s semi retired now so he probably does it just because he likes visiting his regular customers. We always enjoy his visit, it reminds us of all those travelling sellers there used to be in the countryside. My Nan had a fruit and veg man every week and the chandler came once a fortnight.
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Oh, I don’t know what made me think he bought as well as sold. We had a fish man, a bread man and a fizzy pop man, as well as the milk man, of course – “John the Milk” in his brown ‘lab coat’! My G’pa & G’ma’s local grocer delivered their weekly order – way before Covid and home deliveries! They had a little book that went to & fro each week. Memories.
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