Cllr Margaret Wright


Much of Cambridge is built on former orchards. The postwar council estates of Abbey Ward are no exception and have large gardens. Fruit grows everywhere. What bliss.

Here there are endless opportunities for sustainable, healthy eating: store cupboards piled high with jars, creative recipes and skills exchange; community involvement.

This is not how it all began when, last October, at a meeting held on a newly upgraded ‘rec’, residents asked the city ranger to get rid of the apples lying thick on the ground.

The request was urgent as these hard, small and sweet apples were being thrown at bus and house windows, especially where elderly or more vulnerable folk lived.

Two things came to mind; my own small apple press used to produce juice from a neighbour’s Bramleys which happily fall my side of the fence, the next an episode of River Cottage where Hugh and his friends were seen operating a giant version of the same equipment from which juice flowed freely and was duly shared.

So we set about securing an apple press for Abbey Ward.

First we obtained a sustainable city project grant. We were successful as this project ticked all the right boxes: from sustainability, to preventing anti-social behaviour and food waste. The press was delivered to a former station outbuilding adjacent to the ancient Leper Chapel during a torrential thunderstorm. Photos were a wash out. But the local press returned and media coverage has been amazing.

The problem of ASBO fruit throwing is greater than I first thought. We are tracing its source to particular trees and aiming to press the fruit as soon as possible. However, private borrowing is much easier to organise and this is more often the press’s use to date.

Our first public outing was at the Stourbridge Fair, where the mayor drank his fill and pronounced the apple press to be the highlight of the event.

The Freedom Club Time Bank organiser has taken on the bookings and is completely overwhelmed. Once we have staggered through our first season, we shall be able to prepare well ahead for our next. The local vicar is taking the press off to the harvest festival. Keith, who works for the city council in the ward, is a keen allotment holder and has already researched old strains of local apples and has planted some. A nearby nursery garden which helps those with learning difficulties to acquire horticultural and marketing skills knows that the pigs who rummage in their orchard would love the pulp left after the pressings.

There is a lot more to learn, but hey: what fun this is. How rewarding; and how very Green.