News...

Dec 2011

Sawbridgeworth Apple Branches transformation at Terminal 5 Expo Fine Art Gallery Heathrow Airport.

We are delighted to have been able to work with the artist Jill Berelowitz. From humble beginnings apple trees we pruned in the early months of 2012 have taken on a new life form.
Cast in bronze from real apple branches, then composed into a new form, Tree of Life draws deep, archaic meaning from the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. Outstretched bodies reach up and intermingle with the branches in a celebration of life that depicts the joyful human spirit as fully interdependent with nature.
Jill has become known as one of London's most innovative sculptors and has
exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, at Christie’s, and on Cork Street. Her high-profile commissions include the life-size Pair Oar rowers at Henley-on-Thames, an exhibition for Elizabeth Arden, a rugby trophy for the Investec Challenge her latest commissioned sculpture, ‘Core Femme’ in Cavendish Square for the Westminster City of Sculpture Festival, in May 2011.

Jill's artwork is currently on display at the Terminal 5 Expo Fine Art Gallery, Heathrow Airport.
The Terminal 5 Expo Art Gallery is situated in the Landside Departure Hall of Terminal 5 by the First Class Lounge. And is open every day from 7.00am to 8.00pm
http://www.jillberelowitz.com/gallery/bronze.php

Dec 2011

Latest News from 1877/8 ! A recent unearthed article on how the proceedings of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Meeting of Dec 1877 were altered to deal with the death of Thomas Rivers in Sawbridgeworth.

The decease of this eminent horticulturist, well known to our readers as the author of the Miniature Fruit Garden, was announced too late for our last number. We had prepared a brief notice, but give place to the following, which we take from the proceedings of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, on December 1st 1877:
President Parkman announced as the first business before the meeting, resolutions in memory of Thomas Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, England, one of the most eminent horticulturists and pomologists, which would be appropriately presented by Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, the foremost American pomologist.
" Mr. Wilder said: "Mr. President, I thank you for suspending the usual order of business, that we may render proper honor to the memory of one of the oldest and most respectable corresponding members of the society. I am advised by the memorial card which I hold in my hand that Thomas Rivers died at his residence, Sawbridgeworth, England, October 17, 1877, aged seventy-nine years. It has been my privilege to have a personal acquaintance and correspondence with Mr. Rivers for nearly fifty years. He was one of the most eminent horticulturists of the age. As a nurseryman, pomologist, tree and rose grower - especially as a hybridizer, in the production and dissemination of new and choice varieties - his name will long be remembered with veneration, gratitude and respect. For nearly sixty years he was actively engaged in the nursery business, and it can be said with truth, that no man in all Europe ever maintained a higher character for fidelity and integrity. As a pomologist he will be remembered for generations to come, especially for the production of new and valuable fruits for seed, which exercised a fascination over him, as be said, ' growing with his growth and strengthening with his decline.' As a raiser and introducer of new fruits, the editor of the London Gardener's Chronicle (than which there is no higher authority) said of him, 'The name of Thomas Rivers stands pre-eminent.
We have had no English pomologist to compare with him in this department, if we except Thomas Andrew Knight.' The same paper gives a list of more than seventy new varieties of fruit raised and sent out by him. Mr. Rivers considered as one of his greatest triumphs the production of early peaches, by which the season is extended for several weeks, and which are now distributed throughout the fruit-growing world.
"As a lover of the rose, and the great leader in its improvement in England, his name will be embalmed in the hearts of grateful millions, while the rose shall unfold its petals to the morning light, or shed its fragrance on the passing breeze. Of his love and devotion to the rose, an author remarks, 'Age cannot wither his loyalty, and beneath a hundred medals, orders and clasps, his brave heart is still with the rose.' His catalogue of roses, published forty-four years ago was pronounced by Mr. Louden 'the most useful catalogue of roses in the English language.' Besides writing many excellent practical works on horticulture, Mr. Rivers has been for many years a large contributor to the periodical press, and his various books and papers on the rose, the pear, root-pruning, double-grafting, the construction of orchard houses and other
cheap protections against the uncertainties of an English climate, and other subjects, are among the most valuable contributions to horticultural literature. But, Mr. President, time would fail me, were I to enumerate the various ways in which Mr. Rivers' name has been associated with the progress of rural economy and the horticulture of the world.
Truly it may be said of him, 'His works do follow him.' His books are the best record of his life.
"In view of what I have said, I beg the privilege of presenting the following resolutions:
"Resolved, That in the death of Thomas Rivers, one of the oldest and most respected corresponding members of this society, we recognize, in common with the horticultural world, the loss of a friend of horticultural science, rural improvement and ornamental culture, and a benefactor of our race.
"Resolved, That while we deplore the loss of so useful a man, we desire to thank the Supreme Disposer of all events that he was spared to us for so long a course of years, and was at last gathered to his fathers 'like a shock of corn fully ripe in its season.'
"Resolved, That the members of this society sympathize sincerely with the bereaved family in their affliction, and that a copy of these proceedings be forwarded to Mrs. Rivers as a token of the respect and esteem in which her late husband was held in America".
W. C. Strong, James Cruikshanks, and President Parkman spoke to the resolutions, which were unanimously adopted.
Title: The Gardener's Monthly And Horticulturist V20 Author: Thomas Meehan Publisher: Charles H. Marot Year January1878

October 2011
Hertfordshire Life visit our orchard

We are are very grateful to Hertfordshire Life Magazine for the excellent feature article in the October Edition. Garden designer and RHS Silver Gilt medal winner Phillipa Pearson visited us in late summer and the resulting article neatly sums up the history of the site and conservation work to date.There is an excellent mix of images and coverage of our forthcoming events.There is also a feature on Apple Days throughout October in Hertfordshire.The magazine is available through all county newsagents 

March 2011

Pam's Delight and Thomas Rivers Nurseries
The story resumes after a 42 year break!

    There is a very interesting, poignant story behind the origin and development of this variety. In 1956, Alfred Hull, a retired clerk and enthusiastic gardener, planted some apple seeds in pots which he placed on the bathroom windowsill, hoping that they would germinate. He did not know which variety of apple the pips came from. Happily, the seeds duly obliged and Alfred noticed that one, in particular, had grown tall and spindly. He planted that tree in his garden. At that time, his younger daughter, Pam, was twenty one years of age and about to be married. Over the next four years she was to gently tease her father by telling him that he should dig the tree up as it did not look as if it was capable of producing fruit.
Unfortunately, Pam then developed Hodgkin’s Disease and was told that she would only live for about five more years. Pam went ahead with her marriage plans and courageously endured her severe illness even though she was hospitalised for a great deal of the time. However, on visits to her father’s garden she would continue to pull his leg about his ‘apple’ tree. It became a family joke and Alfred told Pam that if it ever bore fruit she would be the lucky recipient of the first apple! Imagine Alfred’s surprise when the tree blossomed in 1963, seven years after he planted the pip! He was hugely excited by this development and delighted to see that the tree produced a solitary apple! He proudly presented this very special fruit to Pam. Sadly, Pam died in the following April, at the age of twenty eight. That year the tree produced twenty two pounds of apples. In the opinion of Alfred, his wife Bessie and their older daughter, Daphne, the apples were delicious and full of flavour.
In January 1969, Alfred took several scions from his special tree to Thomas Rivers in Sawbridgeworth for grafting. Rivers propagated a number of trees, maturing some of them at their holding ground. Alfred wondered if his variety would be commercially successful, which prompted him to ask Thomas Rivers if the variety could be traded under the name ‘Pam’s Delight’.

Two trees were duly sent to Brogdale Farm (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food National; Agricultural Advisory Service) for full commercial trials.
In a letter from Brogdale dated 9th October 1968, Alfred was extremely pleased to be informed that his apple named ‘Pam’s Delight ‘would henceforth be included in the National Register.
The original tree survived being moved in 1967 when Alfred and Bessie moved to be nearer their daughter, Daphne, who ran a greengrocer’s shop in another part of Luton.
Pam’s Delight is currently available from East of England Apples and Orchard Group and two trees from this source were planted in Rivers Orchard, Sawbridgeworth, in March 2011 to commemorate the very special link between the Hull family and Thomas Rivers.

In the 1980s garden writer/TV presenter Bob Flowerdew bought the Pam's Delight tree at the Rivers Nurseries closing down sale. He gave some graftwood from the tree to Norfolk pomologist, Gerald Fayers. Gerald Fayers gave a budstick to Bob Lever, and he provided EEAOP with their original propagation material.

Pam’s Delight is a medium-sized apple with a red flush. It is a juicy, sweet-tasting apple with crisp flesh.
For more on the full story on Pam's Delight visit their website http://pamsdelight.co.uk/default.aspx

What is Wassail?
January 2011

The word Wassail is derived from the Saxon greeting ‘Waes Hal’, meaning literally, ‘good health’. This old English custom of Wassailing was originally performed to encourage a good crop of apples in the year to come. Gifts of toast and cider were given to a chosen tree in the orchard and the tree was saluted with a poem and wassail songs, encouraging it to fruit well. Firecrackers or noisy tin cans are often used to scare away evil spirits and to awaken the tree from its winter slumber.
Wassailing is an ancient traditional winter custom which may well date from pre-Christian times.
WINTER WASSAIL - Rivers Orchard
15-January-2011 at 18.30 to about 20.00
Location: Rivers Nursery Orchard - Sawbridgeworth

Rivers Nursery Site & Orchard Group invites everyone to the Annual Rivers Orchard Winter Wassail.
Assembling at 6.30pm in the orchard you can expect....
 * Wassail Music & Songs
 * Wassail Ceremony
  (Wishing the trees a good fruit bearing season)
 * Winter Wassail HOT! Bonfire
 * Apple !! Drinks
 * Apple Juice
 * Apple Cakes & Eats
 * Apple Jelly

Admission to all the above is FREE!
Please wear suitable clothing and footwear and bring a torch,and the family/friends and the dog.

Rivers Nursery Site and Orchard Group is made up of local people with a common interest in their local countryside. The entrance to the Orchard is through the gates at Brook End, off The Crest, Sawbridgeworth. The Rivers Nursery site is private land owned by East Herts District Council. Access to the site for activities is by invitation of the District Council as landowner and no public rights of access are implied.

Have a look at the short video clip from the event previous year on Jan 9th 2010 courtesy of Herts and Essex Newspaper.

Planning Consultation 
Nov 2010

East Herts Council are completing a public consultation - Issues & Options as part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) we have submitted our views and note the comments made by others.
The next step of the process is the Green Infrastructure Plan followed by the Core Strategy.
this ia a lengthy tedious process estimated to take a minimum of 5 years from start date to finish.

Read All about It !
Sept 29th 2010

We have made it to the glossy coffee table magazines and no better can be recommended than Hertfordshire Life Magazine, October Edition, 2010.
A photo opportunity presented itself when a magazine feature was commissioned on our lovely town of Sawbridgeworth and three of our hardest working orchard volunteers were on hand to provide the real live connection between the famous past history of the Rivers Orchard site with the very important work today of preserving what is left as a community orchard.
The article leads in with a major prominence for the orchard with suitably relevant graphics that take the reader straight into what we are all about. There is full coverage of all that is important about the site, what we are trying to achieve and of course the important notice to alert all of Hertfordshire to our upcoming Community Apple picking day and further on the town Apple Day on 16th October.
The magazine has been prominently promoted by Gravelle Budgens our local independent supermarket who also great supporters of our community.
So all in all a very good publicity for the orchard and the town of Sawbridgeworth. Special thanks to Hertfordshire Life.

Sawbridgeworth ‘Plum News’ from 1871 & 2010!
August 2010

Plums first developed by Rivers Nurseries of Sawbridgeworth in the 1870s and 1880s are now available once again, freshly picked, at CAMMAS HALL Fruit Farm, near Hatfield Broad Oak.
As of this week, August 9th 2010, you can once again purchase some wonderful plums which were first introduced nearly 140 years ago by Thomas Rivers of Sawbridgeworth.
The variety Czar with its sharp flavour is a popular culinary variety and was first introduced in 1871 followed by Heron in 1875 and the delicious Mallard which is a red sweet plum was developed in 1885.
These are just some of the varieties of fresh local produce managed to a very high standard which are making a welcome comeback.

As one of the pioneering 'Pick Your Own' farms in the mid 1960's, Cammas Hall Fruit Farm has always prided itself on supplying the freshest fruit, of the highest quality, direct to their local consumers.

CAMMAS HALL Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am until 6pm
For information on opening times and availability of produce please call
01279 718 777
Email:paula@jmlukies.co.uk
For technical information and large orders please call
01279 718 570
Website;http://www.chff.co.uk/
CAMMAS HALL Fruit Farm is located at the following address:
Needham Green
Hatfield Broad Oak
Nr. Bishops Stortford
Hertfordshire CM22 7JT
 

John Sapsford 1922 – 2010
May 2010  

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of one of our central figures in the volunteer group that looks after the Rivers Nursery Site & Orchard.
John Sapsford was, until his death on Sunday 16th May 2010, a living legacy and reliable link with the heyday of that great enterprise Thomas Rivers & Son Ltd. Although John was never employed by the firm, his late father Arthur, was General Manager there from 1936 – 1952 and this gave John, in his formative years, unbridled access to the extensive nurseries.
John was one of our most regular volunteers since the Rivers Nursery Site restoration project began, and was with us for every event until recent failing health prevented him from doing so. Read tributes in full at John Sapsford.
 

General News 
March 2010
 
The Annual Winter and Spring Maintenance continues on the site . We are very grateful for the regular band of volunteers who turn out hail,rain or shine to keep the orchard in a good condition. Increased activity by badgers and other protected species noted around the site.
Recent Regional Orchard Conference has helped us promote the importance of this site. We are delighted to report that a book review has been completed by Joan Morgan and appears now on the Fruit Forum website under Fruit Books.
 http://www.fruitforum.net/the-rivers-nursery-of-sawbridgeworth.htm

Rivers Nursery - New Book - a quick peek inside!
Nov 2009
  
Traditional orchards, community green spaces, capturing voices from the past as oral history, social fabric, economic rise and fall and the history of an internationally famous horticulture enterprise are all neatly encapsulated in this well researched book.
This new publication covers the hows and whys of Rivers Nursery’s decline and the rescue of what has now become a thriving traditional community orchard. It features centuries of fruit development and is a major contribution to our orchard, garden, landscape heritage.
For local people this book will help many make sense of the history of some famous local landscapes. It is a valuable resource for those who seek to understand social and economic trends and for vital insight into the lives of those who pioneered the fruits we take for granted in our shops today, such as the Conference Pear.

The book is part of a joint effort to truly consider the contribution of the nursery, conserve its legacy and provide a living link to our heritage with a site that must be accessible to all in our community.
This book will make an excellent Xmas present for those near and far who have association with this area, our town or an interest in history,heritage and horticulture

204 pages, 59 illustrations. ISBN 987-1-904851-32-5
Price £10, postage extra

HOW TO GET YOUR COPY:
Download an order form here 
Free local delivery in Sawbridgeworth
Also available at:
Full of Beans - Health Food Shop, Church St, Sawbridgeworth.
Waterstone's Booksellers – Bishop’s Stortford.
Hertfordshire County Archives - County Hall.
Harlow Garden Centre. M11/A414 Intersection

 
 
Report on Apple Day & Book Launch  
Oct 2009
 
Saturday, Oct. 17th 2009, Church House, Sawbridgeworth
 
  Our Apple Day was the major event for our group in 2009. We had a good crop of excellent quality apples this year,all organically produced.
We had a wide range of varieties on offer and we kept prices at 2007 level to reflect the times. The book launch preceded the Apple sales and competitions and we had a super turnout of local residents, celebrities from the fruit world and supporters of the orchard who travelled long distances especially for the event. After a short fanfare the launch was underway, Elizabeth Waugh introduced her book surrounded by some wonderful artefacts from the former Rivers Nursery site and she paid tribute to all those who contributed articles and worked behind the scenes in getting the book published and ready on time. The book launch took place surrounded by a display of this year's apple crop and a presentation of Hertfordshire heritage varieties kindly loaned to us by EEAOP. Afterwards guests were treated to complimentary beverages and the crowds poured in for the rest of the afternoon. Children attending enjoyed the longest apple peel competition with some adults also having a go.
 
We are grateful to our friends from EEAOP for attending and all their support with displays and to the Gibberd Garden and St Elizabeth's Orchard Project of Much Hadham for all their mutual support.
 
The Rivers Oral History Project culminates with the publication of a book about Rivers Nursery and its heritage, incorporating first-hand knowledge from those interviewed for the project
Rivers Nursery of Sawbridgeworth:
The Art of Practical Pomology
by Elizabeth Waugh