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Let it snow, let it snow .....

November 25th 2005

Keepscombe Orchard - under falling snow

It wasn’t as if we hadn’t been warned – but this is Cornwall after all and when snow is forecast it is usual to expect a surface dusting that melts by lunch time. Very pretty, but nothing to get excited about. And, indeed when we woke up there was hardly anything to see – just a covering of hail stones over the moors. It was all a bit disappointing really.

Then it began to snow. Not the usual wet, hopeless flakes that melt as soon as they hit the ground but big, white fluffy flakes that filled the air – as if a celestial goose was shaking itself free of feathers and they were all falling on us. And the other thing, unusually for Cornwall, was that it didn’t stop. Or rather it did, but then it started again, and stopped and started again. By coffee break there was had a good three inches of quality snow in the yard. Three inches! In Cornwall! Time to stop bottling the St Cuby’s cider and pressing the apples for a while and just enjoy.

Coffee and biscuits gave way to a mound of hot salted chips (courtesy of the boss) and Mulled Apple Juice with a splash of Wassail. And a snowball fight. Across the yard and around the corners. Everyone against everyone else – until Mr Wills arrived with food for the cattle. Then it was everyone against him.

After that, the concentration was on work again – to finish the bottling and pressing as quickly as possible. Everything was completed in record time and people set off home in convoys of cars. The longest drive was a six hour expedition for a journey that normally takes 35 minutes. No harm was done and we had our winter fun and excitement before Christmas. The orchards looked a picture and the sharp cold snap will have done wonders for bud formation on the dormant trees.