Researching for the film: The Community Apple Press

As part of the film festival Samantha Allan has been commissioned to make a new film/installation for the entrance of the Victory Hall for the duration of the festival. Below she describes her initial thoughts:

"I want the piece to be a celebration of the village of Broughton-in-Furness. After moving to the area five years ago from London the main thing that has struck me is a sense of community organisation and how events and news travels through well trodden networks such as the post office window, the notice boards and the local newsletter. 

I love the simple idea that a group  can get together to do something and let people know and know other people will see it. It's a freedom that is missing from were I used to live. It's a cliche to say but sometimes it feels as if it's a hundred years ago here and I don't mean that in any derogatory way. It's a sense that there is space here to do things. Practical spaces like a large village hall for community events, another smaller hall, fields, old barns. It feels there is a strong,  sustainable community here. 

I have pinpointed one event in particular to become the focus of my new work. The Broughton Community Apple Press Association  was set up in 2005 by a group of residents after they were sick of seeing apples and other fruit being wasted because n0-one had the facility to press them. So now after fundraising and setting up the association this will be the fourth year that the press is taken to the small villages and hamlets of the area so people can come and bring their fruit to be pressed. It's inspiring to see new traditions being set up in the face of the demise of many rural communities. And it will make a strong focus for my film. 

I am working with Dick Palmer who is the chairman of the association and also SLOG (South Lakes Orchard Group) who have a fantastic knowledge of heritage fruits which are native to, or are commonly grown in, this area."

Bradley’s Beauty
Brownlee’s Russet
Caíanska Posna
Duke of Devonshire
Egremont Russet
Gladstone
Scotch Bridget
Keswick Codlin
Lady’s Finger of Lancaster/Lancashire
Laxton Superb
Manx Codlin
Holstein
Old Pearmain
Queen
Rankthorne
Thomas Rivers
Taylor’s Favourite
Winter Banana
Yellow Ingestrie