The Black Hand Cyder Society
Introduction
Welcome to the Denton Blackhand Cyder Society section of the Denton website. Here you can find out everything about the society, from how it began to our current activities.
The society has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2001. A regular programme of activities has now become established with monthly meetings throughout the year where the various stages of cyder production are performed and the results sampled.
In addition two major cyder-based social events are held each year to which members are encouraged to bring guests. These are:
- The Wassailing Evening - held in January,
- The Cyderfest - held in August.
But the most important time of year is the early autumn when apples are gathered and the Society's chopping and pressing equipment used (as pictured above) to produce the apple juice ready for fermentation.
Membership of the Society now stands at more than 50 families. It is in good financial health and has a growing store of cyder to keep, see how it matures and enjoy.
New members are always welcome. Please contact: Adrian Hipwell, 788188.
Activities
The Pressing Weekend
The season starts at the begining of October when foraging parties are sent out to bring in the crop of apples. A remarkable number of local people have surplus apples available. This job must be completed before pressing itself starts. The apples are first chopped up in the mill and then passed though the press in batches. This is all very labour intensive but members join in knowing that it is a social event as well as good exercise. A long Friday evening and a full Saturday are normally required to complete this work. In 2009 457 gallons of juice were pressed.
Club Nights
Throughout the year regular, normally monthly, meetings are held. In the winter these are mainly work-orientated with racking and bottling sessions though suitable food and drink is provided to reward the workers. During summer months the Society transforms itself, courtesy of the Godsmark family, into the Mill Farm Boule Club. The game is played, a barbecue is lit (and used on a self-help basis) and suitable quantities of cyder consumed.
Wassailing
This ancient festival, traditionally celebrated in the West Country on the 17th January, is all about encouraging the appropriate gods, spirits etc. to make sure that there will be a good apple crop that year. The BHCS version of the ceremony includes suitable incantations, tree blessings and a village maiden is required to ensure the authenticity of the proceedings. A hog-roast is enjoyed and a good ceilidh band makes sure that, whatever the temperature outside, members and their guests can keep themselves warm.
The Cyder Fest
This event has now established a regular pattern centred round the tasting of all the cyders produced during the year including those "developed" by individual members with a prize for the best one. The village marquees are pressed into service and, once again, a hog-roast and a band make the evening go with a swing.
Dates For 2010
The Club's year kicked off with a very successful Wassailing on January 16th.
The first Boule Night took place at Mill Farm, Darrow Green Road on Thursday May 6th. These "first Thurday" events will continue throughout the summer months.
Cyder Fest - Saturday 28th August
Details of further events will appear here in due course.
The History of the Society
Much more detail on the history of the society and its activities is available on a separate page.