APPLES in all shapes and sizes were celebrated at the weekend.

In Leonard Stanley, villagers peeled, baked, pressed and cored homegrown British apples including braeburns and Cox's orange pippins which tend to grow in October.

At Stroud farmers' market apples such as howgate wonders from Day's Cottage in Brookthorpe were among 100 different varieties which were pressed into juice.

Fifty of them are grown in Gloucestershire including three rare types - the Reynold's kernel, the spout apple and Cambridge queening.

According to a diary belonging to the Hyett family from Pound Farm in Whaddon, which contains fruit sale records dating back to the 20th Century, these apples were last sold in the county in 1919.

The weekend's events to celebrate Apple Day put Stroud on course to become the nation's first Apple Town, which will see mini orchards sprouting up all over the area.

Stroud has received a grant from The Big Tree Plant Ð a campaign organised by Defra and the Forestry Commission to plant more trees in England.

The project is being run by Stroud Valleys Project, Stroud Town Council, Stroud farmers' market, the Down to Earth Co-operative, Gloucestershire Orchard Group and Day's Cottage.

SVP chief executive Clare Mahdiyone said: "Stroud has a rich heritage of local apples and pears and we want to save them for everyone to enjoy."

The scheme will be launched at the SVP shop in Threadneedle Street on Saturday, October 22 October from 10am to 1pm.

On display will be 45 different types of Gloucestershire apples and there are games to join in with such as a pin the apple on the tree challenge.