Old Ledbury - Apple Picking

Perry Pear Picking

Damsons ?, plums ?...RD

Forgive my ignorance but are they picking apples or hops?...PC

They look like apples?...RB

Could be Worcesters, very tall trees they were x...PP

What a fantastic photo once again Roger love it...CP

I think the Health and Safety man was at the top of the tree!!...RB

Fruit does not look big enough for apples, and unless its a rogue hop vine ?...RD

Def a man at the top x...PP

Yes I can see him...RD

No, i just saw the bags, would'nt be apples, wonder if it's nuts? x...PP

Walnut trees are pretty huge....RD

Might be x...PP

Roger this photo is fantastic, it could be worth a lot of money, I think it is a pear tree, looks like its a photo shoot...JJ

Might be crab apples. Usually small and bitter and the trees are huge...NW

I think it could be walnuts...JVM

I have asked people on the Evesham memories site, a pear called Pitmaston Duchess has been suggested by a local grower ?...RD

Wonder why there arent more trees though, seems funny. I still don't think it's fruit, i can't remember them being put into sacks, could be wrong though. x...PP

Still looks like apples?...RB

Looking closer, there are trees around there but not as tall, wish we knew what it was they were picking. xx...PP

Looking through google, this looks more likely to be walnut tree...PC

I go with nuts, fruit would not be packed so tight ?...RD

If you look at the sacks Rosalie they look like they are full with nuts. Sorted. x...PP

I reckon we cracked it !!!...RD

It was hard. Phew xxx...PP

Roger Im back with you now I think its apples...JVM

Nooooooooooooo, it's not xxx...PP

Pauline the crop of fruit looks to big for walnuts, also the branches are bending with heavily laden branches!!!!! I must say though I have not seen a walnut tree this big before so it could be!!!...JVM

I have'nt seen apples growing so tightly clustered, whatever it is, there's a lot of it and i've never known so many pickers up one tree for apples. The plot thickens x...PP

Perhaps we should concentrate on the leaf, perhaps Roger can blow us up a picture of a leaf? Even the dog gets in on the photo!...JVM

If you look at the ladies, they have side bags, looks like they empty them into the baskets, save them going up and down the ladders x...PP

Looks like GH Lewis, Leeds on the basket x...PP

Its a Perry Pear tree!!!...RE

From height of tree would say it was pears, and by the way they cluster, would say it was perry pears. Agree with Raymond...MB

Looks like a pear tree to me. Just like the one at Cholstrey Court when I was a youngster staying with my grandparents...PG

I'm going to have a pint of perry now xx...PP

Changed my mind from walnuts going with perry pears...RD

I think so too, looking closely i can see it now, they are very small. Oh well nuts was a good guess xx ...PP

Picked loads of apples and pears in my time, but never picked perry pears. Some of the old trees were so tall but these days they're mostly dwarf ones. The Worcesters were huge, we had ladders like the ones in the picture, i used to make Glenis pick the high ones, we had some fun on the land xx...PP

Pauline could Lewis and Leeds be up Wellington Heath was there a Leeds farm?...JVM

I never saw any baskets like them when i worked there, but can't say for sure. Wish we knew the farm xx...PP

Yes was Leeds farm, the Whithers. My mum worked there when we were kids, i worked there for years too, took my children out from when they were small. xx...PP

I read a book written by Mr Leeds, he didn't own the farm this long ago nor his family. he moved here from away. Good book its in the library...JB

Yes they lived abroad, was it South Africa x...PP

Can't remember Pauline but sounds right.x...JB

I see Mrs Leeds often, I'll ask her xx...PP

...

Sources

1914 Newent Reporter Newspaper - Herefordshire History

1914 - 1919 Ledbury Guardian Newspaper - Herefordshire History

1916 Tilley's Almanack

Photographs are credited to the owners

Comments are from members of the Old Ledbury Facebook Group

Cuttings from Ledbury Reporter newspapers

Ledbury Reporter

The Reporter now has Archive photographs for the years 2005 - 2009 which you can view and order. Select a year then make sure Ledbury is the keyword entered before pressing GO. I have spent many an hour in the Ledbury Library looking through the old Reporters which are on microfiche. Support this great local paper.