Uralla, a little town 22 km (c. 14 miles) to the south of Armidale, holds an annual festival called Seasons of New England that's a show-case for local small business-people or those engaged in all sorts of craft activities. So there are many stalls providing all manner of foods, wood or metal objects, meals (Dot had Moroccan and I had Turkish!), cosmetics, clothing and accessories, drinks (craft beers, wines, apple cider), and so on. In fact, if one were destitute and starving it might be possible to survive by snacking on the tasting mechanisms operated by the stalls. There are pony rides for children and other kids' activities including face-painting. There was even a stage where a band could perform, but no musicians while we there in late morning.
All the stalls are under cover - demountable square tent-like structures, which might be necessary in inclement weather. However, something remarkable happened yesterday. It didn't rain and the sun put in an appearance, unlike much of March so far. As I type this on Sunday morning we're back to a scene of leaden skies and a bucket-load of water heading our way! Even the dining areas with seats and tables were under cover in Uralla and for good reason had we exchanged the last two days.
Such festivals are an integral part of community, especially in rural areas where they can bring together for common purpose the highly scattered farming families who might be located even 60 or 80 km (up to 50 miles) away even within Uralla Shire itself. But, interestingly, we met up with many people we know from Armidale, which is perhaps not surprising as Uralla is partly a dormitory suburb of Armidale - about a 12 minute drive away along a good road. We must have spent a couple of hours wandering around the festival, nattering to friends, and consuming our meals.
And, after trying some of the local cider, I bought a four-pack. As you can see, it's called bone-dry, which was an accurate description. Unlike most cider that's quite sweet, the makers of this brew managed to remove a lot of the sugar content and, since I liked the flavour, I bought a small supply.
This part of the Northern Tablelands used to be one of Australia's leading apple growing regions, but only a few remnant orchards are still in operation. However, I'm pretty sure the apples used in the cider are local-grown.
AS
All the stalls are under cover - demountable square tent-like structures, which might be necessary in inclement weather. However, something remarkable happened yesterday. It didn't rain and the sun put in an appearance, unlike much of March so far. As I type this on Sunday morning we're back to a scene of leaden skies and a bucket-load of water heading our way! Even the dining areas with seats and tables were under cover in Uralla and for good reason had we exchanged the last two days.
Such festivals are an integral part of community, especially in rural areas where they can bring together for common purpose the highly scattered farming families who might be located even 60 or 80 km (up to 50 miles) away even within Uralla Shire itself. But, interestingly, we met up with many people we know from Armidale, which is perhaps not surprising as Uralla is partly a dormitory suburb of Armidale - about a 12 minute drive away along a good road. We must have spent a couple of hours wandering around the festival, nattering to friends, and consuming our meals.
And, after trying some of the local cider, I bought a four-pack. As you can see, it's called bone-dry, which was an accurate description. Unlike most cider that's quite sweet, the makers of this brew managed to remove a lot of the sugar content and, since I liked the flavour, I bought a small supply.
This part of the Northern Tablelands used to be one of Australia's leading apple growing regions, but only a few remnant orchards are still in operation. However, I'm pretty sure the apples used in the cider are local-grown.
AS
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