RED devils, Ribston Pippins and Flowers of the Town were just some of the wonderful varieties that apple detective, Ros Nichol, introduced to visitors at Hexham Market's annual Apple Day

As well as bringing along an extensive collection of some 60 different varieties for people to look at, Ros was sharing her top identification skills to help gardeners solve their own fruit tree mysteries.

Transition Tynedale members brought along a traditional apple press to demonstrate how easy it is to make juice from hundreds of donated apples.

Amongst them was the bumper bounty brought in by Hexham families who had held a scrummaging day by kind permission of local farmer, David Carr.

What's more the donations market goers made for their apple juice on the day raised over £100 for the Hexham Foodbank

One of the organisers, Kate Bramfitt, of Transition Tynedale said: "We'd like to thank everyone who gave a donation and also David Carr and all the people who lugged their heavy bags of surplus apples to the market to be pressed."

Kate said that surplus apples were going to the food bank and other local apple pressing events.

"We started the autumn apple days because it's an opportunity to use apples that would otherwise go to waste; it supports the Farmers Market and local producers by helping create a lovely atmosphere and it raises money for charity into the bargain.

"One of the themes of Transition Towns is local food - buying it locally, reducing food miles and creating a stronger community so to have a great day where we meet up and do something positive together as a Transition Tynedale group is great."

Other communities who were busy apple pressing last weekend included Humshaugh and the Charlotte Straker Project at Corbridge.