I have acquired apples! Our neighbour has a very large apple tree that they grew from an apple pip planted by their youngest daughter when she was small. It grew and grew and was planted out into the garden and now it produces masses of fruit. There are a couple of branches that overhang the fence and dangle tantalisingly into our garden and I've been looking at the heavily laden branch from my upstairs study window for a while. Anyway, this morning I nipped out and picked a load. I think, technically, they really belong to my neighbour, but I saw them picking masses a couple of weeks ago and there are still loads left on the tree if they wanted them, so I don't think they'll mind.

When I've sneaked one in previous years, the apple was slightly soft and tasteless, so I've never been interested and usually the neighbour leaves them all for the birds. But the one I sampled this morning was crisp and just a little tart. I don't know whether I've sampled them when they've become too ripe in the past, or whether the weather alters the fruit, but I now have a few pounds of decent apples that I'll cook and freeze when we return from our short break in London. I think they'll keep OK in the cool for a few days.