A pound, a slice of cake and a cider is about as cheap as a Crouch End Sunday gets.
Hornsey Vale Community Centre holds its Apple Day on Sunday 18 October, from 2pm to 5pm, at 60 Mayfield Road. Entry is £1, and children under five go free, according to the centre.
The draw is the tasting. The centre promises scores of unusual apple varieties to try, plus cider and a café, and crafts and storytelling for children. The café takes card, but the centre says to bring cash for some of the stalls. It does not say which, so a pocketful of coins is the safe answer.
It has been going a long time
This is no newcomer. Transition Crouch End was writing about Apple Day at the centre in 2011 and 2012. A 2018 listing had it on Saturday 20 October, 3–6pm, with apple pressing, produce for sale, children's activities and tea and cake, at the same £1 with under-fives free. It was listed again in 2023 and 2024, and has since moved to a Sunday afternoon. Apple pressing is not mentioned on this year's page.
The centre's report on the 2024 event gives a sense of scale: 60 varieties, among them Scrumptious, Discovery and Egremont, from Kent and Sussex growers; 459 people, not counting under-fives; and 21 volunteers, eight of whom baked 16 batches of cake. The day raised more than £900 towards better acoustics in the main hall. This year's page does not say what the money is for.
Getting there
The centre's own directions list the W5, W3 and 41 buses. Hornsey, Harringay and Crouch Hill stations are each about a 15-minute walk, it says. There are four bike racks, and access is level. The centre sits next to Stationers Park. These are the centre's directions, not TfL's, so check Sunday services before you set out.
The centre is run by Hornsey Vale Community Association, founded in 1991 and mostly volunteer-run, with two part-time staff.
A pound for an afternoon of apples is about as cheap as a Crouch End Sunday gets, and the format has held up for years. Take cash, and ask at the door what this year's takings are for.
- Apple Day is on Sunday 18 October 2026, 2–5pm, at Hornsey Vale Community Centre, 60 Mayfield Road, N8 9LP.
- Entry is £1; under-5s free.
- The centre promises scores of unusual apple varieties to taste, children's crafts and storytelling, a café and cider for sale.
- The page says to bring cash for some stalls; it does not say which.
- The 2024 event (20 October) had 60 varieties, 21 volunteers and raised over £900 for the Main Hall Acoustics project.
- The event is evidenced from 2011 and listed in 2018 (Saturday 3–6pm, £1), 2023 and 2024.
- The centre's own page lists W5, W3 and 41 buses; not checked against TfL.
Every factual claim in this story is linked to the evidence behind it. Where the newsroom has added judgement or framing, it is listed separately. Sources accessed 12 October 2026.
- Apple Day 2026 page, Hornsey Vale (business)
- Who we are (business)
- Find Us (business)
- Apple Day 2024 report (business)
- Alexandra Park Neighbours 2018 listing (community)
- Harringay Online Apple Day 2024 (community)
- Harringay Online Apple Day 2023 (community)
- Transition Crouch End, Apple Day 2011 (community)
- Transition Crouch End, October 2012 (community)
Claim by claim (11 facts, 7 editorial judgements)
- Apple Day is on Sunday 18 October 2026, 2–5pm, at Hornsey Vale Community Centre, 60 Mayfield Road. — business, 2026-10-12“Sunday 18th October 2026, join us between 2 and 5pm”
- Entry is £1, under-5s free. — business, 2026-10-12“entry is £1, with under-5s free”
- The centre promises scores of unusual apple varieties to taste; children's crafts and storytelling; café and cider for sale; café takes card; bring cash for some stalls. — business, 2026-10-12“displays of scores of unusual apple varieties to taste ... bring cash for the some of the stalls”
- Transition Crouch End covered Apple Day at the centre in 2011 and 2012. — community, 2011-10-01“Looking forward to Apple Day 2011”
- In 2018 the event ran 20 October, 3–6pm, £1, under-5s free, with apple pressing, produce, kids activities, tea and cake. — community, 2018-10-15“apple pressing, produce for sale, kids activities, an array of unusual varieties to taste, & of course tea & cake”
- The 2023 event was 14 October, 3–6pm; the 2024 event was 20 October, 2–5pm. — community, 2024-10-20“Apple Day 20 October 2024, 2–5pm”
- The 2024 report records 60 varieties, 21 volunteers, eight baking 16 batches of cake, 459 attendees excluding under-5s, over £900 raised for Main Hall Acoustics. — business, 2024-10-20“459 attendees (not counting under-5s); over £900 raised; Main Hall Acoustics project”
- Rosamund Coady is quoted in the 2024 report as glad to track down proper craft made cider, impossible to find in the supermarket. — business, 2024-10-20“glad to track down some proper craft made cider—which is impossible to find in the supermarket.”
- Apple varieties included Scrumptious, Discovery and Egremont from Kent and Sussex growers via Growing Communities. — business, 2024-10-20“Scrumptious, Discovery and Egremont”
- The centre lists W5, W3 and 41 buses, Hornsey, Harringay and Crouch Hill stations about 15 minutes' walk, four bike racks, level access. — business, 2026-10-12“W5 ... W3 ... 41 and N41 ... each about a 15-minute walk”
- Hornsey Vale Community Association was founded in 1991, is mostly volunteer-run with two part-time staff, and sits next to Stationers Park. — business, 2026-10-12“Founded in 1991 by local residents ... run for, and by, local people”
- Judgement: The £1 and volunteer-baked cake formula has held since at least 2018.
- Judgement: A pound buys an afternoon of tasting apples you will not find in the supermarket.
- Judgement: A pocketful of coins is the safe answer.
- Judgement: A pound, a slice of cake and a cider is about as cheap as a Crouch End Sunday gets.
- Judgement: The format has held up for years.
- Judgement: Go early for the cake, take cash, and ask at the door what this year's takings are for.
- Judgement: This is no newcomer.