Bananas & Plums

“Yes, we have are no bananas, we have no bananas today”.

A Plum Festival without any plums? That was Saturday’s Gŵyl Eirin Dref Ddinbych/Denbigh Plum Festival. If a plumless Plum Festival sounds odd (and a number of people asked that very question), I’d like to look at it another couple of ways.

• First, look closely and you could see and buy Denbigh plum jam, saltana slab cake with plums, and the recommended spiced plum bread. There was also some curious alcoholic plum-based drink, with the look of sloe gin about it. There was an opportunity to buy a Denbigh plum sapling though since this may not have been from a nursery, there might be no guarantee of successful growth.

• Secondly, it brought Dyffryn Clwyd’s attention to the idea of the Denbigh plum. The festival was more about the tree & the variety than the actual purchase of plums. It’s highly likely that this variety is growing in some established Rhuthun back gardens. You can tell a ‘Denbigh’ because it is red & rounded (not egg-shaped). It apparently needs our support to ensure the richness of our local fruit stock continues & survives. This is the only Welsh plum variety and it is not grown commercially so could be in jeopardy. Those with old trees were reminded to ensure they are saved, by propagating & grafting.

• Thirdly and just as importantly, this was a brilliant masterstroke at engineering a good turn out in Dinbych, on a Saturday morning, when the town can look a bit thin. People had obviously travelled to Dinbych from afar. In other words, this once-a-year festival was a bit of a coup for Dinbych. Conwy has its annual honey festival, Wrexham its annual apple festival (at Erddig), Yr Wyddgrug/Mold & Llangollen have annual food festivals. Why not a plum festival?

This brings me, belatedly, onto the point of this post. With plenty of people out on Saturday morning, and with craftsmen, food purveyors and even home made toffee apples for sale, what could Rhuthun do that was equally as interesting, unique and novel? Unlike Dinbych, nothing with the name Rhuthun/Ruthin in its title springs to mind (unless you consider the Rhuthun Kiss). But there must be something.

What about reviving the medieval market on the Square? I’m not expecting or even suggesting one each Wednesday, as used to be the case. No, these had reached terminal decline even in the late 1980s. But once a year (or twice?) Rhuthun could revive its medieval market, on a Saturday, to add a bit of colour. Many visitors may still have fond memories of medieval markets of olde and may yet be persuaded back, especially if it’s a once a year thing that can actually coalesce and grow. It would counter the argument that the farmers’ market sucks trade from the town towards the Gaol.