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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 11h

For the last year, I've been doing what other good cidermakers did to me: helping & advising. Simon of Quorn House Cider is a new Notts maker who came to me for help. Really pleased for him: Gold for 1st place, draught cider section, East Midlands CAMRA Regional Cider and Perry competition.
#cider

Gold rosette for 1st place on a box of cider.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 1d

We should really have had a bottle of champagne handy to crack over the Voran before we launched it down the drive. 🍾 It's now off to a new life near Abergavenny making Seidr with a Spanish twist. 👌🍏🍎

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 1d

Good stuff. I tried rain, forest, wave, etc sounds but didn't work for me. I needed something more mundane & monotonous... 🙂 Good luck. 👍

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 1d

..the files together, overlapping each file. Result is a 10-hour long continuous noise. Works for me but don't confuse it with the common White Noise. Obvs I only use it when I've decamped to spare room or settee as wife isn't too keen! Reading a book (non-fiction I find best) also works for me.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 1d

Assuming you want non-meds ideas. Obvious ones are muscle relaxation exercises & simple Yoga - lots online. I find "Brown Noise" works for me - bizarrely. I have an MP3 player & small speaker which I play it thru. Found a free MP3 Brown Noise download & used freebie app Audacity to copy & link...

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 1d

Managed to get our trusty old Voran 100-P1 out the pressing shed, down the path & under cover. Phew! Tomorrow it starts its journey onwards with new owners. Once we get it down the even steeper drive to the kerbside that is... Good job we kept our old 12v Superwinch from our caravaning days! 👌

A Voran electo-hydraulic cider pack press under a tarpaulin.

Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 2d

Got up at 2.30am to let Yarly 🐾 out (she's become regular as clockwork thanks to her HRT) & thought I may as well grab the opportunity for a "supermoon" shot. 🌛🌕
#moon #supermoon

Photo of "supermoon" taken in Nottinghamshire UK.

Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 2d

So I'd have been 7 or 8 when this was a hit. One of the few songs I know the lyrics off by heart. And that raw harmonica solo still makes the hairs on the back of my head stand up. 👌

djbabyfaceblitz @djbabyfaceblitz.bsky.social · 3d

“My Boy Lollipop” by Millie Small. Happy birthday to Millie Small, who today would’ve turned 79 years old. Rest In Peace 🎤🎂🎉🌹 #happybirthday #milliesmall #legend #restinpeace #myboylollipop #ska #reggae

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 3d

Good to see Rob in the news. 🙂👍
Another East Midlands cider maker who's goodies are on the Cider Bar at the Nottingham Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival which opens on Wednesday. 👌
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'Warmer weather has made my cider stronger' - Charnwood Cider owner

A cider maker says the weather has caused more sugary fruit, which makes his cider more alcoholic.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 3d

Proper autumnal, so it is the official start** of Dumpling Season. Sticks to yer ribs scran. 😋

**Last season finished yesterday...

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 5d

Having a minute & a brew while working in Photoshop to draw out a likeness of Charles Eamer Kempe, stained glass designer. This chap will be the logo for the 2026 Hucknall Beer Festival as he designed the stained glass windows in Hucknall's parish church. Last of the Local Hero logo themes. 👍🍺

Laptop screen using Photoshop to draw out an image.

Laptop screen with Photoshop software, zoom in while working on details.

Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 5d

Aaaahhh. Memories. 😊🐾
#dog #spain #riodelasenia #gopro

youtu.be/YeQvC1KnjoQ?...

Last One In...

YouTube video by kingstonblack

youtu.be

Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 5d

Wooffits fed & walked, hatches battened down, pan now cooling on the hob ... so time to crack open a bottle of Seb's "Brown's Apple SV" to wash tea down. As usual from Seb, lovely stuff. Dry, fresh, good sparkle, spicy, lime & lemon notes, phenolic notes. 😋
#cider

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 7d

End of an era. The last ever draught, still, Torkard Cider. 🫡
These are off to the "East Markham Apple Day" & this cider was made exclusively from apples picked by local volunteers within the "Hempsall Heritage Orchard" in East Markham itself, in October 2024.
Waes Hael! 😊🍏🍎
#cider #local

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 8d

It amused me that the camera operator kept Rob's logo out of frame.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 8d

Thought for the day.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 8d

Just back from popping round to see Ali & Luke to pick up their 10L BiBs for this Sunday's East Markham Apple Day cider bar. They were busy milling & pressing perry pears, & while we chewed the fat, Ali gave me an excellent half of Bulmer's Norman. 😋 Cracking stuff. 👌

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 9d

No idea what he's wittering on about here... Maybe @rfcider.bsky.social will if he listens to the end...?
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Hucknall cider maker retires after 30-year career in Nottinghamshire - BBC Sounds

When Ray Blockley started out, Torkard Cider was the only cider producer in the county.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 9d

Blimey... They don't half scrape the barrel (cider barrel obvs!) for "news stories" these days...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Hucknall cider producer retires after 30 years

Ray Blockley says he is closing his cider business after 30 years.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 12d

It's been a long day. 💤
Time to crash out, snore - & stick your tongue out.
#dog #sleep #snore

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 12d

An afternoon spent enjoying the sun & wandering along beaches & clambering over rocks with the Wooffits, topped with fresh wonderful ice creams at Spurreli, & now a pudding of pints with a crisp garnish in the Harbour Inn, Amble, Morpeth. 🍺
#sun #beaches #icecream #beer

Pints of beer in a Victorian nautical themed pub.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 13d

Beautiful warm & sunny day, so a long walk across the dunes & along the beach was in order. Yarly tried to better King Cnut but failed, so both decided to frolic in the waves, chase each other & claim ownership of the frisbee or squeaky ball - or both.🐾🐾
#dogs #beach #seashore

Two dogs on the beach, one holding a red frisbee.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 14d

Rock-pooling is so much easier with children... 🐾🐾
#dogs #rockpools #beach #seashore

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 14d

Today is also Stokey's birthday as she hits the Big 4.🐾 We celebrated with some excellent pints of beer at The Curfew micropub on Bridge Street, Berwick. Sadly they had no pork scratchings so sharing a bag of crisps had to suffice.
We also appear to have purchased a house...🤔🙂🏡

Stokey 🐾 looking out over the mouth of the River Tweed from the battlements of Coxon's Tower, part of Berwick town walls.

Enjoying a delicious pint of beer in The Curfew micropub.

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Ray Blockley @huck-cider.bsky.social · 14d

Part of today was about wandering around Tweedmouth & Berwick-upon-Tweed, while admiring the history, architecture & engineering...
#bridges

Royal Border Bridge over the River Tweed from Tweedmouth.

The Royal Tweed Bridge with the Berwick Bridge behind from the south bank at Tweedmouth.

Interesting concrete forms which support the Royal Tweed Bridge.

Looking south from the north bank along the East side of the old Berwick Bridge.

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