This year apples haven't done so well, so I think we had only 98 varieties.
I was surprised how many are Cheshire apples. Some of the apples are named after the landed gentry, like the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Derby, Lord Lambourne and Lady Henniker:
Others have more intriguing names. I think I can work out why sunset apples got their name, but why was an apple called winter banana?
Some say it does taste of bananas, but I suspect it was 19th century marketeers...
If you're able to get to the festival, our experts will help give advice on propagation and pests and diseases.
There's also a press if you wish to extract juice from your apples.
My colleague Harry Delaney is passionate about apples and his enthusiasm is infectious. Here's a picture of Harry telling me about a new variety called Jumbo:
He tells me that if you've got a good apple, some cheese, a bottle of white wine and the company of a fine lady you have the perfect evening!
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