HUNDREDS of people turned out to support the start of this year’s Canterbury Festival with the central theme of Saturday’s opening day the humble apple.

In the Iron Bar Lane car park, professional singers were joined by children from schools as they united for what organisers described as “a spectacular singing protest to save the Kentish apple”.

Called Fallen Fruit, the evening was topped off with an apple munching machine squashing hundreds of apples, turning them into pulp and juice.

Among those caught up in the festival spirit was Louise Sullivan. The 21-year-old, of Havelock Street, said: “This has been a good evening’s entertainment. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the festival holds in store.”

The fun had started around the city at midday with Singing in the Street.

Choirs sang in spots such Whitefriars Square, the Festival Club, the restaurant in Fenwick, the East Kent Yeomanry memorial garden outside Nasons and Palace Street.

The children of Blean Primary School gave a particularly rousing performance to scores of people in the early afternoon.

Further into town, a barbershop quartet entertained spectators with its blend of music and wit.

The theme of apples was prevalent throughout the city centre. Staff from Brogdale Horticultural Trust, near Faversham, set up stalls to promote their work with the fruit.

Debbie Hickman, operations manager at Brogdale which has 2,300 different types of apples, said: “We encouraging people to try different types of apples as people mostly buy from the supermarkets which offer quite a limited choice.

“The point of this apple festival is to encourage people to eat more fruit, to think about growing their own apples and to get them to taste different varieties.”

Other events on Saturday included a performance by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in the Marlowe Theatre, madrigal singing in All Saints Church and an Argentine tango in Canterbury College.