A joint bid from Bushy Park, the National Physical Laboratory and the Friends of Bushy and Home Parks has successfully won a competition to acquire an apple tree sapling that has been grown from a pip taken by astronaut Tim Peake to the Space Station. The pip is from the apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, home of Sir Isaac Newton, where a falling apple inspired him to discover gravity and other laws of motion.

The competition was run as a collaboration between the National Trust, the UK Space Agency and Kew Gardens to inspire generations of future scientists, engineers and horticulturalists.

In excess of 50 entries were received and our joint entry was one of seven winning bids. The other winners include the Eden Project, Jodrell Bank and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, so a prestigious group.

This link will take you to the official press release by The Royal Parks.

The photograph shows Assistant Park Manager Bill Swan, holding our sapling, with Tim Peake.