There's a couple of apple trees on my way to a friend's house and they let the apples drop and rot every year. Neither of us have the courage to ask if we can have some!

Oh Hank what a shame ,in this day and age,when people are going to food bank,seeing those lovely apples going to waste,apple pies,apple crumble,I will shut up now.

Incredible isn't it -- you see this quite often nowadays. I'm planning to try to scrounge some from the widower up the road this year - no way can he use the produce of four trees...
You just need a bit of cheek Cammomile - you never know, they might be glad of someone who will use them. Try asking if you could buy some and they might just say oh no, just help yourself...

Good luck,Steragram.

Just remembered that on the occasions I was allowed to get my ladder up and pick them, I gave them to friends and still having a surplus I Put some in a box at my gate along with an invitation to " take some ", on 3 occasions someone took the box !

Haha that's people for you.There is always one or in your case three.

They probably sold them in their corner shop, in a town somewhere.

I'd be very happy if anyone wanted to pick my plums or apples, I can't eat them myself (or pick them). Seems that everyone round here has their own trees, though.

Oh landgirl,I wish I lived by you.

Does the UK have anything like the "Gleaners" or "Waste Not"?

Me too!