Allotment and Leisure Gardener Issue No 4 • 2010

Gardeners’ Health page 18 Competition page 20 Any questions page 31

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Send orders to: Please send me:- 66 Bags of Groworganic @ £3.95 plus vat per bag ORGANICO LIMITED 33 Bags of Groworganic @ £4.25 plus vat per bag 60 8Kg buckets of pellets @ £4.00 plus vat per bucket DEPT 4, HAYES ROAD 120 (pallet) 8Kg buckets of pellets @ £3.50 plus vat per bucket COMPTON DUNDON 100 (pallet) 10Kg bags of pellets @ £3.50 plus vat per bag NR. SOMERTON 25 20Kg bags of pellets @£6.40 plus vat per bag SOMERSET 55 (pallet) 20Kg bags of pellets @ £5.95 plus vat per bag TA11 6PF (tick appropriate box) Name ______Address ______TEL: 01458 272202 ______FAX: 01458 273337 Post Code ______Tel Number ______NO CHEQUES REQUIRED - Delivery and payment arranged through our wholesaler

2 Contact details Allotment and Leisure Gardener Issue 4 • 2010

Head Office Secretary: Mrs D McDaid Administration: Mrs K Maher, Mrs E McInally & Mr I Blaikie Legal Advisor: Mrs Liz Bunting 8 12 Officers of the Society President: Mr C Nickerson Chairman: Mr A Rees MBE Vice Chairman: Mrs S Fleetwood Treasurer: Mr D Rawlings Local Authority Representative Cllr Mrs J Wood Standing Orders Committee Acting Chairman: Mr I Crawford Mr P Lofts, Mr D Gibbs, Cllr Mr J Graham Design, Print and Advertising Sales Crest Publications 20, Moulton Park Office Village, Scirocco Close, Northampton, NN3 6AP Tel: 01604 670820 email: [email protected]

Front cover Evening Light: A painting by Chris Cyprus. Visit www.chriscyprus.com. Look out for an article on this artist’s work in the next edition.

PLEASE NOTE: NSALG enquiries should be made to: Head Office, O’Dell House, Hunters Road, Corby, Northants NN17 5JE Tel: 01536 266576 Fax: 01536 264509 email: [email protected] web: www.nsalg.org.uk 18 24 SUBMISSIONS ADVICE Letters and articles for publication should be sent to: NSALG Head Office CLOSING DATES: Issue 1 2011: 06/12/2010 Magazine Submissions: All submissions MUST be typewritten and sent by post or email to Head Office. Articles should be limited to 600 words. We will wherever possible include articles that are sent in by post but cannot guarantee their inclusion. When submitting articles, please provide name, addresss, phone number and e-mail address if applicable. If submitting by e-mail, the subject line should read ‘NSALG magazine’. 28 39 Photographs and images: Ideally your images should be of good resolution, 300dpi (photos taken with In this issue… mobile phones are not good enough quality). Send photos via email preferably Regions & reps...... 3 AROUND THE REGIONS or originals in the post (photocopies / Chairman’s Comments...... 5 Northern...... 23 printed copies will not be used). Legal ...... 6 Yorkshire...... 26 Letters...... 7 North West...... 31 If you need help with any of the above Book Review...... 10 East Midlands...... 36 please call Jayne at Crest Publications West Midlands ...... 39 on: 01604 495495 or email: FEATURES Eastern...... 44 [email protected] Allotment Gardens: Food and Health...12 South East ...... 47 NSALG Management Committee, Officers, Editor and Publishers, Garden School at Sugnall...... 12 do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors Southern...... 49 to this magazine and do not accept any responsibility for any Mike Thurlow errors in transmission in the subject matter of this publication. All South West...... 50 advertisements are included in good faith and NSALG Answers your Questions ...... 24 Management Committee, Officers, Editor and Publishers, cannot Wales...... 53 therefore accept any responsibility for any services offered by Skin Cancer Awareness...... 18 advertisers. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission of the Society and Publishers. Biodiverse allotment gardening...... 21 Competitions...... 20

3 Regions and reps

NORTHERN Northumbrland and Tyne and Wear • County Durham • Cleveland • Cumbria • Scotland Mr Peter Horrocks 6 Moor Road North, Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 1AD Tel: 0191 285 6412 Email: [email protected]

YORKSHIRE North Yorkshire • West Yorkshire • South Yorkshire • Parts of Humberside Peter Horrocks Mr Tony Heeson Regional Rep 25 The Broadway, Balby, Doncaster DN4 9BS Mr Tony Heeson Tel: 01302 851557 • Email: [email protected] Regional Rep

NORTH WEST Lancashire • Greater Manchester • Merseryside • Cheshire Mr David Morris 54 Princes Boulevard, Wirral, Merseryside CH63 5LW Tel: 0151 512 3882 • Email: [email protected]

EAST MIDLANDS Lincolnshire • Nottinghamshire • Derbyshire • Leicestershire • Northamptonshire Mrs Shirley Fleetwood Mr D Morris 1 Veronica Drive, Carlton, Nottingham NG4 3QS Regional Rep Tel: 0115 952 6920 • Email: [email protected] Mrs S Fleetwood Regional Rep WEST MIDLANDS Staffordshire • West Midlands • Warwickshire • Shropshire • Herefordshire • Worcestershire Mr Maurice Lander 4 Franciscan Road, Coventry CV3 6HB Tel: 02476 502362 • Email: [email protected]

EASTERN Buckinghamshire • Norfolk • Suffolk • Cambridgeshire • Bedfordshire • Hertfordshire • Essex and parts of London Mrs Karen Kenny 197 Cauldwell Hall Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 5DA Mr Maurice Lander Tel: 07712 766916 • Email: [email protected] Regional Rep Karen Kenny SOUTH EAST Regional Rep Kent and parts of London • Surrey • Sussex Mr Peter Neame 46 Sunnyhill Road, Herne Bay CT6 8LU Tel: 01227 362321 or 07742915297 Email: [email protected]

SOUTHERN Oxfordshire • Berkshire • Wiltshire • Gloucestershire • Hampshire • Isle of Wight Mr Tim Cann 8 Nicholas Avenue, Old Marston, Oxford OX3 0RN Mr Peter Neame Tel: 01865 202104 • Email: [email protected] Regional Rep SOUTH WEST Mr Tim Cann Dorset • Avon • Somerset • Devon • Cornwall Regional Rep Mr Alan Cavill 6 Pinney Close, Comeytrowe, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4NW Tel: 07748 178964 • Email: [email protected]

WALES Glamorganshire • Gwent • Dyfed • Powys • Clywd M Allan Rees MBE 77 Eustace Drive, Bryncethin, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan CF32 9EX Tel: 01656 721865 • Email: [email protected] Allan Cavill Regional Rep 4 Mr A Rees MBE Regional Rep Head Office Chairman’s Comments

After several weeks of not having a legal advisor I am pleased to organise and this she did admirably in a to announce that, starting at the end of September, Liz Bunting short space of time. Everyone was will be taking on that position within the Society. On behalf of impressed with the way the event had everyone I welcome Liz to our organisation and hope she will been conducted and felt it was a huge prove that we have made the right choice in her selection. We success, with all agreeing to the future of are all, I am sure, looking forward to working with you and hope allotments and the community within them. your stay will be long and fruitful. It was a great honour to accept on behalf of Torfaen Cold Barn Farm Allotments a It has been a little turbulent in recent months with Geoff passing European Diploma in recognition of special and Bryn’s departure, but I will say that Donna, Liz, Karen & Iain social activities. This is the first time such an award has been have rallied together and worked tirelessly to deal with the tasks made and I congratulate everyone who has been involved. at hand. My thanks go out to these members of staff for their exceptional dedication to the Society, for which I am very grateful. Whilst on a visit to Kings Seeds earlier this year, it gave me great pleasure to award Les Day a Life Membership for his continued In the last issue I predicted that legal costs would increase; support in maintaining an excellent seed scheme. Not only has subject to confirmation, this year to date costs have reached he contributed to recent changes, but in the not too distant £28,000. We are often accused of not doing enough for the past, he took on board several ideas from both parties and has members or we are asked what we do for them; this is part of implemented them successfully. Once again Kings have been what we do. There is a need to employ solicitors who have to more than generous, so thank you all again for all you do. deal with the issues that seem to be increasing day on day. I would say that there are other pressing issues relating to Not everyone will know, but our President Colin Nicholson has allotment provision and as waiting lists continue to increase we not been in the best of health; he is due to have major surgery. will at some stage find ourselves faced with court action We all wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to against a Local Authority for failure to provide although we welcoming him back to the fold. would rather negotiate and assist wherever possible. Christmas is almost upon us so on behalf of the Management During the August Bank Holiday we welcomed ten countries to an Committee and all the Office Staff, I wish you all a very Merry international workshop held in Birmingham. Kings Seeds Christmas and a prosperous New Year with an abundance of crops! sponsored us to the tune of £2,500 for which we are extremely grateful. As we were hosting the event it was mainly left to Donna Allan Rees MBE

5 information insurance

Join us! Insurance News

Join the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners The NSALG Insurance Scheme falls due for renewal on 1st today and receive a free copy of Kitchen Garden Magazine. January. As a result of an increase in the cost of claims against allotment associations AXA Insurance has decided to Membership benefits include: raise premiums for 2011. We are pleased to announce • Discounted seed scheme however that following approaches to several other Insurers • Quarterly magazine we are able to provide a more competitive alternative via • Specialist insurance for your site Hiscox Insurance. We have taken this opportunity to update • Advice and guidance on legal matters the policy and carry out a detailed analysis of cover selected by associations in previous years. The new policy has been Affiliation fees: simplified to provide wide cover within the selected package. • Societies per member £2 (minimum fee £20) • Individual members £20 Life members £300 There will be five options available and you will only need to • Local authorities £55+VAT pick which package you require and return the proposal form with the appropriate premium. For further details contact NSALG Ltd, O’Dell House, Hunters Road, Corby NN17 5JE Tel 01536 266576 Fax 01536 264509 Trustees Liability can be included for the first time as part of email: [email protected] the insurance package. web: www.nsalg.org.uk to download an application form. The new cover options are listed below Cover Option1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5 Public & Get your own personal copy of Products £5,000,000 £5,000,000 £5,000,000 £5,000,000 £5,000,000 Liability Employers Allotment and Leisure Gardener £10,000,000 £10,000,000 £10,000,000 £10,000,000 Liability I would like to receive a copy of the quarterly magazine of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Contents £15,000 £15,000 £15,000 Unspecified £5,000 £5,000 £5,000 Members Machinery (UK) Please deliver to my address shown below: £6.00 for 4 issues Trophies (UK) £3,000 £3,000 £3,000 Money (UK) £2,000 £2,000 £2,000 Non members Please deliver to my address shown below (non member) Personal £5,000 £5,000 £5,000 £12.00 for 4 issues Accident Solar Panels £1,000 £1,000 Name of Affiliated Association (must be supplied) Buildings £50,000 £50,000 Name ...... Trustees £50,000 Address ...... Liability

...... If your sums insured are greater than those shown you need to contact us to obtain the premium for your site on an Post code...... individual basis but we do not anticipate there being many cases where this will be necessary.

Deliver to...... We will be issuing the renewal notices to associations at the end of November with full details of the premiums payable so Address ...... if you have not received your renewal notice by early December please contact our office and we will re-send the ...... documentation.

Post code...... If you have any queries regarding your allotment insurance please contact: Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to: NSALG Ltd and sent to: O’Dell House, Hunters Road, Corby, NN17 5JE

If you have any queries, telephone 01536 266576 Richard Church, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited Fax: 01536 264509 Email: [email protected] 41-45 Sheep Street, Northampton NN1 2NE Web: www.nsalg.org.uk T: 01604 258915 • F: 01604 624274 E: [email protected]

6 Letters DOES SITTING MAKE YOUR BACK ACHE? The MEDesign Backfriend converts a seat In response to article: which is bad for your back into one which gives you comfort. And that is what you ‘How to run an allotment’ are looking for. in issue 3, 2010 600,000 people in 35+ countries use the MEDesign® Backfriend®. Firstly may I say, as a member of the NSALG for ten years, how • Light and portable, for use in any seat much I appreciate your work in promoting and protecting • Height adjustable back allotments and your support for the new generation of • Available in 7 colours allotmenteers who want to grow their own food without the chemical contamination found in supermarket veg. So I was • 14 day home trial • 12 month guarantee somewhat saddened to read (Issue 3, 2010) some frankly • Made by MEDesign® Ltd in the UK absurd comments on the subject of pesticides.

PJH (Peter Horrocks?) (p12) reviewing “How to run an allotment” - first published 1940 - writes “Unfortunately, some of the chemical recipes for dealing with pests and diseases are now long gone beyond our reach, having been withdrawn by the namby pambys running the EU”. Surely he’s not suggesting that we go back to the days of DDT and cocktails based on arsenic, mercury and God knows what else?

I thought this must be a one-off aberration but then found on p37 your northern regional rep describing ammonium sulphate as something “...we all know and love of old”. Well no, actually Backfriend at Home not quite all of us, not by a long shot. He also suggests that sodium chlorate is being withdrawn from use because “...it works, that’s why it’s going” – a quite ridiculous thing to say. Pesticides are withdrawn either by the manufacturers because they have been superseded, or by the regulators because they are found to be a danger to human health or the environment or both. The fact that so many chemicals previously deemed to be safe are subsequently withdrawn should be a wakeup call for anyone who uses them. In my opinion if the aminopyralid issue from last year has taught us anything it is surely that there is no such thing as a safe chemical pesticide.

In some quarters the NSALG is thought of as old-fashioned and only representing old-fashioned methods. Whilst I don’t think Driving Working this is true (your article from the soil association helps redress the balance), and whilst I realise that the views of individual writers don’t necessarily represent the views of the NSALG, comments like those above from a prominent contributor hardly help in negating that perception.

If PJH is fond of old books perhaps he should check out Rachael Carson’s “Silent Spring”, which succeeded in creating a new public awareness of the effects of pesticides on the environment. It was first published in 1962, the same year that some people seem to have switched off and stopped moving with the times. Relaxing Anywhere Simon Beavis Our Back Pack catalogue contains full details of the Backfriend AND Firs Estate Allotments, Derby more than 100 others products for the relief of back pain. For a free copy: CALL us on 01704 542373 or E-MAIL to [email protected] POST the coupon to MEDesign Ltd, FREEPOST, Southport, PR8 1BR 10-AL11 Name: Address:

MEDESIGN® Post Code: ✂

7 international Top International Allotment Study Session Hosted by U K National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardens (NSALG) Birmingham – 26-28th August

Delegates from Austria, Belgium, toilets, community buildings, wheelchair continue in all countries to protect, Denmark, France, Germany, access, raised beds, educational promote, preserve and improve Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, facilities, modern technology in provision allotments for now and for future Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, were of power and water, as well as generations.” welcomed to the Copthorne Hotel integrating wildlife. It was felt that all of Birmingham by the Chairman of NSALG, this could be achieved while moving Delegates visited ‘Garden Organic’; we Allan Rees and the National Secretary, more and more towards sustainability were hampered by the weather, but Donna McDaid. ensuring a robust and integrated enjoyed the trip nevertheless. allotment community, serving as a The event programme was set out by the beacon for society as a whole. Where The XXXVI International Allotment Office International du Coin de Terre et else will you find people of every ethnic Gardeners Congress will be held in des Jardins Familiaux. Over the two days minority: professional and manual Copenhagen on 18–21 August 2011. the delegates discussed the similarities workers, unemployed, disadvantaged of and the differences in their different all ages and creeds, working together for countries. France and Belgium appear the community in which they live? to have allotments similar to the UK, allowing small tool sheds and utilising The President of the International the land mainly for the growing of edible Allotments Federation, Mr Preben crops. Other countries have some of this Jacobsen said at the conclusion of the type, but also have plots which have meeting, “This has been one of the most space for ‘cottages’ with good facilities, enlightening meetings we have ever had. connected to mains utilities. International relationships have been Allotmenteers may stay overnight or forged and can only serve to improve indeed for the growing season. and widen the service that allotments can provide for all in the future. We shall Study sessions discussed ‘who are the future allotment holders?’, the facilities and layout of allotments to accommodate the changing face of allotmenteers. It was encouraging to discover that there was agreement that in the future allotments will encompass all sections of society and build on what is already happening in many countries, creating allotments as community resources.

The layout and facilities need to integrate the whole of society, which will include

8 We have a new member of staff at the NSALG NSALG Website Update Meet Liz Bunting, Legal Advisor We are in the process of updating Being born in North Yorkshire and brought up on a small dairy the website...... is there anything farm in the Dales has left me with a lifelong love of the natural you would like to see? world. So coming to work for an organisation which looks after the interests of like minded people is a great privilege. We will be introducing a ‘members area’, My legal career began once our three daughters had become for members to click into and download more self sufficient and I then joined the National Farmers Union legal advisory service. There my role was to advise on a information range of legal matters covering employment, company, health and safety and environmental issues. Do you think we need more information on At home I enjoy cookery of all kinds but have to fight for my regional matters? Or perhaps you would turn in the kitchen with my husband, who is equally keen. like to see a section specially dedicated Gardening is a passion but I must admit that our garden is for gardening tips or competitions decorative, rather than productive, being filled with flowering shrubs and perennials.

My prevailing love of the countryside has taken us to various What about ‘twitter’ or ‘blogs’? parts of the world to admire scenery, find different wild plants and most importantly to discover different birdlife. Let us have your ideas— I look forward to speaking to many of you over the coming email [email protected] years and assisting with the problems that invariably occur from time to time. Or call 01536 266576

9 Book Reviews Three Year Allotment Beyond the Handbook

Potting Shed By Joanna Cruddas Published by Francis Lincoln Limited By Paul Rix ISBN 978-0-7112-3155-9 Authors on Line Ltd Paperback ISBN 978-07552-0614-8 Price £12.99 Price £7.99 This book is in diary format with space The main premise of this book is to help you SAVE for three years’ worth of your information money. It is full of little hints and tips, many simply allocated to each month. Some nice common sense, which even more experienced gardeners photographs illustrate the major points being made for the plot will find useful. No one knows it all, never has done, never holder to pay attention to each month. These topics are arranged will, certainly not me! But I feel sad, and a little frustrated in four sections for each month of the year; sowing indoors, when I see people working so hard to try to grow their sowing or planting outdoors and maintenance and other tasks own, only to lose heart and give up because of poor results associated with each month to ensure the smooth running of the or it gets too expensive because of the way they are trying allotment to achieve maximum yields and avoid the attention of to do things. Follow the suggestions in ‘Beyond the the inspection committee as the seasons progress. The pages Potting Shed’, at least those which fit your circumstances, include graph paper for planning purposes, a section on and enjoy the rewards.... companion planting and crop rotation together with a contacts P Rix section so that all your allotment data is held in one place. This book is designed with the newer, more organised gardener in mind, and with Christmas in the offing, would make a suitable present for someone just starting out on their allotment career! PJH Worms and Wormeries Breaking New By Mike Woolnough Published by Good Life Press Ltd Ground ISBN 978 1 90481705 Price £9.99 Edited by Jeremy Burchardt & Jacqueline Cooper This compact manual will obviously Published by Francis Lincoln Limited become the bible of the dedicated Price £16 (includes Data CD, P & P) band of people who run wormeries to reduce their carbon footprint. It deals with all facets of the This book will fascinate all those topic from basics to its more esoteric aspects. It covers the who grow their own produce (either at home or on an needs of the beginner right through to those who are desirous allotment) and anyone interested in social history. It makes of making wormeries and worm compost on a virtually an important contribution to our knowledge and industrial scale. It didn’t actually explain why wormeries are understanding of 19th-century England. It is based on a better than the compost heaps I run with the same basic project organised by the Family and Community Historical materials at far less effort but I guess this method will suit those Research Society (FACHRS) under the guidance of Dr who don’t have a handy compost heap in their back garden. Jeremy Burchardt of Reading University. Breaking New The book covers the design and build of all kinds of indoor and Ground uses a wide range of new evidence from local outdoor facilities from starter models to the big beasts referred sources to change the way we look at 19th-century to above as well as seasonal advice on the needs of the units allotments, demonstrating that in many parts of the through the seasons. The use of the outputs of solid and liquid country they were deeply embedded in family and products are dealt with thoroughly; there is a section on what community life for a wide cross-section of society. The unwelcome pests might intrude into this simple form of book looks at allotments in Devon, Essex, recycling as well as a section on setting up a dog and cat poo Gloucestershire, Kent, Staffordshire, Suffolk and recycling unit. This is apparently possible as long as the output Warwickshire and various aspects such as rules and is put on fruit trees and flower beds only! A section is included industrial allotments. The CD includes data on 3000 on problem solving with frequently asked questions answered allotment sites and 1000 tenants. in depth. A brief description of the Bokashi method for reducing fish and meat scraps to a usable form is there for your Order from: FACHRS Treasurer, 255 Willington Road, delectation as well as a list of suppliers of the items necessary Kirton End, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE20 1NW; email for for success. A little bit expensive at £9.99, but it’s all in there for enquiries: [email protected] the price. Please note, books will be despatched in May 2010. PJH

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11 Allotment Gardens: Food and Health

Allotment gardening has provided the that there were still plenty of winter crops of crops they grow. This is particularly landless poor with the opportunity to remaining on the plot. It is clear that if important as most commercial growing grow their own food to feed their families these additional crops were included the appears to be closer to mono-culture. for over 150 years. total weight in 1975 would be the same as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture In addition to the dietary benefits of The true value of allotments in terms of in 1941. access to fresh vegetables, gardening is produce grown is rarely considered acknowledged by many as being except in times of national emergencies I have been considering these figures beneficial to health. This is particularly such as the two world wars when the further, and if they are multiplied by so with allotment gardening, where crops grown provided a vital addition to today’s 330,000 plots this is equivalent regular exercise is carried out over a the disrupted food imports which Great to a total of 241,560 tons of food prolonged period and in the open air. Britain had by then become used to. capable of being grown on the UK’s Gardening is also beneficial to ones existing allotments, much of which might mental health due to the contact with In 1941, the Ministry of Agriculture otherwise be imported. nature and (in many cases) the peace estimated the annual production of food and quiet. grown on allotments at 1.3million tons. If my calculations are correct, this is the Although at that time the size of plots were equivalent of 116 x 40 ton articulated Allotment gardeners themselves have 1/10 of an acre, this was the equivalent to lorry journeys per week using over cited fresh air and exercise as their main just under ¾ of a ton grown on today’s £75,000 of fuel, and contributing reason for having an allotment, with 250 sq metre standard sized plots. considerably to the carbon footprint. access to fresh food a close second. They are also concerned about the use, In 1975, the Royal Horticultural Society Vegetable growers and allotment or overuse, of chemicals in commercial maintained a trial plot at Harlow Carr gardeners also help to maintain a wider growing, particularly food produced in gardens, manned by students who spent range of vegetable varieties and cultivars other countries where controls do not 180 hours working the plot. On the 22nd which might otherwise be lost because seem as rigorous as in Britain. There November the total weight of produce they would not be commercially viable, have already been problems reported grown was recorded as 1435lb or 0.64 being unsuitable for commercial growing. such as anti-freeze in wine and lately ton. Their records also included lettuce, contaminated milk in China. radish, spring onions and sweetcorn, plus Amateur vegetable growers are also soft fruit which were not included in the preserving wide ranging horticultural Allotment gardening has increased in recorded weight. It was also reported skills because of the many different types popularity recently and it has been

fruit and vegetable varieties within the historic walled kitchen Launch of The Garden garden, which dates back to the 1730s.

School at Sugnall The walled kitchen garden… The historic walled kitchen garden officially opened to the public at the beginning of May this year. The garden, which The first event at The Garden School took place in October of dates back to 1737, is undergoing a painstaking restoration to this year at Sugnall Hall in rural Staffordshire. bring it back into production.

The Garden School will organise a number of events throughout Visitors are able to book guided tours around the garden, buy the year; these will be held at the main house and will offer a seasonally harvested fruit and vegetables, browse the gift shop variety of courses open to anyone interested in gardening and and enjoy a wide range of homemade refreshments, including horticulture. They will learn about garden history, modern soups, cakes, scones and pastries. planting design and the aesthetics of gardens. Karen and David Jacques, owners of the estate, are very About Sugnall Hall… closely involved with every aspect of the restoration of the Long gone are the days when an army of servants, butlers and walled kitchen garden and are working towards self-sufficiency housekeepers ran around after the owners of such houses. for the majority of their fruit and vegetables. As well as growing Today, the small but extremely efficient team work side-by-side a variety of crops within the two-acre walled garden the with one another to ensure that all the jobs get done. Jacques also keep hens and bees.

Over the last decade or so they have been involved in setting For more information about Sugnall Hall and its grounds please up a small business centre, bringing derelict buildings back into visit: www.sugnall.co.uk. productive use and, in 2009, started reinstating a wide range of

12 estimated that there could now be up to cutting plot sizes in half. This, I believe, In conclusion, several years ago I 130,000 people on waiting lists, and would be a retrograde step as a standard finished an article I had written by asking many believe the credit crunch will cause plot is sufficient for a family of four to whether we would have to wait for this to increase further, particularly as the provide a reasonable proportion of their another National Emergency before cost of transporting food increases. annual fruit and vegetable needs. allotments received the full recognition Smaller plots will actually reduce the and support they deserve. Well, I believe Any surplus produce grown on total of produce grown on allotments and that with the increase in fuel costs, the allotments could also be sold into the will force the plot holders to supplement threatened loss of jobs due to the local community especially in rural what they would have otherwise grown predicted recession, and concerns about communities where the village shop has themselves. the environment, that the time has now closed down. Our members often arrived. express their disappointment at the lack If allotments are to continue providing of British grown produce available in the fresh, wholesome and local produce, we By Geoff Stokes marketplace. need more good quality sites preferably sited away from polluting motorways and This increase in demand has prompted a dual carriageways. number of local authorities to look at Results from ‘What is your plot worth?’ survey 2008–2009

Commencing in March 2008, a selected number of the UK’s A total of expenditure of each person who took part in the allotment gardeners were asked to undertake a survey to survey on their plot was also recorded at the time, as was the evaluate the cash worth of the crops they grew in the following area of the plot and other details. These were averaged out over 12 months on their allotments. It proved quite difficult to the whole exercise so that we were able to quote an average persuade the ten gardeners from each of the ten regions to take cost per standard plot for the exercise. Certain items of part in this exercise and what a blessing that proved to be. The expenditure quoted by the recorders were omitted for a more final total of completed surveys came to twenty in number and realistic figure to be obtained; omitting such items as a £1400 handling that volume of data proved a handful in itself. I must structure for fruit was considered sensible. The prices applied admit that as an organisation we didn’t appreciate the task we to the produce were in all cases the lowest available from the had set ourselves, and with the benefit of hindsight, we should data; no account was taken of the fact that in a lot of cases, the have perhaps carried out the exercise in conjunction with an produce was of a much higher quality than the cheapest; no academic institution as a partner in the exercise. I’m not making account was taken of whether the varieties grown were of a excuses or putting blame on anyone but we made some simple premium nature which in many cases they were and also no mistakes in originally handing over the data entry side of the account was taken of the premium that most of the crops would exercise to a young temporary staff member, unfamiliar with the have carried on account of being considered ‘organic’. To weights and measures used, some recording in pounds and summarise, we think the values arrived at were probably very ounces, some in kilos and some in both plus other measures much an underestimate of the true worth. Despite this, we felt such as handfuls. There was also a lack of consistency in the that the exercise was worth carrying out as no similar work has naming of the crops, e.g. calabrese versus spinach, two crops been done since the results from Harlow Carr trials in 1975. but the same thing to some people! Right from the start of the project, Geoff Stokes was beset by ill-health and was unable to The answers will come as no surprise to the allotment give matters the clear guidance which they needed. Anyway, gardeners amongst us. The average cost of running a 300 during the initial data entry exercise, no attempt was made to square yard / 250 square metre plot was £202 per annum. The enter all the data, significant omissions were made of things like minimum value of the produce worked out at £1564 per plot, herbs which were usually recorded as ‘a few leaves of mint, plus the inestimable personal satisfaction of growing your own some sage, handful of parsley etc.’, which were almost and getting valuable exercise into the bargain. impossible to quantify. Most of the major crops were, however, fully coded and recorded in a massive spreadsheet. It was, however, pointed out that this figure included fruit and vegetables. If, for instance, you do not grow any fruit on your After several enquiries from interested parties, not only the original allotment, the figure will be considerably reduced as fruit is the recorders themselves but from other interested observers, and most expensive commodity. On the other side of the equation, following Geoff’s much lamented demise, I volunteered to try and the number of hours worked by the average allotment gardener bring some order and progress to the project and retrieved the on a 300 square yard plot came out at 203 hours per year, or data and some of the files. This took place in April of this year costed at the minimum wage rate of £5.80 per hour, £1170 per (2010) and despite some misgivings regarding the timeliness of annum. This means that if all inputs and outputs are taken into the exercise I recruited an expert volunteer database manipulator, account, there is no net profit in having an allotment, just a vast Jim Lowery, and commenced work. We eventually decided to try amount of satisfaction and pleasure in the results and the and simplify matters by combining all twenty survey results into achieving thereof. I do wonder just how many of those hours one spreadsheet containing the quantities for each month in a are actually spent in working rather than chatting to one’s fellow single figure. It took some time to then find a source of historical gardeners or just wandering round poking the hoe at the odd price data but in May, I discovered a source from the internet and weed. I don’t know how to include the food miles saved in this bought data relating to the average supermarket price data for general exercise, but the average gardener grew on their 300 each crop to be sent to me via yet more databases. The prices square yard plot 745 kg of fruit and vegetables, the highest quoted for each month for each vegetable were manually entered value items being things like raspberries and currants. into the master spreadsheet and applied to evaluate the worth of each crop. By Peter Horrocks – Northern Regional Representative

13 Mike Thurlow answers your Questions

I have tried to select questions that may be topical and cover most aspects of the vegetable garden/allotment. Allotment gardening covers a wide range of interests if you want to include any other areas of gardening please send your questions in.

Q What is meant by “sweetening” the soil? A When a soil is too acidic it is described as being sour. In order to reduce the acidity you will need to top dress the soil with lime. This is what is known as sweetening the soil.

Most vegetables prefer growing in an alkaline or “sweet” soil. It is well worth investing in a simple soil p.H. testing kit from the site shop or garden centre. Just follow the simple instructions and you can’t go wrong. (p.H. is scale that reads from 1 to 14 below 7 is acid above 7 is alkaline) Q I grew aubergines for the first time this year and was disappointed to find some of them too bitter. A The main reason for the bitterness is leaving the fruits on the plant for too long before harvesting them. Always pick aubergines when the skin of the fruit is firm and shiny.

If you know that you are late in picking the fruits you can reduce the bitterness by slicing the fruits into ¼”/6mm- ½”/12mm thick slices and sprinkling them with salt. Leave them for about half an hour to allow the action of the salt to draw out the bitter juices. They will also absorb less oil when fried using this method. Q What is the best way to grow the earliest beetroot ? A Start by sowing 2–3 seeds of an early variety in modules in the greenhouse during February. They will require a steady temperature of 55f/13c to germinate. Each beetroot seed will produce a cluster of seedlings do not be

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14 tempted thin them out. When were in the garden. They were all extremely effective at clearing the seedlings are 3”/75mm tall up infestations of aphids and other garden pests (prey). The start to harden them off over problem is that most of us panic at the sighting of the first a couple of weeks in greenfly and reach for the sprayer and this is where it all breaks readiness for planting out in down. Once the food chain has been broken the predators that garden under the haven’t been killed move on and look for food (prey) elsewhere. protection of cloches or a Once this has happened your garden becomes open season to garden frame. You should all sorts of pests. Instead of using a deadly poison, consider be able to harvest baby by using insecticidal soap, it will buy you time until the troops arrive April/May with good usually as the days lengthen and warm up. One major predator weather it could be earlier. that has always had a bad press is the common wasp. It is very If you unable to plant the efficient at clearing up the last broods of aphids and caterpillars seedlings outside for some in the garden so try and be a little more tolerant of them. reason and you can afford the space grow the plants More modern methods of biological control refer to the use of in the greenhouse exotic non native species of insect predators into the border. greenhouse. There are some that are recommended for use in the outside garden but I have found these to be less reliable. Under glass Encarsia Formosa will keep your greenhouse clear Q of whitefly. Aphidius will control aphids and Cryptolaemus will How do you control mealy bug. Red spider mite is best controlled by regular dry bay leaves for use in the kitchen? damping down of the greenhouse and not allowing the atmosphere to dry out or become overheated. Don’t introduce A Cut sprigs of dry leaves and tie them into bunches these controls into the greenhouse until the night temperatures hang them leaves downwards somewhere warm for a are comfortably warm and of course you can see that the pest few days. Strip the dried leaves from the stems and store them is present otherwise you are wasting your money. Early in the in an airtight container. Herbs will lose their flavour more quickly season sticky traps are useful but as the numbers of pests rise if kept in the light so always store the container inside a the predators will take over. Always remove the sticky traps cupboard. after introducing the biological control. Q When is the best time to feed my fruit trees? A Try to feed them between the middle of February to the middle of March. The exact timing will always be governed by the weather and soil conditions. Always keep of the soil if it is wet or frozen this is even more critical with fruit trees because their roots are near the surface of the soil. When you can see that the buds are beginning to swell is a good guide to apply the feed. It can be well rotted manure, garden compost or pelleted chicken manure. It doesn’t need to be too strong, you don’t want to produce lots of soft sappy growth at the expense of fruit production. Always keep any top dressing well away from the trunk of the tree but remember that the roots will be spread out over a larger area. Usually covering the spread of the branches make sure that you cover at least this area with manure, compost or fertiliser. One application is plenty enough to last the growing season. Q I’ve heard of biological control methods for pest but do they really work or are just a gimmick?

The old gardeners knew what the value of ladybirds, A lace wings, hoverflies and ground beetles (predators) OBITUARY Christmas gifts for the discerning gardener Peter Quilliam, Gardening products: Cloches, Tunnels, Solar Powered 66666666666666666654432103/.6-30,61.+6,0/*)3.26(''&4,%%% Life Member Gardening DVDs:63.*'$+3.26#1.*3.26"&&6! / 6/% & !/63,%61.2&, It is with sadness we let you know the death of Peter Quilliam Life Member. Peter for many years wrote the British Crop Protection CD-ROMS:6!14+&.6#&0&*03&61.+6!5+&.036 articles Old Pete’s Ramblings. His personal &,061.+61.61.6/4&6230, experiences on growing and the insight to his life and 3,306/$46 &6,30&60/+166www.buzzorganics.co.uk views on different topics were a great interest to our members. "$6 421.3*,6,$'3&,616 3+&641.2&6/61'0&4.103&6&,06*/.04/'6+&0&44&.06,/'$03/.,6 1.+6 /403*$'0$41'64/+$*0,6/46/$461''/0&.06214+&.6 6*/.,&410/4 We offer our condolences to his wife and family. Buzz Organics® 6 10$41'6,/'$03/.,%6 10$41'' NSALG 13'6&.$34$/421.3*,%*/%$)6&'& /.&66


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17 Sowing seeds of skin cancer awareness in gardeners

A hit squad were sowing the seeds of skin cancer awareness in August of this year by targeting gardeners on their allotments in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

The squad focused on delivering self- checking and sun awareness messages to allotment holders in the town as part of a summer-long campaign targeting men over 50 and focusing on skin cancer.

“It may seem an unusual environment to be talking about skin cancer, but allotment users have prolonged exposure to sun and therefore a higher risk of skin cancer and other problems,” said Dr Tim Allison, Director of Public Health for the East Riding. Skin cancer facts: There are more deaths from skin cancer in the UK than in Australia, “The message is that people should get sun can do to my skin. For sure, if I even though they have more cases. to know their skin and look out for notice anything unusual I’ll be getting it changes in the size, shape or colour of a checked out, even if, to me, it doesn’t More than 80,000 people in the UK are mole or other patch of skin, and to see seem that serious”. diagnosed with skin cancer each year. their doctor if they find anything unusual. And if people are out and about in the “Finding skin cancer early can save lives. Every day in the UK six people die sun and there’s a chance of sunburn, So being aware of what to look for and from skin cancer. then it’s really important that people use seeing your doctor if you notice anything shade, clothing and sunscreen to protect unusual is really important” said Dr Jodie Getting a painful sunburn just once their skin.” Moffat, health information manager at every two years can triple the risk of Cancer Research UK. “If you notice a the most serious type of skin cancer. Allotment holder Howard Nind aged 50 change in the size, shape or colour of a from Bridlington said: “I never really think mole or other patch of skin, play safe, get Detecting skin cancer at an early stage too much about my skin, either it checked out for free at your doctors ” means treatment is more likely to be protecting it from too much UV or successful. looking to see if anything has changed. The campaign was run by the Humber and But the self-help kit they gave me has Yorkshire Coast Cancer Network using made me think about the damage the materials from Cancer Research UK.

18 19 Odd Shaped Growing !

My wife Vanessa is a member of the NSALG and loves to read her copy of the Allotment and Leisure Gardener magazine.

Whilst she was picking apples on her allotment today she found one that was of a most unusual shape! I am not sure what you think it resembles?... Gareth & Vanessa Martin Newbury, Berks

NSALG says: We encourage you all to send in photos of odd shaped produce that you have grown.

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Terms and conditions This competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 or over, excluding employees or agents of the associated publishing company and their families. One entry per person. The prizes and giveaways are as specified on the relevant pages. No cash alternatives. Entries must be via post or email as stated (no purchase necessary). Illegible entries and those that do not abide by these terms and conditions will be disqualified. No responsibility is held for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post, proof of posting is not proof of delivery. Your details will be processed by Crest Publications Ltd (publishers of the Allotment & Leisure Gardeners magazine on behalf of the NSALG) in full accordance with data protection. Crest Publictions Ltd may wish to contact you with information of other services we provide which maybe of interest. Please tick here if you DO NOT wish to receive such information by post … phone … email … The decision of the judge is final and no corresponance will be entered into. Winners will be notified by phone, email or post, a list of winners is available on request from Crest Publications Ltd, 20 Moulton Park Office Village, Scirocco Close, Northampton NN3 6AP.

20 Biodiverse allotment gardening Monoculture is the intensive common frog is common no more production of a single because its favoured damp places have species to the exclusion of been drained, because the chemicals others. It is the method used are harmful to it and because employed by our large its food sources are controlled with agri-businesses to pesticides. This pattern of local produce cheap, extinction applies equally to intensively grown species of birds, insects, vegetables for the plants and mammals. supermarkets. Allotments can make vital food for them. Not only will we get better But large areas of one species havens for wildlife. They can pollination, we will have hundreds of are highly susceptible to pest or make a significant contribution winged aphid and caterpillar controllers. disease damage. Caterpillars can rip to wildlife and compensate in a small These insects will provide food for small through an intensively planted crop way for the problems that modern birds with benefits right up the food because there are no plant barriers and methods of food production create for chain. because predators cannot always reach our native wildlife. But this is only if our their prey in large fields. Monoculture allotments are managed properly – and Let’s turn our allotments into patchworks results in high yields but needs high we should not get too high and mighty. of colour and measure our success not inputs of pesticides, weed killers and Our own gardens and allotments are just in the size of our leeks but on the fertilisers. Unless steps are actively often nothing more than a series of volume of the hum coming from busy taken, these efficient, modern practices monocultures: weed free beans, leeks, insects on our plots. exclude our native wildlife. beetroot beds provide few places for wildlife. Allotments can be a sea of green Do your bit for wildlife. Large areas of my native with little to attract and sustain beneficial Nottinghamshire are intensively managed insects. There is much we can do. Rob Carlyle for high yields of wheat, barley, potatoes, oilseed rape or leeks. Many of these In high summer our allotments can buzz Rob is an allotment holder at Leapool areas coincide with the parts of our with the sound of bees, hoverflies, wasps Allotments in Nottingham. county where the once ‘common’ and butterflies if we mix insect-friendly common frog is now extinct. The flowers into our crops so that there is http://sustainablegarden.blogspot.com

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22 Northern Regional Report – Autumn 2010

It’s been a bit of a quiet quarter this one, I circulated this to all my colleagues on the provide two by thank heavens. The weather hasn’t been management committee and received a ten pole brilliant. After the coldest winter since mixed reply. The topic was also discussed allotments. All 1962/3, lasting from November until March at a recent Allotment Officer’s Forum in S9 of the 1950 with snow and ice for much of the time, this region, and in both cases the answers Act does is Peter Horrocks we entered the driest spring in 30 years, provided were inconclusive. Some sites reduce the Regional Rep followed by the hottest June for another and local authorities have obviously obligation on record time. This, as you know, has been experienced this problem before and councils from providing allotments followed by the dullest July in ten years revised their procedures and rules to cope (which are undefined in the legislation with a mediocre August leading to all sorts with the problem. The common-sense and therefore of any size) to providing of mixed results in the crops! However, we answer seems to be that if it is close allotment gardens, which are defined as mustn’t grumble. family and they’ve been helping regularly, being limited to forty poles max, but the they should be registered as joint tenants obligation is to provide as many A couple of tricky problems to report on officially, not at the time of death. The joint allotment gardens as there is demand for. this month; I was contacted by a local tenant’s names should also be entered on If the population of the council’s area allotment officer with the following query. the official waiting list as soon as possible exceeds 10,000 then the allotment so that they aren’t seen to be jumping the gardens they provide can be half that “Hello Peter, Just wondered if you could queue. When they rise to the top of the list size, twenty poles. But overall the kindly give me some advice? A tenant in the course of time, their name stays on allotment land must be big enough to on a local Allotment Association site died the list as long as the joint tenant survives. house enough allotment gardens to recently, and the association seem to be There are always those who will attempt to satisfy demand. progressing immediately to use this situation to dodge a re-let the allotment. “Hello Peter, long wait, but you could amend The burden to provide falls in the first Just wondered the rules to say that a joint place on the parish council. A parish The deceased kept a small if you could tenant must be on the waiting council may by agreement buy or lease horse on the land (with list for ‘X’ years before land – S25 1908 Act, or use land it previous association kindly give me succession is allowed. In any already holds. However if the parish knowledge / approval) and some advice? case, however, the deceased’s council cannot find land that it can use there is a stable block. The relatives should be allowed a then it must look to the district council family (son) has asked me why they defined period in which to remove for help through compulsory purchase – cannot keep the allotment until at least possessions before a plot is re-let. S39 (7) 1908 Act. The county council next March as it is paid for until then, and Societies and local authorities please doesn’t have to comply; the statute only they also have items to remove as well. examine your rules and revise if necessary. says they “may” but if they don’t the In the meantime, after the death, the parish council can petition the Secretary horse was temporarily moved to another A local county council have been trying to of State for Communities and Local person’s stable on the site for him to look duck out of their obligations recently over Government and he can impose his own after it. The son has also written and the need to provide land for allotments. In decision. tried to contact the association secretary the case in question, a parish council but without any response so far. which had been presented with the I would suggest the correspondent sets required petition by landless local out the obligations on the council and I have sought to see if allotment law residents asked the county council for indicates that the parish does not have clarifies how you handle this situation but help, as the only spare land in the village any land; also to identify land which he with no joy so far. Neither the ‘Law of was a derelict playing field, left idle for believes the council holds which could be Allotments’ nor ‘Growing in the ten years by the county council who own used and in default of there being any Community’ seem to even mention cases the area. The county council are trying to available land ask the council to acquire of death of tenant. The WWW shows interpret Section 9 of the 1950 act as land compulsorily for it. allotment tenancy rules vary widely from meaning that the obligation to provide is immediate termination on death to limited to two twenty pole allotments! Hope this helps “ allowing the family to retain the tenancy This query was passed to a partner in the until the end of the paid for period. The Society’s retained solicitors, and here is A definite answer there then, the matter average allowed retention until the end of his answer. is on-going! the year to clear crops. “A perennial problem. The last regional panel meeting at the This site is currently a horse stable/paddock Belmont Working Man’s Club in Carrville with no growing crops so far as I know. S23 1908 Act creates a duty on parish outside Durham City attracted a record councils to provide allotments if they are 63 attendees. Brief reports from the local Please could you possibly advise me if of the opinion there is a demand. Since ARI mentor (who is also our regional you have experience of similar situations your correspondent appears to be a parish secretary) and me were followed by the and the outcome, and also if any of this councillor it would appear the parish usual lively interchanges on problems is mentioned specifically in the council is of the opinion there is a arising and solutions achieved by allotments acts? If so, can you provide demand. gardeners from all over the region. All me with details? secretaries receive an invitation three The county council are talking rubbish if weeks in advance, a few by post but Hope you can help.” they are saying the obligation is only to these days the vast majority

23 Northern electronically, to ask them or their years that the barriers (such as there agents to try it on with massive rent members along. All truly welcome! were) between allotment holders, increases. In one case the rent asked allotment officers and NSALG reps have was going up from £200 to £700 for less Another ARI led Allotment Officers’ Forum been almost eliminated. More and more, than an acre of land with four full plot was held in July in Hartlepool. These we’re finding that especially on the self- equivalents thereon. Looking up the have developed into a format where the managed sites, the tenants are working average agricultural rent on the Web official agenda is rarely formalised, more hand in hand with their counterparts in gives us an answer of roughly £80 per useful being the informal round the table local authorities. Long may this continue! acre per year, so really these requests discussions which are held in the are ridiculous and should be resisted. mornings, followed by afternoon tours I’ve also been asked to advise in a The owner, of course, has the whip hand round a number (usually two) local couple of cases where private landlords but I suspect a desire to develop allotment sites. I’ve noticed over the who lease land for allotments to parish agricultural land into building sites is course of these events over the past few councils have been advised by their land behind most of these cases. A Story Of Transformation

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage TV programme Plenty of produce is developing well and plot holders are inspired a group of villagers to approach their parish council to already enjoying the fruits of their labours. Some of the plots see if any local land was available for allotments. are still in the early stages of development; the site will evolve and mature over the years. The atmosphere is one of a friendly After working closely with Holme parish council the Holme community where people help each other and children can Grown Allotment Society (HGAS) was able to take over the learn all about growing food and where it comes from. lease of Honey Potts Field in January 2010. It was bequeathed to the village of Holme by Richard (Dick) Fawcett of Duke Street So, an initial enquiry to their parish council by a small group of in 1999 and has since been administered by Holme parish Holme residents has led to all this heightened activity, new council near Carnforth in Cumbria. friendships and co-operation. Holme Parish Council, the villagers and HGAS are proud of this achievement and are sure Since then the members, which includes Holme Community it will go from strength to strength. School, have transformed the site into 29 allotments. September 5th 2010 will be a day to remember. It’s the day for Plenty of groundwork needed doing …grant from the very first Holme Grown Allotment Society Open Day and though, and with the help of grants The Co-op Bank Village Show. Visitors to the site will be most welcome; there’s a and donations from South Lakeland scarecrow competition, refreshments and produce sale. It’s just District Council, Cumbria County Community a few minutes walk from the centre of the village. You will find it Council’s Neighbourhood Forum and Fund bought a by strolling down Duke Street (opposite the Smithy pub), The Hadfield Trust and Russell Armer solar-powered bearing right at Hair Design and following Moss Lane for about the members were able to clear the charger 50 yds. The whole of the village will be taking part in a show of site, contract out sub-soiling and produce, local handicrafts and photography in the parish hall. erect rabbit-proof fencing. Topsoil was provided where needed and a grant from The Co-op Bank Community Fund bought a The show opens at 11am. Entry 50p. Children free. There will solar-powered charger, which allows water to be pumped from be a raffle, (prizes include a case of wine and a £30 motor fuel the adjacent beck into tanks ready for the plot holders to use. voucher!) Holme made goodies will be available for refreshments and an auction sale of Holme Grown produce will Thanks to donations such as water tanks, pallets and wood take place at the end of the show. chippings from residents and local businesses, many materials have been recycled and put to good use. A neighbouring horse Susan Dawes owner makes a regular deposit of manure, which will come in Show Organiser, HGAS & Village Show very handy for next year’s crops. PICTURES: Eddie Dawes Before After

24 On Wednesday 11th August we held our Prudhoe OPEN DAY supporting National Allotment Week. This is our fourth year Community of taking part and it was the best event ever. We had over 125 visitors and raised Allotment over £200 for the allotment funds. The Community Allotment gives everyone in the Prudhoe and surrounding area the opportunity to enjoy allotment gardening no matter what their disability may be. Some of our members have physical disabilities and others have mental health or special needs allotment gardening and wants to help us requirements. We have over 40 any way he can. members and give every member an enjoyable experience with horticulture. Roll on next year when we hope to carry We have raised beds of varying heights on the tradition of a really good OPEN as well as larger small plots for the able DAY. Good weather has to be the icing bodied. Also alongside the potting shed, on the cake and this year we were greenhouses and summerhouse there is extremely lucky choosing the best day of a disabled toilet. the week.

We had an unexpected visit from our Joan Russell local MP, Guy Opperman which was very Co-ordinator Prudhoe Community special. This was his second visit in less Allotment Joan Russell with Guy Upperman MP than a year. He is very supportive of www. prudhoe.org/allotment

The Newcastle Allotment and more and more families are coming to the event and we want Garden Show people to be able to stay for longer.” Five-year-old Sam Campbell, from South Gosforth, scooped The biggest, the longest and the funniest, all were put before two prizes, best funny face made of vegetables and best judges at one of the North East’s biggest allotment shows. The children’s entry in show. Dad Ian said: “We have had an Newcastle Allotment and Garden Show, now in its ninth year, allotment for most of Sam’s life. “Now he’s older, he has his saw a record 1,250 entries, up from 980 in 2009. It brought own little bit to grow things. He likes playing down there with together exhibits from keen gardeners and novice growers this brother Daniel and sister Isobel. “It gives them the chance alike, from plump pumpkins and luscious leeks, to fabulous to get out and find out how things grow, so they know fruit and flower arrangements and pukka pickles and chutneys. The veg doesn’t come from supermarkets.It’s not about being show, organised by Newcastle’s Allotment Working Group and competitive, it’s about the fun of entering.” the city council, is aimed at anyone who grows their own and looks to celebrate locally-produced food. Council recreation Peter Kenny from Cramlington won the best pot leeks category development officer Helen Raper, who helped organise the for the second year running. He said: “Last year was the first event, said: “A lot of allotment shows have closed down time I had entered and I was so impressed with the show. It is a through lack of interest or funding, but this one is going from superb show with a smashing atmosphere. strength to strength. “We get so many entries in all of the categories and so many people having a go for the first There’s something for everybody and it’s inspiring me to have a time.This year we’ve put on more things for children, because go at growing other things for next year.” Users of the Comfrey Project, which aims to help refugees and asylum seekers get used to life on Tyneside by getting them involved in community allotments, entered several categories, scooping the top prize for best patio planter. Garden project worker Yvonne Hartnett said: “To enter a competition like this is great fun, it’s very accessible. “We grow traditional vegetables and also give people the opportunity to grow things from their own countries.” Shuhana Jalaldeen, who moved to Blakelaw from Sri Lanka in February and has been involved in the Comfrey Project since March, entered her lemon pickle. She said: “I like it very much.It has allowed me to meet people and settle in.”

Organisations like Healthworks, Active Newcastle, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Groundwork were also on hand to give advice on healthy lifestyles and diets and looking after the natural environment.

PICTURE: ohn Millard, The Journal Amy Hunt, The Journal

25 Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Allotments & Gardens Federation AGM

The Yorkshire Allotments & Gardens Federation will be holding Mr Tony Heeson their Annual General Meeting on Saturday 13th November Regional Rep 2010. The venue for the meeting is the Trades and Labour Club, The Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster.

The venue will open for coffee and registration at 11.00 for a 11.30 start. There will be a short speech on Beekeeping given by Mr. Allan Woodward of the National Beekeeping Association. All members and member associations are welcome.

For further information contact Mr. Tony Heeson - Yorkshire Regional Representative.

Tony Heeson, Regional Representative The Yorkshire Allotments & Gardens Federation

Howden Allotment Tenants Association Annual Open Day Event OBITUARY Howden Allotment Tenants Association held it’s 5th Annual Open Day on Saturday 31st July. This fine day attracted a good many people (even more than last year) who enjoyed the scarecrow competition, tombola, wine tasting, veg stall, William Jacobs childrens healthy eating poster competition, quiz, tea and cakes and general chit chat! It is with regret that we have to announce the death of “Bill” Jacobs at the age of 89 years, a devoted The photo is of Mr. Kieth Lockwood (left) being presented husband, father and grandfather. with the Birt Tipping trophy for best allotment. Born in 1921 and raised between the wars Bill served in the army during the Second World War, leaving when Mr Tipping it ended to return home and take up a professional Howden Allotment Tenants Association career in plumbing. Bill’s interest in gardening followed. Over the ensuing years Bill served in most offices of the Hull and East Riding Allotment Federation; in that capacity he attended the meetings of the Yorkshire Federation until shortly before his death. Another hobby was model trains with a fantastic layout in his home still being used.

Bill, still active, tripped whilst working at home and went into hospital with a fractured hip. Whilst recovering from this he contracted pneumonia and died in hospital.

He is survived by his wife, son and two grandsons.

We extend our condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Tony Heeson Yorkshire Representative

26 Dewsbury Allotment Association We would like to share this picture with you. It was done by one of our members, Mrs Susan Walker.

John P. Howarth, Association Secretary, Dewsbury Allotment Association

Best Allotment Gardens in Leeds 2010 Revealed

The winners of ‘The Best Allotment in Leeds’ competition were This event was open to all allotment gardeners in Leeds and revealed at the Leeds & District Gardeners Federation meeting was held at the East Ardsley General Working Men’s Club. in the Civic Hall last month. The presentation evening was a great success and all who It has been another bumper year with 153 individual plots attended had a wonderful evening with a quite amazing buffet entered and 13 sites. being prepared by the Federation’s Chairman, Malcolm Frith (a former chef). It was a close run competition with little to choose between the top gardens but the winning allotment garden of Mr Brian Phil Gomersall, Publicity Officer, Leeds & District Gardeners Jenner, Haleys Field Allotments just had the edge as it had Federation many additional interesting innovations to this already beautiful, interesting and productive The Winners of the ‘Leeds Allotment Competition’ 2010 allotment garden. Best ‘Plot’ Mr Brian Jenner, Haleys Field Allotments, Bramley 2nd Mr Jeff Lythe, Meanwood Parkside Allotments Again this year saw many newcomers to allotment 3rd Mr Ernie Whitfield, Haigh Road Allotments, Rothwell gardening entering the competition, and their 4th Mr A Taylor, Meanwood Parkside Allotments achievements were quite amazing. Mr Les Martin, 5th Mr Gordon Crosby Swillington Allotments Seacroft Hall Allotments won this category. 6th= Mr Geoff Hull Swillington Allotments 6th= Mr David Rawnsley Calverley Allotments Once more there was a noticeable improvement in 6th= Mrs P Midgley Calverley Allotments the quality of sites across the city with many new 9th= Mrs T Gilbert New Wortley Allotments additional amenities being offered to their 9th= Mr R Garnett Calverley Allotments members. The winning site was Meanwood Parkside, a lovely site to the North of the City. Best ‘Newcomer’ Mr Les Martin Seacroft Hall Allotments The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr James McKenna was booked to present the prizes & honoraria for Best ‘Allotment Site’ the competition at the Allotment Social and Ist Meanwood Parkside, Meanwood Presentation Evening on 10th September 2010. 2nd Crimbles, Pudsey 3rd Lidgett Lane, Roundhay

27 Yorkshire

The following article was recently published in the Knaresborough Post, 13 September 2010….. More allotments for Knaresborough people INTEREST is expected to be high in the new allotments site “There’s a lot of work to be done and decisions to be made bought at auction recently by Knaresborough Town Council. before the land can be divided up and allocated for allotments. The Town Council will ensure this work takes place as quickly The 4.5 acre site off Bilton Hall Drive, towards Starbeck, will as possible.” provide around 80 allotments and with a full waiting list for allotments at the Stockwell Road site at the moment, the To register your interest for an allotment, you can email Allotment Working Group from the Town Council is delighted to [email protected] or pick up a form from have acquired the extra land for Knaresborough people. Knaresborough House.

“The land is within Knaresborough and is accessed by car off You can also contact the chairman of the Allotment Working Bilton Hall Drive. It can also be reached by footpath and by Group on 07885 543453 with your comments and ideas about using the Beryl Burton cycleway,” said Coun Andrew the new site. Willoughby from the Allotment Working Group.

New Learning Centre at Harlow Carr

On the 29th June the Royal Horticultural Society opened the new Bramall Learning Centre within its gardens at Harlow Carr, Harrogate.

The first sod was cut in January 2009 by pupils from Beckwithshaw Community Primary School with a class from the same school attending the opening ceremony to help Chris Collins, TV gardener and Blue Peter presenter, cut the “vegetable ribbon”.

The state of the art, S shaped, two story building with its Sedum roof, ground sourced heat pump, solar panels and many other innovative modern high technology features, houses teaching areas, both for adults and children, along out, as one would expect, with Yorkshire Representative, Tony Heeson, with a new library. The Blundell Library is immaculate themed areas. was pleased to have been invited to the principle horticultural library in the attend the opening and was very, very north of England, housing collections The building, costing some three million impressed by the people (RHS staff) on from the RHS Lindley Library, and is pounds all raised from private individuals site and, indeed, with the facilities. open to the public seven days a week. and charitable trusts, nestles comfortably into the hillside behind it and its three Tony Heeson Outside the building, in the teaching teaching areas are expected to have a Yorkshire Representative gardens, is a huge greenhouse, raised throughput of some 10,000 children per beds for planting out, teaching areas for year continuing the Societies free both adults and children along with a horticultural education for school pond dipping area. The gardens are set children.

28 Harrogate & District 50th Allotment Show 22nd Aug 2010

The Harrogate and District Allotment Federation held their Golden enjoyed wandering the colonnades which had a variety of Anniversary show on the 22nd August. The show, on a beautiful commercial and charitable stalls and informative displays from sunny day, was once again held in the lovely surroundings of the local societies. There were beekeepers, environmentalists, Sun Pavilion and Colonnades in the Valley Gardens. This photographers, and various federation allotment sites sold their celebration of 50 years of allotment shows was a tremendous produce. The allotment plot sited in Valley Gardens throughout success. A record number of plot holders showed their produce. the summer was harvested and the public was able to buy There were over 700 entries in a variety of classes ranging from vegetables gathered that day. The raffle which had 28 giant marrows to miniature floral displays. There were 30 substantial prizes from companies and individuals, classes for a wide range of fruit and vegetables and 18 including a book signed by Alan Titchmarsh, was our classes for some highly colourful and perfectly formed biggest and best raising over £1,200. Betty's of flowers. The 13 classes of cakes and preserves Harrogate provided a wonderful decorated cake included a class for ‘a cake decorated to celebrating our 50 years. celebrate the show's 50th anniversary’. It is appropriate that the winner of that class was This is a charitable event and the HDAF looks deemed best in show by the judges. The 9 forward to handing over a substantial cheque children's classes were so well supported that to the chosen charity Horticap. we divided that section by age, those aged 4-7 and those 8 years and over. The novice Sue Wood section for those new to showing was well Horticultural Officer, Parks Division supported and gives encouragement for Department of Community Services the future. Harrogate Borough Council

Record numbers of the public supported the show and thoroughly

29 Yorkshire A unique allotment project

Quite often the community and other outside organisations help when preparing growing spaces and allotment plots for schools but how often do you hear of a school preparing allotment plots for other schools and the community at large?

The foresight of teacher Ryan Hirst at Bruntcliffe High School, Morley created a very unique project to do just that.

His pupils had already created a successful growing area at their School with participating pupils gaining qualifications in the process. At the end of the first growing season the three local primary schools were invited to harvest the produce and this was when the concept of creating a site off the school premises was born.

A larger than required plot of derelict land was identified in the village of Guildersome, near the school. The idea of creating invited to attend a presentation of additional funding by Roger Tyrell additional plots for the schools and the community was a the Chairman of the Leeds and Wakefield Co-operative Group. becoming a possibility. What a pleasant surprise met my eyes, a very keen and active I was involved in the inaugural meeting where Officers were class from the Guildersome Primary School were there with elected for the new Vicarage Avenue Allotment Association, trowels and forks in hand, busy tidying their plot and harvesting which was formed to manage and attract external funding for crops. One or two plotholders were also there tending the plots, the project, and the project was underway. Cycling which had been created for them by the school pupils. sponsorships were also another means employed to raise funds. It is proposed to keep hens too in the future and pupils have The housing association that owned the land actually cleared the already built enclosures and hen coops in preparation for their site and pupils set to work creating brick retaining walls, plot arrival. edgings and paths as part of their school course work and the new allotment site was underway. The original plan was for four schools Other future proposed developments are a covered area to plots and six half plots for people from the local community. enable pupils to participate in growing activities even when the weather is bad and some toilet facilities. I have referred to this unique project on many occasions when helping to form other new allotment associations but I never got Phil Gomersall, ARI Mentor, Yorkshire & Humberside Region. back to see the progress made until just last week when I was

30 North West Regional Report

Another summer over; at least it proved If you are staging a local show and need to be a better one than 2009! During the information on the role of the NSALG or summer months the NSALG in the North additional copies of any of our leaflets, West have staged a number of displays magazines or factsheets please contact at major shows (see reports below) and me. Mr D Morris have supported numerous local shows. Regional Rep Tatton Show Report by John Talbott (AMAS) Team Leader

The team from the Manchester Allotments federation (AMAS) again put on an allotment display at this year RHS Tatton Park flower show in Cheshire.

The display had the title “One hundred years of allotment gardening” and aimed to show how allotment gardening methods have somewhat changed during that time. The modern approach was outlined by the use of raised beds, a polytunnel, and a small summer house with picnic table whilst the 1910 allotment was all on the traditional flat bed system with an old shed and an old wooden cart by it.

An important feature of the display was an interactive children's area organised, planted and staffed by Barbara Hammond, David and their team of Manchester, Trafford, Bury, Stockport, helpers. The children's area proved to be Tameside and the Wirral. very popular and in fact it was the only children's interactive area in the whole In addition to our outdoor display, a show. team led by Alex Hamilton constructed and manned an indoor display stand on To highlight how popular the children's the show days. They dealt with many area was, it got a major 1/2 page picture questions including the perennial “I in the September edition of “Cheshire have been trying to obtain an allotment life” magazine. for x years, and fear that I may have another type of plot before I can get an Half of the plants were grown by AMAS allotment one”. Our thanks go to Alex Tatton – Open to the Public members at the Glasshouse in and his team for all of their hard work. Wythenshawe Park, Manchester. The free use of this facility was most kindly The RHS were highly complementary of provided by officers of the Manchester our show feature and again awarded us a Leisure Section of the City Council for “Highly Commended” certificate for our which we most heartily thank them. efforts. Growing started in early spring and by show time we had a large commercial We were extremely busy all week glasshouse bulging with produce. answering all sorts of questions about growing and our display marquee helped The display took 6 days to build and on promote the work of the NSALG. the "Press Day" we invited the Lord Tatton Show – nearly finished Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mark One of our highlights amongst the plants Hackett, to come and see our display was a Tomatillo in the polytunnel; this I must finally extend my grateful thanks with which he was suitably impressed. caused many questions. to Ron Carter for his design and all the many people from North West allotments The show was open from Wednesday If you are not sure what it is it is a who helped to make this allotment 21st July to Sunday 25th July and we member of the Physalis family and more display the success it was; also to Ken had volunteers staffing the display from information can be found on the internet Wilson, Manchester City allotments the following North West areas; site “Wikipedia”. officer and his team.

31 North West Councils in the North West

I am pleased to report that an additional number of councils in tender. The management of all services will be transferred to a the North West have produced Allotment Strategies or updated single private contractor for a period of 10 years, although the their existing Strategies and we will attempt to ensure that council will retain ownership and remain responsible for these good words result in positive, practical action to increase maintaining standards. allotment provision and help to improve the facilities on existing sites. The publication of the 2010 Waiting List Survey has also The contracts of employment of their current Allotment Officer resulted in a number of councils contacting me to arrange and part time admin support officer will be automatically meetings to explore how they can work with the NSALG to transferred to the new employer at their current pay and reduce their ever lengthening waiting lists for allotments. conditions. The Council will retain a small team of staff to manage, oversee and audit the new contract. The current net A number of councils have proposed significant increases in allotment budget for the council’s 1,600 plots is £44,000 of allotment rent, and although we recognise that all councils are which 80% is accounted for by staff salaries. under financial pressure to try to balance their books, any increases in allotment rent should be fair when viewed against Although some service users were consulted as part of the the charges for other leisure services and should be set at a Procurement Exercise, neither plot holders, the local NSALG level which a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay. There Federation nor the public were consulted, although we have are obvious problems in attempting to demonstrate that these been assured that the scope of the contract is still to be criteria have or have not been met. If your Council is proposing finalised and these will be discussed with all users including a significant increase in allotment rent they should be able to allotment groups. Unfortunately, the Council’s Allotment produce an “Allotment Account” showing both the income Association, which had representatives from all of the allotment derived from allotments and the expenditure on allotments sites on the Wirral, was disbanded by the Council earlier this broken down by its main areas of expenditure. If you consider year. that the rent increase proposed by your Council is unjustified please feel free to contact me. If, however, your rent for a full Whilst we accept that the allotment budget is a tiny part of the sized Council managed and maintained plot is increasing by overall £11m budget for these services, it is stated that the 50% from £10–£15pa, welcome to the real world. proposed new contract will deliver increased service quality with overall predicted efficiency savings of about 5%. The A number of councils are attempting to reduce their Council was unable to quantify the predicted efficiency savings expenditure on allotments by “encouraging” sites to move to in respect of allotments; indeed they have stated that they are self-management. Self-management is a great idea for some not expecting to see a reduction in the allotments budget and sites but not for all. Again please feel free to contact me to any efficiencies generated from other areas may even allow discuss if it may be right for your site. Please also see some of additional expenditure on allotments. the basic information on the NSALG leaflet on self-management http://www.nsalg.org.uk/uploads/article459/Notes%20on%20s I believe that Wirral is the first council in the country to include elf-management.pdf. allotments in such an exercise, but I would be pleased to hear from allotment holders if this has happened in your area. I will Wirral Council has decided to put the management of parks, report back as the situation develops to help others who may at countryside, and open spaces, including allotments, out to some point find themselves faced with a similar situation.

Southport Show 75th Year

The Wirral Federation of Allotment site a week before the show opened we Our thanks go to all of those people who Societies once again staged the NSALG were a little dismayed to discover that helped in either growing plants or display and information bureau at the the area that they had allocated for our produce, manned the stand or put up 2010 Southport Show. On visiting the outdoor display had grown from 72 sq. with the constant moans and panic from metres to 200 sq. metres! So many Roger and me, as D-Day approached. thanks to all of those allotment holders and supporters who came to our rescue We met with the great and the good of with the offer of additional plants and the allotment world including the crops. The display was a great success NSALG’s Chairman, Allan Rees, sorry and the information point was busy Allan Rees MBE and the gardening world throughout the show. in general. I made promises to attend meetings and reply to numerous emails Our designer in chief, Roger Merry, and if you haven’t had a response please captured an amateur’s view of the remind me! display which can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Axlr 45rhQo.

32 Blackpool Allotment Federation

Blackpool Allotment Federation recently sometimes is just that. It was for these who went out of their way to offer held their first Produce Show. people. practical help and advice and to the Friends of Watson Road Park for lending There were about 20 allotmenteers who There were winning entries from all us some tables. I hope we have brought their produce to the show and participating sites; Bridge Farm (1), mentioned everyone because without all this led to over 90 exhibits. There were Cherry Tree (2), David's Slack (4), the support we received we may have stunning flowers, remarkable carrots, Lawson's Rd (2), Layton (5) and Oxford floundered at the first hurdle but, with giant leeks and onions of all colours and Square (1). Congratulations to everyone this show under our belts, we will be sizes. Strange vegetables which many of who won, got a place or just entered and confident enough to arrange an even us had never seen before, weird veg thanks to all who came along as support bigger show next year. which looked like whales, caterpillars, or to help organise or set up the venue. Mickey Mouse and aliens, gorgeous ripe Everyone helped to make the day very tomatoes, sparkling potatoes and special. strikingly straight runner beans. Here we see the Mayor and Mayoress Then there was the cookery section with Cllr and Mrs Clapham with two of our scrumptious jams, mouth-watering judges, John and Elizabeth Reay. Our chutneys, light Victoria sponges and thanks to you all and to the other judge crunchy choc-chip cookies. Tim Roberts, Shaun Pickup at The Garden Place and all the lovely staff both This show was not just about winning; it in the garden centre and to Dahlia's was about having a fun day socialising Kitchen for their supply of refreshments with allotmenteers from all over the to the entrants. Borough. It was a day full of surprises for a lot of the entrants. We rarely think We make special mention of the our produce is anything special but it Thornton Cleveleys Horticultural Society

Green Pennant Award

Tindall St Allotment Group from Eccles, Salford has received a for the first time in many years. Without their help this award Green Pennant Award. This is a national scheme that would not have been possible. recognises high quality green spaces in England and Wales that are managed by voluntary and community groups. It is part of It is a Council owned site; we have had a committee for seven the Green Flag awards, the national standard for quality parks years and have been self-managed for two and a half years. and green spaces. Salford City Council’s Allotment section has been very supportive in the improvements that we have achieved. The judge was impressed with the community garden including a sensory area and the community orchard, complete with figures painted by Creative Start 50+ art group. He also commented that the different groups that are involved are exemplary.

These include the Primary Care Trust for the disabled including adults with learning difficulties and wheelchair users. Active Lifestyle Project - For people with heart, stroke, diabetes problems. SSTAR Network - NHS Mental health in the community garden project. Cromwell House Users Group Mental health centre. Salford Intervention Team - For ex-offenders. Youth Community Action certificate - High School Pupils.

A lot of the regeneration of the site has been carried out over the last three years by the Salford Probation Service unpaid work unit. They have cleared derelict areas, created a community orchard and garden and also built a war time Don Booth, Chairman, Barbara Keeley MP, Mayor of Salford, Andrew Simpson, Anderson shelter. All plots are now workable and fully tenanted Secretary

33 North West

Sefton Green Gym

The Green Gym based on the This year, the Gym made links with the far and information on the new Queensway Allotment site in Sefton, Young Offenders Team who bring Federations that have been established. Merseyside is a finalist in the 4th Annual teenagers to the allotment to help with the Future Friendly Awards The Awards are gardening. The Gym faces the threat of Finally I am sorry to have to report the part of the Future Friendly campaign, an closure without future funding. death of John Pooley, Chairman of initiative designed to help us all reduce Salford Allotment Association. John has our impact on the environment. Unfortunately voting will have closed by been Chairman for three years following the time you read this but if you visit a difficult time for the Association. John The Sefton Green Gym allotment project http://www.futurefriendly.co.uk/index.asp helped to rebuild Salford Show and was offers members of all ages and abilities the x# you will be able to view a video of the Chairman of Cleveleys Allotment chance to learn new skills work of the project and Association in Salford for the last eight through growing organic …offers members hopefully hear of their years. As well as his allotment activities produce, making new friends, of all ages and success. John was also a Liberal Democrat supporting the environment councillor for three years. and gardening their way to abilities the chance My regular plea for plot good health. Being outside in to learn new skills holders to contact me if Although John spent a great deal of his green space and regular through growing their Local Authority area time in supporting the allotment exercise has proven benefits organic produce doesn’t have a movement and other community for mental health, helping to Federation of NSALG activities he was always a family man reduce stress and overcome depression; member sites is paying dividends. I will and leaves a wife Joy and son Paul. John the project has helped reduce social write a full report for the next magazine will be very sadly missed. isolation as well as support sustainability. on the progress that has been made so

Bebington Road Allotment’s Open Day

Bebington Road Allotment Society on the Wirral, held their Open Day on the 24th of July. It proved to be a great day with even more entertainment than last year. Credit must go to the Committee and all the other volunteers who helped make the day such a success. In addition to face painting, veg, plant and book stalls there were games to be played; the 'Higher Lower Card' game and 'Pick a Nail' game and also a cake stall with a selection Sainsbury's couldn't match.

Entertainment was provided via a restored fairground organ which provided music and created a real festive atmosphere, members of the New Ferry Community Centre Kung Fu Club staged a display of Kung Fu and performed their Dragon Dance and we also had the Singing Willberries. For photographs of OBITUARY the Open Day and more information about the site and the society visit the website at: www.beballot.co.uk Overall the Allotment Society raised £881.28 - another record! In the 6 years since the society was established (with just 6 members) Charlie Labone the site, which has some 270 plots, has gone from strength to strength. The Society has successfully bid for funds to provide I am very sorry to have to inform you of the sudden a full range of equipment, including 3 sizes of rotovators for the death of Charlie Labone, following a very short illness. use of its members, a container in which to store all Charlie and his wife Sharon have helped to build and equipment, a meeting room, shop and tea point and a soon to man the NSALG stand at the Southport Show for many be installed toilet. years. He was there helping again this year. Charlie formerly had a plot on my site at Bebington Road on It goes to show what can be achieved from small beginnings. the Wirral before moving to Liverpool and taking an active role on the Ashfield Allotment site. Charlie was Dave Morris well known and respected for his passion for growing orchids and was an accepted authority on the subject. North West Regional Representitive He will be very sadly missed.

Dave Morris

34 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE TheThe WaWalk-InWalkk--In WonderwallWWoonderwall TMTM ((PPPaatteent PPeenddiinnggg)) Netted Brassica / vegetable Tunnel

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35 East Midlands

Regional report

It has been an extremely busy year so far with a great deal of of times. I am still in the process of travelling. Fortunately most of the visits were to advise and to trying to set up Federations where help set up new Allotments and also to discuss self- needed for the Region but it is very Mrs S Fleetwood management. There has, however, been a number of problems difficult trying to get volunteers. Regional Rep with Tenancy Agreements, or the lack of in some cases, which Everybody leads such busy lives these has caused disputes. One or two section 8 applications to days. dispose of land are still coming up now and then but fortunately these are becoming few and far between. The biggest problem The Regional AGM is November 27th at the St Georges Centre, in this Region is the lack of land available and the matter of Netherfield, Nottingham at 10.30am. compulsory leasing and purchase has reared its head a number

The Popularity of Finedon Allotment Association

Members of The Finedon Allotment approaching their eighties but now due to per pole inclusive of water, possibly one of Association decided to celebrate the media publicity we have had to cultivate the cheapest in the country. increasing popularity of their site with an additional land as we now have 53 plot onsite BBQ for members and their families. holders. At the AGM in March 2010 new The BBQ was held on a glorious Saturday members of varying ages were elected on evening in July 2010 with over 40 In the year 2000 we were down to 23 to the Management Committee, several of attending. A good time was had by all. members with an average age of 62; some them being ladies. The average size plot is Gerry Needle of the Management Committee were ten poles at an annual cost of 60 pence Finedon Allotment Association

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36 Trusthorpe Allotment Gardens Association

I visited the site of the above Association standing account with Jewsons Builders are gardeners so we don’t mind. Any plot in 2006 when it was first set up and since merchants so I was able to get the holder can use the shed which is open then it has come on in leaps and bounds. materials needed for a good discounted most days during daylight hours to make a The following report is by their very price). brew or just sit and socialise; all we ask is a active secretary Pat Locke…. 20p donation towards the cost of supplying Shirley Fleetwood, Regional The pathway around the allotment site was the gas. Bill Hall and I did the painting Representative laid by some of our stronger fellows; we during the milder days in the winter and used ex-council slabs and once again we again the paint was donated. This year we put in land drainage pipe managed to get these at a discounted cost. and shingle then topped it with road The shed was designed and constructed This years fete and show raised more planings, to make sure any water drains by one of our allotment holders with help funds which we aim to spend on into the dyke. from other men on site. Once again I was installing a self-composting toilet. This able to get a good discount from Jewsons will cost in the region of £5000 based on We received a grant of £500 from the town for the necessary materials. The windows us building our own shed to house it. We council towards the cost of the materials were donated by one of my neighbours and have obtained permission from the Town for this task. In our lease it states that the the door was donated by a plot holder who council for this and we have just council is responsible for the upkeep of was having a new one fitted to his home. submitted grant forms to the district the road way, but most of the money each The “Grass Roots Foundation” from council; we were also going to apply to year is spent on contractor labour charges Lincolnshire County Council gave us a “Grass Roots” again, but the county hence a dozen or so of us got together on grant of £1100 towards this and we spent council has withdrawn its grant scheme. a bright sunny day and got to work £1097 on build. Everything inside the shed I am currently ploughing through the ourselves. During 2008 and 2009 we held has been donated by the plot holders minefield of grant applications schemes several fundraising activities from quizzes themselves. We have chairs, tables, a from the internet. It is our intention to to BBQs. We also held breakfast and cooking ring, gas bottle, cups, saucers, carry on fundraising as any money we coffee mornings and held our first fete and plates, mugs, cutlery and pots and pans for receive from grants we must match. garden show last year. All proceeds help when we have one of our fundraising Pat Locke towards the bank balance! (I have a long events in there. No matching sets but we Secretary

Mr Hagger and his wife previously lived in Langham and ‘Lovely’ Ernest dies on Ridlington in Rutland before settling at their home in Uppingham 17 years ago. A member of the local Probus club, allotment at 81 he also ran a Neighbourhood Watch group.

The following article was reported in the Leicester Mercury, Adrian said: “He always wanted to be outdoors. He was a very Thursday, August 26, 2010: hard-working man, a workaholic, who never liked to sit still for long. He was always doing things for people and loved his Tributes have been paid to a man who died tending his beloved allotments and garden. It was back-breaking work, but he loved allotments. it. He was a tough old bird.”

Ernest Hagger, 81, died working on his two plots in Leicester Mr Hagger helped run the allotments on behalf of Uppingham Road, Uppingham, on Friday afternoon. Police were called Town Council. when he was found at around 6.30pm, but later confirmed his death was not suspicious. Town clerk Susan Alcock said: “It’s very sad but I suppose he died doing something he really loved. He was a very lovely Mr Hagger, who had a degree in agriculture, was a tea man.” plantation manager for Brooke Bond at Darjeeling in India, where he was born and went to school. He worked there until Mr Hagger was secretary of his old school association, 1974 when he came to the UK with wife Audrey, son Adrian and St Paul’s, Darjeeling, and attended reunions in London. daughter Deborah.

37 East Midlands Allotment Family Day 12th September 2010

On Sunday, 12th September 2010, the Children were invited to draw pictures of Claylands Avenue Gardeners Society of their allotment, enter any “unusual Worksop, North Notts held their first vegetables” and guess how many peas, Family Day for their gardeners, friends beans and sweets were in the jars – well and families. The Society was only done Josh Morton, Sophie Eshelby, Lily formed in April this year and it was our Burrows and Keisha Burrows. opportunity to get together, have some fun and swap ideas. We have 76 Prizes and donations were gratefully gardens, cultivated by 90 gardeners and received from Sybil Fielding of Notts have seen a huge increase in interest County Council, Ivor Jones, Parish over the last three years, growing from Councillor, Andrew Shaw of Codnors 24 gardeners (only 2 years ago). Horticultural Supplies and Nigel Ruff of Alexander Calder Financial Services. All The sun came out for us and the 71 of which helped make the day great. gardeners, friends and families enjoyed activities and competitions. Face Prize trophies were judged and presented painting by the Bruynseels family proved by Sybil Fielding. The adult’s and very popular and not just with the children’s raffles were presented by the children; one gardener was seen later in Chairman of the Society, Martin Hadfield. the day digging his garden with his face painted like Spider Man! The sun stayed out for the event, which was enjoyed by all who attended, giving Scarecrows in every form started to gardeners, friends and family the appear from early morning. Carol opportunity to see the benefits of Hyland’s “Boris” was judged Number allotment gardening. One; a popular choice for a traditional Martin Hadfield scarecrow. Chairman Claylands Avenue Gardeners Society Gardeners were invited to put together a basket of seasonal vegetables from their plot; congratulations went to Barbara Shelley for her wonderful selection. We were pleased that all the baskets were donated by the gardeners and given to our local “Hope for the Homeless” the next day – much appreciated by the charity which was amazed at the huge selection of vegetables, salads, fruits, pickles and preserves that were in the baskets.

38 West Midlands

Notes from the Quarterly Meeting

The Quarterly Meeting was held on West Midlands area so we will be And several Saturday 7th August at Manor House representing the Society. Chris Brown associations Lane Allotments in Birmingham. This is a and the Birmingham and District have been given Mr Maurice Lander site of a very high standard with excellent Allotment Council were congratulated for help. The name Regional Rep facilities including a superb club house their double Bronze success at the of the National with toilets and kitchen, a separate N.E.C. Gardeners World Live Show. Society should always be on any storage shed and a park like entrance Chris and the gang have volunteered to publicity material and permission to drive, with immaculate lawns. continue their great efforts at next year’s spend money, for which a grant is show. requested, must be obtained before any We continue to work with Cheadle A.A. in expenditure is occurred. their efforts to obtain a new site. The finances of the Region are in a Paul Gaskin healthy state. As outlined in the Annual Secretary As advertised in the magazine the Edible Newsletter, small grants are available for Garden Show at Stoneleigh Royal Show expenses to do with promoting the Ground has been revised. This is in the Society

Woodside Allotments Annual Show

Woodside Allotments and Leisure Gardeners Association is Council and in August we held our first annual show for situated in Telford, near the world famous Ironbridge Gorge, and vegetables, fruit and home produce since 1997. The re- was setup in 1970. It currently has over 110 plots, a thriving introduction of the show was the ambition of plot holder and community with its own shop and has a waiting list. It is a self- site manager Eric France, who worked tirelessly to ensure that managed site under the umbrella of the Ironbridge Gorge Parish the show went off without a hitch. With support from the West Midlands Region we were able to advertise the event and, as a result, more than one hundred local residents also joined in the fun.

More than 170 exhibits were entered by members of the association, in classes which included most popular vegetables, cakes, jams, pickles, chutneys, flower arrangements and a special section for young gardeners, encouraging an interest in ‘Grow your own’ and artistic displays at an early age.

Vegetable Judges, Jack Hicks and John Evans, were very pleasantly surprised with the standard and number of exhibits, stating “The standards of some exhibits are very high and would not be out of place at some of the larger shows”. The plot holder taking both the highest number of points and the ‘Best exhibit in show’ was Mr Graham Rowe.

Senior Judge of the home produce section, Mrs J E Reynolds had the difficult job of classifying the adult entries in this section and also the entries of the younger exhibitors. Her choice of overall winner of the adult section was Mrs Angie Collins, with a delicious looking fruit cake. Each of the young exhibitors whose entries gained a top three place was given a trophy to encourage continued interest.

The presentation of all these trophies was made by Councillor Alan Taylor, vice chair of Ironbridge Gorge Parish Council.

Show co-ordinator, Eric France said afterwards, “I was really pleased by the number of entries and the interest from other plot holders asking for advice, so that they can enter their produce next year”. Profits from the show were donated to the Midlands Air Ambulance. Presentation of Best In Show Trophy to Graham Rowe by Councillor Alan Taylor, F Mullin vice chair of Ironbridge Gorge Parish Council. Woodside Allotments

39 West Midlands

Bilton Allotment Association New Security Fencing

Here are some photographs taken of our fund held by Warwickshire County I hope this gives some encouragement to newly erected security fencing at our site Council, the grant enabled us to make other sites not to give up applying for in Bilton, Rugby. Over the years we have the alterations to the gates and part of grants. been subjected to a lot of vandalism, the fencing. Our own trustees on seeing Gordon Shaw which has caused many to give up their the improvements decided to extend the Chairman, allotments. This year we made a fencing which you see in the Bilton Allotment Association successful application to the small grant photograph.

Windmill Lane Association

Our association will be celebrating its 110th birthday in January 2011. Are we the oldest site in the country?

Each year we celebrate with a BBQ attended by most of the members and their families. We have a great time; the local ice- cream man even comes along to supplement the BBQ.

We have a great mix of people on our site of all ages; our oldest member is 86 years of age. We have male and female members, some that work their plots individually, some involving their families. The plots are cultivated to such an extent that we usually gain an award in the County & District Allotments Gardens Council allotments competitions. Fred Moore J. Wilkinson We also attend two local fetes each year which publicises the allotments and raises funds for the upkeep of the association. grown by John Wilkinson. It looks like a double Siamese tomato. This year we have found some unusual vegetables. Photo 2 is of Fred Moore with his Siamese marrow. Photo 3 is a tomato The remaining photo is of myself and the chairman sitting on a bench donated by Mr G. Oswin in memory of his father Frank Oswin. Frank was a member of our site for many years. Bob Preston Secretary Goodbye Maris and Roger

Ward End Gardeners will lose two of its committee when Maris and Roger Stanier retire this year after many years at the heart of its engine room. Maris has been Treasurer, always making a little go a long way and Roger has become the longest serving committee member as Secretary for many years and later years Assistant Secretary. The gap will be hard to fill. We must thank them for the way they put the association first; you leave us stronger for the future. Thanks again from all at Ward End and we wish you well in your retirement. S A Merrill Bob Preston (Secretary) with hat and Peter Bedford (Chairman) WEGA, Birmingham

40 Watery Lanes Allotments Green Flag Association Awards Scheme

Maurice Lander recently judged our site part of a newly reclaimed area that was recognises for ‘Best Kept Plot’ and ‘Best previously a rubbish dump for all plot Newcomer’. Jim and Marg Davies won holders. We have created several new excellence in the overall ‘Best Kept Plot’ cup. This cup plots and two of our members are was last awarded in 1990.We have an currently being trained in the art of Parks interim committee at present hoping to beekeeping in an area that has been set become self-managing in the future. aside for them on the reclaimed section. A West Bromwich allotment has today Philip Davis, been announced as a winner of the Vicky and her husband Graham won the Chairman Watery Lanes Allotments Special Award for innovation. The prize for ‘Best Newcomer’. They attained Association, Codsall Staffs national accolade is awarded by the plot 64 on May 24 this year. The plot is Green Flag Awards to parks and green spaces which are inspirational in their commitment to continuous improvement.

The site won the award for marketing of the association's efforts to engage and introduce young people to healthy eating and environmental education.

Moorlands Allotment Association has already won a Green Pennant Award this year and has gone on to win this Special Jim and Marg – Best Kept Plot Vicky and Graham – Best Newcomer Award because of the outstanding benefits that the site has made to not only their site but their local community.

The allotment has easy access raised Brereton Gardens beds and small children's plots which are tended to on a weekly basis. The Once upon a time there was a shed that the Best Onion in show at Shrewsbury association decided to raise funds to served as a shop with a store at the Show. Today we have Jim Moore our build a classroom for these weekly back. Something that was akin to ‘Open Chairman and a man of vision. sessions with local schools. all Hours’. For one reason or another Arkwright retired…….further down the Under his supervision the team has The Special Award for Innovation has road lived Jim Moore, new chairman of a breathed new life into the ‘old shed’ as been running for three years and is given new team of Brereton Gardeners. mentioned above. It has literally had a to a project which has added something ‘spring clean’. It has been painted inside new to a particular site within the last Brereton Gardeners has a long and and out. There are new welcoming flower three years. It is not necessarily illustrious history. Apart from making tubs outside and there is a sign dependent upon a large financial many skilful but anonymous gardeners it encouraging new members to join our investment; it must simply bring can boast of ‘Dougie’ Harley who won society. Once inside the shop our improvement to the Community's offerings are displayed and priced in experience of the site. such a way that retail therapy beckons. Moorlands Allotment Association has Needless to say there is a waiting list for had a bumper year, winning Best plots. But it is worth going on record to Allotment Site in the Sandwell Borough congratulate and encourage this piece of and also Best Allotment Site in the local effort as an example of what can be Intertowns Competition. Best individual done. plots were also won by Moorlands members; 1st prize going to Mr Barry The ‘old shed’ had functioned and was Bunce and second prize to Mr John viable but with a few changes one can Walker. see and feel such a difference. There is now an atmosphere that makes it Moorlands Allotments are currently open compelling to return. Hopefully this is every weekend until the end of only the first step towards community September for viewing. focused gardens that will be a Vera Walsgrove sustainable resource for the future. Secretary - Moors Allotments Colin Choyce Association Jim Moore, Chairman and Hayley Beardsmore, Member of Brereton Gardeners Secretary 41 West Midlands

Borough Allotments Strike Gold

A colourful allotment at Park Road, Mandy Lees, proud owner of a plot at allotments; the wildlife garden at Basford Silverdale, has been declared overall Newcastle’s Lyme Valley, has won the allotments; Waveney Court housing winner in a local Britain in Bloom “best newcomer” title and a silver award. complex, Clayton, and the Newcastle competition. Countryside Project gardening therapy The judges commented on the good group. The plot, tended by Tim and Jeanette quality of her crops and the originaI Pattison, was praised by judges for its layout of the plot. Cllr. Wenslie Naylon, borough council diverse range of plants and produce and Cabinet member for culture and active also awarded a gold medal. Overall winner in the Bloom community communities, said: “We have all been projects competition is St. Thomas' impressed by the range of displays Gardener Pamela Oakes has also struck Primary School in Kidsgrove. created by allotment holders and gold in the Newcastle-under-Lyme community groups.” Borough Council allotments contest. Youngsters at the school were praised for a range of features including top “Residents of all ages have made great Her plot, at DimsdaIe, WoIstanton, took quaIity hanging baskets, a kitchen efforts to improve the environment in all the accolade of “most environmentally garden and wildlife garden. areas of the borough.” friendly garden”, receiving positive comments for superb conservation of Gold medal winners in the competition Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council water and good use of recycled are St. Giles’ and St. George’s Primary materials. School, Newcastle; Plot 44 at Basford

St Giles and St George Mandy Lees Basford wildlife Annual Competition 2010

Please see the following photographs Most points overall were awarded to Mrs taken of plots judged to be the best in the M.Drummond, plot 21, Holmer Allotment Annual Hereford Allotment & Leisure site -100%, 2nd place went to Mrs J. Garden Society 2010 Competition. Baugh, plot 22, same site – 98%; both remarkable efforts. Due to the high standard seen in the 1st and 2nd place plots (remarked upon by our Brian Mee, Chairman judge) our committee thought it warranted Hereford Allotment & Leisure Gardens inclusion in your excellent magazine. Committee

Plot 21 Plot 20

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43 Eastern

Regional Report

The very first thing I want to do is wish our esteemed president going. It will eventually be open to the Colin Nickerson a speedy recovery. When he finally gets his public occasionally over the year so appointment at Papworth he will be revitalised. He is and has they can watch it ’grow’ and enjoy the been the major power and influence on allotments in the ideas that will be shown there as well Karen Kenny Eastern Region for many years as chairman of the regional as talk to the ‘plotters in residence’! It Regional Rep panel as well as Region Rep for many years. I am sure everyone just goes to show that thinking ‘outside will join me in wishing him well and we look forward to seeing the box' when looking for land can work wonders. Well done to him back in business on the regional panel as well as the the Woodbridge growers; we shall look forward to seeing your national. Keep smiling Colin. progress.

How are we doing in the Eastern Region? Well, I Also, the Barton Mills Grand site opening was am pleased to say that, yet again, we continue to Mostly working fantastic. Masses of children plying you with trays grow apace and opening new sites along the way. with excellent of produce including cucumbers, tomatoes on Mostly working with excellent associations driving sticks; delicious! There was also pumpkin and the campaigns in partnership with Local associations sunflower seeds, all grown on site this year. They Authorities, we do still have a few local authorities driving the have only been up and running for 5 months and in the area, however, that continue to campaigns in the produce and site is the central focus of the procrastinate, especially in a small pocket of partnership with community. They have suffered various trials and Suffolk. Nevertheless the Local show has brought Local Authorities tribulations to get forth some interesting developments and we are these allotments, all working with a local farmer to create five acres of private led by the powerhouse that is Helen allotments close by this pocket of inaction by Local Authorities. Andrews and, of course, her team The demand is so great at the moment that we will still not let of volunteers. the L A’s off the hook! The cake was fabulous and so was I have been pleased to attend a brand new project that is being the barby and the salads and proposed by the Woodbridge Growers (an allotment association accompaniments for the feast were desperately searching for land). Their wish is to utilise a disused all produced by the allotmenteers. nursery area of the local park by creating a series of small plots The raffle was a tremendous for their members and the local community to enjoy. A bit of a success; all prizes were sourced hiccup occurred at the start of the project - when trying the and organised by the lovely Lyn or water supply the tap decided not to turn off and water was Liz (sorry, I know it began with L). gushing everywhere. Several chaps about the place - should be Everyone had fun and enjoyed the simple!? You would think so wouldn’t you, but finally miracle day. I got to plant a special apple man Matthew (after having a really great cold shower) managed tree local to the area and I am sad to cap it. Well done Matthew, we loved your new wet look. to say didn’t manage to get a single carrot in even the largest of the This great project will be in the centre of this small town and flowerpots when I had a go in the utilised as an example of growing methods that all could competition; the next competitor employ in their own homes whether they have a tiny garden or was around six years old and got a balcony, even space for just a window box or hanging basket. two in! There was so much going An exciting project which will be featured later when it gets on and the hints and tips from each Helen

44 Raffle prizes Cake plot holder and their pictures were affixed to their plots. Did you know that ferret droppings are an excellent way to deter rabbits from your crops? Visitors voted for their favourite plot which gave rise to the prize for the people’s choice.

At the end of the festivities every visitor and there were many from not only the local vicinity but from other associations in Suffolk, were given a goodie bag of a packet of seeds, some sweeties, nettle shampoo and information about allotments etc., all beautifully presented in a recyclable paper bag with a big B securing it. Well done all of you, fabulous work; a credit to team work and persistence.

The Local Authorities in most areas are really getting on board with allotments and wanting to know more about management and provision to service those that wish to grow their own. It is Planning the plots a pleasure to work with such keen officers that really do want to improve their allotment provision and management for their next forum and finding out how the members have been able to tenants. The SLCC are organising and keen to promote courses action any of the advice received. Whilst many have similar in all areas so that allotment best practice can be achieved for issues there are always various ways of dealing with them. everyone concerned. Most heartening is that the officers all want to improve facilities The Eastern Region Allotment Officers’ forum had their first and management of their sites and are working under difficult meeting in March hosted by Ipswich Council, organised by ARI conditions striving to achieve best practice in a difficult and chaired by Jeremy Iles, Chairman of the ARI Advisory economical climate. group. It was a successful meeting, which has led to the second forum meeting hosted by St Albans Council in September, The Autumn is upon us now and things are slowing down in the chaired by Dr Richard Wiltshire, member of the ARI Advisory garden but not in the allotment world. The demand continues to Group. Frank Owens, ARI mentor for the Eastern area, and I rise and Regional Reps are hither and thither working hard to were present at both meetings and once again it was a ensure as many as possible have an opportunity to grow their successful meeting where many of the allotment officers were own. We are all busy creating associations, meeting with Local able to gain from each other’s experiences and also advice from Authorities and with landowners trying to negotiate the best both ARI and the NSALG working together. I look forward to the deal for everyone especially the future plot holders to come. To my fellow volunteer Regional reps – are we mad or just passionate about allotments? I’m still trying to figure it out!!!

Enjoy the autumn harvest and start looking at the seed catalogue to see what new and different varieties you can experiment with next year.

How many men to fix a tap?

45 Eastern

BREAKING GROUND Is this a world first?

Harleston is a small market town in • A poetry competition, sponsored by South Norfolk. Early in 2008 the town the town’s stationery store council inaugurated 30 allotments and not long afterwards the Harleston • A children’s interactive poetry Allotments Association was formed. The workshop, inspired by the town’s library association sought membership of the guerrilla garden NSALG in July 2008. • A children’s wild and wacky garden Each year in August the town celebrates gnome sculpture workshop using the summer break with an arts festival – modelling clay to make interpretations of the Harleston and Waveney Festival. The this traditional garden art content is varied, but this year there were music concerts, poetry readings, films, a • An open art and craft exhibition for jazz evening, exhibitions, all culminating local amateurs, celebrating all things in a family fun day on the recreation allotment and veggie. There were over ground. As part of the activities the 70 entries of pieces ranging from oils to allotments association decided to yarns, glass to timber, and cards to promote a multi media exhibition to ceramics. Helen McDermott of Radio celebrate the pleasure and beauty of Norwich officially opened the exhibition fresh allotment grown fruit and vegetables, to integrate with the town • A story telling on the theme of growing festival over a three week period. And so and veggies, followed by a craft session, Breaking Ground was born. all for children

Breaking Ground gave non-professional • A visual celebration of Harleston’s artists, children and the wider community allotments, held in the Harleston Gallery. an opportunity to participate in a high This was for our community professional quality exhibition integrated with artists. professional artists. The activities that took place throughout the festival period, The exhibition was such a success and all associated with the theme of brought such an enthusiastic response allotments, grow your own, fruit and veg throughout the town that thoughts are and all things green, were: turning to making the affair an annual event.

Creative allotments I like redesigning my allotment plot each year. This year has been my favourite so far. Most people on our site are fairly traditional and may stretch to raised beds but I like to be a bit different! Lyn Child Marlow, Bucks Allotments

46 South East

Our New Village Allotment Site

Our village is Hawkinge, situated on top we would win as they had the power to clear of weeds of the cliffs 3 miles north of Folkestone in compulsory rent or compulsory purchase and rubbish. Kent. I first started asking the local a field on our behalf. By this time the Mr Peter Neame residents about having an Allotment site Parish Council had a new Clerk and Our planning Regional Rep in the spring of 2005. although we did not get any better application took response to our letters we did feel that 9 months! The site needed to be fenced, In the first year 26 people had joined us, we had their support, and a few of our a water supply connected, a club house we had formed a committee, asked them members were attending PC meetings on and compost toilet installed, and in depth all for a £5 joining fee, opened a bank a regular basis. As a small village which contaminated soil tests done; plus an account, joined the NSALG and with has grown with 1500 new houses in the entrance and car park for 18 cars. Plots their help drew up a constitution. We had last ten years we still only have a part would be 10 x 15 meters = 150 sq. meters a meeting with our Parish time clerk for our Parish Council. we would get 40 plots on the field, the rent Council to decide which … new houses paid to the Parish Council and we would of three sites we thought were still being In the spring of 2008 we wrote manage the site. Apart from the Society’s would be most suitable built in the individually to all the nine Parish constitution we would have a code of for us. But none of these village, but no Councillors, the three District conduct in place for all our members. fields were made Councillors, our MP, and then to available to us. provision was the Chief District Council officers During the last year of endless waiting for going to be for Planning, Environment and news, we have cleared the field of We started having regular made for our Legal departments, as we rubbish, had it topped and marked out committee meetings; we request for realised that new houses were ready for occupation, then had it wrote letters and asked allotments. still being built in the village, but ploughed. We also managed to raise the Parish Council for a no provision was going to be £30k from local grants to add to the field of our own. No progress was made, made for our request for allotments. Parish Council’s money of £10k to get us so we started writing directly to our District started. So when a lease appeared in Council Planning Department; much later In July 2008 we were advised by a mid March 2010 we were ready to get we realised this was a big mistake; we District Council press release that part of the contractors working, but no luck as should have written to the Legal the old Brickfield had been allocated to he was busy lambing, but we did open Department at the Council offices as they us for allotments, which had been a our site on 1st April regardless. were more aware of the legal requirement horse paddock for 20 years. It was 2.3 they were under. As more than six people acres and had a 30 year lease; we were We had help from Rural Kent with getting were asking for an Allotment site, this had very excited by this news. grant applications done and Lyyd to be provided by law. Allotments Society, who had been very Our draft lease appeared nine months successful in getting funding before us. We plodded on, but not making any later in April 2009, and this allowed us to headway; by the autumn of 2007 we were have sheds of only 4 x 6ft, no restriction Eileen Blythe, getting very desperate, and, after advice on Greenhouses or polytunnel sizes but Hon. Chairwomen, from NSALG, we told our Parish council no glass was allowed on site; we were Hawkinge Allotment Society. that if we took them to the County Court, also asked to keep an adjoining footpath

Two Open Days with a difference

LOOSE GARDEN SOCIETY I was invited to attend the open day of the above society and judge their annual show of produce, flowers and crafts. This was a special occasion as they were celebrating a 125 year anniversary; their first show was held in 1885 and was reported in their history to have been a success. The site is beautiful and a good example of a self-managed site with a committee that works for the good of Chairman Eileen Blyth with Councillor Susan Carey, Chairwomen of Shepway the society. District Council, other committee members and the South East Rep, Peter Neame. amazing what has been achieved in the short space of time HAWKINGE ALLOTMENT between then and now and once again an example of what can SOCIETY be done when a community acts together. I was invited to visit the very first open day of Hawkinge A brief history of the beginnings of the society is also featured Allotment Society. After years in the regional news of this edition. of hard work members were finally allowed to start Peter Neame cultivating in April 2010. It is South East Regional Rep

47 South East

John Bunyan Leaver Charity

The Ancient Parish of East Farleigh lies fresh from members’ plots. Despite the village fencing company. A wide on the outskirts of the Borough of changeable weather the event was a great variety of vegetables and fruit, raised in Maidstone, County Town of the ‘Garden success, starting at 2 pm with the last growbags and pots, formed a colourful of England’. This was an area renowned stragglers drifting homeward at around 7 display against a backdrop of sweet for its hop gardens and orchards. Sadly pm having raised many a glass to the peas. Throughout the weekend the stand the hops have now gone but we are still pleasures of allotment gardening!! attracted large numbers of gardening surrounded by orchards. enthusiasts, many of them seeking The trustees of the Charity were also advice about starting their own vegetable In 1937 a local philanthropist, John invited to exhibit at this year's Kent plots. It was a genuine surprise when the Bunyan Leaver, gave three and a half County Show held from 16th to 18th July judges presented a Gold award to the acres of land to the Parish Council to be at the Detling showground. A joint effort Charity for their exhibit and when the used as allotments. The gift of land was by more than a dozen volunteers resulted trustees were also asked to take part in to be administered as a charity (JBLC) by in a display which attempted to give a the BBC Radio Kent gardening five trustees and any surplus income window into the environmental and programme which was broadcast live from the allotments was to be used to recreational benefits of allotment from the County Show! help parishioners in need. gardening. A 'mock up' mini plot consisting of three small beds was Sue Morris In recent years the allotments were sadly constructed with timber kindly loaned by Treasurer and Publicity JBLC underused, with as few as three active plots. Currently, with the advent of the new ‘grow-your-own’ culture, a desire for a more healthy diet and the benefits of outdoor exercise, there has been an increasing interest. We now have 30 full plots and 7 half plots all under cultivation, plus a waiting list!

The new trustees of JBLC, elected in 2009, wanted to thank the outgoing trustees for the sterling work they had done over many years and also bring together allotment holders for a social event. On 19th June a barbeque lunch was held at the allotment site, with delicious locally produced sausages, burgers and bread, accompanied by salads and strawberries

48 Southern

Easington Allotment Association Open Weekend 14 & 15 August 2010 Mr Tim Cann Regional Rep

To celebrate ‘National Allotment Week’ Easington Allotments in Banbury held their annual open weekend that weekend. Despite the heavens opening, a constant stream of visitors enjoyed guided walks around the site, bought fresh surplus produce and admired the entries to the scarecrow competition.

Chairman of Easington Allotments Association said “We have had a really fun weekend. It’s great to welcome to the site so many people from the local area who may not even have known we are here. Members donated lots of fruit and veg for our stall and everyone made a great effort with their scarecrows.”

The scarecrows included Bruce Forsyth, a dinosaur and a crow man. All monies raised will go towards repairing the community shed roof.

Nina Sperinck Easington Allotment Association

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49 South West

Another new and successful allotment…

With the wonderful help and support of which meant no one was going to be able that if we could the regional rep for the South West, Allan to get on to the site, no matter how keen only fill 10 plots Allan Cavill Cavill, another new and successful they were! So we thought that perhaps this year, we Regional Rep allotment has been set up in South East the best idea would be to start in the would be quite Cornwall. spring, when people can get straight on happy! Well... when people started seeing to the ground and start plots forming, sheds going up, digging Our allotments started She thought it digging and planting. Allan and that things were certainly starting to with a little idea, a plant came down to visit the farm happen in our field, they started to drop pot and some seeds – all would be a good this time to see where would by to find out what was happening. this being my way of way to diversify be the best place to put the Slowly but surely we started to fill in the growing my own fruit and and after seeing site. Poor Allan was driven gaps. By the end of May we had 12 plots veg for our own family. It an article in our around the 250 acres in Rich’s left out of 30 but there it seemed to stall, was initially my mother local paper… dusty old pickup with options so we got our local paper, The Cornish that commented on the for here, here, here and here... Times, involved and luckily on the same possibility of putting allotments We contacted the town planning office to day that Allan came to check out the somewhere on our 250 acre farm near check whether we needed any development of the allotment, so he Liskeard, Cornwall. She thought it would permission and found that we had to managed to get his name and comments be a good way to diversify and after actually advise them on some of the in print too! With the publication of a very seeing an article in our local paper of a legislation. They told us we would need beautiful picture and a fantastic article, councillor near us looking for some land planning to put in a permanent car park, the phone calls started coming once for about 70 people, we decided that so we decided we wouldn’t. We also again and within 2 weeks, the rest of the perhaps it was what our area needed. checked out with the councils whether plots had been let. We’ve even now got a After a search on the internet for any help the highway agency would want to get waiting list and plan to add another row possible, we came across the NSALG involved and they in the autumn with more following and its regional rep for the South West, suggested that with a small Three people next year if needed. The people Allan Cavill. We contacted Allan by email enough site and with good signed up on the allotment are a fantastic and sketched out a vague idea of what access, they wouldn’t want there and bunch and it’s become a real we wanted to do. He thought it was to. In March 2010 we then… community. We’ve had nothing brilliant and gave us lots of advertised a site meeting in but positive comments since they encouragement and advice. We had a the field we planned to use and had a were established and we are so very meeting with Allan in June 2009 to fairly good turnout. Three people signed proud of the site and the people. We have establish what we wanted to do and how up there and then and we didn’t hear a lot of praise for four very special to go about doing it. We planned to get from the rest for various reasons. We felt allotmenteers who have put a lot of time the allotments up and running by October a little bit dismayed at the initial interest and effort into helping us with the site: 2009, but the summer weather was not and then the final uptake, but we still Dian Smith, Mick Dobb and Mr and Mrs brilliant and this put back our harvest. We chose to go ahead and take the risk of P Kingdom. Thank you. then had a bad winter of rain and snow setting some allotments up. We decided

I was very pleased to receive an email from Ashley Bell of Help the Heroes Axminster Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Society reporting a very successful event that the Society has participated in in their Town.

Members from the Society had created a show garden at the Axe Vale festival held on 26th & 27th June this year. The theme was “Dig for Victory” and they were extremely pleased to win the David Swarbrick Rose Bowl for the ‘Best Outdoor Stand'.

The bucket collection made a staggering £1000.00 for the Help the Heroes charity.

The photographs show the incredible amount of work the members must have put in and to get a result like that must be most satisfying for all of those involved. How do they top that next year? I suspect that this very proactive Society will be probably planning next year already!

Allan Cavill South West Regional Representative

50 The formation of Lamerton Allotment Association

From an initial meeting of people interested in ‘growing their own’ in June 2008 and after a long and winding road with many frustrating delays we have now progressed to becoming proud allotment holders and loving every minute of it!

A committee was formed and information posters put up around the village to gauge the level of interest. We agreed that we would become members of the NSALG and Allan Cavill, Regional Director (South West) very kindly agreed to meet with us and advise and assist in and asking them if they could acquire money to help us get started. We have our negotiations with the Parish Council. land on our behalf. Eventually a suitable so far bought a communal rotovator, We also agreed early on that we would site was found in the village, a lovely strimmer and shed with the grant money. like to involve our local school children in open field which in living memory had the project. never been ploughed. Absolutely perfect Our first meeting at the new allotment for us. After protracted negotiations we site was to allocate the plots which we Our next step was to write to the Parish signed an Agreement with the Parish did by ballot. Looking at this big empty Council informing them of the formation Council in March 2010 who also very field it seemed very daunting but at the of the Lamerton Allotment Association generously agreed to grant us a sum of same time very exciting as we stomped over our new terrain wondering how we were going to lay out our plots. Three months down the line I think you can see that we need not have worried as everyone has worked very hard to get crops in this season, sheds erected and fences built, helped, of course, by the good weather.

We now have all 23 plots rented and the School have so many children interested in the gardening club that they have to come on alternate weeks. Our first event was a very successful barbecue which Allan Cavill and Les Bennett, a local prizewinning gardener attended to present cups for the best kept allotments. Hopefully with the wonderful community spirit this undertaking has engendered we will continue to grow and prosper.

Elaine Price Secretary Lamerton Allotment Association

51 South West

New allotments for Totnes

In April 2010, just in time for planting, 28 tenants were able to money. We took some potential tenants out to see the site and join our new allotment site. It was the culmination of a year’s everyone agreed it was worth a try. hard work, but our journey really began three years earlier. So, we started a six-month phase of fundraising. It was Totnes residents formed the Allotments Association …amazingly, difficult, because we had to agree a price with the in 2007 because, amazingly, there were no statutory there were sellers and get contractors to quote for the council allotments in the town. Former allotments infrastructure costs and then ask them to wait while we had disappeared under housing developments and no statutory applied for funds. By September we had raised, car parks. A year of talks and demonstrations with council through the Big Lottery Fund and the Wakefield Trust, our rallying cry ‘Give peas a chance!’ – keeping our allotments in enough for the purchase of the land and the basic campaign in the local media and on the council’s the town infrastructure costs of fencing, paths, water pipes and agenda – finally resulted in the council creating nine moving the access. full plots on a meadow below the castle. These were shared out between fourteen tenants, because by this time we had over We could now start the legal process of purchase, but our ninety members. constitution did not allow our Association to be landowners. We had to appoint some trustees to buy the land on our behalf. The These first allotments are well established now, but we new entrance track crossed three metres of district council desperately needed more. There followed a year of frustration. grass verge. It took months of negotiation to sort that out. We We worked with the council, trying to persuade the owners of had no money to pay the lawyers until our county councillor large local estates to offer helped us out. There were new regulations about the water land, without success. connection, which meant more site visits, phone-calls and Compulsory purchase was too expenses before we got the go-ahead. A district councillor expensive an option for the helped again with the costs. When the purchase finally went council to contemplate. through in February 2010 and our contractor was ready to get on to the ground, it rained for weeks. Then, in the spring of 2009, a local couple offered part of a The steering group worked long hours, cutting the hedging and large, sloping field to the contacting people on the waiting list. They drew up plans for council for allotments. They laying out the plots and the paths. Questions came thick and were willing to sell over an fast about rabbits, sheds, greenhouses, bees…. acre, but the council could not afford to buy it. The sellers did It was all worth it! The soil is a deep, rich red and crumbles at not want a rental agreement. the touch. Some tenants have waited over three years for an Stalemate. allotment. There are still many improvements needed and we know the problems, costs and questions will keep on coming. The couple asked if we would But we’re confident that the great group of people who are buy it. The land faced east creating the new site will deal with them. The fantastic range of and sloped quite steeply. The produce, displayed at the Open Day in August to celebrate the access needed altering to first harvest, is proof of that. make it safe. It was not ideal, but with some terracing it was Cathy Kiddle possible. But we had no Secretary, Totnes Allotments Association Open day

Site after 12 weeks Site after ploughing

52 Wales

Regional Report – European Allotment Award

It was a great honour to present a extension to the existing plot with a support to the Mr A Rees MBE European allotment award in Recognition tremendous amount of support from the young people Regional Rep for special social activities to Torfaen community. After awarding the diploma who are involved Cold Barn Farm Allotments. I received to a young gentleman Dylan Jones for John Wells, Lucas Minaham, Leighton the Diploma on their behalf from the his commitment and progression in the Jones, Sky Hughes, Mel Hughes, Evan Preben Jacobsen who said “the Office allotments I learnt of the difficulties he Ford & Taylor F. The Mayor of Torfaen Cllr International” hopes that Cold Barn Farm has overcome in just attending the Tom Huish, Cllrs Lewis Jones, Janet Allotments will successfully continue and presentation let alone receiving the Jones, John Marshall, Alan Giles, develop its efforts in this area. This award. There are so many within the Schools represented by Ann Reynolds & project will be an example to other community that have given up their time Anne Roberts. Guest Ken Whyte leisure gardeners and local authorities and have been totally committed to this Chairman of the Welsh Region, to all across the UK, highlighting allotment project, especially Mathew Ford the those who I may have missed out your gardeners working with the community. centre coordinator who accepted the work has been exceptional and the second part of the award of an inscribed award is well deserved congratulations Having seen first hand the efforts being glass trophy. to you all and look forward to the end of made by the Young People working on the next project that I know is planned. this project I can assure Preben that Whilst writing I would like to thank the there is already plans to produce an following for attending and giving their Allan Rees MBE

Market Garden Allotment Association, Newport Gwent. Self Management

We are an allotment association which has 100 allotment holders; we took over the site 3 years ago from Newport City Council an which time we have cleaned, cut and flattened anything that needed it. We have a very strong committee that is dedicated to their commitment.

Last year it was decided we needed a toilet on site, as we now have a large number of ladies working on plots. Our Chairlady took up the challenge and found out where to go and with the help of one of our allotment holders was put in the right direction. She applied for two grants, Lottery and Local. We also approached three Local Councilors and were given a small grant to start us off. 18 months later a new Natsol toilet has been erected. This we are very proud of as we believe it is the first eco friendly toilet in our area.

A Local Contractor erected this without any fuss in five days in all weathers. Alan John Landscapes, of Cwmbran.

Ken Lewis, Secretary Market Garden Allotment Association

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