Allotment Issue 1 2011 56pp_Layout 1 17/01/2011 14:07 Page 1 Allotment and Leisure Gardener Issue No 1 • 2011 Composting page 17 Beekeeping page 20 NSALG Survey page 24 National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners PROTECT PROMOTE PRESERVE £2 Allotment Issue 1 2011 56pp_Layout 1 17/01/2011 14:07 Page 2 15 Kg (40Ltr) Bag £3.95 + vat delivered 100% ORGANIC FERTILISER PRODUCED FOR OVER 25 YEARS, COMPOSTED, MILLED AND OVEN HEATED AT OVER 200O C TO PRODUCE A SAFE AND ECONOMICAL PRODUCT ONE BAG WILL TREAT UP TO 250 SQUARE YARDS PELLETED CHICKEN FERTILISER • EASY TO SPREAD • CONCENTRATED • One or two handfuls per sq.metre for vegetables, soft fruits, flowers A dissolved handful in one gallon of water for an excellent liquid feed Scatter a handful on each layer of garden waste to enrich the compost Ideal for lawn feed at a handful per sq. metre 8 Kg bucket from e: [email protected] 20 Kg bag from £3.50 + vat delivered www.groworganic.org £5.95 + vat delivered 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 100 (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 Allotment Issue 1 2011 56pp_Layout 1 17/01/2011 14:08 Page 3 Contact details Allotment and Leisure Gardener Issue 1 • 2011 Head Office Secretary: Mrs D McDaid Administration: Mrs K Maher, Mrs E McInally & Mr I Blaikie 15 17 Legal Advisor: Mrs Liz Bunting 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 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 'Jack & Ron' from Mottram Allotments 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 30 33 SUBMISSIONS ADVICE Letters and articles for publication should be sent to: NSALG Head Office CLOSING DATES: Issue 2 2011: 18/3/2011 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’. 38 44 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....................................4 AROUND THE REGIONS or originals in the post (photocopies / Chairman’s Comments .......................5 Northern............................................29 printed copies will not be used). Legal ...................................................7 Yorkshire ...........................................33 Letters.................................................8 North West........................................37 If you need help with any of the above Book Review.....................................10 East Midlands ...................................43 please call Jayne at Crest Publications West Midlands ..................................47 FEATURES on: 01604 495495 or email: Eastern..............................................49 Little Growers.....................................13 [email protected] South East ........................................50 Life imitates art .................................15 South West .......................................51 NSALG Management Committee, Officers, Editor and Publishers, Composting ......................................17 do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors Wales ................................................53 to this magazine and do not accept any r esponsibility for any Diary of a Beekeeper ........................20 errors in transmission in the subject matter of this publication. All advertisements ar e included in good faith and NSALG Mike Thurlow Competitions/Giveaway ...................25 Management Committee, Officers, Editor and Publishers, cannot therefore accept any r esponsibility for any services of fered by Answers your Questions.................22 advertisers. No part of this publication may be r eproduced without express written permission of the Society and Publishers. Survey...............................................24 3 Allotment Issue 1 2011 56pp_Layout 1 17/01/2011 14:08 Page 4 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 Mr 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 Allotment Issue 1 2011 56pp_Layout 1 17/01/2011 14:08 Page 5 Head Office Chairman’s Comments Whilst writing these comments temperatures are sub-zero, On a more positive note I am pleased to snow is still holding and in some areas up to two feet in depth report that there are local authorities with more on the way. Hopefully by the time you read this we who are looking to provide extra land for will be having milder weather but in the meantime keep warm allotments within the 1908 legislation. I and safe especially for those of you who are unable to get out. would commend Caerphilly County Borough Council for their valiant Although the year has been hectic we have gone from strength approach to allotment provision. In to strength increasing membership and continuing to offer legal three areas they are either reclaiming assistance to some societies who are in extreme difficulties. land let for another purpose, or The new legal advisor in the office, Liz Bunting has been extending allotments on to land not designated as such. One inundated with requests for information and assistance in all parcel that was considered for housing is now being matters legal. May I remind you that information we give has to appropriated for allotments; within Wales a community council be within the bounds of the legislation and may not always be recently purchased land at an auction for allotment purposes. favourable to the member concerned? Several years ago there This proves that councils can provide statutory allotments and was a situation where we received advice from a Barrister that a were doing so in 2010. member was not happy with, advice we had given, so we suggested that member should look for their own advice. National Allotment Gardens Trust was initially set up as a Needless to say after consulting