(new articles 07/02/08)
News from Felixstowe
It’s coming!
We’ve just had a bit of cold weather - as the
weather man in the paper said,a cold snap of a day or two is NOT
winter! The birds have begun to sing outside our bedroom window,
making me feel that spring is really coming - but the buds and the
bulbs are all telling us the same message Spring IS coming. Trouble
is, that asks "Are you ready yet?" mmmmm...!
Our next Open Meeting is on FEBRUARY 28th at
7.30pm in the usual Old Felixstowe Community Centre, and the
speaker wil be Karen Kenny, whom many of you maya know from her
programmes on Radio Suffolk on Saturdays.
She has an allotment in Ipswich, but is so busy
with the ‘Allotment Regeneration Initiative’, and Suffolk Allotment
Society that she finds it hard to do much on her own plot! She is
going to talk about the most basic of all parts of an allotment,
necessary before even plants, and that is the soil in which we
grown everything! She is an entertaining speaker, and I am sure
that some of us will learn things we had not known.
DON’T FORGET
Because Easter is so early this year [ March
23rd] there is no March meeting, but the Annual Meeting will
be on April 10th. to avoid the Easter holiday period at 7.30
p.m. in the Old felixstowe Community Centre, as usual.
We have Colin Nickerson coming to speak,
as was announced in the last newsletter, and of course we also have
the usual business of Electing the Committee and a Chair.
We still need nominations for the Chair,[Who is
elected at the Annual Meeting] and we need new committee members,
eespecially from amongst our newly joined and younger members. We
also want more representation from Ferry Road and Railway Hill and
Langley Avenue sites.
The present Committee is:
Katrina Reid [Chair]
Peter Jeffries [Hon .Treasurer]
Christopher Leffler Hon. Sec
Paul Solomon, Leo Chambers, Maurice Barber.
Keith Barclay, Brian Ranner.
Peter Jeffries reminds everyone that
they need to renew their subscriptions if they have not already
done so!
After a period when it seemed impossible to
change anything on our website, we are updating it and hope to have
it more usable and informative in a short time. You will find us in
the "OneSuffolk" portal [www. onesuffolk.co.uk] if you have not
looked into that. It is a county-wide and publicly funded web
portal where all sorts of communal organisations and local
government information and comment can be found.
The Allotment is the magazine
of the National Society. It is now in full colour and full of
interesting articles. Members can have a personal copy for £4 a
year[4 issues] thro’ me. Please ask me.
SINGLE!
I have only had one enquiry so far about bulk
buying supplies, so far. I can bring a catalogue to the open
meeting or meet you to discuss what you want, as long as I
know!
IPSWICH - New Committee at Maidenhall Allotments
Mr Bryan Taylor thanking retiring Field Secretary Mrs Jane Flatt
for her service to the Allotment Movement.
From left to right: Mrs Janice Stopher, Miss Nicky Humphries, Mr
Bryan Taylor,
Mr Ted Mullett, Mrs Jane Flatt, Mr Gordon Kinsey.
I.A.H.A. Ltd Chairman Mr Bryan Taylor
welcomes new Field Secretary Mrs Janice Stopher along with new and
old committee.
New committee left to right: Mrs Janice Stopher, Miss Nicky
Humphries, Mr Ted Mullett and Mr Gorden Kinsey.
The new committee at Maidenhall Allotments recommends that you get
an allotment and eat more fruit and veg!
SSALG Chairman's 2007 Report.
This Year has again seen a wide range of events provided and
managed by our hard working committee. Summer would not, be the
same without the introduction of the green-day arranged by our
Karen Kenny and her fellow supporters. The event was well attended
and introduced new
Breed of gardeners to our County.
Youth plays an important key role in our planning and our annual
thoughts should encourage this for the future. Ipswich Presentation
Evening saw a number of people attending the event in which the
association plays a major role-not only as main event sponsor, but
also as a provider of a grand evening’s entertainment. This year
our mix of music was again very varied and we especially welcomed
The Mayor and Mayoress who made a spectacular impact along with the
evenings sponsors. We have also supported a number of open-days and
the ongoing progress of allotments has made our task satisfying. We
also were also delighted to work alongside our colleagues at the
Castle Hill who won the Community Award in the Kitchen Garden
Competition. Our Regular Quarterly meetings play a vital role in
our programme as, through our members we look to provide a
welcoming on such events. Our Programme with county societies and
gardening groups who work with young people across Suffolk and
Norfolk should aim to meet the current agendas facing communities
who are involved in allotments. Young people play an important part
to our ongoing future and give us an opportunity to encourage and
help them with there allotment education. Together we aim to
encourage more young people and those who are set to join us and
provide that important stepping stone for our allotments. The
Pumpkin Challenge has also encourage a number of gardeners to take
part and on the 21st October 2006.We believe in the development and
support of those members and Communities, and that our success as a
movement is founded on the support those Communities can give to
the County by helping in providing a more direct approach. We have
also a great deal of work still to do by challenging those councils
who under mind our strength as a movement and take our members for
granted. We are also are proud that the success our members and
supporters bring to us can be shared in Community support, Members
activities and communicating the allotments message. Is important
in our events planned for next year, The County Society is a big
society making the difference. That difference is that it is solely
managed by local people, its members, and is firmly rooted in the
encouragement in the local communities where those members
live.
KEVIN ASHFORD
St Edmundsbury Gardeners Society
made a visit to the only allotments we have left
in Bury St Edmunds. 
They are situated behind
a block of flats and have been cultivated for thirty years or
more, I'm not sure when we first used them. They are small
plots with eighteen plotholders, and until last year were not
too tidy, but early in 2005 two members began a clear up, had
a skip to take away rubbish and other stuff which had been
dumped there and even encouraged people in the flats to make a
better show of the piece of land near to them. They then
suggested that one of our evening outings in the summer could
be to the allotments!! Take a chair and there would be some
coffee and refreshments to make a pleasant evening.so there we
were as you can see by the photo.. We really had a grand time
and the gardens around the allotments had won an award in the
recent Bury in Bloom for "improving their environment". We met
the people involved in that and there was a photographer to
record the visit. The Society itself has been in existence
since the 1920's, and was originally begun to encourage people
to grow vegetables. Our original name was "Bury St Edmunds and
District Allotment Holders and Gardeners Association", but
this was changed in 1989 as we are primarily a Society who
meets on a monthly basis September to April for evenings of
speaker or demonstrator, and outings to local gardens in the
summer. We joined the N.S.A.L.G when we needed advice in l999,
as our other set of allotments was taken over for development.
We should be given replacement plots in 2007 when the leisure
area within the site is developed. We shall see what happens
then.
Aldeburgh
30th April 2007 - latest
news
We are at the start of a busy year in Aldeburgh,
and the warm spell has brought everyone out in their gardens and
allotments.
Our AGM was held in the new sports and social centre, and we had
delicious seasonal food provide by Sophie Dorber, a local chef.
David Curry, the chair of six years has stepped down, and Rachel
Frazer Steele was elected in his place.
Our evening meetings have been well attended.We were treated to a
super show of films from the East Anglian Archive, presented
enthusiastically by Jim Cecil. Jeremy Burchardt of reading
University gave a talk on the 'History of Allotments'. Ou April
event will be film and talk by Mary Pendered and Louisa Thorp of
East feast, about how they grew food to feed over three hundred
guests at the feast, with pupils from Aldeburgh primary school, on
the school allotment. There is a birding event, led by one of our
members, Mike Swindells, planned for Friday 27th of April, a tour
of the North Warren bird reserve. We have a visit to two local
gardens scheduled for May.
Members have contributed interesting and valuable articles to our
quarterly newsletter on such topics a composting made simple, and
the health giving properties of fruit and vegetables. The
association had a stall at the community fair in November, where
members contributed contributed produce from their gardens and
allotments, and baked and preserved items for sale.
We are delighted that two overgrown allotments have been cleared,
and are back in production. The association has liased with the
local council to assess the demand for more allotments, and help
get them all in order again.
We look forward to a productive year in the garden and plot, and
although we are enjoying the sun at the moment, would also like a
little rain, but only if it comes at night!
NEWMARKET
Our 2005 membership is 228, the highest for 20
years. Only one of our 3 sites has vacant plots and they are
rapidly being taken up.
Since 1921 the Association has managed the allotments on land
leased from the local Council, originally Newmarket Urban District
but, since 1974, Forest Heath District and/or Newmarket Town. We
have recently signed a new 7 year lease up to September 2012 for
our Crockfords Park site (landlords Forest Heath) and we are in the
process of negotiating similar leases with Newmarket Town Council
for the Field Terrace Road and New Cheveley Road sites.
For the first time in our history we have a female Chairman. (She
prefers that title to chair or chairperson.) Mary Jacobs has for
several years been Site Manager for Crockfords Park and
Vice-Chairman of the Association,
Our new Treasurer is Ian McCarthy.
Secretary: Colin Nickerson.
MILDENHALL
We have been given a 6 hp. American lawnmower
with powerdrive!!! so we have that for keeping the site tidy. The
District Council is putting in a new Bus Station here in Mildenhall
and ripping out the old benches and bicycle hitches etc! so
yours truly requested them for use on allotment site. My request
was granted as these were going to be scrapped! I sent two of the
boys round after chatting with Site Manager to pick them up, so we
now have two very heavy iron benches and cycle hitches! The benches
need repainting to remove the graffitti etc.
CAPEL GOES UNDER COVER!
Capel St Mary Allotments Association is always looking for new
initiatives to improve facilities on the local allotment site and
over its 30 year history has achieved much. The association has
donated funds for the purchase of rotovators and lawn mowers, the
provision of a unisex site toilet, the provision of picnic benches
for exhausted plot holders to take a well deserved breather, the
expansion of the car park, provided the labour to replace the
perimeter fence around the six acre site – the materials being
provided by the owners of the site – the Parish Council. This list
is by no means complete and is in addition to organising site and
machinery maintenance, letting plots, collecting rents and all that
goes with running a successful allotment site.
All of the improvements are of course done with the full agreement
of the Parish Council. The allotment site isn’t “self managed” in
the normal sense of the term, but the association manages the site
on behalf of the Parish Council, effectively acting as its agent.
Completely separate from the “allotment side” of the association it
also operates a trading hut with a £10k per annum turnover and
organises an Annual Flower and Produce Show along with promotional
and social activities.
The association spent a couple of years considering the latest
project before committing itself to its most ambitious project to
date. The members were consulted to gauge the likely interest, the
local planning authority was approached, Geoff Stokes was
approached (and offered sound advice) and the project was discussed
and agreed with the Parish Council.
Suppliers were contacted, the pennies counted and after all of the
careful planning we had a major construction project under way. Ops
I haven’t mentioned what going under cover is about – to construct
a poly tunnel 72 feet by 20 feet and divide it into 24 6 foot by 8
foot mini plots, available to association members whether or not
they rent a traditional allotment plot or not. Orders were placed
and the day of delivery arrived, the poly tunnel arrived on the
largest rigid lorry imaginable - so large that it was doubtful if
it was ever going to get out of the village as turning to leave by
the route it arrived was impossible. Unloaded the parts looked like
a giant sized meccano set, steel frame parts, nut bolts and the
inevitable plans. We needed a construction manager; the site
manager stepped into the breach. To his every command holes were
dug, appropriate parts selected and positioned in the holes (as
good gardeners do so well), the structure bolted together, sand
levelled over area and rolled, a membrane laid and secured and
finally the fixing of the cover, quite a feat in the
light breeze - fortunately the half dozen members who turned up for
this crucial stage managed to hold onto the huge plastic sheet. Had
the wind taken it to the nearby A12 we weren’t too sure how we were
going to ask for it back!
In parallel with the numerous finishing off jobs the 8 by 10 foot
mini plots were let out at £3.00 per annum. 16 of the 24 were taken
up and a good range of tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, courgettes,
strawberries and so on were grown. By February this year a further
four plots had been let, plenty of time remaining for new plot
holders to take the remaining mini plots.
As for Capel's future plans, a water conservation project to
recover water from the machinery and sales hut roofs is under way,
automatic irrigation for the mini poly tunnel plots is being
discussed, wild flower seeds are to be planted in an unused area of
the allotment site and no doubt plot holders will demand more at
the AGM.
Do you have some news from your allotment group in Suffolk to share
with others? email your report and pictures to the
SSALG
Bury St Edmunds Cotton Lane
Cotton Road Association was formed Just 6 years ago when Colin
Nickerson and Mick Webb attended a meeting in Bury St Edmunds. And
Eaun Allen took on the task of Chairing the Association. , at that
time 70 out of 80 plots were tended after a fashion. The Steering
group took command and in those 4 years have performed miracle. The
field now has 105 plots some of which have been created from ‘lost
land’ and some of which have been halved to accommodate plotters.
And they now have a waiting list of around 20 at any given time.
They have had 4 more water stations created . planted a Hazel
coppice for future beanpoles and peasticks. And on November the 6th
of 2005 had a grand opening of a brand new very Posh shed. Eaun had
got wind of a possible sponsor and did no more than set the wheels
in Motion and the Havebury Housing Association Community Fund were
happy to provide £2,000 for site preparation and provision of a
16ft x 8.ft 6 in. concrete garage from Compton Garages. With the
help of few friends the Association secured the appropriate
planning permission and the whole field pulled together and the
manual work of preparation and landscaping the surrounding area was
completed ready for the grand opening on November the 6th attended
by many of the plotholders , the Vice Chairman of the Havebury
Housing Community Fund Mr Tom Murray and members of the SSALG.
Performing her very first public engagement , two and a half year
old Ellie Rutherford assisted by her Granny Karen Kenny ( Vice
Chairman of the SSALG) performed the all important cutting of the
tape. As Eaun said he was so please to have Ellie representing the
future of allotments associated with the past , Mmm I’m not so sure
about that bit . I’m not quite past it yet!.
The difference a well Run Association can make
in such a short time is inspirational. Well done Euan and your
team.
Walsham Le Willows - a new group is formed
It Took just one year for David Rolfe a
councillor in Walsham Le Willows to create and almost fill a brand
new allotment field of 20 plus one odd shaped adult plots. and 14
children’s plots. Have Water laid on , the field fenced and paths
laid provide a hose for all to use and even provide brand new sheds
for each plot all painted in different colours. To have the
children win Highly commended prizes at the Local Horticultural
society’s show and have chickens so happy they produce eggs within
6 days of taking up residence !.
This all began at a meeting in April 2004 when
David heard of Trust land that could be used for allotments and he
had 6 people already requesting t5hem! He did no more but set to
work to make it happen getting the farmer who had the tenancy to
give it up in favour of allotments. He took Advice from our Suffolk
Society arranging a talk with Karen Kenny and Colin Nickerson which
gave him 12 tenants ready and waiting
Walsham now has a thriving allotment Association
Affiliated to the National and going from strength to strength, and
as David Says “ Happy healthy tenants carrying home bags of produce
, some of which had never grown vegetables before” Well done David
and Walsham you are a shining example for all councils to
follow.
News from the office of the Regional Representative
SSALG enjoys 10 Years of growth:-
In 1997 only 7 Suffolk Allotment Associations
with a total membership of 509 were affiliated to National
Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.
At the inaugural meeting of
SSALG in December 1997, 3 of these (Capel
St. Mary, Leiston and Newmarket) were represented.
Others in attendance included individual members of NSALG who were
working towards organising and affiliating their own local
association.
By:-
2000 11 associations with total membership
1263 were affiliated
2002 17 associations with total
membership 1566 were affiliated
2006 22 associations with total
membership 1918 were affiliated
-------------------
The constitution of the National Garden Trust, the charity
established by NSALG to promote allotment and recreational
gardening, has been approved by the Charity Commissioners. Neil
Dixon, NGAT Chairman, told the National Society’s Annual General
Meeting in Hereford that the Allotment Regeneration initiative had
“opened several doors” which would provide opportunities to build
on.. The Trust has already assumed responsibility for National
Allotment Week and the best allotment competition launched this
year.
North Norfolk District Council has rejected Tesco’s application to
build on Sheringham’s Weston Terrace allotments.
Following a well organised campaign by Westeliff-on-Sea’s
Springfield Road allotment holders, the threat posed to their plots
by the need for playing fields for two merged schools has been
lifted.
Norfolk association representatives meeting at Dereham have voted
to set up a county body similar to SSALG.
email
Colin Nickerson for more
details.