After bringing the old abandoned allotments behind the Woodbridge estate back into use at the start of 2011 and all growing plenty of veg, we allotmenteers looked forward to more of the same easy growing in 2012. Perhaps it was just beginners luck or even greater expectations of what we thought we might be able to achieve or maybe it was just the weather but 2012 has been a wholly different kettle of fish or perhaps I should say a whole kettle of Slugs and Snails? (More about our slimy friends later)
2012 began cold and snowy so it was a slow start for many on the site; our first big event of the year was in February which was our Jubilee Hedge planting day which was part of the Woodland trust’s bid to plant 6 million trees to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Around 40 members turned out to help plant the Wild Harvest tree pack which was a mixed variety of Hazel, Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Dog Rose and one Royal Oak Sapling, totally 420 trees we had a busy day but I am pleased to say we got the job done. The main bulk of the trees were planted at the top of the site to form a new hedge in front of the fence that council erected to secure that side of our site. We then planted the rest of the trees into the gaps of the existing hedge along the Woodbridge side. The saplings are all doing well but it’ll be a few years before we get to eat the fruits of our labours.
Following on from the success of the tree planting day we decided to hold monthly working parties on the last Saturday of each month (weather permitting) with the idea that we could muster the masses and really start to improve the allotments for not only the plot holders but also our very nice neighbours who over look the site. Since the council finished the fence at the bottom of the site and installed our new gates the site is now quite secure so we have really cracked on with the site improvements. We have removed nearly ten years’ worth of accumulated rubbish, tyres, old beer cans and lots and lots of broken glass! Filling five skips in the process, the site has really benefitted because of it. We have started to tackle the wilder areas of the site, we have created some parking areas at the top and bottom of the site in an attempt to reduce the amount of cars parked outside the main gate and we are bringing more plots back into service all the time.
These working parties are always good fun plenty of banter and on a couple of occasions we have ended the day with a couple of drinks at the Queenswood Social Club. One of the big jobs we tackled in 2012 was to cut down the trees that had been left to grow unchecked around the site over the last twenty years or so. We have a few still left to chop down but the ones we have taken out have really opened up the site. A big thank you goes to Dave Cox, a local landscape gardener and plot holder who took charge of this project for us as he’s pretty nifty with the chainsaw.
Now you might remember that around this time last year everyone was banging on about a national water shortage and that some parts of the South East even had hose pipe bans put in place! Well I feel pretty confident that this will not be a problem for us this year because I not sure if ever stopped raining last year! Well it certainly felt like it.
Since taking up allotment gardening a little over two years ago I have become something of a weather obsessive, planning my weeks visits to the allotment around potential downpours which were unfortunately all to frequent. Which nicely leads to this question, do you know what does like the rain? Yep that’s right Slugs and Snails and do you know what they like more than rain? My blooming brassicas that’s what! Down on the Greenie Patch plot 14 I have fought a brave fight against these slimy little veg munchers but I feel that I may have lost the war, there was just too many of them! As an organic minded gardener I have had to face the ultimate test of our faith, do I or do I not put down slug pellets? I had tried everything else but to neither little nor no effect, I have crushed up egg shells, put down coffee grounds, I put in so many beers traps that I’m surprised Barney Gumble isn’t living in my poly tunnel!
Have had a single lettuce this year? Nope. Did I find one cabbage with all its leaves intact? Not a chance. One measly brussel sprout? Not on your Nelly. So in the end I relented and I put down pellets! But before you cry deserter, they were organic pellets that are dog and hedgehog friendly, which helps me sleep a little easier at night, I know I am a mollusc murderer but they started it by eating all my Cauliflowers.
So the summer was great wasn’t it? Sunny and hot weekends, lovely warm evenings… Hang on a minute that was my holiday with the wife I was thinking of, sorry. The British Summer was nothing more than a damp squib, a wet flotilla, a poorly duke and a wedded prince were the stand out highlights, oh and there was a bit of a sporting doo down in London which the mighty county of Yorkshire did pretty well in I believe! For me the summer ended with me making an awful lot of Green Tomato Chutney. It wasn’t all bad though I grew some great big squashes though none as massive as Mik Shillito’s pumpkin was over on plot 44! And of course loads of runner beans, most of which ended up being donated to the ‘One Food Mile’ Veg stall at the Kirkstall Deli market, this is a great little project set up by the very lovely folk at Burley Mills and Headingley Station Allotments to sell off surplus veg to the local community at an affordable price. Church Lane allotments has been donating its surplus veg too but at times this year we didn’t have much at all to give, which was a shame. Hopefully we shall have some nice gluts of veg to give this year to make amends and hold up our end of the bargain.
In September we held our AGM, during which the committee members were elected for the following year, James Shaw our Secretary stood down to concentrate on being a dad, congratulations to him and partner Chiara. James was instrumental in getting the allotments back into use two years ago and has managed the site well during his tenure; I think I can say on behalf of the membership a very big thank you for all your hard work James. Taking on the role of Secretary is Dave Berry, we all wish him well. Other changes to committee are as follows; Alison Elgie-Heaton plot 46 was re-elected as Chairperson, Matt Barlow plot 47 was re-elected as Treasurer, John Conlin plot 73 was re-elected as Communications Officer, Matt Sykes-Hooban (Me) plot 14 was re-elected as Lettings Officer, Dave Cox plot 74 joined the committee as the new Site Maintenance Officer. Denise Shanks plot 45 was re-elected as a committee member and was joined by Michelle Mchale plot 44 and Jo Hobson plot 10 who were both elected as committee members. Mandy Long plot 17 stepped down from the committee because of work commitments and we thank her for hard work. During the meeting we voted on and accepted our new association constitution and also voted in the new rules for site. Reports were also given from all the elected association officers. Moving forward we are in a good position financially, we have a large membership of approx. 90 tenants and a short waiting list.
As summer gave way to autumn we decided that we should have a party to celebrate the end of the season with bonfire night around the corner it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a BBQ party. After all we had plenty of wood to burn after cutting the trees down during the summer. So on the morning of Saturday 3rd November, a gang of volunteers gathered on the site to do a bit of site clearing, We cleared the grassy mound in front of gates and levelled the area which was a good job well done and made accessing the site in a car a little easier. We built a great big bonfire for the party; Matt Barlow plot 48, Dave Cox plot 74 and I were in charge of lighting the fire, after a few failed attempts Andy, Joanne Hobson’s partner got the fire going with a liberal dousing of red diesel. I hasten to add no one was injured during the lighting of the fire apart from a few Boy Scout egos!
Joanne Hobson from Plot 10 was in charge of the BBQ and brought some wonderful coleslaw made from some veggies on her plot, the freshest I’ve ever had. There was plenty of grub on offer, loads of homemade parkin and other goodies kindly donated by plot holders. We had a good night of it and I for one was properly stuffed by the end. And a good job from Andy McHale from plot 42 for holding the torch over Jo’s shoulder so she could see how the burgers were doing once it got dark.
Looking forward to 2013 we are hoping to build on the success of the last two years, the plans if they come off include improving our parking facilities on site, putting in a secure storage container for plots holders to use and fingers crossed 2013 will be the year we finally get the composting toilet onsite which would be brilliant. We are also hoping to plant a community orchard and to tame the last remaining wild plots and get them let out to new tenants.
So as you have read it has been a busy year on the Church Lane allotments, we still have a few plots to bring back into use and a very short waiting list so if you have often thought to yourself ‘Gosh I would just love a bit of land to call my own so I can grow some lovely vegetables’ Well don’t hesitate a moment longer drop me an email to lettings@churchlaneallotments.org.uk and I’ll get you on the list before everyone else.
Here’s to a pleasant sunny, dry with occasional light showers 2013, See you on site soon, I’m off now to get my plot dug over and tidied up for the spring, I can’t wait to get planting! I reckon it is going to be a very good year this year.
Matt Sykes-Hooban
