Page 41 - ALG Issue 2 2025

EASTERN
Sun Safety on the Plot:
PROTECTING YOURSELF
WHILE YOU GROW
Hopefully, spring is finally here, and the
growing season has begun in earnest.
It’s been a long, cold winter, but with
warmer days ahead, it’s time to get back
to our plots.
With more time spent outdoors, I
want to take a moment to talk about skin
cancer and the importance of spotting it
early. Many allotmenteers spend hours in
the sun, often without realising the risks.
Cancer Research UK has excellent advice
on this, and I’d like to share some key
points.
Know the Signs
You don’t need to do regular skin checks,
but if something doesn’t look or feel
right, don’t ignore it. This could be a new
mole or mark, or an existing one that has
changed. The ABCDE rule can help:
•
Asymmetry – One half of the mole
doesn’t match the other.
•
Border – Edges are irregular, blurred,
or jagged.
•
Colour – Uneven or multiple colours,
or different from other moles.
•
Diameter – Larger than 6mm (the
width of a pencil) and growing.
•
Evolving – Any changes in size, shape,
or colour over time.
Reducing Your Risk
While sunshine helps our bodies produce
vitamin D, too much UV radiation is the
leading cause of skin cancer. Sunburn
significantly increases your risk, and in
the UK, the sun’s UV rays are strongest
between 11am and 3pm from mid-March
to mid-October.
When the sun is strong:
•
Seek shade whenever possible.
•
Cover up with clothing, a hat, and
UV-protection sunglasses.
•
Use sunscreen (SPF 30+ with 4 or
5-star protection), applying generously
and regularly.
Sunburn isn’t always obvious – it may not
peel or blister. Lighter skin tones may turn
pink or red, while darker skin tones may
feel irritated, tender, or itchy. The easier you
burn, the more careful you need to be.
If you notice something unusual, speak
to your doctor. In most cases, it won’t be
cancer, but if it is, catching it early makes
treatment far more effective.
Welcome to…
24 individuals
Beccles Road Allotments
Cley Road Allotments
Easton and Letheringing Community
Gardening Club
Papworth Everard Allotment
Association
Thurlton Allotment & Leisure Gardners
Assoc
Whittlesford Allotment Keepers Assoc
Buckingham Almshouse & Welfare
Charity
The Charity of Caroline Amelia Norman
for a Reading Room & Allotments
Aldeburgh Town Council
Kents Hill & Monkston Parish Council
The Drunken
Scarecrow
That Friday night, the drinks they flowed,
Down the allotments, off Cambridge Road.
My goodness did they sup a lot!
Five rows back behind my plot.
Their party ended gone eleven,
Leaving me in seventh heaven,
To search out all the rests and dregs,
Empty the bottles and the kegs.
I knocked back white, I knocked back red,
All those grapes went to my head.
Three full cans of IPA,
Absolutely made my day.
Ruby port, gin and tonic,
Turned this scarecrow supersonic!
I didn't stop, no-one to ask,
On the ground, a full hip flask.
That whisky was the final blow,
Finished off this poor scarecrow.
Would I ever find my frame?
All the allotments looked the same.
I staggered left, I staggered right.
Guided by the moonlit night.
As I flopped against the bars,
The earth was moving and the stars.
Someone get me water! Quick!
I fear I'm going to be sick.
John Barnett jn.barnett1956@gmail.com
Re: Allotment Poem and Photo - S22090
Oakington & Westwick Allotment Society
Allotment and Leisure Gardener | Issue 2 2025 | 41