Page 5 - ALG Issue 3 2018

chairman’s comments
Hello friends and colleagues; it is only a few days to our 2018 Annual General Meeting at Wyboston Lakes, which will of course have been long gone when you get to read these comments. This year’s venue promises to be different to the usual hotels we have used and this, along with a new format, is based partly on last year’s meeting and partly on the results of the surveys filled in at previous meetings. The business part of the meeting should be over by lunchtime, leaving the afternoon free for the several workshops that will be taking place.
We have been having quite a busy period recently with the
new Regional Constitution, Standards and Procedures and the accompanying Code of Conduct, the new Data Protection act which is better known as GDPR, and the completion of the extension to the board room at Corby, which is now in use. Also of course there is the new members benefit: the Allotmenteers Liability Insurance Scheme gives free personal cover to all members of the National Allotment Society. The latter, which has not been in operation long, is proving to be very popular, so much so that we have had to (temporarily) take on extra admin staff to cope with the sudden rush. I am pleased that it is proving so popular after the Management Committee have spent about two years negotiating the deal with our insurers. If you have not taken advantage of this offer yet then I urge you to do so, or get your site secretary to investigate.
I must report that a small party of Management Committee members were invited to the Garden Party held by her Royal
Highness the Queen in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the seventieth birthday of HRH the Prince of Wales, our patron. The party was held for members of charities or patronages supported by His Royal Highness and there are many, hence our invitation. I will say no more other than it was a great day and the weather was kind to us, but I am sure that there will be a full report with pictures somewhere in this magazine.
After answering, or trying to answer, queries on such diverse problems as plotholders rights with chickens, bullying on sites, rights of access, self-management, allotment fires and such like, it is nice to escape to the plot now and again, only as technology advances so does privacy decrease, unless I can manage to forget to take
my phone with me. After a cold wet start to the season it quickly warmed up and after a couple of weeks of warm sunny weather we are already, still in May, getting warnings from the Government and water authorities of impending water shortages. In my experience plotholders do more to collect rain water for later use, and, by so doing, use less of the purchased variety than anyone else I can think of. If stories in the papers are even half true then the water boards appear to lose more than we use. Now I’ve had a little moan I will get off to the garden for an hour or two. Thanks for reading and I hope to see many of you during the course of the year.
Tony Heeson, Chairman
Head Office
president’s scribblings
It has been mainly positive since my last scribblings which makes me feel good – well, better than the weather anyway. Headway has been made in the North East Region and Leeds Federation Allotment Learning Day was a huge success.
I had a short break in Iceland with my wife and daughter; wow! What a spectacular place. They were, however, just beginning to utilise the geothermal springs in a larger commercial way by growing vegetables, quite interestingly, in inflatable polytunnels.
In addition to my Presidential duties (I do have other commitments), I have been concreting, moving (a good number of miles) and erecting a very large concrete garage as our new allotment store. I have also been making some large planters and installing, filling, and planting them up with our In-Bloom group.
At the Harrogate Spring Flower Show I usually do talks with the very knowledgeable Martin Walker, but in addition this year I was offered the opportunity to do an illustrated talk about allotment gardens. Needless to say I jumped at the chance and it went down well. Also at this show, I very rapidly created a secret shed garden to publicise our beloved allotment gardens. I knew I wouldn’t win with my hastily erected garden but it was an opportunity to promote the NAS and allotment gardening, and it was good to see that it was an allotment group that won the competition.
I have been involved in discussions with other countries within
the International Allotments Office on the subject of Allotments/ Community Gardens. It has been a very interesting exercise and a statement and report will be available from the Office later this year. Whilst on about the International Office, check out the website www. jardins-familiaux.org, and you will find two English sites now listed on the International Good Sites Guide. If you feel your site qualifies for this status, let your Region Representative or Mentor know and we will see if it can be added.
The middle of May saw things really hotting-up, not weather wise but with five meetings in one week.
Then things got really hectic, starting with a visit to Buckingham Palace for the Prince Charles patronages garden party. Good opportunity for close contact and good publicity photo... It turned out there were six thousand guests. Ah! Well; the best laid plans. This was followed shortly by the AGM at Wyboston. It was pleasing to see so many of you there and according to the feedback you felt it had been well worth attending. I thought it was a very positive AGM
and the workshops were absolutely great. Although very sceptical, I, who loves digging, am about to experiment with a small no dig bed. Thanks go to our office staff for making it run so smoothly, and thank you also to Denis Sutton for stepping forward and taking photographs.
Just got back home, and then immediately repacked for
Cornwall to attend the Princes Charles Environmental Parade of his environmental patronages. This time we did get the opportunity to have a brief word and handshake with the Prince and Camilla. See us on the cover of the Princes Trust Fund booklet cover http://www. princescountrysidefund.org.uk/.
The day I returned home I was blown away with the publishing
of my British Empire Medal award for services to Horticulture in Yorkshire. What a homecoming. However, it didn’t stop me doing some In-Bloom summer planting the following morning. Then it was pack again and off to Birmingham, where I had been invited to help on the NAS allotment stand at the NEC. Thanks for inviting me guys, I had a great time, got my photo with Carol Klein, and even better a good number of new members signed up.
When I finally got home after gadding up and down the country I was greeted by three complaints. All could have been avoided with good paperwork and fair procedures in place. When will we learn? There is plenty of guidance from the Regional Representatives and Mentors.
I am now on my hands and knees in an attempt to get my allotment back in shape. I’d better crack on as the next event is looming.
Happy gardening.
Phil Gomersall, President
Many thanks for the wonderful entries to our Schools Allotment Plot competition. The winner will feature in the next edition of the magazine.
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