Page 4 - ALG Issue 3 2019

Chairman’s
comments
Hello friends and colleagues. Before
I begin, I must acknowledge that an apology is in order; in my last piece for the magazine I mentioned “Poor Lots Allotments in Manchester”. I stand corrected: Poor Lots is in Salford, and they are quite proud of the name.
Now, let’s turn to some thoughts about the Llandudno Annual General Meeting. The death of our wonderful Chairman, Tony Heeson, was announced and a minute’s silence was observed. He will be greatly missed.
The committee were worried about the conference destination of Llandudno,
a very nice seaside town but difficult to get to, even if you live in Wales. Some delegates had to travel for more than nine hours; that’s dedication for you. Perhaps it might be better if the AGMs in the future were more centrally based; this is an idea for further discussion and feedback from the members. Next year’s conference in Leeds should be easier for people to get to, and I hope to see all of you there.
The conference was a success with many new delegates turning up among the familiar faces. There was no controversy or items needing a card vote. There were some wonderful
moments, where long-serving members were rewarded for their
past work for the society, and they were genuinely amazed that they were getting recognised for the work they put in. However, I would like to mention the impassioned thank you speech given by Alan Hull, the retired mentor for my own area, North West Counties – it showed the dedication and love of allotment gardening that I hope runs through all our veins.
More allotment sites are being created and the message that allotments are good for you is getting out there, but there is always the threat of cash- strapped councils and speculative developers on the horizon. If your
site is not registered as statutory, you would be well-advised to try to get
its designation changed. Statutory allotments do have a better protection than non-statutory ones. Ask your local council, go back through council minutes, and if, at any time, they
are mentioned as “statutory” then that’s what they are. If they are called “permanent” then it can be a grey area. Most councils will give this information freely. However...
This is the start of the “judging” season here in East Manchester. The first
Next year’s conference in Leeds should be easier for people to get to, and I hope to see all of you there.
allotment site to be judged is in Denton on Tuesday 18th June, and it usually begins in good weather with blue skies and sunshine. The season continues with the judging of all the nominated plots throughout the borough, with many new allotment holders competing for the “Best First Year” allotment prize. I would think most allotment sites
have similar arrangements. It could
be a good article for the magazine. However, what I do know is, my allotment could do with some sunshine and dry weather. I know it rains in Manchester, but the last weeks have been ridiculous; flaming June! Ha!
But we must also consider those poor people, who have been evacuated from their homes around Wainfleet, and hope that conditions improve for them soon.
The first Lantra courses, on Rodent Control, have taken place and I have been asked to congratulate our president, Phil Gomersall, on the first- class luncheon that was provided. It maybe that the course will need to be repeated in areas where the venues had to be rearranged, but reports received are that it is an excellent course, and well worth the money.
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4 Allotment and Leisure Gardener