Page 61 - ALG Issue 4 2019

kind, the rain decided to get heavier, but once lunch had been concluded it stopped and we continued on the guided tour.
From here we visited the historic
St Laurence Orchard situated near Southend Airport; this is managed
by Trust Links on behalf of Southend Borough Council. The site is very tranquil even though it is alongside the main runway and offers a quiet, peaceful space for people and wildlife. The orchard is planted with apple, pear and plum trees and offers an abundant harvest. As we walked round the orchard, all I could see was John
and the rest of the group picking plums and bountiful quantities of ripe juicy blackberries.
Then it was on to our last allotment
site in the village of Canewdon, a totally different type of allotment site to ones previously seen. The Parish Council has an allotment site in Anchor Lane, behind the school field. There are 39 full plots (18 metres x 9 metres) and six half plots (9 metres x 9 metres). We met the Parish Councillor responsible and several plotholders. It was now time to return to Rochford Station and for our visitors to make their way home.
The site is very tranquil even though it is alongside the main runway
It was a most enjoyable day with a lot of healthy discussion about how to grow various types of crops and the best ways to look after plots. At the end everyone agreed that there should be more allotments for everyone to enjoy. My thanks go to Lord Gardiner and his team for being enthusiastic and interested in what we are trying to achieve, and to Ron Bates for being our chauffeur for the day. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the day and learnt a lot from the experience.
Ray How, Eastern Region
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 61