Page 40 - ALG Issue 1 2023

Yorkshire
Yorkshire and parts of Humberside
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show 16th – 18th September 2022
The show was held in the beautiful setting of Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, and I applied for a space immediately after the Spring Show in April.
I always like to have something a
little different to draw attention. I had acquired a female manikin way back before the pandemic erupted, for use in a show, to emphasise that you didn’t have to be a male retiree to get an allotment. So, I went with this theme.
I usually have some vegetables and fruit to decorate the leaflet stand and make it
look more attractive. However, my leeks were pathetic due to late planting and dry conditions, so I approached a friend of mine, David Allison from the National Veg Society, and asked if he had a couple of normal but small leeks (knowing
that he grows show vegetables!) that
he could let me have. David obliged by saying he would bring them to the show.
He actually brought me a box of vegetables, leeks as long as my arm, parsnips as tall as me, carrots as thick as my wrist... and the list goes on. David is an absolute star.
Needless to say, the stand looked quite impressive when I had finished and was positioned with the giant vegetables so was in a prime spot for the visitors.
It was a very positive show all in all and we hope we can return next year.
RHS Harlow Hill, Harrogate,
Festival of Flavours
22nd–23rd October 2022
Out of the blue I was very pleased to get an invite to put up a leaflet stand and to give a talk relating to allotments at Harlow Carr, Festival of Flavours.
I set up the stand in a marquee the day before the festival. The stage for doing the talks was decorated beautifully. There was a team from other RHS organisations to identify apples in another larger marquee; needless to say, there were tables of every variety of apple that you could imagine.
Saturday was a huge success and exceeded attendance of any other event they had put on in the past. It was busy all day from start to finish.
Sunday, there was torrential rain and I thought no one will venture out today. How wrong I was; visitors came either drenched to the skin, wielding umbrellas or dressed for all weathers. Considering the weather, it was a good steady flow of visitors.
A thoroughly enjoyable experience. Thank you RHS Harlow Carr.
Phil Gomersall, Chair,
NAS Yorkshire
40 Allotment and Leisure Gardener
Bev Bennett Award
Bev Bennett has been gardening on Broom Allotment Society Old Site since 2006, and during that time has been a committee member, the Treasurer, and has now stepped down from being Secretary.
In her time as Secretary,
she steered the site
through many difficulties
including Covid and the passing of their long-standing chairman. She is the secretary of the Rotherham
and District Allotment Association and an invaluable stalwart of the annual Rotherham Show.
This award was in recognition of her vast contribution to allotments and allotmenteers.
It has been my privilege and pleasure to work alongside her on various projects and committees for a number of years and it was an honour to present her with it.
Mike Farrell