Page 42 - ALG 1.21

Northern
Northumberland, Cumbria and Durham
The show must go on
For some, the urge to show is an itch that needs to be scratched.
At the AGM of Newcastle Bank Allotments in Chester-Le-Street, Co. Durham in November 2019, it had been proposed and agreed in principle to hold our very first in-house show, and work began arranging the schedule and gauging interest among the Association members. Early spring arrived, planning for the event was underway, and then no sooner had it started it came to a sudden stop. As fate would have it, the threat of Covid emerged and its reach rapidly widened, and the grip of lockdowns started to tighten. More and more events were cancelled, and more and more venues temporarily closed and the chances of any shows taking place were diminishing by the day. Nowhere was immune to the impact and that included the local
community centre that we had set our sights on in which to stage our show. Amid huge uncertainty about the future and confusion surrounding lockdown rules, the event, it seemed, was a non- starter.
For some weeks committee meetings were called off, plans put on hold and pleasantries between plotholders passed from afar, all with the need for social distancing in mind. After
a while rules were relaxed a little
and a suggestion was made that if
we observed precautions around gatherings of people then maybe we could go ahead after all. The idea was circulated, enthusiasm took hold once more and it was agreed we should give it a go. After all, ‘The Show Must Go On’ as they say. The venue was decided on as being Association Chairman Keith Harrison's shed, and the schedule had
So, on Saturday 12th September we went ahead, an unorthodox show for unorthodox times.
only one category: ‘A selection from Your Allotment’. It was hardly going to be the grand Open District event that Keith
has organised and staged at Durham County Cricket ground for many years, but nonetheless it was on and it was going ahead. Something to add a little fun to the uncertain times that are upon us.
So, on Saturday 12th September we went ahead, an unorthodox show
for unorthodox times. The event was well supported, and entries came in from debutant showers and seasoned veterans alike, and Peter Mather ran out a worthy winner. In the end, it was a small but successful event and an ‘itch scratched’ and we look forward to 2021 with a hope for a return to normality and a grander stage on which to exhibit.
Paul Kinleyside
42 Allotment and Leisure Gardener