Page 48 - Simply Veg Issue 1 2016

Northern Branch
Chairman’s Report
The weather didn’t improve much over the summer with low entries at many of the earlier shows, all due to the unstable conditions. The main sufferers were blanch leeks, running to seed for many growers. I delayed my planting until middle of May and although the size was down I didn’t have any seeders.
Lancs. DA had a successful road show and display at Southport again, winning large gold and the Christiana Hartley cup for the best display in the marquee.
The Northern Branch championships were a great success in a new area of the Harrogate showground, West Yorks DA winning premier gold for their display which looked magni cent. Sadly on the build-up day came the bad news that our vice chairman Joe Maiden had died.
The winter talks are now under way, with a few new speakers visiting the DAs. Most of these have been posted on our website for your information. Schedules of speakers can be posted around allotment sites to attract possible new members who may keep the DAs alive.
A judge’s exam was organised at our last branch meeting with three candidates in attendance. Hopefully we could have three new judges to choose from. If any members would like to become judges please contact our secretary John Croot.
Next March a roadshow is being organised in the area of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, a large catchment area of good growers. Hopefully we can encourage more members. Where there are lots of allotments there are lots of possible new members so I cannot bang the drum hard enough for us to go out and get them.
We have had a good response for articles this time for SV and Northern so please keep them coming. Anything of interest in your area, with a picture if possible.
David Metcalfe
Chairman
Merseyside District Association
Merseyside DA held their mini show this year in conjunction
with the Whiston Gardening Club on the 28th August 2015. The Whiston Gardening Club recently celebrated their 70th anniversary and they also recently re-joined the National Vegetable Society. I would like to offer them our hearty congratulations and hope that the club continues to prosper. The club was formed in 1945 just after the war and was originally called The Whiston Poultry and Chrysanthemum Society, the society name has changed several times since then but still continues to operate. Don Sutcliffe our DA chairman is the son of Albert Sutcliff the society’s founder member. The Society are planning to hold a party in the near future to celebrate this wonderful milestone.
It was tting therefore that our DA should join with this society in its anniversary year to hold our mini show. There was a good show of vegetables Richard Burniston won the Three Distinct Vegetables Class and he also won the best in show for which he was awarded the George Armstrong Plate and the NVS Silver Medal. Vin Kilshaw won the class for One Specimen Onion as well as the class for One Flower and One Vegetable. Congratulations to all who took part in the show.
Finally I would like to thank members of the Whiston Gardening Club for all their help in staging this successful show.
Vin Kilshaw FNVS (DA Secretary)
Westmorland & North Lancs. D.A.
After our summer “gardening” break our season of monthly
talks commenced in October with a very good turnout for David Metcalfe on growing large exhibition onions. A small technical
hitch (which involved downloading an update from the internet) slightly delayed the start but the time was not wasted as David was able to demonstrate the air pots in which he grows his onions. In November we had Keith Abel on growing in a small garden, which included vegetables for the kitchen and exhibition and owers. In December we had our A.G.M. followed by a hot-pot supper and a slide presentation of the 2015 shows by Paul Henshaw. January was Nigel Davenport from The Nutrient Company on the soil food web, making the most of the food in your soil.
The rest of our programme is as follows:
Tuesday 9th February Gardening for Bees, Dr Julia Hoggard.
Julia is a respected lecturer who gives talks to bee keepers, gardening groups and schools on a variety of bee related subjects. She also runs a range of courses covering all aspects of bee keeping for experts and beginners alike.
Tuesday 8th March David Thornton F.N.V.S. “Growing Better Veg. This Year”. David is our National Secretary and a very good and knowledgeable speaker.
Tuesday 12th April Geoff Wilson. “Sap suckers and Leaf Nibblers” Geoff will show us how to identify pests and deal with them without the use of chemicals.
Saturday 7th May Coffee Morning and Plant Sale, 10.00 A.M. -11.45 A.M. This event only at the Memorial Hall, Burton in Kendal LA6 1NW
Talks held at the Club Inn, Endmoor Nr. Kendal LA8 0EU and commence at 7.30 P.M. For any further information ring Jim or Mo. on 015395 61053 Everyone welcome.
Stop Press! Message from the
NVS and Marshalls Seeds.
WE LOVED THIS FANATASTIC NEW VARIETY MID SIZE PLUM TOMATO SO MUCH THAT WE KNEW YOU WOULD HAVE TO TRIAL IT!
N
50 Years and Still Growing
We are really pleased to introduce to you Tomato Montello. We chose it because it is a vigorous variety that is so proli c; producing handfuls of tasty fruit that are so easy to harvest through mid to late summer.
Grow in containers, baskets or grow-bags indoors or out, this neat bush variety reaches 90cm in length producing masses of trusses; you don’t even need to pinch out side-shoots. They are delicious enough to eat straight from the plant or add them to salads; this variety also makes excellent, rich Bolognese sauces and soups.
Your Chance to Show at the Midland Branch Championships, hosted by the RHS Malvern Autumn show
Marshalls have been working closely with the NVS and together we have developed a special class, exclusively for Tomato Montello.
NVS members will have the chance to show their tomatoes and win 5 cash prizes totalling £500 at the RHS Malvern Show (24- 25th Sep 2016).
Keep up to date with our Tomato Montello trials and lots more on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Free packet of Tomato “Montello” seeds for every member in the April issue of Simply Veg plus further details on this new tomato and the class at Malvern. We are greatly indebted to Marshalls for this level of support.
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