Page 53 - ALG Issue 3 2022

East Midlands
Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
REPRESENTATIVE
Mr Paul Howgill
37 Meredith Road, Rowley Fields, Leicester LE3 2EP 07803 828 777 allotmentbaron@aol.com
And It Came to Pass...
MENTOR
Adam Murphy
East Midlands (North) 0845 4786 352 amurphy.nas@gmail.com
But first an apology and a correction. There was an error in the article “Once Upon A Time – Oops, Sorry”.
For references to 2019, please delete and insert 2020. All other dates should then fall into place. What a pantomime! (Oh no it isn’t)
The Finedon Infant School Allotment Grand Opening was planned to be
held on Friday 22nd April 2022. Being located in Finedon and with a very close association with the church, there was a distant hope that we could persuade the Reverend Richard Coles (yes, as seen on TV) to perform the opening ceremony. As a double association, Richard was also a Governor for
the Finedon Infant School. All other planning went ahead, including the forwarding of invitations.
With the acceptance of attendance being received from Richard Coles, the finer details were mapped out and a hope for good weather ensued (divine intervention).
The great day duly arrived, and the Grand Event attracted a better-than- expected attendance (despite some significant absentees). A selected
number of Infant School pupils were escorted to their plot by their teachers and became instant stars.
The Northamptonshire Telegraph reporter interviewed a vast number
of attendees, as well as Richard who said “One of the reasons why I loved being vicar of Finedon is the amazing community spirit. Providing this allotment for our young people so
they will grow – it is such a fantastic addition”. Before rushing back to church for another engagement, Richard assisted a pupil with the planting of a tree in commemoration of the Queens Platinum Jubilee (ably assisted too by Sue Abbott).
Sadly, Richard has now retired to the South East of England but we wished him well and offered our sincere thanks for his time (at his final public event outside of his church before retirement).
Since then, Finedon Infant School pupils have attended their allotment on four highly successful visits. Their plantings are now showing healthy shoots, including potatoes, onions, beans, strawberries, tomatoes and sunflowers.
a truly wonderful result to endorse the huge effort made on the entire project
What a truly wonderful result to endorse the huge effort made on the entire project. The amount of enjoyment is off the scale and the magnitude of pupil enthusiasm is far beyond any that we could have anticipated.
As mentioned in our previous article, we now have the next School Plot Project well and truly in progress. This plot
has been gifted to the Finedon Junior School.
The story will continue, a long way ahead.
Bud & Sue Abbott
Calls to 0845 numbers cost 3p (ex VAT) per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge
Allotment holders: Finedon Allotment and Gardening Association Limited
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 53
Welcome to our new members...
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1 Landowner Derby City Council