Page 58 - ALG Issue 2 2021

Southern
Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
REPRESENTATIVE
Mrs Jenny Crawford
0845 013 0335 southernregionrep@gmail.com
MENTOR
Paul Neary
Southern
0845 313 8422 pneary.nas@gmail.com
Jottings from The South
Calls to 0845 numbers cost 3p (ex VAT) per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge
the south have been held and the opportunity has been missed to meet potential members and to publicise
the benefits of the Society. Some associations have also found that membership has declined with plots not being allocated to new tenants. Last year numbers on waiting lists rapidly increased when people considered
that it would be a good idea to have an allotment plot, but there have now been many instances where the eagerness has reduced with some people now declining the offer of a plot. There has, however, been good news, with a new private allotment being developed in the Test Valley, and amongst others anewassociationbeingformedat Shrivenham, in the Swindon area. Unfortunately, there is not such good news from Oxfordshire with a site under threat.
Mike Cantillon Regional Secretary
Gardeners are said to have one thing
in common with farmers, other than growing food; it is talking about the weather and the challenge of working with nature. The growing environment is rarely the same from one season to another – early last year in the south it was the rain and then, thankfully during the first lockdown, we had a long period of dry and warm weather. So far this year we have experienced ground that has been really sodden, followed by a period when the frost has made the ground so hard it has not even been possible to penetrate it with a fork.
We can nevertheless think ourselves fortunate that we have not suffered as badlyasotherpartsofthecountry. By the time this is read, it is hoped that favourable growing weather will have returned.
At The Drove Allotments in Andover,
as part of its outside activities in the community, one of the plots is occupied by Icknield School – a special school for children and young people aged 3 to 19 who have severe learning difficulties or profound multiple difficulties. The School is helped and supported by allotmenteers who assist with edging beds, maintaining the shed, providing plants and seeds and keeping the plot flourishing during holidays and dry
weather. Resident, and overseeing the plot, is Gruffalo. Just before Christmas he was accompanied by Father Christmas – this gave the children
a wonderful surprise when they visited.
With the Covid restrictions, none of the potato days in
58 Allotment and Leisure Gardener
Welcome to our new members...
Eden Drive Allotment Association
Eton Allotment Society
Ramsay Road Allotment Association Shrivenham Allotment Gardens Association
5 Individuals
Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council