Page 10 - ALG Issue 1 2016 No social share

Obituaries
David Gibbs
National Allotment Society Publicity Of cer 1996 - 2007
David Francis Gibbs was born in Birmingham in
1932 and educated at Saltley Grammar School and Birmingham College of Art, where he studied furniture design. He started his National Service in 1950 in the RAEC.
After the army, David became a handicraft teacher. He went to Loughborough College, got a First Class Honours Diploma and quickly became Head of Woodwork at Blackwell Secondary Modern in Harrow. David was a popular teacher; he had easy authority and, to quote one of his headmasters, “it is unusual to nd a man at once so thoroughly practical and at the same time so profound in his theory of teaching”.
He was a highly skilled cabinetmaker who had been inspired by those who taught him at Birmingham. A theme throughout his life was the respect he felt, and thought others should share, for the skill of craftsmen. David believed that there was an elemental joy in simply making something useful or decorative with one’s own hands and that the purpose of crafts in schools was to allow pupils to discover that pleasure.
He married Anne-Marie Gauthier in 1956 and travelled extensively across France and Europe on his motorbike, using every available holiday to escape austere 1950s London. His wife would often joke this was a process of civilising him, teaching him how French people ate and lived.
Following the arrival of son Martin in 1965 they moved to Barton, close to his parents in New Milton. In the mid-1970s he took on an allotment on the new site off Southern Lane in Old Milton, where growing fruit and vegetables became a big part of his life. Believing in the social importance of allotments and the need to promote and defend their provision, he became active in the Allotment Society,
going on to be elected to their Management Committee and serve
as their Publicity Of cer and Editor of their magazine from 1996 to 2007.
After retiring from teaching David would often be seen on his bike in New Milton
heading to the allotment to pick ingredients and take home for Anne-Marie or taking Anne-Marie to their favourite
restaurant ‘Pebble Beach’ in Barton. Retirement also allowed for more travelling, the USSR, a road trip across the US, many more trips to France and Europe and in later years, cruises.
David was an old fashioned bon viveur and raconteur, always ready to enjoy new experiences, new places, new people and to entertain with his stories, his subversive sense of humour and his generosity. He was a great and beloved husband, father, brother and grandfather and is survived by his brother John, son Martin, his daughter in law Nicky and granddaughter Nathalie Anne-Marie.
A funeral service was held on 2 November at St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton.
Geoff Kirby, Honorary Life Vice President and previous member of Management Committee passed away November 2015. Obituary to follow in issue 2.
Maxicrop Heritage
Maxicrop was founded in 1952, and was an early pioneer in the development of seaweed extracts for use with plants, to stimulate natural healthy growth.
Now, over 50 years on, seaweed extracts are still at the core of the Maxicrop business. Indeed, Maxicrop is probably the most widely recognised, well established brand in this field, offering innovation and continuity of supply of quality Norwegian seaweed-derived products.
Sustainable harvesting
Professional harvesters cut and gather the Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed in
specially designed vessels, cutting only the top part of the plant and leaving the rest of the seaweed attached to the rocks – this allows it to grow back fully. Each area is only harvested once every 4 – 5 years.
This sustainable method of harvesting has been practiced for over 50 years, ensuring that this wonderful natural resource can be maintained for generations to come.
Availability today
Maxicrop retail packs are available from most good garden centres. If a particular product is not available locally, the full range of products is available to buy online at www.capitalgardens.co.uk (type Maxicrop into the top left search box).
The main formulations of Maxicrop – Original, Tomato Fertiliser and Complete Feed – are also available in 10 litre ‘professional’ size packs, which can offer
10 litre packs of Maxicrop can offer even better value for money
considerable savings per litre compared with smaller packs. These 10 litre packs are available from a number of wholesalers across the UK, who supply commercial growers and some allotment societies – trade discounts usually apply to volume purchases.
For further information, visit www.maxicrop.co.uk or email info@maxicrop.co.uk
Maxicrop seaweed, harvested in the clean waters near the arctic circle
Norwegian sustainable seaweed harvesting
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