From Cabbages to Coconuts

We have been fortunate to have a host of Plot holders contribute articles to the web site, and very graciously Ken Hay agreed to provide a piece for us. Ken is one of the long standing plot holders and association members on site, not with standing this had to put up with one or two of us at school too! As with all the other contributions we are deeply grateful to Ken for putting something together for us.

I was married in 1973, and Sue and I went to live in Witham, I having taken a job as Head of Music at Hylands School. That was when I took my first allotment. It was in the south of the town, by the disused railway embankment, next to a convenient stream. I learnt- quickly- about couch grass, horse tail and a lot of other goodies!

For a while, I was joined on the embankment by two traveller families (Romany.) "Don't play on man's dirt!" I heard one shouting at his young son. "Man leaves us alone,.We leave him alone." So I left a couple of cabbages by one of the caravans when I left.

Next time I worked there, a burly chap came down from the embankment and greeted me with "Killed yer mice for yer!" (They'd made a nest in my peas.)

"Thanks!"

"Worth a couple of cabbages I reckon!"

When our children came, we moved to Chelmsford, and I went on the Council's waiting list, eventually getting a plot. At about this time, a young lad- in my class at Hylands- named Raymond Lawrence!- offered to play a piece of music by Bach in School Assembly. I- and more importantly the Head Teacher, Dr. Smith, enthusiastically agreed. The next day, Ray turned up at school, announcing- "I've left the music at home-but there is SOMETHING I can play from memory instead! Which is how the Head came to announce to the assembled multitude "Instead of a hymn this morning, Raymond Lawrence will play, on the piano- "I'VE GOT A LOVELY BUNCH OF COCONUTS!"