General News - General News

The Annual Mince pie and coffee morning, featuring Tony Holbrook's famous secret elixir took place Saturday 3rd December. With a slight change to it's usual format, the social event including the Annual General Meeting of the Association, following which the trophies for the annual allotment competition were awarded.

The AGM provided members with an insight to all that has happened on site over the previous year, details of the annual accounts, and confirmation the existing committee were prepared to stand for a further term. It also took the opportunity to thank Peter Hunnable, Sybil Connery and Ian Moore who have stood down from the committee this year, for all of their effort and contributions to the Association over many, many previous years, for which we are extremely grateful.

The certificates and trophies were presented at the close of the AGM, with the winner of the newcomers section (less than 18 months on site) Brian Pickford, and the trophy for the more experienced plotholders (over 18 months), Marconi Belles. The trophies were awarded by Karen Lawrence, Chair of the Association.

Finally, the Association is deeply grateful to all those who helped make this event happen, from the contributions and donations of food, or raffle prizes, to all those who helped clear the trading hut and put it back together again.

We hope everyone enjoyed the morning, and take this early opportunity to wish everyone a hugely enjoyable Christmas and new year.

Would all members please note the trading hut will be closed on all Sunday's from 1st December to the end of February 2023.

The hut will also be closed on 24th and 25th December, and 31st December, plus new years Day, 1st January.

Up until Christmas the trading hut will continue to be open from 10am - 11 am on Saturday, and the same times on Saturday only through January and February after the Christmas and new years break.

Fruit Tree Pruning
14th January 10am - 3pm

The Association in Collaboration with the Wilderness Foundation is organising a Fruit tree pruning session on Saturday 14th January, from 10am to 3pm. Guided by a trained horticulturalist, the session will provide information and practical 'hands on’ pruning apple and pear trees, with information for other fruits (require pruning later in the year) also provided. Refreshments will be available on the day, but please do bring your own packed lunch. This session is free of charge, although we would ask for reasonable donations to the Wilderness Foundation.

We will again be placing orders for Seed Potatoes. This year we will be ordering two varieties, Charlotte (a white salad, versatile potato), and Sentanta (red, main crop). The Sentanta have reasonable blight resistance. The cost is £2.90 for a 2.5kg bag of Charlotte, and £3.30 for a 2.5kg bag of Sentanta. Orders can be placed with payment at the trading hut, see Karen or Tony.

A polite reminder that Membership Renewal for the Association is now due (1st October).

We hope plot holders continue to support the Association and will pop into the trading hut to renew their membership. Fee remains unchanged at £3 per annum.

Thank you for your continued support.

Following the success of last year's Association visit, we re organised another trip this year. Our visit was planned to coincide with the Hyde Hall Annual Flower show, and despite the volume of visitors on the day, together with a large array of show stands and stalls, there was still a pleasant, spacious feeling as you wandered around Hyde Hall.

It has become more and more apparent the gate at the Hobart Close entrance of the site is being left open on entry and exit to the site, despite a council notice clearly stating the gate to be closed and locked at all times.

Following recent vandalism and arson on site, plus we believe further shed break ins the last few days, it is incumbent upon us to help ourselves in terms of security, and request all members close and lock the gate every time they enter and exit the site to deter unwanted or unwelcome visitors.

As recently as yesterday there was a gang of youths on site around the trading hut and cabin area reported by plot owners: a group of size and age probably not worth the risk of individuals engaging with.

Please do not operate under the belief this responsibility belongs to someone else and take the time to close and lock the gate on entry and exit, to ensure we can deter unwanted visitors to the site. We do not I am sure we would all agree wish to be seen as an easy access point for anyone, including travellers, or youths or other individuals looking for something to do, to allow access into what is a private space.

Please help us to try and keep our space secure

The Melbourne Park Allotment Competition has now been judged and the results are in…..

There are two categories for the competition, one for those who have been on site for less than 18 months, and a second category for those more experienced plot holders. As usual the judging is completely independent and this year we welcomed Eddie and Pat Cole to offer their expert eye over our efforts. Eddie and Pat have been involved with Baddow Horticultural Society in the capacity of show secretary, and organising various trips for members, as well as judging the Baddow Parish Council Allotment competition each year.

Eddie and Pat were looking for plots with a good variety of fruit and vegetables, the condition of the crop, the apparent well being of the area, and general tidiness. They were impressed with the variety and condition of the crops being grown, and after careful deliberation selected the winning plots as follows:

Under 18 months

1st place Brian Pickford plot 127L
2nd place Joan Kama 12L and 12R
joint 3rd place Wesley Eselojor plot 82L and Saji Thomas plot 21

Over 18 months

1st place Marconi Belles 111 and 51B
2nd place Peter Caffrey plot 73 and 74
3rd place Ian Gill 26L
Highly Commended Tony Holbrook and Karen Lawrence plots 24 and 45

Our good friends at the Wilderness Foundation are organising a Willow Weaving Day with local Artist Deb Hart, at the Wilderness Foundation HQ at Chatham Green.

Deb has over 20 years experience in willow weaving and has made a name UK wide and internationally through her involvement in private and corporate projects including Chelsea Flower Show installations and her work with the National Trust, English Heritage & the Royal Horticultural Society just to name a few.

There are two days organised, Saturday 16th July and 17th September, and booking is essential. All information is contained on the poster.

Veterans of the Melbourne Park Allotment Site know we are on the flight path for London in the event of any special celebrations. For those on the Allotments today, you would have witnessed the Queens Platinum Jubilee flypast which included a formation celebrating the Queens 70 years on the throne, followed by the Red Arrows.

A quick reminder to everyone the Annual Allotment Competition is planned to take place on 8th July. As previous years there are two categories, one for newcomers, who have been membersof the Association for less than 18 months, and the second for those who have been members of the Association for greater than 18 months.

We have secured the services of Mr Eddie Cole to judge this years competition. A long term member of the Great Baddow Horticultural Society, heavily involved in organising their event schedules, Spring, Summer and Autumn shows during the year, and regularly judges the Baddow Parish Council Allotment Competition.

It is essential your plot is marked clearly with your plot number, and your membership fees are up to date. Last years winners Kevin Baskill and Flora Nica are pictured after they collected their trophies and certificates. Best of Luck to everyone.

We are organising a trip to RHS Hyde Hall which co - incides with their flower show on Saturday 6th August. Using our affiliation with the Royal Horticultural Society, entrance is free on the day to us as a group. We have provisionally booked 30 spaces, and these are available on a first come, first serve basis. Please book at the Trading Hut via Tony or Karen by 9th July latest as we have to advise RHS Hyde Hall absolute numbers to secure our entry

No transport is provided, and as last year we plan to meet at the main entrance (at the top of the car park) to Hyde Hall at 09.45 sharp on the 6th. We can then enter as a group via the group entrance point which is different from the public entry point.

Plot holders who enter the site from the Hobart Close gate, cannot fail to have noticed a new Welcome sign just inside the entrance. The sign also has a statement on it recognising Arthur and Ada Cornell's astonishing 70 year association with the site, as a plot holder, committee member, for many years manning the trading hut no matter the weather, and latterly as Honorary President of the Members Association.

Arthur and Ada took their first plot on the newly marked out site in 1947 straight after he demobilised, competed at the local vegetable and flower shows, and testament to their success is the number of times their names appear on trophies the Association now retain.

The sign was funded by Arthur Cornell who wanted to leave a lasting statement in terms of both their activity at the Allotments, and we are grateful to the council for expediting the wishes and erecting close to the front entrance.

Following the ravages of storm Eunice, where fortunately much of the allotment site escaped reasonably lightly, a group of willing volunteers from the Eco Defenders group which meets on a Saturday morning could be seen around the site, collecting and picking up litter, not just from the fence lines but from the principal roadways across the site.

On behalf of the Association and fellow plot members, a huge thank you to Carolin and the team for all the effort undertaken on what remained a pretty blustery day.

The Wilderness Foundation Uk charity run a 6 plot community allotment, 'Down to Earth Allotment', within the site. Carolin Rogers runs a childrens allotment group there on a Saturday morning teaching young people how to grow their own but also help them connect to nature and taking on stewardship of their local environment. Litter picking is a very practical and tangible way to help keep our environment healthy and safe and can promote a greener way of living.