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We publish a regular newsletter that is sent via email to members with a small number of hard copies made available in the onsite shop for members without email addresses or at the gates for non-members.
There was a really great turnout in the shop for the mulled wine and mince pies. It was lovely for so many people to catch up before Christmas.
Seed orders were also available, though if you couldn't make it, the shop will reopen in January.
The seed orders have arrived and are ready for collection from the shop.
From November we move into our winter schedule, opening 30mins later. So shop opening times on Sunday and Tuesday will be 10:00 - 11:30.
Dear Allotment committee and Association members,
just a note to follow on the meeting held at the Milton allotment site with Aquind on Tuesday. The site investigation work was ordered by the Government so Portsmouth City Council have little control over it and we are required to accommodate all reasonable requests for access. The Company carrying out the works (Aquind) are very considerate and the works should not directly affect any plots. There may be some minor disruptions on certain paths but all plots will remain accessible for the duration of the works which are anticipated to commence next week and be completed during that week. The meeting went ahead and the siting of the test areas was agreed.
The works will consist of installing boreholes and window samples as per the information in the attached letter which has also been displayed at the site. Please feel free to circulate the above information among your members via the distribution list that I understand has been set up. The contact details for further information from Aquind are in the letter .
Thank you for your assistance in conveying this message to your members.
Yours sincerely,
Ashley Humphrey Parks , Allotments and Horticultural consultant to Portchester Crematorium , City Development & Culture, Portsmouth City Council, Floor 5, core 3 , Civic offices, PO1 2AL
Thank you to everyone whose efforts made the Autumn Show on 3rd September such a success – all of you who entered or attended, all who bought raffle tickets, all who baked cakes and all who helped the Association Committee set up the tents and the show ground and then take it all down again. The amazing weather was a real bonus – it felt more like a summer show.
50 Association members submitted 180 entries across 56 of the 67 classes. It was great to see a number of amazing exhibits in the Junior categories. The judge from the Hampshire Horticultural Society was very impressed with all the entries and took his time checking, measuring and weighing to make sure he picked the best. He also made suggestions about splitting some calluses and adding others for next year’s Show Schedule. As well as some hints and tips for showing your fruit and veg.
‘Thank you’ to Nick, Roger, Barry, Les, Kate, Sarah, Brian, Mary, Jill, Simon, Anthea, for helping the Committee put on such a successful event – many apologies if we’ve forgotten to name someone.
Congratulations to all the winners – a full list can be found in the newsletter. There are still some certificates to be collected from the shop. We look forward to another successful show next year. Some photos have been loaded online.
Pop into the shop for the 2019 King's Seeds catalogue. This gives Association Mamabers discounted rates. Please drop your orders and payment (sorry - no card payments) into the shop by 11.30am on Sunday 23rd October.
1st August - Available to download
Our newsletter is now available online. We will bsoon be adding past copies that were only ever available in hard copies.
Autumn Show Entry Forms, Rules for Exhibitors and a Schedule of the Classes available to downoad or from the shop.
1st June - Water
It's hot out there and looks set to continue for a while. Please remember to take turns using the taps and not to leave sprinklers on. Watering cans are the most efficient way of getting water exactly where you need it and is musth better at giving the plant roots a good soaking.
20th May - Annual Plant Sale
An amazing variety was available... beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumber, courgettes, herbs, onions, potatoes, sweetcorn, cabbage, broccoli, fruit and flowers, to name a few. Considering the late snow and then the heat through May, a lot of care and attention went into getting the plants just right for the sale. And they sold like 'hot cakes', with plot holders queuing up early to get what they wanted, eyeing up the produce from about 8:30.
The sale would not have been such a success without the help and support of all the volunteers. In particular:
20th May - Spring Newsletter
The Eastney and Milton Allotment Association Spring newsletter - The Plot Thickens (No.52) was also available at the sale - a huge thank you to our Editor Carole for providing great content as always. Carole very bravely gave our website manager Di control to create a new look and feel. Copies available in the shop for thoses not at the sale.
16th April - Committee Meeting
A number of plot holders have mentioned that the main entrance onto Locksway Road often has large vans parked right up to the lane, restricting visibility. Les will contact Portsmouth City Council about putting up a mirror on the post opposite the entrance to make turning on to the main road safer. There is a new PCC Allotment Inspector, who recently toured Eastney Lake, Hope Cottage and Milton Piece sites with Les as part of a formal inspection.
Liz met Gail Baird from Food Portsmouth who is setting up a new project at the Community Allotment on Milton Piece, organising Allotment Buddies. More information is available for those looking for support for their plot. Stock in the shop has been selling very well – compost, bean poles, seed potatoes, onions and shallots. Helen has taken on the role of Shop Rota Manager and has already started meeting some of the volunteers that run the shop on Tuesdays and Sundays.
In May data protection laws are changing and the changes will affect the Eastney and Milton Allotment Holders Association. The National Allotment Society has produced some advice and templates for privacy policies that will be communicated out to members.
There will be an Autumn Show in September. It has been decided to concentrate on smaller scale show just for plot holders to show their produce in classes under RHS rules. Judging and prize-giving will take place on the day. Responsibility for different aspects of organisation would be taken on by Committee members. A schedule of classes will be available on the notice boards, in the shop and on the website.
Spring must be here by now! Afterall, the RHS show season gets underway this month.
April 13th - 15th RHS Flower Show Cardiff
May 10th - 13th RHS Malvern spring Festival
May 22nd - 26th RHS Chelsea Flower Show
June 6th - 10th RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
July 2nd - 8th RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
Jul 18th - 22nd RHS Flower Show Tatton Park
If you're reading this then you've found our new website! Job done. Well no, not really. As this website is primarily for the benefit of the Association's members, we'd like to hear what other information you'd like to see on the site.
There will be regular updates, particularly to the following sections:
We'd also like to hear your stories - what's the most unusual thing you grow on your plot, what kind of wildlife do you see (photos would be great too), who's got good tips or skills they'd like to share, any relevant gardening books, blogs, or website etc. you'd recommend.
Use the Contact Us form on the homepage. We look forward to hearing from you.
Contributor: Di - Website Manager
Rescheduled at short notice from the 1st March due to the snow, meant that numbers were low on the 8th.
Potatoes have been flying off the shelves, with several varieties sold out. Sales of onions, garlic, beans and peas were also very good. Another big order will be delivered in April, when any help to stow this would be gratefully received.
Members have been happy to give email addresses as they renew their membership in the shop. We'll only be using these to communicate directly with our members.
The NSALG is changing their insurance scheme, now covering 'named' members as part of their annual subscription. The Association will therefore need to submit a list of member’s names this year.
The new website is well under way and should be available by the end of the month. The layout will work on computers, tablets and mobiles. It will be updated regularly and everyone is free to make suggestions particularly to the Useful Links page.
There will be a bacon butty stall at the May Plant Sale and members of the Committee have also volunteered to contribute cakes to the occasion.
There is a full rota of volunteers for the shop. New committee members have volunteered to be trained and to help out to cover absences as needed.
Contributor: The Committee
A big thank you to Doreen, Gina and Wendy for all their help and support during their time on the Association Commitee. They stood down as committee members at the recent AGM but the time they gave during the previous years was much appreciated.
Also a big thank you to our website manager Jeanette who also stood down at the AGM. We thank Jeanette for all her work on our old site and agree wholeheartedly what a shame it was that due to some confusion the website was 'shredded'. Thank you also for sharing your insights with our new website manager, Di.
And therefore we must welcome new members. These include Helen, Diane, Annie, Rose, Michael, and Di.
Find out more about the full committee on the Meet the Committee page (see link on homepage).
Contributor: The Committee
Over 40 of the Association’s 245 members braved the chilly January morning for the Annual General Meeting. For those who were unable to attend, here’s quick summary of key points:
There is still a waiting list of over four hundred for PCC allotments. If you know of unused plots, please report them to a committee member.
Four unused Anderson shelter sheds have been removed from the main road, opposite the shop, to give easier access. Water pressure to stand pipes on the site cannot be improved as one small water main supplies the whole site.
The shop had a good year of sales, particularly on seed orders. At the end of 2017, after all bills were paid, there is some money left over in the account. The Committee are open to practical ideas that will be of benefit to the majority of plot holders. It was voted that Membership for 2018 should remain at £4:50.
Communication to members was raised as a big issue. A new website manager was elected to create a new website and who also volunteered to manage communications using email. Members will now be asked to include their email addresses on their membership cards. A new noticeboard has been placed at the Hope Cottage entrance gate as not everyone enters the site through the main gates.
Officers and Committee members were elected at the end – see the Meet the Committee page for more information.
Contributor: The Committee
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