Now then, for the uninitiated, this is my web site, which I pay for. The Whitehill web site, is a free site, but which has a limited capacity, (up to 2 megabyte.) Incidentally, if you fancy having a go at setting up your own web site, you could do worse than trying zoomshare. The first 2Mb is free, if you need more however, it is dirt cheap. This one costs me around 4 quid a month! and you get loads for that.(Free ad for zoomshare there !) Just click on the zoomshare logo and follow the instructions, couldn't be simpler !

Now for the moment, we, as Whitehill Allotment Society committee, have not agreed  to fund the web site, nor have we discussed doing so, so all that is on it is a basic look around our site. But by giving over a section of my web site to the allotment, which I am firmly dedicated to, I can present our site in a way which is more comprehensive and therefore give a more balanced view of what's going on here; until such time as a larger web site can be agreed upon.

The web site is an initiative by one of our members, John Grimshaw and I applaud his efforts  so far and the help and support he has give both myself and our members. John is a very capable man, (as well as being somewhat on the big side!) I recognised his qualities and immediately roped him in to the committee, saying he "didn't have to do anything" (lying through my teeth at the same time!) whereupon, he immediately started to organise, 'this and that!'

John, like myself, is a man who thrives on a challenge and will not take failure lying down. He also knows when he's 'flogging a dead horse!' His work in Health And Safety, is a responsible position and the experience he has  in such a position, is a useful quality in the administration of our site. 

Whitehill Allotment is on the up and up! and we are aiming for greatness! If you don't believe us, watch this space and read on further. Historically, the allotment was acquired on December 1st, 1892, under the Public Health Act, so the site has been in existence for over 124 years, which makes it one of the oldest, if not the oldest allotment site in Stockport.

A host of golden daffodil trumpets, heralding the spring, at Whitehill Allotments (Very Wordsworthian!)

For many years, I grew vegetables at home, in our back garden, which is 60ft long. Indeed, it was one of the things I looked for when we were looking for a house all those years ago. Although the soil was very poor, being mostly clay, I did have some success. But in the summer months, it tended to compact and dry out, leaving it looking like a dried up reservoir bottom. I did attempt once to improve the soil quality, with a drop of muck from Stockton's Farm, in Reddish Vale. on enquiring, I was told that they could deliver it bagged, but it worked out cheaper by the trailer load. "I'll have one of those" I said, not knowing what to expect. "I'll bring it on Sunday," he said.

Come Sunday, I removed the fence panel on the right and the scheduled load arrived. He reversed up to the fence at an angle and proceeded to tip it. There was so much of it, it was half in the garden and half in the road at the back, blocking it. We had to shift it quick, so I was shovelling s--t for all I was worth! and Iris barrowed some on to the veg plot. After some effort, we managed to get it in and I put the fence panel back. Later that warm summer evening, the stuff began to hum! Not an unpleasant odour, but a bovine 'cow-muck' farmyard smell. "I hope we don't get complaints from the neigbours," I said "We can't very well send it back!"

Later that evening, the doorbell went and I answered it in anticipation. It was Harry from next door and my heart sank. "You know your muck you've just had delivered?" he said. "Yes Harry, what about it?" I replied, expecting a complaint. "Can I have some for my roses?" he said. "Help yourself," I said, relieved. "I've got far too much anyway!" That muck lasted me well into the following year, but I neglected to cover it up and it acquired a thick thatch of grass, but it rotted down nicely underneath and it did improve the soil condition for a while.

As you can see, I had a variety of stuff growing. Note, for example, the beanstalk 'wigwam' top left. I had loads of beans, in fact, too many, off that! and I did well for spuds, as you can see from this next picture of son Thomas, holding a spud, nearly as big as his head!

Then a friend told me of a plot going at Whitehill Allotment, so I went along and investigated. One of the things I was impressed with was the quality of the soil, although it needed a lot of work to clear it of weeds. Initially, I only wanted half a plot, but later my brother Danny came in with me and we ended up with a full plot. Later he left and now resides in Holland. Nonetheless, we did clear a fair bit of the plot in the first year.

Luckily, I did not have to spend a great deal of money setting up the shed and greenhouse. One day, my next door neighbour, Harry Mosely, asked me if I wanted a shed for £15. He had bought it off a neighbour for that and at the time, he kept birds and planned to use it for his bird seed. However, the plan fell through, so he offered it to me. One shed, acquired and it was quickly erected. The greenhouse wasn't so simple.

Harry worked as a caretaker at the time, in a care home on Hall Street, Offerton. In the grounds was a greenhouse, which had been the target of vandals. Initially, the owner wanted £50 for it. I said I would have it, but it would take me some time to get the money together. However, it took rather too long and the decision was taken to scrap it. He said I could have it if I took it away. I went up and threw it on the roof rack of the car and what was left of the glass went in the back. Then I drove the lot carefully to the plot and disgorged it. What I had was like a giant meccano set and I spent the next couple of months trying to figure out how it all went together.

I sank a wooden frame into the ground, on which to sit the frame of the greenhouse and slowly but surely, over the next couple of months, assembled it. Then it was time to put the glass in, but roughly a third of it was missing. I invested £27 in 9 panes, but we were still a lot of glass missing. We scoured round the site and split double glazing sheets and with the aid of a glass cutter and one or two disasters later, we got all the glass in. The whole process took us about 3 months, but it was up.

We had taken the plot on late in the season and the then chairman, Len Robinson told me initially, I could have it rent free, as I would not actually be growing anything that year. But the plot is huge and I set about clearing it, or part of it. Then Danny came in with me and took on the other half of the plot. However, I ended up paying for it, but that's another matter. There were now two of us and we managed to clear a considerable amount and produced a useful crop in the first year.

One of the things which plagued the site, however, was water, the drainage was very poor and wasn't helped by the number of uncultivated vacant plots. Something had to be done. On the committee at the time, there were 5 or 6 people. I was told later there were as many as 10 on at one time. With so few committee members, administering the site became awkward. There were frequent dissagrements and one or two left. Len went to cruise the canals on a narrowboat and the chairmanship went to Syd Howe. Syd was a very capable man and did a fine job. He  cared passionately about Whitehill Allotments and was a stickler for the rules. One or two people did get letters concerning the state of their plots and the paths. This did make him unpopular with some.

One good thing however, which Syd was instrumental in, was the installation of the new drainage system. Although the site is council run, the council would not, or could not meet the cost of the work and it was carried out with a private grant. There is some argument, however as to whether the work was carried out correctly. There are places where the original plan conflicted with the existing drains and culverts which criss-cross the site, so what we were left with maybe is a compromise. On the whole, though, the drainage works satifactorily and it does conduct water away from the site. But it may be that it just pushes the problem further down the line. Also, during the summer months when there is little rainfall, sludge builds up in the pipes as there is not enough water to flush it away and it requires the system rodding to clear the blockage. This means that water builds up in certain areas as it cannot escape.

Syd in the meantime, took ill and ended up in hospital, where as he was supposedly on the mend, he passed away. Whitehill Allotment was then without its leader and the committe was down to two or three. An appeal went out for more to join the committee and I put my name forward to make the numbers up. We have been trying to build it up ever since and with the welcome addition of John Grimshaw, who in his role as a health and safety manager, is used to administrative work and therefore, a useful member to have. However, it leaves us with a problem, in that all of us have full-time jobs, which makes administration difficult. John is now our chairman and with so few of us on the committee at the time, I ended up as secretary. It was not my intention to put in for such a position, but there was no-one else to do the job. since then we have had a couple more join the committee, bringing our numbers up to around seven.

One of the things which I observed, ever since I have been on the plot, was that, here was a society which was in decline. Putting it simply, morale was at an all time low. The once 10 strong committee had dwindled to a few and Syd was often left to do much of the work himself. Whether it was the worry of the way the site was going and the prospect of speculators casting an envious eye on the land, which contributed to his ill health, we will never know. There were many empty plots and many were inundated with water. Most of the problems were down to the fact that those plots were uncultivated and many were covered in tall growing weeds, which I later identified as a species of willowherb. I sympathised with Syd and said although I could not at the time , join the committee, I would like to help out in any way I could. One of the ways was to set about clearing the vacant plots and I set about them with my petrol strimmer. The willowherb responded well to strimming and did not return, although the plots did need strimming in subsequent seasons.

Fast forwarding to the present day, one of the things we have addressed ourselves to, is the social side of the society. A couple of years ago, shortly after Syd died, bonfire night came up. A few of us gathered round the bonfire and although we were few in numbers, we nevertheless had a good night, with a few bottles of beer and some fireworks and I thought it a good idea to repeat the function the following year, which we did. This time, there were more people and children and more fireworks and beer and food and it made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening, a good social occasion and we plan to have more social occasions, such as barbecues, in the summer.

In the meantime, last year, the water supply extension sprang a leak. The first I heard about it was when Peter on the plot next to mine, mentioned  that the council had had a massive water bill. I immediately went to the meter and noticed that it was turning, despite the fact that no-one was drawing water. I concluded that the problem was in the extension and I turned the extension stop tap off. The meter stopped turning. The problem then was how to get it fixed.

The other thing which came up in our deliberations, was drainage. The site was still very wet in places and we came up with the solution of installing french drains down the side of the vacant plots. At the same time, we decided to replace the water supply extension and the council agreed to supply us with materials, stone, porous pipe and conduit and that they would foot the bill for the plumber to connect it up. The other thing we planned to do was to extend the water supply further down the site. We hired a mini digger and dumper truck and one of our members who is a qualified digger driver, dug out the trenches for us.

Despite having the equipment for the weekend, however, we did not manage the whole of the job. Nevertheless, we got the conduit in for the water supply and installed three drains. We plan to carry out further work in the near future, to extend the water supply further. We had planned to use the digger to dig out for the pond liners on the wildlife area, but that proved to be too ambitious, in the time we had available. When we carried out the work, it was the wet season and as we back filled the drains, it left the paths a quagmire, but the plan is to tidy them up and re-instate them.

One of the things we, as a society, are aiming at, is full lettings. other sites around the town have a waiting list, but up until fairly recently, we had vacant plots, However, we are receiving more and more enquiries and are getting to the stage where there are few plots left. The ones that are left are in very bad state and need clearing before cultivation can begin. We plan to clear some plots ourselves and cover them over with black plastic sheeting. This can then be removed when the plot is let, to be used on other plots. We are now more or less at full lettings, but one or two may be leaving.

I am told that having an allotment is becoming quite fashionable nowadays. More and more young people are getting involved and that's a good thing. Cultivating a plot however, is hard work and many will fall by the wayside. I know from my own experience, working a 10 hour day, then coming to the site, it is hard to motivate yourself, especially when there is digging to do. So I tend to get my digging done either in a week's early holiday, or on bank holidays or weekends. The ultimate aim is to have the entire plot clear, but I know it will take time, under the present circumstances. The only other alternative would be to hire a J.C.B. and strip the lot !

That's the heart of the problem you see. At one time, working an allotment was something your grandad did in his retirement. It was the preserve of old men (and women) and there were plenty of hands available when various tasks needed to be done around the site. Now there has been a demographic shift towards the younger end, who have all the energy, but less of the time. Few can give commitment to joining the committee and help run the site. Yet, in a sense, by belonging to a 'society', in which we are all members, we should not just regard our own little plot as the be all and end all of the activity, rather, the site as a whole belongs to the members, even though it is a council site and we should consider the whole site and not just our own. Any task which needs doing, no matter how small, which results in any improvement to the site, has got to be worthwhile.

It has been a while since I started this section and things have moved on a bit. Last weekend, April 15th 2007, our members turned out to carry out further site improvements. The main job was to fence off the wildlife area. We now have three large ponds, dug out by one of our members, Dennis Murray, who is a qualified digger driver. I should explain that we had hired the digger a few weeks previously and had extended the water supply, with three more taps around the site. At the same time, Dennis dug two more ponds, at either end of the wildlife plot. One was slightly higher than the other, which I call the top pond. Almost immediately, it began to fill with water. Over the next few days, the depth went to about a foot or so. It led us to believe that it was being fed by a natural spring. The lower pond stayed relatively dry.

We then hired the digger once more, to dig through drains across the roadway, which we believe was acting as a dam, stopping water from escaping and causing problems to some of the plots. At the same time, we planned to make the top pond bigger. However, instead, a third pond was dug, next to the top pond. This also filled up with water over the next few days. When we came to do the work on the 15th, the lower pond was fitted with a liner, which was a double layer of plastic sheeting, which we had to hand. Water was then pumped into it, from the middle pond. Result, three water filled ponds, which now also have aquatic plants in them. The plants have been put in to oxygenate the water.

The upper ponds

It is now a couple of months since the ponds were dug and now nature is taking over. but this is a wildlife area. It isn't meant to look 'pretty' or contrived in any way, save the putting in of pathways round and picnic-style benches where people can have a relaxing sit down. The blue bench was placed under the willow tree in the centre distance, to provide a shaded area from bright sunlight during hot weather. Being a wildlife area, it also has some educational aspect to it, for those who study ecology. One of the things we plan to do is to make an area of decking next to the pond(s), so that pond activity can be observed in relative safety. Before we had the larger ponds, we established contact with the National Pond Survey. However, as the project was still on-going, no data was collected. We hope soon to remedy this, but it would be better if we could enlist the aid of those whose field of work it is, which would give a more complete picture of the ecology of the area. n any case, the area is, to some extent, still being colonised by species. Just recently, I observed dragonflies and damselflies, two species we have not seen before, but then, we did not have the larger ponds. As I mentioned, the plan is to let nature take its course. The area is now fenced off and two gates have been fitted, so that children will not blunder into the ponds. Children will not be allowed on the area unsupervised in any case, for safety's sake.

Pond with liner

The lower pond now has acquired a carpet of vegetation around it, which has softened the edges, so now there is no need to bury the liner edge under the soil. 

Just a short time after we carried out the work, a pair of ducks visited the site. I was excited at the time, with the prospect that they might breed and produce ducklings. They stayed some weeks and one day they just disappeared. I was saddened and thought that we had lost them and that they had gone somewhere else. Imagine my delight then, when someone said they had seen them. Then one sunday, as we all gathered round our treasurer's shed for a brew, out she came, with no less than NINE little ducklings in tow ! Someone mentioned they had counted ten, but counting them is difficult when there are so many milling about, so we can't confirm that. Sadly though, nature has a way of ensuring the strong survive and the numbers went down to seven. That figure has stayed at seven now for around three weeks. As I write, they have virtually doubled in size since I first saw them and they are doing well. But here is a picture of them when they were only a couple of weeks old.

But we have great plans for our wildlife area. We are applying for a grant, to enable us to put decking round the ponds and to make it disabled friendly, so that wheelchair users can enjoy the facility. Watch this space in the coming months and see how things develop, but don't expect immediate results !

It is now a couple of months since the last photograph of the ducks was taken, although I have done many more since. In a way, it provides a record of how they have developed. What is also encouraging is the survival rate. In the wild, their chances of survival to maturity are greatly reduced, with predators such as foxes around. On our site and in particular with the habitat we have provided for them, they have plenty of hiding places. Indeed, sometimes they can be hard to spot in the undergrowth and their plumage is well suited to camouflage. Of course, they normally have to fend for themselves, but I give them some of our wild bird food and they seem to like it. I tend not to give them too much just a handful or two in the morning when I can make it down, before work and in the evening when I go down to do the watering. But my, how they have grown in a couple of short months, they are now nearly as big as their mother ! It's quite amusing watching them rear up out of the water, flapping their as yet stubby wings, excercising them for the day they will take to the air.

If you have been monitoring this site, the good news is that the ducks are now finally airborne. I went to the wildlife area one day and there were only three ducks on the pond, which had me wondering where the others were. When I went down later in the day, the same three were there. After a little while, in came the rest of them, like a squadron of spitfires returning from a raid ! They did not land directly on the ponds, but flew around the site, quacking noisily ! Now, imagine you are a duck and you have just found your wings, just imagine the sheer joy of taking to the air for the first time and that was how it was for the Whitehill ducks; you could see they were loving every minute of it, but one day the novelty will wear off.

The Whitehill ducks, before they found their wings !

One of the things we have embraced on our site, is recycling. Nowadays, the talk is of 'carbon footprint' and anything we can do to reduce it. I was looking at decking for round the ponds, but it is expensive. One of our members however, is a scaffolder by profession and he is able to obtain scrap scaffolding boards, so we have decided to use those instead. In doing so, we would be in effect, recycling those boards and we feel they will make an excellent surface for decking. The plan is to cover the surface with chicken wire, stapled down, for extra grip. I am also currently looking at recycled plastic newel posts, which we may be able to put into the ground at intervals, the advantage being that they will not rot, as wood eventually will, even if it is treated. But it will of course depend on the cost and whether we can obtain a grant towards purchase. I have sent an e-mail to one firm but have not as yet received a reply. But everything at the moment is in the planning stage.

Since this entry however, things have moved on a bit. There are now five ducks on the ponds and three are in their male plumage, in other words, they are drakes. Whilst they were growing they were difficult to tell apart, so we could not easily tell which were male and which were female. But at the moment, they are contented to sit on the ponds in relative safety.

Our five remaining Mallards, spot the one hiding under the grass at the edge of the pond !

We are now looking at possible grants to enable us to put the decking around the ponds. If our applications are successful, we hope to have the proper decking material after all. In addition, we hope to secure sufficient funding to have the decking done for us in a proper professional manner, rather than us attempting to do it ourselves. If the plan goes ahead, it will leave us free to deal with another exciting development on our site, which is to do with the educational aspect of our wildlife area. In the next picture, you will see a cabin, which we have just taken delivery of. As part of our policy of recycling, we have in fact saved this cabin from the scrapheap. Now, it needs a bit of fixing up and we have already started, by doing some work on the door. The lock needed changing, as there was no key for it and the hinges were bent and may need replacing in the future. But the idea is to have this cabin as an outdoor classroom, so that local schools can come down and use it for the teaching of conservation and wildlife issues. As you can see from the picture, the windows of the cabin overlook the pond and the children will be able to look out onto the pond and see what may be going on. We hope also to have pond dipping equipment, so that they can also participate in that activity.

Our new educational facility. It needs a new floor and a few other bits and pieces, but has great potential as a facility for our local community!

Another thing on our wildlife area is our log pile, or rather log piles. John got hold of these logs when he heard some trees were being cut down. Rather than them ending up in a landfill site, we have given them a home on the wildlife area and they enhance it. The log piles will decompose naturally over time and become home to many mini beasts, beetles, spiders and other creepy-crawlies (eek!) and they can be studied.

The log pile. Creepy-crawly hiding place !

Things have moved on a bit now. If you have been reading this, you will realise it has been written over a period of time. The good news is the grants we applied for have come through and the decking areas have now been completed, one around the top two ponds and the other near to the lined pond. In addition there are two benches and a bird table and we plan to replace the two picnic tables which have served their purpose but have now become weatherworn, but they cost nothing anyway, save £20 for timber for one of them. We are looking at designs which accommodate wheelchairs. The next major job is the painting of the cabin, which one of our members has volunteered to do. Then there is a general tidying up of the site in preparation for the visit of the judges around May. Other exciting news on the wildlife front, the frogs are busy spawning and the ducks have returned ! All signs of the return of spring, although the days up until recently have been bitterly cold at times, but with some warm days in between.

Decking under construction

Above shows the framework of the decking under construction. As this is a wildlife area and not a domestic garden, due consideration was given to the creatures which might shelter underneath, hence the height of it. Below, the finished decking next to the top ponds. Can you see one of the ducks on the left hand side of the pond ? The  bench is one of two items of seating and more will be added in due course.

Finished decking area next to top ponds

Access to the decking area is via a ramp, which will allow wheelchairs to come on and also give access to the cabin. This will enable disabled groups to enjoy the facility, thus opening up the activity to a wider range of groups from the local community and schools.

There is also a ramp for wheelchair access at the lower lined pond and at the moment, that is where the frogs are spawning. It's good to see the frogs back. I worry sometimes as we go through winter, where the next generation of frogs will come from. They must hibernate and of course, they are cold-blooded creatures, probably with the equivalent of antifeeze in their body fluids. Maybe some expert in the field could send us an e-mail to explain how frogs survive the winter cold and return to reproduce in the spring. They must of course, hibernate. It must involve bodily functions shutting down, until the warmth of springtime revives them. Of course, this is true of all feral (wild) animals. Maybe not all survive the winter chill, but the ones that do go on to reproduce and breed. They are the next generation of survivors.

Along with the frogs of course, there are the newts. Last year, I only saw one on the lined pond, but they were there nonetheless and I expect they will be back this year. The fact is, all you can do is try and provide the habitat for them and we think we are doing that with what we have done. Last year, we had dragonflies patrolling up and down the ponds, as well as the beautiful blue and black damselflies. My hope is that they will return this year in greater numbers, but only time will tell. Below is the decking around the lined pond, again, showing the wheelchair ramp and the seat and bird table in the background, The sticks on the right were my own attempt at creating a hurdle from branches of an apple tree one of our poultrymen supplied. However, my efforts are hidden by the decking. Maybe in time I will be able to build it up, but time is a luxury I don't have at the moment.

Second decking area, showing ramp access for disabled users of wheelchairs.

Although our site is not generally open to the public, being a secure area surrounded by a fence and gates which are generally locked, the plan is for different interested groups from the local community, such as schools and disabled groups, to be able to use it by arrangement, or by means of a key. The general public will not be able to walk onto the site, except on open days, which for the moment we have no immediate plans for, but which may be arranged in the future, if and provided we can find enough people to become involved. I, myself am a little way off retirement, when I should have the time to do such things and there are others on the site who are retired, but understandably use their time in the development of their plots. So general public access is for the moment restricted.

This weekend (2nd March 2008) we have taken delivery of the new picnic benches and had fun putting them together, but we managed it and wheeled them round on a barrow. Two of the benches are the traditional type similar to the ones which cost us next to nothing, the other is a triangular affair with three seats and gaps at each corner for wheelchair access. But being new and of sturdier construction they should last us a considerable time. The weather had got to the old benches and they are looking a little sorry, but we have had our money's worth from them. All the decking furniture has been fastened down with brackets to stop them being moved around. In the summer time, or even on a warm spring day the tables could be used for the local schools to bring their projects, or disabled groups to just enjoy the facility, or our own members will have a place to sit when they take a break from their labours on their plots. Someone remarked that the triangular table reminded them of King Arthur's Round table !

The triangular table with wheelchair recesses at the corners. In the background, the traditional style picnic benches.

One of our former members, Bill Jennings, had a plot for over 50 years, but had to give up for obvious reasons, but occasionally, he comes to the site. How he gets on I have no idea, as far as I know, he does not have a key, but maybe someone lets him in and out. Bill must have seen some changes in his lifetime. He would have been on during the war, when the old Whitehill House was an A.R.P. (Air Raid Precautions) Station. Times were very different then, I would imagine that membership of an allotment was more regimented, they were, after all, stricter times, but perhaps that was what brought out the finer qualities in people. They would have had shows and a more competitive spirit and a lot of pride in what they did. But times are very different these days. The days have gone when the man went out to work and the little lady stayed at home.Nowadays, you need two wages coming in, just to make ends meet. There are three people on our committee and we all work, so arranging things like shows and competitions is very difficult. Nevertheless, some time in the future it may happen. I am 6 years off retirement myself, if I could I would retire early, then I would have more time to arrange things.

Well, as I write in June, 2008, things have moved on a bit. I said a while ago, that I would like our wildlife area to win some kind of award, but how do you go about it, after all, if nobody knows about it, how will you succeed? Fortunately, the answer lies in having people around you who have certain abilities and qualities. Our chairman, John Grimshaw is just such a man. John has succeeded in obtaining grants for our wildlife area, which have enabled us to carry out the work, although the main part of it, the decking, was done by a contractor. For me, the icing on the cake has to be the award we have been given from the North West Area Allotments Association, for the regeneration of a derelict site. This award is not just for the committee, but for our society as a whole and in particular our members who helped out with the various jobs we needed to do on the wildlife area and around the site as a whole. We are extremely grateful to those members who entered into the spirit of what it means to be part of a society and who rallied round when the work needed to be done. This fine trophy is a fitting reward to our society for all the hard work put in by its members.

When I joined the society in 2001, there were many vacant plots. Now, as well as the wildlife area, we have full membership and a waiting list. To get to this position, we have not dragged people in off the streets. We did however tidy some of the vacant plots up, to make them less daunting for potential new members, viewing them for the first time. By far the biggest reason for the turn round though, was the resurgence of interest in allotments, in particular from the younger end, people with youg famlies, many of whom bring their children on to the plots. Many people are getting into growing their own food, especially with prices going up in the supermarkets, who are charging half as much again for organic produce. A packet of lettuce seeds, for example with a potential in excess of 400 lettuces, costs as little as a single lettuce in the shops. On an allotment, you can be as organic as you wish, the choice is yours whether or not you use chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Most people I believe prefer the organic approach.

Well, we move on,as I add more stuff to this site, everything else becomes dated. Whitehill Allotment Society now has a lengthy growing waiting list, as do the vast majority of sites around the borough. Having full lettings is a good thing in one respect, because in theory all the plots are being worked. But with a waiting list, with people keen to get started, it means standards of cultivation will have to go up. As a committee, in the past we have been quite lenient with people. But now it means we will have to be a bit more strict. That does not mean we will be unreasonable though. All we ask is that if people have genuine problems and valid reasons why they cannot cultivate their plot, that they contact us and don't simply leave it. If however, after a specific time the plot is becoming overgrown and weed strewn, where people either give up, or cannot be bothered, or haven't the time, notice to quit will be given and the plot re-let. It may sound as if we are getting 'tough', but we are not. We are simply adjusting our approach to running the site, to new realities. It is unfair to those on a waiting list who are keen to start, if people can't be bothered, or find it too much.

That having been said, one of the things we have tried to do, is to improve the social side of our society, after all, the definition of a 'society' is a group of people who gather together for a common purpose. Now that could be simply the activity of growing things. But we have expanded that to include social occasions. It began with the bonfire night celebrations. I remember a small group of us a few years ago gathered round a small fire, and that was the beginning of it. The next year, we expanded it and made it bigger, and so on and so forth until every bonfire night was a success, with food and drinks and socialising on the menu.

About two years ago, The Primary Care Trust plot were given a grant by B&Q, and their plot is a credit to them. But B&Q gave them a barbeque, which they had no use for, so it came our way. It remained in its box for about 2 years, then we decided that we could have another social occasion like bonfire night, but without the bonfire and fireworks. So this day, on 23rd of August we got the thing out, and people brought food and drink down, and there were burgers, sausages. steaks and all manner of goodies, and there were kids with bottles of pop and crisps etc. and thoroughly good time was had by all, and it was all over too quickly! But it shows what can be done with just a little effort, and I am grateful to everyone who 'mucked in' to make it a success! And especially to Jackie Howe, who could not be there, but gave a donation for the occasion. That's what it's all about, people who care about our society. Thank you to everyone who contributed.