October 2012

OCTOBER 2012
MAIDSTONE ALLOTMENTS
NEWSLETTER
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WHAT A BIGG
Plotholders
ONTEST
P U M P K I NI GC
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PHEW!
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Welcome to our latest newsletter. We hope you find it
useful. As ever, we need your news, tips and photographs
- please send ideas to the Chairman.
O PEN MEE TING - 6t h D ec ember
ur next Allotments
Open Evening is on
Thursday 6th
December, at 7.30pm
Maidstone Hockey Club in
Armstrong Road (ME15 6AZ).
There is on-road parking and
a free public car park.
Our speaker will be Dusty
Miller, whose screenillustrated talk is ‘Growing
Vegetables from Scratch’.
Dusty covers the basic
requirements of soil and plot,
cultivation techniques, how
specific pesticides and
fertilisers work, and various
other aspects.
* Prizes, Cups and Certificates
will be presented to our
competition winners.
* There will be a brief report
on our year so far on the
allotments, from the Chair.
O
* The pay bar is then open
with the opportunity to chat,
ask questions, and catch up.
* We do hope you can come;
it’s a really good evening.
CAN YOU HELP? As you
know reps, managers and the
committee all give their time
voluntarily in many ways to help
maintain the allotment sites and
keep them enjoyable for all. Can
you spare some time to join us?
We would really appreciate it,
it’s good fun and rewarding too.
And you get to know a lot of
folk on the site. Please speak to
your site manager or rep about
what you can help with on your
site. With 12 sites, 710
plotholders, please help.
We have
welcomed new
plotholders on all
sites as
some plots have been given up for
varying reasons. Some newcomers
have struggled but with advice
most have kept going. We always
say it is a little different to the
television programmes! There are
several publications we can
recommend to make it all seem
less daunting and give the very
best advice on getting started. See
your Site Manager. It is unlikely, if
not unknown, (and that’s
countrywide) for a plot to be
taken on without needing a lot of
work. But that work makes it even
more rewarding when you taste
your first produce.
Invoices 2013
Just a reminder that, as advised in
our February Newsletter, we are
changing our invoicing year. The
start will move from March to
October. each year
So, invoices will be sent out in
February 2013 requesting payment
in March for a six month period.
Then an invoice will be sent out in
September 2013 for October
payment for the full twelve
months.
The annual invoice will be payable
in October from then on. We now
have on-line banking as well.
E Mails
We need your e mail
addresses. It speeds
communications
and is free to us.
Let us know if
yours changes.
Please contact
Anna.
COMPETITIONS
We went for a mix of serious and fun competitions
this year as there had not been any for many
years.
Best Scarecrow created much amusement and
was a difficult one to choose – John Larkin at
Glebe was winner, picture opposite and on our
website. But there were some very creative
scarecrows out there. Let’s hope they are doing
their job!
Best Photo was interesting too, again pictures
on website. We didn’t print the one of the slowworm eating a slug as it is a bit gruesome, but
that’s nature for you. But again some great
photos and Ben Kirby from Sandling Lane was the
winner.
Best Plot was David Torrens at Upper Fant.
The runners up were Kevin Finn and Mr Overy,
both at Loose, and Peter Kirby at Sandling Lane.
They had a great mix of planting and inspired us.
Most Attractive Site had two categories
allowing for the differing size of our sites. The
outstanding small site was James Street. Really
well done to them. The large site was Loose [new
site as it is still called].
Our final competition was the Largest Pumpkin.
We brought the judging date forward as we
realized that by end of October there could be
some early frosts [knowing our climate], and an
early frost would have deflated them and reduced
them to pulp! So again two winners. Bob Pearsall
at Glebe with initially the largest and certainly
the heaviest and Nigel Trute at Upper Fant with
a slightly later and slightly larger measurement.
Can you believe 63” and 65 “ and a weight of
over 65lbs on the 63” one! Bob’s pumpkin is on
the front page, overleaf.
Mix of photographs opposite.
COMMITTEE CONTACTS
Judith Chappell!
Chairman
mikeandjudith@mac.com %
07766 011183
Chris Di Marco!
Vice Chairman
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01622 728583%
07821 398839
Anna Watts! !
Secretary
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maidstoneallotments@hotmail.co.uk 01622 664528
131 London Road, Maidstone ME16 0HF {9.30 to 12.30]
Brian Prentice!
Treasurer
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01622 205757
Bob Pearsall
%
bob.josiepearsall@btinternet.com
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01622 726556%
07979 280795
Louise Tarleton Hodgson
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louisethodgson@yahoo.co.uk
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01622 762816
07748 968992
Sandra Walker
sandra.c.walker@virgin.net%
01622 670888
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BONFIRES
These are allowed from now until the end of March but as
most have been piled up for some time, getting wet[!] do
please check that hedgehogs or other wildlife haven’t taken
up residence underneath them. And, as always, consider
neighbouring houses and choose a non-windy day. And you
must stay with the bonfire until it is totally out, never leave
it unattended.
Potatoes, onions and shallots at our
usual great prices will be on sale at the
beginning of January 2013 at all our allotment
shops. Prices and details of the wide range of
potatoes [some of you may not have tried
some before!], are at the shops and on your
site notice boards.