Newsletter 2009 June
A New Club House ...
Success! Thanks to the vision and determination of our Site Steward, the generosity of her neighbour and the dedicated hard work of a team of valiant workers, we have a communal social hut! It stands on the barbecue site, plot 29, far too handsome to miss, already roofed. The whole enterprise took several weeks to achieve and the prime movers have had to deal with a range of uncertainties and set backs since the idea was first mooted. An excellent group effort; many many thanks to anyone and everyone who assisted with any part of the operation.
Ideas for its use abound: seed swops? plant exchanges? a refuge from inclement weather? a good old-fashioned chat room? It will be available to all and any FLAG members and to share your ideas for its use, please join us at the next meeting.
Plot Numbering
Another effort by a nucleus of committee members has virtually finished the plot numbering – another great asset. East/West, North/South options have confused people in the past - including the Council representative! That task should be completed soon, and so will the labelling of member’s plots to identify them as belonging to FLAG.
Membership Increase
FLAG membership has increased this year and we hope that some plot tenants not yet in the scheme will still want to join before the summer’s out. The site, as with every site in the district, is even more heavily over-subscribed and the waiting list has more than doubled since the spring. The Council could not cope with such high levels of occupancy without the assistance of groups like ours!
Warmed by the recent sun and optimistic for that long promised “hot dry summer” – the one that could ripen the corn properly and sweeten the fruit – here are some dates to remember and some events coming up that we hope you will lend your support to.
The Next FLAG Meeting
First in date order is the next FLAG meeting which will be in the lounge of Beaumonds in Hatfield Road (by the Mermaid Pub). This will be on Tuesday 16h June starting at 7.30 pm as usual. Please do join us if you possibly can to listen in/have your say. You will not be strong armed into taking over the Secretary’s post I promise! It is just a great help to get whatever feedback we can from all the members. The tea and biscuits are excellent and elegantly served and if discussion gets heated we could always retire to the Mermaid at the end of the meeting!
Key subjects for discussion include: summer security (when school’s out!) and new initiatives to reduce attacks; details of social events that are imminent (and outlined in Social Section below); the use of the new clubhouse; website progress; ideas for 2010’s programme of events.
Summer Social Events
SUNDAY JUNE 28TH (pm) Larks in the Parks at the Victoria Playing Field
FLAG will be taking part this year, from 1.00pm until 4.30pm. The theme is SUSTAINABILITY. To have the widest possible appeal but be simple to organise, our stall will have a trio of attractions:
a) CRESS HEADS – this will be something for kids of all ages to do.
b) COMPOST – a display of the composting process and benefits, including a can-o-worms.
c) WINDOWSILL SALADS – a display of sunflower salad greens to taste, with take home seeds.
Please help! – in any one of these ways:
(1) Offers to join us for an hour and talk enthusiastically about compost to an eager public! Let Rona know what time (and duration) you could manage. If you can talk knowledgably about Darwin and worms, even better!
(2) Egg shells! As many as possible! Please try to scalp them towards the top, leaving as much as possible un-cracked so that a more head-shaped bit of shell is left. Rinse if need be to avoid stinkiness. Then pop them in the egg box and pass your full boxes to me. To see how we will use them, google ‘cress heads’.
(3) Miscellaneous offers and ideas - just speak to me!
Larks in the Parks is brilliant fun. Do make a day of it, or at the very least slip down from your plot for a while.
Sunday July 5th FLAG Barbecue at Folly Lane
The social event of the season! This fantastic party happens whatever the weather, and there is good company and great food. You and your friends are all invited!
Details of the event will follow. For now you won’t be surprised to know that to make it run smoothly on the day, there has to be a bit of work in advance. To achieve it we are relying on members to please come and get stuck in at the June 6th and July 4th working parties, when some site preparation needs to be done.
Especially important is to have help the day before (the afternoon of July 4th) in setting up the awning, wiping down the furniture and tackling any last minute tidying up.
On the 5th itself we need a team of hands to erect the gazebo beforehand and dismantle it afterwards and some bold barbie-supervisors to stop the steaks falling off the grill and monitor the ownership of sausages. In all cases your skills would only be required for an hour at most.
Please – underline where you think you could help and give me (Rona – plot 58) a call as soon as possible (on 836470) so that I know the troops are rallying!
For those who haven't been before, everyone brings their own barbie-fodder and liquid sustenance, and a contribution to the general welfare in the categories - breads, salads, desserts. Of all that there will be more to follow when the invitations come out and then I will need more details.
June 6th and July 4th Working Parties
These really are sociable as well as social. Please try and spare an hour. Half an hour is OK if that's all you can fit in.
Some tasks do undoubtedly need some brawn, but there is plenty of lighter work too. You will not be expected to do anything too onerous!
The working party is a good way to meet other plot-holders, and it helps give cohesion to the site and its tenants, especially when Bob cracks open the free beer and we can all assuage our hard(ish) earned thirst!
CLOSING APPEAL
At the barbecue we always have a plant stall. So far contributions have tended to come from a small number of donors. We would like to build on our success.
Please would you see now whether you either have or could bring on a few particularly interesting or fit specimens?
f you have superfluous divisions languishing because you’ll never need them …
or seedlings that are destined for the compost because more succeeded than you dared hope …
or if you could get out now and try a few cuttings …
PLEASE THINK OF THE PLANT STALL!
House plants, flowering plants, productive plants, architectural plants … anything that looks good and healthy may appeal to a fellow gardener so please, nurture whatever you have and let us have it for the plant stall!
We find it works well if we leave prices to the sense of the buyer. However, if what you pass on is the only one of its kind in cultivation in this country a guide line would be appropriate. And PLEASE LABEL your plants, whatever they are!
Many thanks.