Fires

Most of us need to have a bonfire now and then (perennial weeds, bits of timber etc.)

Some of our neighbours however are very sensitive to smoke and a bit prone to call either the Fire Brigade or Environmental Pollution.

The best place to burn weeds and wood is on the 'D' shaped area of grass at the football field end of the site (which is where we have our annual giant blaze). Ideally you would use a small metal incinerator (Margaret will probably lend you one on Sunday afternoons if you ask), but a small bonfire is OK.

Don't burn wood with paint on it, or which is wet etc., it produces a lot of smoke and fumes and always leads to trouble.

Please make sure your fire's out before you go home!

Pallets

We get regular deliveries of pallets. These are left at the top of the 'D' shaped area of grass behind the brew room. They're free so please take what you need.

Please don't however break them up on the grass and just leave the unwanted bits for others to clear up.

Pallets stored anywhere else on the site, e.g. behind the garages, already belong to someone, so please leave them alone.

Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Society Committee will take place on May 1st.

If you have any matters that you wish to raise with the Committee please either tell a Committee member, Barry or Rob are generally on site during the week, or email Margaret at harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk

Tips Book for Open day

We are hoping to produce a Gardeners' Tips Book for sale on Open day (something like last year's Recipe Book).

There is a folder in the Brew Room, so could members please write down any tips they want to pass on and put them in the folder.

Alternatively email them to: harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk and we'll pass them on to Gill Chamberlain for inclusion.

Members Notice

COMMUNITY COMPOST ETC.

Please note that there are two community compost bins.

If you are standing facing the bins, the one on the left is mature, well-rotted compost. It is infested with flat-worms, but then so are many plots on the site. Society members can have as much of this material as they like for free, just take it when you want it.

The one on the right is basically horse manure, the bulk was bought for the Society and it is replenished with fresh material from the stables. Again members can take this, but we ask that you make a contribution of say £5.00 and restrict yourself to about 20 barrow-loads. A similar arrangement applies to the pile of manure in front of the amenities hut.

To the right of the amenities hut is a pile of freshly shredded bark and leaves left by a tree surgeon. It is ideal for paths, so again members should please help themselves (there is no charge).

There should be further deliveries of freshly shredded material throughout the year, we are trying to identify the best place to have it dropped.

Behind the amenities hut there is a pile of well composted bark, this is ideal mulch material, and again, members can have it for free.

The Allotment Society Shop

The Society operates a shop for society members. The shop is based in the Amenities Hut on the Allotment Site.

The shop is currently open each Sunday between 12.00 and 1.00 p.m. The shop is staffed by volunteers drawn from the Society membership. We try to keep prices as competitive as possible. (It’s often important to note the quality and quantity of what we sell when comparing us to other suppliers e.g. our compost comes in 75 litre bags rather than 60 or 70 litres.)

Non-plot-holders can become ‘Country Members’ of the Society, and thus access the shop. The current country membership subscription is £5.00 per annum.

SHOP PRICE LIST 2012
		SELLING
ITEM	UNIT	PRICE
Blood, Fish and Bone	7lbs	£1.60
Blood, Fish and Bone	bag (25kg)	£12.50
Blue Barrels	barrel	£9.00
Bonemeal	7lbs	£1.35
Bonemeal	bag (25kg)	£10.70
Calcified Seaweed	7lbs	£4.80
Canes - 5'	cane	£0.20
Canes - 6'	cane	£0.30
Canes - 8'	cane	£0.50
Compost (Clover multi-purpose)	bag (75ltr)	£3.90
Doff Tomato Food	1 ltr bottle	£4.60
Duthane 945	pack	£0.35
Garden Twine	roll	£0.55
Gardening Gloves	pair	£1.00
Glyphosate	0.05 ltr	£0.80
Grit	bag	£3.30
Gro-bags (clover 4-plant)	bag	£2.10
Gro-more	7lbs	£2.30
Gro-more	bag (25kg)	£17.80
Ground Cover	metre run	£1.10
Groworganic	7lbs	£5.50
Groworganic	bag (15k)	£27.50
John Innes No 1	bag	£3.10
John Innes No 2	bag	£3.10
Kurtail	0.05 ltr	£4.10
Lime	7 lbs	£0.90
Lime	bag	£7.20
Maxicrop Tomato Food	bottle	£3.00
Mushroom Compost	bag (60ltr)	£3.10
Nature Disinfectant	bottle	£2.75
Pea & Bean Net	box	£2.20
Perlite	7 lbs	£0.45
Potato Fertiliser	7lbs	£2.50
Potato Fertiliser	2lbs	£0.75
Potato Sacks	sack	£1.00
Protection netting	metre run	£1.10
Rat Killer	bottle	£4.25
Rock Dust	1 lb	£0.35
Roofing Felt	mtr	£2.10
Seaweed Meal	1 lb	£1.85
Sharp Sand	bag (maxi)	£3.50
Slug Bait	carton	£3.40
Slug Gel	carton	£2.60
Slug Pellets	1 lb	£0.95
Stop Weed	bottle	£1.40
Stop Weed Large	bottle	£2.80
Sulphate of Ammonia	1 lb	£0.40
Sulphate of Potash	1 lb	£0.40
Super Phosphate	7 lbs	£2.80
Super Phosphate	bag (25 kg)	£22.00
Tomorite	500 ml	£2.70
Vermiculite	7lbs	£0.45
Vitax Q4	7 lbs	£0.50
Wasp Killer	carton	£2.40

REQUESTS FOR HELP (2)

We are trying to build up a register of plot-holders / society members who have skills and who are willing to help other plothodlers with jobs such as demolishing / erecting sheds / greenhouses etc.

We would expect plot-holders to be willing to pay the going rate for such assistance.

If you would like to be on the register, or if you have a job for which you would like to employ someone please contact Margaret Jackson harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk or speak to any committee member.

Please note we are also trying to create a list of jobs for Severio and his mini-digger - ditch-digging, creating shed bases etc. The Committee has agreed that in suitable cases (e.g. where drainage pipes are needed) the Society might contribute towards the cost of such work; again contact Margaret or any committee member if you feel such work is required.

REQUESTS FOR HELP (1)

Does anyone know of any individual or organisation from whom we might borrow or hire a marquee (at least 6m x 12m) to use for the drama performance in October?

If so can you contact Margaret harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk ?

Changing the plot

At the last Committee meeting (April) it was decided to have a formal procedure which will be followed whenever a plot-holder announces their intention to vacate their plot (and where no pre-existing 'buddy' arrangements for continuity are in place)..

In these cases the plot will be advertised on the notice board in the brew-room (and on this blog-site)

If the plot has a shed and / or greenhouse we will also post the amount that the plot-holder is seeking from any new occupant for those buildings.

Existing plot-holders who have held a tenancy for more than 12 months (a stipulation of the Allotments Officer) will then have a period of time to express their interest in transferring from their existing plot to the plot in question.

PLOT Number 11

Alec Mayoh has announced his intention of vacating plot number 11 from August 2012. 
Alec is seeking offers in the region of £300 for his shed and greenhouses.

Given the dates involved, the new occupant could retain their existing plot until the end of September 2012, to enable them to harvest any crops, with a new tenant starting from October 1st (the new rent year).
Any existing tenant interested in transferring to plot 11, and willing to meet Alec's financial requirements should contact Margaret Jackson by 1.00 p.m. on Sunday 29th April. (via harperslaneallotmentssociety@yahoo.co.uk)

The Committee will discuss all applications at its meeting on 1st May 2012, and in the light of those discussions, the Site Secretary will re-allocate the plot, and inform the Allotments Officer

Vandalism and Crime

The number of incidents of vandalism, criminal damage and theft on the allotments has increased greatly in recent weeks. It is threatening to become an epidemic.

Can we remind all plot-holders that you must make an INDIVIDUAL report to the police of any incident that affects YOUR plot? That way they can build up a file showing the extent and nature of the problem.

Also, remember that anything of value left in a shed or a greenhouse is vulnerable. The Society's insurance does not cover individual plot-holders against theft or damage, if you want insurance, at present you would need to arrange your own, and this is expensive and difficult to obtain (see the Secretary or Treasurer for possible brokers if you need to).

If sufficient plot-holders are interested it may be possible to approach appropriate bodies for funding to obtain a second metal container building to use as a secure store. If there is sufficient interest we will put this on the agenda for the next EGM or AGM.

Dave Jackson - Treasurer

Useful contacts

The Society is trying to build links to other groups and organisations in the Greater Manchester area.

Two useful websites are:

http://www.transitionlinks.org

and

http://feedingmanchester.org.uk

Liason with 'transitions' is through Rob Hellyer.
There is a 'transition' group in Bolton which is organising a number of events. Of particular interest may be a Wild Foray (foraging) walk in April at Rivington - details from bolton@transitionlinks.org

Liason with feeding manchester is through Dave Jackson and Glyn Platt

Clearing Litter

As part of the ongoing maintenance of the site, society members lead by the Chair, Rob Hellyer, have been clearing litter and rubbish out of the woodland area that runs along the bottom road.

Below we show the 'sheet of shame', all collected from the woods in one day by Rob.

This rubbish has just been dumped in the woods by outsiders and even some past plot-holders.
Removing this rubbish will require the Society to hire a skip for around £120. This money  could be put to much more agreeable uses.

Hedge Planting

As part of the Jubilee Celebrations, the Society has planted 105 hedging plants supplied by the Woodlands Trust. Over 20 members of the Society took part over three days to clear the ground and plant the hedges. They're very small at present but we're sure they'll grow!

The photo shows some members of the first weekend's team outside the Amenities Hut.

Below shows the team on the second weekend.

We'd like to thank the Woodlands Trust for supplying the trees, Bolton CVS Small Grants Scheme for funding two days of Severio and his digger (clearing brush and creating drainage trenches), and of course all the people who came along to help.

Resuming the blog

We have decided to resume using this blog to spread the word about Harpers Lane Allotments.

Please note OPEN DAY (Veg and Flower Show , Market and Games) will take place on August 12th (Sunday) starting at 12.30 p.m.

On OCTOBER 13th (Saturday) we are hosting a performance of the play 'Losing the Plot' on the allotment site. Watch this blog for ticket details.

We shall be holding the annual Bonfire Event as usual, date to be announced.

Watch this space!