Whetstone Stray Allotments Newsletter August 2016
August Newsletter
July Working Party
The work party team was full of enthusiasm and a cooperative spirit. The picture above shows the essential work to our boundary with the street.
Thanks to – Aidan, Angela, Euan, Jenny, Les Coupland, Marco, Marie, Rachel, Raphael, Sean, Zara and especially Auryn for the creative poster for the Working Party.
Aidan says it was a pleasure to work with everyone, and lunch was a fiesta!
August Working Party
Let’s carry on this really useful work to our public driveway. The next Working Party will be on Saturday 13th August, meet at 10:30am, lunch will be provided. Please bring secateurs, loppers and shears if you have them.
First Aiders
Thank you to Ziggy, Dianne and Allison who are all trained First Aiders, and have volunteered to be on our list of First Aiders. Allison is also a First Aid trainer, and can offer some discounted places to plot holders who would like to be trained. Get in touch for more information.
Please make sure that you have a first aid box in your shed and/or car. There is also a First Aid box in the Trading Hut.
Community Plot
In July, some of the Committee were invited to visit Escape, a large Community Plot in Norfolk. Travel expenses and lunch were kindly provided by our volunteer partner, Volunteering Matters, who also work with Escape. Escape is a very interesting and inspiring project, and we came away with a lot of ideas.
Work on the Community Plot will resume in October, with a view to putting in fencing, a gate, raised beds and wheelchair accessible decking by Spring 2017. Materials are needed for this project, so please get in touch if you think you may have any materials spare which could be useful.
Tips for August 2016
Sow Italian vegetables such as radicchio and cima di rapa, and orientals such as mustards, pak choi and mizuna.
It is also possible to still sow beetroots and carrots – and some say they are sweeter when sown in August.
Strangers on site
At this time of year, many of us may have friends or relatives visiting or taking care of our plots while we are away. If you see someone you don’t recognise, don’t be afraid to ask them who they are – plot holders will be happy to tell you where their plot is (and maybe share a little moan about the weather). If you are having visitors to your plot, please tell them not to be offended if someone challenges them, because by doing this we all look out for each other and the security of our hard earned crops.
Bonfires
Bonfires are allowed on the first Wednesday of the month : Wednesday 3rd August, after 4pm.
BAF Annual Horticultural Show
The Barnet Allotment Federation 2016 Show will be held on Saturday August 20th from 12:00-17:30, at Rathbone Allotments Pavilion, Ryalls Court, Oakleigh Road South N20 0RY.
All Barnet allotment holders and their families can enter the Show, which is open to the public and ends with an auction of produce. Full details and entry forms are on the BAF website.
There are also some copies in the Trading Hut. Completed entry forms together with the appropriate entry fee should be sent by Tuesday 16th August.
Whetstone Stray Allotments Annual Show
Our show will be on September 4th, information and entry forms will be sent out by email later this month, and available in the Trading Hut.
Get in touch
Please get in touch with any ideas for the Newsletter. The deadline for the Newsletter is 4 days before the end of the month.
We would also love to hear from anyone who would like to add artwork, information or any other ideas to the new Members Contributions area of the Website. Children’s contributions would be especially welcome.