Well, another allotment year has gone by. Another busy year for the committee, and a challenging year on the plot.
I think I can honestly say in the eight seasons I have been allotmenting on Hill Rise, this has been the most testing yet. From the frosts which took most of the fruit, to the dry spring, summer and autumn, mother nature has done her best to try and scupper us this season. I don't say this to complain, but just to say to you, if you are new and particularly started a plot on the meadow, that you've all done very well, and it can only get better ! (to paraphrase both old Mr Grace and Professor Brian Cox in one sentence).
Our second Flower and Produce Show was a great success, and having organised it twice, I think we can honestly say it is now an 'Annual' show. Because of the cool weather this summer, some things weren't quite ready for the show, particularly in the flower section, but we expanded the number of classes overall, and the number entrants grew, and we still have room to expand in the Corn Exchange in future years. We are keen to expand the number of entries from children, and have some ideas to do classes which a teacher could do with a whole class, and which will allow the schools to get the necessary work completed before they break up for summer.
Thank you to everyone who came to the AGM. Those who came will have seen that the finances are in good order. We are now going to explore with St Ives Town Council some options for shared investment in improvement to facilities. As always I would be happy to hear from you, if you have any ideas for improvements, and more particularly if you would like to help with the work of the committee.
I would like to thank Jude Ongeri in who has been our treasurer for the last two years and has now stood down from that position. The new Treasurer is Mark Bottoms, and we have already been busy setting up an on line payment system, which, once we have negotiated the complexities of PayPal and the necessary redesigns to the web site, should make payment of membership fees much easier.
Another success this year has been the Gardening Club, and I would like to thank Robin Bletsoe who has led that initiative and has, with his career in amenity horticulture, helped and advised me with my many challenges with the Council. Please note that all HRAA members are able to go to Club events (evening talks, trips to Kew etc) on the same basis as Gardening Club members.
Finally I would like to thank John McKinnie for all his hard work with minuting meetings, logging redundant and unkept plots, chairing the Produce show sub committee, but most of all compiling the newsletter which you are reading now, which is always visually very appealing. I know that John is always keen to have more contributions, so perhaps my last ask, as we start a new allotment year, is that everyone will consider submitting an item into the newsletter. Now is the time to think about it - as you are sitting there over those dark winter months with a sloe gin by your side, put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, and send us something to read in the next edition.
Richard Weightman, Chair, HRAA
