Autumn at Moor Green
- Moor Green
- Sep 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 18
Season of droughts until last week and mellow fruitfulness. As Keats would have said if he were writing today. Welcome to Autumn fellow plotters! It just seems to have happened overnight and timed perfectly for our Produce Show. More on that later along with all the other site news. But we thought we might as well get the bad news out of the way first. You have to pay rent again! Despite the healthy and prosperous financial position of Birmingham City Council, they are insisting that we cough up for another year - full details below. On the upside firstly the rents have gone up only very slightly, in line with inflation. And secondly, you are buying a very cheap ticket to paradise. So here are those rents - for this year and the next.
How Much Is The Rent This Year?
It's also good to know that future rent increases will be based on RPI on the 1st August each year.
When Are We Collecting the Rent?
This is the really important bit. We'll be collecting rent in the Clubhouse as usual on the Weekends in October as follows
Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th 11.00 -1.00 pm
Saturday 11th- Sunday 12th 10.00 -1.00 pm
Saturday18th - Sunday 19th 10.00 -1.00 pm
Please make every effort to turn up and pay on one of those dates - by card or cheque if possible please.
Now that's Out of the Way ....
We have nothing but good news to report - starting with the hugely successful Produce Show on 7th September . Of course the work started a day early as usual with the erection of the Marquee. Massive thanks to the Show crew who assembled the beast in less than two hours.
Then there was the Show itself with a gobsmacking display of fruit flowers and veg for the judges to consider.
What a display! Apologies to anyone whose magnificent contribution is missing. And what a challenge for the judges!
But we did finally get to the prize giving. Cash prizes for first second and third prize in fruit, vegetables and display. Here our former chair Paul Rooney receives a prize from the current chair. Both made a big effort to dress up for the occasion
There was a special award for the most unusual (i.e. ridiculous) vegetable. No contest - Bernard's trombocino romped home
In addition to the the display in the marquee - and largely because of it - a big crowd assembled inside and outside the decorated Clubhouse to check out the goods on display from Tools for Africa and York Supplies
And of course we had a full bar and a busy outdoor kitchen serving pizzas and sausages. Big thanks to the bar staff as ever, together with Sabrina and her team on the pizzas and Rex and Howard on the barbie - or braai as I believe he calls it.
Learning from 2 years ago, when we left the marquee up and it nearly blew away, this year the dismantling crew took it down the following day. Its now safely tucked up in storage until next year. Thanks to the dismantling crew.
Last but definitely not least, we were pleased to have Izzy Knowles, LibDem councillor for Moseley formally opening our new gates at Russell Road. In her short but gracious speech Izzy thanked Paul Rooney and Jim Daly in particular for starting and finishing the whole restoration project - and the other Moseley councillor Kerry Jenkins - another firm friend of Moor Green - who passed away suddenly a few weeks ago.
Of course the whole event was a team effort and thanks go to everyone involved in setting up, dismantling, competing, judging, feeding, watering and just turning up to make this a great community happening. The one person deserving a special mention is Deborah, who basically organises and runs the whole affair from start to finish. In addition to all the other things she does for this site including doing the same job for the next two events - see below.
Bio Blitz!
We had another event in August - a first for us. The BioBlitz was a whole day dedicated to collecting insects, recording bird song, and searching the wilder corners of the site, to discover what wildlife we are sharing our plots with. Whilst its not a scientific survey, the idea was for us to discover and appreciate the wildlife alongside us. Plot holder Matt O’Callaghan led the search, bringing along a range of nets, posters, ID guides, and his microscope, so that anyone who was interested could join in. The day started with a look at the contents of a moth trap set up over night on the teaching plot. And look what we found!
And later in the morning we found all these lurking around the site
All were photographed or brought back to basecamp for identification
In the afternoon the action shifted to Matt and closer inspection of even smaller things . Probably the first time a microscope has been used as entertainment in the Clubhouse.
Coming Soon - Halloween Party
Here's another date for your diary - Saturday November 1st.
Winter Fair - Another Date for your Diary
And definitely don't miss this! Saturday 29th November. 11am to 5.00 p.m. (bar open until 7.00) There will be craft and gift stalls, tea and cakes, food and a with a bit of luck some musical entertainment. And please contact Debs at madahal.waitinglist@gmail.com if
You'd like to book a table for your craft/gift stall - price £15 for the day or
You'd like to make some cakes for the cake stall or can help Britt and her team selling. It's a great fund raiser for us and a chance for you to test off your skills before applying for Bake Off.
NEW EVENT - 6th December - Wreath Making Workshop
That's Christmas wreaths for the avoidance of doubt. For hanging on your door and demonstrating your craft skills and festive spirit at the same time. Details will be on display in the clubhouse soon.
Christmas Jazz
Hopefully the Out of The Blue Big Band will be entertaining us on a Friday night in early December. Watch out for posters and posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Final word. Big big thanks to Paul and Britt for organising the Food Bank donations this year - they did their final run to B30 Food bank last week. It's hugely valued and long may it continue. That's all for now - happy plotting!
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