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Moor Green at Easter


Hello fellow plotters! Ain't this a classic Gardeners' Easter? The blossoms are all out, spuds are in, lots of seedlings are poking through in the greenhouse or polytunnel and you start to think it might be OK to start planting outdoors. This is all confirmed by a lovely spell of early April sunshine. And then someone turns the Moseley thermostat down and ups the windspeed again.

No matter, we're moving in the right direction, the days are getting longer, soil's getting warmer and there's all manner of stuff going on to celebrate Spring including the AGM which - as everyone knows - is the top Moor Green social event of the season. Forget Malvern - which is on at the same weekend. That's just people trying to sell you posh wellies and expensive coffee. Come down to the site and enjoy the glorious flowers - and the various events we have lined up for you.


Annual General Meeting 9th May Midday

To all intents and purposes this site is run by the Association of which every single tenant is automatically a member and every social member too. Every year the association elects a committee to do the heavy and regular lifting - mending fences, fixing and replacing locks, clearing and letting vacant plots, arbitrating in disputes between tenants, organising events, running the Clubhouse, the Seedstore, the social media, the security cameras, producing a regular Newsletter, collecting the rent, inspecting plots etc - the list sometimes seems endless. This group of 16 or so volunteers is the backbone of the association but in the end the committee is accountable to you through the Annual General Meeting. This is your meeting folks - please come and contribute your thoughts. You're all welcome - this includes partners of tenants as well as tenants themselves - and all social members. There will be tea, coffee and biscuits! The bar will be open afterwards. Committee nominations is the big item, but you also get a report from the chairperson on all the things your committee has done this year and from the treasurer on how we've spent the Association's money. Please come and contribute your thoughts. You will meet new people, appoint the new committee*, understand better what is going on and help make this an even better place to be. The best thing of all that you could do is volunteer to join the Committee: it spreads the workload further but also gives you a real stake in what we're doing.

*Committee nominations. A list is on the noticeboard in the Clubhouse.

Nominations - which have to be proposed and seconded - close on Saturday 2nd May


Scarecrow Competition

The next four months will bring the usual battalion of magpies, pigeons, crows and other opportunistic diners who would love nothing more than to feast on your hard‑won crops before you do. This year, we’re fighting back—with creativity.

We’re inviting every tenant to take part in our Scarecrow Competition. Your mission: build a scarecrow (or any imaginative deterrent!) to keep the critters at bay. The only limit is your imagination. Traditional, quirky, artistic, terrifying, or downright bizarre—everything is welcome. There’s even a rumour of a prize for the winning entry…

Some of us dream of a scarecrow that could deter badgers too, but that may be a challenge worthy of Hollywood special effects.


How to Enter

If you’d like to take part, just let us know your plot number and name so our independent judge can visit and admire your creation. Entries close on Sunday 3rd May. You can enter in any of these ways:

What we are looking for

  • Originality – something that stands out from the crowd

  • Effort and creativity – whether it’s made from recycled materials, old clothes, or something unexpected

  • Effectiveness – or at least the appearance of it!



Out of the Blue Band - 19th June

Live Jazz - from our very good friends Out of the Blue. Don't miss this - this band makes an amazingly solid sound and has a vocalist to match. We're hoping this will be an outdoor afternoon performance. It's live, it's beautiful and its free! Get there early for a good seat!


Keep Our Site Safe and Happy

Whether it's for one of our events or not, it's lovely to see so many people on site as spring turns to summer, enjoying the place with their friends and family. Long may it continue - it's a tribute to the place and the community of tenants. In that spirit we hope you won't mind a quick reminder of the do's and don'ts

Please Do

But…

Bring your family and friends

Keep your children in sight and under control

Walk the dog if you’ve got one

Keep the dog on a lead and take your poo home

Enjoy your plot and looking at everyone else’s

Don’t stray onto other people’s plots

Visit the clubhouse.

Please sign in non-members.

Become a social member if you’re regular and don’t have a plot

Keep the gates locked except at weekends

Drive slowly – there are many children and old people about


50th Anniversary - Date for your Diary - 6th September 2026


I know it's a while yet but this is going to be a big day for Moor Green. Not only is it the date for the Annual Produce Show which is absolutely the big event of the year but also the new Moor Green Allotment site was opened by HRH Princess Alice on Wednesday 8th September 1976, during the International Leisure Gardens Congress.  So we're 50 years old! We don't quite know what we're going to do to celebrate but it will be BIG! Keep an eye on the website or Facebook or Instagram for further developments.


Plot Inspections

Plot inspections take place this month. To keep things fair and consistent, three members of the committee walk the site together during inspections. We take a generous and common‑sense approach to what “well cultivated” means. Most plots easily meet the standard, even if they’re at different stages of the growing cycle or have a few rough edges. We’re really only concerned about plots that fall significantly short of the basic expectations.


When we do identify a plot that appears neglected, our first step is always to contact the tenant to ask whether there’s a reason for the lack of activity. Illness, family circumstances, or unavoidable absences are often the explanation, and we fully understand that life sometimes gets in the way. In every case, tenants are given 28 days to bring the plot back into reasonable order.


However, we also have a responsibility to the wider community. With a waiting list of around 155 people, having a plot here is a real privilege. It’s only fair to those on the list—and to neighbouring tenants who work hard on their own plots—that we take action when there’s no evidence of commitment over time. In rare cases, this can lead to termination of tenancy, but that is always a last resort.


City Nature Challenge - Saturday 25th April



Would you like to join in with this? We're organising an event on site on Saturday 25th April. Anyone can join in on the day - you just need a mobile phone camera and the INaturalist app but in particular we'll be organising stuff that children might be interested in - like

  • Moth trapping (overnight Friday, but we'll be checking the traps at 9.30)

  • Pond dipping,(10.30 and 12.30)

  • Bird watching (all day)

  • Bat detecting (8.00 pm for the evening rush)


If you're interested in all or any of the above just email madahal.social@gmail.com and we'll add you to the list or RSVP with the button below!



Get your Plot Recognised!

BDAC run a series of annual Birmingham-wide competitions for best Newcomer, Best Plotholder and Best Site. Last year we had two Moor Green winning entries from Howard and Lianne. Congratulations to them both again. It would be great if we could carry on the tradition and win prizes again this year. Full details including entry form at the link below but basically you can enter for three awards

  • The Cliff Jones Memorial Trophy - Best Allotment Plot.

    As a tenant you can enter yourself. As an Association Committee we can and definitely will nominate up to 2 plots for our site. We'll let you know who in the next Newsletter. But you can also apply as an individual. If you do please let us know - we might be able to nominate you as well!

  • Florence Pickering Memorial Trophy - Best Newcomer.

    To enter this competition, you must have started on your plot no earlier than the 1st October of the previous allotment year, so by the time the judging happens in July, you will have been developing your plot for 22 months or less depending on when you started your tenancy. Also, this must be your first allotment plot, so people who have moved from another site may not enter.

  • Thorpe Trophy - Best Site Competition

    The Best Site in Birmingham competition features the name of Professor Harry Thorpe who was responsible for the national Thorpe enquiry and report on the provision of allotments published in 1969. That was what led to our foundation in 1976 which - those of you who've read this far know - we're celebrating in September. So we're entering the whole site! No pressure, but if you could keep your individual plots weed-free and meticulous for the next three months it would increase our chances...


  • FULL DETAILS HERE: https://bdacallotments.co.uk/home/events-and-competitons/site-competitions-intro/


Marmalade

And finally a look back. Our 3rd annual marmalade competition in March attracted alot of interest and some top quality entries. Thanks to all 13 entries to . 1st Jon, 2nd Oz, 3rd Helena. And many thanks to Lorna and Trevor for judging.


That's all for now folks - happy plotting!




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