Moor Green in August
Updated: Aug 31
"All day I face the barren waste
Without the taste of water
Cool water.
Ol' Dan* and I, with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water
Cool, clear water"
*must be Dan the committee man who manages the water supply.
Greetings plotters. You need to be 70+ to remember Frankie Laine hitting the charts with this cheering lyric. But I think he captures the mood of everyone on the site this August. So well done those positive thinkers who were busy mulching everything or digging a little pond or making more water harvesting devices for winter.
Well done also those of you who had the sense to clear off to Scotland or Scandinavia on holiday. August has not been too much fun on the plot in the heat of the day. It's been interesting to see how many people are turning up at 5.30 in the morning or 9.00 at night to avoid the heat.
As I write though, the weather seems to have broken. Cheer yourself up - plant a few radishes or lettuces or rocket and watch 'em grow in five or six weeks! Or fill those empty beds with mustard and mizuma. What you don't eat you can dig in and save on manure. Or you can just sit and watch the parakeets and woodpeckers and buzzards and plan for next year.
Meanwhile we have a busy Autumn of events to look forward to starting with...
The Produce Show - 6th September
This is going to be big! See the flyer below.
The annual produce competition takes place in the Marquee on Sunday 6th September 2026. There's a huge list of categories you can enter for - see this page on the website
Don't be shy - enter something. Everybody has had the drought challenge this year so the expectation is that we won't be getting the biggest pumpkins, or the longest runner beans we've ever had but what's to lose? And remember - there are medals. Doors open 9am for you to bring your entries in. All entries must be in the marquee and presented by 12.00 midday.
Judging will be between midday and 2.00 pm. Meantime the clubhouse (and the bar!) will be open from 12.00 so you can while away the judging time in comfort with friends if you wish. There will be food from the outdoor kitchen team. We will also be having a short "opening" ceremony for our new fabulous mural at 12.15 . Finally the medals will be presented later that afternoon - at around 3.00 p.m Cash prizes for the best vegetable, fruit and display will also be awarded.
50th Birthday Celebrations
Have you ever looked closely at the plaque and the black and white photos to the right of the bar? They show some minor royal planting a tree in front of the pavilion. That tree was planted on 8th September 1976 and is now over 50 years old. A very good excuse to have a birthday party on Sunday13th September from 2pm. Please note this is a private party - a celebration for tenants and social members only. If you would like to join us but don’t fit into either category please contact madahal.chair@gmail.com
Seedstore
The store will open for the last two Saturdays on 19th and 26th to (more or less) coincide with the allotment’s 50th anniversary. Come down, check out the new layout, and see our new stock. We are introducing 40 new products, starting with essentials like fleece, netting, and fertiliser. For September, we’ll have over-winter onions, shallots, garlic, netting, and winter seeds, so hold off on buying those elsewhere! We are also sourcing blue water barrels and will take community feedback on what else you want to see.
The Mural Is Finished!
After two months of early starts to beat the heat - the mural is finished!
Depicting a celebration of wildlife, growing, allotments and... er... several familiar canines! There will be a formal opening on Produce Show day (see above) but you can just rock up and see it now if you like - it's beautiful!
Art Exhibition
Pamina Stewart artist, plot holder and painter of the 50th year celebration
mural, is curating ‘Propagation’ an exhibition at the clubhouse featuring four nature-inspired artists.
Sharon Baker nostalgic prints are based on the garden of her grandparents’ house in Birmingham. The prints reflect her fascination with her Grandad’s shed and the Anderson Shelter.
David Osbaldestin explores the intersections between visual art and design practices, led by found materials.‘G R O W / M O R E’ is a playful interpretation of horticultural media in the context of the city garden.
Lorna Rose uses both hand and digital sketching, stitch and collage in her work. Drawing serves as the essential language for her allotment and nature-inspired pieces.
Pamina Stewart's moth sculptures are inspired by the ongoing Moor Green insect surveys, transforming discarded items into creatures that invoke a deep connection with the environment.
Starts 5th September and continues throughout the 50th year celebrations.
50th Commemorative Print
Sarah Moss will be selling her special 50th Moor Green linocut print at the produce show. If you put your name down for one please come and collect. We get £10 for everyone sold.
There will also be other new merchandise on offer.
Ground Control to the Pavilion... The Major Toms are coming!
We're delighted to announce that the Major Toms will be performing live at the Pavilion on Saturday 19th September from 7pm. Gather your friends, dust off your dancing shoes, and join us for what promises to be an out-of-this-world evening.
Rent Collection
After all that good news here's the sting: your Rent is due again from 1st October 2026. The allotment rent and fee charges 2026/27 as set by the Council (don't blame us) are as specified below.
PLOT CATEGORY | 2026/27 Payable 1 Oct 2026 |
Mini Full Over 65*
|
68.00 37.00 |
Small Full Over 65*
|
85.00 44.00 |
Standard Full Over 65* |
125.00 65.00 |
Large Full Over 65* |
153.00 79.00 |
Raised bed Full Over 65* |
21.00 13.00 |
There is an additional fee for tool lockers and chalets of £1.00. Please note that as usual there is a Late Payment Penalty of £10 which applies to annual rent not settled by 9 November 2026
We will be collecting rents in the Clubhouse between10.00 and midday on the following weekends in October
10th/11th
17th/18th
24th/25th
New This Year. If you prefer, you can pay directly into our bank account. Just contact us on madahal.treasurer@gmail.com giving your plot number(s) and we'll tell you the amount you owe and the bank transfer details.
Birmingham Allotment Survey
This year BDAC will again be helping Dr Jon Bloomfield and David Draycott undertake what is the largest and most insightful allotment survey in the country. Last time over 900 people took part but this is only about 13% of Birmingham plotholders. This year work has begun on offering the survey in more languages. To read the results of the previous survey click below
You can complete the questionnaire online this year - it only takes 10 minutes. Just click on the link below
Solar Eclipse - Date for Your Diary
This is well into the future - 3rd September 2081, so a date for our younger plotholders. But seriously , thank you to everyone who joined us for refreshments and to watch the solar eclipse in August. We were over the moon (excuse the pun) to see so many people come along and make the most of this unusual event. It proved to be an excellent excuse for a midweek opening of the bar and an opportunity to spend time together as a community. As always, our thanks go to the volunteers who generously gave their time to keep the bar open. Their support is greatly appreciated.
That's all for now folks - see you at the Produce Show!
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