Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness says Keats . Another beautiful poem that may have lost its accuracy over the last couple of hundred years. For example, we're not seeing much mist. Furthermore he goes on to talk about soft fruit being loaded on vines, mossed trees bending with the weight of apples and gourds (squashes I suppose) being swelled with weight and goodness. Flowers budding more and more for the bees to feed on. All true. But where in his poem are the marauding squirrels, the magpies, the rats. And WHAT ABOUT THE WASPS? And his Autumn gets a gentle "winnowing wind", not the gale that blew the Produce Show tent down - more on that later.
Your editor is glad to have go that off his chest. Greetings fellow plotters - hope you're enjoying your richly deserved harvest and giving some of it to the Food Bank if, for example you can't face another french bean. As summer turns to Autumn the big news here is that we'll be collecting rents from you - details below. They have gone up, unsurprisingly, in line with inflation. What is surprising, given the state of BCC finances is that the rise isn't much greater. Thank heavens for small mercies.
Rent Collection
Rent is due from 1st October . Rent and fee charges specified below. We are collecting rents at the clubhouse on 7th/8th , 14th/15th and 21st/22nd October . 12 midday - 3 p.m. Please pay by card, cheque or the right change if possible.
PLOT CATEGORY | 2023/24. PAYABLE OCTOBER 1ST 2023 | 2024/25. PAYABLE OCTOBER 1ST 2024 |
MINI Full Over 65* | 60.00 32.00 | 63.00 34.00 |
SMALL Full Over 65* | 74.00 39.00 | 78.00 41.00 |
STANDARD Full Over 65* | 110.00 57.00 | 115.00 60.00 |
LARGE Full Over 65 | 134.00 69.00 | 141.00 72.00 |
ADDITIONAL FEE FOR TOOL LOCKERS - £1.00
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Produce Show - 10th September
And what a show it was. We had the usual heroic gang of volunteers putting up the tent two days ahead.
Then on the day - a beautiful day as it should be - some truly wonderful displays and contributions.
And a richly deserved best in show prize for this brilliant display from Deb and Duncan
On top of that, the afternoon and evening were a huge success with the weather and live jazz bringing in loads of business.
Big thanks to Deborah and Oz in particular for all their hard work in putting on the Show.
After the Produce Show - 20th September
So on that Wednesday there was Deborah (again) and Paul (committee chair - he's a regular Moor Green volunteer too - thanks for the Food Bank work) having a little chat in the Clubhouse about rent collection/waiting lists/security/best time to lift potatoes, when they looked out of the window and saw the marquee disappearing. Storm Agnes decided to focus its attention on one tiny bit of Birmingham...
After an hour's heroic effort in the rain and the help of one passing plotholder - thanks Andrew! - they managed to dismantle the whole thing and stack it ready for storage. Amazing work!
Next year we'll take it down earlier.....
Atlantic Players 16th September
Another great success. Good attendance on the night and the band played up a storm! Here they are getting ready for the gig..
Special Word of Thanks
A richly deserved word of thanks to our honorary president Mr Boswell Douglas, Dougie as he is universally known - for filling in a big stretch of the trench at the back of the clubhouse. Voluntarily, unasked, doggedly, over the last three weeks. And he's one of the oldest plotholders on site (and at Moor Green that's saying something. I sometimes think you need to be 70 before you're allowed in). Your hard work over years and years is greatly appreciated. If you could share the secret of how you grow those onions, that would be appreciated too.
WE ARE FAMOUS!
Gardeners World filming on site last month including presenter Joe Swift. Apparently it's on sometime in Spring next year. We're becoming Pinewood Studios for allotments..
Forthcoming Events (To keep it positive we're not including Rent Collection...)
Get these dates in the diary and enrich your Moor Green experience. All in or near the Clubhouse.
Apple pressing - date to be confirmed - probably in October
Halloween Saturday 28th October;
First Aid Training for Plotholders (BDAC event) Monday 13th November. Limited tickets, free to our plotholders. Ideally for people who spend a lot of time at the site on a regular basis. For more information contact madahal.secretary@gmail.com
Winter Fayre Sunday 26th November
That's it fellow plotholders - enjoy your Autumn, get pickling, pay your rent early, and look forward to all those weeds dying back and leaving you alone for a month or four...