DON'T MISS THIS!
Good Fences Make Good Neighbours
Reviewing our efforts after the first few months, it's clear that the new palisade fence and reinforcements to adjacent areas has reduced very substantially the rate of break-ins in that section along Holders Lane. We have had good feedback from plotholders in that area who were plagued by unwanted “visitors” sometimes pilfering or sometimes just occupying their sheds. Huge thanks to the Lottery Fund for their funding of the new fencing. In addition to its actual strength, we think it just looks much more of a deterrent than the previous tired and damaged wire mesh. Thanks also to the volunteers who strengthened and reinforced the boundary fence further down. We need now to think about securing other sections particularly on the Russell Road side of the site.
We are also now working with a local group - Greener Safer Cleaner Moseley - led by our local councillors to lobby the Council to do more in securing the site and improving the infrastructure generally. We have much more power to elbow because we can prove that we’ve raised funding – particularly from the Lottery Fund – as a result of our own efforts.
Rent Collection
Many thanks for the 95% of you who coughed up on time and helped the volunteers enormously by paying by debit card or cheque. Even more thanks to Paul, Maureen, Oscar, Jonathan, Danni, Will, Max,Oz, David and Steve who volunteered chunks of time over three weeks - when they could have been planting broad beand and onions - to take the money. Particular thanks to Maureen and Paul for processing all of the money and updating the register of plotholders thus keeping challenges from the City Council to a minimum.
There are some recepts for rent paid that people didn't actually pick up. If you didn't collect yours, we have it behind the bar - call and collect on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon after 1.00. If you haven't paid by the time you receive this you need to make a a cheque or postal order out to Birmingham City Council and send it to the address below. Put the site name and your plot number on the back of the cheque. You will also be requred to make a late payment supplement of £10 on top of your rent. The deadline for payment was 9th November.
Allotments and Asset Officer
Parks & Nature Conservation
Birmingham City Council
Kings Heath Park House
Vicarage Road
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7T
Trap Setting
It's been reported that a plotholder has set a trap, presumably for squirrels or rats, and accidentally trapped a fox. Leaving aside the futility of trapping squirrels or rats on an individual plot (King Canute springs to mind) it's inhumane to trap foxes in this way and almost certainly illegal. Oz is currently assembling info based on the most up to date advice on national legislation and on current practice across allotment sites in England. Expect a more detailed guidance note next time round. Meantime we know that the law requires that any animal accidentally trapped must be released within one day. Please comply.
Bonfires
It's bonfire month - hurrah! Enjoy it while you can - it appears that the City Council has now ruled out bonfires in March. Sites across Birmingham are challenging this, but sadly it's best to work on the assumption that City Hall will win...
Calling all Longstanding Plotholders!
There is an Allotments Heritage Project under way in the city run by a Chris Poolman at General Public. The project will involve training up children from local schools to take oral histories from Allotment Plot holders. He is looking for anyone with stories of what allotments were like in the 1960'S and 70"s in particular. The children will record informal conversations of plot holders telling of Allotment stories and events. All this work will be properly supervised. This will culminate in a major exhibition in the Central Library in Autumn 2023.
If you were onsite in the 60s and 70s and have interesting stories please get in touch with Chris. Chris Poolmans contact details are:
email: generalpublicprojects@gmail.com phone : 07792 736125.
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