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Birstall Allotment Society |
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BIRSTALL |
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Members of the National Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Association |
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If you are a BAS member and would like to have your say, this is your space. Simply send in your articles to the BAS email address - birstallallotmentsociety@live.co.uk
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“What’s your garden gnome up to when your not around?” |
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More Land for Allotments Got a problem sitting on the allotment waiting list? This could be for you! Channel 4 TV are starting a project called ‘Landshare’ linking people who want to grow their own food to space where they can grow it, click here to find out more.
The National Trust is releasing enough land for up to 1,000 allotments, on some of the most famous country estates in Britain, click here to find out more. Posted 2/05/09
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Allotment Burglar Jailed A 21 year old Syston Man was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment on Tuesday 21st April 2009 by Leicester Crown Court for 9 Burglaries and breach of a community order. The offences (mainly shed breaks at allotments) occurred throughout 2008 in the Meadow Lane area of Birstall and Upper Church Street area of Syston. During the period in question, some 60 offences of burglary, theft and criminal damage on the allotments were reported to the Police in Birstall and Syston. Posted 2/05/09 |
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As reported back in October 2008, Dave Cherry (BAS Treasurer) negotiated to get a metal shipping container to be situated on Meadow Lane Allotments for use as a secure storage facility. John Towson (BAS member) and his son Ivan who works for David Wilson’s made it all possible. David Wilson Homes provided the container free of charge, so a “big thanks” to them. The good news is that it has now arrived on site. Mary Farrell (BAS secretary, pictured above) and Dave (who suspiciously found something very important to do when the camera came out for this photograph) oversaw the delivery and positioning of the unit which had to be craned in. Mary said “I didn’t think the lorry was going to get through the gate, it was so big. It was a tight squeeze but the driver managed to lower the container just where we wanted it. It’s brilliant.” Posted 2/05/09 |
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Metal Storage Container Arrives at Meadow Lane Site. |
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Dangers of Drug Abuse! One of our member’s children has been injured after finding a used hypodermic syringe on Greengate Allotments. The child found the syringe on one of the paths and was stabbed in the finger thinking it was something to play with. Please be aware of this danger when you are weeding/gardening etc, and be particularly careful if you take children onto the site. Posted 12 May 09 |
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Impressive allotments award 2009 THE MOST impressive allotment plots in Birstall were recognised with awards presented by Birstall Allotment Society.
All plot holders were invited to vote and the winners were Alan Hurst, Brian Mills, Glynis Panter, Bruce Parry and Keith Bond. Chairman of Leicestershire County Council Roger Wilson presented the awards and was given a tour of the Meadow Lane allotments. He said: “It was the first time I’ve had a look at the allotments here – and what crops are produced! This is an age when people are realising the value of growing their fruit and veg and I hope to come along in the future and get an allotment myself.” Pic: (l-r) Julian Howe, Chairman of Birstall Allotment Society John Kitchen, John Blount, Roger Wilson, Sheila Wilson, Ann Powell and Keith Bond Article and Photograph: Birstall Post
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2010 Update Do Your Beans Hang In or Out? That is the Question! Well, as you can see my runner beans haven’t done brilliantly again this year (I don't know if it’s me or the weather? It’s been very dry this year). However, I think they have done well enough to answer the question which is better, traditional wigwam or inverted ‘V’ as shown in this experiment? At the end of the day it’s down to what you prefer but using the inverted ‘V’ I did find that it was easier to see and harvest the beans from this arrangement and while some of the beans did hang inward (“The little blighters!”) the majority did hang outwards, see inset photo below
Construction details as promised - Top T section measures 1000mm x 50mm x 50mm Middle T section measures 600mm x 50mm x 50mm Bottom T section measures 300mm x 50mm x 50mm Vertical section measures 2200mm x 50mm x 50mm The horizontal T sections have a hole big enough for a 2.4M garden cane to fit through at each end. The T sections are joined to the vertical section by means of a cross halving joints (which are screwed together, rather than glued, to allow for adjustment of their position if needed). I used Metapost post supports 50mm x 50mm x 450mm (available from DIY stores) to secure the finished structure to the ground. These are easy to move which means my beans can move beds for crop rotation each year. I use cable ties to hold all the canes together and if you buy the slightly bigger ones these can be reused each year too. Posted July 2010 By John Blount Greengate Allotment Something Strange Appeared at Greengate Allotments over Easter 2009.
Does Easter have a significance ……………or is it just a coincidence? ………..Have you guessed what it is yet? Look carefully and there’s a clue! It’s a different way of growing your runner beans. I cribbed the idea from an article in the NSALG's Allotment and Leisure Gardeners monthly magazine (free to members of BAS). The idea is to invert the traditional wigwam design so that when the beans grow, they “hang down and outwards” rather than “down and inwards” thus making them easier to see and pick. Does it work? I don’t know, I will let you know at the end of the season and if it does I will publish construction details. I made mine out of recycled wood, the allotmenteers best friend. Posted 12 May 09 By John Blount Greengate Allotment
Sadly, this year I had no beans. I don’t know what happened but I planted two lots and both failed. So nothing to report yet about the bean structure. I’ll have another go next year and let you know what happens….Wish me luck! Posted 27 November 09
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