Hello fellow gardeners,
To update you, our shop will be shut for its winter break in December and January. Last opening in 2024 will be November 24. We will reopen on Sunday February 2 2025. Do be ready to volunteer for a shift next year … it’s a great way to meet folks.
There will also be the chance to catch up with each other at our Christmas event at St Catherine church hall from 12 till 2 on Sunday December 15. Please bring food contributions and we look forward to seeing you there.
As the colder weather and frost approaches, we have turned off the water supply to the taps. I do believe there will be enough rain to keep your plots well soaked. Over winter we hope to make improvements to the taps and standpipes, which will be good news, and they should be in much better order when we turn them back on in spring. Thankyou everyone involved in the tap improvement plans.
We’ve had great contributions from so many volunteers this season and the committee would like to say a huge thankyou for all the work done so far, building new facilities, harvesting crops for charity groups and establishing strong partner and sponsor arrangements. The volunteers’ working party continues to meet outside the shop on the first Sunday of each month , weather permitting , so please come along to tidy communal areas, meet your gardening colleagues and assist others.
Thanks too to everyone who came along on September 29 to celebrate 70 years of gardening. The shared food and drink was much appreciated and there was a lot of interest in the history of the site. Well done all who helped with the celebrations.
Please remember also to pay your membership fees to Didsbury Garden Society. This covers maintenance work, such as taps and locks, insurance cover and debris removal. It’s £10 per person for tenants and coworkers, excellent value compared to membership of other allotment societies across the country . The membership form was emailed out on October 4 and can be returned to @Julie Heydon by email. If you need a paper copy these will be in the shop on November 3. This fee can be paid by bank transfer to Didsbury Garden Society sort code 01 02 69 ac number 25664018, in the shop by cash , card or cheque or to Julie at 21 Maywood Avenue by cash or cheque made out to Didsbury Garden Society. Just a reminder the membership of Didsbury Garden Society is separate to the rental of your plot, which is determined by the city council which will invoice you directly.
We will shortly reopen the corral for plastic , metal and other debris but please don’t bring rubbish from your home. It costs us roughly £400 to empty the corrals each time, and it is not fair to dump on us the household debris that people should take directly to the recycling centre.
Over the winter we also hope to reskin the poly tunnel, and we are working with the Environment Agency and the council to improve the perimeter fencing, gates and potholes. I’ll share more information on that as soon as we get firm dates.
For anyone interested in regular updates from colleagues , we have a Facebook page called Bradley Fold allotments. You can all use this to share useful information, photographs, plants, seedlings, and equipment. Do log in and look.
Also if anyone is interested in helping to maintain our website, do let me know. I’ve been updating it with information but it would be good to have someone with more technical knowledge to help out too. Send me an email on jcottingham@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested.
All the best for winter care and planning your allotments for next year, with best regards on behalf of the committee at Bradley Fold,
Janine Cottingham, Chair.