2025 Seed Potato & Onion Order Form

 

Mr Fothergill seed prices

 

Potatoes - (or hope springs eternal...)

No beating about the bush, this email heralds the arrival of the potatoes, onions, shallots and stuff.  To celebrate this momentous date in the calendar, we will be throwing open the doors of the hut at the usual time on Sunday for the collection of pre-orders, and for those last-minute impulse purchases.  Yet again, we have reduced our quantities, so we would encourage you not to delay visiting if you missed the order form - or were completely baffled by it...  We are aware that there were some issues, but such are the hazards of a owning a grumpy, uncooperative, out-dated computer. 

 

The hut dwellers have enjoyed the winter Sunday mornings, huddled around the wood-burner, but we are now girding our loins for what will surely be a sunny and fruitful 2024 season.  I mean, can the weather get any more interesting?  The wet weather has certainly put a damper on any optimistically planned autumnal clear-ups, but I guess that the weeds will be raring to go and the slugs will be revving up their engines as soon as a ray of sunshine penetrates the gloom.  Yay!

 

We will continue to operate on Sunday mornings throughout the season, and we are currently well stocked with most items, including varieties of compost and growbags, seeds, netting, canes etc.  Normal trading hours are 10 - 12, although we may be open a little later during busy periods.  At the moment we do not have plans to open on Saturdays, but will happily discuss volunteer openings if you are up for it, Saturdays or Sundays.  

 

So!  Come on down to collect your orders, or swoop in on the remaining stocks!  We will be pleased to see you, although maybe I was a bit rash in claiming that we will be throwing open the doors.  In these chilly, draughty times I suspect that we will continue to (loudly) encourage members to close the door behind them!  Also, if you wish to purchase seeds via the Kings Seeds Scheme you have until the end of January to panic buy.  Let me know quickly if you are hoping to order and claim your 50% discount.

 

Happy New Year to one and all!

Keep your eyes peeled...

I’ve run out of potato puns, but suffice to say that this email heralds the beginning of our new season.  As well as alerting you to the exciting news that the potato delivery has taken place this week, it also includes important news about :

Seeds

Break ins, hedging and gates

Volunteering opportunities and opening hours

Poly tunnel growing space

Plant (ish) sale

 

Yes!  The potatoes and oniony items have arrived and orders will be available to collect from Sunday January 29th between 10am and 1pm (as opposed to our normal 10 -12 noon). We would ask you to collect them sooner rather than later;  we are always concerned about possible deterioration in wintry conditions.  If you did not place an order, there will still be some varieties available, although it is worth noting that we are scaling back on our total order year on year, as demand decreases.

 

The Kings Seeds orders have also landed, and are available to collect.  We achieved our target of £200 and enjoyed the benefit of half price seeds! Yay!  Additionally, we have a good selection of seeds at the Hut, although these are not quite as generously discounted!!!

 

Unfortunately, our allotment site has had more unwelcome visitors during December and January, and if you only visit your plot occasionally during the winter months it would probably be worth popping by to check that everything is ok.  There are frequent reports of the security gates being left unlocked and even wide open, and this is obviously frustrating to allotment holders who are more vigilant. PLEASE close and lock gates responsibly, and consider if there is anything that you can safely do if you see anything suspicious. As far as your own plot is concerned, the society has had a kind donation of some pots of hawthorn whips which are intended for use on the Hagg Lane allotment site in order to fill any gaps in hedging.  Please come to the hut if you would be interested in using some of these.  Free!

 

Changing the subject completely, do you think that you might be able to help us?  It has been a long road, and we are just about getting back to normal , but we are aware that the personal circumstances of members the volunteer team are ever changing, and we’re not always able to give the time that we used to in the past.  Obviously we have reduced our opening hours, although we are aware that some members would be pleased to see us open on Saturdays as well as Sunday, if it was practical.  If you are at all interested in helping, please get in touch, or pop in for a chat.  You will find us a motley crew - some more motley than others – but we do our best to be friendly and hospitable!  In the short term... we are hoping to get some working parties together in March.  Amongst other things, the society polytunnel needs a complete overhaul, and we need both brains and muscle to help dig trenches and do battle with a new cover.  Expressions of interest, please! 

 

And then...once the polytunnel is back in working order, we hope to offer growing space to people who could make use of it.  We’re open to discussion!

 

And then...last year we had many enquiries about the return of a plant sale, and lots of people called in looking for seedlings.  We know that we cannot undertake a plant sale on the scale that we used to, but we would like to be able to offer something in its place.  Anybody got any ideas?!

 

Well, that’s it for now!  We hope that you’re looking forward to the warm spring sunshine, hosepipes at the ready! 

Potato & Onion Order Form

 

Ne'er-do-wells

Unfortunately we have received reports of multiple break-ins and acts of vandalism on the Hagg Lane allotment site.  We always encourage victims of such crimes to report the event to the police because, whilst it is unlikely that anything can be done to find the culprits, it is helpful to the police to keep tabs on where crimes are committed, and to maintain realistic statistics.

If you haven’t been to your plot recently, it might be a good idea to check for damage and losses, and it is obviously helpful to keep the site gates locked, even when you are on site.

Hope that all is well with you.

Feeling chipper, half baked or making a hash of it....

The allotment year is already trundling onwards, and we are pleased to let you know that potatoes, garlic and onions have now arrived at the Hut.  Once again, our order has been reduced to reflect the quantities purchased over the last few years, and there have also been a number of crop failures to throw in.  If you have pre-ordered, please come to collect your stuff as soon as possible – we always get nervous about potential frost or rodent damage the longer they are left with us.  If you haven’t pre-ordered, and are hoping to drop by to make a purchase, we suggest that you don’t hang about!

 

We have also received the seed order from Kings, and our seed merchandiser in the Hut is freshly stocked.

 

We are still opening on Sunday mornings only, between 10 and 12 ish, working with a reduced volunteer team.  Apologies if this causes any frustration.  Please contact us directly if our current opening hours makes it impossible for you to visit, and we will do our best to help.  Obviously, we are trying to operate as safely as we can, and would ask visitors to the hut to wear a mask, and to use common sense if there seems to be a bottleneck! 

 

Look forward to seeing you soon.  Happy New Year!!!

 

Debbie, Eric, Kevin and Steve (on behalf of the wider volunteer team