There were a few raised eyebrows in Milnthorpe and District Allotment Associations’ (MDAA) committee meeting one cold February evening when one brave soul suggested having an allotment open day and barbecue as part of National Allotments Week. However, initial trepidation were soon consumed by enthusiasm to be part of a national event to raise the profile of allotment gardening.

 

MDAA’s two sites are based in the village of Milnthorpe, near Kendal in Cumbria. We have 73 allotments, 105 members and an ever-expanding waiting list. Our allotment community includes people with a wide range of gardening interests and expertise; from young families that aim to produce organic vegetables, National Vegetable Society and National Dahlia Society judges, a novice long carrot grower and even a world-class dahlia grower!

 

After several months of planning, the big day was met by the biggest downpour of rain we had seen in our region for a long time. However, the spirits of our allotmenteers were not dampened. Umbrellas in hand, several volunteers manned the gates on both sites- directing interested members of the public around each site. Each adult visitor was given a leaflet on the history of our allotment association and each younger visitor was given details on a allotment treasure trail. Voting forms for the Peoples’ Choice of Best Kept Allotment were also handed out. Despite the rain, visitors arrived both from nearby and farther afield. So who would want to walk around our muddy allotment sites on a wet Saturday in August? Lots of people it seems- from people in a nearby village who were setting up an allotment site from scratch and were looking for guidance on how develop their site through to intrigued members of the public who wanted to find out what this Grow Your Own lark was all about.

 

The high point of the day was a barbecue on one of the allotment sites, where about 70 allotmenteers came together for a chat, drink and bite to eat (which included allotment grown salad of course!). This was an ideal opportunity for new allotment holders to get to know the rest of their fellow allotmenteers and for people from the two separate sites to mix when they don’t often get the chance. National Allotments Week gave us the excuse to get together and have some fun. Everyone who participated wanted more of the same, and lots of ideas were thrown up for future social events, including a pea and pie supper and a talk on how to grow vegetables for showing! Lots of people were inspired through this event, and our allotment community grew one step closer together. In addition, the local press reported on the open day and National Allotments Week, enabling us to raise the profile of allotmenteering in our area. Everyone agreed the event was a great success, and we are all looking forward to National Allotments Week next year! MDAA would like to say a big thank you to the National Allotment Gardens Trust and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners for such a great initiative.

 

Mark English, Vice-chairman, Milnthorpe and District Allotment Association

 

Photo courtesy of The Westmorland Gazette