URGENT Broken lock

Unfortunately the site padlock is broken so we have secured the gate with another padlock. The gate will be unlocked at 8.30am tomorrow and locked at the end of the day. We have emailed the Council who will hopefully replace the lock ASAP. Apologies for the inconvenience!

Annual General Meeting on site at 11am on 12 September

Dear all

This is to formally announce the much-postponed Annual General Meeting which will be on Sunday 12 September 2021 at 11am on site. We will keep it short and sweet, and give you refreshments afterwards! Here are the documents you will need – note that no hard copies will be provided. Barbara will also send these out by email.

AGM Agenda

Minutes of last meeting 12 May 2019

Item 7 Accounts statement

Item 7 Accounts 2019-20

Item 7 Accounts 2020-21

Look forward to seeing you then. Also to remind you that we need new committee members, so don’t be shy!

Kim Scrivener, Chair

The River Ver needs you!

An update about the Affinity Water volunteer day to be held at Hedges Farm to assist with vegetation management, which as we know was one of the contributory factors in our flooding last year. Affinity Water are looking to host this on Friday 13^th August, and have asked if any allotment holders would like to get involved. If you are interested, please email melissa.ahmet@affinitywater.co.uk so she can then update you with key information about the day. 

They are planning to focus volunteer work around the water gates to ensure these are clear of vegetation as a priority and then work along the channel to ensure there is a clear route, removing any vegetation causing pinch points. The Ver Valley Society have also been informed.  

Dates for your diary

AGM

The long delayed AGM will be at the allotments on12 September starting at 11.00am. Very short meeting followed by refreshments. We really need new people on the committee to replace some departures – if you want more info just contact Kim.scrivener@gmail.com – or just step up at the AGM. We meet once a month and it is not onerous!

Quiz

Again the postponed annual fund raising quiz will be at the Village Hall on 9 October. Doors open at 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Tables will hold 8 and we would ask you to let Barbara know if you and friends/family wish to have a table to give us some idea of numbers. Individuals and couples will be seated by the organisers. Cost £6 per head. (Please bring your own refreshments.)

Coffee and cake

Once again we plan to have coffee at the allotments on 31 October at 11.00am. Do join us if you can.

Some reminders

Barbara has sent round some notes recently, and here they are again as a REMINDER

HAVE YOU NUMBERED YOUR PLOT YET??

It is important both for the Council and the Site Liaison Officer that plots are numbered. If you haven’t now done this please put the number on your gate. If you don’t remember your plot number there is  a Plot Plan and tenant list in the newly repaired Community hut.

HAVE A LOOK AT THE HUT

Have a look at the newly refurbished Hut! The ruined floor has been replaced and the walls are now protected from any future flooding. A huge thanks to Chris Feakes and others who have provided their time, help, expertise and materials. We will be looking to replace the roof in the not-too-distant future.

WHITE CHAIR AMNESTY

Unfortunately we have only got one of our white chairs back which used to be in the Hut. Please do give them back, as apart from anything else, you won’t have anything to sit on at the next AGM (date tbc). No questions will be asked if they just magically appear in the Hut!

Best Plot 2021 and an Accolade!

Just in case you didn’t see the email from Barbara, the ‘Best Plots’ were judged by Burston Nurseries last week. The results are below – and I think we can all agree that they are very worthy winners of the donated Burstons vouchers. The Burstons Plant Area Manager, Darren, carried out the judging which was thorough and detailed. He was interested in and impressed by the range of plants grown and the variation between plots, the community spirit and commitment from plot holders. We are grateful to Darran for his participation at short notice. He also took the time to chat with various plotholders who were on site at the time. We should also be grateful to Jan Castle, who organised this year’s event.

The winners are:

First Prize – Rob Flannigan, Plot 8

Second Prize – Octavian Popescu, Plot 40/41

Third Prize – Vivienne Rodwell Davies, Plot 6/7

The Accolade – to all of us!

We were astonished to get this fabulous meal from Darren after the judging. Here it is in full.

Firstly, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for asking me to judge your plots this year.

 I have to say after hearing of the dreadful time you all experienced last year, I was humbled by what I saw when I arrived. The quite apparent desire and resilience to not be beaten by not only a global pandemic but horrendous flooding too. I doff my cap to each and everyone of the plot holders for their hard work and determination to get the whole site back to operational.One of the best things about having an allotment is being part of a like-minded community, sharing not only methods and tips but crops too. I really did feel like the community feel ran throughout the Burydell site and it was obvious that there is huge diversity in the plot owners and their requirements and expectations. Some plots were clearly managed by experienced gardeners with maybe a little more time on their hands these days, others by young families introducing their offspring into the world of nature.
 

The general standard across the whole site was excellent which made picking a first, second and third very difficult. My decision was made taking into account creativity, effort, environmental, housekeeping (to a lesser degree), resourcefulness and of course crop results.
 

The first place was awarded as I felt this encapsulated what we should be doing more of. Not only resourceful but clearly an area where children could get involved with not just the veg, but also planting wildlife friendly plants too. It was not immaculate, but it gave me a ‘happy’ feel.
 

The second and third positions also had many ‘feel good’ qualities, from wildlife planting to complimentary planting, areas to relax and unwind and good selection of crop as well as ornamental plants too.

 I have been around many allotment sites over the years but never been so amazed by the standard that I experienced this morning. So whether you are there every day, a few days a week or just at the weekend, keep up the great work at your lovely site! Darran, Plant Area Manager, Burston Nurseries

General update

First of all a big thank you to those of you who have made such generous contributions to Burydell Lane Allotments to help us with the considerable costs that we face both now and in the future following the repeated flooding last year and this year. These costs include extensive repair to the communal hut which was badly damaged and needs re-flooring.

Following lengthy discussions with the Council, they have confirmed that they do not consider any further work to be necessary at the moment due to the remedial works now completed by Affinity Water upstream. The committee supports this decision. They will however be monitoring the situation. The Council as you will be aware have supported us by waiving plot rentals for this year.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to plot holders who have undertaken a considerable amount of work to improve the drainage on the site, in addition to Ross Parker, our neighbour who runs the small holding. Two plot holders in particular have gone above and beyond – Winston Bothwell and Peter Walsh. 

If you have not already paid the Annual Site Maintenance fee of £5 for this year, we look forward to receiving them!  Please make an on-line payment for a minimum of £5 to our treasurer Chris Feakes  chrisfeakes99@gmail.com. Details should include your name and plot number. In the event of being unable to access on-line banking money can be put through Barbara Vernon’s door in an envelope (with your name and plot number) 2 Mill Cottages (immediately before the allotments).

Bank details for the Allotments. sort code 30-99-21, account 03555408

AGM – The AGM will be held from 11.00am to 12.00 noon on Sunday June 27th and this will be followed by a celebration, probably in the form of a brunch assuming that national Covid regulations allow. Further details will follow. 
Annual Quiz – We will have our annual quiz – postponed from last year – on 9th October at the Village Hall, so please put this in your diary. Further details will follow.
Chippings – The committee is looking at how to get a regular source of chippings, as our previous supplier no longer does it. If you have any useful contacts, please let me know. In the meantime, it is better that individuals don’t take this task on themselves, so that we can ensure the best possible quality!

Letter from St Albans District Council

You should have received an email either from us or the Council with a letter about the allotments. If you have not, please let kim.scrivener@gmail.com know. Please click on the link for the letter.

Letter to plotholders from St Albans District Council 12 February 2021

February 2021 update

Please see here for an update on the current flooding situation.

Flooding update

See here for an update on what’s been going on to resolve the flooding situation.

https://burydellallotments.wordpress.com/events/floods-2020/flooding-update-6-dec/