I’d like to begin by welcoming the new plot holders who have joined us since September 2024 and hope they are enjoying their plots. Now I have a raised bed I see many people enjoying the allotments for regular exercise, socialising and fresh air when I’ve been visiting it over the past few weeks.
It’s been a difficult season again so far. Following a cool and wet winter, spring and early summer have been warm and dry, with two heat waves in June. So cultivating and sowing seeds was delayed. However plots are now being well worked, and with continuing warm weather crops are growing apace. All plots are now let, thanks to Marek Nalewajko our lettings officer, apart from two plots where current tenants are not cultivating them and have been given notice to leave. We can then relet them to new tenants on our long waiting list. Plot holders have already been harvesting broad beans, potatoes, salads and other crops.
Like other allotments in Ealing there continue to be incidents of tenants’ sheds being broken into and damaged, and crop thefts, but they’ve been fewer than we’ve had in the past. We generally report these incidents to the police so please be vigilant and let us know of any incidents of theft or vandalism.
The working party of volunteers led by Charles Vaughan Jones continues to clear unused and vacant plots, prior to reletting them. The hedging whips we planted along the northern boundary and the southern boundary hedge are now very well established. The bait boxes around the edge of the site are regularly replenished to control the rats. Unfortunately, we cannot eliminate rats from the site but only control their numbers. The site communal paths are being kept cut and a big vote of thanks to Charles Vaughan Jones, Tom Lafferty and to all the other volunteers who’ve helped with the work. This all helps to foster the community spirit on the site.
We are progressing work for installing a flushing toilet in the new toilet room we want to create in the Trading Hut. We have recently made a Building Application for the work to Ealing Council for approval and will be making an application to Thames Water for connecting the drainage into their sewer which runs through Pitshanger Park. We should then be able to get firm costs for carrying out the work, and report them to a Special General Meeting in the autumn. I’m pleased to report we’ve also created two new raised beds near the small gate at the southwestern corner of the site. These beds are now available to let. As you know we also had a flood from a leaking water supply pipe in the Park in the autumn, which fortunately we were able to get sorted out very quickly by Ealing’s works contractor.
Once again please can plot holders refrain from accumulating unnecessary items on their plots as PACA often have to pay for their removal when plots are relet! Bonfires or barbecues are allowed on the site, but please don’t light bonfires or barbecues until after 7pm during the summer, which applies from 1 May until 31 August. Please also abide by our bonfire rules, which are displayed on the noticeboard.
We’ve already had a Plant and Seedling Swap on 17 May, which was very successful and a big thanks to Monica Booth, Elizabeth Cave and Alison Lawrence for organising it and providing cakes and coffee. We are planning to hold our Late Summer Produce Show again this year on Sunday 24 August, so look out for more details.
Our website at www.pitshangerallotments.org is being run by Stefan, with help from Andrew Wilson. If you want to get in touch with us our contact email address remains contact@pitshangerallotments.org or secretary@pitshangerallotments.org. As you know we send out News Bulletins regularly to let plotholders know what’s happening on the site. If you don’t receive them by email let us know and we’ll add you to our mailing list. Special thanks to the PAGS volunteers who now run the Trading Hut, which is open on Saturday and Sunday mornings. A vote of thanks to Robert Reynolds who ran the Trading Hut for many years before the Volunteers took it on this year. Please support the trading hut by buying your seeds, tools and garden products there. If we don’t use the Hut then the Volunteers won’t be able to keep it going. And thanks again to Maggie Simpson and her team of ‘weedathugs’ for keeping Sheila’s garden tidy and weed free. Also special thanks to Kathy Clutterbuck and Monica Booth for taking on secretarial duties again this year to help out.
Just a reminder that we currently hold contact details for all our tenants and associate members. To comply with the Data Protection Regulations, the spreadsheet on which the details are held is password protected and only accessible to PACA Officers. The details are used by PACA for Association business only and never passed to any third party. If you wish us not to hold your phone or email details let us know and we can remove them. However we still need to have your address so we can contact you when necessary.
Finally the Annual General Meeting this year will be held on Sunday 21 September at the Brentham Club. It is your chance to have your say about the way that the Association is run. But do please remember that the Committee are volunteers giving up their time to run the Association. You can offer resolutions for changes to be made in the site management. These must be notified to us and supported by another association member. We will be putting forward a resolution to increase plot rents from £18 to £20 per pole from September 2026, more in line with Ealing plot rents. You may also feel that you or another plot holder should be on the Committee. I’m aware that the Committee Officers are not getting any younger and we need new members on the Committee to take the Association forward in the years to come!
Your nominations should be sent in and need to be supported by one other association member as well as yourself. If recommending a person other than yourself please make sure they agree to stand! A brief description of the principal duties of officers and committee members is set out below.
Nominations and Resolutions should be submitted to us by 22 August. Meanwhile we hope you all have an enjoyable summer on your plot!