The beginning of 2006 saw the election of Robin Spencer as our new President! At our Annual General Meeting in January Robin, who has been a member and strong supporter of the Association for many years, and a committee member for a number of them, was unanimously elected. Even though he left the committee a year or so ago he still helps us whenever he can, and can be seen most Saturday mornings helping out as usual in the Sales Hut, regaling us all with his ready wit! The AGM in January saw the re-election of the complete committee – you can’t beat a winning team! In fact the team was strengthened considerably by the addition of two new members, Liz Gaskell and Rob Williams.
As so many new members have joined us over the last couple of years or so, we thought it might be useful to them if we explained a little about the workings of the Gardeners’ Association and its various activities although apologies to those who have been members for a long time and have read all this before! The Gardeners’ Association is a voluntary organisation - all the people you see helping at the Hut – operating the till, carrying bags of compost to cars, selling plants etc. - are volunteers, no-one gets paid. At present we have a committee of sixteen plus a willing team of helpers
The main attraction for most of our members is the shop, or the Sales Hut as it has always been known, on the Rob Lane allotments. In the limited space available we try to stock as many items as possible, and these as cheaply as we possibly can, although with so much competition from the big DIY and discount stores this is becoming more difficult. We stage an annual flower and vegetable show in September each year (more about this on page 3) and arrange a programme of talks/demonstrations on a variety of horticultural topics. Coach outings to major flower shows and famous gardens/stately homes are organised from time to time - three this year
Our membership last year reached 628, and after a recent recruiting drive we are hoping to increase our total this year. Most of our members live within a ten mile radius of Newton-le-Willows, but quite a number come from further afield. Most of our members are in the older age group, in fact some of them have been with us for forty years or more, and we are doing our best to recruit younger members. We are always on the lookout for new talent, so if you think you could help us in some way, whether it be recruiting new members, joining the committee, helping at the Hut, delivering newsletters or leaflets, or helping at the show, please let us know – we are a friendly bunch and you will be made very welcome.
COACH TRIPS
Our outing to Bodnant Gardens and Llandudno on Wednesday 17th May was a successful one, apart from the weather which wasn’t very kind to us. Unfortunately there were a number of empty seats on the coach which meant that this trip suffered quite a heavy loss
.
The second trip is to Gardeners World Live at the NEC Birmingham on Thursday 15th June which will have taken place by the time you receive this letter, but by early June bookings were looking good.
We still have plenty of seats left on the last trip on Wednesday 23rd August which is a very nice day out to Levens Hall and Sizergh Castle. The coach leaves Newton (Blue Bell Hotel) at 9.0am picking up from Culcheth at 9.15am, and returning from Sizergh at 4.0pm. The cost including coach and entrance to the gardens only at both places is £15.00. If you are a N.T. member the cost will be £11.50 as Sizergh is N.T. property, but you must bring your card with you to get the discount. Bookings can be made at the Hut. The full price is required at time of booking please.
This year we’ve had a very interesting range of basket plants, bedding plants, herbs, tomatoes and perennials etc. for sale at the polytunnel thanks to our hard-working plants team who have been assisted by other committee members and helpers. Thanks also to the many members who have donated plants. Our attempt to grow our own tomatoes last year in the polytunnel was unsuccessful as the heat from the summer sunshine was such that at times it was almost impossible to breathe in the tunnel never mind grow anything! We will however have some plants on sale in the small space outside the polytunnel throughout the summer, so please look us up from time to time to see what is new. Will the two of our members who borrowed our large green plastic trays to take home their plants please return them as they were not meant to be used for this purpose, and we need them!
POLYTUNNEL
MEMBERSHIP, NEWSLETTERS, AND E-MAILS
If you’ve not paid your membership this year it’s not too late! Only £3, or £2 if you are over 60. We would like to increase the number of members who have agreed to receive their newsletters by e-mail attachment or to be notified when the letter can be read on the web site. If more of you would go for one of these options our printing and distribution costs could be cut considerably, so if you are interested please contact inimeg29@netscape.net or leave details at the Hut. We now have over 80 members who receive our email notifications about forthcoming events, special offers etc., and many of you have told us that you find them useful. If you would like to be included please advise the address above or leave details at the Hut, but if you opt for the latter, please write your address clearly as we have been given some email addresses that are incorrect or illegible! Also please advise us if you change your e-mail address.
SALES HUT DEVELOPMENT - A few words from our Vice-Chairman Fred Dickinson
For the information of our newer members, there have been attempts for some years now to reach a mutually beneficial accommodation between the Newton-le-Willows Gardeners’ Association and the Rob Lane Allotment Association with the purpose of joining the two bodies in order to obtain funding to improve both the allotments site facilities and build a completely new premises for use by us all. The proposal was to build a brand-new sales ‘shop’ and storage area, a meeting area for different gardening groups and possibly create an opportunity for a variety of gardening ‘classes’ for any
members interested, together with improved access for the disabled and a fully equipped set of toilets. The dialogue between the two bodies gradually ground to a halt and the idea has failed to come to fruition.
That said, this last winter saw a drastic change in the internal lay-out of the sales hut during the closed season, hopefully making the place easier to use and give it an airier, brighter, friendlier atmosphere.
During these changes it became obvious that we needed to either :-
i strengthen the fabric of the present building, then refurbish the roof and walls or,
ii to demolish it and replace it with a new, modern construction.
The proposal to demolish and replace the building was given some very serious thought and estimates for the replacement building were obtained and the prospect of obtaining part funding was examined. Initial enquiries with the Council and the Water Company then revealed a fatal flaw in the plan to replace the building – the Water Company stated that in the event of any new building in the present location being proposed, they would object strongly on the grounds that the building would be too close to two large diameter water mains that run under the allotment site - in other words we would not be allowed even to replace the present structure with one of equal size.
Under the circumstances, the committee decided to strengthen and then refurbish the building.
The first part of strengthening the building, the steel reinforcing bars and ancillary metalwork has already been obtained and as soon as some suitably filthy gardening weather occurs, the strengthening bars will be installed.
On behalf of the committee I would like to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for the inevitable inconvenience that will be caused occasionally to those using the sales hut and poly-tunnel; we shall of course attempt to keep such disruption to an absolute minimum.
Fred
WILLOW PARK CRAFT FAIR AND WINWICK CARNIVAL
Every year so far we have been lucky with the weather at Willow Park Craft Fair on Spring Bank Holiday Monday – until this year when it rained for much of the day apart from a couple of hours during the afternoon. We even had a hail storm! If you don’t believe this look at the pictures on the web site – News page. Spirits were not dampened however and we had lots of visitors to our stand and sold plenty of plants.
We have again been invited to man a stall at Winwick Carnival on Saturday 15th of July at which we will be promoting the Association and selling plants and sundries (and hopefully some new potatoes), with a planting demonstration for the children. We look forward to meeting our many Winwick members on their home ground, and we hope for a fine sunny day.
GRAND FLOWER & VEGETABLE SHOW 2006
The 2006 Grand Flower & Vegetable Show will be held at St. Aelred’s Technology College in Birley Street, Newton, on Saturday 9th September
The sports hall at St. Aelred’s is now the regular venue for our show, as apart from the fact that the show has gone from strength to strength since it moved to St. Aelred’s, this seems to be the only place where there is enough space to stage the whole show within one room. The show schedule this time includes all the usual classes for Flowers, Vegetables, Fruit, Pot Plants, Floral Art, Cookery, and Photography. There will be an additional section for our local artists calling for a painting using any medium entitled “Autumn Colours.” The picture colouring competition for children is continued together with the children’s photography section. All the usual stalls for plants, spring bulbs, second-hand books will be there plus a tombola and raffle, and of course the refreshment table selling tea and biscuits.
Previous exhibitors who have not already received a copy of the Show Schedule by post will find one enclosed with this newsletter, but if you have not entered before and you would like one then please ring our Show Secretary Ursula Siney on 01942 274584, or pick up a copy from the Hut or from Newton Library. The schedule is also available on line at our web site www.nlwgardeners.homestead.com
The show will be open to the public from 2.00pm to 5.00pm, and the prize giving ceremony will be held at 4.30pm followed by the auction of produce.
We are extremely grateful to M.T.B. Motors as they have agreed to repeat their sponsorship of the Photography Section, this to the tune of £50, and we have to thank the Royal Botanical Society of Manchester & Northern Counties for a grant of £85. This year the costs of staging the show have increased yet again. The bill from St. Aelred’s for the use of their facilities is now over £500, and no doubt the printing and insurance bills will be up again too. If any members would like to help by sponsoring a class or classes in the show a donation of £3.20 will usually cover the prize money for one class. You can sponsor in your own name or in memory of a loved one, and for each sponsored class a certificate showing the details will be placed on the show benches. We also need your help with as many tombola prizes as possible, and plants and books for sale as well. Please bring them along to the Hut.
Please do your best to enter something in the show – it is only 10p for each entry, and free for over 60s and children. If you are entering for the first time please note that it is very important that you read the show schedule very carefully, especially the rules and regulations. There will be stewards on hand to show you where to put your exhibit, and how to stage it to the best advantage. If you feel a little too nervous to exhibit this time, then at least come along and see the show, and you will see how easy it all is, and quite likely you will come to the conclusion that your own pot plant or cabbage which you left at home is better than those on display. Sandwiches, tea, and coffee will be available for exhibitors staging on Friday evening.
Will regular exhibitors please note that entries officially close at 8.0pm on Friday night, and it would be appreciated if you would do your best to keep to this deadline. To enable adequate staging spaces to be allocated we need to have your entry in good time. There have been problems in recent years through late receipt of entries which often results in crowding of exhibits and stewards having to move exhibits which have already been staged, leading to grumbles and general dissatisfaction. Far better for everybody, exhibitors and visitors alike if the exhibits are staged properly. If it is not possible to get your entry to us in time then we will as a last resort accept telephone entries to the numbers shown on the entry form.
Although the sports hall is an excellent venue for the show, this does mean that we have much further to carry the tables for the show benches, so if any members would like to help the committee set up the tables for the show on Friday evening – 5.30pm at St. Aelred’s on the 8th September, and after the show on Saturday to return the tables to the classrooms, then you will all be very welcome.
Thanks for your support!
And don’t forget – please bring your tombola prizes, plants, books, etc. to the Hut in time for the Show on the 9th of September!
2006 PROGRAMME
We are very pleased to report that all the evening meetings this year have been very well attended, and we would like to thank members for their support. We have two further meetings planned, the first on Thursday 29th of June, a talk by Alan Kelly about Bee Keeping, and on Thursday 27th October, a talk and demonstration by Lois Clark entitled Traditional and Modern Christmas Floral Ideas. Both meetings will be at the Kirkfield Hotel commencing at 7.30pm.
ROB’S CLINIC
Rob Williams is without doubt the most knowledgeable horticulturalist of our committee members and is a naturalist as well! He has a clinic at the Hut one Sunday in four at which he will, assisted by other members of the committee, do his very best to supply the answer to any questions you might have on horticultural topics and local wildlife. The remaining dates this year are Sundays 2nd and 30th of July, 27th of August, 24th of September, and 22nd of October.
MARS BAR AND CRISPIE CAKE
Another simple recipe from our resident cook Margaret Dickinson who also doubles up as our Treasurer!
4 Mars bars 3 oz butter
4 oz Rice Crispies Melted chocolate for the top
You will need a 7" by 10" shallow cake tin
The cake will cut into about 20 pieces.
Put the Mars bars and the butter into a pan and melt very slowly, stirring all the time.
Then slowly add the Crispies and stir thoroughly until all are coated with the chocolate mix.
Pour into the tin and press well down. You can melt more chocolate, if you like, and drizzle over the top Leave to cool in the tin (if you can) then cut into squares or oblongs.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
The summer puzzle is now available at the Hut, and following complaints that the last one was too difficult, our compiler informs us that this one is so easy that he anticipates that even some of the committee will be able to complete it! There will as usual be two prizes of a £10 and a £5 Hut voucher for the first two correct solutions opened, and these will be pulled out of the hat at the Flower Show on Saturday 9th September. It is unfortunately too costly to send a copy of the crossword to all members with the newsletter but if you can’t get to the Hut to pick one up, it is available on the web site or by email attachment on application to inimeg29@netscape.net
DON’T FORGET TO FEED YOUR GARDEN BIRDS
The British Trust for Ornithology recommends that we continue feeding our wild birds throughout the whole year including the breeding season, but they do stress that we should not put out whole peanuts, but instead provide peanut granules or use a wire mesh feeder to prevent the birds taking large chunks and choking. We have a selection of feeds available for sale at the Hut including black sunflower seeds, a high energy seed mix, and peanuts, all of which are suitable for all the year round feeding, and are excellent quality. These are supplied by CJ Wildbird foods, Britain’s leading supplier of mail order bird feeders and foodstuffs. It is very important to keep your feeders and the feeding area clean as food left out for a period of time can become mouldy leading to the danger of salmonella poisoning.
SALES HUT DEVELOPMENT - ADDENDUM
The hut roof reinforcing bars have now been installed by Fred & Mike Briers, ably assisted by Tony Addison on an extremely hot and stifling day in the hut. The hut roof is now actually 3 inches higher than it has been for several years and much, much safer.
