Barn Events
Last month Esther Coles gave a fascinating talk on beekeeping, together with a very enjoyable honey tasting! She has kindly offered to do more talks to cover beekeeping through the seasons, next one in October on beekeeping in autumn (provisional date below, TBC).
Our popular Sunday lunches continue, and we will be switching to an autumn menu this month. Also we will be donating the takings from September's lunch to Hornsey Food Bank, an additional reason to come along and enjoy lunch while supporting our local food bank.
Next week the monthly cafe at the Barn will be in the afternoon again, then from October we'll be going back to mornings. Dates below.
An exciting new Barn event is being planned for the new year - in January Colin Reading will host a lunchtime quiz. Teams of up to six people. More details to follow, but start genning up on your general knowledge now!
Reminders
Another reminder to CLEARLY display your plot number. Maintenance work across the site (tree pruning, water trough and tap repairs, etc.) depends on the maintenance team being able to identify plots, so please make sure your plot number is visible from the path.
And a reminder to cut back brambles etc. to ensure that paths are kept clear.
SHA AGM
This year we are going to hold our AGM in the Barn, and it will precede the Winter Warmer event on Sunday 20th November. More details to follow.
Charity tea at Ally Pally allotments
A message from Liz Sagar: I am organising an afternoon tea at the Alexandra Palace Allotments Social Shed for AP plot-holders and their guests on Sunday, 18th September 2022 from 2pm - 3.30pm. I would like to invite the plot-holders and their guests from Shepherds Hill. There will be tea, coffee and cakes which can be paid for by cash or card. All money will go to Macmillan Cancer Support. If any plot-holders from Shepherds Hill Allotments want to attend then if they come to the top gate to the AP Allotments between 2pm - 2.30pm on the 18th September and phone me on 07804615765 I will arrange for someone to let them in.
Manure
Bruno Dore writes: I will be delivering industrial quantities of manure on Tuesday Sept 27th and Wednesday 28th if there is enough demand to warrant it. £3 a barrow* of well-rotted horse, delivered to the trading shed yard, Wood Vale gate BUT NOT the ‘parking bay’ at the end of the Queens Wood track.
*A barrow is 15 shovelfuls (not spadefuls), enough to fill a full-sized builders’ barrow. It will cover between two and three square metres, depending on how liberal you are. This is at least twice the quantity of a bag of manure that you might buy from a garden centre for £5 or more.Transportation to your plot may be feasible but is a bit uncertain at the time of writing as I need at least one, preferably two labourers to do the donkey work. If you are interested, the price will rise to £5.50/barrow.
Please let me know if you want any manure and if so, how many barrows.
Dates for your diaries
| Wednesday 14th September 3.00-4.30 | Afternoon tea at the Barn (note afternoon time) |
| Sunday 25th September 12.00 - 2.00 | Discussion group: Preparing your plot for autumn/winter. (12.00-1.00) Followed by lunch (1.00-2.00) |
| Wednesday 12th October 10.30-12.00 | Cafe at the Barn (note back to morning time) |
| Sunday 23rd October 12 - 2pm | Bee talk by Esther Coles (TBC) (12-1). Followed by lunch (1.00-2.00) |
| Wednesday 9th November 10,30-12 | Cafe at the Barn |
| Sunday 20th November | SHA AGM 12-1.00 Winter Warmer 1.00 - 4.00. Lunch and teas |
| Sunday 21st January 2023 12-2.00 | Quiz hosted by Colin 12-1, followed by lunch 1-2 and winners announced at 2pm! |
The allotment committee, September 2022