We agreed with the Council that we would make a list of any asbestos still around on the site and the Council would arrange a single collection for safe disposal. Please let us know if you have any on your plot.

The Annual General Meeting of the Bushy Park Allotment Association will be held at the shop on Saturday 28th September at 11.00 a.m.

The AGM will be followed by a lunch with food and drink provided free of charge to plotholders.

Please come and join us, contribute to the meeting and meet your fellow plotholders. We are always looking for volunteers to join the committee or help with activities and events – every little helps!

Following the recent absolute ban on bonfires, representatives of the BPAA met Council representatives on site to discuss alternatives.

Please note that, wherever possible, plotholders should maintain their own compost bins to use on their own plots. If you have transport, anything else should be taken home for the usual bin collection or taken to the tip. The Council has recognised that this is not always possible and has discussed matters with sites across the Borough. The following general approach has been pursued successfully on another site and was proposed for Bushy Park:

1) Plots 33 and 34, about halfway along the track, are currently vacant and it is proposed to convert these into a communal recycling/composting area. We would need to clear the plots and the Council will then take away the material.

2) Clearly labelled covered bins will be be provided for the various types of waste to be erected by BPAA using material supplied by the Council, covering various categories – a)general compostable, b) with pernicious weeds c) metal d) wood needing chipping. Compostable material would be stored until it can be re-used on site and once one bin is filled another would be started.

3) The Council would bring a chipper at regular intervals and then remove any chipped material that could not be composted, plus the weed pile if needed.

4) Metal could be collected by a suitable contractor.

The Council also agreed to pay for the supply of scalpings to repair the worst parts of the track, provided we then carried out the necessary work.

As you can see this is quite an ambitious scheme requiring considerable effort on the part of plotholders to get it started and to make it work. Please let us have your views and whether you’re willing to help with all that’s involved.

Everybody is welcome to the Autumn Festival and Open Day. The gates will be open from 12 noon to 3 pm and we normally get a number of visitors, as well as giving you the opportunity to meet other plotholders. Some plants and produce will be on sale as will light lunches and home-made cakes along with tea, coffee and soft drinks.

We would welcome help from anyone who can supply produce, plants or food (particularly cakes), or who could help on the day, particularly with clearing up after the event.

All profits from today’s Open Day will be donated to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, a leading local charity caring for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Please note that the North car park will be closed for this event.

A set of house keys was found yesterday on site on a chain with a gold star. If they’re yours I have them.

Robin Hewitt

The Council has now decided to ban bonfires on all allotment sites across the Borough. We are actively looking at alternative arrangements for Bushy Park, such as a common compost site for which the Council might be happy to provide a chipper from time to time. Other suggestions are welcome but there is no hope of the Council reversing its decision.

A Wildlife Gardening workshop will be held by Froglife (www.froglife.org) at Cavendish House allotments (TW1 1HU) on Wednesday 29th May from 1pm-3pm. All are invited. Froglife is a charity working to save frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards and is supported by the Heritage Fund.

Our next Open Day will be from 12 noon to 3pm on the 18th May. Please make a note in your diary and bring any spare plants or produce you have available as well as cakes and savouries for the refreshment stall. (Home made cakes sell really well.) We are also always looking for help with setting up and, particularly, clearing away afterwards.
We shall be holding a Volunteer Day on Saturday 11th May to clear up the Community Area in advance of the Open Day. Please come and help if you can – refreshments provided!
All proceeds go to BPAA funds for use on the site.

As you may be well aware, the track through the site is continuing to deteriorate. The cost of effective repair is way beyond the resources of the Association and the Council’s budget for allotments.
To reduce further damage, please:
1) Avoid using the track if you can and park in the street or in the first car park; (vans and other large vehicles cause by far the most damage!)
2) If you need to use the track, please adhere to the 5mph speed limit. Use is at your own risk and neither the Council or Committee accept any liability for damage to your vehicle.

The minutes of the recent committee meeting and BRAG meeting have ben added to the Archives page