PAA “The Carrot Crusader 2011

Issue 7 Spring/Summer

Chairman Joe Goddard - Plot 97

Secretary Harold Phillips - Plot 65A

(e-mail pockallotassoc@yahoo.co.uk)

Treasurer Claire Hamilton - Plot 19A

Ass Secretary Pearl Harris - Plot 52A

Keith Houseman - Plot 42

PAA Postbox on shed

Pip Jackson - Plot 51

John Webster - Plot 72B

John Marley - Plot 96

PAA postbox on shed

Ian Gill - Plot 29B

Website - www.pocklingtonallotmentassociation.org.uk

Editorial:

Dear Readers,

I have offered to continue doing this newsletter with a different layout, which I hope everyone finds useful. Grateful thanks go to Patricia Clarkson, for setting up this very informative communication amongst allotment holders. It has been suggested that we minimise the content and print in black, also to have only two issues a year Spring and Autumn. This issue informs you of all the new committee members and their roles, also any forthcoming events.

Pearl Harris.

Chairman’s Report:

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carrot Crusader your newsletter for Pocklington Allotment Association. As you will notice there have been quite a few changes since the AGM in January 2011. The PAA committee has experienced a few changes, our long standing Chairman Stuart Walker decided to resign from the committee in February and Secretary Craig Messingham resigned in March. The PAA would like to welcome Pearl Harris and Harold Phillips to the committee, Harold as Secretary and Pearl as Assistant Secretary. Full details of who’s who and how to contact the committee are detailed within this newsletter. The new committee meets once a month meetings are open meetings and you are welcome to attend, full details of when and where committee meetings are held are detailed in this newsletter.

Spring is a very busy time on the allotment and many plot holders have has their spring gardening plans disrupted by thefts of gardening tools and equipment from their sheds on Saturday 21st May 2011and again on the 7th June. The police are investigating these crimes along with a similar raid at Market Weighton and other sites near Driffield and Hull unfortunately it seems this type of crime is on the increase. The police are encouraging plot holders to mark their tools and have provided us with a supply of invisible property marker pens, contact Claire Hamilton if you want a pen. The police also advise putting a visible mark on your tools so that they are easily identifiable as yours. The PAA are grateful to Pocklington Police for all their support and advice.

On a more positive note we are looking forward to the second PAA Annual Vegetable Show. This will be held on Saturday 20th August 2011 at The United Services Club. Details of vegetable classes, schedule of rules and entry forms are available from Keith Houseman and Pip Jackson there is also a supply at the Horticultural Society Hut. The show was a great success last year, and we are hoping for lots more entries this year so get growing!

Our new Secretary Harold has bravely volunteered to revise and update the PAA website which some of you will be aware is woefully out of date. Hopefully this work will be taking place over June and July. If you have any suggestions regarding the website please contact Harold.

Joe Goddard PAA Chairman

Treasurers Report:

Claire Hamilton reported that our finances are in good health. We started the year with a balance of £1685.36.

Monies received so far are Rents £3223.00 and Bank Interest of £0.41.

A breakdown of monies spent so far are as follows: Rent to Pocklington Town Council £500.00. Water £138.11. Printing £27.60. Postage £13.68 and Stationary £8.33.

Leaving us with a balance as of 30th April 2011 of £4221.05.

Monthly Committee Meetings:

Committee meetings are held once a month at the United Services Club, Waterloo Lane, Pocklington. The committee meetings are open meeting and anyone with an interest is welcome to attend. The meetings are held in the concert room and commence at 7.30pm. The dates of the meetings for the remainder of 2011 are as follows:- Meetings start at 7.30pm unless otherwise notified.

Tuesday 21st June Tuesday 19th July Tuesday 16th August

Tuesday 20th September Tuesday 18th October Tuesday 15th November

Tuesday 13th December

Any person is very welcome to come along to these meetings and observe, if you want to comment on anything you will be given the opportunity when the meeting has finished.

Annual Allotment Judging

This will take place on Monday July 11th 2011

Car parking:

It has been brought to the committee’s attention that vehicles parked in the lay-by just before the first allotment are parking very close to the entrance, obstructing the view of vehicles that are exiting, could we very kindly ask you all to leave more space.

PAA Postbox

These boxes are designed to help allotment holders, post any correspondence to the committee, they are on the sheds of plot numbers 42 and 96, alternatively you can go to the web site: www.pocklingtonallotmentassociation.org.uk or e-mail pockallotassoc@yahoo.co.uk

Extraordinary Meeting

A general meeting is to be held for all allotment holders on Tuesday 12th July 2011 at 7.30pm in the Concert room of the United Services Club. This is to discuss the site security and the proposal of gates being fitted to the site entrances.

Apologies for the delay with this edition, we aim to be on time with number 8 for the autumn.