Category: Allotment Update

Saturday 13 April 2024 at 11.00, at the communal shed

MARCH

Craigentinny Plotholders’ Meeting MINUTES

Saturday 9 MARCH 2024 at 11.00

Present: Mike W, Innes, John M. (Chair), George (Minutes), Eve, Clare, Sam,

Apologies: Mike A, Elspeth, Joan P, Norma, John Mc, Aileen, Patricia.

1. Welcome – We welcomed Eve and Clare (Plot 15) to their first meeting.

2. FEDAGA representative – We were entitled to 2 further reps. We would consider this at our next meeting

3. BBQ – We now have a number of new plot holders. We thought we might hold our annual BBQ earlier than usual, maybe in May and combine it with a strimmer (use of; and maintenance) tutorial. Agreed to continue this item to the April meeting.

4. Treasurer’s report – Elspeth had tabled a Treasurer’s Report which was noted. We had at present £207.12 in our funds.

5. WhatsApp Group – Agreed to set up a WhatsApp group. Clare offered to start the process for this.

7. Items Left at the Gate – We had an arrangement that items that plotholders no longer needed and might be of use to others could be left at the gate for collection but then removed by the donor after 2 weeks if they hadn’t been taken. However, this had led to a number of items being abandoned at the gate. Donors are now requested to remove these items.

8. Communal Bins- These now appear to be being emptied again. Plotholders are reminded that only material suitable for landfill should be put into the bill. Eve offered to put up a message to that effect.

9. Collapsing Shed (plot 54) – on inspection the shed proved to be harder to dismantle than it appeared. Ian Woolard is aware of this. George will remind him.

10. Date of next meeting – Saturday 13 April 2024 at 11.00.

IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVING A NOTE OF THESE MEETINGS AND WOULD LIKE TO, PLEASE EMAIL georgerubienski@gmail.com

Just a reminder that the next allotment meeting is on Saturday May 13th at 11am, hope to see lots of people there.

The fruit trees on the communal plot are showing lots of promise for a great harvest, as are many of the plots around the allotment site

Just a small snap shot of what is blooming in May

The allotments are really starting to bloom, the tulips planted in Tom’s memorial garden have opened and the allotments plots are full of fruit tree blossoms

It was great to see so many people at the meeting yesterday, and it feels like the allotments are coming to life with flowers everywhere. This is just a very small snapshot of what is currently blooming around the plots

Everything planted in Tom’s memorial garden is beginning to bloom, the new tulips are looking wonderful and promising lots of colour soon

Here are the minutes for the March meeting, if you would like to receive these by email please contact George (georgerubienski@gmail.com) and he will add you to the email address list. The next meeting is on Saturday April 8th at 11am

by Elspeth MacArthur

The bunting was up for a special summer BBQ on Saturday 18 June to celebrate John Maule’s 50 years as a plot-holder at Craigentinny – it is some record and we wonder who else in the Edinburgh allotment world can match it?

Our ace BBQ team fired up the coals and off we went.  The sun came out and the rain stayed away and there were lots of stories, many reminiscences, jokes and, of course, a cake.  

So, a big thank you to John, and thanks too, to everyone else who made it such a lovely event – we hope the pictures here provide a reminder of a great afternoon!

Being a mere infant when he acquired the plot – in the days when there was no waiting list at all and, indeed, the lucky applicant could be asked how many plots he or she would like to have (several of those present fainted at this point) – there was much to marvel at.  To read more about the life of a plot-holder from 1972 -2022, you can read about it in an article John wrote a little while ago which you can be found here (Craigentinny Allotments in the 1970’s – Craigentinny Allotments  John has been a source of strength and commitment on the site, welcoming and helping many of us with much shorter allotment careers. Most recently, we discovered that his many talents include that of stone carving, when he produced the beautiful slate memorial to our friend Tom which was recently placed beside Tom’s tree.

Thanks to Elspeth MacArthur and Laurel Wheatley for photos

Save the Date – 18th June 2022

SAVE THE DATE!

2022 is John Maule’s 50th year as a Craigentinny plot-holder so we’re planning a lunchtime BBQ on the communal plot on Saturday 18th June to celebrate this Golden Jubilee!

Everyone is welcome, including families. Craigentinny BBQs are great fun and we haven’t been able to get together in this way since 2019, so if you haven’t been before or, indeed, have joined the site since then, please do think of coming