Topic: Potato Days

[mat]

Hi mat (good name  ???)

it is actually my name - well, my initials... Apparently my mother never realised until I told her a year ago.  I used to hate it; now I use it a lot as it has "grown on me" since it was given to me years back as part of an email username...

The Hampshire day is Phil's day and I have heard that it is the best potato day in the country.  :)  free potato for me I think  ;D Don't know how to get there though.

Welcome to A4A.

Thanks, and I am sure Phil will be pleased to hear you say this  ;D  Whitchurch is straight down the A34, South of Newbury.

[philcooper]

Mat.

Unlike the other Potato Days in the country the stock is bought to supply both the days and then 2 garden centres until then end of the season. So we don't tend to run out of stock - having said that, there is usually one variety that the fickle British public takes a shine to that we don't have quite enough of on the day. We restock overnight so there as much there on Sunday as on Saturday.

On finding us:

1. There's a map on the website.

2. The postcode is RG28 7JF so you can use Autotoute or Multimap website to pinpoint us

3. There'll be signs on the A34

Can I do more?

Moonbells - you can most certainly collect

Phil

[mat]

Thanks Phil

I actually live about 5 miles from Charlton Park Garden Centre, but don't wish to go there and find they have run out of varieties I wish to try, for the sake of driving down the A34!  Thanks for the info, I'll come along on the Sunday and find out what a Potato Event is really like  ;D

mat

[philcooper]

Mat,

They shouldn't run out but only the top 20 or so varieties are available in the Garden Centre as individual tubers the rest are in 2.5kg nets - see you at the end of the month

Phil

[marjrie]

I have been to the hampshire potato day today, very good it was too, individual tubers were 14p or you could have 8 for £1.00.

Being new to this I didn't realise how many types there were !

Also went for lunch (as advertised on the entrance leaflet) at the local sports centre, lovely leek and potato soup.

We bought, Rocket, International Kidney, Lady Christl, Cara and another maincrop that I can't remember the name of.  ???

Also got runner beans, peas and sugar snaps.

This is our first year with an allotment so feeling excited but also a bit nervous.

Have read loads on here so thanks for all the info.   :)

[mat]

Yep, I went too.  I was very lucky, I managed to get almost all the varieties I had planned (BF15 and Royal kidney NA this yr) plus a few others and came back with 28 varieties in two sacks (door man told me I was too late for being Santa as I carried them out over my shoulder!)  only bought a few of each variety, but it will allow me to savour the differences...

oh and I was so pleased to be able to get Edzell Blue, as I have borrowed my grandfathers wartime gardening book from my mother, and he had marked it as his number 1 choice to buy...

mat

[CityChick]

I went along too and had a super time.  Came back (via a garden centre on the way home ::)) with all bar one of the 21 varieties that I wanted (the Anya boxes were totally empty, but Sainsbury's sell them for eating so I have a plan B ;))

I liked the seed swap table too.  If you weren't swapping you could make a donation for packets of seeds.  There was lots from the Heritage seed library, plus many other seeds people had saved and brought along.  So I came home with some unusual onion, tomato and bean seeds too (4 packets for £1).

All in all a big thumbs up from me.  Thanks to Phil and everyone else involved in organising such a great day out! :D

[philcooper]

Many thanks to those who came along, sorry I didn't get a chance to chat to you all - what with being busy with TV interviews etc  ;)

Sorry about the short supply of some varieties this year - there were problems in storage which meant that several varieties are not available at all and we were very lucky to get some varieties at all (and those only by the individual bag - 300 tubers don't go very far between 1,600 eager buyers).

Special thanks to Moonbells, who wo(manned) the door for a long while!

The seed swap was new this year and we think it went well - unless anyone has any other ideas - or suggestions for improvements

Thanks again for your support

Phil

[bupster]

Anyone going to Stonham barns potato day? Feb 11, outside Stowmarket?

[Amazin]

I posted this on another thread, but I think it's worth mentioning again.

There's a Potato Weekend on 18th & 19th February at Buckingham Nurseries, one of my all-time favourite plant places:

http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/newsletter.html#heading1

[CityChick]

Thanks for posting that!  I knew they sold seed potatoes loose, buy weight.  And I even popped in there on the way home from the Whitchurch potato day, but didn't see any info about a potato event (although, in fairness, I was only really looking for seeds...)

[moonbells]

Many thanks to those who came along, sorry I didn't get a chance to chat to you all - what with being busy with TV interviews etc  ;)

Sorry about the short supply of some varieties this year - there were problems in storage which meant that several varieties are not available at all and we were very lucky to get some varieties at all (and those only by the individual bag - 300 tubers don't go very far between 1,600 eager buyers).

Special thanks to Moonbells, who wo(manned) the door for a long while!

...and extremely glad of three layers of fleece and a wool coat for sure!
1600? Blimey! Broke your last record by a fair bit, then! Piccy is Saturday midday.  I really liked your colour-coding for 1st and 2nd earlies and maincrop. And the half pint of runner beans for £2 - I got 136 when I counted, as against the normal Sutton's price of £2.15 for 45...  Folks who didn't go should note this was only about a third of the area - there were stalls and stuff at the other end of the hall..



I'm now trying to work out where to plant 72 tubers given only two beds are earmarked for spuds. Think I'll have to pinch half my proposed tomato bed back and put the toms somewhere else!

moonbells (gradually creeping back into the forum)

[dlmartin1972]

Hi All,

I went to Whitchurch on Saturday, with my 7 month pregent wife and mother....

Must say it was fantastic, the potato talk was really good and entertaining, and we left with loads of different spuds, seeds and wine.

We went to the pub over the road from the show too, and had a nice lunch (and some IPA for me!!!).

Really a great day, will go again next year.

Regards

Darren.

P.S. Would have loved some of the Copper tools, but a bit pricey for me....

[philcooper]

Amazin,

Thanks for the info - I'll add Buckingham to www.hhdra.org.uk/potatodays - I really want to make it the list of UK Potato Days

I've just heard of one in Northern Ireland on 25 & 26 Feb - details at http://www.ehsni.gov.uk/events/events.shtml#potato It's being run by the Heritage and Environment Service with assistance from Garden Organic (HDRA as was) - they had an Apple Day last year and attracted 15,000 vsitors!

Phil

[Aussie Chick]

I think I'll pop over to the Bucks one  ;D