Topic: Dulwich potato day

[two sheds]

Hi,  anybody going to this on Sunday? Has anybody been to this one before, is it worth a visit?


Thanks

Julie two sheds

[Svea]

not been before - i missed it last year.
you can buy individual tubers rather than whole bags of spuds which is why i want to go- i only grow a handful of a few variety as  i dont have much space.

i am in walworth and be hopping on a bus - must check where that school is :)

[Scope254]

I'm going with some pals from the Bensham Manor Allotments in Thornton Heath.
I understand that you have to get there early to get a good choice.
Haven't been before but am taking empty egg boxes with me as suggested on this site.
Don't forget to take a celebrity potato with you to get free entry!

[delboy]

We went last year when it was at Dulwich College. Parking was more of a worry than them running out of spuds!

There will probably be a farmers' market as well as seeds of various types on sale.

Don't forget your felt-tip pen and something to carry everything in... You don't want to end up like we did last year, with muddled up spuds because they threw themselves together.

Am going for a drive to Micheldever this year, as they say there will be more varieties there. Lots of Thompson & Morgan varieties, but a little bit cheaper.

[two sheds]

Thanks for all the info, especially re carrying the different spuds, I have decided on wine carriers as I will only want one or two of each variety!

Not sure about the celebrity potato, I have one that looks like russell grant, does that count?


two sheds

[Scope254]

Wine carriers?  They sound a bit big to lug around - unless you're planning to take full bottles in them to drink while you're there!!
That's why I'm taking my egg boxes so I can sit the spuds in them and mark up each box with what I buy.
You have to dress a spud up like a celebrity. Examples given on the website last year were Queen Victoria, Stevie Wonder,& Jordan.  Still pondering what to do myself.
Any ideas?  :-\

[dandelion]

Im coming with an egg box too! Trouble is, I only have one and I want to buy more than 12 spuds!

[two sheds]

The wine carriers are plastic collapsable ones, so no great trauma to lug around, a box of six eggs last us a fortnight so none available but will stock up for next time!


two sheds

[allotmanye]

We shall be there at 10am as it opens. Only want sarpo this year. Last year at Dulwich College it was very busy. We only live 10mins away so very handy. A bit of browsing and a pub lunch at the Grove Tavern, perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Should wear an " Allotments 4 All " badge so we could say hello to other potato heads.

[delboy]

Perhaps there should be an innocuous little badge we could use for this sort of meet.

Do they exist?

[two sheds]

Right then, I will be wearing a lovely homemade badge with A4A on it......please say hello and if I see anyone else with similar I will do the same!


Julie two sheds

I will leave the sheds at home.............

[dandelion]

Thought we could all wear dark sunglasses. Or odd socks or something....

[daveandtara]

me and tara are going to be there,

may be all those who are going could wear a badge, dark glasses,odd socks and a silly hat  ;D ;D ;D

would then be easy to find peeps!!!!!!!!!

[Svea]

well, i've been and done it - got my seed potatos for this year :)
not too busy and plenty of tubers of all varieties - a well stocked sale

got chatting to a couple of people from the spa hill and one tree hill allotment sites - anyone here who gardens there?

did you see the copper implements the lady was selling close to the entry/exit door? using copper tools doesnt disturb the magnetic field of the beds/soil so the slugs dont have a target to go to and nibble (they are sensitive to the magnetic fields/disturbances after you have used iron tools)

sounds interesting. the tools werent cheap but all hand made.
has anyone tried them before?

[Scope254]

I treated myself to the trowel - just under £20.  I'm dying to give it a go and will let you know if it reduces the slugs!
I also thought it was excellent - well laid out and not too much of a scrum and I managed to get everything on my list except Ratte -  crop failure I'm told.
All my 15 varieties are now nestling snuggly in their egg boxes in the greenhouse.
p.s.  Did anyone try the Moroccan chicken pie things?  Quite tasty until I reached the sweet nutty stuff on the top - quite an odd sensation having sweet and savoury together in one pie.

[two sheds]

Went today and got lots of different sorts, just hope the labelling system doesn't go wrong as it often does! Will be nice to do some taste tests :P

Next time I will go with a shopping list as realise I still didn't get all that i wanted...liked the look of the chicken pie things, but it was too early for us

Julie two sheds

[dandelion]

Don't forget to take a celebrity potato with you to get free entry!

I did and I looked a fool because I was the only one  who brought a celeb spud :-[. I'm sure I saw it on the website though! Perhaps it's something they did last year and forgot to delete last year's page! Mind you, I still got in for free  ;) and bought all the potatoes on my list :)!

The Moroccan chicken dish sounds like Bstilla, filo pastry with chicken (or pigeon), egg, almonds, cinnamon and sugar.  The recipe is in Claudia Roden's 'A new book of Middle Eastern cookery', which is quite old now but still the best on the subject.

[DaveM]

What a good day.

My thanks and a big well done to all involved in the organisation of the event.

15 different varieties to try...good chat with knowledgeable garden folk, Horseradish thongs, borlotti beans and asparagus crowns.

And the Moroccan Lamb pasty thingy was great.Pinenuts and lamb first for me.

[Svea]

dandilion - was yours the spider-spud? :D

[dandelion]

yes the bad pun: Spud-erman.