Topic: The "Save Fortis Green Allotments" Project

[Sjoerd]

Hello,

Are any of you familiar with the situation between the allotment holders of Fortis Green Allotments and Thames Water?

I was wondering how things have been going for them. Has anyone heard any news?

Thank you

[caroline7758]

Hi Sjoerd, welcome to the site. Don't know anything about Fortis green I'm afraid!

[Sjoerd]

Hello Caroline, thanks for your warm welcome.

Here is a link to their site.
http://www.savefortisgreenallotments.com/index.htm

I do not know how often it updated, but I have been having problems finding folks who know about the allotmenteers fight to keep or buy their allotment complex from the water company. I just thought that someone on here might have heard some news, since the Fortis Green Allotments are in Great Britain.

I live in the netherlands but am quite interested in allotmant gardening in different countries and I stumbled upon the Fortis Green allotment story by accident.

Thanks for your answer,
 Sjoerd

[:(]

google is your friend -

http://www.muswellhilljournal24.co.uk/content/haringey/muswellhilljournal/news/story.aspx?brand=MHJOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsmhj&itemid=WeED06%20Jan%202010%2014%3A09%3A15%3A983

[Squash64]

Hello Sjoerd, welcome to A4A!

Do you have allotments in the Netherlands?  It would be interesting to hear about them if you do.

If you would like to 'visit' mine, here's the link - www.growit.ik.com - it's a fairly large allotment site in Birmingham.

[1066]

weequinie - you beat me to it, I was just about to suggest one of the local rags!

And welcome to A4A  Sjoerd  ;D  I have a few mates in the Netherlands and know that 1 of them was looking at allotments in her area, but decided not to persue it because of the high costs involved. Where abouts are you?  :)
1066

[caroline7758]

Thanks for the link, weequinie- great to hear a good news story about allotments!

[Digeroo]

Welcome Sjoerd to A4A. I also would be interested in allotments in the Netherlands.  There is a huge renewal of interest in allotments here is that also happening with you.

It is nice to hear that someone is saving their allotments from devolopment but raising £30,000 sounds like an enormous challenge.

[Sjoerd]

Hello weequinie and 1066--Thanks very much for the link. I had actually found it but was very interested in a more recent update. The time is running out for them to raise the money by 31 March. I hope that they will be successful.
1066: Our allotment complex is in the northwest of the country.

Squash64--Yes, we have allotments here in the Netherlands, they're called, "volkstuins". They have been a tradition here for a long, long time.
I had a look at the website where you garden and found it delightful. It was very easy to navigate. It looks like a very happy group of people.

Thanks Digeroo--I have not noticed a huge renewal of interest per se. Having said that, we always have a waiting list that never seems to exhaust itself though.

The link to the English pages of our website for those interested in reading about how it goes on Dutch Allotments: http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html

I must say that the English pages are not as current as the ones in Dutch because we do not get many foreign visitors...which is logical, I suppose.

[1066]

thanks for the link to your website. It looks a lovely place, and I'm enjoying reading the "garden portraits", great stories! And some of the pictures remind me of what I've seen on my trips - the little houses  - they always look so welcoming, well kept and civilised  :)

[Tulipa]

Hello Sjoerd,

Welcome to allotments4all, it is a wonderful place.

Thank you too for the link to your website it is a lovely place, I love the dutch allotments, as many of them have flowers too, and  I have seen it before as someone else from your allotment site is a member here, although I haven't seen any postings for quite a while now.  We have had a few people from Holland posting on here over the years, it is good to continue the tradition, welcome!
Thanks

T.

[Sjoerd]

1066--Thank you for your very nice comments. I really appreciate hearing that. I hope that you had a nice experience whilst travelling in Holland. If you travelled by train you would have seen many Dutch Allotments no doubt, because along train lines are the traditional locations for allotments here.

Tulipa--Yes more and more allotments (on our complex at least) are growing flowers. I do it primarily because of the dreadful plight of the bees that appears to be world-wide. I try and plant flowering plants in such a way that there are some sort of blooms all during the growing season, especially in the "June Gap".

Did you say that you have seen our allotment gardens before! What a surprise. I am astounded. It is a small world indeed.

I correspond with several allotment gardners here in Nederland, but I do not know of anyone that uses gardening forums. Many allotment organizations have their own websites, but they are primarily for the members. Our website has English pages because there are foreign visitors who mostly read the "how to" pages I gather, or maybe look at pictures .

Anyway, it's nice to know that you are aware of allotments in Holland and have seen them.

[Unwashed]

I must say that the English pages are not as current as the ones in Dutch because we do not get many foreign visitors...

I disagree.  Most of your visitors appear to be Dutch.  :P

Welcome to A4A Sjoerd.  :)

[cornykev]

Hi Sjoerd and welcome to the forum, we have had a few visiters on here from Holland, thinking of it Ruud hasn't been on here for a while, I seem to remember he loved his Toms.    ;D ;D ;D

[Squash64]

Sjoerd - I really liked the story on your website about Nelleke and the blackbird, lovely photos too.

Interesting to see that all the members take part in the Work Schedule. Is it compulsary that they do it?   I'm just setting up a work party on our site, we got six volunteers on the first day.

Thank you for the lovely comment you left in my guest book!   

[Sjoerd]

Hello Unwashed--Thanks for the welcome. I apologise, but I don't understand what you mean. I can be thick sometimes.

Thanks for the greeting, Cornykev-- It's nice to hear that some Dutch folk come on here from time to time. It is a little surprising considering the small population of our country and how few older folks can communicate in English. I say, "older" because most of my fellow allotmenteers are indeed in their late 50's and older.

Squash64--I liked that story too. Nelleke is one of the younger allotment holders and is a sculptress. She does her sculpting year round in that shed and still finds time to raise three kids and do all the gardening. Chapeau! to her.
I think that nest was about chest-high and so she and her kids were able to monitor progress easily.
You asked if the group cleanup is compulsory--Yes it is (two times a year for each lottie holder), all of the rules are in the bylaws that each person that becomes a member must first read and agree to  before joining. Then they are on a years' probation, afterwhich, they become full members with full privileges. During that year both the aspiring member and the club can see if gardening communally is something that they really want to do.
You are welcome for the comment in your guestbook. I did like visiting your allotment's  website.

[Unwashed]

Hello Unwashed--Thanks for the welcome. I apologise, but I don't understand what you mean. I can be thick sometimes.

Sorry, it was my feeble attempt at humour.  Don't mind me.  A very warm welcome to A4A Sjoerd.

[Squash64]

You asked if the group cleanup is compulsory--Yes it is (two times a year for each lottie holder), all of the rules are in the bylaws that each person that becomes a member must first read and agree to  before joining. Then they are on a years' probation, afterwhich, they become full members with full privileges. During that year both the aspiring member and the club can see if gardening communally is something that they really want to do.

I wish we were allowed to have a probationary period for newcomers, but our Council said no when I asked them about it before.  Sometimes in the past people have taken on a plot and then we haven't seen them for months.  Getting people evicted can be quite long-winded. 

Are your allotments run by a committee?  Who decides if a person is suitable or not?

[Digeroo]

I enjoyed your website Sjoerd but could not find anywhere to leave a message.

This thread has gone well of subject.  It needs changing to something to do with Allotments in the Netherlands.

[Sjoerd]

Ohhhhh. Gotcha Unwashed--see, I told you I could be thick.  :-\

I know what you mean, Squash. I was speaking with a lady in Essex that was telling me about just such a problem. There was a person there that had a lottie but never came. The Lottie was overgrown with weeds and after asking the council to do something about it for three months and nothing being done, she asked if she could have the plot and plant on it herself. What do you think happened?
That person came the next day and dug one row and left not to return for months.
Apparently the rule there was that people could not be evicted as long as they were tilling ground.

Our allotment association is administrated by a committee. There are elections each year at the annual "General Members' Meeting". The past year is discussed and people can bring up complaints and make suggestions for changing the bylaws and awards are given out for the best veg. garden and the best mixed garden.,,with recognition for the best "new Gardner".

Inside the committee there is one person who decides who is suitable and who isn't, but I do not know what the criteria is.
I know that when I applied to become a member one of the committee members showed up at our home unannounced for a conversation. Can you imagine that!? I didn't know whether to be insulted or in admiration of their "checking-out" procedure.
The man who came said that if people lived messy and had a chaotic home situation that they might well to the same at the allotment complex.
That gentleman has retired from his position now and I do not think that they do that anymore.

You are right, Digeroo...this is getting off topic. Who changes the thread, Dan?
Actually I am somewhat surprised that folks have been showing interest in Dutch Allotments.  It's nice, but I did not expect it.

Your question about leaving a message on our allotment website: on the beginning page, over at the righthand side of the page is a small clip-art thing with a pencil that says: "Sign Our Guest Book". If you click on that you will be taken to a page where you may leave a message.