3rd August 2023 – Allotments – Speaker Neil Guttridge

Our speaker, Neil Guttridge is a former longstanding Chair of the Royston Allotments and Gardens Association (RAGA). The site is owned and managed by Royston Town Council and has 120 plots each 5 sq poles in size. (approx half a tennis court) Neil himself grows a wonderful range of soft fruit, vegetable and flowers all year round on a plot this size and has a shed too. Local demand is such that there is a 5 year waiting list for a space! 

An “allotment” of a piece of ground has been around since roman times. If you survived your term of 25 years as a soldier, you were awarded a lump sum of money or a sizeable area of land. However allotments as we know them today really evolved during the first and second world wars.  At this time 60% of our food was imported largely from America and when our supply lines were targeted, harsh rationing came into force. During World War 2, the government set up the “Dig for Victory” Campaign. Open spaces, gardens and parks were transformed into allotments and men and women across the country were encouraged to grow their own vitamin rich fruit and vegetables to supplement their diet. Not everyone knew how to do it, so the Ministry of Agriculture ran an extensive educational programme to help them. The campaign was successful and still resonates today. In a time of recession and consciousness about importation carbon footprint, the trend for growing your own is resurging.

The allotments at Royston attract growers of different ages, backgrounds and nationalities who enjoy the fresh air, sense of community, sharing tips and produce with others and the delight of picking and eating fresh food grown themselves. As Neil concludes gardening on an allotment boosts your physical and mental health.

RAGA is primarily for plot holders but also welcomes “Garden Members” for just £5 a year. Members can make use of the onsite shop and various seed schemes and attend the AGM. Please visit  RAGA (google.com) for further information.

Rosemary Jones



This entry was posted in 2023. Bookmark the permalink.