Open Day 2013
The good weather, enthusiastic gardeners, along with food and drink, ensured that the Howden Allotment Open Day was a huge success. Visitors were welcomed onto the site with a taste of homemade wine, generously donated by Keith Lockwood. For those who wished to try even more flavours, Keith’s hut had a wide variety of fruit based wines. Donations for the wine tasting raised £187, which was shared between the Candlelighters Cancer Charity and Howden Minster. As usual the tombola was a great attraction and thanks must go those who supplied the prizes and the volunteers who ran the stall, raising the magnificent sum of £449.90. The produce stall was busy all day with the tenants supplying fresh fruit and vegetables and £273.64 was made in donations. A gazebo offered a seat and welcome shade while being served tea, coffee, cold drinks and, supplied by the allotment holders, delicious buns, cakes and home baked scones with jam and cream, sparking off numerous discussions as to the correct pronunciation of scones. Of course this being Yorkshire they are pronounced scons and not as some Southerners would say scowns! Donations for the refreshments amounted to £167.28. Once various expenses were deducted, for scarecrow prize money and a new trophy etc. the profit on the day was £811.82.
There were various competitions held for the tenants, the best mature plot, 1st Dave Powell, 2nd Mike Lawson and 3rd Keith Lockwood .There was extensive flooding last year so no prizes were given out for the newcomers plots, so this year there were two categories. Plots in the second year, 1st Charlie Riach,
2nd Jane Tipping and 3rd Karen Midgeley. Plots in the first year, 1st Frank Hill, 2nd Abi Hanson and 3rd Paul Creaby. New to this year was a vegetable competition with 6 classes to gain points to win the Bert Tipping Trophy; 1st Dave Powell, 2nd Andy Leighton and 3rd Shane Tipping. Chris Tarrant won the Pat Mullarkey Cup for 3 globe beetroot.
The annual scarecrow competition was held and judged, in its centenary year, by four pupils from Howden Junior School. The theme was cartoon characters but it would seem that Spongebob Squarepants has a lot of followers in the area with no fewer than 3 of him appearing. He won in the under 12 years brought by Carra Taylor and in the 12 years and over he came first with Abi Hanson and third with Dave Blee, with Brian Clarkson’s Homer Simpson in the middle. Second place in the under 12’s was won by Phoebe Tipping with Despicable Me and joint third place for Ella and Ryan Wraith with a Knight and Princess. There was reported to be the Invisible Man but he was nowhere to be seen! Look out for next year’s theme, as the Scarecrow Competition is open to everyone.
As well as paying the running costs of the allotments, maintenance, insurance etc. the Association tries to put something back into the community, sponsoring classes at Howden Show, supplying raffle prizes to the Candlelighters and this year donating money to the Community First Responder for Howden, who is raising money for a Community Public Access Defibrillator. Due to a surplus of produce this year, there is to be a vegetable stall in the allotments, for the public to make donations and all monies will go to the defibrillator fund. The date set for this stall is Saturday 17th. August, 9am – 12noon.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year and the Association looks forward to seeing all of you on July 26th 2014.
