You have to be logged-in on the site to see your Private Messages and have access to the whole of the discussion forum, which are excellent ways of us keeping us in touch with each other and helping ourselves as a Society. You also need to be logged-in to see any members-only content, create links and post news items. Site accounts are free and available to anyone over twelve years old who embraces the Society Aims. Sign-up is simple: you're asked for your name and plot number so we know who's who and we ask for a validated e-mail address which is used to administer your account and which you can hide from other users. And remember, when you have your account, check the box to have the site remember you and then you're automatically logged-in whenever you visit.

The working group had its first meeting tonight and I'm happy to say it went OK.  It's early days and I'm sure there's going to be a lot to thrash out but there was universal commitment to the process and we've agreed to meet again in a month's time to see if we can't reach a consensus on a framework for further development.

I'm still looking for someone who wants to drive this forward for Wash Common, so if you're interested in allotment management and committed to building a dialogue between the council and the whole of the allotment tenantry then I'd love to hear from you. Maybe you'd like a lend of the best-practice guide to see what it's all about?  Just give me a shout.

I've been talking some time now about us building ourselves a site hut. If you were at the inaugural society meeting you'll remember that it was my first priority because it's so good for a site to have a social focus where we can have tea together, buy gardening sundries and shelter from the rain. It's also going to be a lot of fun building the thing between us and as the season is moving on I think we should start thinking now about planning it.

How it stands with the council at the moment is that the society has conditional permission for a site hut and that we have complied with and agreed to all the conditions. Specifically:

The shed will be ok if the following requirements are met in full,

1)The tenant on plot 22 and the opposite side express approval in writing.

2)Before the shed is put up you will need to find out if planning permission is required from West Berkshire Council and a copy sent to us whether permission is required or not.

3)ALL costs of obtaining, moving, siting and maintenance of the shed will be the societies [SIC] responsibility in full, this will include any removal from site if the society closes down.

4)Newbury Town Council will also execute a survey of all tenants to establish whether the majority want it.

5)If implemented the shed must be open to all allotment tenants.

We were allocated a site at the end of the central path but this wasn't big enough and imposed on the adjacent plots but the society identified the plot with the apple tree on it at the back of plot 22 as ideal because there's plenty of room around it for congregating and it's nicely out of the way. The adjacent tenants are happy about the hut going there too. At the time of asking this plot was apparently let but the tenant hasn't showed up and as it's stood vacant for the year there shouldn't be any problem making it the hut plot. Right now we're just waiting for the council to agree to this.

The council have questioned the support for a site hut and as they haven't conducted the survey at point 4. I'm passing round a petition so we can show them unequivocally what support there is. And there is a lot of support - Everyone I've asked has thought it a great idea and signed up, so if i don't manage to catch you over the site please drop in and sign - 4 Stuart Road or Plot 24A.

Hopefully I'll see you on site with the scale model so you can see what the hut could look like, but basically the design is a geodesic dome made from wooden panels. The design is good because it uses many short length of wood - just the kind of thing we can scrounge from skips.

So the plan is we'll scrounge the materials for nothing and then have work parties where we put the thing together. It'll call for all different kinds of skills, but I know we're a talented bunch so that won't be a problem.

Very good site here with lots of info about geodesic domes.

Our first newsletter is now available here. With the imminent introduction of the Growing in the Community tenant-council Working Group we're now at a stage in the Society where we need to develop a bit and the questionnaire should help with that. I'd really appreciate it if you'd complete one and let me have it back. If I haven't managed to see you to give you a paper copy then print one off if you can or let me know.

Shedtastic news, The Plot Thickens, Wash Common allotment's very own entry to the National Shed of the Year competition is through to the finals thanks to the huge support in the internet voting round! This is what Simon has to say.The distinguished panel of judges have convened over the weekend and the winner of the prestigeous Shed of the Year 2008 will be announced Tuesday.

Southby's Allotment Tenants Association (SATA) are holding their seed evening on Thursday 9 October in St. Mary's Church Hall, Greenham, at 7.30pm.  Kings Seeds, which are really excellent, are available to order at something like 50% discount with catalogues to take away for perusal, and it'll just cost you £1.00 for non-SATA members.  Weed membrane, fruit/veg netting, enviromesh and new 3" plastic plant pots will be available on the evening.

This year SATA have also organised a general knowledge/gardening quiz for a bit of fun, £1.00 per person in teams of up to six.

There's supper on the night, a beef chilli or vegetarian curry with fresh crusty bread for £3.00.  Please pre-order your food with Chris on 07771 840 833 to assist in planning.

A period of normalization begins today with the clamping down by the Council on certain bourgeois ideologies.  Specifically, there's to be no site shed and the Growing in the Community working group is to be canceled.

You thought those were water butts?  They're tanks.

[edit]Looks like the Growing in the Community meeting is back on.

Hungerford Farmers Market Bank Holiday Sunday 24th August, 9am - 1 pm. Range of local produce: Thames Valley Farmers Market. There seems to be more stalls these days with soft fruit and delicious doughnuts added to the range. Yum!

HEAT Food Group are having a month off but will be back on the market on 28th Sept with ideas on how to use up your excess courgette harvest.

HEAT News
HEAT web site goes live with information on what HEAT is about, links to useful web sites (though not this one?!) and on the various HEAT groups: Energy, Transportation, Biodiversity, Education & Employment, Mis-placed Resource (Waste), Food, and Marketing.

Join the Energy sub-group Yahoo e mail group to receive or exchange information on energy issues. Read the Energy group blog. Take part in building something exciting and unique to Hungerford; contribute to our own proposals for a Local Energy Project.
Solar hot bed workshop - anyone interested in learning how to build a solar hot bed for raising early plants in a greenhouse or coldframe? Date to be agreed, if interested contact Barry Flisher. Earmark strong good producing runnerbean plants now to overwinter and be next years early croppers.

Other Local Events

Marlborough Gardening Club Show Saturday 6th Sept 2-4pm, Marlborough Town Hall. Including Marlborough Climate Pledge stall - find out about climate change activities in Marlborough.

Elm Farm Walk - Sunday 7th Sept 2pm. Two hour guided walk on the Organic Farm Trail with Bob Winfield Education Officer as part of National Organic Fortnight. Elm Farm is a 237-acre organic working beef, dairy and cereal farm which provides a huge range of habitats for wildlife as well as producing nutritious food. This walk shows how organic farming can work with nature, rather than against it. ORC is a charitable trust based at Elm Farm. The Centre develops and promotes organic agriculture through research, education, training and advisory services.

Meet in the Old Barn, The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm Hamstead Marshall, Nr Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 0HR Tel: 01488 658298 No Charge – No booking - Just turn up on the day. Wellingtons are advisable. Please bring your own refreshments.

Oxford EcoVation - Eco Homes Open Days Thurs 11th - Sun 14th Sept 2008. Following on from a successful event last year when 18 homes opened their doors to share techniques and experiences of eco-renovation.

Stroud Eco Renovations Open Homes Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th Sept. This is your opportunity to visit homes around Stroud, see renewable energy in action, discuss energy efficiency and get advice on eco-renovations from those who have done it. 10 properties open to visit.

Transition West Berkshire - "Lets Grow Food" talk on Sustainable Production in Active Neighbourhoods, Tues 16th Sept, Newbury Town Hall, 7.30pm. An evening to explore ways we can grow food locally and get help to do it. There will be a presentation from Ruth Allen of SPAN, a discussion and time to meet people and chat over refreshments. Open to all, no admission charge. For further information contact Ken Neal Tel: 01635 45535.

Food Security Thurs 25th Sept - the need to relocalise the food economy. Can existing UK farmland keep us fed, clothed and housed? Geographic information expert Mark Thurstain-Goodwin of Bath Transition Town will use data and mapping technology to assess possible solutions and signpost how climate change and flood risks need to be central to our plans. 8pm Wesley Hall, Marlborough. Event organised by Marlborough Climate Pledge.

Pause for Thought - what are you interested in? Come and talk to us about what food related things you'd like to get involved with or like to see in Hungerford

Garden Sharing. Is your garden too big? No time to use it? Overgrown? Unused veggie patch? Maybe there's someone nearby who would love to share your garden and the produce. Come and talk to us at the Farmers Market if you are looking for access to a garden or have a bit of garden to share.

Allotments
Write now! If you are interested in having an allotment but haven't yet written to the council then please do so now. Hungerford Town Council are gathering names of those interested and are moving forward with finding land for for allotments. Write to Hungerford Town Council at the office in the new Hungerford library.

Car Pool / Car Sharing. Anyone interested in car sharing or finding partners for a car pool - come and talk to us at the market.

Living Lightly Tips. Organic Food Fortnight 6th- 21st Sept. Will you take on the challenge??? Between Saturday 6 and Sunday 21 September, during Organic Food Fortnight and when food is at its most abundant in the UK, we invite you, for one week, to only eat food from a selection of the following sources:

• Organically grown UK food without plastic packaging - if it is organically grown on British soil, it qualifies, but obviously the more local the better. Plastic packaging is out.
  
• Foraged food - food growing wild and abundantly all over the UK - free rich pickings!
  
• Self-grown food - any food you, your friends or family have grown.

European Car Free DayMonday 22nd Sept. Leave your car at home and come to work/ school/ shop by some other means. Plan to get to your destination without your car if you can. If you have to drive, can you do it as a liftshare. Spread the word. If you are an employer could you offer an incentive at work? Free doughnuts?

On your Bike. This is the season for biking - fresh air, exercise and no parking problems. With a few bike parking posts in the High Street and outside Somerfields its easy to bike to the shops. Dust off your bike and give it a go! Spokes, based in Newbury promote cycling and organise local cycling events. Membership is a lightweight £3 pa!

Planning a Barbeque?. The UK imports over 90% of its BBQ charcoal but there are now local producers. The Pang Valley Countryside Project was set up to to supply high quality, locally produced charcoal. It promotes the management of local woodlands, is reinstating coppice and provides local employment. See also Berkshire Community Enterprise. This is available from Howards Pet Care in Hungerford. BioRegional Charcoal Company supply FSC sustainably produced UK charcoal to selected Sainsburys and Tescos and all B&Q stores

Don't chuck it, chutney it. Make chutney with any suplus vegetables or fruit - loads of easy recipes on here.

Love Food Hate Waste. Save money by wasting less food and help the environment too.


Suz McKillop
HEAT Food Group
0779 11 55 084

Southby's Allotments Tenants Association have invited everyone at Wash Common allotments along to their annual open day. You can check out photos of last year's event here.

If you haven't visted Southby's before it's well worth it to see the variety of quality plots at the district's senior site. I had a visit just the other day and spent a couple of hours there. A few years ago a great chunk of the site was just meadow with the council unable to let the plots, but every one is taken now. There are two things remarkable about Southby's, one is that it looks so well established you'd imagine it had always been so, and the other is that they have a very well supported site association which is a model for Wash Common.

The winning shed is the Rugby Pub in Sufflok which is a very nice octagonal back-garden pub. Simon's shed was pipped at the post and came in second place.Watch out for celebratory tea and cake at the shed later this week. There's more on Shed Week at the official web site.

Wanted: Site Representative

Newbury Town Council are to invite the society onto a working group to review the allotment management best-practice guide Growing in the Community and then make recommendations for change. This is a great chance for us tenants to get involved in how the allotments are managed.

So we need someone to represent Wash Common. Do you have an interest in allotmenteering beyond just cultivating your own plot? Are you passionate about winning all of us the chance to have our voice heard? Are you good with words and able to make a coherent argument? Can you stay positive and constructive in a flustered meeting?

Please take the job – Wash Common allotmenteers need you! If you'd like the best-practice guide to see what good looks like then give me a shout – pop in, phone, e-mail, whatever.