What happened in 2018...
January 2018
In November and December last year HAHA was lucky enough to be included in the Tesco Bags of Help scheme in the Hungerford Tesco store.
As a result we now have won £1000 for promoting allotments and growing your own in Hungerford.
We had a very soggy start to the year, but January is always a quiet month on the allotment with most people only visiting for harvesting leeks, carrots and the remains of other Winter veg.
February 2018
Wet, frosty, sunny, windy - we had the full mix so it meant a few more visitors were seen at the site and some plots are beginning to look loved again...
We started a Facebook/Instagram ad campaign and as a result received applications from several new plotholders and much interest in our site and how we run the self-management.
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March 2018
The "Beast From the East" arrived at the beginning of March and scuppered any early plans for digging.
The toilet turned into a Swiss chalet!
And then a couple of weeks later, after a couple of very wet weeks, the beast returned... with even more snow!
Thank goodness for a little off-plot entertainment for restless plotholders - 'HAHA versus The Rest of the World' was more like HAHA & Friends, but it was a fun evening of skittles.
Perhaps April will bring Spring along this year....
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April 2018
Well, Spring did arrive during the month, but it was a short burst among a lot of grey days.
Although the growing season is definitely here - hooray!
Another site that brings cheer to the allotment!
And an unexpected arrival on the site too! Let's hope some of those tadpoles grow into frogs and stay on the site to eat our slugs.
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May 2018
Chairman Geoff made up signs for all un-signed plots to make it easier when showing new plotholders around - and also for the Hungerford in Bloom judge later in the year.
We've had a few frosts but generally it's been a warm May - at times very hot. Good growing weather - especially for some plotholders who are ahead of the game!
In fact, the weather was so good that a few plotholders decided that an impromptu gathering was needed. With a little addition of Ivan's home-made wines and Kerry's delicious cheese & chive scones.
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June 2018
The tadpoles became frogs and then weren't seen again - hopefully they'll be back when they're a bit bigger now that they know where we are...
We had our second Plant Sale. This time on the Town Hall Steps, so we had a lot more footfall.
The plotholders were so generous with offering up plants for sale and helping out on the day - here are a few wearing the aprons which were bought with the Tesco Bags of Help grant money for 'promotional items'. HAHA raised over £90 in total.
June was hot but we had some rain at the beginning of the month so the flowers really started to bloom on the site.
And this is the real evidence that Summer had arrived - so much growth on the plots and the beanpoles are up!
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July 2018
A (reasonably) successful World Cup and sunshine all the way made this an exceptional month, but the lack of rain was showing in the earth by the beginning of the month - we didn't realise how little we would get throughout the rest of the month too!
Hungerford in Bloom - Allotments section - was judged the day before the Open Day, so plots were looking their very best.
CONGRATULATIONS to the winners - wtih a special mention to RON JONES who scored the highest number of points overall.
Plenty of sun umbrellas were needed for our Open Day, which was well attended and we rose over £200 - some of which would be used to help our sister-site, Fairfields, have more water storage ability.
After the clear-up the committee and friends counted up the 'Peoples Choice' award for best allotment plot and NEAL PIKE won it - Congratulations Neal!
August 2018
The Royal British Legion / HAHA Horticultural and Handicrafts Show was a great success. With the sweltering weather we thought there may not be much to show...
But plotholders and other growers proved us wrong
And the bakers, cooks, photographers, knitters and needleworkers pulled out all the stops too!
Thanks to Jim and the RBL ladies who did all the work.
The next day we had a lovely Plotholders BBQ - great to see so many plotholders relaxing and enjoying the warm weather...
and free grub!
And we measured the sunflowers for the Tallest Sunflower Competition. The heatwave seemed to impact on the growth and they weren't as tall as expected.
First place: Roger (Plot 55) 2.20 metres CONGRATULATIONS!
Second place: Alfie (Plot 81) 1.93 metres
Third place: Geoff (Plot 29) 1.92 metres
Official measurer - Gill.
September 2018
It's that time of year...
The AGM was well attended. Geoff gave us the bad news that he will be standing down as Chair in the new year. He'll be greatly missed as our Chair but will still be a plotholder.
We hope someone will stand as Chair before the new year. All other committee members retain their posts and we're joined by new committee member Liz.
October 2018
October started with rain but luckily the sun shone for the Hungerford Food Festival on the 7th.
With so many generous donations from our plotholders the stall always looks colourful and drew interest from many visitors and, at least one, new plotholder.
And the volunteer stallholders looked colourful too in our Tesco Bags of Help aprons.
October was a busy month with the HAHA versus Hungerford Twinning Assocation annual (well, this was the second) skittles competition.
We had a really good turnout and look at the amazing buffet that everyone brought with them!
And HAHA won, so we keep the cup for another year.
WELL DONE TEAM!
The next weekend, was a workday - but of course, with our lovely volunteers the work also involved a lot of fun and food.
It was a very cold day - we were glad of the well-stocked bonfire.
And more food was on hand...
November 2018
November had a few chilly days, but mostly it was grey and windy, but on the days that the sun did appear it was worth a visit to the site to see the beautiful hedgerows
and some points of light where flowers were still blooming... In November!
This has probably been one of the most active years on the site since we opened in 2009 - well done to the hardy plotholders who have kept their plots active for the whole year!
December 2018
HAHA's involvement in community activities make it one of the most active community groups in the town. Although the 5-year lease is yet to be signed between the Land Owner and Hungerford Town Council, we are ensuring that the town recognises that the allotments are a vital community asset - as our poster says "For social, physical and mental wellbeing".
Naturally we had to be involved in the Hungerford Victorian Extravaganza and this year the town had organised a lantern parade - so that's where HAHA was represented.
It took two weekends to complete the three HAHA lanterns - a beetroot, a carrot and one decorated with flowers, a butterfly and, of course, HAHA.
After a busy year for the HAHA Committee - meetings with the council, community events, dealing with plotholder issues, waiting lists, websites and social media as well as so much effort put into keeping the site looking its best - there was just time for them to have a final get-together of 2018 and a lovely Christmas meal.
Thank you to the committee - to Geoff, our Chairman, especially - and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our plotholders.
See you in 2019 for another great year!
30 December 2018