April Newsletter 2008

 

Sad Sad News

 

I am sad to have to say that Ann Turner passed away recently, she was a very pleasant and lively lady, and will be missed by all who knew her.

 

Our deepest sympathy is with her family and friends at this time.

 

May God rest her soul.

 

 

AGM

 

Our AGM was on 30^th March. Despite a small turnout, the meeting went well. The chairman, treasurer and secretary had a report read, and the present committee was re-elected unanimously.

 

The elected members are: -

 

President         Barry Nutting G6

 

Chairman        John Dooher   G5

 

Treasurer         Ernie Brown  G2

 

Secretary         Nick Hill        E23

 

Committee members are: -

 

Dave Morgan F5, Steve Olliffe F6, Rebeka Crawley F39, Junior Hastings-Murphy E1, Carl Glover G11, Roy Turner G7.

 

Nigel Lloyd G10 and Colin Parker F15 have also joined the committee.

 

There is 1 space should anyone wish to be a part of the committee.

 

The committee meets on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month at 7.00 pm in the tea hut. Anyone is welcome to come and listen should they wish.

 

 

 

Weather by Dave Morgan

 

	Mar-07	Mar-08
max temp degrees C	16	16
min temp degrees C	-2	-4
Average temp degrees C	7.6	6.9
rainfall this month	61	78.5
total rainfall this year to date	195.5	237
average temp this year to date	6.9	6.1

 

 

 

 

The Great Potato Dig

 

 

 MAY 11^th      Charity Event 

We are arranging a charity event, where we are asking for support from all of you.

 

We are asking for you to pledge an hour of your time between 7am and 7pm in a sponsored potato planting day.

 

We are having some land ploughed in preparation,

 

The idea is that we plant as many potatoes in this time, with the sponsorship going to the Society, and the crops being given away to Age Concern.

 

 

PLEASE PLEDGE AN HOUR.

 

 

The Leicester Mercury has been contacted and we are expecting an article in it to promote it. An article when it happens, and another when we hand the spuds to Age Concern

 

 

Please see or Ring Nick on 07778 652482 or 2873052 with the hour you can give. Or talk to Carl, John or Junior

 

Sponsorship forms are ready for you.

 

 

We hope that this will become an annual event, and each time we will get a new piece of land cleared, and both the society and a charity will benefit.

 

 

Tips for the Month

 A peak month for sowing seed outdoors. Now is the time to put in broad beans, leef beet, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, summer and winter cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips, finish sowing leeks, onions and parsnips.

 

Complete the planting of potatoes, globe artichokes and asparagus, start cutting asparagus on established beds. Sow French beans under cloches and in warmer areas plant out tomato seedlings in a cold greenhouse. A number of vegetables can be harvested this month, including late broccoli, turnip tops, spring cabbage and rhubarb. Kale and leek harvesting come to an end this month.

 

 

In Season Vegetables

Spinach: - lots of iron which helps make haemoglobin, the transport system of our blood supply. Tiredness and poor circulation are signs of deficiency.

 

Watercress: - proven cancer fighter with five essential minerals and vitamins. Reduces DNA damage and cuts levels of triglycerides, linked to heart disease.

 

Radishes: - Rich in vitamin C and B6, used to metabolise protein. Good for dieters – B6 helps convert fat stores to glucose for the body to burn.

 

Broccoli: - Protects against a range of cancers, probably because of indole-3 content. Also has lutein, folate, iron, fibre, potassium and vitamin K.

 

 

 

What a man needs in gardening is a cast iron back with a hinge in it

 

Anon

 

  

  

Gardening can become a kind of disease. It infects you; you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistable impulse to get up and pull a weed

 

Lewis Gannit