Chairman’s Introduction.
Happy New Year to you all, I
hope everyone had an enjoyable
festive period & are ready for
the upcoming growing season.
The main aim of this Newslet-
ter is to inform you about the
new lease effective from 1
October 2017 and the associ-
ated increases in plot rents.
More details on page 2. Sec-
ondly, the new Tenancy Agree-
ment is now effective & each
plot holder at both sites will be
required to sign the new agree-
ment when paying allotment
fees in January for 2018.
Again, more details on page 2.
A hearty congratulations to
Trevor Robinson and the ten-
ants at Red Barn for winning
the Best Allotment award for
Fareham in Bloom 2017, I be-
lieve this is the fourth year in
a row, a great achievement.
Congratulations to all the indi-
vidual winners on both sites
whose plots won various
awards. Well done.
The shops at both sites contin-
ue to make a small profit which
allows us to maintain the Asso-
ciation Fees at the same level
for 2018. The goods stocked in
the shop are constantly under
review and the Trading Sec
along with the Shop Managers
strive to offer the best possi-
ble prices across a wide range
of fertilisers etc.
Lastly, I’d like to thank the
committee for all their hard
work & support throughout
2017. There are a few chal-
lenges ahead concerning new
responsibilities detailed in the
lease but nothing that a bit of
forethought and flexibility
won’t overcome. Thank you too,
to all our members and associ-
ate members and volunteers
for their cooperation and sup-
port in 2017.
The PAHAGA Annual General
Meeting will take place on
Wednesday 14 March 2018 at
the Portchester Community
School commencing at 7.30pm.
This is your opportunity to let
the committee know of any
concerns you might have and to
be part of the PAHAGA deci-
sion making process. Come
along and make a difference.
The meeting normally takes an
hour to and hour and a half and
you can meet fellow allotment
holders or gardeners for a
chat, exchange of ideas and at
the same time help in making
the PAHAGA a success.
For a variety of reasons, there
are a number of vacancies on
the committee. The vacancies
are;
Treasurer
Assistant Plot Manager
(Roman Grove)
Gardeners Representative
(Red Barn)
Gardeners Representative
(Roman Grove)
If you feel that you have the
time, commitment and attrib-
utes to undertake these roles
please put your name forward
on the Proposal Boards sited in
each of the shops. You will
need a Proposer and a Second-
er and should you have any
questions regarding the vacan-
cies, please contact the
PAHAGA Chairman Mr Dixie
Dean on Plot 51 @ Roman Grove
(Weekends) or through the
PAHAGA website ‘Contact Us’
tab.
Happy New Year to all Members and Associate Members
PAHAGA 2018 Annual General Meeting
PAHAGA NEWS
Hot Topics
Committee Vacancies
Annual General Meeting
New Lease
Rent Increases
PAHAGA Annual
General Meeting 1
New Lease &
Tenancy Agreement 2
Your Committee 3
Bonfire Night 3
Growing Tips 3
Vichyssoise Recipe 3
Growing Tips 4
Carrot & Parsnip Pie
Recipe 4
Polite and Not so
Polite Notices 4
Inside this issue:
PORTCHESTER ALLOTMENT HOLDERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION
JANUARY 2018
The PAHAGA Website is at
www.pahaga.btck.co.uk
ALLOTMENT AND ASSOCIATION FEES ARE NOW DUE.
Fees can be paid at the Trading Hut on both the Red Barn and Roman Grove sites. Fees must be
paid by 31 Jan 2018. There is an increase in rents to £4.50 per Rod (see Page 2). Association
Fees will remain at £3.
Suggestion Boxes are being sited in each of the shops for a trial period of 6
months to encourage suggestions from our members and Plot Holders for im-
provements to the site(s), ideas on stock items for the shops and any other
ways of improving the lot for Plot Holders and Members. Suggestions forms
will be available and must be completed legibly and signed; . All suggestions
must be polite, sensible. The Committee will review any suggestions at each
Committee meeting and the agreed result notified to the author of the sug-
gestion. THIS FACILITY IS NOT FOR COMPLAINTS OR MOANS
New Lease, Rents & Associated Tenancy Agreement
Page 2 January 2018
The current lease with Fareham Borough Council (FBC) for
both the Red Barn and Roman Grove Allotment Sites ex-
pired officially in 2015. By mutual agreement with FBC it
was agreed to extend the old lease until a new one was com-
pleted and agreed.
A new lease has now been drawn up and was signed by the
PAHAGA Trustees in October 2017. A copy of the new
lease is available in the shops at Red Barn and Roman Grove
for members to peruse. A lot of effort has been put in be-
hind the scenes to negotiate the content of the lease but
the following notes highlight some of the detail.
a. General. The lease and its content are, in the
main, the same for all allotment sites across the borough.
Previously there have been variations of the lease across
the numerous sites which made it very difficult to man-
age and in some cases difficult to enforce.
b. Rents. There is a significant increase in rents per
rod phased in over a three year period. In the first year
(1 Jan 18 -31 Dec 18) rents will increase to £4.50 per
rod, the second year (1 Jan 19 - 31 Dec 19) they will in-
crease to £5.75 per rod and in year three (1 Jan 20 - 31
Dec 20) increased to £7.50 per rod. Thereafter the
rents will be increased in line with the relevant Price
Index (PI) used to apply increases on other government
services.
c. Maintenance. Why the increase and why so much?
As we are all aware, money from central government is
being cut back and local services are suffering as a re-
sult of this. The reduction in funds requires that availa-
ble funds have to be prioritised according to the needs
of the borough. Rightly so. This places the allotment
sites down the priority list. However, maintenance of
the sites has to carry on and has to be paid for. We, the
PAHAGA, will be responsible for a lot more of the
maintenance and upkeep of the sites and not be reliant
totally on funding from FBC. The increase in rents will
be used to fund any improvements, repairs or mainte-
nance on both sites. To be clear, whilst the Allotment
Fees you pay actually belongs to FBC, the money is man-
aged by the PAHAGA Committee in conjunction with FBC.
d. Utilities. We will also be completely responsible
for all of the utility bills (Water and electricity) for
both sites.
e. Contingency. As always, it is good housekeeping to
maintain a contingency fund in case of emergencies. The
PAHAGA Committee will be discussing the amount to be
retained for any unforeseen circumstance. Please be
assured that this money will not be allowed to grow to a
huge amount and will be there purely as a contingency.
Having said all of the above, if there was to be a catas-
trophe (eg. either shop burned down), we will still be able
to approach FBC for some help. We will also be able to
access FBC contractors to carry out any work or mainte-
nance. This will be cheaper and we (the Committee) will
not have to worry about drawing up contracts etc.
f. Duration. The new lease will last 15 years from the
date of signing but will be reviewed by FBC and all allot-
ment sites at a period to be agreed (possibly 2 yearly).
g. Tenancy Agreement. The new lease also requires a
new Tenancy Agreement which has now been finalised
and agreed with FBC. The new agreement completely
replaces previous agreements which became outdated.
For this reason every tenant (no exceptions) of Red
Barn and Roman Grove will be required to sign the new
Tenancy Agreement in January 2018 when paying rents/
fess for 2018. Major differences in the new Tenancy
Agreement are;
(1) Bonfires. No bonfires are to be lit on the site
from 1 June until 31 August (inclusive). This is to
conform to local byelaws where account is taken of
the nuisance caused by bonfires when local resi-
dents are enjoying their gardens, BBQs etc.
(2) Sheds & Greenhouses. The sizes of sheds and
greenhouses have been laid down for each of our
sites. At Red Barn, sheds 1.8 x 1.2 metres (6’x4’),
Greenhouse 2.4 x 1.8 metres (8’x6’); Roman Grove,
Sheds & Greenhouses 2.5 x 2 metres. Sheds &
greenhouses already in place will be exempted from
the rule, However, all new sheds and greenhouses
will be subjected to the rules.
(3) Rectification Notice. A Rectification Notice
can be served on tenants who consistently break
the rules or do not conform to the requirements of
the Tenancy Agreement and thus the lease. In sim-
ple terms, tenants will be given a 28 day period to
conform and to discuss any difficulties they may
have. If after the 28 day period the tenant still
fails to comply, they may be served a Notice to
Quit and will be given a further 28 days to hand
back the plot. Para 20 of the agreement provides
much more detail.
If you have any questions or observations on the new lease
please speak to your Site Manager or any of the committee.
You can also make a comment on the PAHAGA Website
www.pahaga.btck.co.uk through the 'Contact Us' tab.
We are about to enter into a new era on both the Red Barn
and Roman Grove sites where you as members and we as the
committee can make a difference. The PAHAGA Committee,
particularly the managers have an excellent relationship
with FBC which I as Chairman and as a Trustee will continue
to nurture so that we, the PAHAGA get the most out of the
lease etc.
Chairman: Robert (Dixie) Dean MBE
Vice Chairman: Richard Stone
General Secretary: Steve Thomas
Treasurer: Julia Jennings
Trading Secretary: Anne Garley
Allotment Manager Red Barn: Trevor Robinson
Allotment Manager Roman Grove Dave Watson
Trading Hut Manager Roman Grove Julia Jennings
Trading Hut Manager Red Barn: Trevor Robinson
Trustees:
Robert (Dixie) Dean MBE, John Cass
Your Committee
Grapevines can be pruned once they are dormant;
major pruning at other times can lead to sever bleed-
ing, which will weaken the vine and may kill it. This
year’s side shoots should be hard pruned to one or
two buds. Carefully rubbing off the old, loose bark of
indoor vines can help deter overwintering pests.
Start winter pruning established, freestanding apple
and pear trees but not cordons, espaliers, pyramids
or fans, which should be left until Summer.
Page 3 January 2018
Trevor Robinson and Keith Lancaster along with an army of
helpers organised a Bonfire Night on Sunday 5 Nov 2017 in aid
of charity.. The event was attended by well over 150 people
and raised the princely sum of just over £171. Well done to
Trevor and Keith and thank you to all the supporters for their
donations.. A total of £248.59, including that from the collec-
tion tins in the shops, has been raised for the MacMillan Can-
cer Support (www.macmillan.org.uk). The money has now been
passed to MacMillan.
Well Done
Young broad bean plants, winter lettuce and garlic can still
be planted out now. Beans and lettuce will probably need
cloche or fleece protection from frost cold weather and
wind
Plant shallots and garlic in mild areas that have well-
drained soil. Garlic cloves can also be planted in mild areas
where the soil is less free draining
Now is a good time to get ahead and prepare new aspara-
gus beds for planting in the Spring. They will need plenty
of organic matter and grit wherever drainage is a problem.
December: Top Veg Jobs
December: Top Fruit Jobs
Ingredients
1Kg (2lb 4oz) leeks
50g (1 3/4oz) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 litre (1 3/4 pints) vegetable stock
Pinch of grated nutmeg
750g (1lb 10oz) old potatoes, diced
600ml (1 pint) milk
300ml (1/2 pint) single cream
150ml (1/4 pint) double cream
Salt and white pepper
2 tbsp snipped chives to garnish
Slice of the green tops of the leeks and set them aside for use in another recipe. Thinly slice the white parts of the leeks.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the leeks and onion and cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes or until
softened but not coloured
Add the stock, nutmeg and potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover
the pan and simmer for 25 minutes. Pour in the milk and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Leave to cool slightly.
Put the soup in a food processor or blender and blend, in batches if necessary, until smooth, then rub it through a sieve into a
bowl. Add the single cream, stir well and cover closely.
Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Just before serving, swirl in the double cream, then taste and adjust the
seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup in chilled bowls, garnishing each portion with a generous sprinkling of snipped chives
Recipe for Vichyssoise Serves 6: Takes 1 hour plus chilling
If you have an article or any
suggestions for the Newsletter please
forward to the editor Dixie Dean
E-mail: [email protected]
Or through the PAHAGA Website
www.pahaga.btck.co.uk
Ingredients
375g (13oz) shortcrust pastry
375g(13oz) puff pastry
1egg, beaten
Filling
4tbsp olive oil
500g (1lb 2oz) button mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped thyme
250g (9oz) carrots, chopped
250g (9oz) parsnips, chopped
150ml (1/4 pint) red wine
500ml (18fl oz) passata (pureed tomatoes)
Salt and pepper
To prepare the filling, heat half the oil in a flameproof casserole and fry the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper for 4-4
minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion, garlic and thyme
for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and parsnips to the pan and fry for a further 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden
Pour the wine into the pan and boil rapidly for 3 minutes, then stir in the passata, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil,
cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetable are tender and the sauce
is really thick. Set aside to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Cut the shortcrust pastry into 6 equal pieces and roll them out on a lightly floured
surface. Use the pastry to line 6 individual pie dishes, each 12cm (5in) across. Divide the puff pastry into 6 and roll each piece out
thinly so that each piece is slightly larger than the dishes.
Fill the pies with the cooled vegetable stew. Brush around the rim of the pastry with beaten egg and top with the puff pastry,
pressing the edges together to seal. Trim off the excess pastry with a sharp knife and cut a small slit in the centre of each pie.
Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes until golden. Serve hot.
Page 4 January 2018
Mini Carrot & Parsnip Pie Recipe Serves 6: Takes 2 hours
Start drawing up your plans for this year’s vegetable
cropping and order seeds and other planting material (or
better still buy from the allotment trading huts: Onion
sets and seed potatoes will be delivered late January/
early February)
Radishes, mustard, cress, winter lettuce and other salads
can be sown in growing bags in a glasshouse or on a win-
dowsill
Make a trench where you are going to grow peas and
beans, leeks and celery and fill it with kitchen vegetable
waste, torn up newspaper, cardboard, compost and any-
thing similar. This will help hold moisture in the Summer
and so produce bumper crops.
January: Top Veg Jobs
January is a great month to plant just about any new fruit. Al-
ways check rootstocks and pollination groups before ordering
fruit trees. If the planting site isn’t ready when plant arrive,
heel in bare-root ones in the ground, covering the roots with
soil. Leave containerised ones in a sheltered position and water
the compost when needed to prevent drying out.
Currants and gooseberries can be pruned now. Start by thinning
out very old, very thin and diseased growth
For blackcurrants, cut back up to one third to a half of all the
older branches to their base to give plenty of room for young,
vigorous growth
Prune red and white currants and gooseberries by cutting back
main branches by half to three quarters and sideshoots on
these branches to one to three buds from their base.
January: Top Fruit Jobs
NOT SO POLITE NOTICES.
It has been noted that some Plot Holders are dumping weeds, debris
and other items on the site boundary on the bottom track at Roman
Grove. This is not acceptable and is to cease forthwith, This area is
about to be cleared by FBC and the tree line cut back to clear the
track. Anyone caught dumping anything in the verge or anywhere else
on the site will be served a notice to quit and lose their plot. Weeds
etc. are to be composted, burned or taken to the tip. Any items suit-
able for re-use by other Plot Holders (tools, water butts, etc.) may
be left at the tool shed with permission of the Site Manager.
POLITE NOTICES.
We have had a series of complaints via FBC regarding the
barrier at the Red Barn site. Please if you are last out en-
sure you shut the barrier at the end of each day. The same
goes for gates at each site. The gates must be closed after
each entry and exit to /from the sites. Roman Grove has
experienced scrap merchants entering the site without per-
mission who have had to be asked to leave. If you see anyone
acting suspiciously on any of the sites inform the Site Manag-
er or in the absence of the manager, please confront them
and then politely ask them to leave and inform the manager