How do you keep active when allotment and garden work is done for Winter?
Harrow in LEAF have been contacted regarding new activities that may be of interest to our members. Location: Cedars Community Centre, Chicheley Road, Hatch End, HA3 6QH
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Walking Football comes to Harrow
Every Friday from 12 to 1pm
£2 per session
NO RUNNING, NO AGE LIMIT
Walking Football, a slow-paced version of the beautiful game aimed at the over 55s, has arrived in Middlesex with venues popping up all over the County.
Just turn up on Fridays with a pair of trainers!
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Over 50's Activities sessions
Every Tuesday from 11am to 12.30pm
Free social activities for people aged 50 years plus.
Activities available include carpet bowls, table tennis, badminton and board games.
The cafe is open for food and drinks.
This session caters for both people who want to simply chat and have a coffee and for those who want to take part in more physical activities.
Click here to contact Cedars for further info.
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Another successful and enjoyable Harrow in LEAF Quiz Night...
On Saturday 28th November our green headquarters was packed with 50+ quizzers (that's the number of quizzers not their ages).
This year we had a new quiz master - Barry Holland, whose delivered a range of questions to challenge all ages and interests.
The 2015 Quiz was won by "The Fiends of the Earth", with the "Dolmans" in second place and third were the "Stanmore Commoners".
Thanks to Diana Dolman and Judy Walker for organising the evening and to everyone else that volunteered to make the eve run smoothly.
A big thank you to our Affiliated Groups who sent teams and our members that came along to make the evening such fun.
We must also thank our regular Shaftesbury Circle chippie for providing our Fish Suppers despite needing to be closed that evening for personal reasons.
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We were nominated as potential Harrow Heroes 2015...
We were pleased to hear that Harrow in LEAF were shortlisted, as were 32 others, for the Volunteer Team Award.
The reception and prize winner announcement took place on 3rd November at the Harrow Leisure Centre.
Ron Dickens, Newton Park Horticultural Society, and Derek Osbourne, Belmont Horticultural Society, attended to represent all of our members.
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So who do The Samaritans call to make Harrow greener?
Harrow in LEAF of course!
We are delighted to be supporting improvements to the front exterior of the Samaritans' premises "which is looking very tired unkept...
..on the front hard standing area we are now looking at some kind of paving with internal planting as we would like to soften the area and make it more welcoming
.........if we can lift people's spirits with a display of floral colour and smell I'm sure we can create something that would benefit all"
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A big Thank You to everyone that made the presentation of this year's 11th Harrow in LEAF Show possible......
our Show Committee, our Show Schedule sponsors, Brian Cox Estate agents Harrow, Harrow Libraries, our individual members, our Affiliated Societies/Groups, our volunteers, our exhibitors, our judges and of course our visitors.
Together "We make LEAF happen".
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A big Thank You to Waitrose and all its shoppers at South Harrow.
The recent Green Token campaign at Waitrose, South Harrow is now over. We are pleased to report that thanks to you we have received a donation of £300.
This is excellent news and so we also give a big thanks to our Chair, Sue Green for organising this initiative with Waitrose.
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Harrow in LEAF together Harrow Beekeepers Association and Harrow Libraries celebrate National Allotments Week: August 10th - August 15th 2015.
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In conjunction with Harrow in LEAF there will be posters and LEAFlets at all Harrow libraries with information about allotments in Harrow. For the younger visitors
there will be entry forms for entry to the Junior Classes at our Annual Show 2015.
The intention of course is to promote all the benefits of allotments and horticulture to our communities plus advising how to get an allotment in Harrow.
At Kenton Library, where there is open space at the back housing a "secret garden", volunteers from Harrow in LEAF will be present on Tuesday
11th from 1pm to 7.00pm, and on Saturday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
It is here that Harrow Libraries will be laying on activities for children and Harrow in LEAF and Harrow Beekeepers volunteers will be happy to discuss their experience of allotments and horticulture and bee farming with the visitors.
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If you wish to meet fellow allotmenteers/growers or Harrow in LEAF members do please come along.
There is usually parking available along Christchurch Avenue, Kenton or neighbouring streets.
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WE continue to help YOU make Harrow a greener place to live and to enjoy.
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Our Treasurer, Judy Walker hands a donation to Earle Williams, Sonia Moore and Jo Stephenson of Harrow Civic Residents Association.
The residents plan to create a community garden opposite the Harrow Civic Centre.
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Our Chair, Sue Green hands a donation to Terence Frisch of Honeybun Tenants and Residents Association.
This is to help replace the plants stolen from their flower beds and to be able to enter Harrow in Bloom.
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Compost Celebration at West Harrow Recreation Ground on 31st May
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100 litres of FREE COMPOST!
The Rubbish Diet, an initiative of West London Waste Authority, held a "celebration of compost" on Sunday 31st May at the West Harrow Recreation Ground, HA1 4EA.
This successful event started at 10am and ran to about 2pm when the compost had all gone, approximately 4 hours.
The event was to celebrate "Compost Awareness Week" and to help raise awareness of the benefits of home composting.
Harrow residents were able to collect up to 100 litres of free compost made from their food and garden waste gathered from their brown bins. Bringing their own strong bag(s) or wheelbarrows!
It was expected that local growers and community groups will hold stalls to promote their services or sell goods,
alongside the council who will be promoting their collection schemes.
There was also a compost expert and recycling experts there on the day offering advice and answering any composting questions residents may have.
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Harrow in LEAF had a table at this event with information, selling plants and possibility to join/renew Individual Memberships.
We can say that it was our best ever Compost Celebration Day ever!
Would you like a Free table at another event? There are normally around 200 + visitors attending.
Groups will get the extra publicity of being listed in the on-line promotions, once attendance is confirmed.
If you are interested in having a table for your own group then contact Sarah Kersey, West London Project Manager of The Rubbish Diet via e-mail:
sarahk@therubbishdiet.org.uk
This is good quality compost or soil enhancer so go along and enjoy an hour or so shovelling.............
NEVER FORGET TO TAKE YOUR OWN STRONG BAGS FOR THE COMPOST!
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Harrow in LEAF's Annual Plant Sale 2015
Was succesfully held on a sunny SATURDAY May 16th, from 11am to 2pm
At Harrow in LEAF HQ, on West Harrow large allotments site, HA1 4HE
As always, there were around 20 tables selling a wide range of ornamental, vegetable and fruit plants at amazingly low prices.
You would have found familiar and unusual plants for your garden and allotment.
Thanks to those who donated spare plants of your own to Harrow in LEAF's own stall, which helped raise money to help run the society.
Entrance was free and refreshments were available.
If you would like to sell your own plants next year, then note that this year tables cost £8.00 on the day or £7.00 if booked and paid for in advance.
For further information always look at this website.
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After several years of being a valued supporter of Harrow in LEAF and particularly our Annual Horticultural Show we are proud to announce
that Harrow based Seeds of Italy, supplier of Franchi Seeds and much more, have joined us as an Associate Member in 2015.
Paola Arrigo says "We are a true London Italian family, historically originating from a town north of Turin. We feel strongly about supporting our local community and are very happy to become an Associate Member of Harrow in LEAF".
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Just recently Seeds of Italy relocated to a new building on the Phoenix Park Estate and incorporated a space to be used as a Demo Theatre
where they can now hold talks, demonstrations and shows. We hope that our members will enjoy attending some of these events, but be warned that at any time
accordian playing can break out as Paolo brings "Nel blu dipinto di blu" to life!
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We are proud that Shaw Trust Enterprises are continuing as an
Associate Member Society of Harrow in LEAF in 2015/16. At the beginning of February our Membership Secretary
visited their Clamp Hill Nurseries to collect their annual subscription donation from Sheila Clements, Manager.
Not being aware of Shaw Trust's work he was pleasantly surprised to learn what goes on there following a short walk around with Sheila.
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 Shared entrance with Jacques Amand's Bulbs
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Did you know that there is a Nursery Shop open daily and selling a large variety of plants at very reasonable prices from a not for profit organisation?
The plants are grown lovingly by their "service users" in excellent facilities and surroundings.
The nursery needs to keep turning over its plants to retain space for the continuous work of this charity's users and volunteers.
As well as selling ornamental and vegetable plants there are catalogues for bulbs and wooden products and Sheila
also pointed out that they can make many wooden items to order such as raised flower beds for gardens or allotments.
For further information you can contact Sheila by e-mail: Sheila.Clements@shaw-trust.org.uk or telephone: 020 895 44287.
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On Saturday 14th March from 9.00am to 4.00pm there will be an "Annual Spring Plant Sale" at the Clamp Hill nursery, HA7 3JS
which we hope many of our Harrow in LEAF members will attend and in doing so will "support a horticultural enterprise which provides opportunities
to local people facing disadvantage".
Sheila told us "We have home made cake and drinks on the Sale Day and I am hoping in the future we can provide hot drinks and cakes for customers on Monday to Fridays.
We are refurbishing our down stairs room to be a small tea shop and it should be finished at the end of April for business."
LEAF tip: don't just stay in the main warehouse as there are more offers in some of the outside greenhouses, take a good look around! This is horticulture with a purpose!
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ALLOTMENT COMEDY SHOW COMES TO HARROW - THURSDAY, MARCH 19th 2015.
Harrow in LEAF's very own singing allotmenteer is bringing her gardening comedy show to the borough this Spring!
Jo Stephenson, who has an allotment at the Greenhill site, is one half of the comedy duo Can You Dig It? -
as heard on BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time.
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Together with fellow London allotmenteer and comic Dan Woods, she has toured the country singing songs about growing veg -
all inspired by her real-life experiences of having an allotment in Harrow.
The pair are excited to be bringing their show to the borough on Thursday, March 19, and hope to see many fellow allotmenteers in the audience.
Highlights include a love ballad to Alan Titchmarsh, rap battle between a gardener and a slug and The Hosepipe Hornpipe - a song about the hosepipe ban.
The pair have played at more than 60 venues around the UK, including the prestigious Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and at the Royal Horticultural
Society's Lindley Hall in London.
They were the first comedy act to feature on Gardeners' Question Time since the programme launched in 1947.
This will be the very first time Jo has performed Can You Dig It? on home soil and she has chosen the perfect venue - a local seed company.
Most allotment-holders will be familiar with the brand Franchi seeds but may not know that the company that distributes the seeds across the UK is based in Harrow.
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Book your Show tickets here now!
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Jo and Dan are excited to be staging the show at Seeds of Italy's warehouse at Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow,
where audience members will also have the chance to buy seeds for the new growing season.
Tickets, priced £12.50, include a FREE glass of fizz and can be booked online at the Seeds of Italy website
Seeds of Italy's premises is located at D2 Phoenix Business Centre in the Phoenix Industrial Estate in Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, HA1 2SP.
Arrive at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
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Harrow in LEAF's 11th Horticultural & Craft Show - August Bank Holiday Monday 31st 2015.
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Download 2015 Show Schedule
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We are pleased to announce that this years 11th Harrow in LEAF Show will play an integral part
of the new Headstone Village Show.
The Show will continue to be located in the grounds of the Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre, Headstone although it is understood
that this will shortly be renamed as the Headstone Museum.
Further details will be included on our Annual Show Website as plans develop.
For now our Harrow in LEAF Show Committee are pleased to announce that the 2015 Show Schedule and Exhibitor Entry Forms can now be downloaded in PDF format from our Annual Show Website.
Please take a look at all the Competition Classes in the Schedule which cover a varied range of Horticultural, Arts and Crafts, Cooking classes and for all ages!
This year we have introduced some more unusual and fun classes for individuals or groups.
If you have never "shown" before you can also download our excellent "Guide to Showing" LEAFlet.
Be Creative! Get Involved! Do Something!
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Pinner Memorial Park: Harrow in LEAF support Heath Robinson Museum appeal.
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Within the grounds of Pinner Memorial Park you will find West House a focus for activities within one of Harrow's popular open spaces.
The current building is on the site of the home of Lord Nelson's daughter and today houses a small Heath Robinson Museum and a cafe overlooking the charming duck pond.
Heath Robinson whose name became part of the English language with his cartoon drawings of fantastic machines and ideas was a resident of Harrow.
The Heath Robinson Trust are planning to extend into a new museum building alongside West House and are seeking support from the local community.
Harrow in LEAF, definitely part of the local Harrow community, have "bought a brick" to held with the funding of this project run by volunteers
For more information visit the West House website
or
Click here to make a donation
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"We've Bought a Brick" certificate
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Harrow in LEAF's concerns over Council's proposal to ban bonfires on allotments.
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Bonfires - Good Practice Guide
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Our Site Reps. have informed us that Harrow Council are planning to ban bonfires outright on our allotments.
Bonfires are seen by many allotmenteers as a perfect way to control blight and other diseases spreading through both allotments and their
neighbouring gardens.
On September 12th 2014, we wrote to Harrow Council
"Item 4 (e) iii - Bonfires:
There has already been considerable discussion about this. At the Council's Allotment Consultation meeting of 27th January 2014 at the Civic Centre, attended by Susan Hall, Council Allotment Officers and most site reps, it was agreed that no outright ban should be made as certain issues could best be controlled by a bonfire i.e. blight and other plant diseases. We understood that this would be adopted as Council policy for the future.
At the same time we fully understand your concerns about the potential nuisance of unrestricted use of bonfires. However, we also feel that they are of great benefit to allotment holders and believe it should be possible to create and enforce, when necessary, tight regulations to greatly mitigate any nuisance.
"
We also included the suggestion that special areas be designated for bonfires to be carried out once a month for example.
We shall keep you updated on the Council's response.
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Photos of our 10th Horticultural & Craft Show plus details of all Prizewinners
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St. Luke's Hospice, Kenton seek Gardening Volunteers and Table Top Gardeners
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GARDENING VOLUNTEERS:
The award-winning gardens at St Luke's Hospice create a calm and restful area for patients and their visitors to relax in during their time here. We're in need of green-fingered individuals to help maintain our outdoor spaces. If your able to spare a few hours on a regular basis we'd love to hear from you.
Table Top Gardeners:
We're also looking for some volunteers for an exciting new role to lead or help with table top gardening sessions with our patients. This is a very popular and therapeutic activity and we'd love to be able to offer it to more patients.
For more information about St Luke's Hospice and the Gardening or Table Top roles either
Click here to visit our website,
or request an Application Pack by calling: 020 8382 8000
Or you can pop in to the Hospice and ask for a pack at the Reception.
St Luke's Hospice, Kenton Road, Harrow, HA3 0YG
(Reg Charity No. 298555)"
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Harrow in LEAF, a growing community - Welcome to Harrow Friends of the Earth.
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Harrow Friends of the Earth are a local campaigning group seeking to inspire solutions to environmental problems at a local and a global level.
They are one of over 200 local groups that work in partnership with Friends of the Earth nationally, and as part of the global network of over 70 groups that make up the Friends of the Earth International network.
They raise public awareness through the media, days of action and at shows and events in the Harrow area, and we lobby our various elected representatives.
Click here to visit their website for further info.
We send a big thank you to Harrow Friends of the Earth for joining and supporting the growing Harrow in LEAF community.
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THIS IS IMPORTANT -
Please click here to sign the e-petition to oppose Government plans to make it easier for Councils to sell off allotment land for development. What does this do for our communities?
Closing date:
10/06/2014.
UPDATE: 14 May 2014 Read what the papers say:
The Independent
The Express
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Our Annual Plant Sale
Harrow in LEAF's Plant Sale - 2014, took place on a blustery:
SUNDAY May 11th from 11am to 2pm
On the
West Harrow Allotment site, HA1 4HE in front of our Headquarters.
Entry by the side of West Harrow Station, The Gardens, off Pinner Road.
Plants were sold at bargain prices
Refreshments, Free Admission
Look out next year for 2015's Plant Sale.
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Tables had been for hire
With 11 tables of vegetables and various plants it is always the biggest and best Plant Sale in Harrow
Location Map
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Is it time for Allotments to go metric after 600 years? Why?
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FREE - we have been asked to find a home for two large house plants before the end of April 2014.
The owner of 2 large foliage plants is moving abroad towards the end of April and would like to find a home for her plants before she goes.
They are free to anyone prepared to collect them from central Harrow. One is described as ceiling height, the other perhaps 5 to 6 ft.
If you are interested then contact D Dolman, Harrow in LEAF on 020 8863 7558 for more details.
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Harrow Natural History Society is a "Society for Investigating, Recording and Discussing
the Wildlife of Harrow and Surrounding Districts". They hold indoor meetings at Blackwell Hall, Uxbridge Road, HA3 6DQ and conduct many interesting walks and talks at locations
throughout the borough and beyond.
View the full list of the Society's walks and talks for 2014.
We send a big thank you to HNHS for joining and supporting the Harrow in LEAF community.
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Protecting the Master Oak at Bentley Priory Nature Reserve, Stanmore
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The Friends of Bentley Priory Nature Reserve have secured the funds to protect the Master Oak from further vandalism.
Their Secretary, Linda Robinson, carried out negotiations with the developers of the former RAF Bentley Priory who agreed to fund the building of inner and outer fencing around the Master.
It is hoped that this scheme is up and running before the school summer holidays 2014 when the risk of further damage will be at its greatest.
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Linda and other Friends checking the Master Oak's girth for proposed fence
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Radio Activity:
To find out more about the Bentley Priory Nature Reserve why not listen to Linda Robinson's participation on Harrow Community Radio's "All About the Happiness" podcast, where interspersed with light music she discusses the Friends, the Master Oak project, cows, birds, lakes, flowers, volunteer wardens, problem visitors....
To hear the podcast now:
Click here.
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Harrow in LEAF, branch, trunk and roots - The Big Storm Day 28-10-2013
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These photos taken at approximately 8.00am show the aftermath of 80 m.p.h. winds that briefly ripped through Harrow at approximately
7.00am.
As well as trees up rooted and branches ripped from trees, many under maintained fences were also strewn across gardens and roads.
Luckily we still have local fire stations and together with our council workers were immediately out clearing and making safe our roads.
Good job that it is half-term for schools or our roads may have been gridlocked.
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We would be interested to see your photos of tree or plant damage caused by recent storms. No fences please!
E-mail them to leaf.membership@gmail.com and we shall create a Storms in Harrow Photo Page!
Do you want to report a dangerous tree to Harrow Council
Click here then......
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......more info on all events and venues
Your ideas on what to do with all that allotment or garden food produce!
Find us on Google+
• Making Harrow greener
• About us pdf LEAFlet
• Our Annual Plant Sale
• 2013, remember?
• More News
• Other News
• Beekeepers Association
• Growing Concerns - archive
• Our Recipes
• About Bonfires
Harrow in LEAF's "Guide for New Allotment Holders" is now available on-line
Yes, our excellent Guide is now available via the "Allotment Guidelines" button on the top Menu above - or just click on this front page image.
Published: 11th Nov 2011
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Shared entrance with Jacques Amand's Bulbs 
Congratulations to our Winners 2014 
