Manor Garden Allotment

Most of you have probably aware of the petition to save Manor Garden Allotments www.lifeisland.org in London. The plan is to bulldoze the allotment to make way for a footpath and apparently a big screen to enable to get to and from the Olympic village and to watch competitions on the screen. It is ridiculous that when the Olympics are over this area will be given over to public space and parkland, never mind the fact that the land was given to the people over 100 years ago by Major Arthur Villiers to be used soley for allotment purposes. At a time when request for allotments is at an all time high and the government are continually harping on about healthy eating climate change and being greener it is ironic that they choose to raze to the ground something that addresses all of these points.

I find it disgraceful that this path will only be used for four weeks and yet the some of the plots have been tended by individual tennants for over fifty years. The public face of the Olympics is regneration of rundown areas for the benefit of the people - how is destroying the allotment to the benefit of the people and I also understand that a school is to be demolished to make way for this outrageously expensive farcical orgy of building and for what - a month of fabulous sport bringing many countries together or enourmous debt, empty buildings of little value to the locals - (puts soapbox back in the corner).

Please take the time to visit the site to learn more about the campaign and hopefully you will add you name to the petition. I personally feel that as allotmenteers, kitchen gardeners or just wannabe dreamer veggie growers we have a duty to support Manor Gardens - as who knows Manor Garden today - it could be us tommorrow.

I have noted from www.bean-sprouts.blogspot.com this morning that the allotment has been granted a reprieve but an appeal has gone in straight away - the due closure date of the allotments is April 1st so please - your help is needed