Gorse Hill City Farm - Last days of an allotment

We took our first plot at Gorse in 1991, clearing away grass and weeds and planting potatoes and onions as our first crops. Robin worked at the farm then, and he gave us some young hawthorns to heel in - this has become the hedge of some 10 feet height over the course of our 20 year occupation, bordering the allotments.

As we cultivated the soil in our first plot, so we took on a second and third and so on. They were called "Community Plots" back then. No-one else took plots until Brigit arrived. Brigit was in her 70's, and a very keen gardner. She introduced us to chard and phacelia, which we continue to grow from the original plant seeds today. Tragically, Brigit was only with us at the farm for a couple of years when she was diagnosed with cancer and died after a short illness. Brigit was a kindred spirit, being a socialist and nature lover like us. Changes came when a new building was added to the farm, and Brigit's carefully worked plot was lost under debris which now forms a grassy incline.

At the same time as Brigit being a plot holder, this was the only time when the farm had a dedicated full time gardner - Terry. Terry was also around for two years, and this is the only time that all the garden space was worked and producing. After a period of being joined by friends Mark and Bob,when we also cultivated the herb garden for the farm, once again we were on our own and took up the plots our friends had left.

During our 20 years, we have cultivated the soil with manure from the farm and fertilisers such as bonemeal and seawed meal. Everything we grew was organic. We planted blackcurrent bushes, raspberry canes, rosemary bushes, strawberries, fennel plants, lavender, sage, mint, oregano; sowed many flowers including cornflowers, corncockle, phacelia, poppies, cosmia, rudbeckia, hollyhocks, echinacea, marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers; grew many vegetables including garlic, onions, beetroot, chard, potatoes, carrots, beans, courgettes, cabbage,and discovered what grew best. Cultivation takes time. That's it attraction - you are working at the same pace as nature and with the seasons and unpredictable weather. You become at one with the land, as we did.

Now we have been told this is our last summer as allotment holders at the farm after more than 20 years of growing flowers, shrubs and vegetables. We have not abandoned our allotment, we have been forced off.

The decision to discontinue with the allotments was made by the trustees for Gorse Hill City Farm, and in particular, the chair Bill Matthews (http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/912602950), who has also asked us to remove any items and plants by 1 August. He clearly has no idea about plants and growing seasons. Nor does he have a sense of civility or human decency.

We have tried to reason with Mr Matthews, and also written to our MP Liz Kendall, the Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and Leicester City Council for support, but apparently Bill Matthews can do what he likes, so he is. May he be seen as the soulless and indifferent grey man he clearly is, with no feeling for or knowledge of cultivation or of community, but simply a pen pusher who likes to kick ass, and who has taken "community" out of "Community Farm".

My partner is now 73 years old, and cannot contemplate starting again. I am 55 and would find it very hard to start from scratch, having lost the energy of youth. There has been no recognition of the amount of work and patience that goes into cultivation in this self serving decision.

Видео Gorse Hill City Farm - Last days of an allotment канала Jude Jackson