Author Archives: wallments

WATA – Monthly Meeting Minutes – 13th Oct. 2025

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Please find below a link to the minutes of the above meeting.

Whilst we did cover some allotment business (see minutes). The main event was for listening to our guest speakers, Daniel Tyrkiel & Dr. Frida Mariana from the Soil Ecology Laboratory.

What an amazing presentation, it was also great to get some of our Compost/Soil samples analysed in front of us. Many thanks go to our secretary Wendy Wilkinson for managing to capture all that she did for the minutes.

If you have any questions about items in the minutes, please contact us readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and the Committee will be happy to provide any information required.

Look out for information about our next monthly meeting on Monday 10th November.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

WATA Committee Meeting Bullet Points

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Please find below Bullet Points from our last Committee meeting. Simply click on the image below if you would like a PDF to download and read offline.

If you have any questions/comments, then please let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post – ‘Leave a Reply‘- or by emailing readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and we will get back to you with a response.

Finally, we continue to build up our revised Mailing List, if you have not already joined it, you can opt-in here.

WATA – Monthly Meeting Minutes – 15th Sept. 2025

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As our speaker for the September monthly meeting was unavailable at short notice, the Committee decided to proceed with the meeting and present a ‘half-term’ report on the Committee’s activities since the last AGM, held approximately six months earlier.

Please find below a link to the comprehensive minutes of that meeting. You may notice while reading that some of the items discussed have already been addressed; those that have not, are still being looked into.

I apologise for the delay in getting these out to everyone. If you have any questions about items in the minutes, please contact us readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and the Committee will be happy to provide any information required.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

WATA Committee Meeting Bullet Points & WATA/WTC Meeting Bullet Points

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Please find below Bullet Points from our last Committee meeting and the last Committee/Woodley Town Council meeting. Simply click on the image below if you would like a PDF to download and read offline.

If you have any questions/comments, then please let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post – ‘Leave a Reply‘- or by emailing readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and we will get back to you with a response.

Finally, we continue to build up our revised Mailing List, if you have not already joined it, you can opt-in here.

Next WATA General Meeting – Monday 13th October – LIFE IN THE SOIL

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Our next WATA General meeting will be held on Monday 13th October at the Oakwood Centre in Woodley, this time starting at 7pm. As with previous meetings, we will start with a general Allotment Associating update on a number of items, followed by a guest speaker.

This meeting’s guest speaker will be Jonny Furze, who is a Compost Scaling Engineer from Soil Ecology Laboratory/Soil Smiths. They are a research company that looks at the best ways to enhance soil quality.

In terms of the evening talk, it will be a general outline of the microbiological life (soil food web) within the soil, introducing people to how the web of life within the soil functions, and how various parts of the web interact with plants to bring nutrition to the plants. There will also be a review on composting, which we think will be of interest to all tenants, along with a few tips.

One interesting aspect of this talk is that they ask you to bring along a soil/compost sample from your plot to have it analysed under microscopes so you can see exactly what is in it.

Their talk will be about 45 minutes long and they encourage people to come along with questions. Once the talk has finished, people can continue questioning them as they start to look through their samples. Hence, the earlier start of this meeting.

Soil Smiths are a commercial company that manufactures and sells products related to the topic of this talk, which they will being along and offer a 20% discount on any purchased on the night. Just so everyone is aware, the Committee have no financial interest in or any connection with Soil Ecology Laboratory/Soil Smiths, we however think it will be an interesting talk for all that attend.

Please let us know by responding to this post as soon as possible or via readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk, so that we can get an idea of how many people may want to attend.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

Managed Bonfires and Rubble Disposal

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As you will be aware from previous posts, the Committee has been working with WTC on various actions that will assist plot tenants in dealing with the removal of various types of rubbish from their plots (one being the yearly skips that we have on site in the Spring).

With that in mind, please see below an important Special Bulletin that outlines two new schemes that will begin to help with the clearing up of unused Wood and Rubble from tenants’ allotment plots. Simply click on the image below to view the full Special Bulletin.

The Committee expects to make further announcements about other types of rubbish disposal schemes soon. If you have any questions about this Special Bulletin, please contact the Committee by replying to this post or via readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

WATA Committee Meeting Bullet Points – 10th July 2025 & WATA/WTC Meeting Bullet Points 21st June 2025

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Apologies for the delay in getting these out to tenants. Please find below Bullet Points from our last Committee meeting and the last Committee/Woodley Town Council meeting. Simply click on the image below if you would like a PDF to download and read offline.

If you have any questions/comments, then please let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post – ‘Leave a Reply‘- or by emailing readingroadplots@woodley-allotments.org.uk and we will get back to you with a response.

Finally, we continue to build up our revised Mailing List, if you have not already joined it, you can opt-in here.

Dobies Seeds Group Scheme for 2025

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Hi everyone,

Just when you thought it was time for a bit of a rest with your allotment as you gaze at this year’s harvest, it’s now time to think about next year’s seed ordering!

Teresa Buley (Plot E18) will be once again be running the organising of the seed ordering.

The process for getting this year’s seed order is:

  • Click on the image of this year’s Dobies Seeds Group Scheme Order Form at the bottom of this post and print it out
  • If you can’t print this form out, copies of the order form (along with a number of print catalogues) will be left in the covered box attached to the Allotment Notice Board at the Reading Road gate entrance
  • If you have internet access, visit the Dobies Seed website – https://www.dobies.co.uk/
  • Browse through the online and/or print catalogue and fill out the form, using the prices from the online website or in the print catalogue
  • Once you have your sub-totals, work out the applicable discount, 20% for Packet Seeds and 5% for non-Seed Live Products (i.e. Plants, Potatoes, Onion Sets etc.)
  • Add the discounted totals to the final total in the bottom right corner of the Order Form and this is what you need to pay
  • Payments should be made direct to Teresa Buley either via Cheques along with the completed Order Form, or via Cash or Bank Transfer to Bank Sort Code: 09-01-26, Bank Account: 23892418
  • Completed Order Forms and Full Payment need to be with Teresa by 30th November 2025.

Any questions, please contact Teresa on teresa.buley@woodley-allotments.org.uk.

Our thanks go to Teresa for once again, organising this massive task.

Many thanks &
Kind regards

Mike McNamara
Chair – WATA Committee

      Association General Meeting – 15th September 2025

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      HI everyone. Our next Association General Meeting will be held on Monday 15th September 2025 at 7.30pm at the Oakwood Centre in Woodley.

      Rather than having a guest speaker this time and as it six months since the last AGM, we thought it would be a good idea to give a ‘Half-Term’ report on what the Committee has been doing over the last six-months and what the Committee is intending to do over the next six months. This evening will also include by a Question & Answer session.

      So if you have time, please come along, hear what has been happening, bring your suggestions and also anything you would like to see changed.

      Looking forward to seeing you on the 15th.

      Many thanks &
      Kind regards

      Mike McNamara
      Chair – WATA Committee