Wildlife
The Skep
Pigeons
- Growbag 9 : Autumn 2007
- Growbag 8 : Summer 2007
- Growbag 7 : Spring 2007
- Growbag 6 : Winter 2006
- Growbag 5 : Autumn 2006
- Growbag 4 : Summer 2006
- Growbag 3 : March 2006
- Growbag 2 : January 2006
- Growbag 1 : October 2005
"The Growbag" was the newsletter of the society. Mostly written by Mr Growbag, AKA Rick Heyse, between the start at October 2005 until the end of 2007.
Allotments are places where many a tale is told and experiences happen. The PHG&AS would like to preserve those memories and tales, so they can be handed down from generation to generation of plotholder. If you have a tale or a photo of allotments past in Paignton, please send details to the webmaster, who will be happy to include them in this section of the website.
Bob Lamb had always wanted a plum tree on his plot. Plums were also his wife Rose's favourite fruit, so one year he decided to go to the nursery and buy a tree.
There were already several other plum trees around the site, so Bob knew there would be no problem with pollination. This was fortunate, as when Bob arrived at the nursery they only had just one plum tree left! A very small young Victoria Plum tree.
Bob took the plum tree back to his plot and planted it a few yards in front of his shed. For the next few years, Bob tended the tree, and discarded the few fruit it produced so the tree could concentrate all its nourishment growing.
Several years later, the tree was big enough to support masses of firm ripe plums. Bob took his wife Rose to show her the fruit, and she was delighted. They walked home for a cup of tea, with Bob saying after his cuppa he would go and pick the fruit for a nice plum pie.
When Bob returned to his plot all the plums had vanished! He then heard some giggling and rustling from the bushes bordering the allotment and the nearby playing field. When he looked he noticed half a dozen youngsters dancing around singing, “Who stole the plums, who stole the plums'. Bold as brass they were. This infuriated Bob, who marched into his shed to grab a bow saw. Returning to the tree Bob sawed it to the ground and flung it on the area he used as a bonfire.
Turning towards the young lads in the bushes Bob shouted, “If I can’t eat any of my plums, then no-one is going to have any'. And Bob never attempted to grow a single plum ever again.