I have been an allotment holder since the early 1960s when I shared a plot with my father-in-law. I then took my own plot on when I moved to Desborough just before I retired from my job in Local Government in 1996. I joined the Committee soon after and took on the job of Seeds Secretary for the Society's orders with Dobies which I still do today.
I have always enjoyed growing whether it be chrysanthemum’s and sweet peas for showing, or later when I got bitten by the bug, of cacti and succulents which still have a strong hold over me to this day . This led me to do an RHS course in Horticulture at Moulton College and after qualifying as a judge of Cacti and Succulents, I went all over the country beginning with the British Timken Show (alongside Percy Thrower) and going on to the Harrogate Spring show and four National Shows for the British Cactus and Succulent Society. There followed many visits to cities up and down the country.
I still have a keen interest in all forms of fauna and flora and also enjoy photography.
Being an allotment holder means I have made new friends, enjoyed the banter that comes from the company of like-minded people, I am now passing on the pleasure of growing to the next generations of my large family.