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ORAL HISTORIES

As well as consulting books, newspapers, maps and film in order to piece together the history of allotment gardening in the Surbiton and Tolworth area, SHEDx has also gathered a wide variety of local first hand accounts of suburban gardeners. From establishing the motivation of those who pursue this hobby, to chronicling the wide range of changes that allotment gardening has undergone, the Grow for Good oral histories provide personalised insights into this rich heritage.

Turnip
Lettuce
Pepper

Simon Jakeman was named London Fire Brigade’s ‘Super Green Champion’ in 2015, having initially introduced a rooftop allotment to Surbiton Fire Station.

Between Leslie Green, his wife Marianne, and her parents, over 80 years of allotment holding has been amassed on Kingston’s Tolworth Main site
 

Ray Eades has held an allotment on Tolworth Main in the Kingston borough for over 30 years

Sketched Mushroom

Joan McConn is Chair of the Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners, having been an allotment holder herself for over 35 years

Artichoke

Martin Ursell has held an allotment on the Tolworth Main Site for over 20 years

Sliced Tomato

Gloria Wallis is Secretary of the Beverly Park allotment site in New Malden and Secretary of the Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners (KFAG), as well as being a plot holder herself for 34 years

Pumpkin

Glen Rowden, originally from New Zealand,  has been looking after an allotment plot in Hinchley Wood as a favour for a friend for the last five years

Zucchini

Pablo is originally from Spain where he always had a passion for the environment, sustainability, growing and food.

Potato
Raddish

Lionell has held an allotment site on the Tolworth Main Site for over 20 years and was instrumental in the TMA society

Originally from Portugal, Pamela has recently started looking after and managing a community allotment at Toloworth Main Allotment

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