100 years of the Royal Paddocks Allotments

This is the cover of a book produced to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Paddocks Allotments in Hampton Wick where I have a plot. Although there were some allotments previously in the area the whole area now occupied was granted by Royal Warrant by King George V in 1921. The land had previously been used for paddocks for Royal horses as part of Bushy Park which is very near Hampton Court. There were originally just 200 plots of the traditional size however over the years many have been divided into two a ‘front’ and a ‘back’, as many people find a whole plot too much. There is no electricity or piped water, just old fashioned hand pumps so watering is quite hard work. There is a compost toilet and also a large shed which is used as a cafe on Sunday mornings..they use camping burners to boil water!
As there are several 100 plotholders there is usually a good turnout for social events and shows. Many of the plotholders live in flats and have no garden so for them it is a lovely way to escape their homes, particularly if they have children, and was so welcome by everyone during lockdown.
The book includes contributions from several plotholders about ‘What my plot means to me’. There are also lots of photos…including one of our shed!