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🌿 Dig for Victory – Final Dispatch of May, 2025 🌿
🗓️ Saturday, 31st May, 2025
✍️ By the Chairman's Spade
As the month of May draws to a close, it does so under the proud banner of remembrance and resolve. This month marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and across the nation — from cathedrals to kitchen gardens — we have honoured the spirit of those who dug, grew, and stood resilient in times of hardship.
And on this final day of May, with the sun obligingly bright and the soil yielding, we continued that legacy.
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⏰ Four Hours on the Front Line of Food Security
Today began with a solid four-hour shift on the allotment. The first three hours were not spent with spade or hoe, but in the service of community stewardship — as any true Dig for Victory volunteer knows, the fight is won not only in the furrows, but in the planning.
Together with three stalwart committee members, we paced out the ground, made precise measurements, and marked the positions for two new storage sheds for Association use. These will soon stand ready to serve the needs of every plot-holder — tools dry, seeds safe, and order restored.
Our discussions also prepared us for a forthcoming meeting — where matters of good husbandry, community cooperation, and resource management will take centre stage. Let it never be said the war against disorder is not fought with earnest minds and muddy boots.
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🌱 Hoe, Water, Repeat
The final hour was spent in the time-honoured fashion — weeding and watering. It may not grab headlines, but it is the quiet, regular acts of care that yield the greatest harvest. A few thistles removed now are bushels of beans tomorrow.
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🌒 Evening Round: A Gate Left Ajar
Returning in the evening, weeds in sack, I made my way to the local recycling centre. A small but vital act — even waste must be repurposed in the campaign of cultivation.
However, when I returned I discovered the site gate left unlocked. A gentle reminder to all: check, turn, and tug when leaving. Our allotment is only as secure as our last lock.
A message has gone out to tenants — and I trust vigilance will return as readily as the morning sun.
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🇬🇧 Forward into June – Onward with Purpose
As we move into June, let us carry forward the spirit of VE Day not just in flag-waving, but in soil-turning, weed-pulling, and community-building. For though the war ended 80 years ago, the battle for good food, strong communities, and a greener tomorrow still calls us to action.
Dig well. Grow wisely. Lock the gate!
