The Alfred Major Allotment History

The protected Slow Worm.

The Alfred Major Allotment Story.

The Alfred Major Allotments were first started during the early 1940’s as part of the National “Dig for Victory” Campaign. The Cookham Rise Secondary Modern School as it was named then under the Headmaster Mr. G.H. Wood, took on six 10-pole plots of bare ground that had been pegged out by a surveyor and started to double dig with the aid of all the boys in the school. Forks and Spades came from Mr. W.G. Church on Station Approach.

Farm Manure from Bob Caught, and a fine large handcart was built by Harding’s Builders. Money to pay for all this was paid for in part by money the school made from the on-going Waste Paper Drives.

It was not the best location for starting an allotment garden due to the stony condition of the soil. Stone picking was a constant chore for us boys to start with. You were picking more stones than pulling weeds sometimes. Our work in the allotments replaced our Natural Studies, PT and one or two other classes as well.

The produce that we grew all went to help to provide School Dinners that the girls learned to make under the watchful eye of Mrs. Isherwood and Mrs. Deacon.

Now trees were planted sometime later, but I often wonder if there is still a good stonecrop to be had there still.