Graham Vincent’s Story
Plots 278, 279 & 290
In 1969 Geoff Moir, one of Graham’s school teachers (Maths and English) had eight plots He grew gooseberries and blackcurrants, sought helpers to pick the fruit which was then given to less well-off children for school outings. In 1970 Graham swapped his five-rod plot for a ten-rod plot.
There was a big fire in the 1960’s which burnt the machinery shed and the new office to the ground. The cause was never discovered. He recalls manure being dumped near the trees in the car park for use by plotholders and chimney sweeps leaving their soot, which was considered beneficial for soil improvement.
Graham met Gillian in 1971 when her father took on a 10-rod plot by the car park where the blue tool store container is. They have now been married for 48 years. Sadly, the oak tree where they first met had to cut back this year due to the drought and heatwave this summer. He left school in 1971 and entered an apprenticeship with Croydon Council to train in arboriculture and horticulture for five years. He stayed there for seventeen and a half years before moving to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, This covered one hundred and twenty-three sites of many sizes. He remembers the storm of 1987 and the devastation it caused. Graham retired in 2013.
Graham became interested in beekeeping and Len Wilkinson, who was ground steward at the time taught him and John Pearce. John became an expert who won many prizes and medals. Len Wilkinson did not overuse the usual protective suits as the smoke from his pipe kept him safe!
On his plots he has runner beans, cabbages, and parsnips. He has the same problems with parsnips as most of us do – glut or famine. His mother Betty volunteered in the canteen and his father; David helped the painting of it for many years.
Graham helped Bill Evan dig the foundations for the toilet block which resulted in running water for the first time. There were big firework displays every year on what the wild life meadow is now. He can remember the trading centre being rebuilt with concrete coverings after a series of large-scale thefts.
Graham, Gillian, and their family continue to love the time they spend on their plots. Their son Mark also helps with rotavating the plots for the society and has helped for many years with the family plots. Gillian’s favourite vegetables are runner beans and peas, but Graham is not really a veggie person! He enjoys eating raw carrots, runner beans and potatoes, the real pleasure is in the growing of his fruit and vegetables but only if he can stick to his favourites and not eat anything else!
