An local authorities have websites, many of them give information about allotments in their area. Calderdale Council has details of its 36 allotment sites on the council website. Looking at the national allotment website www.allotments-uk.com is both interesting and an easy to navigate the website and certainly worth a look.
With the need for more housing in our area, the council sought to take on a massive housing programme after the Second World War. The two largest developments were at Field Lane and Stoney Lane. This meant for the first time many people who had been displaced and moved out of their back to back nineteenth-century terraced properties found they not only had an inside bathroom and toilet, but they also had their garden as well.
In those early days on the estates building a sense of community spirit and pride in their new community was very important. To help create that sense of pride the council decided to award annual prizes for the best-kept gardens on the estates throughout the Borough.
This photograph takes you back to the presentation of awards in September 1957, when Field Lane Estate was awarded the Best Kept Estate and awarded ‘The Gilbert Lawson Trophy’. A shield that on this occasion was presented by the Mayor Councillor Harry Edwards JP.
In respect of who won the individual prizes that day the overall winner was Mr A. Clayton of 48 Aysgarth Avenue, who was awarded the cup and also a £3 cash prize. Today, this prize money would be worth £103. Jack van de Gevel of 1 Fairless Avenue was awarded the second prize cash prize of £2.
This presentation was held 63 years ago, I am sure these keen gardeners would be amazed at some of the changes that have taken place in gardening over those years.
To spread the awards around the districts a third prize was awarded to one householder from each estate with 15 prizes of £1 given to this year’s winners: Field Lane - R. Brearey (Reins Road); Southowram – W. Booth (Fairfax Crescent); Fletcher Crescent – H. Rangeley (Slade Lane); Chapel Croft – P. F. Mitchell (Chapel Croft); J. W. Petty (Crowtrees Crescent); F. Durrans (Smith House); H. Smith (Waverley Crescent); D. Haigh (Granny Hall Park); S. Tattersall (Whinney Hill); F. Firth (Deep Lane); J. R. Horner (Summerfield Avenue); D. Swailes (Oakroyd Drive): J. Hartley (Oaklands); A. Davies (Lillands) and the 1956 winner H. Sykes (Stoney Lane).
