On November 30th, David Woodhouse of Rathbone Allotments in Whetstone was presented with a Royal Horticultural Society silver medal and certificate by Kirstie Burgin, chair of the Barnet Allotment Federation, to mark his retirement after 50 years of allotmenting. Fellow members and family gathered for the presentation at the Rathbone Pavillion which, many years ago David had helped to build and which, as he recalled, now stands on what was originally someone’s plot. David also recalled that the allotment was once known as ‘Stoneyfields’, a fact that long suffering fellow plot holders found all too easy to believe! Although David is hanging up his spade and wellies, he is a life member and retains a shed near his old plot, so his colleagues will continue to enjoy seeing him around the allotment.