Crescere et pertinere
Over 50 members, family and friends took advantage of a low horizon mask to the West of Southdown Shaw in observing the 12th August near-total solar eclipse.
Everyone was equipped with ISO standard eclipse glasses thanks to Mid Kent Astronomical Society.
For a 44 sec video of the whole solar eclipse on 12th August - see below.
Many thanks to all those who attended the EGM and voted unanimously (with one abstention) in empowering the Committee to halt the wilful destruction of our allotment gardening futures by Meopham Parish Council.
Members will be aware of local restrictions on the use of hosepipes in domestic settings. Our water supplier is Everflow and, at the the moment, no formal constraints are placed on water use by MDAA members. Naturally, we expect members to continue using water responsibly, perhaps using our 'Soil Moisture Forecast' tool.
A Guide is available below.
Urgent Notice
As reported at the Association’s EGM, a survey of the allotment domain on 21st June classified 37 plots as ‘Wasteland’ and a further 15 plots as ‘not fit for purpose’.
High temperature and drought conditions over the last three months have resulted in a high risk of a wildfire spreading from one uncultivated plot to another and destroying cultivated ones in the process.
There has been no sign of any awareness or action by the Parish Council in the public record of their meetings, or by the Parish Clerk, who assumed full management responsibilities for our domain on the Council’s behalf on 31st March.
Members are requested to be extra vigilant for any sign of fire or smoke, report it immediately via 999, raise local alarm by any means possible and immediately vacate Southdown Shaw, leaving the gate open for emergency services.
MDAA Committee
A speeded-up recording of the 12th August 2026 solar eclipse.
There is no sound.
The next solar eclipse is total and will last for 6min 22 sec. on 2nd August 2027, with the path of totality covering parts of Spain, North Africa and Egypt.
A masterclass in companion planting! This month we celebrate the work of Ian and Rita Cook on 17C. By positioning marigolds alongside their tomatoes and utilizing classic organic crop rotation, they have managed to fend off aphids entirely while producing an enviable yield of broad beans and prize-winning courgettes.
A solar eclipse is a natural event where the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun's light and casting a shadow on our home planet. Full alignments are rare for any particular location. The next nearly-total one, observable from Meopham, is in 2081.
