East London Organic Gardeners
ELOG - the Early Days
The following article appeared in the Spring 2001 ELOG Newsletter (number 34). It provides a useful introduction to who we are and what we do.
Spring 2001 is the 1Oth anniversary of the first ELOG newsletter. Here are Roger's memories of the origins of ELOG.
I can't remember all the details so some of what follows may be inaccurate but who ever believed history was about accurate facts?
ELOG began with a coach trip to Ryton Gardens organised by Max Reid. Max was (and still is thankfully) an ardent environmentalist. At the time he edited, printed and distributed Redbridge Green Umbrella, a bi-monthly environmental magazine. This made a small profit which helped ELOG start. On the trip we collected names of people who were interested in forming an organic gardeners' group. At the time many were from Redbridge and Barking.
The first event was a talk at Barking library by Alan Gear. He was then basking in glory as a presenter on TV's All Muck and Magic. With publicity to local gardening groups plus contacts we nearly filled the library hall. It was probably our best attended meeting and we collected more names for the group.
Beryl Caiger from Dagenham was the first secretary. I sometimes joke that ELOG's constitution (yes, we have one) was based on that of an Amateur Boxing Club. This isn't as far fetched as it sounds as Beryl had been secretary of a Junior Boxing Club for some time before. So Beryl's administrative skills were put to good use running ELOG for several years.
Other people who were closely involved were Ken Coe, Patricia Quinn and Daphne Greig (apologies to anyone I've missed out). Patricia produced the first newsletter, then, disastrously suffered a break-in when her computer was stolen, which meant the editorial work passed on.
Daphne designed the early programmes and created an attractive and wifty drawing for the cover. Her hedgehog logo still appears on the display boards. Daphne also prepared the displays in a brilliantly simple format, which has since been copied by other groups. Daphne also hosted the first ELOG social event - a party at her home - and later suggested a quiz night which became the annual Great Green Quiz.
Funds were rather short in the early days but we hit on the idea of applying for a local authority grant. In Barking and Dagenham grants were allocated by a sub committee of councillors and not by officers. It may seem old fashioned but it worked for us. We prepared a grant application and just before the committee met Beryl wrote to her ward councillor, Fred Jones, urging he support the applications. He did and ELOG received, I think, £175. In fact Barking and Dagenham Council did quite well for its investment in ELOG. We had a stall at Dagenham Town Show one year and held a number of meetings in Barking Library Hall. We also used Council coaches for our trips to Ryton and Yalding and found the drivers much more obliging than the commercial firm we used once. So Beryl's highly effective political lobbying was win- win for ELOG and the Council!
I organised a second coach trip to Ryton a couple of years later. At Ryton I took a firm line. No counting on and off - "be on the coach at 4.30 or we go without you". And just as the coach was going out of the coach park two members emerged from the shop, saving me from a lynch party later!.
I was an ELOG committee member for several years. It has been good to meet so many keen gardeners and I have been impressed by the knowledge of gardening many members have, and which far exceeds my own. I am sure ELOG will go on for many more years. Many of the principles put forward as "eccentricities" ten years ago are now accepted as good gardening practice. The activities of HDRA and groups like ELOG have helped bring this about.
Roger Backhouse
Roger is being unduly modest in describing himself as a "committee member for several years". He was the founding Chair of ELOG and combined that role with others such as newsletter editor and events organiser for most of the life of ELOG. The sobriquet "Mr ELOG" would be a fairer appreciation of his contribution to the running of ELOG. Ed.