Clubhouse refurbishment project

Our Clubhouse has a long history.  It began life as the changing rooms for the Crystal Palace Park Concert Bowl (there is a short video about the history of the concert bowl/platform here) .

Map of Crystal Palace Park with the concert bowl and changing rooms circled in blue

In 1997 when new permanent concert facilities were built the changing rooms were bought by the allotment with funds raised from members,  dismantled and moved to our allotment site.

The former changing rooms dismantled at our allotment site

With the help of volunteers and with the Council the building was re-erected and became our Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse being re-constructed

Completed Clubhouse

It has seen hundreds of community events since it was officially re-opened by the Mayor of Bromley in April 1999.

It has now been the centre for member and community events for over 20 years – not bad for a wooden building constructed in 1962 as temporary changing rooms!

The Clubhouse has been used by generations  of allotment members, the wider Bromley allotment community, bee keepers and local residents and community groups.

Bromley Allotment Consultative Panel having lunch after touring the site in 2001
Jim Dowd MP viewing stalls at our open day.
The 19th Bromley Beavers having lunch after their community day planting trees and seed bombing in the wildlife garden.

Untold cups of tea and slices of cake have been consumed at events, meetings, birthdays, wedding and funeral receptions.

Christmas wreath making workshop

In 2019 it was renamed The Tom Douglas Clubhouse in honour of our former Secretary who was instrumental in securing the building for the site and contributed so much to support our allotment and allotments in Bromley.

Whilst our Clubhouse has been maintained by our members, it is now in need of refurbishment.

Our refurbishment plans include:

  • improving the accessibility
  • recladding the exterior
  • installing insulation and new double glazed windows
  • relining the interior
  • replacing the recycled 1980s domestic kitchens.
  • installing new energy efficient heating and hot water.

This will make it a brighter and welcoming space for use by our members and the wider community.

We are currently fundraising to refurbish the building to ensure it can continue to be the heart of our allotment community for future.

Watch this space for future fundraising activities and news of the project.

Bonfire night celebration

We had a fantastic bonfire night celebration on Saturday 5th November.

Our members, their family and friends joined together to see the huge bonfire being lit and watch the fireworks.

Afterwards Polish sausages were cooked on the fire and potatoes baked in the embers.  In the Clubhouse there was delicious pumpkin soup and a selection of cakes to enjoy.    And the children made leaf lanterns.

Thank you to our Members whose hard work made the event possible.

Dead Hedge

We have a new wildlife habitat on site that will help to reduce the amount of waste that we burn and support biodiversity.

We have created a ‘dead hedge’ along the riverbank opposite the Clubhouse.   This will replace the aging wooden fence with a new habitat.

Insects and invertebrates love rotting wood and the dead hedge will be a perfect home for them.

Insects and invertebrates are a vital part of a healthy garden. They help pollinate flowers and crops, They eat pests and are food for larger animals (such as small mammals hedgehogs and birds), They also help to recycle nutrients and improving the soil.

The fence was created by our members on Community Spruce days using stakes pollarded from a tree in the wildlife garden, together with recycled fencing wire.

Members are asked to put their woody waste on the dead hedge rather than taking it to the bonfire area.