AN AWARD-WINNING Liss allotment holder is handing over his plot after growing vegetables in the village for more than half a century.

Gerald Tribe and his wife Linda moved from Guildford to Liss in 1964, buying a property at the new Greenfields development.

Shortly afterwards, they were awarded a plot at the Lower Green allotment on Rake Road by Liss Parish Council.

They have worked on, and maintained, their plot ever since, and have been self-sufficient as a family with vegetables and soft fruits grown on the land.

After more than half a century, Gerald says it is the right time to stop.

He said: “I’m of an age now where I don’t have a need for the quantity of produce that I can get, and, secondly, it’s very time-consuming.

“It’s taken up a lot of our time over the years, although it’s been very helpful as a family to have had the use of the produce.

“The opportunity was there to have the plot, and the interest was there, and it has saved us a lot of money as a family over the years.”

Gerald has won many awards in recognition of his allotment plot.

Liss Parish Council has run a best kept allotment competition for many years and Gerald won the award in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2017.

Gerald has also received recognition at county level.

Liss Horticultural Society (LHS), which is affiliated to the Hampshire Federation of Horticultural Societies, enters plot holders into the county competition, and Gerald has received a diploma of merit, as well as reaching third place in the county for his plot in 2015.

Gerald has also volunteered at the LHS trading hut at weekends, selling compost and other garden essentials to members.

Gerald admitted he will miss the camaraderie he has enjoyed with his fellow allotment plot holders.

He said: “If we’ve got some produce spare we share it, and if you’re away somebody will water for you.

“As one of them put it the other day when I said I was packing up, he said ‘that’s a pity because you’re one of the family so to speak.’”

Gerald has been involved in the community since moving to Liss, and has been on the school’s parent-teacher association and been a school governor.

He added: “I have always found Liss a very happy place to live and we’re very fortunate with the facilities and the amenities that we’ve got.”