BBC’s Joe Swift presents three “Golden Turnips” at Hackney community garden

Celebrity BBC TV gardener Joe Swift presented prizes at a local community garden on Saturday.

Cordwainers Garden was created two years ago by neighbours Jan Fuscoe and Kate Poland who were sick of the sight of the disused land which was often used by down and outs in the daytime.

Now there are 15 allotments for local people and staff and students at the London College of Fashion which owns the land, as well as a beehive, a community-built shed and dye beds for natural dyeing.

Kate Poland said: “The show - our first - was a great success in spite of the weather.

“We had more than 100 entries to our vegetable and produce show and Joe Swift presented three “Golden Turnips”. Hackney was renowned for its turnips in the 16th century.”

Dellores Laing was awarded one for her golden beetroot, Freya Webley for her self-portrait in a vegetable and the Wilton Estate received another for their turnip drizzle cake.

Swift who appears on Gardener’s World said how important it is to rescue disused land for growing, the community and the environment.

A natural dye workshop takes place at the garden in Mare Street next Saturday as part of the Open Edible Gardens event, for more information see cordwainersgarden@gmail.com.