leslie and marianne green

Between Leslie Green, his wife Marianne, and her parents, over 80 years of allotment holding has been amassed on Kingston’s Tolworth Main site. Leslie and Marianne discussed with SHEDx their memories of their shared passion, as well as the controversy of the council’s eventually abandoned plans to develop Tolworth Main in the late 80s.

“People were very unhappy. Not only people working the allotments but also those living in houses that backed onto them who were upset to suddenly find there was going to be a big housing estate put on here. I remember standing outside Marks & Spencer with a petition one Saturday afternoon.”

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Interview conducted by Grow for Good's Oral History volunteer, Alistair Cartwright