Garden holders at the West Jesmond allotments, just off Forsyth Road, are welcoming members of the community tomorrow, in what has now become an annual tradition.

Visitors can look forward to a plant sale, as well as the chance to look around the site that is usually closed off to members of the public. Food and drink, as well as some produce are also likely to be available.

Organiser Doreen Elcox said it was “a chance to open our gates, because we’re a part of the community.”

She said the event was not designed to get people interested in taking over plots, as there is already a waiting list at the site. Rather, the allotment holders want to share their space with fellow residents.

Unlike many other allotment sites, West Jesmond’s has a large communal area, including a strip of grass and a shelter, which will come in handy if the weather continues in the same vein tomorrow.

The organisers have not set a formal start and end time for the event, but it is likely to begin around 10am and wind down from about 1pm, when the plant sale provisionally ends.

It is probable, though, that gates will remain open until later in the day and residents will continue to be able to look round.

All proceeds of the plant sale will go to the allotment’s fund to pay for repairs and new facilities at the site, many of which are not paid for by the council.

The event has been running for several years now on an annual basis and has enjoyed a steady, if not overwhelming turnout. It remains to be seen how attendance will be affected by the weather and jubilee festivities this weekend.