AN 8-year-old pupil from Horsell has helped make history as part of celebrations to mark 100 years of growing at the local allotments.

In September, Horsell Allotment Association reaches its centenary. As part of the celebrations a time capsule has been installed under a newly constructed hut at the allotments in Bullbeggars Lane.

Included in the capsule are

artefacts about the history of the association – and a drawing by Freya Geaney, a year three pupil at Horsell C of E School, looking at how food will be grown in another 100 years.

Freya’s work came top after a competition at the school, with the winners from each year group, chosen by school head Jessica Steele and allotment association chairman David Inns, getting a £10 garden voucher - and the overall winner having their drawing put into the time capsule.

Freya was helped on the day by the association’s longest-serving member Ray Blondell, who placed the first spade of earth around the capsule. Both their names will be inscribed on a plaque permanently displayed on the new hut commemorating the event.

Other items to be placed in the time capsule include a copy of the minutes of the meeting on 25 September 1917 that established the association, a list of members and photographs of some of them, a history of the association, maps of both allotment sites, the current rules and the rules as they were in 1970 when the Bullbeggars allotment moved to its present home.

The location and contents of the time capsule have been registered with the International Time Capsule Society in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.