Any Swindon Allotment holders about

[caseylee]

I am based in Swindon, and would love to speak to others in swindon and see how they cope with the wonderful weather we have and all their success rate of growing

[Fluffnco]

Hoping to have an allotment in next 6 months or sooner (fingers crossed) so not able to swop lottie notes just yet Where abouts have you got your allotment? Do you go to the S.A L G A meetings?

Fluffnco

[caseylee]

I didden't know about any meetings I am in the parks area

[Fluffnco]

The meetings are held at the punjabi community centre behind the sikh temple on the 2nd last thursday of every month

They had a very interesting speaker on this month talking about edible vegetables from pennards plants. He was very knowlegeable

I've got the urge to plant and weed stuff at the minute so have fought it off by sorting out my postage stamp piece of garden. I really envy you

[caseylee]

contact the council they have a few avail I beleive, not sure where they are though but its worth a try

[pg]

Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?

Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.

[caseylee]

My friends partner has a llotment somewhere down there, tell her to come online always good to speak to someone in the same town

[Fluffnco]

Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?

Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.

OO are they council or parish run?....they're just up the road from me and would be ideal....

As for spare allotments I rang up the previous allotments number, it's changed so had to re ring and got clair (?) allotment officer who is now an ex allotments officer...apparently there's a new girl taken over ( Emma)and she said she'd pass on my enquiry to emma and I hear from her but so far nothing so I'll give her a ring tomorrow if I get the chance ....would be great to have a few more from Swindon to chat to too

Fluffnco

[Fluffnco]

Which bit of Swindon are you in Caseylee?

Mother of PG has an allotment in Stratton St Margaret at the end of Ermin Street. She's often down there and loves to chat! I'll persuade her to come on the forum if you like. She's just got the hang of the computer and loves Google. She can't remember life without it now.

OO are they council or parish run?....they're just up the road from me and would be ideal....

As for spare allotments I rang up the previous allotments number, it's changed so had to re ring and got clair (?) allotment officer who is now an ex allotments officer...apparently there's a new girl taken over ( Emma)and she said she'd pass on my enquiry to emma and I hear from her but so far nothing so I'll give her a ring tomorrow if I get the chance ....would be great to have a few more from Swindon to chat to too

Fluffnco

spoke to allotments women who said there is a plot just off hatton Grove that , if i like it, i can have tomorrow  ( thinking got to be a catch) Anyone know this area ( I'm not from swindon origionally so not totally up on good areas or bad etc ).....really excited though...going to go and have a look tomorrow If I don't like it then i'm looking at a minimum of 18 months to 5 years for a plot

[caseylee]

I know hatton grove, its very secluded, but a very nice plot, I know someone that used to a lot there, its worth taking I beleive the soil is very good, but it will take a lot of work to get it up and running

[Fluffnco]

oh that's great to know Do you think the seclusion is a good thing or could it prove to be a problem do you think?
The allotment officer did say the plot would be overgrown but that's half the fun of getting an allotment isn't it? digging out all those weeds and moulding it into something of your own. I'm really pleased that I won't have to wait months and miss the growing season this year...I might do a few planted through plastic beds this year and cover the rest, then work on small beds once the dung heaps and composting areas are in etc...can you tell I'm excited?

[caseylee]

I actually own two of the lots on their, I just read your previous reply, and I guess I am having a blonde day, I was thinking of buckhurst one sorry about that.  My allotment is on hatton close, I love it there, there are lots of houses looking over it, and the people that are there are friendly.  The plots are abit overgrown, but it took me no time to get it sorted out, and the soil is beautiful and so easy to dig. Plus there are so many fruit trees there aswell which is suppossed to be lovely over summer.
Good luck tomorrow let me know how it goes

[Fluffnco]

oh now that is really cool ) is the site locked as I am going straight from work. I may have to press my nose up against the fence and drool I have to email the allotments officer tomorrow once I have been to look at it..she didn't say anything about picking up a key to view or anything. It's so silly how excited I am lol

[caseylee]

Its got a gate at the entrance which you need a key to get into, but you can see the site basically if you have a look throught the fence.  I know when I got mine I had to pick a key up to view and then phone them to say yes or no.  I must warn you that the site that I tink are free are over grown, but mow the lawn and start digging is the best thing I can say.  I love it down there, and liek I said the soil is excellant

[Fluffnco]

Think I'll give the allotments officer a ring tomorrow morning then and arrange to pick up a key. To be honest have no idea where I would have to go to pick a key up as I've never had to make use of the council offices at all up until now...is it the place next to where the old benefits office was?...sorry to be such a nuisance with all these questions but I thought when i initially rang up the allotments officer I would have the whole procedure explained to me

do folks with plots there have sheds etc on them? Just looking on google maps it doesn't show any at all....i do want to have a greenhouse or a poly tunnel type thing for the OH to grow his chillies in lol

[caseylee]

It is the office oppisite the train station ( well just before the train station) on the right hand side, if you go in there to the front desk and tell them that you have been offered a site at hatton close they will give you a key, its better to have the key then you can have a good look around. There is no one there at the moment with sheds, but I know you are allowed greenhouses but I'm not sure if glass ones are allowed, cause when I asked I was looking at a polycard one.  I am looking to put a greenhouse or a shed on mine at the mo, cause I have a greenhouse at home but I want one on site aswell. Don't worry about too many questions I was worse when I got mine, I have dug over one plot already and due to start the other side next week.    When you go in you will think oh my godness, cause it looks vacant, but there are 4 of us down there, and Its better to have one that needs work than not have one at all.  The grass was up to my knees when I got it, lots of hard work and its finally taking shape.  I am going to take the lawnmower down next week and mow the drive in path, and around the site generally, cause no one else has done it, and tidy up the blackberry buushes around it.  I think the more people we get down there, the more we can all get it looking really good.  I was told by one of the guys that has been there a while that the plots were rotovated and cleared 2 years ago, so they just need to be dug over.

[Fluffnco]

ah ok know which place you mean now

Sounds like it is going to be a really friendly place I've almost made my mind up already lol

I can't wait to see it to be honest. Going to pick up a key and then drag the other half to see it too if he's still up ( he's working nights this week) then I can email the allotments officer back asap straight after. Will they let me make a start on the plot straight away or will I have to wait until the 'official' tenancy agreement is signed and returned?

[caseylee]

as soon as I decided to take it, I went straight back to the office and they made me sign a form, and gave me a greencard with my site number on it, I was digging the same day, you do have to go in and sign that you will have it before you can dig, but I did it all in one day.  They then send you your agreement in the post and its 18.50 for the year, but they send you the bill about 3 months later.  YOu will love the site I was a bit dissapointed when I first saw it cause it was overgrown, but there were no other allotments avail so I took it, and I never looked back, I even took over the plot next door cause that was also avail at the time and no waiting list for that plot.

[Fluffnco]

well that's sorted then ...look at plot, back to offices and sign up...if there's more than one available might get one so other half has his own bit for his chillies..will see what he says lol...i'm assuming they are half plots size wise by cost?

[caseylee]

yeah there are 13 sites and they are all half plots,  its 18.50 a year per plot ( half size) but if you have  a swindon card you get discount, I thinks its about 14.50 for the year,  they don't ask you to pay there and then, they send you out the forms first, but if you like the plot get straight down to the office and say yes and then its all yours.  When you walk in look at the potental not how overgorwn it is, at least on a weekend I will have someone to chat to lol over a cuppa coffee.