Topic: Reasons not to get an allotment!

[Marymary]

There is an article in today's Independent on Sunday about allotments - basically all the reasons why not to get one; long waiting lists, too much work etc but included this sentence....

The middle classes think they can have it all but actually you can only realistically get an allotment if you've got a cleaner, an au pair and someone in to do the ironing while you're out tending the organic vegetables.

Thought you'd like that.  :) :)

[manicscousers]

right, where's mine, who's got them, someone must have two of each.. ;D ;D
what a stupid article, both the story and the person who wroye it..we just wear wrinkled clothes, the house is untidy, not dirty, and we love it   ;D

[OliveOil]

I can think of a good reason!

Constantly dirty fingernails and scraggy looking hands.

[Tin Shed]

Well, I am the cleaner, not sure about the au pair bit as the children are all over 16 now - and as for ironing , I gave that up when all the clean ironed clothes were dropped on bedroom floors -and am also the cook and bottle washer...... and have an allotment. Mind you having an allotment is a wonderful excuse to get away from all that.
Apart from all that - the daft person who wrote that should conme to our site and see that real life is somewhat different.

[onionhead]

I can think of a good reason!

Constantly dirty fingernails and scraggy looking hands.

That's a relief - I thought I was the only one with hands like flapjack after a morning down the lottie. Was beginning to get a bit self-conscious about them.

[John_H]

Mind you, looked at another way I guess if most of my work ended up as fish and chip wrappers or lining cat litter trays I would probably be a bit dismissive of anything more useful too :-)

[manicscousers]

true, or mulching up potatoes on the lottie, or in the compost heap or put down on paths on the plot..there's a theme developing here, maybe he's annoyed at what we do with his papers  ;D

[theothermarg]

well i am a cleaner and thats a good enough excuse for not doing much at home! thats what men have been saying for years, i,v been doing it all day i don,t want to do it when i,m home OH was a painter and decorator, we had to have UPVC
windows and doors as the wood ones never did get a gloss coat
marg ;D

[Tin Shed]

Didn't know they still used newspaper for fish and chips anymore. As for using newspapers in the cat litter tray - I get great pleasure from putting certain front pages down for the cat. Voting for or against certain politicians never seems to work, so it is the only revenge I have. Will now be waiting for the men in white coats to take me away!

[kt.]

I do a vast amount of cleaning - though OH may have a different opinion, I do 90% of ironing in our house. Love being with my kids outside of my work - & they love the lottie (when the weathers right). OH likes me having a lottie too. At weekends I go there & she goes shopping. Think I get a better deal as I hate shopping.

Whoever wrote that article probably does not have a garden, nor even a plant anywhere in their dwelling. Obviously silverspoon fed without ever doing a hard days manual graft in their life....

[mc55]

well I learnt 5 years ago that ironing was unnecessary - now only have three linen items that need ironing (so don't wear those !!) and in honesty I'd much rather be at the plot than cleaning - blimey, where do these journalists get their material from nowadays.

[emmy1978]

Well, the only thing they asked me when I applied for my lottie was whether I have a garden at home. I'd have been very surprised if they'd said " and tell me, do you have a cleaner?"
Love it! London Journo, knows nuthin' about nuthin'!

[theothermarg]

oh KT you sound like a modern man i,m glad to say my 2 sons are as well
this cleaner won,t be doing any cleaning or lottying for a few weeks as i,v got my leg in plaster er got alot of ironing here  she says hopfully (oops spelling is a froudian? slip)
marg :-[

[Amazin]

I'll have my butler write in to complain.

 ;D

[louise stella]

Sod it - where's my cleaner/au-pair/butler gone then?????

Louise


....because i'll do the ironing, look after the children and do the housework - and they can finish off digging out the flipping couch grass!

[tabbycat]

i have a rule for ironing in our house:

If you really want to wear it - iron it....if you're happy to leave it festering at the bottom of the ironing basket for more than a month, you don't really need or want the said item of clothing in the first place and so it can be sent to the charity shop......... thus reducing the ironing! ;D

(there are exceptions made for seasonal items that spend spring/autumn in the washing basket & summer/winter in the ironing one)

rule for children also:

learning to be independent from a young age is character building.... so is being bored. Apparently it makes you more creative - see I do care  ;)

It is possible to "have it all" Mr Journalist - you just have to realise that it won't all be perfect (it'll more likely be all dusty & creased with an iron mark on it  ;D)

Tabby

[okra]

Perhaps if people spent less time reading the Independent and watching endless TV they could enjoy an allotment

[triffid]

It is possible to "have it all" ... you just have to realise that it won't all be perfect (it'll more likely be all dusty & creased with an iron mark on it  )

 ;D

Outstanding.  At last, a mantra to live my life by. Thank you, tabbycat!

[kitten]

Perhaps if people spent less time reading the Independent and watching endless TV they could enjoy an allotment

I was rather thinking okra had the right idea!