Allotments 4 All
General => News => Topic started by: Borlotti on March 27, 2010, 17:26:52
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Went to the allotment today, like one does, only to find that Joe Swift's shed and raised wooden beds had gone. Spoke to site Secretary and Joe has given up the allotment as they will not be filming there anymore (surprise, surprise). It will be split into three new allotments. He took some of the plants he wanted and has just left it, so with permission I nicked some strawberry plants and got a few parsnips which I am just cooking for dinner. Some of the plants Joe wouldn't take as the dreaded marestail was in the roots and he didn't want to introduce it to any garden (don't blame him for that). I am not too bothered as my allotment is already full of marestail.
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Why on earth don't they find presenters who actually care about what they're doing? That's why the old ones were often so much better. Nowadays they present this, they present that, and it's all superficial.
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it seems to be the norm to have presenters who either don't know their subject, or pretend they don't, sothey can go on a "journey" and take us witth them
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The geezer is an arsole, he must have well jumped the queue to get it in the first place, when I went to visit Borlotti's site it was well overgrown, but I bet the council never went down the usual route of giving warning letters about weeds and non cultivation, it makes the blood boil, but as I've been out all afternoon drinking I will leave it there. >:( >:( >:(
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No need to be rude just because he's not an expert veg grower. It's the fault of the people who planned the programmes.
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There is something "tacky" about it though as he involved his family and supposedly got all chummy with his lottie neighbours.
Still let's face it we all see new plot holders with their shiny spades and planting plans.......once ;D
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I don't think Kev was being rude because the chap wasn't an expert at growing veg, it was the way he presented himself as being a keen allotment gardener, but actually did not even bother to harvest what he had sown, and just abandoned his plot.
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He was probably expected to pretend. It's irritating I know, but someone's planning the programmes to be like that. They're the proper targets of our wrath.
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He will be too busy I suppose now that he is president of the NGS.
God help Britain in Bloom if the cities/towns/villages start building triangular beds to please him.
Its the old story easy come easy go, in this case from an educational point of view good riddance, he hadn't a clue!
I guessed at the outset it wouldn't last when I saw how he tackled his plot!
Do you remember the discussions we had here on A4A about it, Away back then I guess a few of us new the writing was on the wall for him!
If the BBC need a good 'allotmenteer' they could help themselves by getting someone from A4A to front the show.
I would settle for all that free timber that a certain DIY store gave him to make his beds, and all the compost they throw around again I guess FOC.
What we need in these austere times is a programme along the lines of 'dig for victory' where economics come into the issue!
Do you "Dig that folks"?
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Do you "Dig that folks"?
Yes!
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At least someone else can get the plot now- better than JS (or the BBC) keeping it and not having time for it.
Borlotti, do you know whether your site made any money out of him being there? That would make the whole thing worth it?
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Well I'm not surprised, he could allways bring a book out called" how to abandon a allotment" and as TG as said god help NGS the blokes a fake >:(
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What we need in these austere times is a programme along the lines of 'dig for victory' where economics come into the issue!
Do you "Dig that folks"?
Yes Tee Gee, very much so. The thing that turned me off GW more than anything else was the obscene cost. Geoff Hamilton always used to consider the econommics, having lived in the real world.
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I've been watching the victorian garden and kitchen again, that's more my style ;D
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I watch it every year.
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why would Joe take is old shed and raised beds with him?...well it would not supprise me if they would put these up on some weedless plot of land and carry on filming pretending it is same allotment....
...how well has he managed to clear the weeds... ::) looking forward to see what happens next..
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Do you think they'll reappear in Greenacre, or GW Live, as a recycling project ?
God help NGS, the blokes a ... designer ! ;)
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When I said the shed had gone I meant it had been dismantled and left as a pile of wood to be taken by anyone that wanted it, or else will go on a bonfire. His lovely triangular beds he took. Oh well just off to pick up the rest of his/my turnips.
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At least some other people can have his plot. I suppose that the program may have given some people an interest in having an allotment.
It will be interesting to see where the triangular raised beds turn up.
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when I went to visit Borlotti's site it was well overgrown,
Now now you shouldn't talk about Borlotti's plot like that ;D
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My plot is perfect, maybe a bit overgrown, but some are worse. Cornykev is an OK guy.
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Totally agree about the old presenters, I loved Percy Thrower on telly every Friday night when I was a kid and later on 'Mr Smith's Vegatable garden', proper vegetable growers, :)
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I liked Arther Billitt at Clacks farm he could show you how to grow vegetables
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I think Percy also did programmes from Clacks farm, :)
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I suppose gardeners reflect the times. I was too young to appreciate Percy Thrower and Geoffrey Smith at the time, and only became aware of GW when Geoff Hamilton took over. I felt that the older generation were like head gardeners and that there was too much formality to their gardening, that it was labour intensive, and that it was simply old fashioned.
Geoff Hamilton made gardening accessable, and it's my complaint about all the presenters - and that's all they've been - my complaint about all the presenters that followed is that they've all tried to make gardening superficial and elitist. The golden age of GW was Geoff Hamilton, Bob Flowerdew, Anne Swithinbank, and Gay Search (careful how you google that) - Search's Front Gardens spin off was excellent IMHO.
What seems odd is that Geoff Hamilton's gardening for the common man should have been such a phenomenon in the middle of the Thatcher era where the vapid egotists like Titmarsh and Kong would have been much more at home. What the TV needs is a Fred Dibnah of the Allotments.
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What happened to Bob Flowerdew? I can remember he made a pond out of tyres!
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yes, it's in his poly-tunnel ;)
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Geoffrey Smith was wonderful. He had amazing advice and was great at thinking about not only growing but also the taste. Actually Geoff Hamilton seemed more formal. He was certainly much more boring. Geoffrey Smith was so enthusiastic.
There was also a guy called Howard I rather liked at lunch time.
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I liked Geoffrey Smith, though he could be very rude on GQT
on the plus side, if you look at the way cookery programmes and cookery presenters have gone down the tubes, gardening progs have got off lightly, no matter how we complain about them. That's not to say we should put up with it though
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I just think the BBC have got it wrong. Everyone posting here seems to prove the point that the BBC could provide 2 programmes. One for more advanced tastes where latin names are important and time is plentiful and maybe one where sustainability and veg growing come together in a more down to earth presentation. Whatcha reckon guys?
The only positive about Joe Swift I guess is that it is always a positive to have allotments in the mainstream in some way isnt it? I'm sure plenty have got interested that way? i wouldnt like to judge the guy too much as he had to take the plot on for the programme rather than his own choice. Also, he lives in hackney and that is a commitment to drive that way.
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I just think the BBC have got it wrong. Everyone posting here seems to prove the point that the BBC could provide 2 programmes. One for more advanced tastes where latin names are important and time is plentiful and maybe one where sustainability and veg growing come together in a more down to earth presentation. Whatcha reckon guys?
The only positive about Joe Swift I guess is that it is always a positive to have allotments in the mainstream in some way isnt it? I'm sure plenty have got interested that way? i wouldnt like to judge the guy too much as he had to take the plot on for the programme rather than his own choice. Also, he lives in hackney and that is a commitment to drive that way.
Oh, just been told Alys Fowler has a new prog coming on called 'The edible garden' which might be worth a look. Maybe that will cater for veg growers a little better?
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I just think that it is such a shame, the BBC are not really thinking. There is such an upsurge in growing your own veg, we know this by the waiting lists for allotments if nothing else. The BBC should be tapping into this as they would have wide range of viewers especially when we have NO choice on any other channels, yes Alys is doing a programme in her garden, but I would like to see a programme that does explain saving seeds, what to grow and when (not bloody gardeners delight tomatos). If wartime and victorian kitchen gardens are popular, then that is saying what we want, not poncy programmes from people that only go into the garden for one day a week just to film the program. It is pretentious, bring back Geoff Hamilton format.
sorry for rant especially if in wrong place, but feel better now and i spose better get back to work.................
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What the TV needs is a Fred Dibnah of the Allotments.
Yes I'm sure theres a head gardener somewere that fits the bill.
Oh, just been told Alys Fowler has a new prog coming on called 'The edible garden' which might be worth a look. Maybe that will cater for veg growers a little better?
I only hope it's not all about growing veg in old Olive oil cans. ::)
And why would you dismantle your shed only to leave it ???
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(not bloody gardeners delight tomatos).
what's wrong with these open-pollinated, prolific, flavoursome cherry tomatoes?
don't tell me you like 'money maker'? LOL
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We are not allowed sheds on our allotments, but Joe had special permission from the Council, in case in rained and the cameras got wet, so that is probably why it was taken down. One shed and then everyone wants one. Pleased we don't have sheds and they are very often broken into even if they don't contain any valuables. The Council provides lockers and we have toilets, although they are not too pleasant and when you pull the chain get a shower, but I stand well back. Joe's filming did cause quite a bit of interest in the site and when we had the get together/party it was good fun and Waitrose contributed and we had a fun vegetable competition (which i didn't win) :( :( :( . He did say he wanted to keep the allotment but I think with work commitments and young children and living so far away he found he hadn't got the time. Oh well three new people will get a third of his lovely allotment and the mares/horse tail which is a pain in the neck.
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And why would you dismantle your shed only to leave it ???
Exactly - why not just leave a nice shed for the next renter, or is it a health and safety issue - the Beeb making sure they can't be sued.
As for more/other gardening/veg programs, why do you all think it has to be the BBC. If, as claimed, there's demand, dont you think one of the thousands of channels on you digi box would produce something.
If it was economically viable, we would have our own channel, we could call it, for example - UKTV Gardening.
( but we all know what happened to that >:( ... and for those that don't know
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51810.0.html and http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51979.0.html )
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Ahh Borlotti, thanks for the explanation. I'm obviously too cynical of the Beeb.
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And why would you dismantle your shed only to leave it ???
Exactly - why not just leave a nice shed for the next renter, or is it a health and safety issue - the Beeb making sure they can't be sued.
As for more/other gardening/veg programs, why do you all think it has to be the BBC. If, as claimed, there's demand, dont you think one of the thousands of channels on you digi box would produce something.
If it was economically viable, we would have our own channel, we could call it, for example - UKTV Gardening.
( but we all know what happened to that >:( ... and for those that don't know
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51810.0.html and http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51979.0.html )
Edit:
Ahh Borlotti, thanks for the explanation. I'm obviously too cynical of the Beeb.
Tell me about it UKTV Gardens was one of my favourite channels, i was shouting at the telly when they took it away from me :'(
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We should have a return to the 'Big Dig'
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Joe was on Working Lunch today (BBC2 Tue 12:30). He said he grows potatoes in dustbins in his garden.
PS Tomorrows guest on Working Lunch (13:30) is a woman from Tesco Clubcard talking about the data that they collect. Might be interesting. However do bear in mind that Working Lunch has also suffered the same dumbing down that GW has suffered from.
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I miss Geoff. I can't say that Joe Swift did anything for me. However, before we dismiss him i think we should bear in mind that his allotment slot would have been planned well in advance of filming. This means that at that time they would have been looking at the non-gardeners and trying to get them interested. The thirty to forty group have a substantially different outlook to those of us in the 50's to 60's or even those of us in our 70's and 80's. They might find the appeal of the triangular beds because it got the old f**ts talking about it and not about what they were doing "wrong". It is right and proper that every younger generation should explore the boundaries. Haven't some on here tried "raised beds" and decided to get rid of them. That is their choice.
If Joe made it easy for the non-gardeners to "join in" just like Geoff did for me well good on him. Yes many of us may not like the idea of him "dropping" in on an allotment. But we can't say how much that worked. I just hope that those people that have joined my allotments stay and continue to enjoy their gardening. Best wishes to Joe in his endeavours, whatever they may be. At least, in his own way he is trying to help, just like Geoff and Bob and all those on "mud and magic".
After all growing veges is secondary to enjoying life.
Bill
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I belong to that 30 to 40 gategory...and our outlook is not any different to your 50 to 60 nor older...
and it is not about his triangular beds...it is how he presented the whole thing..
First being dead serious about providing the family, difficulty of finding plot..rotavating all weeds in...getting free this and that....it was all just big show.
From first program it just did not come across as serious attempt for lottie stuff...and he was advising people in serious manner like being expert..whole show "smelled" fake
Now if they would have done follow up in style.."this is what I did then..and this is what I think about it now" style...that would have been educational for everybody not just for newbies
When Monty did allotment program..now that was interesting...you could see that he wanted to know and learn how different people do things on lotties.
I bet BBC did well with viewing figures...Joe's gardening did get us all going.. ::)
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I miss Geoff. I can't say that Joe Swift did anything for me. However, before we dismiss him i think we should bear in mind that his allotment slot would have been planned well in advance of filming. This means that at that time they would have been looking at the non-gardeners and trying to get them interested. The thirty to forty group have a substantially different outlook to those of us in the 50's to 60's or even those of us in our 70's and 80's. They might find the appeal of the triangular beds because it got the old f**ts talking about it and not about what they were doing "wrong". It is right and proper that every younger generation should explore the boundaries. Haven't some on here tried "raised beds" and decided to get rid of them. That is their choice.
If Joe made it easy for the non-gardeners to "join in" just like Geoff did for me well good on him. Yes many of us may not like the idea of him "dropping" in on an allotment. But we can't say how much that worked. I just hope that those people that have joined my allotments stay and continue to enjoy their gardening. Best wishes to Joe in his endeavours, whatever they may be. At least, in his own way he is trying to help, just like javascript:surroundText('',%20'
',%20document.forms.postmodify.message);Geoff and Bob and all those on "mud and magic".
After all growing veges is secondary to enjoying life.
Bill
I agree - if notjing else he kind of helpred demystify allotments for some people and I must say he always appeared to enjoy the process. Just an opinion.
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Beat they don't show this on TV.
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Try again forgot to add the photos. :( :([attachment=3]
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Ohh..not nice that..leaving rubbish behind..how big job would it been for future "gardens president" to take it with him..he had plenty of helpers after all to bring it on... >:(
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Some nice bits of timber there that could be recycled into other things........
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I am sure that a lot of it will be reused, and then a big bonfire to clear the site, which is going to split into 3 for the newcomers.
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Most of that would be on the back of my plot by now, you could make yourself some small raised beds with that lot Borlotti. ;D ;D ;D
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yeah..triangular... ;D
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... or even hexagonal! All it takes is imagination1 ;D ;D ;D
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Bought the book, Joes Allotment, will send it to the charity shop now. Not buying anymore gardening books. Glad I did not pay full price for it.
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Not really surprised,it was just part of his job but I think he did enjoy it.His lifestyle meant that he had no hope of keeping it up.Sad really.On the positive side it highlighted allotments and sure it encouraged many people to have a go. :)
I do like Joe. :)
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Are you saying that he spent less than a year on the allotment wrote a book about it and then just abandoned it, what a cheek. :o
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A year on the allotment, you are having a laugh. Only when they were filming. I do like Joe, or should I say did like Joe. His wife and children are great. Perhaps he should go into politics, don't believe a word of it. I don't think many people bought his book. Have so many people on the allotment that work so hard, every day, rain or snow, and could have presented the programme. I believe that the BBC is like Parliament, jobs for the boys or do you have a relation in the BBC. Don't forget Joe Swift is the son of Mrs Bouquet's (Bucket's) husband, can't remember the name of the programme.
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"Keeping Up Appearances"
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Thank you.
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Hes also the son of Margaret Drabble.
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Who is Margaret Drabble??.
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A writer -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Drabble (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Drabble)
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Are you saying that he spent less than a year on the allotment wrote a book about it and then just abandoned it, what a cheek. :o
I very much doubt he wrote it, more just put his name on it. Just like his allotment.
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Borlotti may correct me on this but I don't think he even went back to pick his Sweetcorn, bloody criminal that. :( ;D ;D ;D
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I don't think the guy ever wanted an allotment. Just a job presenting with the BBC.
There is a lot of faking on TV which is why I never watch their gardening programmes any more. Get fed up with things like
This compost is delicious..........
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Thinking about gardening books I reckon they are now just published so that people will buy them as presents for gardening friends or relatives. Every gardening programme on the BBC seems to have a book out.
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P.S Just to add I have learnt my lesson regarding gardening books. Especially now that I have found this site. A veritable fountain of Knowledge. Wont be bothering with gardening on TV either after the Joe thing and the awful Chelsea Flower show.
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It rather puts one off buying books when you feel they are a bit of a con.
I have had an allotment for just over a year, obviously my book is long overdue. It would be a pity to concentrate on things I have been growing for 37 or so years so it will be best to concentrate on the things I have never grown before and obviously even more on things I have never grown at all. I have decided to try different methods of growing beans but I shall ignore this in favour of some rather obvious crud and mind numbing irrelevancies.
No one will of course publish it becuase I am not a TV presenter.
I once took part in a BBC TV program fronted by Robert Kilroy Silk it was a complete con. They editted the program and but cutting what what said made me look a complete idiot and then went on filming after they announced the recording had ended.
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Having visited Bob Flowerdew's Garden I can say that he actually practices what he preaches,and has been a practical, hands-on gardener for many years. Most of the images in his books are taken in his own garden. All gardening authors are not equal. :)
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I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for the bloke... :o..we are on page 4 of the crucifixion...
..Nah..I changed my mind..he deserves every bit of it..what am I thinking... ::)
I wonder if he knows about A4A?... ;D
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I don't think Joe's "lifestyle" precludes looking after his allotment properly if he really wants to. After all, he is best friends with Cleve West, an excellent gold medal winning garden designer with a wide range of clients and his own allotment.
Joe can't even keep his own front garden tidy - and yet he's done a design for a modern front garden with bicycle store and recycling bins on GW. He may well be a nice chap but I can't help feeling he's just a gardening fraud.
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You can't say that about Joe............I do love him so. ;D ;D ;D
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Here you are Betula !! ;D Just for you !!
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh131/jazzbyrd/SpeakOutJoeSwiftwebnew-1.jpg)
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Oh thanks Duke.He is so cute and lovely and............. :-* :-* :-*
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I am sure that some good came out of it, all our allotments are now full and some have been split into 3 so more people can have one. Joe did seem keen to keep the allotment for his own use but think he had too many work commitments and it was too far from his house. It was interesting to see him at work but suppose we were all a bit disappointed when he didn't turn up and pick his crops. It is amazing that everyone was so honest and no-one helped themselves. Perhaps he could have let other allotment people have some rather than just let them go to waste. Oh well it is being cleared now and hopefully some new people will enjoy it. I feel guilty now, but we all love you Joe, was only stating facts. :-[ :-[
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Nah Toby is much better looking :P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Buckland
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I wouldn't blame Joe. He is only doing his job. I would like to see the BBC do a show using real allotmenteers (like the big dig? think it was called that). The only thing I would say is they would twist things to make it into a docu-soap. Did anyone watch the show 'a band for britain'? I have been involved in brass bands all my life. Some of the people in that were portrayed really badly. It wasn't really very much like what it is like in typical brass bands nowaways.
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Or it would turn into a masterchef -style programme with two dreadful judges pontificating >:( >:( >:( >:(
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Or it would turn into a masterchef -style programme with two dreadful judges pontificating >:( >:( >:( >:(
...over who wins the best Onions catagory?? :P
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television isn't real its hard to believe anything you see these days.
Joe gone - its no loss - what makes me really sad is that I predicted it.
Joe is a landscape gardener and designer - he was using it to promote himself
he uses the word design in every other other sentence on everything i have seen him on - i think its a way for him to remember what he is trying to be.
anyway i think that there is an allotmenteer that should be doing a weekly show
Terry Walton of Radio 2 and SAGA fame.
He is a proper allotmenteer - he cares about the things we do and if he had the chance to do the show - Id be there watching and learning
its all about timing really!
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This is a difficult one- I like Joe and no, TV isn't real life, so what could he do? Maybe it would have been better if he'd made (or been told to make- he's not the producer after all!) an allotment at Greenacre (is that what the GW garden is called?) but that would have seemed even more fake and we wouldn't have seen the other plot-holders which made it more interesting.
I agree about Terry Walton- he was on the "Big Dig" series on UKTV gardens, wasn't he?
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Wasn't the whole point to show what taking on an allotment would be like for first timers and what to expect - including the social aspects ?
Once you've been there a year things, just, roughly repeat. Planting etc. can equally as well be shown at Green Ache, or do you want to see endless episodes on digging and weeding ?
Did Jo do a good job? Who knows, how can you measure that? Its not as if we're short of applicants. I guess it showed those without allotments what it was all about.
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It struck me as the standard advice regurgitated yet again, with big glossy pics to pad it out. They have a place for beginners, but I wonder how many such books are really needed?
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People have to make a living. I have been commissioned to illustrate very unnecessary books, but do you say no?
The point being that publishers, and those who commission programmes on radio and especially TV, calculate the audience very carefully and go with what is likely to give them a return on their investment.
The tail wags the dog.
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I've been watching the victorian garden and kitchen again, that's more my style ;D
Yes its brilliant :)