Any summer allotments available

[cornykev]

This made me laugh.
Our site sec told me there were 11 on our waiting list and he finally got the go ahead to split some plots, after non cultivators were finaly thrown off or given up one of their plots.
Any way he rang the first one and they said great,oh no not so great were not ready to have one at the moment, bye.
The next one the same.
The third knew nothing about their name being on the list and so on.
Now he had got down to six on the list.
The next ones my favourite.  ;)
No I don't want one this time of the year I'll wait for a Summer  8) one, no there are no summer ones having a lottie is all year round, but I only wanted one for the summer months, bye.  :o
The next one actually comes to the plot to have a look, now where getting somewhere :) can we not have the plot behind this one, because it has a shed and somewhere to sit down, well no because it belongs to someone else as you can see by the cultivation  :( well I thought it would be nice to have somewhere to sit down. Etc.
Well all you site secs out there good luck to you, I wouldn't last five minutes in the job.  ;D ;D ;D

[cornykev]

[saddad]

It's a lot nearer to the truth than a lot of people think...  :-X

[Froglegs]

Did ya not tell them about the allotment cafe where they can bet free bacon butty's n a mug a tea. ;D ;D

[betula]

A while ago the woman next to me give up her plot to nab one further down with a lovely polytunnel on it.

She said her old plot was too hard to work,well it is hard but Solved it by putting raised beds on it and a wonderful productive year I have had from them.

Anyway she has now gone for ever...........giving up the poly......she must be mad.   ;D

Er do you think anybody will notice if I had three plots.............oh wash my mouth out with soap LOL

[saddad]

Any plot with a servicable polytunnel on it would tempt me...  ::)

[betula]

More than tempted Saddad but it would mean giving up one of my plots and I have put so much work into them..............just cant do it

[grawrc]

We have a slightly different problem at the moment. Our allocations officer tries phoning the next person on the list (or so he says) but if he doesn't get an answer moves on down the list or - and this is the worrying bit  :o :o :o :o :o - randomly allocates the plot to someone not on the list that he thinks would make a good plot holder!!!!

[betula]

That is so wrong with waiting lists etc..............

I only got my second because plots were available.....................could only do a swap now.

What is the point of all these rules and regs when people are abusing their position >:(

[SMP1704]

Well that is the problem with waiting lists, people join then often forget, change their phone number or move on and yet still contact has to be made..........it can take 3 or 4 weeks before the allotment team decide to contact the next person on the list - no wonder it is February before plots are allocated!  So I understand the temptation to step around the list.

My funniest moment as Site Sec come when I showed a prospective plotholder a half plot that was in disguise as a lawn, the woman's English was not very good so the question come out as "Where is the soil?"  With a straight face, I explained that she would have to dig under the grass :D  Not much progress has been made :(

[grawrc]

That is so wrong with waiting lists etc..............

I only got my second because plots were available.....................could only do a swap now.

What is the point of all these rules and regs when people are abusing their position >:(

Well it has just been brought to my attention. We are meeting tomorrow night and he will be quizzed about it. Afaik no paperwork has been signed yet so it may not yet be too late to fix it!!

[cornykev]

At least our site sec spoke to each person on the list, but people they do put their names down because they've seen the gardening programes and think that looks easy and lotties are the flavour of the month, then a year or so down the line they don't even remember putting their names down.
Another newbie has done quite well with a split plot and has asked if they can take the front part as well but again the site sec found it hard work explaining that it already belonged to somebody.  ???      ;D ;D ;D

[Froglegs]

On my site you are not allowed to swap plots or have two plots in the same name.

[betula]

The people who have lived a lifetime round here tell me our allotment site used to be a wonderful place.

When  I come along it was like the Marie Celeste,just a handful of plot holders.So many overgrown plots.So there was no prob with having two plots.

I take pride in the fact that I asked the parish council to advertise these plots..............now we are full.It is lovely to see it all come to life.

I do not see why there could be a problem with swapping........just a rule for a rules sake in my opinion.

Our land is owned by a building company so we are under constant threat.We just take it year by year............

We are becoming a good community now.

[Trevor_D]

In my experience, far more people drop out of a waiting list than are actually allocated plots. And often for very genuine reasons: I've had several folk recently who - since joining the waiting list - have had health or family problems, changed jobs or even moved, and that's apart from those who are on more than one waiting list and have just been given a plot elsewhere. But I have met the "summer allotments" brigade as well....

I've now started keeping in regular touch with people on the waiting list, just to keep them up-dated and assure them we haven't forgotten them. So if their circumstances change, they are able to let me know. And they get to feel that they are not just a name on a card index; and as I e-mail them a newsletter at the same time, they are already in touch with the sort of thing that goes on, which saves us both time when we actually meet to look at plots.

[grawrc]

Me too Trevor. I email newsletters to those that have email and I am now contacting people that "he" says don't want a plot or can't be contacted!! More difficult if they don't have email as phoning or post are somehow more intrusive. Also try to let them know when they are in top 3 places in the list.

[Trevor_D]

I was handed a list of 14 names by my predecessor - at a time when we had half a dozen vacant plots! I contacted each one by letter; quite a few either dropped out or failed to reply, but I filled the vacant plots.

I think it's part of our job to keep in touch with the waiting list, otherwise no-one will trust the system.

[Froglegs]

When I come along it was like the Marie Celeste,just a handful of plot holders.So many overgrown plots.So there was no prob with having two plots.



I do not see why there could be a problem with swapping........just a rule for a rules sake in my opinion.

It was the same when i got my plot,when i phoned the council to enquire about a allotment i was not told yes you can have one but how many would you like so i took on two one of which I've had to put in the HO's name because people on the waiting list are going to the council complaining that it's not fair that some of us have got two or more.

The swapping rule is to stop folk swapping onto plots where somebody as done all the work for them only to leave that one to become a mess then swap to another.

[kt.]

Our allocations officer tries phoning the next person on the list (or so he says) but if he doesn't get an answer moves on down the list or - and this is the worrying bit  :o :o :o :o :o - randomly allocates the plot to someone not on the list that he thinks would make a good plot holder!!!!

I try contacting individuals for 10 days before moving to the next person on the list.  Well.... They may be on holiday.  After 10 days the plot is allocated to next on the waiting list and a letter is sent to the person who has just missed out. They're asked if they still want an allotment.  The letter also states they have 2 weeks from the date the letter was sent to reply before being removed from the list.  I have only had 1 person reply to the letter from 12 or so I have sent out, and they then got the next available plot.

The swapping rule is to stop folk swapping onto plots where somebody as done all the work for them only to leave that one to become a mess then swap to another.

We allow plot holders to swap providing they have cultivated and well tendered their current plot. 

[elvis2003]

I was handed a list of 14 names by my predecessor - at a time when we had half a dozen vacant plots! I contacted each one by letter; quite a few either dropped out or failed to reply, but I filled the vacant plots.

I think it's part of our job to keep in touch with the waiting list, otherwise no-one will trust the system.

true,but i simply dont have the time to regularly call 58 people,or the money to afford it,as most are mobile numbers

[Borlotti]

I would love a summer allotment, all dug over and everything growing so I can just go and pick it.  ;D ;D ;D