Allotments 4 All

Hi, I have just been browsing on the beeb site - I do occasionally and have just come across this.  It is part of a conversation on the TV gardening section.  I know this has come up before, but when they mention annexe, are they talking about a4a?  I am afraid I felt my hackles rise at this.  There has been some unpleasant happenings on our board recently and I don't want to cause any more antagonism but surely it is not right to use our board as a convenience and to call it an annexe.  What do other members think? Have I completely misunderstood or do they mean us?

"OH has laid a really pretty brick path underneath which extends the S shape as you go though the arch which is at 45 deg to the length of the plot ( which is long and narrow - does that make sense) maybe I ought to try posting some photos on the annexe."  Quote from beeb site.

??? :o busy_lizzie

I think they mean us.  I think it is a bit cheeky too.

Don't be offended.  Lots of us post both here and there, sometimes using the same user name, sometimes not.  To avoid bovver with the beeb, we refer to A4A as the annex.  If anyone asks for an explication we point them over here and always tell them there's a friendly and knowledgeable community here.

Some people start on the Beeb as it's easy to find but move here shortly afterwards as there is more scope for a variety of topics and, of course, the photo facility.
I expect many more will migrate here permanently if the Beeb gardening boards go the way of their science and wildlife boards.

I don't care - this is the primary site for me and all the active members here who have made it that way.

Those who regard it as just an annexe are denying themselves some quality of life. That is their problem, not mine.

I love being here and intend to remain as long as the site exists,

Derekthefox :D

If this is the annexe, I much prefer it to the main house! I started on the beeb but came here because a) I'm in the process of getting an allotment and this is obviously the best place to ask advice and b) people here never seem to suffer from the sense of humour failure that the beeb site seems prone to.

Oh, and c) the jokes in the Watershed are mostly very funny...

Cheers,
Rob ;)

Yes BL, they do mean us.....and it got under my skin somewhat in the summer when I read about us on the beeb.  At the time I felt like beeb posters were taking the p*ss out of this site, and the members, so my postings have reduced and I don't read as many posts as I used to.  I wouldn't go to the beeb, I would rather go without.  Here we can chat, laugh, discuss, post photos, talk about 'other' topics. They can keep their site.

Hi, Obbelix, I am sure you don't mean to offend, but to call  A4A an annexe seems rather derogatory to me.  A4A is far from being an annexe of the beeb board and calling it so is not a very diplomatic way to describe another board, with a large and loyal membership.  We are a friendly board and I know you are a welcome contributor but  I hope you can see that referring to A4A like that could sound as though it is just being used as a convenience for photo posting.  In any case I am sure posting the words A4A would get past the censors without having to be inflammatory by using the word "annexe".  :) busy_lizzie

My mum had a beautiful vegetable garden with a gate thru to a farmer's field which had been grazed by cows for generations. They asked the farmer if they could take over part of the field next to the veg garden as an 'annexe'. When my mum took it over, she found that the veg in the annexe were always more beautiful, productive and delicious than those in the veg garden. QED! ;D

I didn't coin the term annexe but please remember it is just a word, not an attitude of mind.  The people over there are just the same as those here -  keen gardeners sharing or beginners seeking knowledge just like on here and there is also a fair share of off topic fun and games and the possibility of commenting directly on the beeb's gardening programmes - not that they seem to take any notice!.

If you pop over there you will see many long standing and regular contribitors to these boards who also like to post on the beeb.  The sense of community is just as strong.

I don't understand the problem.  Gardeners united - for me anyway.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,11961.0.html
For a discussion in August on the same theme. Still at it are they?

Its their loss. I don't go to the bbc site because I don't have time to waste on that sort of cr@p behavior. Life is too short!

Come now peeps, let's not start AGAIN with a course down this kind of path.

Seems peeps can't wait to get their teeth in and ackles up at the slightest disagreement to their own judgement. 

Be happy with what you do, who you are, what you post, where you post it and all you have to say and all you have to share - then what other people say about you shouldn't mean a darn thing!  And remember, those who criticise or ridicule are those who are one step behind you - that's why they criticise and ridicule you in the first place  ;D

No, I haven't been on Ozzy's waccy baccy, I just wonder why the 'superior' peeps of A4A cannot rise above it  ;D ;D

If you ask me, I doubt that any of you are working hard enough on your gardens, allotments or in the kitchen .. .. ..

..... I'll just get me coat (and a good pair of running shoes)

Couldn't agree more, Yellow Petals!! Lottie  ;D

I'm working hard on plot and in the kitchen and cooked up a storm tonight
Lovely food, wonderfully cooked by yours truly, grown to perfection by yours truly.  Smug mode engaged.  Lovely bottle or two of red wine and couldn't give a stuff about well owt really  ;D   Not very competitive me  :)

Steady on YP!  :o  Think Rosebud didn't put you in the "naughty corner" enough when you were a little girl"  ;D
;D busy_lizzie

Super Nanny favours the 'naughty stair' BL.  ;D

Can someone post a link to the BBC forum please, sounds interesting

Go to www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle/gardening and click on the message boards.

They won't let me back on anyway... :'(!! Forgot my password ages ago!!! Happy here, and like Wardy, just happy, growing, chatting, having a giggle and learning more here than I ever did at college!!!  ;D Lottie

Quote from: caz and baz on September 23, 2005, 21:52:59
Its their loss. I don't go to the bbc site because I don't have time to waste on that sort of cr@p behavior. Life is too short!

I think better all round if we take the attitude that we do not have time to get into petty spats between boards.  I too am a graduate of the BBC and discovered A4A through a coded reference on there - it was not the annexe back in January.  I do spend a lot more time here than the BBC and only pop over when A4A is very quiet (rare these days).  My only problem with the BBC is the over the top censorship - they refused a post of mine because I used the word pee instead of wee, urine etc in relation to compost heaps.  I can see why the BBC would not want adverts and links to cemmercial sites but there do get very anal about lonks and trademarks etc.  And that is the site not the users.

PS I find the little spat they had about nappies very amuzing.

Cheers Obbelix

gardeners dig peace :)
a4a is the main house for me too - as a newbie i have been made to feel nothing but welcome, so thankyou all ;D

Yes this is a very informative & freindly place but it can be uncomfortably twee at times

Awww, kentishchloe, now I feel guilty because I didn't welcome you ...
Best resolve that straight away ... enchante kentishchloe ! , hope you enjoy the boards, and all the members, including the wierd ones ...  ;D

Quote
Yes this is a very informative & freindly place but it can be uncomfortably twee at times

Surely, Merry Tiller, you just avoid the twee bits?

Derekthefox :D

I too am a graduate of the BBC board - they kicked me out too Lottie! also cannot remember my password.

Although I did learn quite a bit on the BBC to start with I got bored quite quickly of repetitive questions about compost and chillies.

The final straw for me was when someone came on in a blind panic because they had worms in their compoast - HELP!!!!  ;D

Have learnt lots more on here and the functionality is far better.

 :(
Dont like to think of gardeners engaging in petty squabbles......but I prefer it here too!!

Found the slanty posts irritating and get better info and more laughs here.

My Mum says I always preferred life in "the west wing" in our case that was the tree house!!

;D ;D ;D ;D

The people are friendly here. I get my questions answered here. If the beeb site works for others that's fine too. Chill pill anyone? :)

Hi Daisy and all - I've had three different registrations on the Beeb boards because they get their knickers in an occasional twist and forget who's registered or, on one occasion, because OH "improved" our PC and they didn't recognise me.  It's easy enough just to re-register.

The Beeb boards do get lots of new people who can ask the same questions over again but hey, they have to start somewhere and it's good that people are willing to help them out and often the advice for the serial questioners is to come here where the community is larger.  There is still a core of really interesting and funny people I like to chat with on the Beeb, especially in the looser, meandering threads.

A4A is good too but different.   It's the gardening and growing things that matters, not whether we have more than one real or virtual plot.

Quote from: busy_lizzie on September 23, 2005, 23:51:20
Steady on YP!  :o  Think Rosebud didn't put you in the "naughty corner" enough when you were a little girl"  ;D
;D busy_lizzie

I think i brought my daughters up very well thank you, and yes we did have a "go upstairs to your room"  for major things not picky things.

Quote from: rosebud on September 28, 2005, 17:14:51

Quote from: busy_lizzie on September 23, 2005, 23:51:20
Steady on YP!  :o  Think Rosebud didn't put you in the "naughty corner" enough when you were a little girl"  ;D
;D busy_lizzie

I think i brought my daughters up very well thank you, and yes we did have a "go upstairs to your room"  for major things not picky things.

Err.....er.....yes, mum, that's quite right.

What was the colour of our lounge between 1980 and 1982?  I don't think I saw much of it!
;D :-\ >:( ;D ;D

Ours youngest does 'sit on the stairs'.  And they do! And deserve it!!

QuoteSurely, Merry Tiller, you just avoid the twee bits?

I try to Derek but sometimes they just jump out at me ;)

I do understand then Merry !

Derekthefox :D

Dont worry forks the real gardeners are on this site.

I bet you were a real spunky girl YP and probably led your poor mum a merry dance  ;D but then I suspect Rosebud was quite a gal too.  ;D

I used to have a "naughty corner" for my children.  I always found it strange that they used to beg me not to send them to it and I was amazed how well it seemed to work, after all it was just the corner of the room.   ??? ;D 

Didn't mean to cause a "Range War" by the way.  I was just a bit taken aback by what I read.  Got it off my chest now.  :-* to you all.  :D busy_lizzie

There was no naughty stair in our house.  I used to get whacked the back of the head with a catalogue.  Sometimes it was a thin one like Burlington but occasionally it was Fattorini's (about 4" thick)

Ma believed in instant justice  ;D

We made them stand in the corner with their hands in the air for an hour or two. It seemed better than violence.

My ma thought that grounding and naughty corners were sadistic so we got a sound whack instead

Mine went in to a naughty seat, I on the other hand often got a whack with a wet hand.............don't argue with your mother whilst she is washing up! 
My poor OH used to have to cut a switch from a bush himself, which then the in laws proceeded to use across his backside.....too thin back again!!! To thick the same till it was just right.......that is why I have never walloped my kids :-\ thought it was physical as well as mental torture!

Didn't have the naughty anywhere, I knew not to argue with mum, and my sis knew not to argue with my dad.

Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on September 29, 2005, 23:00:56
Didn't have the naughty anywhere, I knew not to argue with mum, and my sis knew not to argue with my dad.

Oh yes, I completely agree.  I never argued with my parents, I knew better!!!  Words were enough and that's how it should be.  Physical punishment was not the way in our house when we were growing up.  Now that's a sign of good parenting!

My brothers and sisters if we argued would have to do so in whispers as if mum heard any commotion we'd be in for it.  All was calm in our house  :)

I don't approve of physical violence to children. It sends them the message that violence is okay and a solution to a problem.  There are better ways to teach children right from wrong, without betraying their trust in your love. In my opinion!  :D busy_lizzie

Well, this is getting slightly off track but anyway...physical violence in my experience does not always send children a message that violence is OK, sometimes it sends a message that violence is abhorrent and solves nothing.  Not all of the abused become the abusers. 

I'm sorry but this is an volatile subject and I needed to say that.

It's a good job I'm so well adjusted  :)

M.

Wish my kids knew not to argue with me - especially my eldest who thinks that's exaclty what we are here for e.g. what exactly do you mean by asserting that that piece of coal is white?

Not all children who are battered turn out to be batterers, i was a battered child and have the scars to prove it, but i did not batter my 3 children , yes they got the odd smack , but i learned from my experience not to repeat what my mother did to me, "you see people do know right from wrong".Yes i remember it well but i think that was the order of the day when i was younger, i was a married woman with 3 children and was still afraid of answering up to my mother.  My dad god bless him was a pussycat.

Same here; I grew up determined that I would never treat kids the way I was treated.

 I was ignored.

I am the eigth one of nine and Mum would deal out punishment with a clip/smack round the ear or head.(I vowed never to hit my kids round the head but they did get a few smacks) After naughtiness I always said I DO love you but I don't like you very much at the moment!. My Dad who I adored would just lower his newspaper and look over his glasses, that was enough. In fact if I thought I had  done somthing wrong  I would be really upset  to think I had annoyed him. Ho HO many years ago :)    Lorna.
PS Now what was the original post about ??? ??? ;D ;D

I love the way this post has wandered, it`s like being in a room with friends when the subject changes from one thing to another.   MAGIC my friends. :-*

I do agree Rosebud, just like real live conversations. I can just imagine us all sitting around having a cup of tea.  :) busy_lizzie   

Most of the threads tend to meander a bit dont they? Makes for more interest !  ;D

Derekthefox :D

I love your halloween thingy YP . 

Here's a pic I've had for a few years now. Dunno anything about it as to who took it or who's doggies they are but I love it!

The first part of this thread has completely gutted me.

I've been mulling over this all afternoon, trying to decide whether to respond or not, but I can't let it go without comment.

Some of you have taken part of a post, completely out of context and torn complete strangers to pieces like a pack of dogs.

Bearing in mind the succession of posts that resounded in horror at the idea of nasty PMs, public mud-slinging at another gardening site seems a mite hypocritical.

I wrote that post, it was not intended to be in any way offensive - I am not the kind of person who does 'offensive' as a rule. I had hoped that I had been contributing to the community here and on the beeb. I do not publish pictures on this site although I would like to learn how so that I can share my love of gardening, and all that goes with it, with people that I thought were of a similar mind.

I don't actually recall seeing many too many photos published by non-posting members - perhaps someone could point one out to me to support this particular claim.

The reason ( already explained) that A4A is occasionally referred to as 'the annexe' is only to avoid the BBC mods and is certainly not a derogatory term as many of us happily use both boards and often refer people over here for information and community, I notice that no-one bothered to seek any of those posts out....

In response to some other points raised, I have been a viewer of A4A for over a year but registration was really difficult as the email etc went astray and I could not register with the same email address etc etc so in effect A4A kept booting me out, these things happen, that's life.

Should I really consider that to be a personal snub as some of you appear to?

I have seen a side to this site that actually shocks me and I don't think I want to be part of it anymore. The pity of it is that other beeb users will want to stay and you have made it very difficult for them to do so without forcing them to renounce their roots and justify their presence here. I thought that sort of thing went out of fashion 60 years ago.

Many thanks to those people who have been sane and pleasant, you seem to be in a minority.

RosieM

RoseM.  I considered this subject closed now, having let off a bit of  mild steam.  I certainly didn't wish to offend you. I was just a bit taken aback to see A4A being referred to as an "annexe" of the BBC.  It somehow seemed derogatory to this Site and as though it was just being used as a photo posting opportunity.  I had no knowledge that this was a code word for A4A because I have seen A4A on many postings on the beeb site, indeed just a few days ago it was mentioned on an OTGF posting , without any censorship. 

I don't believe I personally attacked anyone during this posting subject and certainly didn't expect to upset anyone to any large degree.  So I don't think you should take what was discussed so much to heart.   After over two years on this site I have never come across any unpleasantness, -  in fact everyone has treated me with great friendliness.  There is bound to be a small element of the membership who aren't good people but I think they are in the minority.

I think the thing that has changed recently is that we have a newer element of members who enjoy a lively debate and we seem to have more  non gardening discussions than we ever had in the past, but I would never condone any unpleasantness or abuse to anyone. I don't think you should  leave the board.  I think this would be a great pity and see no reason for it. I am sorry if you have viewed this to be more than it is and I am sorry it has upset you.    :( busy_lizzie

Hi RosieM,

I'm relatively new to A4A and have never been to the Beeb site, I've found people on here to be in the main friendly, funny, helpful kind etc etc. I think that at the beginning of the thread perhaps people were getting their knickers in a bit of a twist about this, but now it's been explained I'm sure everybody who was offended, peeved or whatever isn't anymore. Part of the problem I feel is that sometimes it's really easy to take the written word and read into it things that aren't really there, also it's difficult sometimes to tell if something is written with a smile or a frown on your face.
What I'm trying to say really is everybody should chill and live and let live. I think it would be a great shame, and a loss to this site (and to you) if you left because of a misunderstanding. :)

RosieM, no offence but if this is such a serious worry for you I envy you, you should be grateful that you don't have some of the problems I and millions of others have to worry about

Here Here, very well said.

The whole point about coming to boards like these, I thought, was to share virtual chat with people of similar interests and exchange information and opinions and jokes in a friendly and convivial atmosphere.  Some of the postings on this thread have fallen well below this and even been downright unpleasant.   It is unnecessary and I don't blame Rosie for feeling upset.

The Beeb boards are quirky depending on which way up the mods are feeling.  In the past, references to A4A have been modded off and posters have got round it by referring to the annexe.  Other times we can be direct and point people here with no fuss.  If being referred to as an annexe upsets you and makes you feel like second class citizens, as has been implied by some of the comments on here, the problems lie with those people and not with Rosie whose private concerns are nobody's business but her own and not to be belittled by anyone here or on the Beeb.

A4A, the Beeb and the RHS boards have different personalities, features and attractions for anyone like me with broad gardening interests and I shall continue to use all three as long as I have something to gain and offer in return.   No doubt there are more out there yet to be discovered.  I don't see why we can't all simply give and take without being unnecessarily unpleasant or rude or growing chips on shoulders.

The Beeb boards are soon to become DNA boards and as I read it on there you will be able to link to Photobucket and Imageshack or others so the need for an "annexe" won't be there any more and posters on A4A will be posting because they choose to in the future.

I used to be a Beeb poster but I found A4A through mentions of the "annexe" and have never gone back since.  This is a wonderful site with so many friendly people, I love it, you all so often brighten up my day.

Quote from: Obbelix on October 05, 2005, 17:05:27
Some of the postings on this thread have fallen well below this and even been downright unpleasant.   It is unnecessary and I don't blame Rosie for feeling upset.

Without wanting to start another unsavoury chat going, I challenge you on this Obb and ask you to show which particular posts you are talking about because I've just been back through each one and I cannot find any that are downright unpleasant?

Sam.

Thank you Tullipa, the majority of peeps on here are very happy and sociable and very helpful indeed, we feel like a real bunch of friends, we get the odd busybody who feels like upsetting it all but it NEVER works we are all to nice for that. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Yes we do have our moments but they are soon forgotten, we do not dwell on them . ;D ;D

Yellow Petals - it is obvious and I am not going to name names.  I really don't see the need.  I don't expect to like everyone in every board community nor expect them all to like me but I do expect to give and receive courtesy especially when, as in this case, I have been trying to correct a misunderstanding.