Allotments 4 All

Hah I knew you'd look with that title!

Well after pondering the erection of a polytunnel I thought I'd send for a catalogue,purely to look at the pictures mind, (hee hee) so as to get ideas. Blinking heck...they start at 200 quid !  :o  Mind you they did send me a free teabag so I had something to choke on when I looked a the pricelist. So in amongst the bumph this company says it supplied the polytunnels for the new ITV programme "The Real Goodlife". I thought "Boy that really is the good life getting a more than 200 quid polytunnel donated to you!"  Not really the good life as in Tom and Barbara though is it?  Not exactly making things from scratch,recycling etc. Cheeky varmints.

I do have to say their polytunnels are very smart though. I'm not actually dissing ( hey dude I am hip with it  8)) them. 

I'd also like to report that this morning I have had a Robin in my garden and a pair of Blue Tits and I am very pleased. ;D  Woo hoo !

Hi Heldi.  I've been pondering a greenhouse for ages but find the expense frightening.  I want a lean-to model attached to the back of the house but so far haven't found anything that doesn't come in th emany hundreds of pounds and that will fit my particular situation.

Now I'm considering a self build using the old UPC double glazed windows we took out when we first started renovating this heap.  It wouldn't be glamorous but would work.  It could even be made reasonably attractive but 'd need a man or two to weild the supports and put on a roof.  Have to plan it all while OH isn't looking as he's less frightened by fait accompli or at  least all planned and budgeted.

Would it not be possible for you to buy the supports and some polythene sheeting and erect it with help from OH and BIL?

Hi

Wickes the builder's merchants used to have and maybe still do, instruction sheets on how to build a conservatory on the side of a house.  These instructions can easily be modified to build a greenhouse.  Instructions for building your own poly tunnel can be found at this site  http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Projects/polytunnel/polytunnel.htm

Hope this helps

MikeB

I've got a conservatory (of sorts) on the side of the house but as it leads out of our (small) kitchen it's really more of a utility room with one small corner for plants & seedlings etc.

However, have just built a coldframe from an old pallet and OH informs me that the company next door to his office is a window factory so should soon have a top for it and hopefully enough for cloches and protection at the lotty :)

Thanks Heldi for putting up an interesting thread, the teabag would be wasted on me though! Putting aside the erection issues, since I definitely don't have a problem there with my excellent manual capabilities, I think mikeB's link is a superb one, and certainly something for me to consider. Something to ponder during the winter months.

I am also into recycling, my shed only cost me £19 for felt and a hasp and staple and door hinges. Even all the nails were reclaimed off old pallets. The timber off cuts made a fire to keep me warm, and the ash went back onto the soil.

Thats enough for now, let's see what other interesting comments pop up!

Derekthefox :D

Hi guys!

I have absolutely no intention of buying a PT. I was interested in having a wee looky through the catalogue...well it was free and I got a teabag!  I was surprised at the prices I have to say. They do look the business though.  Not for me I'm afraid,I don't have a daddy with a yacht.

I am going to try to make my own PT for the allotment. Thanks Mike for your link. Wardy pointed me in the very same direction.

I have one very long bendy bit of rubber tubing. It was in amongst the rubbish on the lotty. I reckon skullduggery, there were probs more at one time.

Obby I think you should go for the self build. They can be just as appealing and if it works...   no one can knock it!

kentishchloe, I want a coldframe too! Perhaps one of those would be more attainable than a PT right now. I'd want polywotsit ( carbonate I think) glazing because of my children. They go bananas once let loose on the lotty.  I also want some cloches. I like the look of those pvc ones but eeek! How much?!  I've found some metal things in the shed on the allotment, I'm wondering if they are for making cloches,can't figure them out. Haven't studied them too much yet..kept tripping over a pile of them so have bunged them somewhere out of the way. I'll have to take some pictures and see if anyone can tell me what they are for.

Anyway have been up to the lotty and chased the chooks around for a bit. Have bought some peanuts for the BlueTits in my back garden and now I'm biding my time til school and my son and his 7 year old guest who wants to meet the hens!

Derek ..you don't drink tea ??  :o  !!! 

Hey you would love a look inside that shed on my allotment. It was apparently put up by a master craftsman...other lotty folks have told me. Anyway its full of old tools and old bits of this and that. Nuts bolts nails screws.A bench with one of the thingies that grips things that I can't remember the name of but if I keep typing it will come back...vice...see I told you it would come to me in the end! Bits of wood,more bits of wood,even more bits of wood. Car parts !  Old lawn mower and an engine of some description. First aid box contents circa 1970's I think,complete with a little tott of whiskey! Bottles and cans of stuff.  So no go area for kids.

The part I keep the hens in is an old pigeon cree (is that right?) complete with sliding louvre door!

Tea? I used to drink gallons of the stuff. Absolutely loved it, best drink in the world. But then it started to disagree with me, now it just makes me vomit. No explanations why, I just drink other stuff instead.

That sounds like a good sturdy bench you have there, with a decent vice to grip onto as well ! I know about benches.

Don't know if the pigeon loft is also called a cree, that is a new term to me.

I presume when you have built your PT (on the cheap of course!) you will present pictures and we can have a grand opening bash !!! I can provide rhubarb wine!

Forgive my prattle, but I am having fun here, nice to have some interesting stuff to gas about.

Cheers everyone ...

Derekthefox :D

Ava is good on erections at the allotment, afterall, he built me a splendid shed, compost heaps, and my patented blight stopping, squash supporting tomato tunnel.  Now I have cleared the back end of the plot - my winter job done a little early, a little polytunnel would be a fabulous addition!  Now I know of a huge garden where there once lots of polytunnels, but they have long since run into disrepair and just the frames are left......might be worth knocking on a door and seeing if I could 'acquire' some of the frames.  After that, it will be to my darling to get it up on the plot!  ;D ;D ;D ;D

Also going to have a good read of that website, and do some googling.  Bet between us all we could design, plan and erect a tunnel cheaper than that!

  I could kiss ya EJ   ya just put an idea in my head...... :-* :-*

EJ !!  I nearly cried laughing at your first few words.... ;D

Hey that would be brilliant if you could get those old frames.  Good luck with that. I think your idea about all of us coming through with a cheaper design is spot on. Don't know how much help I'd be though.  Check out OH's first attempt at putting up a new tent lol!


Ooooh I wonder what idea you have given to Jaggy ?

I bought a copy of GYO yesterday and lo and behold there is an article about PT's. Lots of very posh ones. Very nice but I couldn't leave one of those on the allotment. 

There's a piece about making a coldframe out of pallet wood. I have plenty of that.  I think I'll give it a go.

Another article has the most delightful looking pumpkins. I showed the young 'uns the pictures yesterday and they thought they were brilliant. I'm going to have to try do something similar.

Heidi   on the web link I gave you there are also instructions on building a cold frame too  :)

Mine is four window frames screwed together but without a lid.  I found a piece of toughened glass on the plot and use that

Have a good look closer to home...

On the site I spend my time there are a couple of greenhouses that are..frame only.

If I wanted yet another greenhouse I would be talking to these owners of 'frame only' greenhouses to see if I could do a deal... covered in plastic sheets I am still tempted but it would be overkill in my case

If you don't ask....

Derek

Heldi,

Someone on this site made a very impressive one.

can't remember who, will search & return...

Found it!!

It was undercarriage plan, who built one with her OH.

You should have a look, verrry impressive!

Debs

Well you have plenty of food for thought here Heldi, I suppose I should start to get the rhubarb wine racked and cleared ... for the non beer drinkers like myself ...

Oh, I can provide the music too if you like !  ;D

Derekthefox :D

Hi Wardy,Derek Debs and Derek !

Wardy I have glanced down the link,saw the diagrams and thought right that's for OH to look at!  He has his own property maintenance business so anything on the constructive side gets given to him to ponder. Yes I'm lazy! He would critise my rubbish efforts.  Don't feel sorry for me though because I give as good as I get heh heh heh!   I haven't got a single pane of glass left on my plot Wardy. All glass is banished. I'm still finding lots of shards though unfortunately.

Derek the frame only greenhouses would be a solution for me. Unfortunately there isn't any!  I think I'd be temted to ask even if I did have two greenhouses already   :)  I'm getting the hording bug.

Funny you should mention music Derek. I was thinking the other day I need a radio or something up at the plot. A little CD player maybe. Don't want a MP3 or a personal type thing as I'd prefer the music to gently waft over to my hens. Get them chilled out as they're sorting out their pecking order and have been a bit excitable. I'm beginning to wonder if Jane hen is actually a James as she was on top of Betty hen making a right hoot and a holler the other day.Maybe I should take my bass up and have a practice in the peace and quiet without OH interuptions,it might give the chooks some good vibes.

Heidi  Hope you husband makes you the PT  :)   I was given a greenhouse in various bits yesterday but have threatened OH it MUST NOT join the other one behind the shed (in bits) but must be put up pronto!  It's called the "Good Life"  ;D 

What about a wind-up radio Heidi?  My old man bought me one for Christmas and it's very good and dead chunky to take the knocks.  I take it with me to the lotty sometimes to listen to the footy on Saturday afternoons as my husband always goes to the match so I get left to mind the plot on my own  :)  I also got one of the Alan Tichmarsh plant pot radios for Chrimble but the battery only lasted two minutes  >:( 

How did I miss this!!  ::) ::) ::) Thanks for kind words, Debs, but we did bite the bullet and buy a PT kit. So, as much as I'd love to, can't take pat on back for constructing from nothing! No yacht here either, Heidi, just OH's credit card!!! ;D ;D ;D ;) He "investing" in the business, bless him! Good luck with yours. Like your idea for a cold frame, Wardy, have old windows I could use......get to use hammer too.... ;D

Husband !  Husband!  I haven't given him that honour yet!!  We are engaged to be married but that's as far as it has got.  It's a bit of a sore point especially since it took me alot to say yes having sworn "never again" after being married before.  On the romantic side of things he proposed to me during an episode of Gardener's World, Sarah Raven was talking about cut flowers and how lovely scented sweet peas would be for weddings. I have a wish to grow my own flowers for my wedding but since we never talk about it I get a bit sad. Never mind, he'll blinking well have to get me a PT sorted out won't he!

A wind up radio...brilliant !  

Awww Heldi, I wish you all the best with your nuptial arrangements, if you were closer, I would offer to play at your wedding, I have only ever done that once before, for my best man's daughter ...

I have started scribbling down little ideas and details for making my PT using PVC electrical conduit and junction boxes, I get given tons of the stuff at work, so could make good use of it. I will have to examine other peoples PT's to look at some of the structural details, I am concerned about wind loading , oops there is the engineer in me coming out ... I also need to determine the cheapest way to cover the PT. I may opt for a low profile tunnel, ie only 6ft at its highest point, that would still make it 12ft wide ...

I love this creative phase, it is so exciting watching an idea develop ...

All well, time for a coffee ...

Derekthefox :D

Sounds like a lovely idea, growing your own flowers, will send you the credit card.....but, sshhh.....just don't tell him ;D ;)

Lottie you lucky girl you! I've found your pic of your PT. Very nice! If I could get one into my back garden then I would consider buying one...well OH spent £600 on his shed so I could spend a couple of hundred couldn't I ??!! Pity is I can't fit one in the garden as it's too small...especially with two blumin sheds in it!

Aw Derek that's a nice gesture....playing at my wedding. Mind you I'm not even sure where this wedding is supposed to be taking place. I did have a hankering for  Camelot Castle Hotel in Cornwall.  Wedding and honeymoon rolled into one.  So how up are you on medieval music lol!  In reality the logistics of getting guests there would be a nightmare though,besides I want people to see my little girl as a bridesmaid  ;D so maybe I should be looking to places up here in Northumberland. Secretly I have a castle in mind !


As to PT's,my flower man told me this...scaffolding posts cemented into the ground and that blue water pipe stuff inserted into them. As to how to attach the polythene etc he didn't know and neither do I!  How do you get a hold of water pipe? I know a place where there is loads of it  but unfortunately it's being used!!  GYO magazine suggests siting the PT north to south so as the narrow end gets the brunt of the sun,and a door at each end to aid ventilation.

Not exactly short of castles in Northuberland, Heldi!

Try a builders' merchants for plastic piping.   

Heldi!

Wow, Camelot ! My favourite romance story of all time, King Arthur, with Guinevere ... And I adore castles too.
As to early renaissance music, I have played much, the only piece you have, is a medley on Greensleeves, but I am hoping to record more soon. Talking guitar, I received the ultimate compliment from one of the members at my guitar class last night. In between our assigned tasks, I was running through a piece - evocacion - and she sat there mouth wide, wondering why she could hear two guitars. I felt like the cat with the cream, I can tell you!! Things like that are so rare.

As Obbelix says, builders suppliers will have the piping, otherwise, if you know any gas or water services blokes, flash them a smile and ask for offcuts! I am sure they will give you all you need .... !

Your tunnel will definitely need ventilation, so two doors yes.

Must be off now, got a busy day ...

Derekthefox :D

Trying to beg and borrow everything for the allotment Obby. I don't want to say steal,covert operations might sound better  ;)  :). I've got OH thinking through his acquaintances to see if he has anyone in the know. Otherwise it's down to where I know some works are going on and flashing a smile like Derek said!  Mind you they'll probs think I'm on day release or something!  Oh I've had a cunning plan...the works are close to where my mum lives...surely they wouldn't turn down a little old lady in a wheel chair  PML !!!  ;D  ;D  ;D

Derek I listened to Greensleeves before I opened this thread.  I too am keen on the Arthurian legend. I've recently taken delivery of a book.  "The Discovery of King Arthur" by Geoffrey Ashe.  Haven't looked through it yet but it's my next book to read. I watched a programme on BBC 2 a while ago and it linked Arthur to the Northumberland , I was so pleased  :D .  I couldn't find any details of the particular programme on the beeb website in order to refresh my memory,always a pisser that. Sorry bout the language but it is irritating!

Heldi I got some of the blue tubing at our local plumbase!

On the subject of Arthur, the point to remember is that the legendary King Arthur was/is a fictional character, created by more than one writer ... and within British history there was more than one actual Arthur ...  As a result links pop up in various locations - Wales, Somerset, Cornwall, and as you mention - Northumbria. It is no mean feat to try and unravel all of this, I certainly have not been able.

Fortunately the net has an extensive array of material on Arthur and associated data, unfortunately some of it is American so can be discounted as glam and hype, rather than credible dialogue.

Try googling on king arthur northumbria ...

Guinevere is also an interesting subject, the name is still popular in a modern form, much to my daughter's surprise.

Derekthefox :D

fictional! Now Derek don't tell me that,I want it all to be real,even Merlin and the wicked  Morgaine,Morgan or Morganna!  Do I remember seeing Excalibur as one of your favourite films?

King Arthur is a myth or legend remember, which means the tale is a combination of real and imaginary elements, sometimes it is not possible to distinguish between the two. You tell me though, where does real start and imagination end ...

Yes Excalibur is one of my favourite films, it is powerful, dark, simply exciting, but not close to the original story ... although that is not necessary really.

Derekthefox  :D :D :D

If you don't believe what chance have we got?

Lottie, I am with you...he's real!!!

:)

I presume you mean Heldi, Treacletop!  ;D

He is real as far as I am concerned too ...

Derekthefox :D

Captain Piquard. Make it so.

Thank you No 1  ;D ;D ;D

Derekthefox :D

Heidi/Derek

If you like the Authurian Legend can I recomend that you read the triology written by Bernard Cornwell (He wrote the Sharpe series too)
'
Can't remember the order of them, but they are;-

'The winter King'
'Excaliber'
'Enemy of God'.

I thoroughly enjoyed them (read 'em twice) and the story is a little bit different too

Derek

Quote from: Derek on October 12, 2005, 19:27:33
Heidi/Derek

If you like the Authurian Legend can I recomend that you read the triology written by Bernard Cornwell (He wrote the Sharpe series too)
'
Can't remember the order of them, but they are;-

'The winter King'
'Excaliber'
'Enemy of God'.

I thoroughly enjoyed them (read 'em twice) and the story is a little bit different too

Derek

Order is

'The Winter King'

'Enemy of God'

'Excalibur'

so nearly right  ;D

I've read them twice too (and tempted to read them again  ::)) excellent story and very different especially if you read 'The once and future King' by T.H. White too.

Thankyou Derek and Twospot!

See I told you Jean Luc that we should have an Arthur thread!

;D

All that's really known of the historical Arthur is a few mentions of someone called Arturus in the Easter Annals from around the nid-6th Century if I remember correctly. He was 'Dux Britannorum' implying that he was a cavalry leader (dux was a Roman military title) responsible for Britain (presumably the old Roman province), which implies that the various kingdoms of the time were acting together, presumably against the Saxons. He won a great victory at Mons Badonensis, and nobody knows where that was, only that it appears to have stopped the Saxon advance for a generation. He was killed along with someone called Modred, at a place called Camlann, and nobody knows where that was either. The rest is myth, maybe with bits of truth in there somewhere.

Robert

Do read the Cornwell triology...I can assure you its NOT like a celluloid version of the legend...far from it... I think the expression is its 'more earthy'

This thread has set me off  ..I will have to dig the books out again and indulge myself

Derek

Thank you also, Derek and Twospot, I will be visiting the charity shops ...

Heldi, I am all for the Arthur thread, where-ever it appears ...

Jean Luc P  Derekthefox :D

Quote from: Derek on October 13, 2005, 06:19:59
Robert

Do read the Cornwell triology...I can assure you its NOT like a celluloid version of the legend...far from it... I think the expression is its 'more earthy'

Derek

I will; I've read most of his other books. I haven't seen them all in the local public library together so I may have to buy them.