Well, after this week it looks as if I may be doing all my gardening "virtually" for a few months!
I'm not sowing any more, and will do no more than tend what little that's left. If we have another day's wanton vandalism like we've just had - I'm walking off that day. Never to see the place again.
Not giving up! Not bloody likely - but will find another plot, preferably armed and protected like Colditz!
B*st*rds.
Gavin
Oh Gavin! Oh I don't know what to say. I am so sad and so sorry. How unfair, mean and downright bloody awful! Words fail me they really do. All I can say is, we are thinking of you. :-\
Gavin, really sorry to hear what's happened especially after the incident with your bike as well.
Sometimes I forget that idiots like that are everywhere not just in the cities. Bear up and you know what they say - Don't let the b*st*rds grind you down - easy to say I suppose ...
Gavin- please do not take this the wrong way-been there,have the T- shirt-Fu8k them.
An ex Leeds Lottie holder.
Stephan
Thank you, lads and lassies! 5 years work up the spout - but my kids have got it right. We can (and will :)) move on to another site - but it's the older folks who get out of their tiny little flats for a bit of fresh air, and enjoy the bird-song - they're the ones who really lose.
Oh - and a "heartfelt gratitude" to our local councillor, who started the rot by giving key to the prestiferous little vermin.
A bit of "virtual gardening" for a while! ;D
All best, Gavin
Chrikey Tim, you a diplomat ?
:-\
Oh Gavin, have just read your message. I'm really sorry - I know how you must feel. Even though I haven't got a lottie, we have vandals in our village who pull up lovely plants and throw them everywhere just for the sake of it. It's soul-destroying isn't it after all your hard work >:( :(
I do hope you can find a more suitable plot soon.
I can sympathise, Gavin. I suppose in a way I'm responsible for the damage on my plot. Not wanton vandalism this time, I had a bit of that last year when part of my new fence was wrecked to get at a row of lettuce!
Last month the plot next door was rented. The family, (lots of 'em) got stook in and worked hard on getting things done. Snag is, they didn't have water on their plot. I agreed they could pump water from my pump (which cost a bit to have repaired when I moved in.) Sure enough, they used to pump but in the process walked over half of my onion sets. Last week, each time I visited my plot I found the gate wide open. Last Saterday there were two young rabbits in there! One of my water butts had also been empted. I was livid. I put a lock on the gate. On Sunday there was evidence of someone having climbed the gate. If I find one more piece of damage I'll disconnect the pump. If my water barrel content is 'stolen' again I'll add weed-killer to it! I'll be talking to the 'neighbours' before I take such drastic action and they can still pump water, but only when I'm there. Just outside the gate the narrow border where I have flower seeds just coming through has been trampled. People without consideration for others make my blood boil.
Here's hoping you find a peaceful new plot. Good luck to you.
Sorry to hear of your troubles Gavin.
I reiterate everything the lottie brigade have said.....keep smiling if you can Gavin....
I hope you find a new safe plot soon
Take care
Les
Huge sympathy Gavin, so disheartening :( However, do take encouragement from Jethro who (if I remember rightly) had exactly same happen to him and his two sheds ruined too!
Would love to catch the little oiks and make sort out the damage themselves!
Best of luck!
Gavin, So sorry to hear about your evil vandals. It is so hearbreaking after working so hard on your plot. You have everybodys sympathy here. I hope you can move on to a better and safer place. It is so senseless isn't it? :( :( busy_lizzie
We all know if you caught them and so much as touched them youd be in court so fast your feet wouldnt touch the ground.
Im so utterly sick of this pathetic society we live in (its half the reason i go to lottie, to turn my back on it all)
Balaclava's and baseball bats will be the new trend for 2006....mark my words >:(
Gavin , Just sneeked home to let the dogs out for their constitutional and read you posting. I cant express any better that the others, how I feel. It just makes me want to rip someones head off and spit down the hole. You must not let this put a good gardener down. You will, I am sure, find your quiet haven.
Aw Gavin, I really feel for you :'( Hope you find a plot far better than the one you have, with perfect soil, no slugs, and of course not a thug in sight! (I hope one day all those who have vandalised lotties etc. have a plot of their own and have the same thing done to them!) DP
Sorry to hear your awful news Gavin - when the thought of an allotment was just 'germinating' it was your website that inspired me into stopping wishing and actually getting an allotment. What's the story with this horror and the councillor giving him a key all about then?
If it helps when looking for a council site - there is cash about for allotments - our council's just been awarded £250k to do up existing plots, and create new ones - does your council allotment person know anything about these grants?
Gavin - unlike the others, I was lost for (printable) words. Sadly, the few I chose were taken amiss. I'm sure you know what I meant. = Tim
sorry to hear that gavin, some people have no respect for others' property. makes me so angry.
Hi Gavin. I don't think there's anything I can say to make you feel better but I think Mimi comes close with her "rip someones head off and spit down the hole". I had to laugh so hard, almost choked and I bet it put a grin on your face despite your anger.
Yes, I've been there too and no doubt will be there again, hopefully not for a while.
FOR HIRE SHOTGUN,HARDLY USED.
Hi Gavin ,Everthing has been said about what we all think of the pathetic pests who wrecked your lottie, I would just like to send you my best cheerist wishes and hope you will not stay downhearted for too long. please don`t give up what you really enjoy Gavin.
ALL MY BEST WISHES TO YOU BLESS YOU
MARY.
Thank you, one and all! Very, very much appreciated - although I'd love to know what you'd said, Tim!
But we're not that down-hearted - yes, it was a bit of a wrench to decide. Better that, than the grind and anger, struggling for months and months, only to see two thirds of our crops trashed.
Sounds silly - but we actually enjoyed Sunday afternoon on the plot a lot more than usual, me and the kids. Take it as it comes - and no ties.
Our local councillor?
A bunch of kids appeared a couple of years ago, wanted a plot, went round to his house, and apparently he gave them a key to the site! As simple and easy as that!
Rental agreement? Nope.
Parental supervision? Nope.
Understanding of gardening? Nope.
Understanding of other people's property? Nope.
Any understanding of the courtesies and niceties? Nope.
Thieves and vandals? Yes.
Gang of friends? Yes.
Did the friends have friends? Yes.
Did the friends' friends have friends? Yes.
Whose is the allotment site now? Theirs. How dare we interfere with their sovereign pleasure.
And have we heard anything from the councillor concerned? Not a whisper. B*st*rd.
So - still :), folks - and thank you all again!
Lol - Gavin
Sorry to hear your news gavin. Absolutely awfull. The councillor is to blame though, for letting them in in the first place. I guess he was trying to do the right thing, in encouraging young people to use an allotment. Shame it backfired so spectacularly. Should be voted out for it at the very least.
Isnt there ANYTHING you can do (short of violence and breaking the law) to reclaim the site for the genuine lotties?
Perhaps the locks should be changed, and everyone else issued a new key. Depends on the security of the site i suppose. Lock them out and they'll come over the fence likely as not. Still would be worth trying if the fences to the site are nice and tall ( ;D).
Regards
Go to the press.
Councillors will jump as high as you request
I'm with Fingle on this one -
1. allotments are hot news at the moment - you can't read a paper or a magazine without someone extolling the virtues of their lottie!
2.In some areas, there is funding for GP's to 'prescribe' plotting as a health benefit, and also loads about kid's health, in activities and eating
3. your lottie was on Channel 4 with the children growing stuff so there is a history for the papers to latch on to
Get a press release written, e-mail it off to the editor of your local paper and see what happens
Here Here.......
Do all you can Gavin, it may take up some of your time but you will definately get some satisfaction from it in the long run.
Les
Hi Gavin, so sorry to hear your news. Hope that life will be kinder to you from now onwards.
It's hard to say it but welcome to the club Gavin same thing happened to me. I left the site, got a couple of new plots on a different site and started again, even though it is hard work I will not let the little s*ds get me down, so keep on gardening and you will overcome the initial shock and sickening experience of it all.
Good luck and i know you will be growing great veggies in the future.
Peter
******* ****'s ***** - BANGS head on wall.
Thank you, Ceri - I'm not seeing wood for trees! I'd forgotten the TV bit (hehe - and I know the Allotments Office are "wary" about speaking to me, cos of the website).
That's me off for the evening - stir up a little bit of *****!
;D ;D ;D
Lol - Gavin
The press is certainly worth a go, especially where there is picture evidence. If I lived close to you Gavin you'd be welcome to everything you need plant wise, labour too.
Well, the inevitable has happened! >:( >:(
Our sheds got done over..... Finished a bout of decorating last night in time to go out in the lottie and do some watering only to find one shed door wide open and the potting shed with a pane of glass carefully lying on the floor.
Why oh why oh why! our allotment is secure, it is surrounded on 2 sides by a 6'6" solid timber fence, 1 side has an 8 foot hedge (which is also impenatrable and the other side well thats our house!
The nosey tykes must have climbed over for a peek, carefully took the beeding off one window pane and removed the blacked out glass to have a look in.
Well for all the tools that were there, they are still there! They took the whhels of Sophie's bike along with her seat & stem, they used a fork out of the potting shed to prize the hasp and staple of the other shed and didn't take anything, even though there is a brand new childs bike in there (don't tell me they have a conciense- probably not spelt correctly but I don't really care!).
So problem solved, new hasp and staple and lock attached to the shed and i have screwed the door shut with loads of screws. The potting shed well the windows are all boarded up inside and out.
Jeez I am f in furious.............. >:( >:( >:(
Take care all, rant over.
Keep smiling.
Les and Soph.
Bloody hell Les and Soph, that is terrible! I feel for you all that suffer vandalism, damage and thefts from your lotties - the little shi*es should be strung up ! Words fail me! >:( >:( >:( >:(
that's terrible, mindless.
our site has posters up offering free shed bar locks i'll have a look and see if its a local thing or if its something you lot can access...