Allotments 4 All

General => The Shed => Topic started by: Marymary on May 18, 2007, 23:52:05

Title: Allotted Time
Post by: Marymary on May 18, 2007, 23:52:05
Daughter brought this home from the library for me.  Anyone read it?

Blurb says:

Robin Shelton was at crisis point in his life - divorced, broke & suffering from depression - when he & his trusty mate Steve decide to take on a project, a chance to achieve something solid.  They decide to take on an allotment.

& on the front Hugh FW says:
Proof, if proof were needed, that growing your own vegtables makes you a happier person, and the world a better place.

How true  :)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: legendaryone on May 19, 2007, 09:04:56
Hi, i have read it, it was ok nothing special.
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: DenBee on May 19, 2007, 09:24:50
I've read it - bought it from the £2 book shop which we have in the Metrocentre.   :)

It doesn't teach you much about gardening/allotmenting, but it does have a positive message, in that the author starts out pretty much stagnant in his life because of depression, and finds that growing veg does a lot for his mental health.  According to the cover he's now a full-time writer.
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: tim on May 19, 2007, 09:25:32
Allotted time? Made me think quickly how best to use it!!
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Leonnie on May 19, 2007, 09:58:03
I've read it and thought it was a fun read. Like DenBee has said it doesn't teach you anything about gardening but I enjoyed reading it. :)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: caroline7758 on May 19, 2007, 14:13:18
Yes, same here. I read it hen I first got the allotment so I did learn a few things as well as enjoying a good read.
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Marymary on May 19, 2007, 15:58:10
Good, I shall save it till half term hols in a week.  Something else to look forward to - reading in the garden in the sun!  :)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: saddad on May 20, 2007, 10:37:17
Same here, got it for Xmas. Enjoyed reading it!
;D
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Si D on May 20, 2007, 20:29:54
I got it out of the library a few weeks back - it was the only allotment book they had in.

As everyone has said it didn't teach too much about gardening. However, I tend to read a fair number of 'adventure/travel' books: mainly cycling - stories of peoples' round the world bike trips, etc, plus a few other fend for your self type adventure books*, and I found Allotted Time to be written in a very similar way - a book about improving one's life by ignoring the rat race, and through toil, hardship and getting back to nature ;)

*well, if you are too lazy to do it you might as well read about it instead
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Barnowl on May 20, 2007, 23:54:15
Really enjoyed it. :)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Trixiebelle on May 21, 2007, 18:49:03
I started to read it a few months ago and then I stopped after page 4 because I thought it was 'over-written'.

But I'm BIASED because I want to write my own book  :)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: prink13 on May 21, 2007, 19:40:30
I loved it, not so much for the allotment info, but for the insight into depression and coping with it - also how you allotment/garden copes with it!  ;)
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on May 21, 2007, 20:06:06
Get on and write it, Trixie. If it's no good, just keep revising it till it is good.
Title: Re: Allotted Time
Post by: Marymary on May 21, 2007, 20:10:16
Quote from: Trixiebelle on May 21, 2007, 18:49:03
I started to read it a few months ago and then I stopped after page 4 because I thought it was 'over-written'.

But I'm BIASED because I want to write my own book  :)

Go for it Trixie - you'll get lots of readers here queuing up for it.  :)