Does anybody out there belong to the perfect allotment community? You know what I mean, having little in-house veggie competitions, a shop come clubhouse, social get-togethers. Work with the community to welcome children and disabled gardeners onto the Site. Or do you just go to your allotment, dig your plot, grow your veggies and just have the odd word with your lottie next door neighbour.
What I am trying to find out is do people want to belong to a community nowadays? Or is life so busy that the allotment is just a place you escape to, to be in "splendid isolation". The reason I am asking is that I am feeling slightly jaded at the moment. I am a new committee member and I suppose, a bit of an idealist, and have come up with lots of ideas, which strangely enough, I feel are dead good! However, it is an uphill climb trying to get anything but a negative to any of my brilliant suggestions. Am I living in Cloud Cuckoo Land and need to take a Reality Check? :-\ busy_lizzie
not quite that perfect but certainly very sociable and with competitions and a shop and stuff... come on over for a peek!
Thanks for your reply Legless. I would love to take you up on that offer. Thanks! :D busy_lizzie
I think everyone's definition of the 'perfect allotment community' may be so different that while some would find your description of happy plotters with a clubhouse and competitions perfect, others would shudder at the thought!! I'm a bit of the 'shudder at the thought' type, and love our small site (35 plots) with our chats over fences and my mad old allotment elf Jackie, but no social organisation. Perhaps bigger sites need to work harder at the social thing. Is it like when living on a big estate or block of flats makes it harder to meet people than living in a tiny cul de sac?
I'm with your there, Ceri - my lottie is my bolthole, stressbuster and calm, quiet place (that's on a good day when nobody is having any bonfires!).
We do have a trophy which is awarded annually for the best plot - usually goes to one of a small group of people who are able to devote the time and energy needed to develop and maintain a pristine plot (and jolly good luck to them!) There was talk of some small social gathering around a largest marrow competition.....don't think that got any futher!
AC x
BL,We are all lone tenders who chat to one another and exchange the odd bit of produce and plants. A couple of people had organised a barbeque for this Saturday at ours,which I was really looking forward to, and thought was a brilliant idea. (to meet all the others), but alas it has been cancelled due to the fact that the council said insurance would have been required and so the cost became too high!! (so if you are planning something remember the insurance!!) I was VERY dissapointed :'( Liked the idea of a once a year get together!
Yo Dottie! We do have our AGM at the local watering hole - business dealt with quickly then a pint or two and a chat until closing time. No pressure on anybody to cook and no clearing up either!
Did have a brief chat with the bee man today (don't know his name!) who has told me that he's taken the bees off the plot just now until he gets more fruit on the go. What will I call him now? ! ;D
AC
No community shed.....no loos.....no water.....no competitions.....and a whole family who won't even talk to me! :'( But, my mates, Jack, Ron, Roy, Peter and Loretta are my allotment community - there are a couple of others who I have spoken to, but only briefly, we all visit at such different times. I like it, I love the deafening noise of the birds, the tractor in the fields, and the fox as he clumsily stumbles through my new seed beds.
That's not very eco-friendly, EJ! You trying to purposely injure the fox by planting out on his pathway? Shish!
QuoteDid have a brief chat with the bee man today (don't know his name!) who has told me that he's taken the bees off the plot just now until he gets more fruit on the go. What will I call him now? !
The been man ::)
Jeremy
Love it! AC :D