Joe Swifts allotment, given up.

[piskieinboots]

maybe so, but who else is doing an allotment programme on the tellybox?

Can we petition for Terry Walton to get front of camera

[yeti]

at least he gave it a go,see what alices garden is like on wednesday..

[Snadger]

Can't be mean towards a bloke I've never had owt to do with...............just commented on one season wonders in general! As someone mentioned, at least it gives a plot to someone prepared to make a go of it long term!

[smallfrog]

I think Gardeners World from a veg point of view is pretty awful the odd 5 mins on how to tickle tomatos and buy plug salad plants.
I did enjoy Joe and his allotment and it is a shame that he has given it up. However its far better that he has than kept it on and let it run to seed ect like some of us newbie do. It takes guts to say i've tried this but actually its not really for me. My plot is on its third newbie the two before me disappeared into a puff of smoke. If they had made one phone call and said "sorry this isn't really what i want to do with my spare time" then i or someone else on the list would have got the plot alot earlier and it would have been in alot better state.

Don't be to hard on the BBC they have brought us digin FREE SEEDS. Although rare there are veg gardening programes Carol Klein How to grow veg and then Alys Fowlers has a new programe out at some point.

[weekendwellies]

It takes me longer to open the stupid gate lock than it does to get there

I live a couple of minutes walk from my lottie and I agree with you m2r. I have to unlock 3 gates and the communal shed and that takes longer than the walk. Even though it is so close I usually go in the car because there is too much to carry most of the time.


The first gate is into the garages ( for locals to rent to keep their cars safe ) section,
The second gate is into the sheds section, then another gate into the lotties.
You would think all these gates would make it secure but the kids or whoever wants to get into the site just bunk over the walls.

[Scunny Zeb]

fair do's to the bloke for giving it up....

but...

it really annoys me that people take plots on without fully understanding the commitment needed then give up after a year, because some other poor sod on the waiting list has at least another seaon before they get a chance.

[maytreefrannie]

I've never seen Joe Swift or the programme in question, but it sounds to me like the BBC wanted to run a series with a complete newbie, in a realistic way, this would mean that it could end up with the person deciding it was too much for him - I don't think it means that from the outset he or the BBC were 'jumping on the bandwagon' though, to be fair, it's the business of the BBC to make programmes and to set up a series abouit a newbie starting an allotment would, I think, appeal to many and capture the interest of many who are giving growing their own a go.

[weekendwellies]

There was a series on tv a while back about proper allotmenteers who had been doing it for decades.
I think there was a few sites, one in Wales, one in London and possibly another somewhere else in the country.
I really enjoyed it and got far more info as a newbie from that than I did from Joe's slots on GW with his plot.

[sagegreen]

I think his plot served its purpose - he made the TV programmes, wrote his book and now moves on! For him it was a film location and research for his book. He couldn't get a plot near home as the part of London he lives in didn't have any plots - he had to cross a couple of boroughs to get to Enfield.

Exactly right! Not bad writing an allotment guide book after -one- year's experience.

[Pumpkin Becki]

There was a series on tv a while back about proper allotmenteers who had been doing it for decades.

I think you are talking about 'The Big Dig' hosted by Simon Mayo. I love it! I've got it on video and often re-watch it. Its a darn shame it didn't get a second series. Terry Walton was/is one of the Welsh allotmenteers featured on it.

[weekendwellies]

I think you are talking about 'The Big Dig' hosted by Simon Mayo.

THAT was it. Yes

[Hilary B]

There is a whole different set of information to be found from someone trying to start out, compared to experienced allotmenters. Some folk who might otherwise have been clogging up the waiting lists are now going to think "If he can't stick it out, will I be able to?", and if that halves the number of "one season wonders" out there, so much the better!
The truly dedicated will find a way regardless, those who can be deterred, better they are deterred before they get started!

[Two_Sheds]

Not bad writing an allotment guide book after -one- year's experience.

A good writer can write about anything though, they don't need to have experienced what they write about.

Some folk who might otherwise have been clogging up the waiting lists are now going to think "If he can't stick it out, will I be able to?", and if that halves the number of "one season wonders" out there, so much the better!

hear hear

[petal]

Exactly right! Not bad writing an allotment guide book after -one- year's experience.

'ker chinggggg!!!' go the tills......

[its hilly]

Better he let someone else with time and enthusiasm have it than keep it for the sake of it. I like Joe most of the time, he doesnt get the 'ump when people take the mick. With his actual garden design work and the filming schedule its not surprising it was tough going.
Id love to have had him and Monty do one side by side, expert and newbie. Would have been fascinating to see the different approaches and results.
And I agree with everyone who says GW is too lightweight now, lots of snippets rather than the old mix of serious and fun.