Has Anyone Read This Months Prospect Magazine?

[General Woundwort]

Some of my best friends teach yoga. I don't know many hippies, but that's not out of choice... only happenstance.

[zazen999]

I blame Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

For what exactly?

[zazen999]

Some of my best friends teach yoga. I don't know many hippies, but that's not out of choice... only happenstance.

So basically, you're just here to [what they call in other fora] troll?

[General Woundwort]

I'm a great person to have after a disaster.

I like HF-W. His was the first cookbook I ever bought after leaving home. I wish I lived at River Cottage. Yet, I know his lot is made easier with having cushy deals with C4, and that crofting is highly demanding work.

Trolls control the rat population.

[General Woundwort]

Okie, for the sake of forum harmony, I shouldn't have written anything which suggested I was intolerant of yoga-teaching, hippy mums and unsympathetic to misfortune which befell them. We all are ultimately responsible or how our remarks are received.

My opinion, however, remains (and reiterated by the article) that on such council-owned or common land, the individuals have a responsibility to the community (and vice versa); and, with rents for plots being nominal, expectation to turn them into one's backgarden should be curtailed.

In my experience, sites have dead-areas. Maybe they could be used for beautification purposes which have a practical advantages, such as ponds.

HF-W's Landshare scheme was, if not criticized, then treated warily as participants would have no recourse if an owner died, as well as the potential for the unscrupulous casing the joints of elderly and infirm owners.

[Alison]

In my experience, sites have dead-areas. Maybe they could be used for beautification purposes which have a practical advantages, such as ponds.

I don't understand this beautification thing, I don't have a wildlife pond to make my plot look nice - it doesn't look particularly nice at the moment after all this dry weather although the current rainfall will help - I wanted one quite simply to attract frogs which as other people have already mentioned eat slugs and therefore make my crops better. I fail to see why the cost of the rent has a blind bit to do with this and I am in way forcing anybody else to have a pond or harming them in any way

[zazen999]

In my experience, sites have dead-areas. .

You can say that again.

[lizzylemon]

Why is there always an argument over who's wrong and who's right over everything including blooming allotments. I've read so many threads about allotment wrangles it is quite disheartening for someone like me who's seriously thinking of trying to get one.

Making assumptions because someone chooses to live or look a certain way is wrong, regardless of class, colour, age or whatever.

Who's to know that this ladies allotment might have been the 1st and only patch of land she's ever had as her own and maybe it was a tiny dream of hers, to have a pond - so shame on anyone who wants to change it just because it doesn't quite fit with what they think is right or wrong or because 'that's not what we did 40/50/60 years ago'

So what if the land is cheap rent, it's supposed to be affordable to anyone and one of the few things belonging to a Council that really is still for the people.

I know my reaction to the piece is emotional but for goodness stop bringing bigotry and pettiness to the plot (not accusing anyone on this thread btw), share knowledge, grow things and appreciate someones hard work no matter what form it takes.

[CaroltheCarrot]

Yay lizzie, you had the courage to say what I wanted to

[Two_Sheds]

The old timers ... did so to feed their families during real bone-gnawing hunger

Nobody needs to be hungry, thanks to Tesco's basic range. People now are allotmenting for wider reasons: organic veg & creating a nature patch are just two that I can think of

My opinion, however, remains ... the individuals have a responsibility [not] to turn them into one's backgarden

Times have moved on (or maybe back? to the potager style). The young, educated (sometimes even female) allotmenteer realises that food production depends on wildlife, so s/he deliberately encourages said wildlife.

btw, you aren't the chap who weedkillered all the sunflowers that I planted around our site's perimeter fence are you?

[zazen999]

Nobody needs to be hungry, thanks to Tesco's basic range.

That and the benefits system; which has been contributed to by all sorts; hippies and 'middle class' types in favour or prettiness and wildlife included.

[General Woundwort]

Zazen, I am on said benefits. How much is JSA?

[zazen999]

Zazen, I am on said benefits. How much is JSA?

hope this helps you

[If you are on benefits, shouldn't you know things like this?]

[General Woundwort]

Nobody needs to be hungry, thanks to Tesco's basic range. People now are allotmenting for wider reasons: organic veg & creating a nature patch are just two that I can think of

Because of the ease of access to cheap food, such as Tesco's basic range. Although, as someone who has to consider relying on said range, I prefer my own stuff if only 'cos it tastes better.

But, also 'cos it's cheaper. I recall, during the fag-end of the last Tory Government, an MP blasted those scroungers on benefits and said they should get off their backsides and start an allotment. The benefits system has mushroomed (and, I agree, it's created an un-holy mess of dependency, and would even agree with Iain Duncan-Smith 'bout the redemptive value of work).

I'd like to see him try that now, when growing area is at a premium partly 'cos of frog ponds. I am growing potatoes in chimney grannies.

If someone is of a political bent which sees the apex of human development being a return to washing clothes by bashing them against rocks (I've blotted my copybook, so why stop?) or don't see the benefit of mass fertilizers over their personal gratification of organic (the very references to "pure" reminds me of religious fervour), so be it.

As I said, above, this has spilled over into demanding that other plot holdings abide by their peculiar ideas. At the extreme end, there are Greenpeace directors who've been arrested for criminal damage (cf. GM crops).

I don't think even Rachel Carson went this far.

Times have moved on (or maybe back? to the potager style). The young, educated (sometimes even female)

Ah, yes, I have fond memories of my mum tending the vegetable garden.

allotmenteer realises that food production depends on wildlife, so s/he deliberately encourages said wildlife.

Which they can do however they like at their homes or on private plots (such as that farmer who's trying to charge a grand per year). Responding to Alison, but not picking on her (well, not excessively), public/council/communal land requires all to submit some of their individuality for the group: otherwise, what's to stop everyone having a pond?, which goes well beyond pest control.

Allotment Associations are communal events.

btw, you aren't the chap who weedkillered all the sunflowers that I planted around our site's perimeter fence are you?

Why would I do that? They take up minimal space, plus you can eat some of them!

Then compost the rest.

[General Woundwort]

[If you are on benefits, shouldn't you know things like this?]

I do. If I didn't know what summat was like, I wouldn't dismiss it as a cushy number.