"An English Thing" or not?

[basketcase]

As you may be aware I've got a plot. Went to do some work on it over the weekend and met lots of nice people.

The bloke 'next door' was chatting. I was saying I thought I'd get a shed on the bit that had obviously already had one. There are large metal containers that you can pay £25 for and he said had one of those instead and didn't bother with a shed after his had got burned down. (Take his point).

Thing is, when I said "Yes, but I'd like to use the shed for other things too. Maybe sit and have a cup of tea or something", he (native Aberdonian) said to me (only-been-here-25-years-Sassenach) "You see, that's an English thing, this socialising and having cups of tea. We just come in, do the work and go home".

True or False?

[ginger ninger]

My friend has home made wine in her shed.... i don't think that's an ENGLISH thing, just us being P..s heads, needless to say, i try and visit as much as possible

[Hans Mum]

i have camping stove in my shed and my lottie mates know if i'm on site they can come and cadge a cuppa....then we sit on my bench outside the shed have a gab and compare crops, etc., its all part of lottie life and if i had a mate like ginger i'd be there like a shot

[snohare]

What !!
Well, I was born and raised in Aberdeen, and I always want to bring a thermos of tea to my allotment, so that I can sit and have a restful cuppa, and swap news with whoever is there (if anyone is there, we only have 5 plots).
But my mother is an ex-Londoner, so maybe it is in the genes...
The mark of a truly mean Scots(wo)man - you come in during the round of weekend social visits, and the first thing they say is, "You'll have had your tea..."
The truth of your allotment neighbour is probably just that he has yet to work out a way to fit his cuphooks to an old freight container...

[Nicos]

You should take a bottle of whisky with you one day- and offer them a wee dram....and see if they turn it down!!!!!

[bluemoon]

My friend has home made wine in her shed.... i don't think that's an ENGLISH thing, just us being P..s heads, needless to say, i try and visit as much as possible

Didn't realize I knew you, GN!

[snohare]

My friend has home made wine in her shed

I'd say the future's looking Rosé for Ginger ! (Unless of course there is some bacterial contamination, when it would be a case of "sour Grapes"...)

[dominic10]

For the last 8 years our local hospital has paid the fees for an allotment for people recovering from illness. Apparently gardening is number 2 after basket weaving in some sort of statistic for relaxation, recovery and rehabilitation after illness. This allotment group was effectively disbanded (almost) last year after they were 'accused' of drinking coffee by some other allotment holders ......For my sins, I'm helping to run the group this year but the only reason I don't drink too much is that I have to keep going to the loo....I don't know who these unkind people were but our neighbours have given us 8 tomato plants, 12 sprouting broccoli, some cabbages, seeds and loads of advice. Can't please all of the people all of the time!

[SarzWix]

The plot that we looked after last year belonged to a scotsman, he always used to bring a flask of tea with him and have a sit down outside his shed to admire what he'd been doing. Mind you, he was 81, and had lived in Yorkshire for 50 years or so. Mebbe the tea habit had rubbed off on him

I've got a stove, kettle etc in my shed, wouldn't be without them.

[ginger ninger]

"An English Thing" Or Not ?

...... She also dose a " POTENT " line in home made scrumpy ....really makes for a fun walk home . My contributions " dark beer " & home made veggie crisps yum. .

[terrier]

There are large metal containers that you can pay £25 for

Are the large metal containers for hire on the site, I assume you don't buy'em for £25 ?

[Snadger]

Load of bollocks! He's winding you up!

[snohare]

Are the large metal containers for hire on the site

These are the smallest size of shipping container that you can get Terrier, the ones that you see on the backs of lorries. I think you get them from oil companies once they fail certification, don't you Basketcase ? From what I was hearing at the allotments associations setup meeting with the council last Thursday, they are often rusted through in the floors - probably from sitting on the decks of oil rig supply vessels.
I imagine £25 is just to cover the delivery costs, the logistics companies would have to pay to have them scrapped anyway.

[Florence Fennel]

I think it's a universal thing for companionable growers and that your next door neighbour is a miserable sod. Tell it like it is Snadger!

[basketcase]

These are the smallest size of shipping container that you can get Terrier, the ones that you see on the backs of lorries. I think you get them from oil companies once they fail certification, don't you Basketcase ? From what I was hearing at the allotments associations setup meeting with the council last Thursday, they are often rusted through in the floors - probably from sitting on the decks of oil rig supply vessels.
I imagine £25 is just to cover the delivery costs, the logistics companies would have to pay to have them scrapped anyway.

Correct, Snohare! In fact, you know more about them than I do!

So where's your allotment, then?

Sorry for not answering sooner - I only log on in my lunchhour at work (and occasionally just before I go home).