5 weeks ago or so we were allowed pre-entry rights onto our new allotment site by the landowner as the council are dragging their feet getting the lease signed. We have no water on site yet and we've had only a few hours of rain in all that time. There is no car park either, and to appease the neighbours we are trying not to drive our cars unless we really need to deliver stuff. They didn't want us there, one even said he'd have preferred the pig farm that was once a possibility, and another has said the site has knocked £20 000 off the value of his house.
Wheel barrows and carts are being filled with any water containers that come to hand as plotholders are trying to keep their plants alive. It is a common sight from about 6pm onwards to see people trundling along the pavements and roads. It is surprising to see the variety of countainers. Filled, open topped tubs and watering cans, empty 2l drinks bottles (my preferred method) camping water containers, even a wheelie bin! Not sure how he emptied that one.
The only access at the moment is through a gate into the horse's field, then through to the site. (Tough if you are afraid of them as they are very curious.) When we have the money for the car park we will get our own access, but until then there is only one key to the gate which has to be collected from a nearby plotholder, or you climb over. Some of us have water butts which we fill up with several trips, but we are all much more aware of how important water conservation is when every drop counts. I heard one woman scolding her son for emptying his watering can in the wrong place.
A real testing of how committed people are to getting the site up and running! Out of 51 plots only 3 or so have not started work.
Wheel barrows and carts are being filled with any water containers that come to hand as plotholders are trying to keep their plants alive. It is a common sight from about 6pm onwards to see people trundling along the pavements and roads. It is surprising to see the variety of countainers. Filled, open topped tubs and watering cans, empty 2l drinks bottles (my preferred method) camping water containers, even a wheelie bin! Not sure how he emptied that one.
The only access at the moment is through a gate into the horse's field, then through to the site. (Tough if you are afraid of them as they are very curious.) When we have the money for the car park we will get our own access, but until then there is only one key to the gate which has to be collected from a nearby plotholder, or you climb over. Some of us have water butts which we fill up with several trips, but we are all much more aware of how important water conservation is when every drop counts. I heard one woman scolding her son for emptying his watering can in the wrong place.
A real testing of how committed people are to getting the site up and running! Out of 51 plots only 3 or so have not started work.
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