Oooooh, nice Christmas present!!!

[Jimmy]

I had an allotment when I was 18. When I got it it had the most rickety shed you have ever seen. The roof was full of holes and the rain poured in!
A quick roll of roofing felt and some frenzied bang bang bang cured the roof.
It was then like home from home, my own little palace.
A gas burner and kettle the final touch.
Reminiscing
Jimmy

[Penellype]

One of my biggest concerns about having an allotment is my total lack of DIY skills and absence of anyone I can ask to help. The mesh tunnel is a godsend as it means I won't have to spend a fortune on nets and frames for individual beds. The shed is in the far corner, behind the tunnel, so I can't see what state it is in until I have a proper look around, but the allotment is so near home that if necessary I should be able to keep most stuff at home and just take it down when I need it.

[Greenleaves]

Fell on you feet Penellype, you can pick up the DIY skills as you go along, lots of tutorials on gurgle

[Penellype]

Fell on you feet Penellype, you can pick up the DIY skills as you go along, lots of tutorials on gurgle

The issues I have with DIY are physical strength, the aftermath of a bad fright and the frequent requirement for 2 people. I know a lot of the theory, but putting it into practise is another thing. It doesn't matter if the hooks in my garage that hold canes etc wobble because the screws aren't fully in, but it would matter if there were screws sticking out of something like a raised bed or a shed, where people could catch themselves on them.

Last time I used a drill was 20 years ago when I moved into my current house. DIY was something my husband had always done, but I reckoned it couldn't be that difficult and I needed to put up a coat rack and a bracket for my horse's bridles. The coat rack went ok and I carefully lined up the bridle bracket so that it was not directly above the plug socket and started to drill. I got to the last hole, felt a bit of resistance, and pushed the drill a bit harder. There was a loud bang and flames shot out of the wall. Luckily I had a RCD on the drill plug. When the electrician came to mend the cable he said that because it was a stud wall the cable just snaked down inside it and that's why I had hit it.

I have picked up a drill a couple of times since, but I haven't had the courage to use it (even where there is a complete absence of electricity). I also find things like electric screwdrivers have too much torque for me to hold them steady, and I don't have enough strength to lift heavy stuff. I therefore buy pre-drilled assembly kits, which is fine at home, but the cost of, for example, ready to assemble raised beds for an allotment would be huge.

[Guest]

Grats. What a lovely pressie. Can't wait to see how you get on with it

[Martin H]

Congratulations on the new plot, I know you'll have tons of fun with it.

Last time I used a drill was 20 years ago when I moved into my current house.

That was a really frightening experience, I'm not surprised you shy away from repeating it. But maybe it's time to face your fears. There won't be any power cables in your allotment shed. Most of the things you'll be able to handle on your own, but you'll soon make friends with other allotment holders and be able to get another pair of hands to help for 10 minutes here and there.

For DIY at home, get yourself a gadget that detects cables and other metal things inside walls. You can get one online for less than a tenner, great for peace of mind!

[Jimmy]

One of my biggest concerns about having an allotment is my total lack of DIY skills and absence of anyone I can ask to help..

Don't worry your in a community now. There will will be loads of people to ask and offer help, have brews and barbecues with.
Jimmy

[Penellype]

Thanks for all the kind comments. Merry Christmas everyone.

[sparrow100]

Fantastic present Penellype! And I bet lots of people will be happy to lend a hand if DIY is needed. Like Martin said, there are no electric cables to be frightened of on an allotment.

Look forward to seeing photos!