Hungerford allotment blog - grow your own, harvesting and vegetarian cooking. Enjoying allotment wildlife, weather and other things that catch my attention.
Enjoying time on the Marsh Lane Allotment site in Hungerford, Berkshire.
A record of successes, failures and a handy reminder for me.
From 2017 each post title brings a song to add a little extra music to the world - enjoy!
I'm celebrating 12 years of my transplant this weekend. I rewarded myself this week by dying my hair purple - that's an excuse really.
Making the most of our sunny window
20 days home but I did have a trip out last week... I had to have a blood test. To be honest the hospital in Swindon was the last place I wanted to visit! But I was very pleased that I was the only patient in the waiting room - unheard of, it's often standing room only. And my kidney results remain stable, so now I'm in lockdown again.
Covid-19
A few weeks/months stuck at home are better than years on dialysis or death, so I'll try not to moan. I'd also prefer to be sitting here than working in a hospital - thank goodness nurses and other carers don't feel that way!
When I'm not working there has been a lot of HAHA email traffic. As advised by our local police and Council we agreed to ban driving to the site and, because a committee member needs to unlock/sanitise the gates and locks/lock up, the site is only open between 10am and 6pm. The measures were an attempt to reduce the numbers and time spent on the site - we don't want our site appearing like some other communal spaces where people are appearing so ignorant.
Measures in place on site
We've been disappointed by the reactions of some of our usually lovely plotholders. I kind of understand not heeding the STAY AT HOME advice, because we were told that allotment visits are fine, but staying all day and not wearing gloves? Really?! I wonder if those same people are joining in with the 'clap for carers' on Thursday evenings..! Of course most plotholders appreciate the difficult position the committee are in; we don't want to be away from our plots but imagine how we'll feel if a plotholder gets seriously ill, or worse.
Moving on... We ordered a veg box from a local supplier 'Ethel's Pies'. It's a good mix of vegetables and will extend our food supplies so Jamie doesn't need to venture out so often. He's mostly going to our small Co-Op and managing to get some veggie items that we haven't used before. The Vegetarian Butcher uses some rather unappealing names but these two soya-based products are delicious. We had a tasty Sweet and sour dish and a delicious curry using the What the Cluck.
And this Vivera plant-based bacon became part of a scrumptious cheesy pasta meal.
Stay safe everyone and enjoy the great song provided by The Killers.
That’s strange as I contacted out police and they said travelling to the allotment by car was OK. The don’t travel to your place of exercise by car is to stop people travelling to distant beauty spots etc. We don’t have a committee and I take my own precautions when dealing with the gates etc. Our site isn’t as big as yours and it’s not difficult to maintain more than the required social distancing. That said we are limiting our visits.
That's part of the problem. Police reading the rules differently in different areas. It's a busy time of year so our car park can get v.busy at this time, which doesn't give a good impression to passers-by. Probably didn't help that the Council received a complaint about a bonfire on the same day 😞
Belinda,I'd wondered where you had got to and missing your smile, Get well soon, and look forward to seeing you beavering away again, Regards Ron Jones
I did actually take my exercise last week by walking to my plot, wearing gloves, a face mask and sunglasses. I picked the last of my purple sprouting, and the tulips that were in bloom from bulbs I had planted,walked home, and gave a bunch of tulips to each of my lovly neighbours, who've been shopping and looking out for us. I won't be visiting again until we're all clear so I'm now planting all my prepared seedlings wherever I can in my garden, my borders, baskets and pots will have an interesting mix of flowers and veg. :0) Stay safe xxx
Aah, hello Penny! What a lovely neighbour you are too! Sounds like you'll have a nice mix of pickings around your garden later in the year. Stay safe too - see you in the Autumn or sooner hopefully!
Oh yes! We have lots of different non-meat sausages to choose from these days: plant-based, soya-based, tofu-based - some definitely better than others!
When I'm not working there has been a lot of HAHA email traffic. As advised by our local police and Council we agreed to ban driving to the site and, because a committee member needs to unlock/sanitise the gates and locks/lock up, the site is only open between 10am and 6pm. The measures were an attempt to reduce the numbers and time spent on the site - we don't want our site appearing like some other communal spaces where people are appearing so ignorant.
That’s strange as I contacted out police and they said travelling to the allotment by car was OK. The don’t travel to your place of exercise by car is to stop people travelling to distant beauty spots etc. We don’t have a committee and I take my own precautions when dealing with the gates etc. Our site isn’t as big as yours and it’s not difficult to maintain more than the required social distancing. That said we are limiting our visits.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of the problem. Police reading the rules differently in different areas. It's a busy time of year so our car park can get v.busy at this time, which doesn't give a good impression to passers-by. Probably didn't help that the Council received a complaint about a bonfire on the same day 😞
DeleteBelinda,I'd wondered where you had got to and missing your smile, Get well soon, and look forward to seeing you beavering away again, Regards Ron Jones
DeleteOur car park is never really busy and today at most there were five people on site.
DeleteI did actually take my exercise last week by walking to my plot, wearing gloves, a face mask and sunglasses. I picked the last of my purple sprouting, and the tulips that were in bloom from bulbs I had planted,walked home, and gave a bunch of tulips to each of my lovly neighbours, who've been shopping and looking out for us. I won't be visiting again until we're all clear so I'm now planting all my prepared seedlings wherever I can in my garden, my borders, baskets and pots will have an interesting mix of flowers and veg. :0) Stay safe xxx
ReplyDeleteAah, hello Penny!
DeleteWhat a lovely neighbour you are too!
Sounds like you'll have a nice mix of pickings around your garden later in the year. Stay safe too - see you in the Autumn or sooner hopefully!
Vegetarian sausages ?? Sound so interesting!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! We have lots of different non-meat sausages to choose from these days: plant-based, soya-based, tofu-based - some definitely better than others!
Delete