Allotment Diggin Day (2) - Pictures from Tom's Mum

Tom's mum Alison took some pictures that tell a very similar tale to those shown in my blog yesterday but also capture some of the fun and friendly spirit of the day with photos of Tom with various people including myself. It is not often I am in a photo as I am more often than not behind the camera.

Note : All photos in this article were taken by Alison Cowen and are her copyright. For permission to use any of her photos you may contact Alison via me.

Tom Phil and Peter's Diggin Allotment Day

For a larger view of any of the photos click on the photo, this will take you to the Picasa web photo album of my photos taken today.

About a week ago an invite popped through the door inviting us to a barbecue and digging allotment day with a request to bring tools, a bottle or can if we wished and something for the barbecue if we wished. So a number of us rolled up to the allotment at ten thirty Sunday morning armed with tools and drinks.

OK so we are all together but where are we going start?

Well a good place to get started would be to put the tea tent up!

Well everybody seems to have to set themselves some tasks to do and are getting stuck in.

Well, the pile of weeds is getting bigger at the back and there are still plenty more weeds to be dug up.

Peter and his mum and dad have made a start on Peter's section of the allotment and have discovered some red cabbage plants.

There is a lot of activity going on here, Bill has rough dug an area full of wicks and rough grass whilst others have got the beds around the beetroot and broccoli cleared.

Nobody seems to be ready yet for a cup of tea!

Holly is engrossed in some close combat with the weeds in and around the broccoli, and the pile at the back has grown sideways.

Time for tea break and a chat.

Still tea break.

Firing up the barbecue.

Soon be time to eat!

Peter multitasking, eating an apple whilst raking soil.

Nose bags on, dinner is served!

Lunchtime progress report, it is looking good.

Brambles cleared from the sheeted area where the orchard is planned.

Lunch still in progress.

Back to work and time to fork over the patch Bill dug and get the bindweed and wicks out.

The weed pile on Peter's patch must ne about fouur feet tall.

The pile at the back of Tom's plot is fairly big as well. Most folks have gone home now and the plot is looking a lot tidier. Everybody enjoyed the day and felt that it had been worthwhile in many ways having made new friends and felt the pleasure of working together for a common goal. Part of the funding for the day came from "Inclusion North" for "Small Sparks" funding for this wonderful "Diggin Day"

Autumn coming in

Autumn is definitely creeping up on us. Air te,peratures have dropped a good few degrees and it is time to get the winter woolies out. Bill has made a start on the area that was flooded earlier on this summer after having finished building his shed. Everybody has had their fill of runner beans and are now leaving some pods to swell and collect seeds for drying to use during the winter or for planting again next year.

With the cold summer squashes do not seem to have done too well they are still fairly small about two and half inches long. It will probably not be long before the leaves get frosted and the plants die off. I don't know if the fruits will be worth eating. Despite the squashes not doing that well the courgettes have romped away this summer as have the cucumbers. It will soon be time to get down to some winter digging and Tom and Phil have organised a barbecue on Sunday for anyone willing to help them with a bit of digging.

National Memorial Arboretum

No work at the allotment yesterday as we went to the National Memorial Arboretum yesterday. It is situated just off the A38 and A513 near to Alrewas in Staffordshire. It is a very moving place to visit and I will let the photographs below speak for themselves.


View Larger Map

Photographs - Click on images for a larger view.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of these leek flower heads on a plot that has been left unattended this year. They seemed to have a slight fluorescent glow in the light of the setting sun. The plot was paid for and the holder moved to Oxford and has only paid a few visits to it this year to collect some fruit.