Tuesday 16th March 2010

A very mild day at 10C, but cloudy.

The milder weather is clearly bringing the allotment holders out, today the place was a hive of activity with bonefires and rotovators going all over the place.

I renewed the fight against the brambles.

Yesterday I was beginning to think I would never get through the tangle of thorny stems, but today, refreshed, I eventually got the better of them! I should have had a before photograph, but as you can see here, the fence is repaired and not a blackberry bush in sight.

I have even cleared all of the rubbish from behind the shed, there was a mini mountain of rubbish and some old window frames in among the undergrowth. The fence is re-erected. We are running a bit short on decent wooden planks now. I have utilised some of the large black plastic "things" which were being used to cover the ground to suppress the weeds. Since we are progressing steadily with the "turning over", there is no longer a need for so many covering sheets.

There is still a bit of clearing up to do, and a bit more clearing of brambles to prevent them from just growing back again. But after yesterdays defeatist thoughts I feel like I am winning.

Monday 8th March 2010

Another beautiful day, three in a row now.

Went to allotment after breakfast, to continue the fence repairs / building, and to burn more rubbish. Most of the wood from the old fence is rotten and only fit to burn.

Martin has now finished putting wire mesh around the righthand side "turned over" section, to keep out the rabbits.

Martin has set up a "test" to see if its is going to work. He has put two carrots in the middle of the section which is protected by the wire mesh to see if the rabbits can get at them. Assuming they like supermarket carrots, rather than organically grown then we can expect to find exhausted rabbits lying on the path where they have repeatedly hurled themselves at the wire mesh fence, attempting to get access to the carrots.

We are actually getting compliments from other allotment holders, on how well we have done to make this much progress.

I can see that we will have people asking us for advice before long!

After lunch, the good weather continues. I manage to get some more preparation done for our Campervan trip,  checking bikes over to ensure they are ready to take away.

Election Posters

Friday 5th March 2010

Another Spring day, so I am out and about early, at the Allotment by 08:45, cannot miss good weather!

Now that the area to be cultivated this year is "dug over", things have slowed down a little, until the weather gets warm enough to actually plant something.

A mixed bag this morning, a little digging of the last remaining area to be "dug over", a little tidying and burning of rubbish, and a bit of fence repairing, ready for Martin to begin the war on the rabbits.

Returned home for lunch to find Kathleen and her sister Joan eating Tunnock Chocolate Teacakes, so much for Lent. They then went off to Church where, as far as I can tell, they scoffed Soup and Cakes, in aid of helping the starving. Just run that past me again, I think I must have missed something.

Went to the Monkton cycling group, not so well attended today, only two of us, plus Becky the leader. This at least allows us to do something a bit more strenuous. Through the pedestrian tunnel at Jarrow, follow the Hadrian's Way cycle track to North Shields, cross on the ferry, back along the south side of the river to Monkton, about 12 miles I would guess.

Election Posters

Thursday 25th February 2010

A dismal day weatherwise, dull. damp and cold.

Did some more work at Martin's allotment.

Finished digging to the point where we agreed we would expect to cultivate this year, which I would say means we have dug over about two thirds of the total.

Began to sort wood to seperate out the "good" stuff, and to burn some of the rubbish, with the additional intention of burning off the weed cover in the uncultivated part.

When I arrived I disturbed some little animal which has taken up residence under one of the black plastic covers we have been using to suppress the weeds. It moved too quickly to get a good view, but it was quite small (say four to five centimetres long) and a sort of reddish brown colour. Some kind of mouse or vole I would expect. Not a mole because I think they are grey?

Plenty of evidence (ie droppings) that the rabbits have been out and about again, so getting some netting or wire mesh before any planting is done seems like a good idea.

Forgot to take camera, so no progress shots, sorry...

Swine Flu

Why did we order 132 million doses of Swine Flu  vaccine. The total population is less than 70 million. Expecting a sudden influx of Asylum Seekers from Calais were we?

Litter.

A dubious accolade for Coca Cola, it is the most littered brand, according to a recent survey by an organisation called "Litter Heroes".

In fairness, Litter Heroes do acknowledge it is the person who drops the litter who is to blame, not the manufacturer or seller of the product.

This does not stop them urging us to write to Coca Cola, Macdonalds etc etc, which I think is a little unfair. As far as I know, neither organisation actually employ people to throw empty Cola tins, or fast food containers in the street or countryside.

If you feel moved to follow the lead proposed by Litter Heros, and actually clear some of it up, then beware, you may get your hands smacked by your local council.

Election Posters

Monday 22nd February 2010

It has snowed overnight, but only a dusting. By nine o'clock, the sun had warmed the place up enough to melt what little snow there was.

I had a call from Martin, he is creeping ahead in the digging of the Allotment, so after doing a few odd jobs I go there and do enough to catch him up!

As you can see from the photographs, we are neck and neck, and there is only about three more rows to go before the righthand side is as advanced as the lefthand side. Weather permitting I should go in the lead (again) tomorrow.

It is too early to plant anything yet, but there is already evidence (ie a half eaten parsnip, presumably filched from someone else's plot), that the rabbits are active. So an early job, before planting anything will be to put up some wire mesh to keep them out.

The fact that the sun is shining, and has some warmth in it, encourages me to do a few outdoor jobs after lunch. For example, check the tyre pressures on the campervan and on the car. Followed by washing the car, probably a waste of time that since there is still a lot of salt on the roads and it will be just as dirty in a day or two.

I find the appearance of a warm sunny day is deceptive, by the time I finish the car my fingers are numb, so I have to retreat into the house for a coffee.

Stolen from  NotaSheep :-



How the Tax System works.

 

"Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to £100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

 

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.


The fifth would pay £1


The sixth would pay £3


The seventh would pay £7


The eighth would pay £12


The ninth would pay £18


The tenth man (the richest) would pay £59


So, that's what they decided to do.


The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by £20.'


Drinks for the ten now cost just £80.


The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the £20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'


They realized that £20 divided by six is £3.33. But if they subtracted that from everyone's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.


And so: -


The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).


The sixth now paid £2 instead of £3 (33%savings).


The seventh now pay £5 instead of £7 (28%savings).


The eighth now paid £9 instead of £12 (25% savings).


The ninth now paid £14 instead of £18 (22% savings).


The tenth now paid £49 instead of £59 (16% savings).


Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.


'I only got a pound out of the £20,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got £10!'


'Yes, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a pound, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I did'


'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get £10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks'


'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor'


The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.


The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill.

 And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works.

 The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up any more. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier and weather is nicer. "

A couple of posters for a laugh...

And sorry, could not resist these:









And the antibullying charity is made to  disappear, OK, so you can tell from the name of the blog that the writer is hardly likely to be a labour supporter, but never the less it is clear that Mrs Pratt is unlikely to become a Labour Lord. So, is this a real charity or not, and have the Government  contributed any of OUR money to it, before falling out with them.

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

The snow has gone, and it is a crisp frosty day. No group walking today however. Phil has had an operation on his hand yesterday. Peter's operation was cancelled. So at least one of the people got the right operation!. Peter's wife is now in hospital, so he will be on visiting duty. I am sure the McCaffery's are attempting a take over of the NHS, yesterday there were four of them at South Tyneside Hospital!

I decide to do a bit more work at Martin's allotment. I "turn over" another couple of metres, which now brings me to the point  where it is necessary to clear some of the rubbish left by the previous tennant.

When Martin catches up with the digging on "his side" that should be enough turned over to allow planting of Potatoes to begin in March.

But the plan is to continue digging, with the intention of clearing all of the overgrown part of the plot this season.

Given that it dry and frosty I am able to indulge my "little boy" instincts and play with matches to build a bonfire. With a little guidance from neighbour Tony, who is setting up a Polythene Tunnel type Green house. I get a good little blaze going with scrap wood. Once it is burning well, I pile "turfs" of weeds around it, and pile dead and mostly dry vegetation from the "old" bonfire on top. I looks good. It remains to be seen if it keeps burning long enough to consume the bulk of the waste.

Saturday 30th January 2010

I returned from the Grey Horse last night at about 23:45, it was cold, but there was no snow. Woke up this morning and looked out of the window to see this in our back garden, about four inches of snow has fallen at some point during the night.

The weather forecast said to expect a crisp day, with blue skies, no mention of snow. Wrong again! Given that they cannot forecast the weather one day in advance and they expect us to believe they can forecast the climate 25 or even 50 years in advance, forgive me if I am a little skeptical.

This somewhat puts paid to my plans of a cycle ride and/or digging in Martin's allotment.

After clearing the snow from the drive, and the car, I decide to go to the allotment anyway, if you just ignore the fact that the ground is covered in snow, it is a beautiful winters day. Clear blue sky and bright sunshine, with even a hint of warmth in the sun.

Martin is there digging away when I arrive, and I join him for perhaps a couple of hours, by which time my feet are going numb. How on earth do people survive in Siberia I wonder?

I took a couple of shots, to just set the scene, above you can see someone actually has a palm tree of some kind growing this far north, while on the right, you can see out over the north sea.

We are not alone here, there are a few other people who have turned up, to attend to their greenhouse heaters etc, but no one else is digging.

We manage a few extra metres of turned over earth before admitting defeat. I took a "progess shot" to prove it, but it seems to have disappeared. Clearly I have not yet mastered this digital camera.

In the afternoon a visit to the Stags Head, to see son Anthony. The pub has a new manager, and seems to be very busy despite the weather. I cannot really see why a new manager should have made a difference, it is the same beer, same prices, same barmaid and same decor, just more customers.

Tuesday 26th January 2010

Progress Report

As the picture shows, progress continues. Neighbours Tony and Peter have been making approving comments about how well we are getting on.

We are now at the stage all little boys (ie grown men) like. We will have to have a bonfire to begin burning some of the rubbish which is building up. This will also help in clearing some of the overgrown parts of the plot, (so I am advised by Tony) from the next plot.

I spend the afternoon charging the battery on the Campervan, and looking at the map to decide where I might like to go, before Kathleen tells me where we are going. Yes it is moving on to that time of year, to escape the Uk for a while.

Monday 25th January 2010

Fortunately my efforts on Saturday, digging Martin's allotment, did not leave me full of aches and pains on Sunday, so I must be more fit than I thought.

The weather forecast for Sunday was a day of rain, but in the even it was a reasonable day for January in England, with not a drop of rain. Good job the Met Office are not on payment by results. On the basis of the weather forecast I did not attend on Sunday, but I know that Martin was there, although I understand that Dana let the side down, after her promising start on Saturday.

Today is grey but dry, so I decide to spend a couple of hours digging and tidying.

I "catch up" with Martin on the right hand side, and extend the area on the left hand side (which Dana had started), by about a metre. That plus a bit of tidying up and I think it is begining to look like a garden, rather than Steptoe's Yard.

Martin, I understand has been buying the seed potatoes ready to plant when the weather warms up a bit.

Saturday 23rd January 2010

I have had a cold for the past three or four days. Colds are so annoying, you are not really ill, but the symptoms are enough to make you feel sorry for yourself, and (particularly if you are a man), to want to just sit in your favourite chair and feel sorry for yourself, while reading the paper.

Today I awoke feeling a lot better, not 100%, but better. Plus the rain has stopped and it is almost bright outside.

Son-in-law Martin, has been getting himself an allotment. It is in Sunderland, just at the bottom of Tunstall Hill, about thirty minutes walk from where he lives. It looks as if it has been somewhat neglected, with at least two thirds of it covered in grass and weeds, not to mention an amazing collection of pieces of wood, old doors and sheets of plastic.

He took possession of his domain about two weeks before Christmas 2009, but ever since then it has been either snowing or raining, so it has not been possible to begin the task of removing the weeds, tiding it up and getting it ready for cultivation.

I had said to him that I would give a hand with the initial digging, not that I am an experienced, or even enthusiastic gardener, but it is good exercise, and I certainly need that to work off the Christmas excesses before my annual medication review, which is now due.

This morning he rang me to say that he, and to my surprise, Dana, were going to the allotment to begin the big dig, so I agreed to join them.

In the first picture, above, you can see a rare sight, Dana and Martin working in harmony to achieve the same task.  

When I spoke to Martin on the telephone to arrange to meet him and Dana at the allotment, I must admit I did expect Dana's presence to be in a "supervisory capacity".

But despite our teasing about her blocking out the signal to the radio when she bent down, she did work like a trojan.

Indeed here on the right, you can see a sight which I am sure most of you thought you would never see:-

A complete reversal of the roles, normally found in Ashwood Terrace. We have Martin skiving by talking to a fellow allotment holder, meanwhile......

Dana is not deflected from her task and labours on with her spade.

Martin of course has made a new friend, (Tony), who is kind enough to offer his advice on various things and it is not long before we are all talking like gardeners and discussing the merits of "potash" etc etc

For the doubters among you, who think Martin has only virtual friends, the above picture proves Tony really does exist.

I must admit, when I first saw the size and neglected state of Martin's Allotment, I did not expect crops to be grown in 2010, indeed I did not really expect any crops to be grown ever!

But in just two hours we have managed to clear about a sixth of the total area. The plan is to clear about a third of the total area and plant "things" this year, with the rest being gradually cleared and cultivated as and when time permits. After this mornings performance it does actually look possible.

After two hours of more or less solid digging, I feel fine, it will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning!

I return home to undo my good work by tucking in to bacon and eggs.

Then a quick check on the Internet and I am rewarded with a photograph of our latest grandchild in the making. Susana, our daughter-in-law, at roughly four months pregnant proudly shows off the developing "bump". She should be back in Houston this weekend, so we should be able to speak to her on the telephone.