47-50 An allotment journey

Planting Spring 2009

2009-05-09T04:19:00.001-07:00

The site is now nearly fully operational. We now have raised beds in most of the plots and the stuff planted this year is now starting to grow. Quite a change from when we first took over.

2007-11-16T02:32:00.000-08:00

First crop

2007-09-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Although Jono harvested his potatoes earlier, this is our first crop from the allotment. Its hard to believe this is just from 1 row of potatoes and 1 row of onions! Although we had a few potatoes that were no good due to the weather most of them were in great condition.

Progress has been slow during this growing season, but as crops come up we are now starting to put in raised beds to help keep it more organised for next year and to clearly define the paths. Tom and I put the second of these in last weekend and Jono put the other one at the top in the week before and already has leeks, Strawberries and Lettuce growing in it.

Although not shown here there has been significant progress on the bottom 3 allotments. Due to the efforts of Chris Lee and a few others the trees are being felled and ready to start burning and logging. We should have enough for a few bonfires now the nights are starting to draw in.

Thank you O2

2007-08-07T02:15:00.001-07:00

We want to say a big thank you to 02 who have awarded us a community award grant! Presentation on the 25th August at the lotti pictures will go on this site as well as the 02 site :-)

Party time

2007-05-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Even though there are few post about the progress, there is quite a lot going on. We descided it was time for a bit of a party so a BBQ we had yesterday afternoon. I forgot the photos of the party was too busy eating but the party finished in true alotement fashon ended with a bonfire. Some of the boys got a bit carried away and though we were running short of firewood (as if thats ever going to happen for a while!) and got the saw out and cut a tree down.

2007-04-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

We (The gang at 48-49 & 182-185) are proposing a BBQ on Sunday 6th May (prob between 4pm - 10ish) on Plot 48 (full of tree stumps). We thought it would be a good chance to meet all our fellow allotmenters on Hagg House and a chance for people to get to know each other, share the "experience" of taking a plot there and maybe do some seed swapping etc etc.
So if people are interested lets do it (weather permitting)!

We have one small BBQ and we'll try and build another BBQ out of bricks.
Bring something to sizzle and something to gurgle ;-) and pray for a glorious day!

Anybody interested?

2007-04-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Shame about the thefts going on at the moment, we'll all have to keep vigilant! Here's a picture of Isaac (left) playing with Callum on the allotment.

2007-04-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all avid readers! Quite behind the times with posting at the moment :-) Here are some pictures from the 7th April and a lot has happenned since! Will post some upto date pictures over the next couple of days :-)

2007-03-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Long delay since the last update, just picture of the ongoing work in the snow!

2007-03-14T04:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of work has been done by guys down at the allotment, a big thankyou to everybody who has helped.

The map is an update of which are our allotments and which are available as of yesterday afternnon (13th March 2007). Darker colouring block of six plots are ours and the lighter shadings are "available"

Click on the map to have a closer look. The council is obliged by law to have a certain amount of allotments so even though a lot of the shaded ones don't actually seem to exist the council "has" to list them.

Basically the site is now pretty full - fantastic!

We've sorted out our wrong allotments issue we were 47 - 50 (hence the blog name) but we are now 48 & 49 and 182 - 185! Nice to meet Gary down an the allotments on Sunday and to bless him with 47 & 50!

It really feels like a community is building down there, which is just fantastic.

2007-03-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from the weekend! A lot of helpers this weekend and raelly feels like the plots are becoming a group ownership, which was the plan. A massive thankyou to all that worked so hard. A small flaw has emerged in that I've got a plot wrong and we have been working on 48 & 182 and not 47 & 48. I'll chat to the council about that ;-).

We got to meet some of the neighbours and some more people looking for allotments, all very exciting. There's an allotment meeting this Saturday which I was going to go to but unfortunately can't.

That's me below holding little Isaac whilst lots of friends actually worked :-)

This is Si, king of the castle! He's also known as man-who-needs-barber-visit.

Jono preparing the fire...

Si again with Texas Jason, chainsaw man extrordinaire!

Emma feeding the fire...

Raymond and baby...

And the final log pile, the photo really does not do it justice!

2007-03-02T02:51:00.000-08:00

A good few hours on the plots yesterday, working on 47 & 48. A lot more trees down on 47 and the hedge between 47 & 48 really trimmed down (clippings now fill 48!) as well as the shorter hedge between 48 & 49.

Plan is for a few people to go down on Saturday and burn some of the wood.

A big thankyou to Nigel and to Jono for helping out yesterday!

Didn't take camera so no pix. Can see real progress there but an awful lot of work still to do!

2007-03-01T00:29:00.000-08:00

Chatting to Neil a friend who wants to get involved on the plots, he said that you can get free old wheelie bins that are a bit knackered from Onyx/Veiola you just need to go and pick them up. As we are going to be doing just a tad of shredding these would come in very useful!

However, upon speaking to Veiola they said that there was no such thing as I suggested and never had been! All a bit strange, anyway going to get Neil to take me there to see for myself.

Jono bought a new pair of lopers which I'm going to be trying out today, meant to be getting down there later but weather is looking a bit grim again!

Also rang the Park Ranger Service and Veiola to see if they could help with removal of bulky items of rubbish and they have said a catergorical no.

There's an allotment meeting hapenning on the 10th and I guess we'll discuss options then for getting rid of the flytipping material that has gathered over the years.

2007-02-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

Finally a bit of time on the allotment.

Big thanks to Jono for being the first person to help out on the allotment . We cut down a significant portion of the 20 foot high hedge seperating plots 47 & 48 in a two hour blitz. All done using hand tools!

Have a new blade for the chainsaw and have fitted it but going to get a friend to check it before actually using it.

Planning to have some time on the allotments this Thursday, weather permitting!

2007-02-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

Chainsaw used for 20 mins :-)

Probably need a new blade as quicker (but less fun) to use a handsaw.

The "wanted" list is probably complete, wheelbarrow being donated and possibly a rake too!

Hoping to get down next week as no chance this weekend, praying for good weather next week.

2007-02-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

£15 and working in good condition - fantastic! Just need a JCB and then ready to tackle the allotment ;-)

2007-02-20T14:22:00.001-08:00

Not had a chance to get down to the allotment yet to do any serious work, so far two out of rather a lot of trees felled :-) using traditional sawing methods!

2007-02-16T02:01:00.000-08:00

Update on the list!

Good gloves (several pairs)Wellies - bought 2 pairs
Generator - a friend has one I can borrow
Chainsaw - a friend might be able to borrow one
Strimmer - a friend has one I can borrow
Shredder - a friend has one I can borrow
Rake
Wheelbarrow
Peoplepower - lots of offers

Also been offered a small shed :-)

Been down with a virus for a little while so waiting to get over that before getting down with any serious work.

Rough plan is to clear the sites one by one, somehow digup all the roots (mini digger?), and then plan layouts :-) All sounds so easy!

2007-02-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

Current list of things to buy or borrow for the operation:

Good gloves (several pairs)
Wellies
Generator
Chainsaw
Strimmer
Shredder
Rake
Wheelbarrow
Peoplepower

Will do some emailing ;-)

2007-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day - will never happen again! Here's some pix taken today - the task is daunting!

On the right taken inside No 47 - a lot of trees!

Below is the path outside 47 & 48.

The top of No 48!

Below is the path outside 49 & 50, below that in 49 looking up to 48

An official council "map" showing the numbers of the allotments and the edge of 59 from the path, as I said a lot of work!

Met RobD mentioned in my first post - it's his birthday, he mentioned an official get together of the tennents on the 10th March so will have to try and attend.

The start

2007-02-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Ok so the allotment journey begins! I've just started the process of taking on some allotments with some friends (tbc) down on the Hagg House Allotments (Hagg Hill 2). The numbers we have requested are 47-50.

Having been down there several times we must be mad - there's a forest growing through the site! I'm nipping down in a bit to take some pictures and to post the paperwork off.

So why 4 allotments? Well it might seem greedy (or even stupid due to the state that they are in) but there are a fair few friends who are interested in doing it together and one of them wants to grow food to bless people who are in vulerable positions such as the homeless. So we'll see how it goes and if it ends up just being me.

Who are you and whet do you do? My name is Tchad and I live on Toftwood Road in Crookes, Sheffield and these allotments aren't too far from where I live. I'd like to think that I'll be walking down and back again in the summer but at the moment we'll need heavy tools to chop down the forest so I'll be driving.

My job is Business Consultancy and I have a small firm, Lichfield Consulting. I'm very involved in St Thomas' Church, Philadelphia (nxt to Infirmary Road), which is a church that has came out of St thomas' Church, Crookes.

I'm married to my amazing wife Andrea and we have a gorgeous 10 1/2 month old called Isaac. Looking forward to building him a den onsite when he's a bit older.

I want to say a public thankyou to RobD http://a-plot-too-far.blogspot.com and to the Gardening and Allotments Group on Sheffield Forums http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=86 as these sites have helped make up my mind to go for the most run-down allotments site in Sheffield, in true pioneering fashion!

Anyway off to go and get some snaps of what I believe will be my sites, could get it wrong as the numbering on the top of my plot to be doesn't match up with the number on the bottom of my plot to be - lol! Having chatted to Bob at the allotments office (Sheff council) he has told me he will number them next time he is down there (we'll see).