We got one!!!

[timiano]

Hi,

Been a lurker on here on and off for some time, but I thought I'd just share our fantastic news. We got our own allotment!!

There are 3 (ish) sites in my home town (Warrington), Kingsway, Blackbear and Red Lane. We applied for all three (which reminds me, I must take our names off the Red Lane list), and told there was a wait of any where up to 24 months  :(...Anyway, we applied back in Mar/Apr, so its only been 8 months and we were offered a place on Kingsway.

The plot is about 16yd by 11yd so not monumentally massive, but its a great start for us, and will probably fulfil all of our needs  :) Its completely bare with grass, so its going to take some work. 1/2 is covered with some black plastic to kill off whatever is underneath, and the other half is grass. We've been advised to turn the grass over two spades deep to kill it off...which'll be a job and a half. Once that is done, we'll set about laying the beds etc out. May look at a teeny shed for stuff and sheltering out of the way.

So, a big hello at last!

Tim and Sally

[timiano]

[lorna]

Congratulations. Hope you have many happy hours on your plot. Don't forget the pics.
Lorna

[manicscousers]

can't you just take the turfs off and stack them somewhere to rot, or is it all couch and weeds ?..lots of advice on this site but, we can't dig so had to do the above  :D by the way, have fun and congrats on joining the lottie set  :D

[timiano]

Thanks for the replies, that was quick  :)

Will get some pictures taken when I get the chance, we're both going down on Sunday to have the first crack of the whip.

Digging shouldn't be too much of a problem as I'm 29 and my wife Sally is 31, so we're fairly fit and able. Once its done, it should be done. We've decided we are going to uncover the plastic bit and turn that over, and put the plastic on the grassy other half.

Thanks again

Tim and Sally

[Barnowl]

Congratulations. Hope you get much enjoyment and good crops  :)

[flytrapman]

Hi
Congratulations
I was on the Woolston waiting list for 6 years, got sorted of Wigan council in the end

[kt.]

I've heard of long waiting list but you 6yrs I've heard anyone say they waited is definatlet the longest :o

[TheGrowingFamily]

Hi timiano,
I'm in Warrington and also have an allotment on the Kingsway site.
What number plot are you?

TGF  :D

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A Timiano... shouldn't need double digging...
:)

[Mave]

Hi
Timiano it’s nice to hear you managed to get a plot.  We’re from the Orford park gang of allotmenter’s Warrington.  There are quite a few sites in the Warrington area.

[timiano]

Ah

Didn't see all of these other replies, thanks for the welcome.

I can't remember the plot number silly me, but its near the vehicle entry gate. As you come in through the gate, there's a pile of rubbish/refuse on the left, and then ours is the 2nd plot down.

I tried double digging a few 1m square patches but it was a nightmare. It took about 1 hour to do each and I was very knackered. The soil is so heavy there its untrue, especially with all the rain we were having. With working away from home and being extremely busy I just didn't have time or the energy to turn it over manually. We were going on holiday to India for 2 1/2 weeks on Feb 1st, so I decided to hire out a mini digger/rotavator from HSS in Warrington for £50 (I think).

Having never used a rotavator before, this was certainly not fun, well at least at first. It was as much effort as digging, but I was getting the job done quicker. After about an hour of use though, I kind of got the knack of using it so it became much much easier...yay! Over a period of 2 days when there was light we rotavated, and my wife Sally cleared a lot of the rubbish on the Sunday (as well as having a few goes on the rotavator :))

Here's a couple of vids of us in action  ;D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6oU92Ww1xM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2KB6Mg6jG4

Hope you are all well

Tim

[cornykev]

Hi Tim looks hard work that rotavator I suppose its getting used to it, please tell Sally to keep both hands on the rotavator H & S and all that  ;D looks like you are getting stuck in, good luck.  ;D ;D ;D

[kt.]

Looks like you are both having fun with the rotavator. Is that not cheating.... ;D ;D ;D

[busy_lizzie]

Good luck Tim and Sally.  It will be well worth the wait I am sure, once you start harvesting your own produce. Looks as though you are quite organised already, though that rotovater looked like a lot of heavy work. Loved your dogs, who were very well behaved. You have got a brilliant start at just the right time of year.  What are you planning to grow?  :) busy_lizzie