[Glen]

After alot of pain, today I managed to get hold of the woman who controls the allotment allocation in my home town.

GREAT NEWS! Were 5th on the list for a plot!

Aparently the renewal forms go out early Jan in my town and this is the time of year that plots come available!

I'm so excited!!

[nobby]

welldone mate keep phoning every week so she dosent foget who you are
then the fun begens

[Glen]

Will do!

The good thing is we have 2 sites within half a mile of our house and she believes we will be able to take at patch at one or the other!

Now i need to start reading on what i should do first? Any tips?

[nobby]

some sort of shed  
  compost heap  
  lots of radox for the bath

[Glen]

Hmmm a shed would worry me because of the oiks round here would damage it.

Compost heaps? are these not communual on allotments? If not i will get a bin from my local council.

Radox lol, no pain no gain i guess!

What about water on allotments? Is there a site tap or will i need some form of water butt?

[fatbelly]

After alot of pain, today I managed to get hold of the woman who controls the allotment allocation in my home town.

GREAT NEWS! Were 5th on the list for a plot!

Apparently the renewal forms go out early Jan in my town and this is the time of year that plots come available!

I'm so excited!!

Glen,
My advice is to keep phoning and in a polite and friendly manner remind the person who gives out the plots you are still very interested. That's what I did and I got a plot.

[richyrich7]

Good advice fatbelly kill 'em with kindness thats the way to do it.

Fingers crossed for you Glen

[Glen]

Thanks guys, i did manage to get through to the lady yesterday who seemed pretty sure that we would be issued a plot shortly. fingers crossed its earlier rather than later as were itching to get started!

[noshed]

You need some big compost bins - build them out of pallets. If there's a bit of weeding to do you'll need somewhere to put them. So you could be collecting pallets now if you like.

[SnooziSuzi]

but don't put weeds in that have long tap roots, eg dock or dandelions otherwise they'll just regrow.  

Have you got a means of transporting tools to and from the lottie if you don't want a shed?

Re taps and other utilities; each site is different.  some do have them some don't.  some sites have electricity  :shock: most don't though  :roll:

word of warning to you - having a lottie is alienating (ie you'll never see the pals you once new again!), addictive (you'll want to spend all day every day down there) and loads of fun!!!

congrats!

[eco-friendly]

my advice is don't expect anything because you will deff get the opposite of what you expected.as you dont want a shed,there will probably be one there already.the opposite was true for me i wanted a shed but took on a plot with no shed and now dunno if i can be botherd to errect one myself not with all the digging i have to do this year. second advice is be very respectfull and nice to the other plot holders there.third advice is invest in a thermos flask and a chair.
Sorry to hear you've been waiting so long,when i enquired into getting an allotment a year ago i was expecting to go on a waiting list but was told there was 18 empty plots to choose from on my nearest site which just proves you should never expect anything. i picked a lovely plot with some trees around the edge and today i called council and asked for a map of the other empty plots

[Glen]

To be honest i am amazed that i have been on the waiting list for so long. I know of 5 allotment sites in my town and having been nosey there are loads that seem unoccupied?

Maybe people just keep hold of them as they are so cheap as well!

[eco-friendly]

yeah i think the general rule is as long as you pay your rent and your plot isnt causing other plot holders to complain you can keep them and not use them, it is a shame when people like you are waiting and eager. maybe you should tell the council about a couple of plots that are clearly not being used ask them to look into it.

[Glen]

Did this today Eco, had a great chat with Pam at the Council (were on first name terms now) who told me she has some plots available but wanted to see what plots were available at the end of this month before she offered one to us. To be fair, at first i was like just gimme, gimme, gimme but she wants to offer a plot in one of the two sites within 300yds of where we live.

Yes i to am amazed that my Council are putting me first for a change!

Will keep you all posted!

Glen

[love-my-plot]

If plots aren't cultivated on our lotties,the tenants are given notice and the plots are allocated to someone new. Works well and means all the plots are at least partly used. Twice a year plots are judged for best spring summer & best autumn winter etc...all the old timers ( who are lovely & helpful to us beginners) won the prizes last week at the annual award thingy. The rest of us got a lovely meal provided  

Sounds like you'll be getting a plot soon, Glen. Good luck with it.