Is it safe to put potatoes in now ?

I have my earlies in now and have covered them with clear plastic sheet to protect from frost and help warm up the ground (just down the road from you in Huddersfield)

Regards,
  Argaric

thanks argaric and dougsta.

argaric I will follow your lead and put those spuds in asap.

I am growing in slightly raised beds don't know if that makes much difference to soil temperature. I don't have any plastic sheeting but I do have some green scaffold netting that I could put over the top of the bed which will give a little protection. It will keep the pesky cats off too,

Thanks

Mine went in yesterday, no protection 

thanks argaric and dougsta.

argaric I will follow your lead and put those spuds in asap.

I am growing in slightly raised beds don't know if that makes much difference to soil temperature. I don't have any plastic sheeting but I do have some green scaffold netting that I could put over the top of the bed which will give a little protection. It will keep the pesky cats off too,

Thanks

If my 100 year old physics lesson serve me well, I think that raised beds should be slightly warmer (anyone concur?). If you're worried about frost the very fine scaffold netting should help - otherwise horticultural fleece is dead handy stuff and not normally too expensive. Try not to let it touch the plants though.

Mine went in yesterday, no protection 

You should always use protection, Yorkie!

Sorry Dougsta for the ignorance - why shouldn't the fleece touch the plants?  I am using fleece in the evenings in my unheated greenhouse but just laying this on top of the plants (tomatoes, sweetcorn etc).  Will this be a problem?

No probs in the greenhouse, don't worry
Just outside can be an issue - if you have a hard frost that lays on top of the fleece it can "burn" the leaves. Not often but sometimes. If you can put some support under the fleece so that it doesn't touch the plants then you create that insulating layer of air that will stop the frost getting to the plants.