Monkey Nuts and Radio 5 Live

Hi Chris thanks for speaking to us. You have had a plot for a couple of years now. I am always amazed at how pristine your patch looks, with or without vegetables growing. Third place in last years Allotment competition too. What prompted you to take an allotment plot on? What was the initial motivation?

I guess it was my Dad, I was a little boy( back in the sixties ) he had a fully stocked garden with the whole garden kept in great order growing everything the Family needed and although sport got in the way for most of my life when I finally got to old to do sport any more I thought it was time to give it a go.

Have you previously had an allotment?

This is my first Plot , and to be honest when Valerie showed me and my Wife the plot we asked for a couple of days to think about it


How was the patch when you took it over and what was your initial priority?
Did you have a plan for what you wanted the allotment to look like?

It was a B***** mess, with well established weeds and long grass, but in the end we said yes, my first aim was to try and get it turned over and to see some Mud, and believe it or not it was the most satisfying thing ever. to slowly see the Plot coming back to life.
I have always kept the Plot as 2 big Patches and not turned it into smaller bite size Patches I like it this way, again a hark back to my Dad whose Garden was 2 long strips with a path running down the middle. ( standard Council House set up )



Having got it turned around I like to keep it totally Weed free, and not wishing to sound a grumpy old git I do like being down the far end sitting on my Chair with my Drink, Monkey nuts listening to Radio 5 live, overlooking my old School playing field. I think as you get older the more you reflect.

How did you decide what to grow - crop rotation?

Most of the things that I grow come from an agreement with my Wife ( she tells me what I`m growing ) that is a joke honest and she is my very own Market garden, starting most of the things in her Greenhouse, I work on a 3 year rotation so sort of divide the Plot into 3 parts and keep a booklet of what goes where when.

Any specific learning experiences over the time frame which you believe
to be invaluable?

What have I learned most about my Plot well it`s the position being down the far end puts me in direct contact with those Badger's - as soon as you turn over any soil and plant something they love to dig it up to have a snout, and I have to build something Akin to Colditz to keep them from getting the Sweetcorn ( usually a losing battle they are strong buggers )



How have you found it on site.
The Allotment has everything, I do not know any other Site that has a Toilet and Shop and although I said I like being down the far end making me sound un-sociable it is still nice when who ever comes past they say hello and the get together at Xmas is a great event

I think it`s a great shame we can not fill every Plot, but lots of People must be put off when they are shown some of the Plots.

Having an Allotment seems to be like taking up Bowls (it`s only for old men ) if only people knew it's not.

Thanks for being a sport and offering up an insight to your plot. Hopefully you won't mind us catching up during the year to see how things are progressing.