August 2008. It's all over I'm afraid, I've lost the plot. So to speak. It's been a crazy 6 months since Al and I parted, and in the meantime the allotment fell by the wayside... so it's onward to Norwich and Lottie has taken her land back. There are a few final pics to show that all is well and even the apple trees have produced more fruit than ever before. Let's hope someone really nice gets to cultivate her next. Thanks Lottie & all who toiled in her.... it was an experience I'll always cherish. Mel xx


------------------------



It's Jan 2008 and we've nearly eaten all of last year's allotment produce; there are a few peas and beetroot lurking in the freezer, several bottles of pickled beetroot across the country, and some new broad beans in the ground in one of the raised beds. The fence is complete, we're still without a tap but it's winter so it's ok. Jamie and Paul have given their allotment up and expect they'll share ours this year, which is cool. Here's to another year of growing lovely veg :)


September 07
YES! The fence has been started brilliant - We Really Have Won! Picked a large crop of carrots (only one didn't have any holes in it) plus 2 sweetcorn as the squirrels have started eating them. Couple more beetroot, some massive courgettes and all of the onions before they go completely soggy. Planted some kale and chard.


August 07
Wet again. Have removed the glass from the allotment due to letter of complaint from the Council. Appeared in the Herald & Post again commenting on compost: 2 page spread with 2 pics this time!! Still harvesting the beetroot and onions - sweetcorn coming along nicely. Lottie is looking like a proper allotment now - very tidy!

July 07
Just picked our first beetroot and onion, been eating the peas, lettuce and broad beans all week. Yummy. Had a mammouth weeding session - hour and half on Thurs night with Nick, Al Murray Dave and Al, then all day today with Al, then Saffy, then Alex. Tired and pleased it's done. Can now reply to Arthur's pompous letter and tell him to stick his unattended irrigation system (the hose) where it belongs.

June 07
Just finished planting the final raised beds - tomatoes and cucumber in the little one, squashes, courgettes and sweetcorn in the big one. Al had to finish the job on his own as I specatularly fell off the plank over the raised beds, spraining my ankle and wedging my ass between the 2 beds, resulting in bruises and scrapes on my legs, and narrowly missing impaling my head on an iron post but scraping it down my back instead. Wow what a headline that would have made - Eco Warrior killed by courgettes.

May 07 = Not much done as it mainly rained in May. A lot.

April 07
What a fantastic sunny Easter weekend we've had. Just spent all of Easter Monday in Lottie with Al, Alex, Jamie, Saffron and Nick. We've made a new border on the lawn and planted the peas, plus put the carrots and onions into the raised bed. The Council are taking away the end of my allotment plot when they install the new fence next month, I'll lose the area from the oak tree down, so our potato patch and compost bin area, but it could have been a few feet worse, so it's not so bad. Only trouble is Alex and I cultivated the potato area earlier in the year, so we've extended the raised bed and transferred the good soil to the bed. Can't let the council have it!! Check out the allotment progress for pics....
17th April - created a couple more raised beds, planted loads more seeds and had 14 people over for BBQ. SUMMER's HERE!
April 25th - ARRGGGHHH the stupid council jobsworths have ripped out every bush and hedge and plant that isn't a tree from around the edge of my plot. There's absolutely no reason for it, as the part they've destroyed is nowhere near the plans for the new fence. New hedges for my birthday presents pls! Blackberry bushes I think.


March 07
The first plants are in - little tiny broad beans. I'm going to keep track of the growth this year - see Plant Progress for pictures. Still unsure as to whether the weather will decide it wants a winter after all, or maybe Spring really is only a few weeks away.


Feb 07
We hopefully will have no more trouble this year with the bloomin council, so take a look at the Allotment Progress page for an ongoing diary of how we do things in the land of Lottie. Can't say that it's full of tips, but by the end of the year the produce will tell the tale of how successfull we've been :) Thanks so far to Al and Alex for their digging and shovelling efforts - it's so much more rewarding than the gym!


17/01/07 - WE WON!!!
The Council last night made the decision to adjust the plans for the new allotment fence, to include my plot instead of cutting it off from the rest of the allotment community, so there will be no demolishing of Lottie.
THANK YOU:
- To everyone who signed my petition - all 569 of you - I felt the weight of your signatures on my shoulders last night at the Area Committee and it kept me sane! Please forward this message on to whoever else signed, we may reach everyone!
- To Alan, Alex, Gemma, Graham and Nick - the original allotment team, the instigators and my best friends.
- To Bev Creagh at the Herald & Post for supporting our cause and writing such a brilliant 2 page spread. (and following it up with another article when we won!)
- And to Graham Neill - the architect who visited the plot yesterday morning, and who 'got it.' I truly believe he changed the minds of the Parks Team - Guardian Angels come in very unique forms sometimes!
The Future
Due to us 'bloody new age eco warriers' taking a stand, the council have admitted that they are not happy with the work of Arthur Perkins, Allotment Secretary. He's not been attending the AGM meetings or doing anything to promote our Allotment Society. We met with the Treasurer of the allotments last night after the meeting, and he's taken my number and will be in touch to discuss the future of Stockwood Park Allotment Society. Not only have we succeeded in keeping Lottie, but the world of allotment keepers in Luton is about to improve. And in the grand scheme of things, that's a bloody miracle.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!

7th Jan 07
Been offered a meeting with 'Councillor Strange' to discuss the various 'options' I have regarding the allotment... watch this space for any more info.
The signatures keep on coming - thanks to everyone who has signed, it's really amazing, especially seeing the corners of the world this issue has reached! Check it out - there are places I never knew existed... maybe I could do a Dave Gorman and go and visit all of my supporters?!!