new allotment

Just started real work on our allotment, after a year!!. Aquired the allotment beginning of 2010 and other than chopping back the weeds, did very little work on it. This year we have more spare time so started working.
First task was to rotovate the whole thing - a task i thought would be easy . Not so, at forst the rotovator took off aroung the garden with me hanging on to it, and to make it worse it was barely scratching the surface. After a while got the technique right and after about 5 hours had the whole thing complete. Next task is to start a dig it over and get out the weeds.
next day set to and managed to plant three rows of potatoes and rows of lettuce, beetroot and rocket. Will keep you posted on the next steps and progress

get work done for free !!!

Hi all , i have just found a new website where you can exchange skills, this allows you to get work done for free by swapping your skills with someone who has other skills. Have a look at www.exchangeskills.co.uk
Let me know what you think

Moving House

We have just moved house !!!! its quite correct what everyone says about it being stressful. I thought i had everything planned , down to the smallest detail. Its impossible, the smallest of details hide in the background until the last minute then jump out to bite you. We have downsized and had some modifications done to our new house. When i say some modifications - we aquired the hous in Feb 2010 and have just moved in (Dec 2010) , we totally gutted the house , modified walls, replaced every ceiling and then had all of the walls plastered and skimmed.
Overall the move of the furniture was ok with 2 hitches, the 3 seater settee had to be dismantled before it would go through the new door frames and the bed base would not go up the newly modified stairs. Not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things. Then sky man turned up - but he didnt have the equipement to install the dish on the chimney (its a grade II listed building and thats the only place it can be positioned) he is rescheduled for between Christmas and new year.
Because of the scheduled move , we invited to my daughters for xmas lunch. she as just called to say the water supply has gone off !!!! - ok , into the car to ferry all of the planned lunch over to our house - i am sure it will all be enjoyable.
haqve a good festive season everyone.

Beamish - a place to visit

A history of Beamish - County Durham : this article has been moved - it can be viewed here ......

Gardening - again!!

Now the proud owner of another allotement !(see my previous posts for the story on the last allotement) this one is full of weeds, but other than that - ready to go. It is well fenced in and has no 'rubbish' on the plot. The first task is to clear the weeds, then do a bit of levelling and finally create the raised beds.

Dont think that we will be able to plant anything this year but it will be ready for 2011.

Also going to get a shed and greenhouse and my better half is asking can we keep hens!, can we have a pond! and can we get some ducks ! - not too sure about this at the moment as it will mean a daily visit to feed etc and that will be time consuming. Never mind food for thought.

The intention is to make it organic - obviously this will take a few years - but thats the target. So will be doing quite a bit of research in the coming months to see what can and cannot be used.

Will keep you posted

Thanks for reading

not sure

If i am looking in the mirror - i am looking in the wrong direction

In My Days ..........

This came about during a conversation with people of around my age. We live in a semi rural area and have access to many woods, streams cliff faces and good walking areas. When i was a youngster (a while ago i might add) as a group (probably referred to as a gang nowadays) we would wander off on a non school day to the local woods. We would leave the house early, armed with nothing more that a bottle of 'pop' or water and sometimes sandwiches. We would return when we we hungry or tired - normally late afternoon / early evening. Parents were never concerned, well apart from the various cuts and bruises we had acquired during the day - all limbs still intact ?, been in bother?, anyone else in the group hurt ? - answer yes/no & no and the next question would be 'would you like some T / Supper ?' and of course you did. Its not that our parents were not concerned about us and our well being - it is just that was the norm in our area. We played collectively as a group and this could include females as well !!! shock horror.