Vandals on the Allotment, Potting on Tomatoes

Vandals – a rant!

Went down to the allotment shed for another couple of gallons of paraffin as the forecast is cold and I don’t want to lose anything in the greenhouse.

Greeted by George Cornes, secretary of the allotment association, who was telling me they’d had more problems with vandals on the site. They’re painting the fence with special anti-vandal paint. Now, I know George is pretty anti keeping chickens on allotments, although he has never directly said why to me, so how much credence to put in his tale with regard to the hens, I don’t know.

Anyway, apparently the intruders set fire to the portaloo and turned over a chicken coop, killing the occupants as well.

I can understand theft – not to condone it, you understand – but vandalism just makes no sense. Why destroy something for no gain? I suggested that schemes like BUGS, which seek to involve children in gardening and allotments might be an answer but got the usual dimissive response. This from the man who doesn’t believe in promoting allotments in case the vandals find out where they are!

I’d suggest they know already and involvement and education are a long term solution of more promise than moaning that people shouldn’t keep chickens on allotments or even know about them.

Potting On

Back at the ranch, moved on the Big Boy tomatoes and the generic Cayenne Hot peppers into 3″ pots. These have taken up residence in the back bedroom where they’ll be a little warmer than the greenhouse.

Cold and Colder

The weather sites are predicting minus 1 or 2 tonight and some pretty cold weather for the week coming. Glad I got the paraffin supply in. In really bad weather, with both barrels burning, it costs about 80p a day to run. Funny, when we turn up the heating in the house  we rarely think of the cost – just those warm radiators. When you buy your fuel for cash in advance, it’s more real somehow.