Newby allotmenteer - my story

First forays into the world of allotmenting.

By Dominic Morgan

Hi There,
I've just got my allotment.  Well, just meaning back in April.  "Just" makes the excuses for not digging much of it over a bit easier to pass off.
I had been on the list for an allotment for over 4 years - in that time I had changed jobs twice, and moved house, but I guess that is part of the test process.  If you can endure the waiting list, then you must have the tenacity required to have an allotment.
My patch, 106/1 in the Weald, is a south facing (if you count the shed at the top) half allotment, with an abundance of pretty white flowers and berries.  The white flowers I have always known as "Granny pop out of the bed".  Others know them as Bindweed, and I have been doing a fantastic job cultivating this attractive crop.  The berries, are blackberries, and the pruning of those has left me with a significant mound of stuff to burn when the wind is blowing in the correct direction for me to do so (vertically upwards).
I also inherited a pond, minus any interesting wildlife, which I soon put to rights by importing some of my neighbours tadpoles.  Unless they took part in "Strictly come dancing" or played a Vajazzle consultant in "The only way is Essex", she had little interest in them, so her amphibious loss was my gain.  
So, I had the raw materials, enthusiasm and several pairs of gloves (well left handed ones, as the foxes had eaten all of the right ones...).  What happened next?