New Year’s Resolutions

No, I haven’t made any yet. And the reason is simple – our allotment office and shop are closed, while workmen do clever and interesting things inside, such as removing asbestos and restoring cladding and what have you. All very necessary, important and valuable stuff: but also very damaging to the morale.

Without a place to start my allotment visit with a cup of tea and a chat, finding out what other allotment-holders are up to, enjoying a gossip, an exchange of information, maybe even some seed or equipment swaps, I feel a bit lost, to be honest.

I notice as I wander round, being nosy (well, I am allowed, it’s my job – I’m the allotment blogger, after all!) that the closure of the office has had a really profound effect on many allotment holders. Andy’s around a lot, with his pet seagull and the big cat that hangs around him whenever he’s on the site, and Ron seems to get up to his plot most days, but a lot of other regulars who’d be putting in time between Christmas and New Year just aren’t around their allotments nearly as much as they would usually be.

I hadn’t realised how important our gathering place was to us, and now I’m adrift – it’s like trying to play tennis on your own!

Labels: allotment-december, allotment-office