Links to Mr. Middleton's weekly tasks first:
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4th Last chance to pot on and water seedlings at home this morning as we set off on holiday this morning.
5th Away on holiday
6th Away on holiday
7th Away on holiday
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11th Monday Duty First, Then Digging
After a long day at work — finishing gone 6pm while clearing the backlog of last week’s admin — I turned my attention back to allotment duties. As Chairman, it fell to me to prepare the non‑cultivation letter for Plot 24a, having already discussed the matter with the committee. Once written, I hand‑delivered it to the tenant’s house on my way to the site. A small but necessary piece of keeping the plots in good order.
On the allotment itself, I put in a solid hour of weeding, steady, determined, and very much in the Dig for Victory spirit. One hour doesn’t conquer the front, but it certainly pushes the line forward. Bit by bit, the weeds are losing ground.
A late start, but a worthwhile one. The season marches on, and so do we.
12th Tuesday, A Rainy Day Indoors
No allotment visit today — I was caught out in the rain at work and decided not to slog up to the plot dripping wet. Instead, I stayed home and turned my attention to the trays of seedlings that had been quietly demanding attention. A good number needed pricking out and potting on, so the evening became a gentle production line of compost, labels, and tiny roots.
I also took the chance to update the allotment association logo — the old one had served us well for over a decade, but it was definitely showing its age. The new version is sharper, cleaner, and ready for the next chapter.
A quieter day, but still a productive one in its own way.
13th Wednesday, A Long Day, a Quick Visit, and Some Sad News
Despite a very long working day today, I still managed a brief visit to the allotment this evening. First job was to check on the plot I’d recently served an improvement notice on, still showing no signs of weeding, which isn't good to see.
While there, I saw our Treasurer, who passed on some sad news: the Secretary’s dog, a familiar companion on the allotments for over a decade, had to be put down yesterday. A loyal little presence gone, and the site will feel different without her.
I then turned to my own clear‑out, filling three large sacks with the weeds I’ve been digging out over the past few days: nettles, bindweed, cleavers and the stubborn mare’s tail. On the way home, I emptied the lot at the local recycling centre — a small but satisfying win at the end of a long day.
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