Today was our first day working on the allotment and also the first time Matt had seen it. We'd already managed to get some tools from someone selling them in the local paper but we needed a few more bits before we could begin. Fortunately my boss is lending us his petrol strimmer for the weekend (thanks Richard!). After a trip round B&Q to get some last minute essentials such as a rake, spade, 'toilet' (bucket!), and a padlock for the shed, we headed down to Chyenhall. You'd expect October 1st to be a lovely cool day for digging but it was a real scorcher! The wellies came off almost as soon as they'd gone on, it was way too hot for that. With trousers rolled up and our suncream on, we set about making a start.
I started by strimming back some of the long grass and Matt got to work on digging out some big chunky roots and also breaking down a large bank of soil and grass that has been dumped at the back of the plot. I got the strimmer over about half of the plot when the petrol ran out so that meant I had to find another job to do. We were already boiling hot and sticky at this point so time for lunch and lots of cold drinks.
We were soon back to work and we worked together to make up an incinerator with some mesh off-cuts from work. Matt made a start on demolishing the old compost bin which was made from pallets that had started to rot. When we looked at what was in the compost bin, it was all sticks and dry roots so most of it went in the fire!
Matt worked really hard clearing grass at the back whilst trying not to disturb the rhubard that had been hiding in there. We might as well try and keep it alive seeing as it's lasted all this time on its own!
By about 4pm I was starting to feel very weary (I blame the sun!) so we got our stuff locked up in the shed and poured water on the remains of the fire to stop it smouldering. Tomorrow we will refuel the strimmer and carry on cutting back and digging up the grass and weeds. Lots to be done!
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