Worthing and District Allotments and Gardens Association

Wednesday, 28th October

Deal castle

This weekend I have been skiving in Kent, Deal to be precise. Deal makes Worthing look very lively but it does boast an architect's award winning café at the end of the pier and a 16th century castle commissioned by Henry VIII to defend these shores against the French. It wasn't needed but was put into service again, I believe, in either the First or Second World War. I didn't visit the café because it was at the end of the pier and it was raining so I just dived into one of the seafront establishments. I didn't visit the castle either but apart from that I had a good time and actually saw some commercial apple orchards when I thought they'd all be grubbed out because of foreign competition. When we got back home I had the lovely task of putting back all the household clocks. Two remain to be done and I shall have to look up the instructions for those.
This morning I headed for the allotment to dig up my remaining potatoes. I've taken some mild stick recently from a few people for my complaints about the wet when it's dry (apparently!) and again as I walked into the allotments this morning: "Digging very nicely. You want to get those potatoes out before the slugs get them." I couldn't find my boots this morning (I really must clear the shed) but as it's so dry I wore an old pair of shoes. Within minutes they were caked in mud over the welts - my soil must be more moisture retentive than other peoples'. I carried on - I've started so I'll finish! I'd taken a hessian sack and a fork with me and a plastic bag for any spuds I scewered. Well, I got to the end of the first row eventually and picked up the bag to move on to the second row. Failure! I couldn't lift the bag. Not that I had a hugely huge crop but I'd forgotten just how heavy spuds are so I still haven't dug up all my potatoes and will have to return with another bag. I cleaned my shoes before coming home.

Friday, 23rd October

Not nearly as much rain as they'd forecast this week, was there? In fact on Wednesday afternoon I went for a pleasant stroll through Whitebeam Woods. Lots of leaves are now falling, nearly as many in my back garden, I think, as in the woods and picking them up is such a pain as you know there'll be a load more soon to take their place. I have managed to get one or two bits done in the garden but I put the allotment off as it will be somewhat muddy down there. I was going to dig up my remaining spuds before the slugs get them but I they'll have to wait a few days while the soil dries out. At home I have been doing more tidying up: I took down my last hanging basket and turned off the outside tap. I've carried on cutting back the evergreen shrubs - choisya and berberis darwinii mainly - and am hoping to finish that job before the end of the month.
On the social side I went on the visit to Southern Water's Waste Water Treatment Works at Ford with a bunch of other members (see report on News page) and next Tuesday evening is Pub Night, of course. Apart from that the social diary is looking a bit thin which should save me a few pennies.

Monday, 19th October

My, what a busy little person I have been recently! This weekend I have been in London. I never go there because I can't stand the place but this was different. It was another of my Special Year birthday treats, staying in a 4* hotel, going to the theatre to see The Mousetrap (yes, it's still on!) and visiting a place called Vinopolis for a wine tasting. Add a few meals out in restaurants and it must make it my social event of the year although there are other events coming up. More later. I actually enjoyed the weekend thoroughly apart from Underground stations and lines being closed for the weekend and the journey home, during which part of the rail ride was replaced by a bus service because of works on the line which meant it took 2½ hours to get back to Durrington station from London Victoria.
The other events have nothing to do with my birthday. This Thursday is the visit to Ford water works which is more in line with my usual social scene activities and the Association AGM is coming up on the 25th November. And I'm already thinking about the Association Dinner in February with Christmas before that. But let's not get carried away - this morning I was back on the allotment. I saw 3 other people and there are over 400 plots at West Tarring. Tomorrow it's going to be wet - might as well shut myself away in a 4* hotel or something.

Thursday, 15th October

Today I had my hair cut - bet my wife doesn't even notice. As it was such a lovely day I decided to walk to the barber's; must have taken me about 7 minutes. It's one of those places where you just sit and wait so I count the number of people waiting and multiply it be 15 minutes to see if it's worth sitting around or coming back later. Luckily there was only one person waiting today so the calculation wasn't that difficult. Apparently all that hair they sweep up would make terrific stuff to put on your compost heap but as I hadn't taken a bag with me and so could only have carried a pocketful or two I decided not to bother. Instead I'll use some grass clippings as I mowed the back lawn this afternoon. I had to use the push lawnmower as the hovermower had blown up/burnt out so it must be about 13 months old. I've had severeal of these things and they just seem to outlive the guarantee before giving up the ghost. So that's no electric lawnmower and no wheelbarrow. This could be expensive and I doubt it's worth my while putting either of them on my Christmas wish list. I'll have to get round to B&Q for one of those 10% cards they give us old fogies then once I've taken off the 10% it might be nearly as cheap as Argos - who won't have what you want in if you go there.
After such a dull day yesterday when I was out for a stroll, today has been a pleasant contrast and as I mowed the lawn it was lovely to see the sun on the tall red fuchsia against the background of the golden yellow crabs of the Golden Hornet tree. Not quite sure that's how my neighbour sees it as many of the little golden balls drop off on his side. In the interests of peace and neighbourly relations I may have to get round to giving that a haircut as well sometime.

Monday, 12th October

I have been to the allotment but only to dig potatoes for dinner, pick a few autumn raspberries and water a friend's greenhouse while he's on holiday. I also had to listen to a complaint from a nearby householder who said all these non-surpressed rotavators were ruining the picture on his digital television. (Not much I could do about that, I'm afraid, except air it here.)
On the non-horticultural front I have been out and about a bit. On Saturday I went to our church's Harvest Supper (shouldn't have had that extra helping of crumble really) and yesterday afternoon Mrs N and I went to the Assembly Rooms to hear Nicola Benedetti perform with the Worthing Symphony Orchestra. I could sit and look listen to her violin for hours but she only played in the first half then it was the Worthing Symphony Orchestra playing Tchaikowski. What a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Saturday, 10th October

Well, all that rain must have been good for something. All a bit late for my stuff, I'm afraid, except maybe the leeks. And now they're threatening cold nights so I have been getting stuff into the greenhouse as best I can. I'd already got the orange tree and the bay tree in, thank goodness, and I've now started to train the young sprawling bay into a standard so it takes up a lot less room in the greenhouse. That still left a load of other stuff which I thought would be easy until I realised I'd forgotten my wheelbarrow had died so it all had to be carried and manhandled by just me. Some of the bigger containers were pretty heavy but it's all in now and my back is still in one piece. I was going to check them all for pests and diseases as well as I put them in but that would have taken ages so I soon gave up that idea so I could get them all under cover before the cold nights arrive. I'll check them later.

I have also been working on the front lawn. It was a bit of a disappointment this year. It was dry for a long time early and mid-season and I certainly wasn't watering it as I'm on a meter and once you start watering it you have to carry on and give it a good soaking or it just encourages the roots to grow near the surface then when it's dry again they just die off. So I've been scarifying. That means giving it a good hard rake to fetch out all the thatch and it's very kna tiring so I've just been doing a bit at a time (yes, I'm a wimp) and there's just one section left to do. Then I shall start aerating it - pricking it all over with a fork; another tiring job but at least the ground should have softened up a tad with all this rain. You see, every cloud has a silver lining.

NB There are still a few places left on the trip to Ford water treatment works if you get in touch soon.

Saturday 3rd October

Hidcote Manor, red borders

Yes, I'm back. You may not have noticed that I'd been away but Mrs N and I just got back from a short break in Banbury. Why Banbury? Well nothing specific about the town itself except that it proved a good base to strike out from and it has a fair sprinkling of restaurants and pubs within walking distance of the B&B so we could eat and drink out of an evening without taking the car. But it was its location which we chose it for as there were several places nearby we wanted to visit and on the way up we stopped near Oxford for a walk into the city and back along the Thames and the Oxford Canal.

Places we visited included Hidcote Manor, Stow and Upton House. We had visited the gardens of Hidcote Manor a few years ago but it's always worth a visit and they're now reinstating the old vegetable gardens, by the orchard. Stow, home of the famous public school, has extensive grounds and we went there on one of the few days they give a tour of the inside of the buiding. Nice to see how the other half live but I bet it costs a pretty penny to go there. It is a beautiful building and afterwards we had a walk through the deer park; no deer any more, I'm afraid, but plenty of sheep. Upton House had loads of paintings but the gardens were interesting too with quite a large vegetable section and the old gardener we spoke to (one of 5, I think) was very chatty and helpful with tips I have already forgotten. He obviously took great pride in his work and it showed, especially the brassicas.

Back on my plot today, picking the last of the runner beans, a few beetroot, some overgrown courgettes and some more straggler rarspberries (long may they straggle!) as well as a bit of watering. I think I shall have to go there again tomorrow to do a bit of tidying up. How do the weeds do so well without any rain? While I'm down there I'd better call in at the shop and renew my membership - if I can find my card and 3 quid!