Worthing and District Allotments and Gardens Association

Monday, 30th August

Bank Holiday Monday so a drive out to Chichester. We were looking for bathroom tiles but didn't find any. It didn't help that most places on the industrial estate were shut. Still we had a nice look round Chichester and a cup of tea and a bun. I must get to the allotment tomorrow but it's not going to be easy as I've got to wait in for a builder and I've promised a friend I'll call round sometime tomorrow. And I've got to get a dental appointment (why do teeth always break on a Bank Holiday weekend?) and a doctor's appointment (never you mind!) But I need to take a last look at the plot to see if I've got anything for the show this weekend as the deadline for entering is Wednesday. Have you entered yet? There's a link to the show schedule on our Home page and this year there's a whole new Novices' section open to anybody who's never won a first prize (Modesty prevents me from saying I'm not eligible) and some of the classes there look eminently winnnable if you've got anything at all. Have a go! What have you got to lose? It doesn't cost anything.

I have been to the plot at the weekend. I intended to dig up all my potatoes but after one row my back said, "NO" so I went picking runner beans, courgettes and raspberries after that. Not quite so heavy going. Ian gave me some strawberry plants while I was down there so I will have another go next year but I can never get them to do as well as the raspberries. Do you think the fact I prefer raspberries has anything to do with it? At home I have been exfoliating (?) the tomatoes in the greenhouse and picking up windfall apples. Not sure if they'll be good enough for the show- the quantity is there just not the quality. I've also hacked back the buddleia as many racemes/flowers were past it and it was taking over the garden bench. Get back, you swine!

Tomorrow night is Pub Night at the North Star where I expect last minute arrangements will be taking place besides a bit of drinking and general chat about the weather, holidays and other matters of great import. I'll concentrate on the drinking bit!

Wednesday, 25th August

Rain! Tons of it, all at once today. And a few drops earlier on in the week. Not that that's what's stopped me from gardening as I've hardly had the chance to get to the allotment anyway. After Norwich it's been Eastbourne with the 2 Mrs Ns. (One of them was my mother!) We quite like Eastbourne and drop in most years but this was the first time we'd managed to fit in a show, a musical show that is, not a horticultural one. We went to see "Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!" at the Devonshire theatre and again I was impressed by musical performers even though I've never liked musicals since I had to watch "The Sound of Music" twice as a kid. Our hotel/guest house was right opposite the theatre which was handy. I've tried several hotels in Eastbourne once but this one I'll definitely use again. It was called the Mowbray and the owners were great as was the food. Not a huge place with all-singing/dancing televisions (although they do have televisions, of course!) but friendly and, like I said, excellent food.
We also took in a couple of band concerts at the band stand which seems to be used much more than ours in Worthing. On the way back we called in at Beachy Head (windy or what?!), Burling Gap and East Dean. Then today I had to take my Mum back to East Kent so I wouldn't have got any gardening done even if the weather had been good. Oh, and did I mention I've had a birthday since I last wrote? All go, isn't it?

I think this rain is just a tad too late for my runner beans which are not prolific this year and going "beany" too quickly, my blackberries which haven't swollen and my potatoes which are also disappointing. I can't see me having much if anything to put in the show although I have got a lot of apples, courgettes and tomatoes. But it's quantitiy not quality. My great hope is my carrots but there's no telling what they'll be like until I tip them out of the growing bin. There might be nothing there! I will enter the photograhic competition but with no real hopes of winning. Oh, for those heady days when I first entered full of confidence and enthusiasm and walked away with 4 firsts and 2 seconds at the first attempt. Now, if I enter I am thrashed by Mrs N. But whether I enter or not I expect I'll be there on the door. Still before that there's Pub Night next Tuesday and a chance to find out what others are doing.

Tuesday, 17th August

I suppose this must be one of the best times in the gardening year - cropping time. At the moment I am cropping cabbages, potatoes, courgettes, raspberries, blackberries, runner beans and tomatoes. Not that I've been a very active cropper recently; as you may have gathered from the lack of postings I have been off gallivanting again. First there was a few days in London to see "Oliver!" (a belated birthday present for my wife) and then a little stay in Norfolk. (Before that I sliced my thumb and couldn't do much anyway) Personally I can't stand musicals but I have to admit it was very well done and Russ Abbott was surprisingly good as Fagin. Previously when in London we have always used the tube but this time we tried the buses and were very pleased with them; they're very frequent and much cheaper than buses round here - £1.20 for any journey no matter how far and free of course if you have a bus pass. They are a bit slow what with all the roadworks but you do get to see more than on the Underground. It wasn't what you'd call a horticultural break but we did take in quite a few parks. The parks there were showing the same signs of a lack of rain as everywhere down here. By the last day though we'd had enough of parks, museums and galleries and took in Harrods. Well, it was Mrs N's birthday treat when all said and done. We didn't buy much.

Next we went to Norfolk to see son number 2 and his partner in their new home in some Norfolk village where the grass was green! While we we there they took us to a place called Wroxham Barns, a sort of retail place with several little arty outlets and Le Grice roses had a garden shop there so I went in and took a look. WOW! There was the eponymous Mr (Bill) Le Grice himself manning the shop. And there was me, a mere mortal, talking to the world famous Mr Le Grice Roses. I was close enough to touch him but, no, I didn't but he did let me take his photo which you can now share. My hands were shaking so much I pressed the wrong button twice and in the end our son's girlfriend had to take the picture for me. He was (still is!) a charming, friendly man probably somewhat bemused by my state of ditheringness. I gave him one of our Association's website cards and he gave me a little catalogue with theirs on. I was interseted to see he stocked King's seeds the same as our stores although he did stock some Italian jobbies too.

Then back to the allotment yesterday morning picking stuff before dashing off to Southampton till bedtime.Today Mrs N and I have been out to Uppark with a couple of allotmenting friends. Tomorrow I'm off to Kent. All go, isn't it?

Thursday, 5th August

Thunder and rain! But I didn't really see it as I was in Tesco's at that time yesterday afternoon. I'd just finished a little walk round Durrington so we were pretty lucky, I suppose. Although we needed the rain it was pretty bad timing; I'd spent yesterday morning on the allotment watering my plot. Not only that I then went on to water a neighbouring allotment for someone who's on holiday! And when did it last rain? Yes, although the rain was welcome it could have arrived before I undertook this mammoth crop irrigation project. I was talking to someone on the allotment - well, there's a surprise - when we saw a big black cloud coming over. It then proceeded to skirt round the perimiter of the site very precisely so we thought we'd missed it. Needless to say none of it fell in my greenhouse at home. Speaking of which, at last a couple of tomatoes are turning red. Hopefully the rain will help the runner beans; although they're coming pretty well some of them are getting a bit beany before they reach any size and I assume it's because I just haven't been able to keep up with their watering requirements. Too late for the potatoes, I think but the courgettes are still going bonkers. I saw a recipe today for chocolate courgette cake so I'll have to draw it to Mrs N's attention. Incidentally, if any of you are handy at making cakes we could really do with some for the allotment show cake stall. If you can help just drop us a message with CAKES in the subject line. Thank you.