« Annoyed and angry | Adrian Seal Blog : Editor - Uxbridge Gazette Homepage | Climate Camp »
August 9, 2007
Getting dirty
Having realised that National Allotment Week starts next Monday (August 13) I alerted the newsdesk to the fact that this could be a possible feature idea for next week's Gazette.
I was surprised when content editor David Tilley came back and told me that having checked with the council there were almost 40 allotment sites in the borough.
I would certainly not have put the number as that high although I have seen recently that more people, particularly younger ones, are taking on allotments and in some areas there is a long waiting list for patches that become vacant.
Certainly the allotments opposite where I live are a hive of activity every weekend and my neighbour's regular delivery of freshly picked produce to my doorstep most welcome.
It seems that tending an allotment is no longer a pastime for the retired and with this in mind our youthful reporter John Hugill has been dispatched to explore the allotments of Hillingdon today for a feature in next week's paper.
I am not entirely sure how strong his horticultural knowledge is, although he does have a red pepper plant growing near his desk, and I just hope he can tell the difference between a courgette and a cucumber when he starts digging for stories later today.
On the positive side he does seem extremely keen to do the feature but then that might just be because he fancies some time out of the office in the sun and the possibility of some free fresh produce for his tea tonight.
On the subject of the sun I am hoping to get in a trip to the beach in the next day or so...
My son's girlfriend is desperate to go to the seaside while on holiday from Scotland - well they don't see much sun in that part of the world - so I will be packing up the picnic hamper and heading for the sandy shores of West Wittering in Sussex for some sun, sea, sand and possibly a glass of Sangria by the water's edge.
Posted by aseal at August 9, 2007 8:11 AM