Monday 27th April 2015 to Sunday 3rd May 2015

Monday 27th April 2015
Up early (5.10am).  Dog walked, papers fetched. -2 celsius overnight which is just what my peas could have done without but I covered them up a bit on Sunday night so hopefully they'll be okay.  Damn frost.  Got ready for work and on way stopped off at lotty to uncover and water with some warm water from home.  Damn frost.  In work for just after 8am need to avoid Ambergate as not impressed with ten minute wait for traffic lights.  Busy day.  Home for 6.30ish.  Tea. Dog walk. Insulating greenhouse a bit better.  Down lotty with Phil.   Covered up peas and beans.  Bit of measuring. Back home, bed early.

Tuesday 28th April 2015
Up at 5.10 again.  Walked past Church with dog at 5:24 -  might be earliest yet as cleaners for surgery hadn't arrived when we walked past there and they're always hoovering by time me and the pooch go past.

Walked past church at 5:24

Papers fetched, back home, bagel and a coffee, shaved and showers.  Breaky, wished Lucy luck for exams. Off to Lotty, took fleece off the peas and broad beans gave everything a water (took 2 litres of hot water with me so it wasn't putting straight cold water on them).

Peas and broad beans seem to be surviving, good job too!

Got petrol on the way and still into work by 8.15 so not too shabby all told.  Am bringing a couple of nets home to do a bit of joining up work tonight.

Went to Lidl at lunchtime got some more pea and carrot seeds, all good stuff.   Home for about 6.30.  No need to take dog walk as she's going with the bosskat.

Down to Lotty on bike.  Covered up the peas and broad beans.  Got the first earlies in.  Got three or four barrows of muck into the original big raised bed.  Got two barrows of top soil going the other way! Getting there slowly.  By 8.50 it was getting a bit dark so cycled back home the long way.

Wednesday 29th April 2015
Up  late at 5:30.  Shorter walk in rain with dog.  Watered the plantation, the usual.  Down to lotty in rain to uncover the peas and broad beans.  Work for 8.20 all good.

Doctor's appointment in afternoon, b.p. up a bit needs a bit of monitoring.  Did a gutter of peas for putting into plot around third week of May hopefully.  After tea went down the lotty and did a bit of work moving stuff around to set up the last raised bed which is only a 6" one so not as raised as the others!

Covered everything up, put stuff away and on the bike home at 20:56 still a bit of light there too.

Thursday 30th April 2015
Up at 5:30 again, definitely a lie-in.  Dog walk, papers fetched. Brek, Allotment. Plantation. Off to work 8.20am

Got home from work about 6.15.   Tea.  Dog walk.  Went to see Darley Moor agricultural farm sale – hell’s teeth there’s some junk but also some stuff that brings back a lot of memories:

Uncle Peter has some kit like this for chopping up swedes and turnips for cattle food

Got Phil to drop me off at lotty on way back.  Glad I did too as everything needed covering up from the frost that was forecasted.   Did some more digging and sieving.  Getting there gradually.  Phil come back for me about 9pm and that was that.  Shut the greenhouse down in the dark, never mind.

Another plot has become available that looks like it doesn't need a load of work.  

No shed or anything but not overgrown so that's good.  No fence either so possibly just do spuds and courgettes in first year. 

Friday 1^st May 2015
How on earth can it be Friday 1^st May? Don’t know.  Got up at 5.35 after opening my eyes and realizing it was getting light – am evidently cream crackered it would seem.  Anyway, got up and got the dog walked, papers fetched.  Am going to a group in Belper at 8.45 so had an extra half hour so went down the lotty uncovered stuff.  Dug up a bit more path and sieved it into the beds.   Need to make my mind up how I’m going to finish the path off really. Slope, step, dig all the way round to the gate.   Pound and a half on this week which I'm somewhat irritated about but you reap as ye sow. 

Saturday 2nd May 2015
Up early. Dog walked. Papers fetched. On bus to Derby by 10.15, met up with Jason F and his mate Martin.  Watched the worst game of football in a long time.  All they needed was a poxy draw and they couldn't even manage that.

Derby County 0 Reading 3 - Absolute crap

Went to Dolphin for something to eat after, very nice.  On bus home for 4.30 and lift back with the missus. Marvellous

Sunday 3rd May 2015
Up early as always.  Dog walked but absolutely chucking it down so only a short one.  Got the Greenhouse complete insulated so that's progress of sorts.  By 11am it had stopped and took her a proper walk.  Then we went down lotty to do a bit.  Got a row of Broccoli in and some more digging. Then off to me mum and dad's for tea, very nice.   Loads of dog walks but nothing else to report as yet.  

16/13.5 

Monday 20th April 2015 to Sunday 26th April 2015

Monday 20th April 2015
Just the usual - 5.20 got up, dog walked, papers fetched, shave, shower, breakfast, water everything off to work.   Phil off to work in Ashby-de-la-zouch at 7.30 so got him up at 6.30

Went and strimmed and stuff at the lotty after walking the pooch and tea.  All good stuff

Tuesday 21st April 2015
Same again, up early.  Got to work about 8.20 - watering stuff is definitely slowing things down and no mistake.   Allotment Association AGM had a bit of a scare when they said there were thoughts to ban pallet compost bins as we've only just put one up a month or so ago.   Need to make it rodent proof. Anyway walked there and back and then took pooch out for a walk when got back, all good stuff!!

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
Same again, early doors but did a trip to lotty to drop off six bags of bark at the plot, watered the onions while I was there. Got to work about 8.30 but can't be helped.  Did a bit of work on the greenhouse when got home going to put bubble wrap up as shade and insulation to boot which seems to be recommended on a lot of the websites.   Measured some wood for cutting the last mini raised bed.

Thursday 23rd April 2015
Up at 5.30. Same old, same old.  Watered the plantation.  Have started putting peas out to harden them up in the morning.  Probably overkill starting them off in greenhouse but what the heck let's give it a go.  Got some bubble wrap installation put up in the greenhouse after taking pooch for evening walk round the meadow.  More to do but getting there.

Friday 24th April 2015
Up late at 5:45.  Dog walk, papers fetched.  Shave, shower, watering off to work.   Took Charli, one of the developers to see a group at Belper Football Club, weighed in at same time.  2lbs off will do as I've done nowt to deserve it!  Bought some M6 nuts to fasten up the bubble wrap from Tri-Ard Fasteners - only went there because Screwfix hadn't got any but will go there again - cost a fraction of what Screwfix wanted.  Brilliant.

Saturday 25th April 2015
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched, Down the lotty shifting muck and topsoil about. Ace. Piccy B about 10:30.  Golf for first time in 2 months at 1pm.  No idea what to expect as had literally not even had a golf club in my hand since 28th Feb!   Anyway, I hit the ball great apart from chipping, putting and correct club selection.  For example hit a wedge from about 90 yards over the top of the 7th, hit 9 irons to back of the second and 5th holes.   Three putted all over the place and chipped like an eejit but was pleased I could still play. On the 8th hole one of the few three or four holes I managed to par I hit driver and five wood to the side of the green which for me was not bad at all on a par 5 hole!   Did a bit more down the lotty afterwards.

Sunday 26th April 2015
Up early.  Walked pooch, did a bit of greenhouse, Walked pooch again.  Down the lotty not going potty. Moving soil all over the shop.  Good news Phil has got his trailer sorted so I can have rest of raised beds down there.  I got one bed loaded up with peas, broad beans and sowed two short rows of beetroot and parsnips.  I also put a couple of cauliflowers in to see what would happen.  Anyway, lunchtime at the Cross at Cauldon Lowe - really enjoyed it must take ma and pa there.  Back home, trailer loaded up and raised beds delivered. Loads more soil shifting.  Will get spuds in at last tomorrow.

How big does this look??!!?

First bed - peas, broad beans, beet roots and radished - a bit mixed up but I got tons of space!

16/12

Monday 13th April 2015 to Sunday 19th April 2015

Monday 13th April 2015 
Up at 5:30.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Got the lad up as he's one more day of much spreading in sunny Stafford.  Shaved, showered, brekky.   Greenhouse done.  Into the office for just gone 8am - bit of queuing up the A38 now the kids are back at school.

Phil is spreading muck somewhere near Stafford again. Don't know how he can put up with the stink.

Got home in not bad at all time.  Tea.  Dog walk then more pottering.  Potted up sunflowers, tomatoes, chilli peppers, cucumbers, also fired off some more runner beans, dwarf french beans and climbing french beans.   Have ordered some clips to enable me to put some shading up all being well.


Tuesday 14th April 2015
Up at 5:35, felt late, didn't want to get up!  Dog walked early doors, got the boy up.  Watered the plantation.  Into the office at 8.10.  DCFC tonight on a free ticket.  Not brilliant seats but free. Seats in actual fact were fine.  Got RamsBus from Ashbourne at 6.30, couple of beers before game bumped into Mark and Hilly from Hanger 4.  DCFC whooped Blackpool 4-0 - can't ask for any more than that.

 Didn't think too much to Derby's performance but a win is a win is a win!   Bed at 11.15 after watching a bit of Newsnight.

Wednesday 15th April 2015
Woke up at 5.45 a bit tired.  Walked the pooch, got the papers.  Watered the plantation.  Into office for 8.15.  All good stuff. Group after work.  3lbs on.  Not surprised head's not in it at the moment!  A bit of potting stuff up in the greenhouse and then managed to drop a load of stuff on me peas.   Bugger.

Thursday 16th April 2015
Up at 5.45 and it was a bit of a struggle to manage that even.  Dog walked. Papers fetched. Plantation sorted.  Into the office for just gone 8am.  Car hit a blackbird on the way into work which has rather soured things.  Made a load of raised bed frames for the lotty.

Friday 17th April 2015
Up early, dog walked.  Day off.  Piccy B.  Making more raised bed frames.  Took them down to the allotments on Phil's tractor and trailer.  All good stuff.

Saturday 18th April 2015
Up early. Dog walk. Piccy B.  Bit of potting. Off to cousin Colins to get a trailer of manure.  About thirty/forty barrow loads up to the plot.  I've got tons of the stuff now!!

Sunday 19th April 2015
Up early dog walk.  Bit of potting.  Down the lotty - set up first smaller  raised bed - took 7 barrows of soil from the original big raised bed -a m not going to have enough soil is the simple answer!   In the afternoon we got the mower going then over to me mums for tea.  Marvellous.


17/0

Monday 6th April 2015 to Sunday 12th April 2015

Monday 6th April 2015
Up early.  Feeling like death warmed up.  Trudged along through Ashbourne like a zombie, Lily was happy enough with pace, gave her chance to have a sniff round.  Went to work to finish a big job off.  Left at 3.15pm, got home, went straight to bed. Slept about 13 hours I think.  Heard Derby beat Wigan though so at least some light in the dark.

Tuesday 7th April 2015
Up early.  Walked dog again really slowly.  Did a load of work at home, didn't go into work.  Walked the dog a couple of times, definitely feeling a bit better.

Wednesday 8th April 2015
Up really early.  Slept better but still not really right. Never mind off to the office.   Good thing about being unwell is no apetite meant I lost 7.5lbs at group.  Could do with that every week for a month or two!

Thursday 9th April 2015
Up early. Dog walked, papers etc.etc. Everything coming along nicely in the greenhouse.

Friday 10th April 2015
Supposed to be a day off today but want to check something out first.  All okay in the event, more or less.  Started work on raised beds.  The plan was to do them over the weekend but Phil got some work so two was all that was done.  Such is life.

Saturday 11th April 2015
Made sure Phil got off to work nice and early.  Papers and dog walks.  Fetched Piccy B for me and Lucy - all good stuff.   Bit of potting in the green house.  Mum and dad popped over bought me a new improved chair for me green house - have had to move the hanging baskets to ground level as don't want water dripping all over it.

Down the allotment for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  More digging over, banged down some chicken manure and lime for where the brassicas are going to go.   Took two bags of weeds down to the recycling all good stuff.

Watched a bit of golf when got home (was going to come home and listen to Derby County but realised when Burton were on Radio Derby that the DCFC match must have been at lunch time, never mind).

Sunday 12th April 2015
Up early to make sure Phil got off.  Took pooch a walk. Pottered in the greenhouse.  Me and missus went up to Uttoxeter to do a wee bit of shopping.  All good stuff.  Got four circular stepping stones for the path into the greenhouse £24 !!  License to print money.  Never mind, got them done and got the turf taken down the recycling.  Got lawns mowed after moving the raised beds around.   More golf on telly.  Went bed early'ish though.



16/11.5