Monday 29th June 2015 to Sunday 5th July 2015

Monday 29th June 2015
Up at 4.13 to close windows to block out some of the noise of the dawn chorus, back to bed then up at 5.48   Dog walked paper fetched, into office for 07.45  Tons done.  Home. Watering. Moved shed roof - did a load of weeding,

Tuesday 30th June 2015
Up early.  Dog walked. Papers. Work for 8am.  Hot Hot Hot day.  Lotty after work - watering and not much else!! Bosskat came too and got some strawbobs.  Bed a bit late again, bad habits.

Wednesday 1st July 2015
Up early as usual.  Dog walked.  Bit cooler first thing but going to be hot hot hot.  Tons of good stuff at work.  Taking new chap to see Hollie's group later.  Lost pound and a half at group which is a sort of a result all things considered.  Went home to melt - didn't water the lotty as apparently there was a bit thunderstorm yesterday in Ashbourne that hopefully took care of it.

Thursday 2nd July 2015
Woke up at 5:15, still really warm but better than it was last night.  Took dog walk, fetched papers,  Up in attic to get camping stuff down.

Friday 3rd July 2015
Supposed to go camping.  Called off due to weather.  So mowed lawns and a did a few jobs instead. Shattered blade on the big honda, ordered one off eBay.  Took missus to lunch at the Stones, alright I suppose.

Saturday 4th July 2015
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Piccy B.  Took pooch for dog grooming.  While that happened got paint for bathroom.  Got home - scraped paint off bathroom and applied PVA bond.

Sunday 5th July 2015
Up early, dog walked.  Two coats of paint on bathroom.  More dog walks. Down lotty dug round shed to rodent proof it.  Got wet through.  Got job done in end though so all good.  Decided 2 coats of paint was enough.  Tidied everything away, hoovered again.  Back to work tomorrow.

16/13.5

Monday 22nd June 2015 to Sunday 28th June 2015

Monday 22nd June 2015 
Up early. Dog walk. Papers. Brek. Work at 8am. Another funny day.  Home for 6:15pm. Tea.  Emergency planning meeting at Ashbourne Town Hall.  Well attended by the general public.  The council has a plan for contacting Derbyshire County Council to get assurances that they will neither sell nor lease the land to Derbyshire Dales District Council.  They are also going to ask Derbyshire Dales District Council for clarification on a number of points such their Corporate Director of Housing citing a report that is not in the public domain and dismissing a report that is in the public domain as being irrelevant (it's nothing of the sort, merely inconvenient for their agenda).  After doing my bit for democracy I went to the lotty for a bit of a potter - I got the onions/leeks covered with nets to stop the damn pigeons pulling em out. As it had rained a fair bit there was no need to do any watering (which was nice!).  Watched England ladies football team beat the Belgians 2-1, coming from a goal behind.  Great result - bed at midnight!!!

Tuesday 23rd June 2015 
Up at 5:20.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Into office for 8am, on third coffee by 8:30 (including one at home!).  Another day of fun and games in the office.  Home for 6.30, tea, dog walk, down lotty to finish painting new shed and do a few other jobs I'd been meaning to do - put a net over onions to stop the darned pigeons pulling em up all the time, got slug pellets spread everywhere.   Brought some strawbobs back for the missus.  Watched first episode of new series of True Detective - looks like it will be really good but the first series was something very special so a tough one to follow.

Wednesday 24th June 2015
Up at 5:30.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Dropped a couple of posts off at the lotty that I forgot to carry up previous night.  Still got into the office before 8am.  Another testing day at the office.  Got home a bit earlier after visiting a group on way home.  Took some of the shelving out of the greenhouse to make space for every expanding tomatoes.  Need to find somewhere better to put them.  Went to lotty on bike a bit later than normal.  Did a load of weeding first, then watered everything - forgot key to shed 7 so that put the mockers on digging the rabbit proofing fence round shed 7!  Never mind.  Dog walks and a late bedtime.

Thursday 25th June 2015
Up at 5.40.  Dog walked and the usual.  Work for 8am, All good stuff.  Going to see "And this my friend, Mr Laurel" tonight - a one man show by Jeffrey Holland.   Am quite up for it which is unusual as plays aren't usually my thing!  Got back from work about 6ish.  Dog walked and up Ashbourne by 7.10pm.  Play started 7.30 and was really good.  It's a one-scene monologue - Jeffrey Holland (perhaps best known as Spike from Hi-De-Hi) plays Stan Laurel visiting a bed-bound Oliver Hardy and reminiscing during which you learn tons of stuff you never knew about the pair.  In between conversing with his silent partner there are mini-sketches where Mr Holland plays the parts of both Stan and Olly, he got a round of applause after each of those and they were all well-deserved.  The actual play last an hour which positively flys by, after a short break, Mr Holland comes out for a Q&A so you learn even more.  We really enjoyed it.

Friday 26th June 2015
Up at 5.30am.  Dog walking up town by 5.40.  Have noticed the bells at St Oswalds have been silenced?  In the office by 8am.  Nipped to plot and watered after work.

Saturday 27th June 2015
Up early.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Piccy B brekko.  Down lotty for about half an hour - took two barrow loads of rubbish to the tip.  Golf with John and Doug, got first eagle ever on par 5 8th - driver, 5-wood, 10 foot putt.  Magic.  Also finished with two pars which was nice.
Me and the missus went and watered.  All good stuff

Sunday 28th June 2015
Up early.  Dog walk. Tinkering. Cross for Lunch, very nice.  Back home.  Dog walk with the missus.
Didn't really get much done

Monday 15th June 2015 to Sunday 21st Sunday 2015

Monday 15th June 2015
Up early. Dog walked. Papers fetched.  Early into the office at 7am then left at 2pm for Lucy's school parent's day which went really well - nothing but good feedback about the little duck.  So home early, tea then a good dog walk then put some sweet peas up canes at home.  Then down the lotty with a spirit level to dig out base for shed.  Nephew Ben appeared on the scene unexpectedly and an hour later said shed was erected.  Some guttering and some anti-rodenting to do, a bit of painting as well and then it should be good to go.  It's a bit of an odd shed in that it's only 3 foot deep but it cost nowt and you can put a seat in it and have sit me down and look over the plot.  Next year am going to move the bean row more to the right so there's a better view!!

Tuesday 16th June 2015
Up at 5.10.  Dog walked. Papers fetched.  Off to work at 6.45am  Nipped to Lotty to do a bit of measuring on the way.

Good day in the office but missus reminded me that I had to go to a planning meeting regarding a proposed gypsy site near to the allotments.  Like 183 others I went to along to see the proposal railroaded through and approved.  What a farce it was, I'm sure there will be a tick in the box against "Was the public Consulted?" when they finish the paperwork off and rubber stamp it through but the reality was that the paperwork was completed before anyone entered the room.   The point me and the missus walked out was when one of the Ashbourne Councillors raised the point that the guide for placing Gypsy Sites states not to be placed near a rubbish tip (the planning permission has been approved for it to be right next to the recycling centre and a short distance from Severn Trent's sewage works) - the councillor was told by the planning bod that the guidance has now superceded!  It also doesn't matter that it's being put on a flood plane, doesn't matter that it will potentially prevent any bypass linking the A52 Derby road to the A515 Buxton Road.  Nothing was going to stop this going through, nothing.

Anyway, went home after wasting an hour and a half and had some tea then down the lotty.  The tin of shed paint that was in number 13 fell to bits when I picked it up so spent a few minutes swilling that away (shame as I reckon there would have been enought to do most of the little shed).  I did save a bit in a plastic tub and set to painting a door and a bit more on the new shed on plot 7.

Will be getting some more paint for it tomorrow.

Bed late.

Wednesday 17th June 2015
Up late at 5.50am, still got to work for 8am after dog walking and paper fetching so all's well.  Went back to group 3lbs on.  At least I can get started again.

Thursday 18th June 2015
Up at the crack.  dog walked, papers fetched. Crazy day at work.  Home for a bit after 6pm.  Dog walked, down to lotty - mowed, strimmed, painted new shed - sort of an olive colour lighter than it looked on the tin but can't be helped. Home for about 10pm.

Friday 19th June 2015
Up early.  Dog walked. Papers Fetched. Work for 8am.  Hell of a day in the office.  Thank flip for the weekend.  Got dog walked. Down lotty for a bit of watering and weeding and what have you.

Saturday 20th June 2015
No golf today so plenty to do.  Up at the crack.  Dog walked, papers fetched.  Lotty - first trip took some bits and measured up for shelves in Plot 7 Shed. Postman brought a letter from the docs need some lifestyle change it said.   He's not wrong.

Next trip to lotty I took some shelves that I'd cut to size and fitted them with a bit of help from Phil's impact driver.   Also banged up the guttering and fixed the downpipe on the butt on plot number 13 to boot.   All going grand. Also painted round the other side of the flower so front is pretty much done!

Sunday 21st June 2015
Father's day, sent the boy off early doors.  Walked pooch. Lucy made me breakfast for father's day - jolly good stuff.  Down the lotty.  Tidying, planting (leeks and spring onions in plot 7), (spring onions and carrots in plot 13).   Finished off bean row on  plot 7.

10.30 back home, dog walk, shower, shave, tidy up mesen.  Off to Ketch for father's day lunch withj ma and pa.  Then we took them for a tour of the lotty on the way back.  Back home for a drinky poo and a bit of a kip.  Then dog walk and missus dropped me off at lotty to water.  Did a bit more weeding while I was there and also put some string up to get the sweet peas on plot 7 going (the ones on plot 13 are doing better already).

Monday 8th June 2015 to Sunday 14th June 2015

Monday 8th June 2015
Up early (surprising as didn't get to bed until 11pm and was totally knackered when I woke up) but up town and walking dog by 5:30 so all good.  Rich Doar's birthday so at Tescos just before 8am for fuddling purposes.  Lot of stressful work over the course of the day.  Back home for about 6.15.   Tea. Dog Walk. Loaded car up and took stuff down lotty.  Came back home cause thought missus wanted motor but she didn't.   Down to lotty on bike anyway.   Got mini row of peas in that had been done in gutter pipe in the greenhouse for months.  Got a ton of weeding done on new plot.  Got a short row of turnips in that will need serious thinning doing in due course.  Put the three(!) sweet corn plants that came up in the greenhouse into plot 7. Watered everything then back home early for a change at 9.45.  Have left covering over runner beans for time being.

Mini row of pea - raised in gutter in greenhouse

Plot 13 is all but weeded now 

Plot 13 is all but fully populated now - odd gap here and there is all.

Tuesday 9th June 2015
Leaving runner beans covered looks inspired as was scraping the car windscreen again this morning. Dog walked and home by 6.15.   Into office for 8am after nipping to lotty to measure up the gap for me gate. - 29" I think (probably ought to measure again but I could move the gate post if necessary!!!

Got home from work about 6.10pm.  Watched a bit of Women's World Cup - some proper industrial tackles going in.   Had England vs New Zealand one day international on radio 4 - quality performance where have they been hiding Rashid you wonder?   Down lotty with missus - finished weeding plot 7.  Got some chairs on there too.  Everything watered, walked home as missus went home early. Took a load of muck out of the big raised beds after first removing the pumpkin and butternut squashes. Dunked 3 barrowloads of muck and soil from the raised bed onto plot 7.

Plot 7 - fully weeded

Watered everything and then walked home about 9:30pm

Wednesday 10th June 2015
Dentist day, oh joy.  Woke up at 3.45 as it was already getting light, stopped in bed until 5.20.  Took dog up town after scraping car (feeling mighty glad that I covered the beans up!) and fetched papers.

Scraped car for third time in June!!

Into the office for 8am. Dentist at 4:30 (appointment at 4:00pm but not complaining).  Tea. Dog walk.  Lotty.  Fence up thanks to nephew Ben's assistance. Have banged an extra post in at the front for a future second gate potentially.

Fence up

Thursday 11th June 2015
Up early (5:20).  Dog walked. No paper as she wouldn't go that way.  Back home, brekky, ready for walk.  Took the pooch out a second time walked to scrap yard near the terraces and back to make sure she did her business before getting off to work at 7.20am.  Stopped off at Tesco's to get tat for another office birthday.  After work the usual tea, dog walk routine then down lotty.  Got 20 odd brassicas into new plot, got butternut squash and pumpkin on mounds, watered, netted the brassicas. Home for 10.15 and watering stuff there then!

Little brassica patch - definitely cabbages in it but no label with the others the bosskat bought (cauliflowers I reckon)

Bed late, watched Punk Brittania and had a drinky poo too.  All goosd stuff.


Friday 12th June 2015
Up late at 5.45 (reap as ye sow and all that).  Dog walked, papers fetched into the office for 8.15 so not too bad.  Have got football presentation tonight and then Chip's 50th to go to.  Busy life. Nipped to lotty for ten minutes on way home to make sure weeds were bagged up ahead of rain coming in.  Started raining while I was there - perfect timing.  Netted the strawberries too as somethings had one of the ripe ones.  Pesky varmints.  Then home for tea and then off to Aztecs Football Presentation night - good fun and Lucy got Manager's player of the year award so a good night indeed.

  Then to Chippy's Do at the Royal Oak - got there for 10:30, a pint and a burger - can't beat it!!  Back home about midnight and cricket was on channel 5 - as I'd got no idea of the final result I thought I'll have some of that but was too tired to stay up for end of it so off to bed and still didn't know the result!

Saturday 13th June 2015
Up at 5.45 again - heard Phil go at 5:30 - gone off in a lorry with Steven to Portsmouth so we'll not see him all day!!  Took the pooch out, got papers, fetched Piccy B brekko for me and Lucy.  Did some work on the laptop, watered everything in the greenhouse - think I'm going to tidy the bugger up this afternoon. Took a load of weeds and what have you from the lotty to the tip and got things ready for when weather picks up again.

One of three trips to the tip with weeds and gubbins

Bed early which got me into a bit of trouble.

Sunday 14th June 2015
Slept 11 hours.  Still up early and took dog walk.  Down lotty - got bean row up on new plot, and planted celeriac and a ruck of carrots, 1 butternut squash, foxglove in the corner.  Am playing catchup so things need to get whizzing.  Back home at 11am. Dog walked, another hour down the lotty and then walked back.  Lunch at the Cross at 2:30.  Back home - acquired shed delivered to lotty, back for last 30 minutes or so of Slovenia vs England - so saw the last four goals of the match - perfick.  Dog walked, bits and bobs before final dog walk of the day and early bed for an early start.

Monday 1st June 2015 to Sunday 7th June 2015

Monday 1st June 2015
Hell's teeth, how can it be June already??  Never mind, back in the saddle today. Up at 5.15, dog walked, papers fetched into work for just gone 8am.  All good stuff.  Back home from work at 6.10.  Not much doing with crap weather.  Got some potatoes sorted out to go into the new plot though, itching to do some work on it.

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
Up at 5.18.  Dog walked papers fetched into the office for 7.45!  Hopefully I can get to the allotment tonight and make a bit of progress.  There's a load of seed potatoes in the lotty shed ready to go in.  I might also get some leeks from Wyaston nursery I think.

Plot number 7 the next stage in the SidAllot Empire

Went down on bike at 8pm got two rows of spuds in after digging over the area for em - soil is really cloggy and needs some work on it really but too late in the season to really sort it out - we'll see what happens

Wednesday 3rd June 2015
Late - didn't get up until 5:30!! Anyway, dog got walked, papers got fetched. Got to work for 8am after a quick nip to lotty for some mental planning!

First two rows of spuds in plot 7

Absolute pandemonium at work with a project launch - such is life.  Got home lateish.  Long slow dog walk but nice views!

Down lotty with Phil strimmed the top of the new plot and round the perimeter of the old plot.  Bed about 10:30.   Read a bit about turnips - they grow quick apparently!!

Thursday 4th June 2015
Up early 5:18.  Dog walk.  Papers fetched.  Blood pressure test - high but know why.  Work for 7.45.  Another stressy day but still ticking along.  Been doing blood pressure tests all day and they're a bit all over the place.  Think it will settle down in due course in a week or two.  After work we had fish and chips from the new chippie in Ashbourne at PJs request - bloody awful they was too.  Then took poocher for a walk along the line - saw half a dozen Nuthatches I think - need a zoom camera to be sure.

Then down the lotty - am digging round the new plot to get a fence in as quick as poss.  Put two mini rows of broad beans in finishing off the packet exactly  - will be sick to death of broad beans this year I reckon!!!   Watered everything before coming home - there's supposed to be thunder storms today but won't hurt I reckon.

Friday 5th June 2015
Early start the usual.  Went down lotty after work dug the width at the top.  Gave everything a right good watering.

Saturday 6th June 2015
Up early. Dog walked.  Papers fetched.  Up to Hangar 4 for a load of fencing kit.  £85 yikes.  Then down lotty to get it all up to plot.  Fetched brekko for Lucy and me.  Back down lotty.  Bean row up. Golf at lunchtime - buggered the timings up and Doug thought I was a no-show but we got set up.   Played 15 holes but it was getting slow so we walked off.  Coffee in clubhouse then back home to mow front lawn and the bit at the side of the road.   Chippie tea, a few scoops then back down the lotty.  Did some weeding and a ton of watering.

Sunday 7th June 2015
Up early.  Dog walked (twice).  Me and missus went down lotty got the beans in.  Sweetcorn also gone in. Lots of weeding done.  Fencing stakes banged in. Came home about 1:30pm.  Lunch.  Few jobs outside put chilli peppers out, put loads of stuff into big pots. All good stuff.  Over to mum and dads for tea. Dog walked up the hill.  Back home about 7:30.  Down lotty again until 10pm.  Tons of weeding, moved a couple of fencing posts I wasn't happy with (no sure I'm happy with em now!).  Watered everything again copiously.  Have put a bit of step in on plot 13 so I can step over the fence easier - it will be great!  Was coming off the site at 10pm when saw someone had covered up their beans so went back and covered ours up.  Busy weekend - properly knackered now.

Sunday 24th May 2015 to Sunday 31st May 2015

Sunday 24th May 2015  - Saturday 30th May 2015

A bit of fishing, a lot of shopping, masses of dog walking, lots of good food, booze etc.  All the usual.  Dropped Lucy and her friend off at Holyhead Cinema one day - kid's tickets for just £3 each! Awesome.  Tides were rubbish and consequently the fishing was too.  Went to Caernarvon which was good though.

Saturday 30th May 2015
Back in about 4 hours so rather quicker than coming back than going out there!   Got home unloaded, did some bits in the greenhouse and garden.

Sunday 31st May 2015
Up early, dog walked. Bit in the greenhouse, bit at the lotty. Lunch at the Cross.  Nursery to get some Runner Beans and ended up buying more besides.  Back home, lotty again got a load of good weeding done and started on new plot.