Monday 23rd April 2018 to Sunday 29th April 2018

Monday 23rd April 2018
Up super early, dog walked, papers in for a change.  Into office for 7.20am.  Busy day, very tired, back home for a bit after 5pm, tea, dog walk, Allotment Association AGM. Read gas and electric meter.  Back home watched a few episodes of "In the Long Run" which I thought was very good.


Tuesday 24th April 2018
A bit late at 5.25am but never mind.  Dog walked no papers, into office for 7.30am.  No bacon cob because they told me I normally do Wednesday and Friday last week so need to keep things in order!  Regripped my driver when I'd had tea and what have you.  Did nowt on lotty due to crap weather.

Wednesday 25th April 2018
Up early, dog walked, no papers in to fetch.  Into the office for 7.25, bacon cob purchased on the way - all good stuff.   Not too bad a day at work then got back potted up the remaining tomato plants that were still in small'ish pots.  Next repotting will be into final pots I think.   Also potted up two courgette plants that I think may end up being massive.  One of the Sweet Peas has flowered already!

Have got a sweet pea plant that's got a bit premature on itself - will be having a word!

Thursday 26th April 2018 
Up nice and early.  Took dog on a mini walk, made brekko, woke lucy up at 6am.  Went to get papers had to wait a bit, got into the office for 7.40.  Such is life!   Was intending to go to me mum and dads finish the jobs off however, there was a farm sale that needed viewing for nostalgia purposes so after tea went up to Darley Moor to travel back in time!

Potato Spinner - followed one of these a few times!

Old scales

A root crop chopper gizmoe

More grindery type stuff 

Nipped to lotty after, did a bit of weeding had a look over number 7 much work to be done to catch up but am going to get onto it real soon.    Brought a couple of small bags of compost home with me for potting up in a few weeks time.

Watched a couple of episodes of legion and then off to bed for 10:30pm

Friday 27th April 2018
Up at 5.35, papers didn't get in until 6:30 so running late from the get-go.  Such is life.

Saturday 28th April 2018
Dog walked, papers fetched, then down the lotty early doors to get 8 barrows worth of manure up onto plot 7.  All good garden stuff as Uncle Peter would say.    Got 3 and a bit rows of spuds in on plot 7 as well. 

Potato row in foreground - pic took on Sunday! 

Golf at 12:26 at Ashbourne - never stopped drizzle raining all the way round.  Tried out a new old driver - a Cleveland Highbore XL 9.5 degree, stiff shaft which I'd given up on in the past - couple of really good drives so am going to persevere with it.

Sunday 29th April 2018
Down lotty early with the dog, did a bit.  Back home for 7:30ish.  Up to Alstonefield Car Boot for 9am - absolutely freezing up there.   Got back and then went to do more at the lotty - cleared the bean row. 

Got back home, had a bit of snap.  Washed car, did a bit in greenhouse then off for even more golf!
This time played at the Manor Golf Club the other side of Uttoxeter.  Weather stayed dry but still nippy.   Played okay - couldn't get the pace of the greens so lots of three putts but hit the ball quite well at times found an orange castle tee works well with the new-old driver.    26 points overall was okay.

Monday 16th April 2018 to Sunday 22nd April 2018

Monday 16th April 2018
Up early dog walked, papers fetched (hell's teeth papers in first thing what's happening?).  Really busy day at work.   Home for about 5.15pm.  Tea.  Down lotty with dog, got another bed weeded and also did the bed with the onions in it.  Two hours gone in no time.  Dog found a mouse hole and kept guard so I had zero mouse interruptions while weeding.   Broad beans had grown since I put them in the day previously.  Spring at last.

Another bed weeded - got some garlic in it which I've moved down to one end.  

Broad beans coming on at a rate of knots.

Small dog guarding the mouse hole!

Tuesday 17th April 2018 
Up a bit late at 5:45.  Dog walked, papers fetched, coffee made, off to work, saus and bacon cob bought from Bella's Baps on the way in.  All good. Got home about 5.20 after picking Lucy up.  Ashbourne is a right old mess at the moment so went the long way round to get home.   Tea and then took Pooch a walk.  It was a bit damp and what have you so didn't get anything done on the lotty.  Did a bit in the greenhouse and continued to make plans!!  Worked on Lucy's laptop which has a fair bit of Malware to get rid of on it and also needs a memory upgrade so will get some ordered in due course.   Watched last episode of The City and The City which was a China Mieville book made into a four part BBC series I'm not sure it worked quite as well as it might have but his books are a bit impenetrable while being stunning at the same time. 

Wednesday 18th April 2018
Up later again at 5.35 - am just knackered at the moment - need to get it sorted!  Dog walked, papers fetched, breakfast, still got into work a little after 7.30 so all is well sort of thing.  Left work ten minutes early to make sure I could a load of weeds taken to the recycling centre - I took two wheelbarrows worth of weeds down to the car and brought two wheelbarrows worth of manure back up to the plot in the opposite direction.  I was a bit surprised when some of the manure moved and turned out to be a great big toad - so picked him up and released him in a safer spot - so far no warts!

Came back later - got a bad of onions planted.   Got my vertical strawberry project done. Got another bed weeded and plenty of manure in it ready for peas to go in it soon.

Peas will be going into the narrow bed - normally has runnber beans but missus no likey

Thursday 19th April 2018
Up at 5.35, funny night struggled getting to sleep for some reason.  Dog walked, papers fetched, pocket breakfast on way to work.   Such is life.  Sat at desk for 7.40am so not too bad all things considered.  Down the lotty for 6pm absolutely red hot!

Got another raised bed weeded

Got a row of peas in - need to put the pea sticks up at the weekend. 

A better picture of the vertical strawberries concept! 

Got a row of peas in, weeded another bed.  Red hot.

Friday 20th April 2018
Got into office nice and early, bacon cob Friday, living the dream.   Not the best of days at work but such is life.  Went straight to lotty after work to get weeds taken to tip, also got a barrow of muck onto the plot.

Saturday 21st April 2018
No time to breathe today - up at 6am, dog walked, papers fetched.  Then down to lotty, cleared that last raised bed on 13, took a barrow of weeds down to car  fetched a barrow of muck up for last bed which is going to have peas in it.

9:30 down on playing field as part of Parish Council Working Party up to 11:30, back home,quick shower, golf in the sunshine.  Glorious.   Didn't play especially well but hit some nice drives and parred the 18th to finish which is always nice!

In the evening it was the Count Arthur Strong at Buxton Opera House a grand night and - two T-shirts for £15!!  Absolute bargain!

Sunday 22nd April 2018
Up early.  Dog walked.  Down lotty to get them peas into that last bed - row of Early Onward and a row of Kelvedon Wonder unfortunately from my picture you can only see a tiny part of the last bed but trust me it's beginning to look something like.

After lotty it was over to me mum and dads for second working party of the weekend - we massacred trees left right and centre all good stuff but still a bit of work to be done.  Found the local recycling centre worked well for getting rid of the rubbish, bumped into cousin Jonathan at the tip too - ace!


Got home about 4.15 after Phil bumped into his boss at Aldi.   Mowed lawns front and back and then tea at the Okeover Arms.  Everyone happy'ish.  All good stuff.   Had a few beers, fell asleep on sofa, got told off, went to bed, bish bosh some weekend.

Sunday 8th April 2018 to Sunday 15th April 2018

Why so quiet? - busy that's why.   Don't seem to have a moment these days but that's how life is isn't it.  Have been up to all sorts.  Greenhouse is in full swing.  Have done a load of council work.  Have seen a load of films, have done a few gigs have even played one round of golf since end of February.  Busy.

Horse and Groom, Derby

Bit of Parish Councl Work - who is responsible for this drive?

What I can remember of late.

Sunday 8th April 2018
Mum's birthday.  Up dead early.  Dog walked.  Went over park to see if patio cleaner had done anything with the moss etc.  It hadn't.  The patio cleaner was brilliant on our patio but no good on the soft surface of the playground it would seem so used graft instead.  Found a brush with a bit of right angle aluminium on it did best but soon broke that.  Going to order some white vinegar which is supposed to kill moss.    Never mind.  Did a bit in Greenhouse after potting up a load of tomatoes on Saturday.     Mowed lawns and mowed side of road  - first cut with lawnmower set up on high and used the light flymo rather than Phil's Honda RollerBeast 300 (or whatever it's called!!) will use that for second cut!   Over to Derby for Football.  Soon as full time in the motor and over to Darley Dale for mum's birthday do.  I really enjoyed it nice bit of surf and turf (even saved a bit of the steak for el poocher who enjoyed it to such an extent that it did not touch the sides going down!!).   Dawgs eh.   Stayed up late (well 11pm) watching golf stopped up to see if Jordan Speith could equal course record but last two holes did em just as they did Paul Casey earlier in the day.   Good stuff and what a beautiful course that is Bobby Jones certainly knew where to plonk a golf course.

Monday 9th April 2018
Up early, into office early.  Ton of grief at work as is often the case.   Left at 2.45 for Dentist's appointment in Ashbourne at 4pm only just made it - traffic at the moment is an absolute disgrace everywhere.  There was a mother and daughter in the dentists who missed their appointment by 20 minutes due to the traffic.  Anyway got there, dentist said you have a small hole in your wisdom tooth but the good news is that you have options  - we can leave it and the small hole will get bigger and end up being an abscess like last time that may require root canal in the future or we can drill it today and fill it.    I did a pro vs cons analysis in my head on the fly and decided for an non-anathematized filling and it was all right and got done and I was right happy about that.  Went home and did a bit - took el pooch out three times in the pouring rain - am about sick of it I have to say.

Tuesday 10th April 2018
Up at 5.20.  Dog walked in rain.   Papers fetched.  Into office for 7.45 all good.   Stressful day at work but got it all done.   Picked Lucy up from School.  Tea. Dog Walk, bought a keyboard for me studio (£30!).   Watched a couple more episodes of The Bridge III, great stuff.   Bed at just gone 10 after another dog walk.

Wednesday 11th April 2018
Up at 5:20 a bit late.  Dog walked, no papers to fetch, come back had a bit of brekko, fetched papers successfully on second time of asking all good stuff.

Thursday 12th April 2018
Up early.  Dog walked, no papers to bring back.   fuse in kettle gone, old fuse flicked out and into the toaster so had to empty that out.  Perfect start to the day!   Reported three potholes on Derbyhire Traffic Hub.

Friday 13th April 2018
The usual plus wrote some nasty letters to Premier Park Ltd and to various MPs about the Private Parking 'industry' being poorly regulated.   All good stuff.  Finished off watching The Bridge - have watched all three series in a couple of weeks - very good!  Love a bit of Scandi drama.

Saturday 14th April 2018 
Gig day.  Cancelled golf as only 15 holes open and one of us had dropped out so got busy potting up tomatoes and the like.  All good stuff.   Did a couple of hours down the lotty and then walked dog a few times as missus out most of the day in Sheffield.

2 rows of spud, some beetroot and some radishes in this bed.

Nag's Head, Belper - a bit tight!

With Paula, Darren and Wills at the Nags!

Sunday 15th April 2018
Up early, dog walked.  Stuff to do.  Bass drum port to sort out.   Did a couple of hours down the lotty - got two barrow loads of muck up from the bottom and brought a load of weeds down to car.  Got broad beans into the ground a bit late but they'll catch up.   Going to get runner beans going in next couple of days.  Got some dwarf french beans started, got some more beetroot and radishes started off as well.  All good stuff.

16 Broad beans - number by total accident - French Beans and sweet corn to go in this bed later on.