A lot

May. 5th, 2005 02:39 pm
j4: (badgers)
[personal profile] j4
[livejournal.com profile] pseudomonas was talking the other day about the possibility of getting an allotment, so when Caroline at work mentioned her allotment I thought I'd ask her about it. I was expecting the hire of allotments to a) be expensive, and b) involve driving out to some place out in the middle of nowhere. Turns out there are loads in Cambridge -- far more than I'd've imagined possible in a city! -- and apparently Caroline's paying the princely sum of £8 per year for the hire of 8 poles, so it's not exactly going to break the bank either. (There followed an unsuccessful attempt to convert poles into a more useful unit of measurement, e.g. yards or "tennis courts" or "this kitchen" ... but the upshot was that it sounds like quite enough space to grow some vegetables.)

I wonder how many of you Cambridge types out there would be interested in forming some sort of allotment collective? I know I don't have time to maintain an allotment on my own -- I barely have time to do my laundry, for god's sake -- but I would probably be up for occasional sociable (or antisocial!) if between a group of us we could potter often enough or enthusiastically enough that the thing got maintained usefully. Or should I just stop taking on more stuff and try to do the stuff I'm already supposed to be doing?

*

In other news, it's myour birthday. :-) Thank you to all the people who have said nice things on LJ, on SMS, on IRC, on email, and in real life! I am showing amazing restraint where presents are concerned and have only opened one so far (a BADGER, from [livejournal.com profile] sion_a!) so that I can open the rest tonight with [livejournal.com profile] addedentry, pre-Poptimism. Looking forward to seeing lots of you tonight and on Saturday -- those of you who can't make it, you will be missed, but there will be other parties and picnics! Promise!

Date: 2005-05-05 02:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ultraruby.livejournal.com
Happy Birthday!!!

Date: 2005-05-05 02:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bopeepsheep.livejournal.com
Happy Birthday!

Date: 2005-05-05 02:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fluffymormegil.livejournal.com
Huzzah! Happy birthday! *badgerstripehugs*

Date: 2005-05-05 02:56 pm (UTC)
juliet: (Default)
From: [personal profile] juliet
Happy birthday! If you're still awake after Poptimism, feel free to come & shout at the telly down in Bermondsey!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:00 pm (UTC)
juliet: (Default)
From: [personal profile] juliet
PS I would *so* be up for allotmenting, were it not for the fact that, er, I don't live in Cambridge. But Marna & I are on the (extensive :-/ ) waiting list for the ones down the road from here!

Points to Ponder

Date: 2005-05-05 05:08 pm (UTC)
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Default)
From: [identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com
I think there's some in Ponders End.

Date: 2005-05-05 02:58 pm (UTC)
emperor: (Default)
From: [personal profile] emperor
I think Girton is too far to go to any allotments except the ones in Girton (which ,err, are probably too far from the City). *and* I'm really reallyreally too busy currently. Some time, in the future when I have free time...

Date: 2005-05-05 02:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bluedevi.livejournal.com
I'll see you tonight, and a happy birthday from me too!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oldbloke.livejournal.com
4 poles to a chain, innit? That's a Gunter's chain, of course.
Same as a rod. A pole wide as well? I think they usually are.
Whaddya mean, what's a chain? 1/10th of a furlong - length of a cricket pitch.
DUH!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oldbloke.livejournal.com
Oh, happy birthday, too.
So, you have 8 poles, which is 2 chains, which is 44yards, by 5an'arf yards wide.
My dad had two and our garden when he was in his prime, and we rarely bought veg at all, or apples, or much in the way of berries. Or pears or plums. Looked after, 1 plot will do all the veg and some soft fruit for a family of 4, easy.
8 quid a year is a bargain. Put a shed on it and live there! (but don't get found out)

Date: 2005-05-05 03:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oldbloke.livejournal.com
Mind you, a lot of the winter involved runner beans that had been cut and stored in jars of salt. Mum used to buy blocks of salt about 4"x4"x12" and we had these old sweet jars... happy days.

Date: 2005-05-05 03:03 pm (UTC)
ext_22879: (Default)
From: [identity profile] nja.livejournal.com
Happy birthday, and I'll see you at the weekend.

Date: 2005-05-05 03:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hoiho.livejournal.com
Hey, you, Mr Normal; are you dossing at the Hermitge?

Date: 2005-05-05 04:07 pm (UTC)
ext_22879: (Default)
From: [identity profile] nja.livejournal.com
I am not sure. I may need to slope off early again, and get a good night's sleep in a proper bed, as I've been under the weather this week - I'll see what I feel like tomorrow morning.

Date: 2005-05-05 03:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bibliogirl.livejournal.com
badgerbadgerbadgerBIRTHDAYBIRTHDAY!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] k425.livejournal.com
I was going to say Happy Birthday because I'd finally found a post from you, and now it's going to look like I'm only saying it because you mentioned your birthday.

Well, happy birthday anyway!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:06 pm (UTC)
sparrowsion: photo of male house sparrow (male house sparrow)
From: [personal profile] sparrowsion
My phone reckons 8 poles is 40 metres, which is a hell of a lot.

If you want to grow things, may I suggest our garden first? There's room for more than the current crop of elderberries and dandelion….

Date: 2005-05-05 03:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pseudomonas.livejournal.com
Happy birthday!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] publicansdecoy.livejournal.com
Happy birthday to you.

I want to get an allotment too, mainly so I can have crafty cigarettes there and listen to horse racing on the radio, or something.

-x-

Date: 2005-05-05 03:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mobbsy.livejournal.com
Happy birthdays!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rgl.livejournal.com
I would say: don't get an allotment if you don't have time to look after it, because apparently people in the neighbouring spaces will complain that you aren't doing your bit in the fight against weeds/pests/whatever, and that the weeds/pests/whatever are spreading from your patch into theirs. This is according to my mum who used to have an allotment but, er, didn't have time to look after it.

Oh, and happy birthday!

Date: 2005-05-05 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oldbloke.livejournal.com
otoh it can be a great place to escape to. sometimes we didn't see my dad for DAYS (major exageration)

Date: 2005-05-05 03:35 pm (UTC)
ext_44: (pattern)
From: [identity profile] jiggery-pokery.livejournal.com
Many happy returns of the day! Sorry I won't be there tonight, but I have some birthday swag which I'll get to the two of you soon. :-)

Date: 2005-05-05 03:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rysmiel.livejournal.com
Lots of birthday-type *hugs* and general good wishes from here.

Date: 2005-05-05 04:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] verlaine.livejournal.com
Happy birthday! I miss you.

Date: 2005-05-11 11:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] j4.livejournal.com
Aw man, I miss you too. Owen and I will come and visit when we can!

Date: 2005-05-05 04:48 pm (UTC)
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Default)
From: [identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com
Happy Birthday!
BadgerBadgerBADGER

Date: 2005-05-11 11:04 pm (UTC)
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Fluffy Pink)
From: [identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com
BADGER BADGER BADGER

Date: 2005-05-05 05:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] besskeloid.livejournal.com
Yay & woo, you two!

Date: 2005-05-05 06:51 pm (UTC)
reddragdiva: (*splort*)
From: [personal profile] reddragdiva
Happy Badgerday!

Date: 2005-05-08 11:23 pm (UTC)

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