2015 Big Allotment Challenge

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Elaine
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Primrose...you're spot on. I don't know anyone on our site who looks like they've stepped out of a fashion mag, or who wears makeup, (bright red lipstick in particular) and nail polish, to garden in.

We once popped in to our allotment to water the greenhouse, after we had been to a wedding...it was on our way home and seemed daft not to. Ye gods.... we never heard the end of it for weeks! We were referred to as, "Them posh buggers on 7 south" for a good while. :lol: :lol: :lol:

We were ribbed mercilessly...all in good fun, I might add...Ken for wearing a suit and white shirt, (his tie had long since been relegated to his pocket) and I got the mick taken regarding my makeup, skirt and high heeled shoes.
All this was after they had pretended they didn't know who we were, of course...
I do like allotmenteers humour....barmy!
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oldherbaceous
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Dear Elaine, at least you hadn't been to a funeral, that would have got tongues wagging, especially if you were digging a hole for something. :)

Elaine, posh, now that's quite thought provoking... :)
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Pa Snip
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one bloke was so smug I could have wallopped him, :x
Another woman was gurning theatrically all the time and I could have wallopped her as well,
Then the daft lad who didn't sow his Zinnia seeds until about 6 ( or something equally silly) weeks before they were needed, needed wallopping.....

Elaine

I think I know which one you refer to as 'smug', and I quite agree, as you say is seemed most of them could do with a bit of a slap.

I wasn't keen on that Lena at first but she was the only one I thought was the most solid down to earth 'take me as I am' type by the end.
But you have to bear in mind I might have missed her worst bits during the time I was asleep :) lol

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Chantal
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We watched it, although there was a fair bit of yelling at the TV. Managed two episodes of the last series and was hoping this would be a bit better. Obviously not.

The no Zinnia lad (Brains out of Thunderbirds?) has gone, which was no surprise, but most of the contestants didn't seem very likeable at all :( I guess they may grow on me (pun intended) but I'm not sure I'll be watching again, it's too stressful. I'd rather read a seed catalogue!

What we have started watching again is a 3 DVD set called The Allotment which was originally a series on South West TV. It follows an allotment newbie, plus lots of other people on various sites in Bath/Bristol. Presenters are a bit annoying, but there's a decent amount of information on there and it's real life allotments, not some film set. Bought it a while back from Amazon, but can't see it on sale now.
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PLUMPUDDING
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After watching a small sample of these silly challenge/competitive programmes I make a point of avoiding them completely. They have irritating presenters,
competitors who are chosen for being quirky or likely to clash with one another and poor filming that doesn't provide any useful information about anything.

It would be good if they could make a t.v. programme based on the articles that KG did presented by the head gardeners at famous (and not so famous) gardens. They would be interesting, educational, visually pleasing, presented by people who knew what they were talking about and could highlight the challenges of growing in different parts of the British Isles.
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Pa Snip
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Have to say I would like to see something that wasn't centred upon the 'perfect professional gardener'.
That is already catered for on the existing gardening programs

I doubt any company would have the courage to make it but something that featured 'everyday amateur allotment keepers' up and down the country who might experience the same problems, pitfalls, and successes over the growing season that get written about on forums like this.

Yes it would need a professional presenter who knew what they were talking about and could advise on things if needed but the main 'action' should about the people themselves.

However that probably would not create the viewing figures that mainstream TV companies are looking for so won't happen.
Last edited by Pa Snip on Mon Jan 05, 2015 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PLUMPUDDING
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I'm curious about who you class as a "perfect professional gardener" on any current TV gardening programmes Pa Snip.
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Pa Snip
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:D Plumpudding. figure of speech.
Feel free to qualify it by prefixing it with 'who think they are' or is 'promoted as being'

Not that I dislike most of them, just see enough of them on TV already

I would just like to see something that is different from the current format and features amateurs

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Primrose
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I suppose it can be summed up as "they who can grow, do. Those who can't take part in TV programmes".

Seriously I think serious vegetable growers and allotment holders are too busy keeping their own plots in order to participate in projects of this nature, and far too unassuming too.
I have no idea how many people apply to take part in these programmes. Maybe the producers either pick the best of a bad bunch or those they think will make good TV material.
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Westi
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Totally agree Chantal about The Allotment, really informative & encouraging. I'm going to dig it (while we're on puns), out & re-watch it as I can't quite remember the detail!

Was this the one with the Caribbean chap that built his own smoke house & smoked chicken for his lottie picnic / BBQ? If not I like that one too where they focused on what the new British were growing & doing on their lotties to remind them of home & how successful (or not) they were with that! Most were highly successful though! :mrgreen:

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Motherwoman
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I would like to see an allotment program that is not all about the presenter and 'clashes' of personalities. Or that rather silly one that was on a while back about men and the size of their veg for the allotment competition and two ladies who were obsessed with holding tea parties in their shed.

Judging by comments on here a program about ordinary people growing what they want on their plots and the problems they encounter would pull in viewers!

I bemoan the loss of programs like Country Ways where you rarely saw the presenter but only heard their voice and the prog was about the interesting people they met.

MW
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Pa Snip
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Hi MW, that sounds pretty much like what I would like to see as well.

****************

I am now slightly bemused by this weeks episode of the challenge.

In episode One a participant was given a dressing down by Thane Prince for using Dill that had not been grown on his plot, it had come from a shop.
This week one of the participants used kiwi fruit when making lollies with produce from the plot, I am intrigued to know how. As far as I am aware it can take anything between 1 and 3 years for a kiwi to bear fruit, so how did they manage that on plots they had been working for a matter of 3 months or so.

Unfortunately I have to admit I think I am now watching it not for what I might learn but to spot what beggars belief. Coupled with the fact that at the moment there is nothing else on which appeals to me as a better alternative.
.

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peter
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I am beginning to think there is an opportunity for one of our household names to start a really economical TV Channel. :D

The Dulux channel requires a wall, a fixed camera and a bloke with a brush and a pot of paint to visit said wall every couple of hours.
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Pa Snip
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Peter
I suspect it would have to be interactive though with viewer colour choice

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.
At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
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Westi
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Pa Snip

Very quick! :lol: :lol: :lol:

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