Allotment politics

lizzie · Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:45 am

I have to say that it amazes me, the politics going on on allotment sites. Some folk make the major political parties look like 5 year olds playing a game............and some people make Robert Mugabe look like a Peace Envoy for the UN :shock:

It astounds me every time.

Ok, rant over...........normal service has been resumed

glallotments · Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:17 am

We had a lot of trouble at the beginning of this year on our plot. I thought we were unusual in not having a happy group who all got on really well but found out from other contacts that it seems most sites have the awkward squad who just want to stir things up - they seem to get off on it!

lizzie · Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:32 am

Yup, there is a certain few on every site who just seem to want to make things awkward for the majority. I am stunned at the things I have witnessed.........intimidation, bullying, threats of violence and other things.

You can't get on with everyone all of the time, you can have a difference of opinion and either agree to differ or find a compromise. Some just can't seem to move on and are eaten up with anger.

Very sad state of affairs it is too

glallotments · Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:13 am

Lizzie - I have been one further and been the focus of the nastiness and believe me it is really unpleasant especially when you have an allotments officer who will not give support.

lizzie · Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:23 am

I can sympathise with you.........been there myself and so have a number of other people I know. Not a nice thing to happen

oldherbaceous · Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:36 pm

Well it's all peace and joy on our allotments, in my eyes anyway, i hope the others think the same. :roll:

glallotments · Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:39 pm

Lucky you!!

oldherbaceous · Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:44 pm

Dear glallotments, i hope you didn't think my post was unsympathetic, as it wasn't meant to be, it was just that i think i'm very lucky to be on a good friendly allotment site.

glallotments · Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:27 pm

No I didn't think that at all - my response wasn't sarcastic but literal I did mean you are lucky. Trouble with email and stuff the mood is often disguised so just to make sure

oldherbaceous · Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:36 pm

Thats good then glallotment.

Shallot Man · Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:16 am

On our site some years ago, we had one of the most tolerant plot holder's you could imagine, then he was voted onto the committee, overnight he turned into "Attila the Hun".

glallotments · Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:08 am

It works the other way too Shallot Man. I was persuaded to stand as chair for our committee. For a year things were quiet - we raised funding to imcrease security on site and installed a new gate. The problems started when a majority wanted to keep the gates locked and a few others wanted to leave them open!

The committee polled opinion and put the majority view to the council who asked for the gates to be kept locked but they were half hearted about it. Then the troubles began - firstly those who wanted gates kept locked were incensed by those who refuse to even close the gates and the committee were bombarded with complaints which were passed onto the council - who sat back and let the situation worsen - next came a smear campaign and the spreading of lies about the intentions of the committee. The council decided to sit on the fence and although they could have refuted the lies chose not to! The site secretary and I were treated to a level of abuse from one plot holder that would have made your ears curl but the council advised me against making an official complaint. Their attitude was that it would be likely to cause more trouble and it could lead to me needing to quit my plot!! Another plot holder basically told several of the committee that they were liars! It's upsetting when this happens and you are totally innocent of the accusations but not believed and have a council who won't support you.

All except one committee member - who was on holiday and the site secretary resigned. The ex site secretary still has to put up with abuse and we now have a site where some people are just best avoided.

Being a committee member is to be in a no win situation - as soon as you do or say something that someone doesn't like you become a dictator even if it is with the best will in the world and you are only trying to do what most people want! Once the trouble starts the people who pushed for the decision that you took suddenly disappear and keep their heads down leaving you to take the flack.

We were in the process of discussing the idea of self management but thank heavens we didn't get to the point of being a self managed site - we had a lucky escape!

Sorry for the rant - it's over now - well for now anyway!!

Elaine · Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:39 pm

It's amazing isn't it? Folk always picture allotments as being all peace and tranquility, flat caps and wellies,every plot holder falling over each other to help each other. If only they knew!!

For the most part, ours is pretty good, though there a few who are never happy with whatever decision is made and they seem to me, to be just down-right awkward. It's so childish!

I attend the meetings, to register my support and have my vote but sometimes the behaviour of some folk leaves a lot to be desired. I can't see the point of the aggravation and it leaves me cold.
As Lizzie says...children in the playground....
I wouldn't go on the committee for a gold clock! :lol:

Cheers!

Shallot Man · Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:00 am

Glallotments. Keep up the good work, was on the committee myself for some eight years, I try to only remember the good times, I do remember though, that those with the most mouth, would not touch a committee post with a barge pole.

glallotments · Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:23 am

That's true Shallot Man.

The committee now is stagnant - nothing happening - I'm not even sure who is actually on it. I don't think they managed to get enough volunteers - hardly surprising! Those who are are either too frightened to do anything or are just there in name but don't want to do anything. As Elaine said those with any sense now won't put themselves forward.

The thing that I found most upsetting was the council's attitude after we had been basically doing their work for them. They knew the amount of effort we had put in to improving the site but at the first sign of any trouble heading their way they just abandoned us. The AGM was a nightmare with abuse flying about and the two council officers just sat there and made no comment. Even when asked a direct question by me that would have in some way have vindicated us they just would not respond conclusively just pontificated as though they were politicians not council employees! It made us even wonder whether they had set us up on purpose for some reason.

Elaine - worse than children in the playground. When I was teaching playground duty was a doddle in comparison. On the whole the children fell out and bounced back again.

Allotment politics

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