Kitchen Garden Forum

I was horrified yesterday when a lady ( I did not know )joined in a conversation that I was having with a friend about allotments. we were just saying that some of the allots were not being cultivated. she comes out with `Well yes its the old ones I expect, they should give up their plots to the youngsters who have families that need fresh veg` I was struck dumb for 2secs then I had to tell her that there are 16 plots on our site that are tidy well cultivated and give good yields, and guess what not one of the folk who do these plots is under 60 years old, in fact one is 74. Tell me is it the general opinion now that if you are old you should not eat fresh veg and get excercise. Of course young people should be encouraged to have allotments, but who will they learn from if not the oldies. Please don`t say the telly

Dear Good Gourd, i wouldn't worry too much, as some people have some funny ideas as to how life works.

Anyway oldies rule.

oldherbaceous wrote:Anyway oldies rule.

Too right they do

It seems to be a general attitude these days that the older generation should just move aside. Sod 'em I say

Cheers, PJ.

Good Gawd Good Gourd,
Without us oldun's there would be hundreds ney thousands of erstwhile beautifully kept allotments going to waste. There are very few youngun's bringing up families that can afford the time to have an allotment. They are too busy earning a living and making enough to pay the mortgage however much they might want to pursue allotmenteering.
If you do ever meet the person who dumbfounded you try and find your tongue to tell her that she is talking through her --- well probably not eh!
JB.

At any rate the best kept plot on my site is and 84 year old man's.

The two most committed new plotholders are both 83, each making good progress and one has the whole nine yards with a new shed and all the trimming.

Mind you they are very good at organising sons, sons-in-law and gap-year grandsons to dig and assemble stuff.

The adjacent plot to me is cultivated by an eighty-seven year old gentleman who is an excellent gardener.

He lives alone since his wife died a couple of years ago..he spends a couple of hours most afternoons on his plot "to get out of the house"... most of the stuff he grows he gives away to family and neighbours.

Without his allotment and friends on the site he would have a far less fruitful life in more ways than one

I often find him in his shed "resting his eyes" for a few moments between jobs

On our allotments I had a chat with one old chap 87 years old, who was complaining that he was not able to do as much as he was a few years ago.
He is there about six thirty in the morning, and his plot is very neat indeed!
His son in law does the digging for him now,and he said to me once he hated digging but did it to keep the peace, and the old chap says about him, he has not got a days digging him.

I actually think the son in law is retired

Cheers

The olies do all the work and their grandchildren get the benefit. The middle generation is too busy either to dig or to eat.

mike