Stolen peas

[Catherine]

Before we went on holiday last week we were working up at our plot and I had some late peas in which had flopped over and needed support. They were the best peas we had ever grown. They did not get that white mould disease and we were really looking forward to eating them.

Unfortunately someone else also had their eye on our peas. We worked on the plot on MOnday and on Tuesday and Wednesday we only watered the polytunnel. Not checking on the peas. Did not seem to need to so we thought. We had never had anything pinched before.

On the Friday we went to pick the peas only to find that someone had beaten us to it. Not only had they picked them they left us the pods in two neat piles just to let us know probably that they had enjoyed them. How very kind that was

How mean can anyone get. I was really upset as I would have rather given them away that had them stolen. They had all been stripped in the same way. Our gates are normally locked but that week we had not locked the gate just put the little padlock on but it looked locked. (long story not worth explaining). I dont know if anything else has been stolen, we have lots of dwarf beans coming on at that time so they could have taken some of those but we would not notice.

Next year we are not entering in the Best Allotment because I think it was something to do with winning.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, i'm sorry to read about your stolen peas, it does make it worse that they left the pea shucks behind, it seems to rub it in even more.

But please don't let it dishearten you too much, there's still some lovely things about gardening.

[Catherine]

Thank you OH I am just so dissappointed that someone felt it necessary to steal them. I just hope that this in not something that will happen again. I dont want to give up as we have had the plot for 9 years and every thing is done now with all our beds in place a shed and polytunnel. I dont ever remember anyone complaining that they had anything stolen before.

[Stephen]

Reprehensible and extraordinary behaviour, you have my sympathy Catherine.

[Catherine]

Thank you Stephen

[macmac]

So sorry Catherine,I am of the view I would give anybody anything but I resent people taking from me.

[Parsons Jack]

What a terrible thing to happen Catherine. There's just no excuse for that

[Elaine]

Dear Catherine. You have my sympathy too. I know exactly what you are feeling, as someone helped themselves to my Runner beans last year. I had 18 poles and they took every viable pod from each plant....they must have gone away with a couple of carrier-bags full, at the very least. They also stripped the peas. I was absolutely furious and then really upset.

I wasn't the only one though, several other folks had produce stolen but the amounts they took were obviously not for their own table and were probably sold at car boots or something similar.

Like yourself, I would rather give stuff away than have it stolen. I fervently hoped they choked on their ill gotten gains.
Chin up Catherine.
Cheers.

[Catherine]

I am off up to our plot this afternoon and I am going to pick everything I can and bring it home then no one else can steal from us. But I am not giving up our plot I will have to find ways round it, razor wire is not allowed I am told Watch this space. I have alot of carrots, some with carrot root fly damage, do these keep or are we better peeling and blanching and freezing? (Probably the wrong place to ask this question) We were going to put them in dry compost in the shed.

[Primrose]

I do sympathise. Vandalism and theft were the main reasons we gave up two previous allotments. Many years ago my father-in-law grew masses of sweet peas on his allotment to provide flowers for a family wedding. When he went down there the morning before the wedding to pick them fresh, every single flower had been stripped. People are so mean. It just goes to show that you just have to harvest everything as soon as it becomes ready in case thieves are waiting around in the background.

[Colin_M]

Sorry to hear your news Catherine.

Our allotment is right next to a road which everyone walks down to walk their dogs, so I always get a bit nervous when obviously nickable stuff like Tomatoes or Sweetcorn is nearing harvest.

Over the years, we've had occaisional stuff getting swiped. However the time that really took my breath away was when I found the gardener in the next plot helping himself!

I'd arrived to do some work, only to see him taking several armfuls of our rhubarb. He had several plants of his own, but apparantly thought we weren't harvesting our fast enough. I was so taken aback that I couldn't think of anything to say to him - he brazened it out and said hello as if nothing was the matter

[Primrose]

Colin - I think if that had been me I would have been tempted to report him to the Allotment Committee and ask that he be removed from his plot. If he was capable of doing it to you, he was probably doing the same to others and people like that shouldn't be given a second chance in my opinion. Being a grower himself he must have known how much effort goes into producing crops so there can be no excuse at all for his behaviour in my view.

[Catherine]

Hi Colin and Primrose. I agree with Primrose if I caught someone pinching from my plot I would have got them ejected from their plot. I have mentioned it to several people on ourplot but no one thinks that it is some one on our plot. So there you go we have had many suggestions about children stealing but I dont think it is.

[Elaine]

We were having a lot of thefts on our site last year, not only produce either. Folks sheds were regularly being done over. It was thought that it could be someone who used to have a plot but hadn't returned their key - the site is surrounded by those grey metal pailings with pointed tops and has huge , heavy gates.

This year, we persuaded the council to change the locks and on the designated day, we had to produce our tenancy agreement plus key(s) and the letter the council sent to current tenants, to get the new key. Only those who produced these were given keys.

Now, the thieves are removing bolts from the pailings to move them aside and gaining entry that way. However, there must be someone who has a key because some plot-holders have lost big items which could only have gone out through the gates. It is extremely upsetting to think one of "our own" may be responsible or lending their key to others.

Despite having "Smartwater! and regular Police surgeries, the thieving still goes on,but as much................touch wood.

Cheers.

[Elaine]

Hi Colin. I can understand you being taken aback and I think I would have been speechless too.....but only for a second or two! I shudder to think what would happen if my husband found anyone thieving on our plot...

I most certainly would have reported him to our Association, the Council, the police and told everyone else on the site.

Is this person still your neighbour? He must have some front.

Cheers.