RobD1

It's the council, so think 2nd class post As far as I know there are plenty of plots left. They are all a bit daunting as it's been sometime since they've been taken on and quite few have large trees on them. Once you have decided on one, ring the allotment office and they will 'reserve' it for you for a couple of weeks to give you time to get the first form in. They will then send you the tenancy agreement which you sign and get witnessed, and then send back. Then it's yours! If you are really keen you could take it to the allotment office to save a few days, but then you'd need a witness for the tenancy and not sure if they could do that. Of course whether you'd get the allotment fully sorted for spring planted is another matter altogether! Digging the roots of the blackberries, nettles, etc is a long job... Rob

I'll bring a lorry I'll email the beloved allotment office to check first, you do pay more than us, maybe that's why?!

You've got a car park as well! There's a car park on the map for our site, but it's obviously been many, many years since that was accessible - nice to see the council are on the ball there. So can we come over to Meersbrook and steal some of the bark chippings?

Strawberry plants will last for a few years, generally planting new plants Oct/Nov time. They are usually best replaced after about 3 years, or better still get new plants from the runners of the existing ones, Rob

Ah, Hagg House is obviously the place to be these days - sorry mc55 We have no 18, since the beginning of September. They're a bit daunting at first and I'd recommend a decent pair of gloves for cutting down the blackberries. Yes it is quiet but it's a quiet time of year now and you can see that quite a few are being worked on - 16, 17, 18 and 43 (bizarrely next to 18 ) have all been taken in the last few months on our row and as Dan says there are quite a few people looking around for vacant plots at weekends. The best way to get the plot you want is to ring from the actual site and they will reserve it for a couple of weeks, that way you know it is free without having to go back and find another one... Speaks from experience I don't know of anyone keeping animals on the site now, but they obviously have in the past - ours had an old hen house and lots of chicken wire around the borders. You'll need to ask the allotment office about it. Good luck, Rob

So where do you get the wood chippings from? Rob

The info you need, you'll find here: http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/parks-woodlands--countryside/allotments Depends on where you are looking really as well, over this side of the city (Crookes) there aren't many vacant plots unless you want to take on a really overgrown plot pn a neglected site. It costs us £27.50 for the year including water. I think they send the bills out in January, Rob

I can go along with the book suggestions, I have the Caroline Foley and Sarah Raven books. We have an allotment on Hagg Hill (for about 2 months now), they are very daunting to look around as you can't tell where one finishes and another begins in a lot of cases and the numbering system is a little bizarre, and once you take one on they are hard work to clear. However, it's a peaceful site I can't imagine there being a huge vandalism problem as it's too far out the way but it does happen occasionally I hear. Quite a few plots have been taken in the last few months which is encouraging to see how each plot is getting along and to chat to people in similar circumstances. The soil looks OK (what small bits we've found so far!) and well draining. We do pay for water but the standpipe has no tap and is constantly leaking... I'm sure they'll be plenty of complaints to the allotment office. That said there seems to be a few natural springs around that site as well so may be we'll stop paying for water ;>) I've looked over the hedge at some of the plots down Rivelin and they do look to be in an idyllic location but I'm sure they are more prone to vandalism as the footpaths seem much busier down there. Could be wrong though. Rob

Get yourself a blog, no experience necessary - see mine for more info, Rob

PS I have a key to the 'lane' too these days, and that should have said no. 18 Rob

Hi Tim (and Vicky), I can get you some manure delivered from my boss, not sure when he can deliver though - if I see him tomorrow I'll ask him about it, Rob (No. 18)

Grow Your Own Magazine - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/ Magazine itself is very good They have a forum, The Grapevine - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/index.php Rob

Blackberries! Seem to grow anywhere with the minimum of maintenance and quickly. The thorns are pretty lethal and you'll get some fruit. Gooseberries or raspberries are alternatives.

See if you can get in touch with any other schools who have done something similar. Westways and Broomhill schools round this way have gardens, Rob

We have a small garden too that we use for flowers/shrubs, a space for the kids to play, and growing stuff to eat - it's very cramped and that's probably why the wife allowed me to get an allotment We grew a variety of things in pots this year, most of which seemed to work quite well: Coriander (for leaf and seeds), parsley, dill, courgettes (quite small but fine), sunflowers (can't seem to give them enough water though), a wide variety of salad leaves (worked best in a large window box) and blueberries (and the first year we had them so small crop and forgot to cover them with netting so the birds had some - not to mention the kids helping themselves! Rob

There are quite a few being taken on Hagg House now - we have no 18, and 17 and 16 have recently been taken on our row, possibly more. When I sent off for the details (at the end of August) they had offered out about a dozen allotments at that time and other were being taken as well, so the site does slowly appear to be coming back to life. Yes they are difficult to find and look a bit daunting, but it's amazing what you can find on them, Rob

You'll probably be better off complaining to your local councillor(s) rather than direct to the allotment office. As far as I understand it the allotment office has a staff of two, one of which never leaves the office leaving one to inspect the 3,000+ allotments in Sheffield. Given the state of the Hagg House site, I'm guessing they've not been down there recently - the map they send out has a car parked marked on it, long since overgrown by trees (as far as I can tell) and like you said cris71 it's really difficult to determine what numbers the plots are, and in some cases find your way on to them. There do seem to be more people taking on allotments on that site at the moment, so that may prompt the council to clear up the paths around there a bit more at the very least. Nothing against the people in the allotment office, they've been really helpful with all my questions but I get the feeling there fighting a bit of an unhill battle with the number of staff they have, Rob

Apparently I'm too new to post links, so see the one in the signature below. Not so much as a before and after, more a before and 'in progress'. Rob

Just going through the process of taking on no. 18. Having been on the waiting list at Crookes Quarry for a couple of years now, I've given up waiting for someone to die and taken up the challenge of Hagg Hill. It seems like quite a few of them are being taken up at the moment, which is good news. The alloment office appear to have no idea just how bad they are down there - i.e. the fact that about half of the 'allotments' are now woodland, yet alone trying to find out number of allotments, how to get in some of them, 6 foot plus weeds on the paths. Think I must have spoken to you on Wednesday afternoon Vicky when I was having a look round for a plot. Congrats on the clearance, hope we can manage to achieve something similar. Rob