Problems on the Sites

After Monday the weather has been quite nice. Not roasting but pleasant would be the best description. Unfortunately, apart from watering and harvesting tomatoes that are ripening well, I’ve not got much done on the plot.

I’ve been really tied up with the website for starters. The blessed robot scripts had been trying to submit links to the site for various products that I wouldn’t want to see on a gardening site and when they were pumping the hundreds in it was time to take action.

This was one of those jobs that I thought would take about 2 hours and it ended up being nearer 2 days. It did give me the opportunity to re-check the links and I discovered one of them had stopped working that I felt was pretty useful. It was the list of all the council web sites which are the first port of call if you’re trying to find an allotment.

So we settled down with a list of local authorities and Google to find all their web sites. I should have known better and I’d had enough when I was half way through but to quote “I’ve started so I’ll finish”

Anyway, that got done, published and I announced it in the ‘new on site’ section here. I just hope it is useful.

Now while all this was going on my computer decided to play up. I suspect the graphic card is to blame for it’s new habit of showing text strangely. It’s running fine and then starts do things like displaying L as a comma – so like becomes ,ike which is confusing. It doesn’t last too long, the machine inevitably crashes usually losing some work.

I have another graphics card so obviously swapping it was the answer except that after uninstalling the old card and fitting the new one, I realised I was short of an adaptor that I need to get the video to the monitor.

Reverse the procedure and get on Ebay to buy a DVI to VGA converter. That’s arrived so today’s job is to swap the card in the machine.

Trouble on the plot

I suppose it’s time to actually talk about the allotment now! The kids have been back and the mummy’s darlings have thrown stones through a greenhouse. They’d used some pallets to make it easier to get over the fence and untied the sheet we’d put up from the fence.

Petty crime isn’t petty, it means that one of our plotholders has to spend time and money just to enjoy his hobby. It’s disheartening and frustrating. Of course the police have bigger problems than a few naughty kids throwing stones and even if they catch them what can they do? The weapon of the judicial system and asbos seems like taking a sledgehammer to a nut but the days of a clip round the ear have gone. But we really should do something about this vandalism.

Anyway, one of our plotholders came up with an idea – his suggestion was to try to catch them and take a photo. He thinks they’ll be so worried that the police will do something that they won’t bother us again if we tell them we’re giving the photo to the police.

So Larry and I quietly went round the site last night at dusk. Unfortunately they were not there so we couldn’t put the theory to the test. It’s very strange on the site as night draws in. So quiet and peaceful, a different world.

Posted in Allotment Garden Diary
2 comments on “Problems on the Sites
  1. Stephen Clarke says:

    Hello, I am a new plot holder (5 months) but I am loving it. I have just discovered your website today and I think it will be of great use to me, thanks.
    I was interested to read about the trouble being caused by children on your site. The other week whilst being alone over my patch I noticed 6 ‘hoodys’ on the roof of our trade hut. I decided not to shout at them as in my experience this would have resulted in abuse directed towards me. Instead I pointed out the roll or barbed wire directly below where they were sitting and explained that i would not be prepared to untangle them should they land on it. I said this in a friendly way which made them smile. One of the lads asked me what went on in the allotment, so I asked them to climb down and I would tell them, which they did.
    I said to them that if they promised to behave and keep to the paths I would show them around. I took them to my plot and picked them each a raspberry and showed them the results of my 5 months hard labour (I have a good teacher on the plot next door) They seemed to be impressed and asked lots of questions. I stressed that to us oldies (I am 48) it was an enjoyable hobbie, now that I am too old to climb on roofs and I asked them not to do that again. They said they would not and they have kept to their word.
    I agree with your coments about ASBO’s but sometimes being reasonable can work too, not in all cases I know.
    Just as I have a lot to learn about running my plot so young people have a lot to learn about how to behave, they don’t always have the best teachers.
    Stephen

  2. John says:

    Sounds like you have excellent skills in dealing with the kids – I’m sure this is good if you can do it.
    Unfortunately not all kids are the same – our little visitors amused themselves throwing stones through a greenhouse.
    A lot will depend on what the kids are like. We had a bunch last year threaten one of our lady plotholders.
    Anyway, really well done – a long term good solution.

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