Again, only a few hours at the plot this weekend. And flat batteries in the drill means I didn’t get any further with bed construction. Still, I’ve emptied one of the culticaves of mouldy tomatoes and need to take it home for washing out and packing away for next year. And planed the top of the shed door, so now it doesn’t stick.

After a picking session over the fields I’ve enough sloes to make lots of gin and jelly. I also came away with 3 carrier bags of quinces (someone in her U3A choir has a prolific tree, and Mum’s japonica bush has done really well this year) and 2 bags of bramleys. I need a lot more jars and to make some space in the freezer!

This was one of the work party weekends, and ‘my’ field is getting a lot of attention. The blackthorn along mine and Lionel’s plots is now down to about head-height and the off-cuts are being trailered round to the cemetery border to shore up the (de)fences with a thick prickly dead hedge. Thankfully there were chainsaws, or we’d all still be at it! It makes such a huge difference to our plots. It grows so fast and would otherwise shade half my plot now that the sun is so low. But I do ache now!

Hopefully next Friday I will have a full and rain-free day up at the plot and can get some proper work done before going away again! And my new wellies should be here…