7 August 2005

Booker T & the MGs

Yesterday we had an experience of the politics of local allotments. Reg, our site Secretary had called a meeting to announce his resignation from the committee which consisted of only him. I think this is supposed to be more momentous than I found it. We were also visited by Chris, the new Secretary of the Birmingham and District Allotment Council. I had never heard of the BDAC, but we are, apparently, members. There was a pretty poor turnout to this meeting - Reg, Chris and her husband, myself and Owen to start. This meant that Owen and I pretty much bore the brunt of quite a lot of disgruntled chuntering (is there any other type). Ben turned up a bit later as did Gerald, which evidently meant that there were enough present for Chris to dish out tasks to us.

Being the unsociable old grouch that I am, I’m really not that fussed about developing the community spirit of the site. I prefer to go down, see no-one and do my own thing. For me, the short time I am able to spend down the allotment is time away from people and is space for me to think about straightforward, uncomplicated stuff. I’m not interested in competitions or producing prize-winning monster crops. I like to be left alone a bit really. And if I’m really honest, while I can’t argue that the site would look much better if every plot were cultivated, I must confess that I do like the open spaces of the plots that are grassed over. There is space to breathe and to relax and to think - paradise.

I do not hate other people, however, and I am pragmatic enough to know that land such as this is very precious. If the allotments are to survive (and I’m not aware of them being under threat at present, but still…) then we need to attract new people and that means making an effort. If those of us who are there don’t do anything, then no-one will. I may not be overjoyed about it, but I think I do have to be prepared to do something for the common good. With this in mind I have agreed to paint a sign so we can let people know that there are plots to let (a nice, creative, artistic job - fine by me) and I have also been given the task of sorting out the toilets (yeuch). The toilet thing is going to be a huge test of my community spirit, I can tell you.

Once the meeting was adjourned (no mean feat - boy, these folk can talk!) Owen and I absorbed ourselves in the task of unearthing the remaining potatoes (another 12kg or so to add to the mountains from the day before) and then pulled up the rest of the onions.

Every time I look at the onions at home drying in trays in the bathroom (I bring ‘em in when I think it might rain) I end up humming Booker T & the MGs’ Green Onions.

But since England won the cricket down the road today, perhaps it’s a different Booker T tune I should be singing.

Filed under: Harvest — Clare @ 9:12 pm