Tuesday 27 January 2015

From the Allotment Archives

Monday didn't feel as mild as the temperature suggested. With the possibility of snow forecast for the latter half of the week, we decided on an afternoon visit to RSPB Fairburn Ings. It was cloudy but the gusty wind made it feel much colder.
It was about 10 years ago when we made the move from film to digital photography. Before the switch it was more or less a case of buying a few rolls of film with 24 or 36 pictures on them and taking photos or slides of our holidays. If we had a couple of shots left when we returned home we’d finish them off around the garden or very rarely the allotment. The films went away to be developed and the results were awaited with some anticipation.

The advent of digital photography eventually changed how we viewed taking pictures. At first digital photography was treated as when using film except that the photos could be viewed straight away rather than in a few days time after developing.  It was a while before digital pictures began being taken almost instead of keeping a diary. 

It seems that around the beginning of January 2005 we started taking more pictures of the allotments as our digital camera era began in earnest. I thought it might be interesting to compare the plots today and how they appeared 10 years ago. On our site 10 years ago the allotment boom hadn't got under way.
Mid January 2005 looking from plot 42 towards plot 41

25 January 2015 looking from plot 42 towards plot 41
The first two photos are looking from the end of our plot number 42 looking up the allotment site. As you can see it a wasteland of weeds and bramble. We eventually took on plot 41 which has the tumbled down green shed on it in the first photo taken in 2005. Although all the plots aren’t taken on our site it looks far more productive in the photo taken a few days ago.
Mid January 2005 looking from plot 42 towards plot 29
25 January 2015 looking from plot 42 towards plot 29
This is a view looking down the path separating plot 42 and 43. The trees in these photos are rather confusing. The two large conifer trees in the 2005 photo have recently been cut down. The conifer in the 2015 picture has grown over the last 10 years. Ten years ago we were shedless and greenhouseless. 
Mid January 2005 looking from plot 42 towards main gates
25 January 2015 looking from plot 42 towards main gates
Finally two photos looking down the site towards the main gate. In 2005 this was a wasteland. On this side of the allotment site we had taken on plot 42 and all the other plots were overgrown. 

Eventually the allotment boom came and almost all of the plots on the site became cultivated. We've still a few plots to be taken on by someone who’s looking for a challenge to clear an overgrown and derelict plot.

More from the archives soon.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett

7 comments:

  1. Interesting look back. You have worked hard through the years and today your allotment is beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. I'm amazed how our plots have changed over the years. Are you missing all the snow?

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    2. Thankfully we are mid-country and have had a really mild winter...SO FAR! I downloaded an app that changes Celsius to Fahrenheit; now I'm able to follow your temps :)

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    3. We don't have too much of a temperature extreme so I only need to remember these comparisons.

      28°C=82°F - we might get a few days above this but it's considered very hot for us.

      10°C=50°F - we mostly fall into this range apart from late autumn and winter

      0°C=32°F - where we live it unusual but not unknown for us to fall much below this value.

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    4. You are so lucky to have nice summer days...it is not uncommon to be in the 90's during July and August.

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  2. It's great that you have some photos of what the site was like back then. I remember waiting for films to be developed after holidays and the disappointment when some came back blurred or a finger was in the way, digital is so much better.

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    Replies
    1. Sometimes I remember a little note in with the developed pictures explaining how I'd used the wrong camera settings and that the poor picture quality was nothing to do with their developing.

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