"Mike" wrote
when I took up my allotment there was only a couple old blokes still
there along with a wonderful lady who from her name and little things
she said I'm pretty sure survived escaping the holocaust to grow veg
into her nineties, (she passed away during the last winter without her
allotment ever becoming overgrown).
I thought it would all soon close. But now the demand is so great the
lady's plot is divided in two halves for two off the waiting list,
which nationally is in 6 figures now.
Now I look around and see I'm the old bloke, if I look at anybodies
plot, you cam see they think I'm tut tutting at their skills, little
do they know I'm clueless beyond one gardening book and advice from
here.

Our last allotment site ended up in 2004 with five plots taken between three
gardeners (two were couples) and there were 150+ plots. How times change and
in such a short time too.
It's now a Park although they say they will put back a small allotment site
of about a dozen plots if/when they get the money. Yet they are saying they
have a huge waiting list now.

One problem I see is that a lot of the older sites don't have toilets and
with more women than men, and young women mainly, taking up plots, it
becomes imperative to have a toilet provided. (if only so I don't get
arrested!)

I am one of the "old farts" on our site but try to keep my own counsel
unless asked specifically.
One thing I have noticed is that the new gardeners don't seem to understand
the importance of manure (and lots of it), I don't know if they use lots of
fertilizer instead but if not then they are storing up trouble in the shape
of decreasing yields and mucking up the soil for future gardeners.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden