On Mon, 7 Dec 2009 16:52:25 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:



"Rusty Hinge" wrote
Bob Hobden wrote:
Went down the allotment site yesterday for a few veg for dinner and was
confronted by the site of all the sheds on the site being broken into,
doors or what's left of them flapping in the breeze. To get to the sheds
they had smashed rabbit fences and gates. Luckily with no shed we only
had big footprints in the soft earth were I had already dug as they
walked across our plot.
Luckily I spotted a cache of stuff hidden by the gates and took it home
after advising the Police.
Spent the rest of the day dealing with the Police, a SOCO, putting
notices on all sheds for the Police, and advising as many plotholders as
I could by phone or personally. Still today I've had to go down to the
site again.
Yet the Council can't give me contact details of all the plotholders
because of Data Protection!!!

Yes they can! Jobsworths...

Well it turns out that the Council themselves have now made contact or left
messages for all the other plot holders, saves me a job. I have also been
able to get the details of some that have contacted me for future reference.
The Police have now proved to be a bunch of .......... because they told one
plot holder that each shed has to go down as separate crimes whereas I was
given a number for all the site which they were all to quote so they could
all be linked, they then said they knew nothing about me having found stuff
when I'd given them a list and their SOCO had been round and fingerprinted
it. I despair some times.
Strangely only the petrol Strimmer and the petrol Generator (?) have been
claimed so far so it look like I might gain stuff.
I think they were disturbed. Looking at the site today and the footprints
they appear to have been collecting stuff on the plot by the main gates as
they went through each shed, the cache I found.
A shed near our plot which is also next to our only neighbouring property
had a Cultivator in it that wasn't moved despite the shed being broken into,
that neighbour breeds some large dogs (Dogue de Bordeaux) so perhaps they
started barking and frightened them off. They would put the fear of God into
anyone in the dark, especially when they bark on mass.
Anyway, looks like damage was the only outcome.
They will be back though IDC, guaranteed.

Bob, that's dreadful. Is the site solely administered by the Council?
We have a private committee, all plot holders, who are answerable to
the Council but we have a secretary who holds all details and sends
out letters. We have a treasurer who collects the money and pays
bills..
We had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago, with sheds
ransacked, tools thrown around and broken. Our site manager liaised
with the Police.
We pay £8 a year for a standard plot.

Pam in Bristol

On Tue, 8 Dec 2009 16:27:34 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


In my view it's ridiculous to lay all the blame on the thieves . You
can bet, few of them steal tools to use in their own garden.

I can't agree with that.

Who are all those keen gardeners today who provide ready cash for
cheap secondhand garden and DIY tools, garden ornaments and furniture,
tubs and hanging baskets
of no known provenance, no questions asked at the car boot sale? If
there was no market for them, garden shed contents would be of little
interest to thieves.

I agree there. I would never buy garden tools etc from a car boot sale
for that very reason.

Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote ...
, "Bob Hobden"
Well it turns out that the Council themselves have now made contact or
left
messages for all the other plot holders, saves me a job. I have also been
able to get the details of some that have contacted me for future
reference.
The Police have now proved to be a bunch of .......... because they told
one
plot holder that each shed has to go down as separate crimes whereas I was
given a number for all the site which they were all to quote so they could
all be linked, they then said they knew nothing about me having found
stuff
when I'd given them a list and their SOCO had been round and fingerprinted
it. I despair some times.
Strangely only the petrol Strimmer and the petrol Generator (?) have been
claimed so far so it look like I might gain stuff.
I think they were disturbed. Looking at the site today and the footprints
they appear to have been collecting stuff on the plot by the main gates as
they went through each shed, the cache I found.
A shed near our plot which is also next to our only neighbouring property
had a Cultivator in it that wasn't moved despite the shed being broken
into,
that neighbour breeds some large dogs (Dogue de Bordeaux) so perhaps they
started barking and frightened them off. They would put the fear of God
into
anyone in the dark, especially when they bark on mass.
Anyway, looks like damage was the only outcome.
They will be back though IDC, guaranteed.

Bob, that's dreadful. Is the site solely administered by the Council?
We have a private committee, all plot holders, who are answerable to
the Council but we have a secretary who holds all details and sends
out letters. We have a treasurer who collects the money and pays
bills..
We had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago, with sheds
ransacked, tools thrown around and broken. Our site manager liaised
with the Police.
We pay £8 a year for a standard plot.

Yes, it's Council owned and run, we have thought about going "self managed"
but to be honest the few of us that would get landed with the work don't
want the bother especially as the site isn't well kept now so would need
some work to make it good, including a strong tall fence down two or even
three sides.
Ours cost £92.00 pa for the normal 10 rod plot with a reduction to £85.00 if
you pay by DD, age concessions are 50%. The cost next year is to be £99.50.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Martin" wrote in message
...

We bought some from a very, very old man who said he was selling because
gardening was too much for him at his age.
--

Martin


Martin could you please define 'old man'?

What is 'old'?

I asked this question on another forum and some very interesting answers
came forth!!


--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

In article , Pam Moore
writes
In my view it's ridiculous to lay all the blame on the thieves . You
can bet, few of them steal tools to use in their own garden.


Or as weapons? a pickaxe or spade is lethal in
certain quarters
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Martin wrote:
On Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:11:26 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

On Tue, 8 Dec 2009 16:27:34 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

In my view it's ridiculous to lay all the blame on the thieves . You
can bet, few of them steal tools to use in their own garden.
I can't agree with that.

Who are all those keen gardeners today who provide ready cash for
cheap secondhand garden and DIY tools, garden ornaments and furniture,
tubs and hanging baskets
of no known provenance, no questions asked at the car boot sale? If
there was no market for them, garden shed contents would be of little
interest to thieves.
I agree there. I would never buy garden tools etc from a car boot sale
for that very reason.

We bought some from a very, very old man who said he was selling because
gardening was too much for him at his age.

quaver
Anyone want to buy some nice garden tools? Hand tools no problem, JBs
and bulldozers take a little casing^h^h^time to source.
/quaver

--
'Onest Ron - the others are a con...

Janet Tweedy wrote:

Or as weapons? a pickaxe or spade is lethal in
certain quarters

Wince

--
Rusty

mark wrote:
/snip/
It's a pity there is such idealism...it clouds the real issues.
The *real* issue, in my view, is that most thefts are carried out as a
means to feeding a drug habit.
There's a lot of stats that appear to show 'drug related' offences (as a
percentage of all offences) are extensive and on the increase.
Anyway, forgive me, we're drifting well away from the main topic of this
newsgroup..

It's called 'thread-drift', and is part of Usenet's rich tapioca.

--
Rusty

In article , Rusty Hinge
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

Or as weapons? a pickaxe or spade is lethal in
certain quarters

Wince

Ha you take my point Rusty!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Rusty Hinge
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

Or as weapons? a pickaxe or spade is lethal in
certain quarters

Wince

Ha you take my point Rusty!

I shall be most careful not to...

--
Rusty