Life has changed since we gave up the allotments in anticipation of our move to Lancashire.
The first thing I became aware of was lack of exercise. We have remedied this by long local walks: to the shops, to the library and this morning to a former customer where we posted a loaned side gate key through her front door.
The second missing ingredient was really fresh food. However, yesterday M asked us to prune the big apple tree on her allotment and offered to pay us for it. In a bright sunny spell between the declining winds of the transatlantic storms we did so and came home with some of M's parsley, spinach - her first and successful attempt - and as many eating apples as we could find (we are still cooking with our allotment Bramleys).
The third trial is lack of employment. I loved the plot and often felt that what I did there was of equal value to paid work. Paid work still comes and in this period of transition it comes day by day, phone call by phone call as we wait for our solicitor to finally pronounce on our completion date.
