We went to the plot this morning to see how the sun was then. At 11 am the site was almost all in the sun. We poked about a bit more and decided that it would be a good one to take on in spite of the work.
When we got home I e-mailed the Allotment Officer with my decision and asked for an agreement that it would be rent free for the first year (not a big deal as the rent is only £11.60 anyway) and for some kind of guarantee that if I found within a few weeks that it is too much for me then I wouldn't forfeit the deposit, given that the site is such a mess now! I also asked for a skip for all the broken glass, the bath, the rusty stuff, the old mowers, the piles of old plastic containers that won't be any use to me, .....etc!
I had an answer this afternoon....yes, rent free for first year; yes , I can have my deposit back if I can't get on with it; and yes...the inspector will have a look and see whether I can have a skip.

After lunch and walking the dogs I went to start the clear up. Oh my is it a mess! But I have made a big start on piling the rubbish up in one corner, moving all the paving slabs and pallets onto the bank, pulling up the acres of plastic, pulling up the tarpaulin covering the bonfire, trimming the hedge away from the pathway in, picking up the broken glass, moving the composter (looks new!), pulling up bean stakes and cleaning them, dismantling a plastic net frame, throwing away the packet of "Huggies (!) with the woodlice colony that was feasting on them...etc. I didn't take a photo as quite honestly it looks worse than before! But I promise one in a day or two if we get a chance to get down there again.

I also spoke to the "King" of the allotments and told him I'd decided to go ahead. He said he was greatly relieved as he had had second thoughts about what he'd said about the plot and felt that, after having had a mooch around yesterday, it would be a goodish plot given a fair amount of work . I asked him if anyone would want the ali greenhouse frame and the intact pieces of glass. He said that a few of them had been talking about setting up a communal greenhouse so he'd have a look and if they liked it they'd move it, and the glass, off the plot for me. It is no use to me....I have a perfectly good polytunnel here at home for raising seeds etc.

So....things are happening. Tomorrow we will have a big bonfire for all the burnable rubbish. Then we'll carry on putting the non-burnable rubbish in the corner waiting for the skip. I prepared a spot to put the tarpaulin to move my manure onto and I'll start the shovelling and barrowing tomorrow afternoon....weather permitting.

So......At last.....I've got my plot!!!!!!!!!