Boy am I tired! I decided to take advantage of the fine weather and the wind direction (southerly....ie away from the flats next door!) and start burning the rubbish at the plot. I have cleared over half of the scruffy area of the bank near the shed, and the fire has been burning now since 11am....5 hours. I had to leave it as I needed to walk the dogs. We went through the allotments and it was behaving nicely. (Someone had put a load of stuff on as soon as my back was turned....I'd only been gone half an hour!)
I feel much better about the plot now it is beginning to look tidier.

Pulling out all the nettle roots I found that the soil on the bank is as good as Martin( neighbour to the south) predicted. He said a previous plotholder had skimmed all the top soil off along with the weeds from the whole plot and just dumped it on the bank. When I have cleared the rubbish I am going to sieve that soil and move it back onto the flat part of the plot. When I have excavated it out somewhat I will probably move the new compost heaps to the ex-bank and build another bay . Three bays will be enough....two for compost, one for manure.

Pulling out some old carpet from the rubbish pile I disturbed a toad. I rescued him and took him to next doors pond.

Malcolm brought along a load of old bamboo pole segments to put on the fire. I snapped them up, bundled them, and shoved them under the bay tree on the corner of the plot. The ends are buried in the soil. This is the first section of my "bug hotel" done. Hopefully I am in time this autumn to tempt some friendly insects to become my guests.

I have a broken earthenware flowerpot which I want to take to the plot next time I go, filled with straw, which I will half bury, with the drainage hole facing out and down. Hopefully some bumblebees will find it to be a des res! When I took the plot on last year I disturbed an underground bumblebee nest...so this will be a way of making amends.

Sorry no photos. I took the camera but it was just too dull. It threatened rain at one point but it didn't come to anything.

After dinner I'll have to pop down and check the fire, or I'll not sleep tonight.