Bonfire fun and games!

I went early to the plot....9am...because I wanted to start the fire and have a long day burning the rubbish. I noticed though when I arrived at the plot that the people were still there in the bottom flat. Blow! Then I spoke to the lady and she said they would be going later in the day....so I gave up the idea and got on with some gardening instead.

After lunch I went back to carry on with the gardening and saw that all the stuff on their balcony was put away, washing taken in, bathroom window shut...all quiet.... it looked like they'd gone. So I lit the fire. 20 minutes later I saw the lady on her patio! I apologised, but said that I had satisfied myself that they were gone before lighting it. She said not to worry as the smoke was going away from the flats anyway. (I sort of wondered if they were playing a bit of a game with me!) So I left it....and piled it right up again when it died down a bit. I have been waiting for this opportunity for months and needed to get the stuff burnt before it goes rainy again.
In this picture you can get a better idea of how high the bank is. About 2 1/2 foot higher at the back than the front. But I have abandoned the idea of shifting all the soil back to the flat part of the plot. It took me two days to recover from the last day's efforts, and I am getting to where the roots are tree roots. They seem to have colonised all the bank and I don't feel like fighting them. I'll just give it all a very good weeding and then use it for pumpkins next year. And I'll build a permanent "incinerator" from the slabs that are already at the plot. Then I will be able to leave fires without worrying about them.

At 4 when I left it was quite small and compact but still smouldering. We are not supposed to leave fires unattended, but it honestly was nearly finished.
This morning I decided to clean up the area behind the raspberries, alongside the fence. The sunflowers were all dried up and the seeds all gone, so I uprooted them and added them to the fire pile. I weeded where they were then decided that this would be the perfect spot for the comfrey. A long row of it will be very useful as I find it really good for adding to the compost heap, as well as making stinky liquid for plant feeding.
I also weeded all the fruit area and manured all the fruit bushes and rhubarb. And I ate all the raspberries. Not enough there to take home..!

I also sowed the broad bean seeds "Sutton" in the very neat looking bed on the left of the first photo. I chose these because they only reach a foot high and won't need staking. We get a lot of wind across the allotments and not staking is a bonus. I do prefer "Aquadulce Claudia", which I have sowed here at home, but the "Sutton" one is a test.
Then I turned my attention to the "path" between my plot and Chris's. This bit hasn't been touched since I took the plot on. I have started to weed out the big perennial weeds. Tomorrow I'll give it all a thorough dig and weed and then stamp it firm and cover it with black "terram" type fabric to keep the weeds down. I'll peg it down firmly.

A "new" couple have taken over one of the plots near the back hedge against the tennis courts. Their plot wasn't too overgrown, but they feel it'll take years to get it straight....! I showed them that mine has only taken 11 months and they were much encouraged. With two of them it shouldn't take long.

All in all I had a very productive, satisfying day. But I am so stiff now. I had a shower when I got in because I stunk of bonfire, but I think it should have been a bath. I could have one now, but DH is out and I don't want to risk not being able to get out again....I'm that stiff. I'll just get comfy with cushions instead.

Now I hope this posts. I did a long one this morning that didn't take....!