Sandy & Steve
Plot 50B
In 2011 I suffered a stroke and was significantly paralysed down my right hand side. After leaving Hospital I was advised to take up exercise and so my partner Sandy and I started a keep fit regime. We started swimming, bicycle riding and walking. On one of our walks we visited Wellesbourne Allotments and saw one man working his plot. This man was Ken Manning. We spoke to Ken about the possibility of renting a plot as we thought this would be good exercise, and with the added bonus of putting healthy food on our table, form a valuable part of my recovery from the stroke. We put our names on the list and as we were advised the waiting list was about 12 months we spent the next year collecting the gardening tools etc., we would need for growing our own food on an allotment.
Steve on Plot 50B
11 months later, in 2014, we had a call from Ken to say a plot was available and did we still want an allotment. Excitedly we said, “YES!!!” The next morning we arranged to meet Ken and he showed us Plot 50B. We said, “Perfect”. The very next day we set about tidying the Plot. As we dug we could see just how good the soil was. After all people have been improving the soil and working these allotments for more than 176 years.
So in went the potatoes and as we dug the rest of the plot in went the other veg plants. That was three years ago and now we grow all sorts of various crops on 50B. We gain great pleasure and satisfaction from giving some of our harvest to family, friends and neighbours.
Sandy on Plot 50B - © Rob Lavers