Everybody is talking about global warming and I agree – it is here and we are ‘fiddling when Rome burns’. I know it sounds very pessimistic but that’s the brutal truth. I walked round my back garden first thing in the morning before I went to the allotment and couldn’t believe my eyes how many flowers I found.

I am not surprised that the snowdrops are almost fully open but the camelia? A bit too soon, I just hope we don’t have too many frosty days and nights.

It was a serious work day on the allotment, it was a fence repair day. I managed to find somebody who was able to mend our fence at the back of the allotment. Samir Troka was amazing, he managed to cut away all the brambles and ivy, put a couple of new posts and secure the panels to them – as good as new – even better I think! We managed to finance this fence with the help of a Heart of England grant quite a few years ago and it would’ve been a pity to leave it un – cared for. All’s well that ends well, I’m happy with the work and I’m sure it’ll last many years.

This was the state of it before work started.

And this is the finished job! Wonderful.

The outside is even better, it is beside a busy path where children go to and from school and people walk there on the way to the fields. It is looking really good, as I said, I’m happy. It was a perfect birthday present from me to me and to the allotment.