My Life on a Hillside Allotment

by Terry Walton

  ‘We’re going to visit the six most famous gardens in Wales,’ she said. ‘There’ll be a koi water garden, a peace garden and a sensory garden, a Dutch garden in Lampeter, the National Botanical Gardens of Wales and your allotment!’ They were going to feature all six gardens in one special, so each would get about five minutes’ coverage.

  You can imagine my feelings, so soon after starting in broadcasting, to be told that Terry Walton’s allotment was up there alongside the National Botanical Gardens of Wales. The presenter was Iolo Williams, who does a lot of programmes on natural history and the outdoors in Wales, and his introduction to my plot started: ‘Arthur Fowler on EastEnders had one and Terry Walton in the Rhondda valley has got one. What is it? A famous allotment!’

  Five minutes is comparatively long in a broadcast. In that time they managed to describe the plot, interview me about how I got into allotment gardening, and cover some nice stories about how I’d grown the flowers for my own wedding, and how I’ve been on the allotments since I was knee-high.

  That was my first experience of working on a television broadcast, which is a totally different technique from radio because you are facing a camera all the time, and where you look and how you stand are important to the presenter and the cameraman. Several takes are necessary for some shots to get the effect right on screen. Also it was not live and spontaneous like the radio show, and television programmes rely on a little more acting to make them interesting. It was certainly slightly unnerving at first, but luckily lots of what is filmed always ends up on the cutting-room floor, and what was finally shown looked very good.

  One of the benefits of radio is that, while your voice might be recognized, visually you are anonymous. But when people have seen your face, it’s much more difficult to hide. You can be sitting in a café one day or walking through the shops and you hear the comment, ‘Isn’t that guy on the television?’ Once you’ve been seen, you’re public property.

  HTV Wales didn’t want to be left out, and soon afterwards I had a phone call from Bruce Kennedy, a producer with HTV at Culverhouse Cross in Cardiff. He said, ‘You’re a rising star in Wales on gardening, you seem to grow everything. We have a programme called Grass Roots, which covers stories about folk in Wales. Can we come along and talk to you?’

  So they turned up with Hywel James, a former newscaster who now presents a lot of topical programmes like the Good Food Show, and they did another special seven-or eight-minute spot, covering several topics about the allotments and how I did the Jeremy Vine stuff. They even went along to Jeremy’s studio and did a cut-in of me talking on the show.

  That programme was apparently very popular, provoking so much interest in our allotments that Hywel James came back several weeks later and said, ‘We’d like to do a whole series called Going to Seed. Not so much about gardening but more the social life on the allotments. Are there any characters beside yourself there, who you meet on a regular basis?’

  I thought, well, there was Albie across the path with his glasshouse doubling up as the café; there was Russell or Nuts, our inventor; and there was Roger, a stable sort of guy who was probably the best gardener. Roger grows all the standard allotment crops – potatoes, cabbage, beans, peas, lettuce and other salad crops – as well as artichokes, fennel and lots of flowering shrubs. We became the four characters who made up the cast of the Rhondda’s equivalent of Last of the Summer Wine.

  It was a four-part series to start with. The programmes did contain gardening tips but were largely about the social interaction on the plots, together with location items at places like the Royal Agricultural Show in Cardiff Castle, where they filmed us going round the stands and meeting other allotment people, and the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, where they followed us as we went round the horticultural tent.

  We also went to one of the winning allotments in Cardiff, hoping to pick up some tips, although I suspect the main reason was to show viewers the contrast in tidiness between their site and ours. As we entered the place we were greeted with neatly sculpted flower borders, and there were no sheds or greenhouses to blot the landscape. The whole view was of a pristine, well-controlled site, much as ours was when I entered it fifty years ago.

  Finally we did a programme with Brent Cockbain, the Welsh second row forward. He’s a very keen gardener and spends much of his leisure time (when not playing rugby) on his allotment. He told us he likes to cook with his own vegetables and makes chutneys from his produce. But during the international matches that autumn he had had a very bad leg injury and was on crutches for several months, unable to dig his allotment.

  The producer of Grass Roots, Hywel James, thought it a good idea for us allotmenteers to go on his plot and help him out, and we were digging away there when he hobbled down the path to find out what we were up to. We discussed his passion for allotment gardening and the kind of crops he had grown in his native Australia. We finished up with an impromptu coaching session for the cast, practising passing a rugby ball there on the plot.

  The first series was so successful that we did another four episodes, which finished transmitting in December 2005. So we made eight shows altogether, which gave considerable exposure in Wales not just to the allotments and the members but also to the wonderful surroundings that we are privileged to enjoy every day.

  During these bits and pieces of filming we were approached by a company called Liberty Bell, who were going to make a series called Dig It for BBC2. They wanted ten one-hour shows comparing the characters and growing methods of the Rhondda valley with a similar cast from an allotment site in Highgate in London. They planned to come along for one day a week over the full season and follow each of us growing different vegetables, monitoring our progress and results. Because it was a longer series than we’d done before, they needed a bigger cast. They chose Albie, Russell, Roger and me, who had all filmed before, plus four new faces.

  Brian and his wife Myra joined the cast. I was delighted Myra could be part of the show because she was the first lady to actually work on a plot since the allotments were founded, and even though she was not the official plotholder (the plot belongs to Brian) she was planting part of it herself. This was ground-breaking stuff. A member of the opposite sex was actually running part of her husband’s plot, bringing order and tidiness to this kingdom of men. It was history in the making, and where would it all end? In all seriousness we’re hoping Myra’s role in the show will prove to other women in our locality that there’s a place for them on the allotments, and we all welcome the change.

  Carl, who had only just taken a plot, was picked so they could follow his development as a novice to see if he was getting tips from everybody else. As the series progressed so did Carl’s skill, and the quality of some of his vegetables put us older hands to shame. He produced one of the biggest cabbages ever grown on this site and had the nerve to parade it before us all in a large wheelbarrow.

  Finally there was Rhys, a good gardener and a bit of a character, always telling jokes and making light-hearted quips about his and others’ growing prowess. He didn’t want to be involved at first but, once he’d started, really got a taste for it. He has been with us on the site for fifteen years and has always grown excellent vegetables, his greenhouse regularly producing the largest crop of tomatoes. If he didn’t appear in one of the shows he would ring me up and ask what he had done wrong. Why didn’t they want him? I would say, ‘Don’t worry. It’s a long series, I’m sure you’ll be back.’ And he went on to be used a lot throughout the programmes, and has become quite a star of the small screen. So much for the reluctant volunteer!

  The production team managed to build two contrasting casts of characters, with neither group knowing anything about the other one or what was taking place at the other allotments. Right through the season from April until September they filmed us at work (and play) on a fortnightly basis, one week at the Rhondda site, the next week in Highgate. Each participant was allocated a range of vegetables, and the series fol
lowed how they grew. This practical stuff was interspersed with stories of how each person got into gardening, what they liked about it and in some cases the effect it had on their life.

  When filming was over the production company arranged a barbecue at the Highgate site and the Rhondda cast were bussed up to London to join the party. There was an instant affinity between us all the moment we met, which was the first time in the whole long shooting schedule, and we spent a very pleasurable day together as if we were lifelong friends. Such is the bond between fellow allotmenteers.

  The show finally went out as The Big Dig, after a change in title at the last moment.

  As a result of all my media activities the BBC Radio Wales early show Good Morning Wales got in touch one day to see if I would come on the programme and give my opinion about the fact daffodils were blooming much earlier these days. And I’ve been contributing regularly now for over two years. I think the producers sit there in the evening scanning the internet for breaking news, and if they find that something with a gardening flavour will appear in the next day’s papers, they ring me up to ask my view on it. What do I think about a new law regarding leylandii hedges? Is it right that the grasscutters in Newcastle are going on strike because the grass there is growing in the winter? Then they’ll say, ‘Can you come in at ten past six tomorrow morning?’

  * * *

  Global change

  ALL THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE at the moment seems to indicate that the Earth’s temperature is rising. With the exception of 2005/6, winters are definitely warmer with far fewer frosts than twenty years ago, spring tends to be wetter and cooler, and peak summer temperatures are several degrees higher. But it is the wild variations that seem to occur these days which concern gardeners more than broken records: we get very high winds at abnormal times of the year, and frosts in late May are more common now.

  If the changing, warmer British climate becomes an established fact of life, allotment gardeners are going to have to reassess the kind of vegetables that can be grown well at particular times of year. Winter vegetables such as leeks, swedes and Brussels sprouts will be out and during the summer more exotics such as melons or even bananas could be grown. It might also mean we can extend the season for growing our favourite crops – who knows, later this century we might be picking runner beans and fresh strawberries to eat on Christmas Day.

  I personally don’t relish the thought. I like to have clear distinctions between our four seasons, each with its appropriate weather. This helps us all to plan our gardening year and grow accordingly. We allotmenteers are a staid bunch, really, and prefer change to be minimal.

  * * *

  The questions may not be purely about gardening but there’s always a link somewhere, which is why I’m called in to provide a comment. Barring the fact that I’ve got to get up at some ridiculous hour to go to the studio, I don’t mind: everybody’s got an opinion on something, but I’m lucky enough to be able to express mine on air.

  And it’s all based on what I do or have learned on the allotment. Whether I’m describing my attempts to grow tomatillo or skirret on my plot, sharing a laugh and a joke with my fellow plotholders on television, or simply giving my views on early morning radio about the health-promoting properties of rhubarb, it’s all just a natural (even if totally unexpected) consequence of enjoying gardening and wanting to share its pleasures with others.

  All my initial misgivings about featuring allotment gardening on the radio have proved to be unfounded. I’m still nervous before each broadcast – some things never change! – but that keeps me sharp, which translates into good listening. The routine that has evolved between Jeremy and me obviously appeals to our audience, who keep tuning in regularly, and the fan mail I receive suggests it has hit the right note with Radio 2 gardeners. Long may the programme continue inspiring newcomers to take up this wonderful pastime of ours!

  Talking to an audience has made me see the allotment in different terms, though. I seldom stand back and look at the plot while I’m working, because it’s there in my mind already and I’m completely involved in whatever I’m doing. But when I describe it to other people, such as Jeremy Vine’s millions of listeners, and try to ensure they get the feel of it, then I have to look at it as a whole.

  I think I appreciate it even more now, if that’s possible.

  As time passes, the adopted allotment, my patch of good earth on this mountainside overlooking the stunning Rhondda valley, seems to me even more like a small piece of heaven. And the plot has turned out to be much more fruitful than anyone could have predicted when I first joined my father up there over half a century ago.

  Who could have foreseen that my secret haven of peace and solitude would now be shared with six million listeners? Like nature, life is full of surprises, some good, some bad, and many of my richest pleasures have come from owning my own allotment and growing my own food.

  So here’s to the next fifty years on my hillside in the Rhondda.

  * * *

  Terry’s Tip for December

  Recycling

  TO SAVE ON THE COST of new pots for sowing and growing next year’s crops, and to help reduce the huge amounts of waste we generate, get friendly with someone who works at a place with a drinks-vending machine, preferably one that dispenses polystyrene cups.

  Collect these and wash them out in hot soapy water, and then burn a half-inch (12 mm) hole in the bottoms with a soldering iron to provide drainage. You can use these ‘pots’ for germinating large seeds like beans, sweetcorn and sunflowers, and for growing on seedlings to make decent-size plants for transplanting outdoors. The polystyrene keeps the plants warm and cosy, and doesn’t dry out as fast as conventional plastics.

  You can use the stuff elsewhere too. Save all the polystyrene packing from Christmas presents and break it into small pieces to use as drainage material at the bottom of pots. Larger polystyrene containers make excellent seed trays or ‘saucers’ for standing under pots to catch water.

  Remember you can use other waste materials in the garden too. Clear plastic containers that meat and fish are sold in make effective propagator lids over trays of seedlings or cuttings, and all your Christmas wrapping paper can be ripped up small to add carbon to the vegetable waste in your compost bin.

  * * *

  Anthea’s Recipe for December

  Green Tomato Chutney

  WHEN THE FIRST autumn frost is forecast, harvest all your remaining tomatoes and lay them out in trays indoors to finish ripening. Adding a ripe banana or an orange helps speed up the process. If you have lots of green ones that look as if they’re never going to turn red, this recipe will use up quite a few of them.

  2 lb (900 g) green tomatoes, chopped small

  ½ lb (225 g) onions, chopped small

  ¼ pint (150 ml) water

  ¼ pint (150 ml) malt vinegar

  12 oz (350 g) jar orange marmalade

  4 oz (125 g) mixed raisins and sultanas

  1 tsp cayenne pepper

  ½ tsp ground ginger

  ½ tsp salt

  Simmer water and onions in a large saucepan for 20 mins.

  Add tomatoes, vinegar, sultanas and raisins, spices and salt, and simmer for 25 mins.

  Melt the marmalade slowly in a saucepan or a microwave on the lowest power. Add to the tomato mixture and stir to mix thoroughly.

  Spoon into preheated jars and cover at once with airtight lids.

  * * *

  Ode to the Allotment

  I once had an allotment that was all mine,

  Now I share it with the listeners of Jeremy Vine.

  It resides in the Rhondda valley in a beautiful spot,

  And I’m very thankful for the view that I’ve got.

  When life is tough and I’m feeling a bit low

  I jump in the car and to the allotment I go;

  I meet all the characters on their plots too,

  And after a chat and a coffee I no longer feel blue.

  It is grea
t to work there, and also sit and stare,

  And admire all the crops that are growing there.

  We meet in Albie’s greenhouse, sunshine or rain,

  And after a chat the world is put to right again.

  It provides in the summer the salad on my plate -

  The lettuce, radish, tomatoes and ‘cues’ are great.

  On colder days the hot dinners are just fine

  With potatoes, carrots, cabbage and beans divine.

  To add to my taste buds courgettes and sweetcorn

  These wonderful vegetables my dinner plate adorn,

  My winter feasts provided by parsnip, leek and swede;

  So you see the allotment provides all that I need.

  Then I moved on to pumpkins that grew quite large,

  To see them many people to my plot would charge.

  There are failures, of course – the pak choi is one:

  The plants went to seed, so its fruitful days were done.

  The strawberry, gooseberry and blackberry I farm

  To provide desserts on my plate and tasty jam.

  So you see I have all that I need in my life:

  Allotment, beautiful views, two great sons … and a patient wife!

  Index

  The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.

  Aberavon 28

  Albie 8, 46, 46–7, 193, 212, 215, 222–3, 269

  allotment (Terry’s)

  benefits of 3

  creating short manageable rows on new plot 194–5