Any shed in a storm

Published on Tuesday 4 March 2008 15:24

Allotment Tales

Bleary-eyed, having been kept awake all night by the bangings and buffetings of high winds that the radio reliably informs me have hit Scotland fresh from Siberia, this morning I arrive at the allotments to find the horticultural equivalent of one hell of a hangover. There is a squidgy, frayed-around-the edges fragility, reminiscent of the way one feels after having knocked back vodka cocktails mixed with a Red Bull or six. Oh dear. Bits of wood hang off sheds, raspberry canes are laid flat out on the ground while the sunlight picks out the broken shards of shattered greenhouse glass. I feel I should tiptoe in, not wanting to make a noise.

Despite this devastation, I note that all around the compost bins daffodils are thriving and almost in bud, and crocuses are far further on than they were last week. The forsythia is also a cheery sight. It is business as usual despite it being the morning after the night before.

My main concern is how my sheds – a fixture on my plot I am told since the 1960s – have fared. I inspect the roofs for leaks, but all is well, unlike my own home where a loose slate is lying on the front lawn. Sheds are rather taken for granted on allotments, but their longevity and reliability should be a matter of some remark, if not gratitude. Mine have been going strong for the last 40 years, and with a bit of ongoing repair should last another 20. Check out www.shedworking.co.uk for a whole world of shed life shared by people across windy islands.

I suddenly realise that I am looking at a construction success story despite last night's wind, particularly compared to property currently being built all around the plots. Recently, I had a rather shocking conversation with a local builder who commented that in the general opinion of his workers, the houses and flats they are constructing across the central belt with timber frames will probably only last around 30 years – a little past the length of the average mortgage. I was also astonished to learn that the building standards system in Scotland requires no estimation of lifespan for buildings to be provided when developers apply for a building warrant or a completion certificate. Which rather begs the question just what sort of crumbling wreck will be left for your kids to inherit once you've knocked your pan out over the years to pay the mortgage? Time perhaps to take shelter in the shed.