2020 Covid-19 Memories
Ian Ferguson, Inverleith Allotments
We were in India in January when Coronavirus hit the headlines, after much discussion we decided to stay in the sun until the beginning of March before returning home -
Four airports and three flights - borders and airlines closing as we travelled - we caught the last ever Flybe flight into Edinburgh…
Then back into our Inverleith Allotment. Lockdown just happenning, very mixed details of what you could, and could not do during these first few days - uncertainty of whether we were actually allowed to be there - and one incident involving the police, with loudhailers scolding a plotholder for sitting having a cup of tea as this was not what they considered as exercise, which under lockdown conditions then, was seemingly one of the only reasons you could be out of your house!
So after that for the first week or so we hid when having a cup of tea, and not digging!
Eventually it eased up, I think Micheal Gove got involved, and police intervention ceased.
Timing wise it couldn’t have been a better time to be at the allotment, just before spring, lots to do, preparing, planting of seeds, etc, very good for plotholders.
Lots of plotholders there every day, so friends to talk to - at a distance - much to discuss, where to get seeds to plant, etc - as the garden centres were closed.
This I am sure really helped dispel any feelings of depression from those who lived alone.
It certainly lifted our spirits to be able to go there every day, always plenty to do, and people to chat to.
This year in response, the individual allotments have never looked better, really beautiful…
Nature has rewarded us all…
Last time we were in a lockdown situation was much different, we were in Saudi Arabia living on the Gulf Coast, and facing a much larger, but equally dangerous foe - it was 1990/1 - Saddam Hussain, and his Scud Missile threats of chemical attack, which thankfully never happened. My family had been evacuated to Edinburgh, I had a couple of sealed rooms, one for gas, one for blast, in my villa, and a gas mask/respirator & supplies. In the end when CNN started to warn of the possiblity of a nuclear attack a friend and I decided to leave overland (no planes out of Saudi by now) to the UAE - a very long 10 hour drive through the desert. When we arrived at the border - because we did not have visas - we were held in a completely empty huge refugee camp (setup for the war) for days until we were taken and put on our flights home…
Photos below from our plot…
Four airports and three flights - borders and airlines closing as we travelled - we caught the last ever Flybe flight into Edinburgh…
Then back into our Inverleith Allotment. Lockdown just happenning, very mixed details of what you could, and could not do during these first few days - uncertainty of whether we were actually allowed to be there - and one incident involving the police, with loudhailers scolding a plotholder for sitting having a cup of tea as this was not what they considered as exercise, which under lockdown conditions then, was seemingly one of the only reasons you could be out of your house!
So after that for the first week or so we hid when having a cup of tea, and not digging!
Eventually it eased up, I think Micheal Gove got involved, and police intervention ceased.
Timing wise it couldn’t have been a better time to be at the allotment, just before spring, lots to do, preparing, planting of seeds, etc, very good for plotholders.
Lots of plotholders there every day, so friends to talk to - at a distance - much to discuss, where to get seeds to plant, etc - as the garden centres were closed.
This I am sure really helped dispel any feelings of depression from those who lived alone.
It certainly lifted our spirits to be able to go there every day, always plenty to do, and people to chat to.
This year in response, the individual allotments have never looked better, really beautiful…
Nature has rewarded us all…
Last time we were in a lockdown situation was much different, we were in Saudi Arabia living on the Gulf Coast, and facing a much larger, but equally dangerous foe - it was 1990/1 - Saddam Hussain, and his Scud Missile threats of chemical attack, which thankfully never happened. My family had been evacuated to Edinburgh, I had a couple of sealed rooms, one for gas, one for blast, in my villa, and a gas mask/respirator & supplies. In the end when CNN started to warn of the possiblity of a nuclear attack a friend and I decided to leave overland (no planes out of Saudi by now) to the UAE - a very long 10 hour drive through the desert. When we arrived at the border - because we did not have visas - we were held in a completely empty huge refugee camp (setup for the war) for days until we were taken and put on our flights home…
Photos below from our plot…
|
|