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<\/a>Stephen Walsh<\/p><\/div>\n
Stephen Walsh, 62, moved to a two-bedroom two-storey cottage at Great Alne Park near Alcester in June last year with his partner Pat.<\/p>\n
He was two stone heavier than he is now and reckons digging and planting his allotment has helped him get fit and lose weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I retired, I spent a lot of time in hotels because of my job,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did a lot of sitting around and eating and drinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe allotment has helped me get fit. I\u2019ve lost that two stone, and it\u2019s given me exercise with purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cPat and I walk to the plot and back, which is a good 20-minute round trip. Plus, the allotment is relaxing, so it\u2019s satisfying for our physical and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also encourages healthy eating. You get the reward, which is the produce.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/a>Stephen and Pat preparing the ground by their shed on their allotment<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cOur allotment has been a godsend during lockdown,\u201d adds Pat. \u201cI\u2019ve always liked gardening, but Stephen doesn\u2019t know so much about it, so he provides the muscle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been growing tomatoes, courgettes, beetroot, Swiss chard, lettuce, peppers, onions, and flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing out in the sun and in nature has been good for our mental health too. There are birds, rabbits and pheasants, and deer if you get up early enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to watch things grow and to eat your own veg; it\u2019s fresh and organic, and you can taste the difference. Plus, we\u2019ve been able to swap and share things with the other allotment-holders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their allotment also offers a social element. \u201cIt\u2019s not crowded there but when you do see people, we ask each other what we\u2019re growing,\u201d says Stephen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never had an allotment before, but Pat has always fancied one. Since we\u2019ve had it, I\u2019ve felt like a pioneer of the Wild West.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having an allotment has provided a welcome distraction for Susan Lewinton, 74, and her retired TV producer husband, Dave, 75. The couple have lived at Great Alne Park since May last year and they have two children.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be able to go to our plot at the height of the pandemic meant we could go outside, get some exercise and work on the allotment,\u201d Susan explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a marvellous distraction. Plus, there were other people there, so we could be far apart, while still being able to talk to each other.<\/p>\n
The 18 allotment plots are free to residents and available to rent by non-residents who live in the village of Great Alne so homeowners get the chance to mix and meet the locals. Each allotment has its own shed so homeowners\/locals can store tools and produce.<\/p>\n
Susan says: \u201cWe\u2019re friendly with a few people who live outside the development. They like to hear about what\u2019s happening here and we learn a lot about the local area from them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving the allotment also keeps your mind active because you have to think about what you plant in which month.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting the fresh air is good, and it\u2019s a double-helping of exercise because you have the walk to and from the plot, and the gardening when you\u2019re there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan has been into gardening all her life and she describes Dave as her assistant. They\u2019ve been growing basil, parsley and chives, and also potatoes, tomatoes, beetroot, cabbages, courgettes, leeks, runner beans, corn on the cob, parsnips and lettuce.<\/p>\n
She says: \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to give some of what we\u2019ve grown to our friends, as well as eating it ourselves. I especially love beetroot, which I\u2019ve been cooking and pickling. And our carrots are very sweet compared to the ones you buy in the supermarket.\u201d<\/p>\n
During their working lives, Susan was a bookkeeper, while Dave was the head of post-production for Thames Television with three BAFTA nominations to his name.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d definitely recommend having an allotment,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt\u2019s been an all-round joy and I\u2019ll continue to do it as long as I\u2019m physically able.\u201d<\/p>\n
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