I was talking to one of the regular allotment chaps last week and he mentioned that he was able to get hold of horse manure in quite large quantities from a local stable and deliver it to the site. I asked if I could have some if there was any available and he said that he could get it delivered the next day (Friday). He would put it up the top of the site by the gate and I could help myself. He warned me to come and take some on Friday afternoon, or at the latest on Saturday morning, because other people from the allotment help themselves from the pile that is left there and if I didn't come fairly quickly it would all be gone.On Friday I had to work in the morning and wasn't able to get there in the afternoon, nor was I able to go to the allotment on the Saturday morning due to something already being booked in the diary. I must confess I was a bit crestfallen and mourned the lost opportunity of this "gold dust" as other allotmenteers call it.
Two days later on the Monday I went to my patch and started the usual routine - you know, open the storage box, get the fork out, put my gloves on and survey the site. Imagine my delight when looking up and seeing a pile about 2ft high of rich, brown ready to use horse manure that had been shovelled and wheelbarrowed down to my plot. I almost fell over as I rushed up to it to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks. They weren't, and it was really there. I was so grateful to the two men who had worked hard on my behalf, and wanted to give them something for their work, but they insisted that "we all help each other out when we can".
