Friday 29 October 2010

Break in at the Allotment

Yes ! we had a break in. Lucky for me that my shed is facing a road and is overlooked by some houses opposite, and the road is lit as well so I escaped the thieves this time.  I do really feel for my fellow plot-holders who had their sheds broken into though,  One chap had a £300 rotovator stolen and he is gutted as anyone would be. The perpetrators cut a huge hole in the wire fence at the back of the allotments and just climbed in and helped themselves to larger equipment and left decent tools still in the sheds.

They obviously knew what they wanted as apart from damaging and forcing locks and breaking shed windows they didn't trash anything in the sheds and never took garden tools, camping stoves and kettles. They also stole a couple of wheelbarrows. I personally think a child or small person helped them as the windows aren't that big and some sheds didn't have the doors forced but had things taken from the other side of the shed, so someone small had to have climbed in to get to it. My friend lost her strimmer that way.
It's all very unsettling. I hate this time of year on the allotment at the best of times. I hate the mess, the leaves ( yes I know they make lovely leaf mould !) the mud, decaying plants , you get the picture ! OH what a misery I am today, so I will cheer myself up with a few photo's.










I hope you all have a lovely week-end, and next post will be a happy one promise !!

18 comments:

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

Break-in at garden sheds?.. they should have robbed a bank!

Kath said...

Even the smallest bit of damage at an allotment is upsetting - losing expensive equipment must make people so angry. We only have small plots here so sheds aren't allowed. However, it's a small village and we all live near enough to take our gear down each time.
Your photos are gorgeous, as always!

Maureen said...

Hi Bangchik, thanks for the comment, it made me smile, too many small minded criminals about sadly. I expect they will now sell their pickings at boot sales.
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Hi Vegetable Heaven, thanks for the lovely comment on my photo's. I think your lucky living near enough to your plot that you can take your tools down each time. Mind you it's amazing just how much STUFF we allotmenteers accumulate in our sheds, and I would miss sitting in it when there's a sudden downpour.

benjiboy said...

Sorry to hear about the break ins. Its not like most of us with allotments have got piles of money and often can't afford to be replacing tools straight away...wicked wicked people. Makes my blood boil!!!
Regards
Ben
higgledygarden.com

Maureen said...

Thanks BENJIBOY, I know it's really mean isn't it ? and a chap who lives in one in the houses opposite the allotments said he saw a couple of men looking through the fence for ages last week. Obviously casing the joint.

Mark Willis said...

Hi Maureen; I sympathise with your despondent mood. Thefts like this can be very unsettling. I don't have an allotment, just my back garden, which is easier to keep an eye on, but I too have had some thefts. I lost a load of aluminium poles for my Build-a-Ball set, and some solar-powered lights. Worst loss of all (though trivial in financial value) was my "Widger" - a small stainless steel tool I use(d) for weeding. It had sentimental value to me!

RobD said...

Sadly an all to familiar story of an easy target. Our site gets targeted on a regular basis as it is 'out of the way'. I have a 'mobile shed' these days - aka the boot of the car!

Maureen said...

Hi Mark, thanks for the commiserations, even though my shed wasn't targeted it still leaves me as uneasy as everyone else, because now we know how vulnerable we all are. I feel for you getting a tool that has sentimental value stolen. I thankfully bought my late fathers spade & fork home from the allotment and it's (hopefully) going to be safe in the shed in my garden.
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Hi RobD, Oh how awful that your site gets regularly broken into. This is the first time in over 5 years for our site, I wasn't a plot holder last time.

fer said...

So bad to hear about people breaking in. Good that you didn't lose any. But bad for your neighbors. I know i would hate it if it was to me. Lucky that no one was hurt tho

Damo said...

Sorry to hear that Maureen, allotments are an easy target I suppose, it's a shame when all the hard work you put in contributing to a communal site is spoilt by break ins.

Maureen said...

Thanks FER, and you are absolutely right it is good that no one was hurt. I guess we have to accept that (as Damo says) allotments are an easy target.
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Thanks DAMO.

allot of veg said...

Sorry to hear about this Maureen. It is really dispiriting isn't it. Hope you can be philosophical and still enjoy your lottie.
J

Maureen said...

Thanks ALLOT OF VEG, yes it does put the dampers on things, but it hasn't put anyone off, even the people that got broken into. There were a lot of things being taken home though rather than risk losing anything else. Apparently two allotment sites were broken into that night including ours.

Pam's English Garden said...

Dear Maureen, How scary for you! I am glad they didn't take any of YOUR stuff though.
I am in England right now at my Mom's, so I can't get on-line very often. I am doing this in a pub that has wifi. I just had to check out a couple of blogs today, and hope to do a new post. (I might be here for a while so its a good job I don't drink!)
Your photography gets better and better. Love the raindrops on the heuchera.
Love, Pam xx

Anna said...

Sorry to hear about the break ins and theft Maueen. We have had problems at our site so I know what it feels like :( It made me come to the conclusion not to leave anything valuable in my shed. Hope that it turns out to be a one off occurence and that the ******* who did it get caught.

Maureen said...

Thanks ANNA, good advise about not leaving anything too expensive in the shed. I'm just glad that I have now brought my late fathers tools home they are old but have sentimental value.

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Hi PAM, I hope that being here in the UK doesn't mean that your mother is unwell ? It's lovely to hear from you as always and thanks for the comments on the photo's.
Have a lovely time with your mum.
M x

Linda said...

A familiar story here too, I'm afraid. We had the bolt on our shed door cut off with metal cutters, and our new strimmer taken. It does get you down a bit.

Maureen said...

Hi Linda
Thanks for the comment. I'm sorry to hear that you too were broken into, how dreadful to have your new strimmer stolen. I'm not taking it for granted that ours wasn't targeted but I hope that the fact we are so close to the road and houses opposite that we will be OK. I took a look at your blog, and will go back to read more.