Unofficial retrobike allotment thread....

The History Man":2a5macl2 said:

I love my old mattock!!!

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Yeah! Got one too, but the retaining bolt has sheared off. A lot of the old boys from the Med region use only these – they just work.

May be an opportunity for a 'retro tool'?

groovyblueshed":296s1zdr said:

The History Man":296s1zdr said:

I love my old mattock!!!

Click to expand...

Yeah! Got one too, but the retaining bolt has sheared off. A lot of the old boys from the Med region use only these – they just work.

May be an opportunity for a 'retro tool'?

Click to expand...

Bolt? No bolts here. Properly made. Got it with an old pickaxe and sledge hammer for free. Lovely careworn stuff.

Jolly good!
Had to fit a bolt to mine to stop the blade from spinning around – it was a cheap one from a local hardware store, not a proper mattock, I'm afraid.

groovyblueshed":1hunby3e said:

grumpycommuter":1hunby3e said:

Where on earth did you get that 3 pronged thing? Did it come with a free Ark?

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And also with 2 of everything and bison for the tilling of the land – a bargain Karl...

I got the 3 prong for the princely sum of £4 from a vintage tool stall at the last East Anglia Potato Day event (Stonham Barns, Suffolk). I now carry this with me whenever I have to travel through the more lively parts of Tottenham.

Over the years, I've managed to find a lot of decent tools mainly from smallholder type events here and there. A lot of the vintage tools I've picked up are tried and trusted and really do work, unlike some of the modern gardening gadgets. And they get used. If you or anyone else is interested, I could put up a few photos of the best finds may be...

I've used the 3 prong for turning over new ground at the allotment. It effectively breaks up, turns over and separates out the couch grass roots in each sweep. If I had to use only one tool, this would be it. A tool from the biblical age.

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I must say that a small part of me (the Lincolnshire bit that hasn't been watered down by loads of other genetic material) reeeaaalllllyyy wants to go the East Anglia Potato Day!

Yes please to pictures of tools, I'll even show you mine. ( So sorry for that...)

The History Man":1hunby3e said:

I love my old mattock!!!

Click to expand...

Good god, i'd never talk about my wife like that!

grumpycommuter":13fxbsck said:

groovyblueshed":13fxbsck said:

grumpycommuter":13fxbsck said:

Where on earth did you get that 3 pronged thing? Did it come with a free Ark?

Click to expand...

And also with 2 of everything and bison for the tilling of the land – a bargain Karl...

I got the 3 prong for the princely sum of £4 from a vintage tool stall at the last East Anglia Potato Day event (Stonham Barns, Suffolk). I now carry this with me whenever I have to travel through the more lively parts of Tottenham.

Over the years, I've managed to find a lot of decent tools mainly from smallholder type events here and there. A lot of the vintage tools I've picked up are tried and trusted and really do work, unlike some of the modern gardening gadgets. And they get used. If you or anyone else is interested, I could put up a few photos of the best finds may be...

I've used the 3 prong for turning over new ground at the allotment. It effectively breaks up, turns over and separates out the couch grass roots in each sweep. If I had to use only one tool, this would be it. A tool from the biblical age.

Click to expand...

I must say that a small part of me (the Lincolnshire bit that hasn't been watered down by loads of other genetic material) reeeaaalllllyyy wants to go the East Anglia Potato Day!

Yes please to pictures of tools, I'll even show you mine. ( So sorry for that...)

The History Man":13fxbsck said:

I love my old mattock!!!

Click to expand...

Good god, i'd never talk about my wife like that!

Click to expand...

Are we ambling down the Fifty Sheds of Grey road?

My dearest is also quite capable of coveting vintage tools...

We've been to a few of these sort of events out in the 'sticks' to see what unusual varieties of spuds we can pick up. They're normally frequented by an older demographic of old boys/old gits, jolly country types from the game keeper end up to the posh "Two Fat Ladies" types, a few new younger types who have downsized with their fortune from City trading to retire aspiring to a mix of the "Good Life" and "Great British Bake Off". At the last one at Stonham Barns, there was even a Dutch TV media company stalking around filming this bizarre social pond – everyone all madly circling around inside a giant tent in muddy field, until all the crates were picked clean. I might have been caught on camera shuffling round like the grim reaper with an old 7ft long yellow handled 5 prong Wolf cultivator I bought there – it's amazing how quickly people get out you're way when carrying one of those! It looks like something that should be pulled along by two Suffolk Punches.

Right then, I'll get my old tools out for later then – better go down to the shed at the end of the yard and do some late night fettling – I may be some time...

Good god that sounds strange! How did you manage not to punch someone? Looking forward to tool pictures (here we go again) and i shall be taking a camera to the inner sanctum tomorrow. And one bit of exciting new! Dad coughed up tonight that he has his Dad's hand plough which he (Dad's dad) used to use in Lincolnshire. Apparently they were paid per acre of sugar beet that they weeded by hand :shock: Anyway we are going 'to speed the plough' for a bit of fun. Proper retro-allotmenting Photographic documentation will be posted up as and when....

Good luck with buffing your tools.

Luckily, I had my hands full – I was acting as expedition sherpa carrying the cultivating tools, bags of seed potatoes, etc. But it was a genuine fun day out. We'd thought we'd got there real early, but the old hands of the game had already swept through first pickings, probably at first light. The Shetland Blacks and other exotics had already shipped out.

The hand plough sounds great! Be good to see the speed ploughing! Is it something like the old photo I've attached?

This gives me an idea for my old bike rims...

I hope to post some pics of the vintage tool finds, plus some pics of progress made on the allotment too, at the weekend. I actually managed to get my first early spuds (Red Duke of York & Yukon Gold) in last Sunday :xmas-big-grin: before the rains and winter descended on us again.

That must be hard work in heavy soil?

The History Man":dxexcrqo said:

That must be hard work in heavy soil?

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I know :roll:

Howard - I'm not sure what it looks like though from how it has been described it sounds like its made for two and you pull it. They do look like bike rims though dont they! Well done on getting spuds in....just in time for Chrimbo

Spuds are showing, couch grass is showing, f*****g bind weed is showing. You should see the length of the roots we are pulling out!

Piccies this weekend, including our own low rent 'scorched earth policy' !!!

Sweet peas in and cosmos planted, along with weeding and watering yesterday. No time today as i am off the the Chelsea flower show for press day.