CF allotment thief part 3: The ‘plot’ thickens and auditions begin for the west end musical

[YaMuvva]

Just creating one now before t’other fills up. Will post updates when I have them

Last thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5048540-cf-allotment-thief-part-2-the-battle-of-barbara-and-the-beansprouts?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

😂😂😂

Whatever you do don't go there the first Saturday in May. It's World Naked Gardening Day.

Yes, THIS! It works great whether or not the listener likes Babs.

As a sideways bit of trivia, Sir Joseph Bazalgette was the chief architect of the sewer system that relieved London of the annual "great stink". I have a lot of respect for his work both there and where I now live on the south coast - most of which is still in service today. I find it a bit ironic that his great great grandson Peter Bazalgette worked for Endemol which created the 'Big Brother' reality TV series which could be classed as a gutter type production but hey, ho, who am I to cast aspersions!?

This is the thread (OK series of threads) that keeps on giving.

It started as an allotment thief, went in to musical theatre, became a detective story of sorts that morphed in to a drama with additional recipes and the history of London sewers.

I think one way to get Richard Armitage would be to get Harlen Cobden to write the script.

I read that as a ‘shit’ in

Well, if @YaMuvva 's concern about them defecating on the plot is true, then I'd say you reading it as 'shit in' is a bit prophetic. God, I hope not though!

It has a Machiavellian style to it, with OP presenting herself as reasonable good person and her seller as the villain, and not commenting at all on Bab's CFery and offer of a fight.

Machiavelli spoke (/wrote) a lot of sense. He’d be a top management consultant today.

Babs may only be going to receive the letter today. If it was sent on Friday, even 1st class recorded, it's not guaranteed to be delivered on Saturday.
Someone at your solicitors will have the tracking info, though, so you could ask them to let you know if/when it's arrived.

I am busting to find out 😂

@AcrossthePond55 Oh don't know about that it's supposed to be an excellent fertiliser, my in laws once had a sewerage leak in their garden they ended up with the biggest tomatoes they had ever grown

She has received the letter, according to the solicitor’s!! I’ve just rang them.

Ring doorbell is back in, spare battery is ordered but the weather has turned shit so no checking the patch out today!

Can’t wait to find out if she slinks off with her tail between her legs or whether she intends to put up a fight.

I wonder if it’s a coincidence that it’s also Free Comic Book Day…

come on, by now surely you know she will kick up a massive fuss.

I can't fathom why Bountiful Babs hasn't been round to discuss the situation. Surely even a numpty who is caught on the hop by the new land owners, would once calmed down and dwelt on the situation a bit realise it's in their best interests to have a discussion. Only a total idiot would think they could carry on as before after the property has sold.

She's probably raging and jumped straight on the phone to some solicitors. You can just imagine how that conversation will go...

'...So, you don't actually own the land?'
'Well, no, but the old owner let me use it...'
'But the old owner doesn't own the land anymore...?'
'Well... no...'

I suspect poor Babs thought the land as "gifted" to her by the previous owner. I suspect the former owner was stoopid enough to not realise it was included in the sale.

When we bought our house we were doing renovations and a wall collapsed. Our surveyors had failed to pick up the problem 🤦‍♀️. We also never bothered seeking compensation for the previous owners taking the washing machine (it was grotty and old and probably worth very little). We are also supposed to have railings at the front of the house (probably war effort). It's interesting what comes up during searches.

It will be interesting to see what the Vendor/their solicitor has to say about the situation and the garage one. Hopefully Babs will realise and not have planted anything new. I suspect the Vendor reassured her that the plot wasn't included in the sale. (Presumably she actually could've stated that this plot wasn't included in the sale and just remained the Registered Owner if she'd wanted to honestly secure Babs' plot!)

It’s all very silly isn’t it? Babs isn’t old and doddery. She knew that Sally was selling. It would not have been hard for her to go to Sally and say “thanks for letting me use the land, can I buy it from you so that it doesn’t get included in the sale of your house?” Sally might have transferred for a notional amount, or Babs just paying the conveyancing fee or something.

Clearly Sally didn’t see it as significant to the value of her house and she was right because OP didn’t either.

Instead Babs stuck her fingers in her ears and closed her eyes then got all arsey when the new owners reasonably wanted access to the land they had bought. I wonder if Babs has a partner who was equally as slow on the uptake? I wonder if the neighbouring “allotment” owners knew Babs didn’t own it, and what they thought? You’d think one of them would have suggested to Babs that she get it sorted before the sale. Maybe they all hate her though?

Could you get a load of manure delivered to the plot? It would stop them from sitting there.

I mean she can’t bitch too much. As long as you have a cop of the letter you can remove her address and share it will all the allotment neighbours. They will soon side with you even if begrudgingly because despite how hard she worked it, it’s not her land and she was asked to leave with fair notice.

The one thing I’ve learnt with allotment friends is they will be nice enough to stab you in the back after kissing your arse.

The amount of plot holder disputes and fall outs you hear as the hated site manager about how Frank is best buds with Julie, then Frank comes and slags Julie off because she always fucking wants something. Bob was helping James but James hates bob and is using him and Samual always has his wooden spoon out giving bits of news here and there only a tiny amount true while everyone seems to think his great 😂 Oh and our real life genuinely Barbara they though a party when she was evicted as she thought she was queen bitch allotment bee.

OP, I bet a bogtrotter cake to a flask of tomato soup that as soon as you first accosted Babs she got in the phone to Sally. And I bet Sally told her as soon as her solicitor contacted her after yours raised the non-vacant plot issue.

So I reckon Babs has known legal contact was incoming.

This is reminding me of Hannah Lynn's Peas and Carrots books, and yes, they are set on an allotment and worth reading for allotment shenanigans