Plot of Bother: Introduction

Well, who could resist? All those cliches involving digging in, living off the land and filling up on super-cheap and nutritious fruit and veg, took root in my imagination.

Although we have an OK-sized back garden, an allotment would be the real deal in terms of space for growing fruit and veg galore.

So after registering for our free seeds, I followed up with a few calls to Newcastle's allotment chiefs to ascertain the lie of the land on the city's 60-odd sites.

It soon became clear we were not alone in wanting an allotment.

The peachy Jesmond plot with a four-year waiting list quickly hit the compost heap, but the site closest to home in Gosforth seemed perfectly pitched, with us fourth in line for our very own veggie patch.

The green and fertile Three Mile Allotments site lies less than a mile from home, alongside a tinkling river. Plus it's rather neatly positioned just two minutes' stroll from the Three Mile Inn hostelry.

Good exercise for all involved, I thought, roping in my husband and two daughters, ages 13, and 10, who were equally caught up in the living-off-the-land moment.

Just four months later we got the call from Barry, the allotment chairman, to pop down and see our new plot.

The allotment site itself is a belter - so serene and well-maintained, it's an oasis of calm. With about 100 plots in total, some half-size, some full-size - in allotment-speak full-size plots are in the region of 90ft long by about 30ft wide - it's a little paradise.

OK, it's fair to say our half-plot is a tad overgrown with a tangle of juicy raspberries and blackberries at one end, bare ground at the bottom, with a few potatoes and lots of weeds in the middle.

But all 80ft by 15ft of it is ours for now and it's in a secluded spot, backing on to the river Lecht, a tributary of the Ouse. We've already been given an introductory courgette by one of our friendly neighbours.

And only £27 for the year, with an additional £5 for a key to the site. Absolute bargain.

Everyone is so welcoming, especially Barry, who has offered to get us going with broccoli and sprouts.

First things first, though, I've got to persuade my husband to hire a rotavator for the weekend to clear the decks.

Then we have the offer of our neighbour's old shed, which we somehow have to manoeuvre on to the site.

Some gingham curtains up at the window and my Kath Kidston flask to hand and we'll be set ...