I’m a bit of a gardener, I’ve got a nice garden at home, but I’ve always wanted to have an allotment,” she says.

The new plot holders are absolutely fantastic. There’s one chap who’s taken over a really badly overgrown plot, and in three weeks he’s dug it from one end to the other. We’re kind of used to being at home a lot, but it has been good to get out and get a change of scenery,” he says.

You can still chat with people at a very safe distance – probably five metres away when you’re chatting, because they’re on their plots. You can come and either do stuff quietly by yourself or you can just say hello to people in passing.” The allotments have been invaluable over the past couple of months. I haven’t been working, I’m a supply teacher and the school is closed, and if I didn’t have the allotments to come to I’d have gone stir crazy I think. Plot holder Kate Millington at the allotments - image courtesy of Kate Millington

Can you imagine? I’ve been born and bred in this area and didn’t even know it was there. They just happened to have a tiny plot available that became a half a plot, so I think it was meant to be. It’s the sense of community. It’s really good, you can learn so much, and because we’ve got so many nationalities you learn about what they grow in their own country, and how they grow it and the different ways they grow it. So there’s lots to learn from different people.”

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She said the allotment users would be happy with access at limited times of day. Other allotment users have said they are unsure about using a shuttle bus service due to Covid fears. I was just driving past one day and there was a huge poster on the fence saying ‘Save Our Allotments’, and I thought "there’s allotments there?" You can get different sizes of plots, you can get quarter plots, half plots – I’ve got a plot and a half. You sleep better, you’re going to be eating better, you’re getting exercise. It’s like a little enclave of nature that gives you a lot of time to create and nurture.” Last month she said it was like the city council ‘don’t care’ given their car ban plans. She had said: “More than 80 per cent of [around 110] plot holders rely on a car to get to the allotments – a lot are elderly and some have mobility problems. Apart from the cats, people will have plants growing. For people with greenhouses – especially if it’s dry weather in the day – the plants must be watered.