The allotment is still looking very green and luxuriant after a summer of plenty of rain, when on many visits I spent a bit of time standing in the doorway to my shed, sheltering from a sudden downpour and listening to the almost musical sound of raindrops coming into contact with some tin cans that are used to cover the tops of poles on my neighbour’s plot.

With the unexpected hot weather these last few days, I wondered how I would find things at the allotment.

My three cucumber plants, which had really done very little over the past few weeks, have suddenly produced about half a dozen fruits and the speed at which they grow is remarkable when they get the hot sunshine that they need. Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family, along with pumpkins, squash and melons, and they originally came from India.

The other day I decided that it was time to dig up all the remaining potatoes. There was almost a full barrow load, which will keep me going throughout the next few months, and the cabbages have grown to a decent size for the first time ever.

This year there is no prize giving ceremony for the Wandsworth Borough allotments competition, due to cutbacks, but I gained enough points to receive a ‘certificate of excellence’ through the post together with the judge’s scores. More winter crops and better compost are what I shall be aiming for next year.