Ask Mike Allen

I have only ever lived in th UK. Being interested in gardening. I joined Gardenersworld. Hells bells what a catastrophie. There is so much sound and wise knowledge on there but sady there is also what might be termed the witches cavern. I found that yes, there was good advice available but. The witches cavern, a particular group of women. One minute you could be the apple of their eye, the next, a stab in the back.

How did I become interested in gardening. This goes way back to 1945. I was helping/hindering, dad to harvest the spuds.

OK as my life developed. I left school, and gained employment with a firm of city solicitors. Allen & Overy. I learned a lot. sadly the only promotional vacancy that came up was in company law, I would have liked, criminal law. I then became a police traffic cop. I learned more. I studied and read medicine for three years. I worked for HM Gov. gardening, advising and at times lecturing. Finally having been laid low for three months with herpes zoster, shingles on my face and scalp. Michael Hesteltine MP made cut back to MOD staff and I ended up onthe compost heap. Thankfully I have been paid my pension since that day. I have never worked since then, as much as I wanted to.