Product Description

Terry Walton has kept an allotment in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales for over fifty years. He started when he was four, helping on his father's plot on the side of the mountain, cutting bracken and collecting sheep manure to feed the vegetables. He was farming his own plot at eleven and he went on to build an allotment empire, selling his vegetables and flowers to local customers. The proceeds paid for his first car, a canary yellow Ford Popular, when he was just seventeen.Then, in 2006, after half a decade of happy gardening, Terry's allotment was adopted by the Jeremy Vine Show and he became an unlikely media star. In this absorbing and entertaining memoir, Terry documents how the valley has changed over the years, his own conversion to organic gardening, and the colourful characters he meets; insterspersing his anecdotes with topical tips, family recipes and quirky line drawings. "My Life on a Hillside Allotment" is the perfect read for gardeners, allotmenteers and anyone who loves the great outdoors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25579 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

From the Inside Flap
This is the story of a man with a great passion in life. Terry Walton has kept an allotment for over fifty years – man and boy – in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. He started when he was four, helping on his father’s plot on the side of the mountain, where he was sent to cut bracken and collect sheep manure by the bucketful to feed the vegetables. By the time he was eleven he had his own plot and went on to establish an allotment empire to grow vegetables and flowers for sale to local customers. The proceeds paid for his first car, a canary yellow Ford Popular, when he was just seventeen. After many happy years of gardening, new vistas opened up when his allotment was adopted by the Jeremy Vine Show. Terry’s tale unfolds in fascinating detail, from the first time he opened his eyes in a nursing home the other side of the allotment fence to his current role as media personality on radio, TV and in the press. He lovingly documents the way that the valley has changed over the years, the characters he meets and his own heartfelt conversion to organic gardening. This absorbing and entertaining memoir is interspersed with anecdotes, topical tips, family recipes and attractive line drawings, which makes it the perfect read for gardeners, allotmenteers and anyone who loves the great outdoors.

From the Back Cover
As featured on Radio 2

This is the story of a man with a great passion in life.Terry Walton has kept an allotment for over fifty years – man and boy - in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales.After many happy years of gardening, new vistas opened up when his allotment was adopted by the Jeremy Vine Show.

Terry’s tale unfolds in fascinating detail as he lovingly documents the way the valley has changed over the years, the characters he meets and his own conversion to organic gardening.

This is an absorbing and entertaining memoir from a well-loved media personality and a perfect read for gardeners, allotmenteers, and anyone who loves the great outdoors.

About the Author
Terry Walton was born in 1946 in the Rhondda, and has lived in South Wales all his life. He has gardened on the same allotment since the age of four. Most of Terry's working life was spent with a local company, where he became managing director. Since then, a new career has beckoned in the media, starting in 2003 with the adoption of his allotment by the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2. Terry gives regular updates live from his hillside plot every fortnight. He has also appeared on TV (The Big Dig, Grass Roots, Going to Seed, I Love Wales), his opinions are regularly sought by local radio stations and newspapers, and he gives many talks about his favourite topic: allotment gardening. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

Suprisingly Readable!
I purchased this book not through an interest in gardening, or even in particular an interest in the Welsh Valleys but because of my fondness of Terry Walton's snippets on the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 and his sense of humour.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I found was an enthusiastically written and heart felt tome which is harder than any book I've read in recent years (with the exception, sadly, of the Harry Potter series!) to put down.

It's obvious from the start that Terry enjoyed writting the book and is keen to share every aspect of his life, memories and gardening tips!

The book not only provides a fascinating insight to life in the Rhondda over the past 60 years but also many interesting stories about what has been a life of varied fortunes and interests.

It's hard not to want to go out, buy a spade and start cultivating your garden into a little oasis of flowers and veg having read this book, Terry's fondness for all things horticultural seems to seep into you as you read!

I'd recommend this book whole heartedly to anyone who enjoys gardening, good humour or simply a good yarn.

An Inspiration!
I read this in just three sittings - I didn't want to put it down!

If you have an allotment or just enjoy growing your veg in your own garden - you'll love this book.

If you have no interest in growing veg but just love listening to Terry on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show - you'll love this book.

If you like autobiographies - you'll love this book.

If you just want something a bit different and a nice easy read - you'll love this book.

I like all four hence the 5 star rating!

This is a really easy read about a very "down to earth" (excuse the pun) guy who has worked hard all his life and is passionate about his allotments. It's a great insight into life in the Welsh Valleys in 50's & 60's. It is also very funny in many parts (his radio character carries well across in written form) and I caught myself laughing out loud on many occasions! This is a real refreshing change from garden advice books and the like.

I dare you to read it and not be inspired to have a go at growing a few spuds, carrots or even a few lettuces in a tub on the patio this year! Terry is a real inspiration and I'll certainly be planting a few veggies this year in tribute to the guy!

Life Through A Lense.
I've almost finished this book, and what a wonderful read it is!

It's chocked full of gardening tips for any budding allotmenteer, or any hardened gardners, all interwoven through the tale of Terry's fifty years on his hillside plot.

This is more than a simple autobiographical gardening book, this is also the story of the ever changing shape of the Rhondda Valley, socially, economically and geographically. All seen through the fish eye lense of a small plot of fertile land, nestled away on a windswept Rhondda hillside.

Terry's lifelong passion for gardening leaps from every page, and his enthusiasm knows no bounds, even his wife's airing cupboard is not safe from invasions of seedlings! Terry's infectious humour radiates through as well, some pages had me chuckling away for ages.

I heartly recommend this book, not just to fans of Jeremy Vines show, who listen to Terry regularly; not just to everyone who ever has, or wants to pick up a spade and grow their own, but to all who want to know a little of life in the South Wales Valleys over the past fifty years.

Five stars from me!