But not May Robertson.

The keen gardener is one of only a few female plot-holders at the Chester Road allotments in Hartlepool.

And the breast cancer survivor puts men to shame by digging in at her patch.




IT'S all in a day's work for grandmother May Robertson.
The 63-year-old built her plot and shed at the Chester Road allotments in Hartlepool virtually single-handed.

And May, from the Deer Park area of Hartlepool, is showing no signs of slowing down.

The keen fuschia and dahlia grower is the only female plot-holder in her part of the allotments, which has around 25 tenants.

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May, a former bus driver and senior escort for Hartlepool Borough Council, says she and the "lads" are like one big happy family.

"I'm the only woman in my lane," she said. "The rest are all lads and we get on no bother. There's a lot of community spirit.

"Everyone likes to find out what you do when you first take a garden over. If you have a certain colour of flower that somebody wants or if someone wants cuttings or sprouts we help each other out by swapping over."

May has held her plot for four years and has always been interested in gardening from a young age as she used to help out when her father, James Kelsey, had an allotment off Catcote Road.

She is also a member of the Hartlepool Fuschia and Geranium Society and the White House Gardeners.

But May is disheartened that the next generation of potential gardeners is not as enthusiastic as she is about the pastime.
She said: "I wish more young'uns would come along and take it up. It's a bit of a dying hobby. More schools should get the youngsters involved.

"But I heard on the news that you can't get an allotment down south – everybody's going back to growing things the old way. They prefer organic produce and the price of vegetables is going sky high so it's cheaper to grow your own."

May spends every other day at the allotment.

She said: "I try to keep my hand in all year round. When the weather's really nice I spend a good afternoon here and keep on top of things. I built my own greenhouse and did it on my own. A couple of lads helped me to put the main centre joist in, but that was it.

"My job now is to dig all my dahlias up, dry them, store them, take cuttings and get them started off for next season."
May says her horticultural hobby has helped her to remain youthful, along with looking after her five grandchildren.
"It keeps me fit and my life's active enough looking after the grandbairns", she said.

The grandmother-of-five and mother-of-three has won prizes for her blooms, in shows such as the Hartlepool Show and competitions held at the White House pub and Seaton Carew club.

She admits she is competitive: "It's good to see what other people have grown, a bit of competition. It's good to see how good their stuff is and wondering whether or not I can beat them. That's the only reason you enter a show," said May.
"When you enter it's not for the prize money, it's just the taking part and selling the flowers and people come from miles away to see the shows."

And May has helped to raise thousands of pounds for charity through her prize blooms.

As a member of the White House Gardeners and the fuschia and geranium society she has helped to raise over £1,000 for the RNLI and has also boosted the fund of Tilly Lockey, a little girl from Consett, County Durham, whose hands had to be amputated after contracting meningitis.

May has always helped others – despite becoming ill herself 17 years ago.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 and she became a member of Hartlepool-based breast cancer support group the Pansies three years ago.

"I had operations and treatment. I wasn't going to let it stop me and I wanted to show there was light at the end of the tunnel. I went back to work," she said.

May is certainly an inspiration, and blooming in every way.