Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Perth island allotment holders bounce back from flooding devastation

It's all hands on deck at the Moncreiffe Island allotments in Perth after they were completely submerged by floodwater last weekend.

Kenny Orrock lening on his fence at the Moncreiffe Island allotments.
Kenny Orrock is counting the cost of yet another flood on the Moncreiffe Island allotments. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

What a difference a week makes at Moncreiffe Island allotments.

Last Sunday, the plots were under more than three feet of filthy brown water as the River Tay flooded, wreaking havoc across Perth and the surrounding countryside.

This Sunday, they were a hive of activity again as allotment holders set to righting the damage in time for one of their most popular community events.

The Moncreiffe Island allotments coffee morning will go ahead on Saturday October 21 – but only after a gargantuan group effort.

Moncreiffe island allotment holders repairing fence and putting debris in wheelbarrows.
Moncreiffe island allotment holders clearing up after the flooding a week ago. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Dozens of people spent the day rebuilding fences, locating tools and equipment, wiping down walls and furniture in the pavilion and salvaging what they could from beneath layers of grimy grey silt.

Moncreiffe Island’s location – right in the middle of the Tay, opposite Perth’s South Inch – means flooding is an occupational hazard for the allotments.

However, last weekend’s deluge was one of the worst in recent memory.

Women wiping down chairs at the Moncreiffe island allotments
Wiping down chairs in readiness for the Moncreiffe island allotments coffee morning. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Olga Shelley said it was on a par with the 2016 flood, which is commemorated in a gallery of photographs in the pavilion.

“I’d say the water was higher this time, but there’s less debris,” she said.

“It was overwhelming to see everything under water last weekend. But I’ve been here every day, just tidying things up, and so have other people. We have a great community at the allotments.

Olga Shelley holding a sign which reads 'welcome to my garden' at the Moncreiffe Island allotments
Olga Shelley is putting her allotment back in order following the floods. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

“It’s heartbreaking,” Olga added.

“But what can you do when you’re up against nature? You just have to be brave and start again.”

Moncreiffe Island allotments at mercy of River Tay

Gordon Hynd, secretary of the Moncreiffe Island allotments group, said the River Tay was its best friend and its worst enemy.

“The last big flood we suffered was in January 2016,” he said.

“I’m not sure which has been the more damaging, but we got through that and we shall survive this one. No one has been injured and we are very grateful that we don’t live on the island.”

Group of men repairing boundary fence at Moncreiffe Island allotments.
Gordon and fellow Moncreiffe Island allotment holders repair the boundary fence. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Former chairman Kenny Orrock was also getting stuck in as part of Sunday’s work party.

He said last weekend’s incident was the third major flood he has had to deal with.

His dahlias were still under a layer of grey mud and the waist-high fences were coated with leaves and branches where they’d been completely submerged by the rising waters last weekend.

“I have never seen the river so fierce,” said Kenny.

“That’s the only word for it – fierce.”

Kenny Orrock next to colourful hanging baskets of flowers at moncreiffe Island allotments
Kenny Orrock’s hanging baskets are still blooming after the flood. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

He added: “It’s annoying to be having to do all this again. But you have to expect it on an island.

“It’s part and parcel of being here, and the rest of the time it’s the greatest setting you could ask for.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Community spirit is island’s greatest asset

The Moncreiffe Island allotments are only accessible by foot, across a walkway beside the rail bridge, or by boat.

The 70-plus plots are tended by gardeners of many different nationalities, including Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, China, Portugal, Italy, Syria, Bulgaria, Poland, France, Germany and Austria.

It’s a grower’s paradise, despite the risk of flooding, and there’s a waiting list for places.

Caroline Robinson at her Moncreiffe Island allotment, with her shed lying on its side behind her.
Caroline Robinson hopes her potatoes have survived having the shed land on them. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Caroline Robinson and her husband landed a plot in the spring after waiting two and a half years.

They arrived on Sunday to find their shed on its side – and on top of their potato patch.

A large wooden crate with the word ‘Meiklour’ stamped on the side was thrown against the neighbouring plot’s fence, presumably deposited there after a 13-mile voyage down river.

Caroline said the couple had been cheered by the support of neighbouring allotment holders.

“It’s such a lovely community down here,” she said.

“When we moved to Perth we didn’t know anyone, but everyone here is so friendly. And it’s brilliant to see all these people helping each other out.”

• Saturday’s coffee morning starts at 10.30am. It will feature home baking, plus jams, chutneys and other allotment produce.

Conversation