As the world becomes a busier place few venues remain where you can enjoy peace and quiet, fresh air and keep fit at the same time.

The allotment is one of those places and women gardeners are beginning to discover the retreat men have enjoyed as an escape from the demands of work and family life for generations.

Since the Seventies, the number of women holding allotments has increased tenfold, according to the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.

It is not really surprising why people fall in love with their plots.

You can switch off your mobile, leave the city behind and step back in time.

No one has the slightest interest in what you wear, while office politics or petty rivalries seem a long way away.

In fact, the only thing you are likely to fret about is how your vegetables are doing.