Grow Your Own Magazine

Don't buy tools till you actually get your plot. When people give up an allotment plot they also tend to give up gardening altogether, and often leave their tools behind. Mine came with 2 hoes, 2 rakes, a fork and 2 hand trowels, plus various other bits, like labels, pots etc
Ask other plotholders or the allotment association, they have probably accumulated a collection of old items, and would let you have them for the price of a pint
you might have to do a bit of cleaning and repairing though

Talking of tools, our local garden had some of those tools that you buy the handle, then you buy the various heads and just click on whichever one you need. They are usually £30 for the long handle and either a rake head, hoe or a couple of other choices, but they were half price, so I got the one with a rake head and I bought a ridger as an extra head I was amazed at how quickly the rake broke the soil down into nice fine grains

Now if the previous holder of my plot had just left a petrol strimmer that would have been a big help

I feel you I really do.