Tuesday 13th November 07

A very full and busy day as had been booked to go to Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley to present 6 45 minute sessions about 'green' issues. So got up before 7am and breakfasted, made sandwiches and got my bike out ready to cycle to the station. As I was going to a school, I put on some very tidy clothes, including my black velvet jacket I got married in.

I got the 7.55 Coastliner bus to Tadcaster where I was met at the bus station by Suzi, a teacher from the school, and she drove me there. Good chats, she's a very friendly science teacher and we had some interesting conversations. I was given a brief tour of the school before meeting Amy, the teacher who had booked me, and who's classroom I was using for all my sessions.

There was a short time for registration, and then my first class arrived. I used the same format for each session. I had the chairs arranged in a circle, to make us all equal, and make it a bit different. I introduced myself by explaining I'd been invited because of the Green Day, ans that one of the teachers knew a local Green Party member called Elizabeth, who knew that I was a childrens entertainer and lived a green lifestyle. And that I was interested in finding out how much they knew about green issues by asking them some questions. I asked them to give answers, make comments etc, by raising a hand, and that when someone was speaking, everybody should listen, as we would all learn from them.

Then I asked them that if I said the word 'green' or the words 'environmentally friendly', what did they think of? I did get a few duff answers, like 'grass', but most people said stuff like 'recycling', 'climate change' etc. So I then asked if anybody could connect those two things, and a good discussion ensued. The subjects we covered were resource use, waste and recycling, energy and carbon dioxide, the greenhouse effect, methane and cows farting and burping, transport, food choices especially meat, and my compost toilet. Very free flowing conversations, a couple of groups got on to nuclear power and space rockets , one got on to cancer and health. I ended each session with a bit about personal responsibility, and how the planet was theirs not mine or the teacher's, as we were geting old and would soon be dead. I asked them to see if they could help educate some of their family members, as it was likely that they knew more about green issues than their parents.

All in all, they were very enjoyable, buzzy sessions. There were 4 before lunch and 2 after... and the day went quickly.... and was soon being taken back to Tadcaster, where I got the next bus back to York station, where my bike was awaiting.