Sunday 20th July 08

Quite a relaxing morning... woke up dreaming of redcurrants and raspberries, weird! Anyway, lit the stove to get some hot water, as some of our electrics are not working and this means our 'instant' hot water (using gas) isn't working either... so had a bath before going to work in just one 5 gal pan of hot water, washed hair and got tidy. So then straight after lunch, as was just about to go, Gill's sister Jane and her husband Mike turned up, unexpectedly, after dropping off Linda at York station. I had to go anyway... to Mike's old Railway Institute Rugby Club on Hamilton Drive to do a party which was booked just a couple of days ago.

I only just got my bike in, and the group of about 17 six-year olds were in a lively mood,and it was quite a tough party to do. At one stage, half a dozen of them all went to the loo, one came back crying as he'd dropped the loo seat onto his hand... I had to ask them to quieten down perhaps 20 times, and not to talk through the show, and to please sit down, and to stop fighting... all in all it was one of the more difficult groups I'd had to deal with. However, at the end, the grateful parents told me that last year, they'd invited 33 children and the female entertainer they invited (no names given!) just couldn't cope at all so they were happy that I did manage to do my show, and all of the children participated in something. But I was happy that they only booked me for the one show, and at 3.15 I left in a hurry to get to my next appointment.

This was at Edward's house to discuss next Wednesday's 'York in Transition' Co-ordinating group meeting, and to get an agenda together. Peter turned up and we had quite a jolly and good-humoured meeting, sorting out a lot of issues and all 'getting up to speed'. Back home at about 6 after picking up a sack from Country Fresh.

Our eldest child had been to a leaving party and came back having had a good time. Gill asked me to go to the shops as our youngest had refused point-blank to go with Gill, and on the way back I found a good stash of aluminium cans in a skip plus some electrical wire which I brought home to strip of it's plastic insulation and ended up with quite a lot of recyclable copper wire. Will add this to the copper pipe I've accumulated bit by bit and small bits of lead, and will pay another visit to the metal merchants soon.

A quiet evening, Gill made tea (more broad beans!) and I refilled a compost heap with the turned compost and another load of potatoes which I hope will be ready in the autumn.