Sunday 19th September 10

Raining today so my work today wasn't looking too hopeful; I'd been booked by the Charity bit of Tesco to come and do some entertaining at their Charity Market.  There is an awning-covered walkway at the side of the store, but it's quite narrow, so I didn't know if I'd be able to work there easily.

Anyway, got myself ready to leave the house at 9.30am and I got to Tescos before 10, and Duncan, my handler, found somewhere for me to do my stuff.  I got changed and got busy, offering free circus workshops to anyone who would have a go.

The day went smoothly until a woman, in her 50s or 60s perhaps, decided to smoke quite near me and the children so I asked her to move.  She did move but was about the same distance away, so I asked her to keep going.  She was rude to me so I went over and said to her that it was wrong of her to smoke so close to children, and could she just walk a bit further away.  She refused and was rude, and I tried to put her cigarette out by flicking it.  Her husband appeared and started verbally abusing me, at which point I withdrew back to the kids.  Then the Tesco people arrived and told off the smoker and her incandescent husband for abusing me and smoking.  Half an hour later, the Tesco people came to me and said the woman had rung the store, complained about me and the staff, and had threatened to call the police as I had allegedly assaulted her!!!   They told me that although I'd been very good with the children, I'd better go as they didn't want a scene if the police turned up.  They paid me in full, apologised, and said go!  So I got changed and went, arriving home at just after 3, when I should have worked til 4.

So an hour relaxing and recovering, before setting off for Sheffield, where I was due to help my sister with running a ceilidh. I got a train at 5.40 and when I got into Sheffield at half six, got a taxi to the Broomhall Centre and helped set up and then sat with Douglas dealing with the tickets.  The band were called The Well Dressed Band and they were good, I enjoyed the music.  I'm not good at following instructions so I cannot do line dancing/barn dancing, but I loved watching.  Anna and Douglas were able to have a few dances because I was sitting on the door.  I enjoyed chatting with Sarah, a Freegle moderator. The event was a Freegle social, and might have raised some money for Sheffield Freegle (almost the same as Freecycle) so they could get stalls at events, etc.  There was a bring and share meal, which was lovely, and Anna had a spot on the stage to explain about the way Freegle works, as she's a moderator too (and might be the chief moderator!)

At 9.45 I walked back into Sheffield and got to the station in good time to get the 10.21 to Leeds, where there was a bit of a wait until the York train.  But I got back into York at 12.10, and cycled rapidly home.