Wednesday 7th March 18

Appointment with Denise, then onto town to meet Joy, paid bills and later, met up with Kiri. Home via logpile. Later, to Green Party meeting, took compost to Sam.

Thursday 8th March 18

Enjoyed doing a bit of outdoor stuff in sunshine. However had two visitors, firstly, as arranged at midday, Michael, to talk about risk assessments and balloons, and later, Ruth to deliver some dwarf French beans  which one of the growing projects had going spare. 

Friday 9th March 18

Woken early by Kiri and Joy, but had a fairly relaxing morning, bust composty afternoon and then at 5, delivered 7 sacks to Siv in Derwenthorpe.  Nice family! Helped with the raised beds.

Saturday 10th March 18

Erm, funny old day. I thought I might go and visit Nicola to chat about Green Party stuff but then Toby said he might like to go and do a litter pick, so I cancelled the Nicola chat. But Tobe didn't get himself together until too late, as I was invited for tea with Paola at 5.

I got there and she'd invited me for just a cup of tea (yuk) but they had coffee... but only decaffeinated (why?) and when it came, it was a third of a mug and lukewarm!  However, a few nice chats. But the real reason I'd been called became apparent, that they'd got months of accumulated biodegradables, 33 bags worth, festering in the back yard. I was not impressed. I took them anyway.

Sunday 11th March 18

A really pretty crappy day as woke up after midday and didn't get a whole lot done, apart from a shed load of internet stuff, reading and posting on fb, and getting embroiled in two separate arguments, but did some work too, like starting my Fiddlesticks risk assessment.

Monday 12th March 18

Quite a good day, as I called in on Joy and Kiri on my way to Cliftom Moor to pick up a Freecycled exercise thingy for Gill, although this turned out to not be what she wanted.

At 3.30 Robin came round to pick up my log splitter which I no longer use. He may be able to get it to work and put it to good use.

Tuesday 13th March 18

Three meetings today, first one with Nicola, about a Green Party issue, then I picked up some sticks/logs and went into town and got two pasties and had those to eat at the West Offices before Treemendous and the Environment Forum.

Home and didn't go to the York Cycle Campaign meeting.

Wednesday 14th March 18

A lovely day really, as I got some stuff done outside including a Stephen delivery,  and I took the Step Trainer down to the charity shop and they were delighted, and I got Gill's prescription. For 6pm I cycled along the cycle track to see James who was wanting compost bin advice, and he asked me to buy and install one.

Then went to pick Joy up and walked into town with her and had a meal at City Screen, and then watched the film Tawai, A Voice From The Forest, which was just wonderful.  Walked home with Joy and cycled back home.

Thursday 15th March 18

I spent most of the day helping Joy. I facilitated a phone call with the Asbestos people and Benenden Healthcare, and dictated a letter for her to write to her GP requesting a diagnosis letter to be emailed to me so that it can get sent on to creditors and others.

We walked up to her doctors and I left her at Sainsburys. I went to the bank and paid Yell and the Press.

Friday 16th March 18

Quite a good admin day.  Renewed my Equity membership and forwarded Michael's risk assessment to Rob in Beverley. Spoke to several people about green funeral stuff.

Did some woodchopping, splitting and stacking.

Saturday 17th March 18

Weather got wilder and wilder, with snow flurries on and off all day.  I got some stuff done in the garden, notably getting Joy's bike ready for Kiri to have, and she arrived at about 7pm and had some soup and bread.

I walked her back as far as the Travellodge with the bike in the trailer, and she walked back to March St with it from there.

Sunday 18th March 18

Main successes of the day were to cycle over to Aldi and buy 60 litres of soya milk, plus 10 of almond milk. Also got veggies.

Sorted out a bin bag full of food which Kiri brought over last night from Joy's fridge, composting most of it but rescuing some.

And got ready to go out to Leeds!

Monday 19th March 18

Returned from Leeds.

Called in on Alligator, picked up supplies and compostables.

Met Rob Martin before Two Rivers Radio, and interviewed him for the show 8-9.

Tuesday 20th March 18

Another busy day, culminating in going to Leeds to present a 5 minute talk at Cafe Scientifique.

But most of the day was in Poppleton, visiting Mamta, the person behind Flower Power York, and she showed me her 3 growing areas.

I then visited Kate Houghton briefly before zooming back home to get ready to go to Leeds.

Wednesday 21st March 18

Green Party meeting at West Offices where I presented info on waste and recycling and facilitated a workshop to try to find manifesto points, then went to an electronic music open mic at the Fulford Arms, coming home via a logpile.

Thursday 22nd March 18

Woken early by Gill as H wasn't well and she'd talked to the NHS and they were sending an ambulance. I got up and gave H some support. All was well, though.

I arranged some work with the new Cocoa Works as they had a pile of pallets and packing crate wood which needed disposing of.  They paid me £40 to take it away, and it is an immense load of firewood! I took 3 trailer fulls after seeing Joy. At Joy's I got a water meter sorted and also a police visit for next Tuesday.

Friday 23rd March 18

Up not too early and got down to the Cocoa Works after midday and spent another hour chopping up pallets.

Spent some of the afternoon chopping and stacking.

Saturday 24th March 18

A very early start as needed to get to Leeds before 10am.  I got a train soon after 8 and got to New Pudsey soon after 9, and as I'd booked my tickets through the website, I got my ticket from there to Sheffield before I went to the venue for today's work, Pudsey Town Hall, where the Leeds and District Federation of Allotment Gardeners was meeting for a Learning Day.

My job was to do four 40 minute presentations on composting.

Anna's 50th

Sunday 25th March 18

I got a really good sleep, and then had an excellent day, doing a lot of gardening!

Monday 26th March 18

Another good day in the garden, mostly.

Tuesday 27th March 18

To Joy's for 1.30 to assist with Police visit, and then to the station where I bought tickets to Swansea for George's funeral, and back via Sainsbury's and finding logs near the River.

Wednesday 28th March 18

Quite a good day, plenty of outdoorsy stuff, chainsawing and clearing the shed and garage.

Sunday 1st April 18

A good day for collecting wood: Kri cycled round and I took her to see St Nicks, and then we cycled all the way to Rowntrees, and on the way back I collected some cut branches.

Stacking, preparing peppers for drying, admiining facebook, a bit of telly, a pretty normal day.

Monday 2nd April 18

A pretty quiet day, mostly inside due to wet weather. However I was asked to go and provide company for Kiri, and I suggested Maggie might like to go round too. We played Scrabble. It was good.

Sad, though, to hear Mark Gladwin has died. He was running York Playspace in the mid 90s and got me quite a bit of work. A lovely man.

Tuesday 3rd April 18

A quite busy day, including some chainsawing, mending the loo seat, preparing peppers, going to a WNBR meeting, having Dawn visit.

Wednesday 4th April 18

Up early because Cathryn said she'd be here at 10.  I had a quick shave and bath.

Traffic was heavy and she ended up going to a Park and Ride in Poppleton and getting a bus to town and a bus to ours, and arriving at midday.

After a brief cuppa and walk down the garden, we walked down to town, me with bike, and went to El Piano for lunch. Good chats. She got the P+R bus back at 2.30.

I went to Bishophill to look at trees.

Thursday 5th April 18

Lots of outdoor work! Composting, mainly.

Friday 6th April 18

Another manly ourdoorsy day, chopping and stacking. However had a headache and had a nap in the evening.

Thursday 29th March 18

Up really late, woke at 12.30. In dressing gown til 3.  Visited town to pay cheques in and get one out for Michael. Then went to the GP to get repeat prescription and sign vasectomy form. Popped in on Joy. Picked up wood on way home.

Saturday 7th April 18

A bit of a frustrating day as was due to go and see Joy but her phones went straight to answermachine and she didn't call me. Eventually I went over via Red Tower, where Barry had opened up, and by chance Sue, Ruth and Anna were there, so there was a bit of social, which was nice.  I called in on Maggie and she wasn't there, nor Madeleine, and nor Joy.

However, at about pm I got through. Joy had been at home all the time, but not answering the door and ignored the knock at the windows, so I came home via a woodpile, well, dead branch which I cannibalised and chopped up once home.

Sunday 8th April 18

A pretty fab day, went to the Co-op at Gill's request and then for 3pm went over to Joy's as agreed.

Had a meal there and then went to see Purple Man's 'coming out' event.

Monday 9th April 18

Well, a pretty good day really, as got a fair bit done in town and around.
Delivered Gill's prescription request, visited the EcoDepot, but the maps weren't there. Visited Kiri to lend her a little bit of cash to get the deposit on the bedsit, and visited said bedsit with her, and met landlord Tim.  Then visited the bank to exchange two old-style £10 notes, and get money out.  Then booked visit to the opticians. Then visited Cycle Heaven for a new trailer hitch knob. Then back via my GP to pick up my prescription. Then to EcoDepot where the maps were still not available.

And home for lunch!

Tuesday 10th April 18

Up late and decided not to go to Treemendous or YEF as needed to go to Aldi for soya milk, Almond milk and other things.

Apart from that, had a fairly boring day... even the cycle to Aldi was quite exciting.

Wednesday 11th April 18

Up in good time to be at the Cemetery for about 11.45, for the midday remembrance ceremony for Mark Gladwin. The Chapel was full, standing room only, and the humanist service very good.

Whilst the food was being laid out I walked up to his grave with Maggie. Lots of people there I knew.   

After the buffet I went to Alligator to pick up their compostables, and then on to see Joy, and at 5, to see Maggie, as arranged, but she was yet again not in.

Called in on the Co-op on the way home.

Thursday 12th April 18

Getting ready to go to Swansea, included having a bath.

But during the day I went to the bread shop and chemist in the rain.

Friday 13th April 18

A very long day!  Gill ordered a taxi for 3.30am as we had booked train tickets for the 4am service to Manchester.  Nice taxi driver. Pretty quiet train, got into Manchester around 6am and had half an hour to wait until the Swansea train, which took 4 1/2 hours to get there, and we got a taxi to the church in Killay and arrived just as the vicar was beginning his spiel.

Gill's Uncle George Carson Sambrook was obviously a popular man as the church was completely full. He also had plenty of family. That service was dire, for me, although the hymns were sung with gusto.

Robert, Jane's son, and his wife Leonie, gave us a lift to the crematorium, which again was really full, and a dreadful service.  However the wake in the Black Boy back in Killay was much better.

Gill enjoyed meeting long lost relatives and I chatted to a few people but tried to be low key.

We got a lift to the station at about 4.30 but our train wasn't until 5.50, but we chatted and snoozed.

The journey back was pretty for the first couple of hours but after dark, boring. Got into York at 12.20.