Sunday 31st July 11, Holiday day two

The sofabed was a bit hard but a reasonable night... woke after 10 and had a lovely lazy morning, watching Country Tracks on the telly and playing with the boys.

They all went out as Gill ran out of money on her mobile phone and needed to top up; I spent some time trying to work out how to use Shotwell to organise/manage my photos on my newish operating system, Ubuntu/Linux.  Shotwell is probably the only bit of Ububtu I don't like.

Later I went to the little shop in the centre square and got two tins of baked beans and a tin of sweetcorn, and half a dozen eggs (total cost £3)... so for tea, Gill made eggy bread with beans and sweetcorn for all of us. 

I also got 6 postcards and stamps, and spent a while writing them.

We didn't go out all together today... after tea I went for a walk with our eldest, headed North and looked at the lovely Valerian and the disgusting Hydrangeas, the plentiful snails and found just 7 blackberries.  We ended up back in the village, and got us both an ice cream.

So a lazy laid-back day really.  Nice to not have to DO anything!

I'd taken my laptop with me, primarily to delete emails from my inbox, but I found that I was in a BT FON 'Hot Spot' so I paid £15 for 5 days internet access, so I could get my emails into my Mozilla Thunderbird, send email replies via Tiscali webmail (Thunderbird never allows me to send emails when I'm away from my own WiFi connection) and go on facebook and other webpages. I was really glad of this, as I do like to stay in touch!

Sunday 3rd April 11

Woke up with a bit of headache but got up as some of the family were going with Simon and Melody to a car boot sale at Murton.  Melody arrived and loaded up the few bits and bobs we'd gathered together, and our eldest went in the car with Melody, whilst Gill, Simon and Simon and Melody's son cycled up.  I stayed at home with our youngest.

I got my quiet shredder out and mangled-up all the cherry twigs I pruned off yesterday, depositing them into a builder's bag which was easy to haul down the garden.  This will make a good few layers of woody, carbon-rich material for my heaps. My headache disappeared.

I came in for 11am and watched Country Tracks whilst preparing apples for drying.  I lit the stove and did some washing up.  Gill came back and there were tales of assorted sales.  One of my parcels of NewScientists had been bought... by Simon and Melody!!!

During the afternoon I got out my Scheppach rotary soil sifter and put several sacks of compost through it, and this made 10 carrier bags of lovely fine riddled compost, a very large sack of medium lumps (maybe 30kg?) and 2 buckets worth of sticks, peach stones, avocado stones and skin, and other bits destined to be a woody layer in a working heap.  Oh, and loads of bits of plastic from wrapped cucumbers, fruit labels and glue strips.  I worked til 7pm in the garden, loved it, just loved it.

Gill told me to come in then, and sit and have tea whilst watching Countryfile.  Later, I researched how I'm going to get to my Uncle's funeral in the depths of Norfolk the week after next.  I'll need to make it a day trip... I reckon a train to Peterborough and a bus from there. 

Sunday 27th February 11

Another quite relaxing day.... although I did do some hard work in the garden.

But the day started with a telly morning... Country Tracks, which I enjoyed, interspersed with washing up, which I am bored of.

But a good lunch... Gill had bought some tasty tomato bread and I had some with hommous in, really good.

In the afternoon, I did some moving stuff around in the garden.... half emptied the Compostumbler which has only half composted the last batch, but I need the space so I transferred the material to a half-full dalek which is now completely full.  I put about 10 bucket loads of gunk into the Compostumbler, including a load of compost worms which will find conditions in there very favourable, I'm sure.

Toward the end of the day I visited Richard at Country Fresh to do his resource recycling for him, and got a bag of reduced price veggies in return.  I picked up a large sack from Freshways too.  All this went down the garden and went either in one of 3 tumblers or a static pile, depending on the materials.  Anything that rats really like eating (for instance, potatoes and avocados) go in tumblers where rats can't get at them.  Things like cauliflower stalks and mooli are not so tasty to rats and go in an ordinary 'open' heap, one of the New Zealand bins raised up off the ground to reduce rat ingress. 

I got a text from Debbie but by the time I responded, she'd gone out but I had some conversations with the feral children who live near her, and they enthusiastically got some aluminium cans for me, and stamped them flat too.

Lots of Scrabble in the evening, and assorted conversations about the Census, and a zero-growth economy, and the fact I look a bit like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, apparently.....

Sunday 20th February 11

A nice long lie in, which considering I went to bed after 3 last night, meant that I got 7 hours sleep.

Breakfast with Country Tracks.  Lunch at 2pm, listening to Gardener's Question Time. 

After this, collected a sack of compost which I'd selected for Bronwen and Hector and delivered that, then cycled on down to Peaseholme Green to see the raised bed that the Council have given to Edible York.  Chloe had told me that they'd offered to remove the shrubs, and she'd expected them to be dug out.  However, the bushes have been cut off level with the ground.  This means they will re-grow, and if they are to be taken out, it will be a lot more difficult to do, as shrubs and bushes are MUCH easier to remove if there's something above ground to hang on to!  However, a couple of hours with my wrecking bar, a good sharp spade and maybe a bit of help, I reckon I could get them out... most of them anyway.  I'll tell Chloe that I'm willing to do it, or help do it.  It may be that the Council will respond to her asking to remove the roots.

From here, I cycled up Foss Islands Road to Heslington Road and popped in on Rich, who was feeling positive after last night's gig at Fibbers... which I hadn't been feeling enthusiastic enough to go to.  I bought some groceries and picked up a sack and a box of compostables.

When I got in, I did a small amount of work in the garden, and came in to watch Ski Sunday, and shelled pumpkin seeds.  I did a lot of writing this evening, something on the benefits of growing foodplants for a friend's website, and emails to support two friends who have stopped going out with each other, and the break-up is very painful.

Later on, enjoyed watching Jack Nicholson playing a very unpleasant bigoted OCD sufferer in As Good As It Gets.  Gill and I both think it's an excellent film.

Sunday 23rd January 11

A good day which started with a lie-in and then Country Tracks on telly with my breakfast branflakes and muesli.  I spent some time researching my evening tomorrow, an RSA meeting in Newcastle.  This doesn't start til 5.30, which means I will be able to attend Stella Rawson's funeral at 11am at Holy Trinity Church in Heworth, on the corner of Melrosegate and East Parade. 

After lunch I serviced my youngest son's bike, as it needed oiling and a puncture repaired.  I also cut the front privet hedge, as we've used up all the logs which are usually stacked next to it so it's accessible, so 20 minutes with the shears and it was looking a bit less shaggy.  The very cold weather has taken off many of the leaves, so I'm looking forward to it growing again as it looks dreadful.

I visited Richard down at Country Fresh and discussed whether I could get a lift to London for the Falling Spikes gig at the beginning of February, and Rich thinks I could get a lift back but not down there, as a couple of people are going down with them but not coming back.  This probably makes it unlikely that I'll go.  But there are more local gigs planned.

I did a bit of chainsawing, some pallets, a few recently acquired logs, but not much as Gill came out and told me I was being loud and some time ago I'd agreed with a religious neighbour down the road that I wouldn't split logs on a Sunday.  Well I wasn't splitting logs, but the chainsaw on the pallet was fairly loud.

Later I went on a foraging expedition and came back with 4 pallets and a few logs.

When the children were asleep we filled in the forms for the Steiner School, as they need to know our income and expenditure, to work out how much the donation is that we should give.  This was complicated but I think we got most of the information together.  Now we need to photocopy loads of it to present to them.  I don't like paperwork.

Sunday 16th January 11

A generally relaxing day, with a late and slow start, watching Country Tracks on the box and chatting with Gill.  But then my planned evening was thrown into disarray.  I was going to meet my new facebook friend Faye at City Screen and get a ticket to see Peeping Tom, a film made 50 years ago, and a bit of a landmark in the history of cinema.  But she sent me a message saying she had decided to stay in as her husband was due home after a short break... and I asked her if I could buy her ticket off her. 

So, I said I'd cycle over and collect that later, and I did an hour's work outside which was lovely.  Then in for a late lunch and Gardener's Question Time, and after this I got on my bike and went over to South Bank.  I was pleased to see Faye in person as we've chatted on facebook, and both her and her husband Trent seem like nice and interesting people.  Faye was playing with her cute little 3 year old son, who eventually overcame his shyness and we played a bit.  Then her 2 year old woke, but he didn't overcome his shyness before I had to go.  Faye gave me the ticket, wouldn't accept any money so I promised a bag of dried fruit and some balloon animals as and when we meet again.

From Faye's I cycled on to Miller's Yard and picked up 4 sacks of oranges and one sack of plastic bottles to  recycle.  And a quick cycle home, picking up some long lanky pruned branches on the way home.

Gill had added to my stew and so I had a plate of that and soon after 7, got ready to head down to City Screen to see Peeping Tom.  I hadn't done any research other than what was on the invite page on facebook, ie it was an early study of voyeurism and warped sexuality, not something I'm overly interested in, but interested enough to consider seeing the film.

I enjoyed the film and will write a brief review later.

Sunday 5th December 10

Well, a good day, relaxing but got stuff done.  I enjoyed Country Tracks and then spent some time outside, visited Country Fresh and Freshways, and cleared a bit of compacted snow which was preventing the back gate closing. I helped make some soup.  I kept the stoves going, washed up, dried pineapple, kiwi and red pepper.

In the evening I became aware of an event which is due to take place on Thursday, an anti-tuition fees rise protest in York.  I support this 'cause' as I'd prefer that the Government got the billions it needs to deal with the deficit by getting the mega rich to pay their taxes properly.  However, the event centres around a helium balloon launch, and I believe that this is akin to littering.  The Marine Conservation Society has asked event organisers to not release balloons, as some of them end up in the sea, looking very similar to jellyfish... favourite prey of turtles, and balloons have been found in dead marine mammals, fish and birds.  So I spent quite a while contacting people, including the organiser, Councillor James Alexander, but he said he was going to do the balloon launch, and seemed to me to care more about the short-lived spectacle than the effect on the environment and wildlife.  I believe that the protest would be just as colourful and effective without letting the balloons go... and when they burst, the latex can easily be composted, recycled safely, rather than littering our oceans.

So I've organised a protest, and got busy contacting his colleagues, attendees of his protest, and the Press.  Even if the planned balloon launch goes ahead, the subject of marine pollution will be raised and maybe other event organisers will be less likely to get involved in this stupid form of littering. 

So, a very busy evening, wondering what the right thing to do is.  I've had some degree of support, but will have to do more lobbying tomorrow.

Sunday 17th October 10

I had a fairly chilled Sunday morning, including half-watching Country Tracks, but I had the York in Transition Alternative Energy Event on my mind, and how I could best contribute to this.  I had a phone conversation with Anna Semlyen, who has organised this event, and decided to find or create a placard to stand outside the Mansion House.

I got some cardboard and wallpaper lining paper, and secured a stick handle into the card, and after lunch took that on my trailer, plus marker pens, down to The Mansion House on St Helen's Square, arriving at 2.30pm.  Anna supplied two posters which I stuck on each side, and I wrote FREE TODAY above the poster and RENEWABLE ENERGY below it.

My self-appointed task was to stand outside the venue and announce: "FREE ENTRY TODAY TO THE MANSION HOUSE, USUALLY £5 ENTRY, TODAY FREE.  ALSO FIND OUT HOW TO GET FREE ELECTRICITY" and similar messages.  There was plenty of interest, not just from people wanting to find out more about renewable energy, but a few (tourists) wanting to see the Lord Mayor's residence.  At about 3.30 Ivana came down and said that Anna had just finished her short talk so it was my turn to do a talk on woodstoves.  I had about 6 people listening intently and asking questions afterwards.  I went straight back out and continued pulling them in.  At about 4.45 I did another talk to just 5 people this time, but all were potential woodstove buyers.    The venue closed it's doors at 5pm, and the chap on the door told us we'd had 241 people through... we were delighted!  So were the three solar installers who had their info for people to see.  I'd been asking people on the way out if it had been worth going in, and most said it had been really useful.

So, in anybody's terms, a highly successful event.  About two thirds of the people who came in did look around the stalls and took leaflets from the Energy Saving Trust, who didn't attend but did let us have leaflets. So between 150 and 200 people got information about putting solar photovoltaic panels on their roof, or solar water heating, insulation, heat pumps, woodburning stoves and more.  York in Transition got a load more email sign ups to add to the 500+ we have already.

I came home pretty quickly, picking up two bags and a box from Countyr Fresh which had just closed, and some scrap metal out of their bin. 

Carrot soup for tea, and a bit of rice the kids didn't eat, and then I sorted out some beans which I'm drying, and some nectarines, and I sliced the membrillo into thick slices as it has dried off and set sufficiently, although the centre of each slice is soft, so I put each slice on it's side to dry further.  I tasted it again and it's wonderful.  Despite being time consuming to make, I'm sure it is worth it.

Sunday 21st February 10

Got up at 9 as I'd arranged to meet a Freecycler who had asked for some compost. My response was to offer one free sack, which I could deliver (for free too!) But I said that if he wanted to have more than one sack, then I wouldn't be willing to give him the extra ones for free, and that I'd swap, barter or be happy with a donation for the extra ones.

He emailed back absolutely delighted! And asked when would be convenient to visit. We arranged this morning at 10.30. But when I got up I saw that it had snowed quite heavily overnight. I sent him a message suggesting that it might be best to reconsider this morning's meeting, and postpone it until later in the week. He phoned me back and said he'd been thinking the same thing. We arranged another meeting.

So I had a lazy morning in some ways... watched Country Tracks, which had some info on the new Feed In Tariff (or was that Countryfile this evening?) and did bits of washing up and fruit preparation.

After Gardeners Question Time on R4 I cycled down to see Richard who told me the saga of how he cut his hair, by accident (!), and I bought a large pile of goodies, and loaded up my trailer with 2 x 20kg sacks and 3 x at-least 15kg boxes of compostables, and slowly cycled home, stopping off at the Co-op for hommous, margarine and goats milk.

I was asked to come in to ensure that peace had broken out, and when this seemed to have happened, I had half an hour in the back garden to take the compostables down to the current heap... which has an internal temperature of over 60 Celcius, even though there's snow all around.

I got too cold to continue chopping up green potatoes so I came in.

Gill had made a spaghetti and Quorn mince thing, just as an experiment, but neither child liked the Quorn, although I didn't mind it. The mince version is far better than chunks. I like the fact it's made from a soil mould! Watched Countryfile.

The rest of the evening was peaceful. Thank goodness!

Sunday 7th February 10

Woke late, and got up to watch Country Tracks which was good.

I eventually got dressed. A bit later I cycled down to St Nicks via Country Fresh, picking up a couple of sacks of bits and bobs, plus the fruit and veg we need over the next few days. And so to St Nicks to get busy again with the compost bays. I worked really hard and have now turned about half of the material. I picked up a couple of logs on the way home, and said hello to my friends at Freshways. They were dealing with some drunk youths. One of them fell over my trailer. He was initially abusive, but soon apologised to me for being abusive... walking towards me, I thought he was going to hit me... but he shook my hand and then wobbled off.

Later, after dark, Gill asked me to return the DVD which she'd got out yesterday, so I cycled down there and came back with another load of logs from the dump the tree surgeon uses.

Another quiet evening, although I tried to re-write an email I once sent about a complicated subject to make it part of a web page. All will be revealed soon enough!

Sunday 31st January 10

Got up slowly and late, enjoyed Country Tracks on the BBC with my cereal. There was a good bit on the Hockerton Housing Project, which was good.

Soon after this finished I got dressed more smartly than usual as I had an invitation to attend the remembrance service for my friend Jean Dower who died three weeks ago. It was a Quaker meeting, as she was a fairly regular attender at various times during her life. It was held at The Retreat's main hall.

Jean married Arthur Dower in 1939 and they had four sons, one of whom, Hugh, I share quite a few interests with, including cycling, and I'm fond of him partly as he has inherited some of his mother's free-thinking. Arthur was the treasurer for The Retreat, and, as far as I'm aware, was responsible for turning the place around when it hit the doldrums... and in memoriam, they have a part of the building named after him, Dower House. For quite a while, they lived on site, at Lamel Beeches, but also had a house out in the Dales in Countersett.

I met Jean when she was a widow in her late 70s, when she hosted AVP meetings at her house in Wentworth Road, and we chatted, got on well, and she invited me to pop in whenever I was passing. She invited me to come to philosophy classes with her. She was lively and intelligent, we could talk about anything and everything, and for about 10 years she was an important part of my life. But about 7 years ago her health had deteriorated enough for her to need sheltered housing, and whilst she was at Grimston Court, about 10 or 15 minutes cycle away, I was a very regular visitor. But when she was at Abbeyfields, and after Grimston Court, at Amarna House, I was not able to visit as often as I'd have liked to. Her Alzheimer's disease got worse and worse, and eventually she seemed not to recognise anyone, which was very sad for those who loved her and remembered the 'teenage rebel' she had been for most of her life!

The service was lovely, with music, then quiet contemplation and various people standing up and sharing their memories of her, some of them reading something relevant to the occasion. This wasn't a funeral... Jean left her body to medical science, and she would I'm sure be interested to know that Newcastle University are doing research on Alzheimer's and will be grateful for her gift.

The service was followed by sandwiches and a chance to talk to people. I was pleased to meet all four of her sons, and one of her grandsons whom I got on well with, and the partner of one of her lodgers, and I was happy to see Joyce, who has been so wonderful and reliable and caring for Jean right up til the end, and Jenny and Elizabeth, both of whom I know through AVP, and John and Bronwyn, also with the AVP connection. There were others, too, some of whom I may meet again as I was quite liberal with my business card...

Sometime after 3pm I cycled down to Country Fresh and bought vegetables and picked up compostables, just one 30kg sack. Home by 4pm, got changed and spent nearly 2 hours in the garden sorting compostables and also putting kindling sticks in paper sacks.

Tea was some of yesterday's pizza, reheated, and potatoes, baked beans, simple but nice. I took bathwater upstairs for one of my sons to have a soak... the other prefers a shower.

I enjoyed the Mo Mowlem drama on Channel 4... Julie Walters played the part really well.

After that, a gentle wind-down with facebook and blog, memories of Jean in my mind. I will miss her, in fact have missed her for several years as her deterioration meant that the Jean I knew wasn't really there any more. I will remember the Jean who discussed and argued, listened and learnt, shared and laughed.