Friday 28th October 11

A really excellent day.  I was woken up just before 10 which gave me about 45 minutes to get ready and out of the house to get to work.  Quick breakfast and emails, gathered jugglestuff together, Gill plaited my hair and I left with all my work equipment at 10.45 to get to the station for a train soon after 11, as I was being met at midday in Leeds.

Nice conversation on the train with a couple from Darlington, heading for Stockport, which made the journey go quickly and I was in Leeds by 11.50.  Paul from Middleton Park met me at the back of the station and took me to the usual place, the building in Middleton Park which is due to be knocked down soon and a new centre built, hopefully by next summer!

This gig they'd booked me for was not well advertised, as they'd got some extra funding quite recently to put on kids events during this half-term, so it didn't go out in their usual literature, but was on their website, in the papers and on the radio.  So at 1pm, when I was all dressed up and ready to entertain, a family group of 4 wandered in.  And then a few more.  There can't have been more than 20 people there all day, but several of them worked really hard with the circus skills, and I got nearly everybody, including grown-ups, having a go with the flower sticks owned by Middleton Park, and with some juggling too.  It was a very successful event, because of the amount of one-to-one teaching and other interaction.  I really enjoyed it, despite not following my usual routine.  3pm soon came and I helped tidy up and by quarter-past, I was in Paul's car heading for the station again.

I soon got a train to York and was home by 4.45.  I had planned to do some stuff in the garden before going to work for David, but I had to do some sorting out about the gig tomorrow in Ashton Under Lyne.  I'd got a provisional booking for an event there back in July, and as usual, just put the contact name and phone number in my diary, and waited for confirmation.  Nothing came, so I left it as I don't tend to chase people until I need to.... either when I get someone else wanting me on the same day, or as the date get nearer, to check that the client still wants me.  Well this person was playing hard to get.... a phone number with either an answerphone, or engaged.  And then they left a garbled message on my answerphone with no phone number to ring and a very indistinct email address which neither Gill or I could work out what letters were being said.  However, this evening, the client rang and I spoke to him!  Hooray!  Except he cancelled the booking.  He sounded shifty about what had happened... first saying he'd booked me and the event was going ahead, then saying he'd booked another entertainer, then saying the event was cancelled.  I have no idea what the truth was, but I'd rather not work for someone so disorganised, and, to my mind, untruthful.  It would have been far better if he'd said that he had made a mistake, which is what I think the truth was.

So then I went to work and got to David's on the dot of 6pm.  We had a little chat and then I took him to City Screen, and after that to the Envisions light show (Illuminating York) which was at the Castle Museum.  This was mindblowing, really good.  Neither of us expected it to be so powerful and enjoyable.  We got a really good place right in the centre, and saw the whole sequence right from the start.

I got him back to his place and made some food and was finished by 8.10.  I rang Gill to suggest that if one or both of the boys were ready to go out with me when I got back, I'd take them to see the show.  I was really pleased that our eldest was up for this, so I got his bike and we went the quiet way down to the Eye of York and waited about 10 minutes for the show to get to the change over time, and took our blanket thing and sat down right in the middle, at the front.  It was well worth it.  Here's one YouTube video of it, but there are plenty of others.

Friday 29th October 10

Quite a tough day; woke late after the late night last night, and certain household members suffering from 'Cabin Fever'.  But I kept busy... sorted out the last of the pumpkin seeds from their pulp, now all are on about 10 sheets of newspaper drying.

I went to the bread shop at lunchtime and later, took the St Nicks bucket back to them, plus two Apple Day posters which had been left on a lamp-post, and I'd taken back home for safekeeping and re-use.  I went on to see Rich at Country Fresh... and he was creating more pumpkin Halloween Lanterns, so he gave me yet more pumpkin seeds.  I really do need a little gadget or machine which de-hulls them.  I wish someone would engineer something which did this.  As it is, I either have to eat them with the tough outer coat on, which I don't like, OR have to peel them one by one, by hand, which isn't difficult but is time consuming. 

I did a bit of compost heap management but not all that I have to put on a heap actually went on, so I'll have to do some more tomorrow.

Gill got our eldest to make tea... he made a batch of savoury biscuits, something he invented and is good at making, and to go with this he made a pumpkin, veg and Bulgar wheat pate which went well with the biscuits.  He also sorted out some cucumber and celery sticks for dipping into hommous, coleslaw and mayo.  It was a good meal.

And then, I was delighted that both my sons and one of their friends accepted my invitation to take them to see Illuminating York.  There was a bit of discussion about how to travel, since the boys don't use their bikes now, as school is so close, so they aren't in a usable condition. There was talk of getting the bus, or walking down and getting the bus back... but I walked down with them, all the way to the Minster, leaving just before 8pm.  There was a big crowd at Minster Gates, the junction of Petergate and Stonegate, but we got through to Deangate which was more open and had plenty of space.  The installation 'Rose' by Ross Ashton and his wife Karen Monid was really good... at one stage it looked like the Minster was beginning to float up into the air! 

After we watched this for maybe 15 minutes, we walked round to the other side of the Minster, to see the various installations in Dean's Park.  I liked the 4 metre high sphere called 'Lightweight' best, but my friend Vanessa's community stained glass piece 'Unifying Light' was good too.

Then we walked home... Monkgate, Heworth Green, The Gasworks alleyway, James St, St. Nicks and home.  I was impressed that all 3 boys managed this quite long walk, with minimal fuss (only one was making a fuss, the others just kept walking) and we got in at 9.45pm.

So a good finish to a not so good day. I spent quite a bit of time refilling the drying racks with pears and apples til late...