Monday 26th December 11

I was stacking logs in the morning when our neighbour Dave came out and asked me not to build a logpile next to the hedge any higher as he didn't want to be looking at it.  He also mentioned the pine tree next to the house, which he'd asked me a few years back to take down as the falling leaves/needles were filling their bay window gutter.

I'd been taking it down bit by bit as I didn't want the ground to swell and cause cracks in our walls.  But today I responded to his comment by getting the ladders and removing all the rest of the branches, just leaving the main trunk, which I'll need help with to take down.  I'll need someone on the end of a rope to pull it in the right direction.

So I did a couple of hours of wooding and processing, and at 3 set off to see one of my friends who's been sectioned and is in Bootham Park Hospital.  However, she wasn't in, and was with friends somewhere.  I left my present of dried fruit for her and cycled through town, via a logpile and home.

Later, I went to Celeste's to see Serena, and spent an hour and a half there, before coming back via the lovely productive logpile again!

Then Gill and I had a game of Scrabble which was really nice!

Friday 16th September 11

A really lovely day, quite a slow one, doing nothing very hurried or busy.  I enjoyed breakfast with Serena (Weetabix and Cheerios) and her delightful and engaging 3 year old son. After this I popped along to Tescos on my unicycle to get a few bits and bobs for lunch, to go with the bread that Serena had got.... hommous, sun-dried tomatoes and olives, a cucumber, and a single bottle of pear cider for the evening.  Over lunch I was introduced to the delights of 'Rosie and Jim' on video, which is a series for children based on life on a canal boat.  Topical, and actually very well made and clever.  Both Serena and her little boy are fans of this.... and I might be a convert too!

During the day I met Serena's son's Dad, Julian, and one of Serena's best friends, Mike, and her long term best friend, Jeff.  It was really good to see the sort of community she lives in... quite tight-knit, where people know about each other, help each other, and trust each other.... for instance, any  strangers coming into the community are observed, and may be interrogated, partly because making a boat secure is not that easy.

I had a nice chat with Mike, and his friend Jane, whilst Serena had a quiet few minutes with Julian, burying a chicken which had died.  Then I helped Julian shift a trailer-load of topsoil, which he'd rescued from a skip and was going to use to raise the level of his canalside land. Then, Mike, Serena and Julian, all of whom have unicycles but cannot ride them, came down to the car park which had a good smooth surface and a sturdy fence to hold onto, and I gave them a unicycle lesson.... mainly theory, but some practical help too.  This was fun... and then another boat-dweller arrived, Ben, and proceeded to jump on and ride every unicycle apart from mine (it was too tall, and the height can't be changed after so many years in one position)... but he's been riding unicycles since he was a child, so he was actually better than me.

A group of us went out to a 'Harvester' pub for a meal.  The vegetarian selection was poor and overpriced but there was an option to have as much salad from the salad bar as you wanted, so I had two visits to that.

Serena and I didn't have a late night as we had an early start the next day... but she did put her stove on, to take the chill off the boat, and I enjoyed seeing her stove working.   I really enjoyed today, as we didn't have to go anywhere or have set things to do.  My life has a lot of 'having to be somewhere' at specific times, so it was a treat just to float around (literally!) and slow down.  Pity I couldn't stay a bit longer....

Thursday 15th September 11, York to Rickmansworth

Up fairly early and slowly and chaotically got my stuff together for my trip to Rickmansworth and Basingstoke.  I got the stove lit, and later had a bath and washed my hair.  I collected a few apples, pears and nuts together as a thank you present for my hostess for the next couple of days.  I made sure I had all my performance stuff, plus balloons, my last bag so I'll have to order some more.

At about 11.30 I set out to town to catch the midday train to Stevenage, which is exactly 2 hours away, so I had my sandwich on the train, and put my computer on so I could get on with deleting emails, as my inbox is permanently congested and any time I can get to weed it is really good.  I was pleased with this trip as the advance ticket was especially cheap, just £9 for the single journey. 

Once in Stevenage I found the bus station and the bus to take me over to Luton.  I decided on an all-day Rover ticket, costing £8.  I thought this would probably save me money, as the 50 minute journey to Luton was £3.70 and therefore the nearly 2 hour trip to Rickmansworth would possibly be twice that, although the driver in Stevenage didn't know.  In Luton there was quite a wait, but eventually the 321 service came and a very friendly driver took us down to Watford and on to Ricky.  I chatted a bit with a woman who must have been in her early 60s who was listening to dub reggae on her personal hifi and reading Oscar Wilde, and heading back to her 'lovely Rasta Man'.  I love public transport!  You just wouldn't meet such a variety of characters if you were cooped up in a tiny metal box all by yourself.

Serena was waiting in the station car park in her little car..... and we again just managed to fit all my weird-shaped gear into it, the last item going in on top of me.  She called in on a supermarket before going home... her boat doesn't have a lot of storage space, so she needed to get a few bits and bobs.  I'd bought my tea whilst the bus was stopped in Watford, so she didn't have to get anything for me really, although I was glad of the coffee and soya milk.  The fruit went down well... Serena's 3 year old son especially liked the James Grieve apple.

Serena's son's Dad Julian lives on a narrowboat, but he also has a 7 or 8 metre launch or cruiser which is kitted out to be able to be lived in... but it's not being used, so Serena had spent quite a bit of time cleaning it and getting it ready for me to sleep in.  This was my first ever night on board a boat.  I had a really comfortable night, very cosy, tucked into the bow or prow of this little vessel.

Sunday 17th July 11, Little Green Gathering final day

The last day of the Little Green Gathering.

I was really looking forward to doing my talk on composting and I had a small handful of people eager to learn.  However, I was saddened that a young mum was there and her child was making lots of noise and being distracting, so she soon went as it wasn't fair on those who were trying to concentrate.  However, that wasn't fair on her!

I enjoyed lunch and the chats during it, and then Jenny and I went back to Ella and Peter's to see how things were.  Both were sober and Peter was a lot more coherent, and Jenny had quite a long conversation with Ella, and then did some ringing round Social Services and got their case registered and a social worker promising to ring back.

We explained to Ella that we would be leaving the area today or tomorrow, but we'd stay in touch and we took their phone number.  She was very grateful for our intervention.

From my perspective, this 'stuff' took up a lot of my weekend, time-wise and emotionally.  However, being 'Green' isn't all about caring for the environment, harping on about carbon and animal rights.  For me, and others, it's about people care, equality and fairness, and what had happened to Peter, although sad and possibly partly his 'fault', was not fair.  He had, in his time, paid a lot of tax and contributed to the country, and in his current state, deserves looking after.

We walked back to the site and very soon it was my last Fiddlesticks appearance, doing a balloon modelling show and workshop, which went really well and was a lot of fun.

Fairly soon after this was the 'report back session' to say how we thought it went, and this happened in the outdoor classroom, such a lovely building.  It was generally agreed to have been a success, despite the wet weather, and there was discussion about how to improve it if it happens again.  This isn't certain, as the main organiser, Tim, dedicated many months to making this one happen, and like many event organisers, is not paid for what he does.

Tim said that as a few people were staying over, after most people had left, that there was space in the hostel, the tepee or yurt, if anybody was fed up with camping.  So Serena and I went to look in the tepee, and that didn't look too great, but she took one look at the yurt with the stove and bagged it.  I decided to go in the hostel, and I took my tent down during a dry period.

We ate in the hostel, some baked potatoes which were going spare, with hommous and a spicy bean stew.  Very filling.

I spent some time in the yurt with Serena and her little boy before going up to the hostel for a really good night's sleep.

Thursday 14th July 11

A busy morning getting ready to go to Hampshire for the Little Green Gathering, where Professor Fiddlesticks and John the Composter are appearing.

I'll be back on Monday, and therefore there'll be a rare gap in the daily updates here.


I had a bit of a pile of compostables to put on a heap so I went down the garden in my dressing gown to do that, and as it was such a nice warm day, discarded the gown and worked naked in the privacy of our own garden for maybe an hour. I was taking stuff out of sacks and chopping it up with the big knife I've had had since I worked in an abattoir when I was 20, and taking plastic wrappers off, and making sure that there were plenty of layers of woodchips and shredded hedge in between the layers of putrescible carrot and melon.  I really enjoy the peace and quiet down the garden, and the way the robins come and check out what I'm doing, and if I get apples or grapes, that I can throw these a short distance away and blackbirds will come and feast on them.  This feels very close to nature and it is wonderful.  And of course, I'm processing stuff which would have gone to landfill otherwise, and turning it into a valuable resource which is good for the planet and its biosphere.   I don't often go naked in the garden, this was only the second time this year, but I like the feel of the air and sun on my skin, it's very sensual... not sexual or erotic though, as some people who haven't tried 'naturism' might think.

I came back in at 10 and got my rucksack sorted, chose enough circus stuff to do shows and freeplay workshops and a balloon activity on the final day, plus tent and airbed and sleeping bag, and an LED lamp Gill got as she worries about my using a candle in a jar as lighting.

I had a bath and hair wash, and then at about 1 I set off on the bike with my rather heavy rucksack, my juggle-kit bag, my unicycle and my diary and reading matter bag down to town, put in a pile of cheques to my building society and headed to the station.

I got the 1.55 to London and had a trouble-free and easy trip to Kings Cross, then the tube to Leicester Square and on to Waterloo, where I got an earlier train than expected, and sat in the First Class of the Petersfield train as my equipment was in the lobby of that carriage and the First Class had plenty of space.

I got to Petersfield at about 5.30 and waited for Serena to pick me up.  I got a call to say her little car had overheated in a traffic jam and she'd be late.  I didn't mind; I went to the nearby Tesco and got some bread and hommous, and a couple of bottles of perry, and had sandwiches sitting in the bus stop.  I had a nice conversation with an unusual woman who was travelling through the country using just her free pensioner bus pass.

Serena turned up, with her 2 year old son who I met on this year's World Naked Bike Ride.... not a naked rider though, too young to make that decision!

I only just managed to squeeze into the car and the satnav took us to the village of East Meon and on to The Sustainability Centre.

This is an ex-military site, with some ugly buildings and lots and lots of beautiful trees, some open glades, and a view of the sea in the far distance.  There's a small woodworking site, making green oak wooden frames and chestnut shingles for roofs. There's a natural burial site in amongst the woodland. They have a hostel where people can stay and self-cater, or school groups can stay to explore the area, or learn about sustainability.  There are some lived-in yurts and a couple of
tepees and yurts which can be hired to stay in.  And there's a wonderful outdoor classroom, built by Ben Law.  And a project called Rural Crafts which has people with learning difficulties doing gardening, and a cafe which anyone can visit.... it's a wonderful place!

We looked for someone on site to ask where to camp, and I rang the phone number I'd been given when I booked the extra days camping.  There was no answer.  We had a wander around and met some of the people who lived on site, in one of the yurts.  They showed us some camping areas, but because I snore I didn't want to inflict my noise on anyone else so I found a place in the woods and put my tent up there.

Later a few LGG people showed up and we agreed to help put the main stage up in the morning.

Sunday 19th June 11

A good day, hardworking.  And an early start which I didn't appreciate much.  But I needed to get the 9.15 train over to Huddersfield, to get the 10.15 bus to Golcar, to be at Colne Valley Garden Centre before 11 to start work.

My role today was to be part of the Green Fair that the Garden Centre had put on.  We had agreed that I would do some Professor Fiddlesticks until 12.30, and then a talk on composting followed by lunch and then back to more Fiddlesticksing until 3pm.  Sounded like a good mix.

The public transport worked exactly as planned, and there was a very cute little baby I kept on making giggle, which passed the time.  I got to the venue with at least 15 minutes to spare. I was shown an area where I could work, in one of the undercover retail areas, and I asked to see the outdoor possibilities as it was quite a nice day weather-wise. The outdoor area was a bit further on than the greenhouses and covered area, and would have less 'footfall' so I opted for the under cover area, but asked if I could swap the facepainting area for mine, and I got a better 'stage' area.  The face painter, Julie, seemed happy with this.  I got changed and immediately there were families who wanted to try the devilsticks, or the 'four wheeled unicycle', diabolo or juggling.

So I had a pretty full-on time with hardly any breaks in the flow of children and their parents or grandparents, and I was surprised when Sami, my main handler, came in and told me it was almost 12.30.  Time flies when you're busy.

There were just 3 people wanting info on composting.  But this was good as I could deal with their concerns individually.

After this, Paddy, the Centre Manager, showed me the outdoor area again, which the company are developing.  He told me about the difficulty they'd had with a 'bottle digger', as the garden centre is on an old landfill.  However, they've built a pond and a kids play area, and have chickens, and are wondering about opening up the wood beyond as a nature trail or something.  I suggested that they might want to come and see St Nicks as that is also on a landfill and is now a nature reserve, and a wonderful community resource. He asked me to email him with details.

I had a quick chat with two chaps from Gardinia Windows, who are a Huddersfield company who have just started fitting photovoltaic panels.  They also had an ingenious display, a glass pyramid, with each side being a different sort of glass.  Inside was a pair of lamps, ones which gave out a substantial amount of heat.  One side was single glazed, and the glass was hot to the touch.  Then there was a pane of standard double glazing, which was a bit cooler.  I'm not sure what the third side was, but the fourth side was argon filled and the most energy efficient sort of double (maybe triple?) glazing, and it kept so much heat in it was quite cold to the touch.  I thought this was a really good way of showing the difference between the various sorts of glazing available.

I then got on with what I'd been contracted to do, and entertained more families and chatted to Julie the facepainter, as it was a bit quieter.  3pm soon came and I over-ran slightly, but the manager paid me, I got changed, bought a Sempervivum (houseleak) which I liked the look of and went to get the bus.  Julie chatted with me at the bus stop but she was heading down to the shops so she went there when I got onto the bus. 

The transport back was once again trouble free and I got back to York at about 5.15. 

A fairly nondescript evening followed, with washing up and getting bath water for our youngest, and a nice chat on facebook with Serena, one of the World Naked Bike Ride participants I've made friends with.  Happy John.

Monday 6th June 11

Another full day.... starting off with a bit of a difficult assignment.  Ian and Lyndsay had hired bikes on Saturday but wanted to bring them back to the shop on Sunday.... but were dismayed to find that the shop wasn't open on Sunday.  So, that meant either staying over on Sunday night (which they were welcome to do, but couldn't because of Ian's having to be at work) or let me return the bikes and get the deposit back to Lyndsay.  Ian suggested I send it to him by PayPal.

However, as the shop wasn't open on Sunday, and they went home last night, I needed to get the bikes to Monkgate/Lord Mayor's Walk for 9.30.  I put one on my trailer, shielding the frame from scratches with a wad of newspaper, and tying it on with several bungees.  The second bike was relatively easy to push whilst I rode mine, one-handed all the way, of course, and in the same gear all the time!

I got there on the dot of 9.30 and once both bikes were in the shop, I passed on Ian's message about the poorly positioned chain and the fact that there was no oil on the chain. The shop staff were surprised and grumpy about this, after all, the bike should not have gone out in such a condition and therefore someone slipped up.  And although I had the paperwork, they were not happy with giving me the deposit.  However, I was fine about that, as I know Ian preferred the BACS way of transferring money, and the shop would be able to do that more easily than I could do PayPal.  So I got a receipt and left.

My next port of call was the Green Party office to give back the megaphone and radios that Graham had lent us, and from here I went for a coffee with Serena from the Bike Ride, and it was very nice to get to know her a bit better. 

I got home at around midday, did a bit of computery stuff and had lunch and did a good block of compost heap work, at least two hour's worth.

The next notable thing was the LETS meeting at the Seahorse, at 7.30.  Kay arrived just after me and Melody a bit later still.  We had an efficient meeting... when Melody's around, it is always efficient!  I took notes and will write them up soon.  I was just thinking of going when will arrived, so I stayed and we had a really good chat.  Was a very nice conversation; I'm very fond of him.

I didn't get home til nearly 11pm... lit the stove, did some washing up, did emails and facebook and blog.... the usual stuff til the wee early hours...