Sunday 16th October 11

Another good day.... did a successful if quite difficult gig and then had an interesting evening out with David.

So, the party was in Bishopthorpe at 2pm, so I set out at about 1.20 and got there at 1.45, got set up and over 40 children piled in and excitedly ran round and round, noisy and, well, as you would expect of 5 and 6 year olds.

The party went pretty much as expected, apart I had to be more strict than I like, as they were very excitable and restless, and then when I demonstrated the 4 wheel unicycle, one axle broke.  I must remember to take a spare in case that happens.  It didn't detract too much from the party and, actually, meant we finished that part of the show on time.  Birthday tea took quite a bit longer than average, leaving only 25 minutes for the balloon modelling, which usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, so I had to cut that short at the end.

Anyway, several parents said that it was a good party, and one requested a business card, and by 4.25 I was away, heading for home.

I didn't have long, though, before going out to David's, as he was going to a lecture at St John's University, held by the William Temple Association. The talk was by Gill Martin, who amongst other things works at The Haven Project in Hull and Solace in Leeds.

She spoke about the different sorts of refugees and asylum seekers... those who have been smuggled, and those who are trafficked.  They include families and lone children/minors, and come from the Congo, Zimbabwe, Eastern Europe (eg. Kossovo) and more recently, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. They face a number of stresses, including what they've left behind (maybe war, religious persecution), the journey and what they've experienced once here in the UK, where they may have been used as slaves or prostitutes, and may be having difficulties with racism, the cold weather, unfamiliar food, language, isolation and poor housing.

York did not put itself forward to take refugees in 2000 when the Government decided to locate them in other parts of the UK.  Hull, Sheffield, Leeds, Huddersfield all did, but York does now have some and therefore we now have Refugee Action York as well as YUMI.  Gill Martin works with various organisations, and provides counselling and psychotherapy, support and advice.

The talk was very illuminating, and shocking, and there was a bit of interesting discussion afterwards.  Following this there was a short Christian service called Compline, with prayers rattled off like nursery rhymes... I didn't know any of them or the format of the service.  So, a fascinating evening, and David enjoyed it a lot.

I took him home and soon after 9.30 I left, and headed to Walmgate Stray, where the People and Planet students were having a little bonfire.  I chatted with several of them, and showed them the whereabouts of the pile of brash the Council has said they're going to burn, and brought a few branches over for their bonfire.

I spent about an hour there and went soon after 10.30, and was up til well after 2 doing assorted things, including fruit and washing up.

Thursday 22nd October 09

A lie-in. Awoke with a phone call, then got up and got my huge ladder to start removing the Wisteria which is trying to eat the house. I need to do this to allow the builders to replace the fascia boards and to get access to the roof to put the solar panels on, and defunct chimney off.

This took most of the day. I got the shredder out too, and shredded all the stuff I took off, making 5 sacks of shredded Wisteria for composting.

At 5 I stopped and got myself ready to go to work. I'd been booked to go to Bishopthorpe Beavers and do my show. They are like CubScouts but smaller! So, maybe 20 six and seven year old boys who loved my show and participated fully. I made it quite science-heavy but also with maximum fun, including the gag I do with the Indian club and banging it on my head which makes my eyes go wonky. Oh I do love my job! And I get paid to have such fun! Amazing!

Home by 8pm, had tea (Gill had made rice tonight) and then enjoyed Question Time with the idiotic Nick Griffin who showed himself up as many people had hoped he would. I think appearing on this programme has actually been a good thing, as people have been able to see what a vile piece of work he is.

I had a good chat with Ali on the phone at midnight, and then did the washing up, bed after 2am, as usual.

Monday 1st June 09

Although I had a headache, I had a good day. I got ready so I could be at Bish St Kids at 10am to do a session about waste, recycling and composting. I took a bag of recyclable and non-recyclable items, several bags of compost and a couple of plastic tubs with assorted 'minibeasts' in, like worms, slugs, woodlice, centipedes, staphylinid beetles and the like. Also took the rotasieve, which is always enjoyed by children.

This gig was the second of two they'd booked with me, the first being a Fiddlesticks show/workshop and today's being a John the Rotter appearance. The activities were very non-structured... first did what stuff was made out of, and how it was recycled, and what happened if it wasn't recycled. We even covered what blood was made out of and how it clotted, and white blood cells! I had just steered it onto composting when it was midday and lunchtime, so we had a break, lunch out on the grass under a tree (well, I was!) and then we continued outside with more compost beasties and riddling. The riddled compost was put on the herb-bed and the apple tree, and I went to a few good websites on their computer and bookmarked them, so they can be used at a later date.

I was away by 1.15 and on the way home popped into Country Fresh for some not-so-fresh stuff, mostly not from this country... Home before 2, came in and flopped. However, Gill was doing the child-pick-up so I continued flopping until they all got in when my energy came back; I picked salads, did some washing up and got on with things.

A LETS meeting during the evening, with a new member!

Wednesday 8th April 09

An early start as had been booked to go to Bish Street Kids playscheme in Bishopthorpe, so by 9.30 was loaded up with the full circus workshop kit, and cycled off down Heslington Road, Cemetery Road, across the Millennium Bridge and out to Bishopthorpe.

David the photographer, who had planned to come and record today's event, had phoned in unwell so I just got on with what I am good at; a one hour show and workshop, followed by a freeplay workshop, then lunch, more freeplay workshop, finishing with the balloon modelling workshop. The 20 or so children had a good time, so did I, and was finished by about 3pm.

Called in on David on the way home to wish him well, and came home to find a reasonably calm house. I had a bit of peace and quiet and then did some more sorting out in the garden. Got some more of Ali's compost ready, and a bit later, had a chat to her as she wants to come and collect some, to mix with the topsoil she's been given on Freecycle for her wheelchair-user friendly raised bed garden.

Ate tea all together and had some good giggles and chats, a peaceful evening mostly.

Enjoyed Newsnight as the return of Ethical Man was on, saving America from it's huge carbon footprint... well, kind of!