Monday 19th January 09

The morning was very tough and traumatic.

A peaceful lunchtime, Gill went to bed and I waited for the media students to turn up. They were much later than they'd said they would be but I made good use of the time and they arrived just before 2pm, just in time to discuss the next moves and show them the composting ops in the garden and fruit rescue situation.

I collected our youngest at 3 and the students came back again at 4.

We walked down to Country Fresh, me with my bike, they with filming equipment, to see my pick ups there and interview Shirley, who works there when Richard has his days off. During the conversations/chats, one of the students asked whether my coming in to collect recyclables had made her think differently or do anything different in her life, and she said that now, since seeing my dedication to separate recyclables out of the shop waste, she now recycles at home. This is EXACTLY what I want to happen. I am unable to TELL or FORCE others to create less waste, but by just doing what I do, I show others what is possible and then they are possibly more likely to change their ways as they can see it is the right thing to do. What Shirley said made my day. I had no idea that my voluntary actions had been part of a change in Shirley's behaviour, but I am extremely happy that she now bothers to recycle. Just excellent!

I left the students walking up Heslington Road and cycled off with my two sacks of compostables and found branch, to go to Scummerfield to get milk, cheese and pasta.

Gill made cauliflower cheese and macaroni for tea, very good it was too. I left again at 7ish to go down to the York Green Festival meeting at the Friends Meeting House, where Rand had organised a good agenda... which we didn't follow that closely! However, the media students were able to film some of the proceedings, and the 12 or so YGF volunteers were able to decide the date of the next York Green Festival, 6th September, and most of who does what. It was a very successful meeting, well chaired by Randall... flexibly.... and I think everybody who wanted to contribute was enabled to do so.

We finished at 9.30 and some of us went for a drink in Pivo Bar... a jolly occasion and Martin bought me a second pint which was good. Back home just after 11 where Gill was just finishing helping/encouraging our eldest to finish his homework. They'd had a lovely evening, lots of work had been accomplished and my Sister had 'met' him on the interactive computer game and they'd chatted and got on well. Thank goodness this evening was peaceable!

Monday 15th December 08

Both boys OK to go to school which was good... I took our youngest but also my 'compost mate' tool as I knew that the school compost bin would be full and in need of management.

So once the children had gone in, I turned the third bin, taking out sticks and putting them aside. Then I took the material out of the second bin with the compost mate and put it into the third, again removing uncomposted stuff like some paper and card, plus sticks, and the inevitable few plastic bags, twist ties and chocolate wrappers. Then transferred most of the material from bin one to bin two, adding layers of sticks and paper removed from the older compost. This took about an hour but left the first compost bin empty for the next batch of fruit skins and partly eaten apples.... the whole object of the exercise...

Home and straight out again at Gill's request to get bread, and picked up a huge bag of sad bananas from Freshways.

Lunch was civilised and enjoyable and all too soon it was 3pm and time for me to go and pick up the little one.

When I got back, Gill had received a phone call from Catherine at York Rotters asking if I'd visit a lady just a little further up Hull Road who has a compost bin which was allegedly too full for anything else to put in. I rang the lady, Betty, and she was happy for me to visit immediately. So I got back on the bike and took the Compost Mate and visited her... and her 220 litre 'dalek' bin. This was not completely full, but her son in Law had put a load of soil into it, which I took out so she could use it to put on her raised beds. I turned the rest very thoroughly with the Compost Mate and there was then enough space for her to put her specially saved-up bags of peelings into it... a result! She was a very grateful 83 year old... invited me for a cup of tea but I said I'd better get back, but gave her my number so she could call me sometime in January when I said I'd check her compost again, possibly do some more sorting, AND have a cuppa...

Back home via a newly found logpile (it's that time of year again... tree-pruning time!) and back into our cosy but untidy house. Ate tea alone though as I wanted to watch the news but the rest of the family didn't... and at 7.30 set out for the York Green Festival 08 Review and 09 Planning Meeting at Pivo Bar, which I chaired in a fairly disorganised way (ie no formal agenda, Bob started chairing at one stage, etc!)

This was an excellent meeting, and we came to the decision that we'd have a greener York Green Festival next year, with less noise pollution! And we'd stay with Rowntree Park.

Had a really good chat with Bob afterwards, which was most welcome as I don't have that many male friends and I think Bob could be quite a good buddy... we have quite a lot in common.

Sunday 27th January 08

Up at a very respectable 10am... no hangover or negative effects from last night's outing.

Made up my muesli and had breakfast and watched some telly, and lit the stove so I could have a coffee which I had halfway through Countryfile. Also did emails and some computer organising whilst watching Countryfile. A nice, slow easygoing morning....

A good lunch too, then cycled to Cycle Heaven to have my bike sorted out... it needs a working front light and the chain comes off when I move the bike backwards in the highest gear, and the stand is loose. They said it might take over an hour so I went to visit Pauline and we had the usual good chats and coffee along with woodchopping... some offcuts from local builders and a couple of pallets, so she'll have a few toastie evenings on renewables! We talked about the project she's co-ordinating, St Clement's Community Hall, and psychology/ personality tests and various other things. I left at 3.30 and collected my bike, feels like new!

When I got home, we needed some provisions so I went for a walk with my 10 year old to the Co-op and that was good to do... and when he got back he went to finish his homework, which was about World War Two and Hitler. Quite a tough subject for a 10 yr old!

I made myself some tea, mostly yesterday's, reheated. Got ready to have our babysitter and go out with Gilly, something we don't do very often, so it's a real treat.

Simon came at 7.15 and we got on our bikes and went to the Pivo Bar in Patric Pool and attended the first 'No Miles High Club' for people who have not flown during the past year and are committing not to fly for the next 12 months. Members get a discount at some local shops, and tonight got free drinks. One member won a Eurostar ticket! We met up with some of the CRAG folks and Green Party people. We had an interesting conversation with a farmer who grows Miscanthus, a fast-growing grass which is harvested annually and is sold to Drax Power Station to add to the coal and help produce electricity.

Got back at 10.30ish and had a relaxing hour with Gilly before doing emails and blog...