Woke late... Ali had said there was no chance of oversleeping as her daughter is always up early, but today she slept in til 9.20, went in to see her Mummy, Mum realised the time and told her to go and wake me up and the overnight PA, Kaisa.
I had a fast bowl of cereal and got myself ready for work, and Ali got herself together in record time... went to get the bus soon after 10 and got to the Green Fair venue really quickly, at about 10.30... so woke up late and got there early!
Had a quick mooch around and just before 11 went to get my Fiddlesticks clothes on, and by 11 was up on the unicycle and livening the place up a bit!
I had a busy day... lots of fairly unstructured circus workshops, reacting to the audience's needs and requests, and one particular chap stood out, a pre-teen who I'm proud to give a plug to; Kyle P. who started the day as a non-unicyclist and finished the day being able to unicycle about 10 metres. Brilliant! I think he should get along to Green Top Circus and learn more, he'll go far if he continues practising with the dedication he put into the unicycle today.
Was glad to meet my sister and brother in law too, and Anna had some good chats with Ali, which I was glad about. Douglas watched quite a bit of one of my workshops but I think he fell asleep a couple of times, it was that exciting!
At 1.30 I had been timetabled to go and speak on the main outdoor stage about low carbon living, so I had 10 minutes in which to explain about measuring carbon footprints and what makes up the biggest chunks of it, and therefore which bits to try to cut...
Ali volunteered on the gate and somewhere else for a couple of hours. Kaisa and 'Littleboo' arrived and my biggest fan spent a lot of the rest of the day with me, her disability not stopping her trying as many of the activities as possible. She's even found a way to hold the devilstick handstick in her hand which doesn't do as it's told... I'm really impressed by her desire to just get on with it!
Soon my last timetabled slot arrived, a 3.45 balloon modelling show/workshop inside St Mary's Church, this was well attended and loads of fun.
At 5, the finish time, I found my handler and got paid, and all four of us trundled down to the station where a Newcastle-bound train was waiting and I managed to get on it just as the doors were closing. There was a jolly and drunk chap Tony whom I chatted to, he was very amused by the Professor Fiddlesticks name.
I got home via Country Fresh, soon after 8pm. Had a mellow evening playing Scrabble with Gill and enjoying Glastonbury on TV. I beat her by just one point.
Showing posts with label Unicycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unicycling. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Saturday 22nd November 08
Woken by the usual family noises of (play?) fighting ending in screaming and tears. But glad I was woken up as I have to go to work. Soon after 9am I loaded up two unicycles, my big one for today's gig, and my medium-sized one which I'm lending to someone, as I've said before, I cannot reveal too much or it may spoil a surprise. I went in 'cold-weather costume' ie dungarees (red, used to be Gills many years ago, modified shoulder straps to allow me to fit under them) and silly boots (as normal for Fiddlesticks) and red tee shirt, colourful waistcoat, these both obscured by my psychedelic fleece and a skiing hat which has kinda dreadlocks (multicoloured) and ear-covers (essential in cold weather!).
So delivered the unicycle and went on to the Methodist Central Hall in St Saviourgate where
The Zentist practitioners and friends were holding their 'Magical Christmas Fair'. My job was to take the large placard round town so that people knew that the event was on and those who wished to do so, went to it. I initially did some unicycling, but the wind against the sail-like placard meant I got blown off a couple of times, and as the streets filled up and the pedestrianisation came into force at, I think, 10.30, I decided not to unicycle but to walk with my placard and push the uni.
Soon I dropped off the useless uni at the Methodist Hall and walked round and round the City streets. Lots of people asked me where St Saviourgate was and I most often walked with them to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate and showed them the huge columns of the Methodist Hall just 40 metres away. I stopped for lunch back at the Hall and then continued til 4pm. I was absolutely frozen, perhaps froZen, who knows? But I got paid and went to Barnitts to find some Broad Beans to plant in the lottie, and up to Shared Earth for a 2009 Trees for Life Diary.
Then home via Country Fresh.... picked up two sacks and a box for loading onto a heap tomorrow. Then into the warmth, oh, so good to be inside where the woodstove has been lit all day. Slowly defrosted, aided by a mug of coffee/chocolate/cream liquour mix...... aaahhh.
Gill had roasted some assorted vegetables for tea and made an omlette to go with it. Watched Harry Hill's fun nonsense and silliness with the family, but left them to 'Merlin' which I don't like, as it's a bit scary like I find quite a bit of their telly choices. I lit the stove in the front room to warm up the rest of the house.
A peaceful evening.
So delivered the unicycle and went on to the Methodist Central Hall in St Saviourgate where
The Zentist practitioners and friends were holding their 'Magical Christmas Fair'. My job was to take the large placard round town so that people knew that the event was on and those who wished to do so, went to it. I initially did some unicycling, but the wind against the sail-like placard meant I got blown off a couple of times, and as the streets filled up and the pedestrianisation came into force at, I think, 10.30, I decided not to unicycle but to walk with my placard and push the uni.
Soon I dropped off the useless uni at the Methodist Hall and walked round and round the City streets. Lots of people asked me where St Saviourgate was and I most often walked with them to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate and showed them the huge columns of the Methodist Hall just 40 metres away. I stopped for lunch back at the Hall and then continued til 4pm. I was absolutely frozen, perhaps froZen, who knows? But I got paid and went to Barnitts to find some Broad Beans to plant in the lottie, and up to Shared Earth for a 2009 Trees for Life Diary.
Then home via Country Fresh.... picked up two sacks and a box for loading onto a heap tomorrow. Then into the warmth, oh, so good to be inside where the woodstove has been lit all day. Slowly defrosted, aided by a mug of coffee/chocolate/cream liquour mix...... aaahhh.
Gill had roasted some assorted vegetables for tea and made an omlette to go with it. Watched Harry Hill's fun nonsense and silliness with the family, but left them to 'Merlin' which I don't like, as it's a bit scary like I find quite a bit of their telly choices. I lit the stove in the front room to warm up the rest of the house.
A peaceful evening.
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Sunday 6th July 08 Disability Awareness Day, Warrington
A ridiculously early start... up at 5am to get the 6.05 to Manchester Piccadilly... where I had a 55 minute wait for the short hop to Oxford Road, then 10 mins wait for the Warrington train, getting there on time at 9.39, in plenty of time to catch the 10am free transfer bus to Walton Hall Gardens where the fantastic annual Disability Awareness Day takes place.
So I spent the next 5 or so hours unicycling and devilsticking and making balloon models, having a whale of a time in an environment where I feel completely at home and amongst friends. It is one of the highlights of my year. The weather was suprisingly kind... only one showere during the event, and one at 5 as it was shutting down, as I went for the bus.
A short wait on the station and a train all the way back to York, getting in at 8.
So I spent the next 5 or so hours unicycling and devilsticking and making balloon models, having a whale of a time in an environment where I feel completely at home and amongst friends. It is one of the highlights of my year. The weather was suprisingly kind... only one showere during the event, and one at 5 as it was shutting down, as I went for the bus.
A short wait on the station and a train all the way back to York, getting in at 8.
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Saturday 17th November 07
A fairly early start as had to be at St William's College next to the Minster by 10am. Cycled down, in costume, with the unicycle on the trailer, and met Gill from Zentist, the shop on Gillygate which is having the Christmas Fayre today. There's lots of stalls and talks on assorted esoteric subjects including 'the power of angels', and stalls with Tarot, Crystals and massage.
But whatever my personal beliefs about some of the subjects at the event, I was happy to be their unicycling advertiser, with a large placard on a stick which Sue had made into a good poster advert. So from 10am I unicycled around York and people read the placard, some asked where the event was, so the advertising worked.
At 12 I met with Gill and the boys for lunch... they first had a look around the Fayre but they weren't much interested, apart for meeting up with our friend Will and his girlfriend Alison. We went to the St Williams College Restaurant and had one of our first meals out together, which was really good. The nosh was what I'd call 'haute cuisine' as it was presented in an arty way, with squiggles of reduced balsamic vinegar and a swirl of lemony oil stuff. I could never do haute cuisine, I am more into having a reasonable quantity and having a good balance of different foodstuffs. The restaurant manager, Ed, introduced himself, as we met many years ago at a LETS event, he's friends with my friend Carole's son.... York is SO small!
So then I got back on my uni and wobbled off to wander round the streets of York doing my advertising. Met my friend Neil, who trades as Leo the Caricaturist, and quite a few other people who know me, which was nice.
Towards the end of my day unicycling I was going down Colliergate and wasn't concentrating as I should have been and my wheel met up with a dip in the road which matched it perfectly, so it stopped and I continued forward and downward and landed on both knees, which suffered abraisions and bruising and blood. A chap came to my aid and said he'd been thinking how good I was! I ignored the pain and got straight back on the unicycle and did a last half hour.
When I got back to St Williams they were all offering things like rescue remedy, aura readings etc, but I told them my immune system was quite strong and my body repaired itself reasonably quickly without much help. I was paid and I cycled home, tired, cold and achey, but satisfied I'd done a good job... I've been invited back for next year!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I had a cooked lunch, I had half a reject avocado and some sandwiches for tea.
But whatever my personal beliefs about some of the subjects at the event, I was happy to be their unicycling advertiser, with a large placard on a stick which Sue had made into a good poster advert. So from 10am I unicycled around York and people read the placard, some asked where the event was, so the advertising worked.
At 12 I met with Gill and the boys for lunch... they first had a look around the Fayre but they weren't much interested, apart for meeting up with our friend Will and his girlfriend Alison. We went to the St Williams College Restaurant and had one of our first meals out together, which was really good. The nosh was what I'd call 'haute cuisine' as it was presented in an arty way, with squiggles of reduced balsamic vinegar and a swirl of lemony oil stuff. I could never do haute cuisine, I am more into having a reasonable quantity and having a good balance of different foodstuffs. The restaurant manager, Ed, introduced himself, as we met many years ago at a LETS event, he's friends with my friend Carole's son.... York is SO small!
So then I got back on my uni and wobbled off to wander round the streets of York doing my advertising. Met my friend Neil, who trades as Leo the Caricaturist, and quite a few other people who know me, which was nice.
Towards the end of my day unicycling I was going down Colliergate and wasn't concentrating as I should have been and my wheel met up with a dip in the road which matched it perfectly, so it stopped and I continued forward and downward and landed on both knees, which suffered abraisions and bruising and blood. A chap came to my aid and said he'd been thinking how good I was! I ignored the pain and got straight back on the unicycle and did a last half hour.
When I got back to St Williams they were all offering things like rescue remedy, aura readings etc, but I told them my immune system was quite strong and my body repaired itself reasonably quickly without much help. I was paid and I cycled home, tired, cold and achey, but satisfied I'd done a good job... I've been invited back for next year!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I had a cooked lunch, I had half a reject avocado and some sandwiches for tea.
Friday, 8 June 2007
Friday 8th June 07
As Gill's legs still hurt following the physio, I took the boys to school.
The morning was mainly concerned with creating a placard for Santa to carry whilst unicycling on the World Naked Cycle Ride. Gill and I finished the poem, which was started with help from our eldest son:
OH, OH, OH,
How will I cope
With not enough snow?
It won't be as nice
With much less ice.
Ho, HO, HO,
A solution I like
Abandon your car
And get on your bike
Take the train or bus
Or travel my way...
Unicycle or reindeer sleigh!
This was carefully written on a large piece of cardboard and the backs of posters found outside the Lloyds TSB, put for landfill!
Also did various bits of housework and garden jobs. Early on our Polish roofer Artur arrived to repair the tarry sheets on the studio roof, which had perished. Some of the wooden batons underneath have perished and will need replacing, but he reckons that it will be ok for another 10 years.
Next door are having scaffolding erected to replace soffit boards, finish their loft conversion and do some repointing. Good banter with Lee the scaffolder, who has a stove for sale. Contact TB scaffolding for this!
During the middle of the day Ken our neighbour popped round to tell us we had a swarm of bees in our garden... infact it is 8m up a conifer in the other next door's garden, overhanging our garden. Barry, friend of Ken, suggested putting a box with honey smeared inside, and a hole or two in, which might attract the bees so they could be taken away and rehoused, but by nightfall they had not found this and were a tight ball in the tree.
At 2, a lady who advertised in the back of the Press came and had brought round her son's 2 yr old bike, suitable for a 10 yr old. Our eldest who has wrecked his bike needs a new one so we bought this for £30.
I took it down to the school (pushing it whilst riding mine) and he was delighted and promised to look after it. Came home with D and J, friends of our boys, as their mum is unable to pick them up until 5pm, which she did.
I left shortly after this and took my unicycle on my trailer, plus costume and placard, and parked in the Out Of This World car park, and unicycled to the Memorial Gardens to get dressed up as Santa Claus. Lots of seminaked and bodypainted folks, and minutes from leaving lots of people went totally naked for this local expression of a global protest/celebration. The route was fairly gruelling for a unicyclist in a Santa outfit, quite a sauna.
Afterwards went for a pint at the King's Arms, which was lovely and refreshing.
Home and I created a quick tea of onions, vegetarian black pudding and goat's cheese, with rems of quiche from yesterday. Ate this at 10pm, collapsed after and watched a bit of TV, then did a quick email and blog, and watched Joolz Holland with Paul McCartney and Bjork.
The morning was mainly concerned with creating a placard for Santa to carry whilst unicycling on the World Naked Cycle Ride. Gill and I finished the poem, which was started with help from our eldest son:
OH, OH, OH,
How will I cope
With not enough snow?
It won't be as nice
With much less ice.
Ho, HO, HO,
A solution I like
Abandon your car
And get on your bike
Take the train or bus
Or travel my way...
Unicycle or reindeer sleigh!
This was carefully written on a large piece of cardboard and the backs of posters found outside the Lloyds TSB, put for landfill!
Also did various bits of housework and garden jobs. Early on our Polish roofer Artur arrived to repair the tarry sheets on the studio roof, which had perished. Some of the wooden batons underneath have perished and will need replacing, but he reckons that it will be ok for another 10 years.
Next door are having scaffolding erected to replace soffit boards, finish their loft conversion and do some repointing. Good banter with Lee the scaffolder, who has a stove for sale. Contact TB scaffolding for this!
During the middle of the day Ken our neighbour popped round to tell us we had a swarm of bees in our garden... infact it is 8m up a conifer in the other next door's garden, overhanging our garden. Barry, friend of Ken, suggested putting a box with honey smeared inside, and a hole or two in, which might attract the bees so they could be taken away and rehoused, but by nightfall they had not found this and were a tight ball in the tree.
At 2, a lady who advertised in the back of the Press came and had brought round her son's 2 yr old bike, suitable for a 10 yr old. Our eldest who has wrecked his bike needs a new one so we bought this for £30.
I took it down to the school (pushing it whilst riding mine) and he was delighted and promised to look after it. Came home with D and J, friends of our boys, as their mum is unable to pick them up until 5pm, which she did.
I left shortly after this and took my unicycle on my trailer, plus costume and placard, and parked in the Out Of This World car park, and unicycled to the Memorial Gardens to get dressed up as Santa Claus. Lots of seminaked and bodypainted folks, and minutes from leaving lots of people went totally naked for this local expression of a global protest/celebration. The route was fairly gruelling for a unicyclist in a Santa outfit, quite a sauna.
Afterwards went for a pint at the King's Arms, which was lovely and refreshing.
Home and I created a quick tea of onions, vegetarian black pudding and goat's cheese, with rems of quiche from yesterday. Ate this at 10pm, collapsed after and watched a bit of TV, then did a quick email and blog, and watched Joolz Holland with Paul McCartney and Bjork.
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