Tuesday 25th January 11

Gill woke me at 8 with a dilemma about our youngest and school, as he wasn't very well, and was wondering what to do re school and a dentist appointment at 4ish... her frustration about various things boiled over and she gave me an earful about the mess in the garden that I'm responsible for, so I got up immediately and did 2 hours clearing up before breakfast at 10.  I do wish I was tidier.  I am productive but untidy.  I will try to remain productive but be less messy.

I didn't manage to get the garden completely tidy, and I had a succession of phone calls, a couple of which were really good and positive, about work in the summer, quite a few were to do with advertising, and one was a bit sad... I'd agreed to do a summer gala in North Cave, which is a short hop away from Brough railway station.  The organiser had asked me to find out my train times and we'd confirm the following week.  Well I found out that train times for the summer aren't published yet, but I knew I'd be able to get there, even if it meant an early start on a Sunday and a change at Doncaster.  So today we spoke and she was so apologetic, as the committee of 18 (yes, a committee of EIGHTEEN!) had outvoted her, saying they were worried that I wouldn't be able to get there because of using public transport.  This is I think a first. 

I got a message from Richard inviting me down to do a pick up.  I groaned but later did go and collect.  I got a cheque in the post for 30 sacks of compost supplied to Edible York last year, which is really good, and a phone call from a LETS member asking for a delivery of two sacks, which I'll take round on Thursday after the Rotters meeting.

The day slid by quickly, and before I knew it, it was time for me to get ready to go to the station to go to Harrogate for the RSA meeting launching the Harrogate Community Enterprise Hub.  I met Chris James on the train, a fellow Fellow, as it were, and we talked about peak oil and assorted serious subjects, and he told me about his project Inspired Youth.

We walked up to Cafe Culture from Hornbeam Park station, and watched the presentation about this project.  The basic idea is to provide a structure and place for mentors to be able to meet 'mentees', ie people wanting to start a business or a project being able to have the benefit of some already successful business people, entrepreneurs etc. 

I did have all the details of the speakers on a 'running order' piece of paper but I've stupidly left it behind, so I may or may not be able to post links to the websites.  I'd like to as some of the projects were very inspiring.

Came back on the 9pm train, and on the way home from the station collected a large number of thrown away bedding plants and polyanthus, put aside by County Fresh instead of tipping them all into the bin.

When I got home and went onto facebook, I was extremely saddened, devastated even, to see about the death of Mark 'Mozaz' Wallis, one of Sheffield's most well known anarchists, whom I was very fond of.  I knew I liked him but it's only when you lose someone and the tears flow and flow that you realise how much you cared.  He developed some kind of infection, possibly following flu or a respiratory illness, and died in hospital on the 23rd.

However, my friend Ann posted wedding photos of Keith Jackman and his long term partner Aree, out in Thailand.  This cheered me up a bit.

Friday 15th January 10

Got up early and got outside to split and stack three big logs I found and brought back last night on a nocturnal sortie! I also did a bit more pruning of the house-height pine tree which is too close to our house and our neighbour wants removed... and we'll be happy too as it cuts a lot of light from our front room. I'm not taking it out all in one go, as the soil will swell and damage our foundations, so I'm removing branches bit by bit, over a couple of years, and later this year I'll take the rest of it out.

So an active morning, followed by a stint of doing emails which was interesting as I engaged in some dialogue with one of the people behind we love the earth centre, about someone on the email contact list who is unhappy about the involvement of RTTG, and has proposed an anarchist 'solution' or response, and has been emailing aggressive rants to others on the list. Several people have asked for their details to be removed from the list because of this person, and I was worried that 'we love the earth centre' was being damaged.

Later in the day I had a good phone conversation with Mike from RTTG, which he said does not yet have any partners for their Earth Centre redevelopment, and that RTTG is a voluntary group with just 3 people at it's centre. Whether he means unpaid (which is what I understand by the word 'voluntary') is something I'll have to check! But what I did ascertain was that half a dozen people involved with WLTEC including myself, are invited to the first open day, where RTTG want to gather ideas for the future of the site. Should be an interesting day!

I also went to see my friend Debbie, as when I got home yesterday, she had given Gill a message about her friend Debbie F, who has died from cirrhosis of the liver; she was an alcoholic. Very sad. I knew Debbie F a bit, and she liked me apparently, but I didn't have time or energy to get to know her better or become a real friend. And as she was often drunk, that put me off trying to be a better friend or try to help. Her problems were just too deep. Anyway, sad to hear the news, and I spent an hour with my friend hearing about the fun times they got up to. I expect I'll attend the funeral next week.

At tea time I shredded the pine tree limbs which were small enough to go into my Mountfield quiet shredder and put the bigger branches in a pile for chopping up and drying.

I managed to get onto the tax website and found that they have to send me a new password in the post. What a palaver!

I went to Bryony's 'leaving drinks' do at the Yorkshire Terrier on Stonegate, and on the way there, met my old partner I lived with for 10 years, and we had a brief but friendly chat. I was really glad to get her email address, as several people from our past have asked me how she is and all I could say was 'she's in York and whenever I see her, she seems OK, but I have no contact details'. But now I'm going to be able to email people's details to her so they can reconnect. I didn't stay at the leaving do for long, as I'd promised Gill I'd get back to assist with the bedtime stuff.

Played a bit of Scrabble in the evening and chatted to Ali on facebook instant messaging. A peaceful evening.