I had intended to go to St Nicks today and help with some coppicing, but Gill wasn't feeling too brilliant so I decided to stay closer to home and do some work in the garden, chainsawing and compost bin filling, harvesting artichokes, tidying.
I popped round to the bread shop, and after lunch went into town to put in a cheque and find a 'seasonal gift' for the family.
I came back via Richard at Country Fresh, and made a really good nutloaf, with equal amounts of breadcrumbs and grated parsnip. I also put all the dried red and yellow pepper in the liquidiser goblet and reduced it all to dust, sieved it so that I had a bowl full of sweet pepper paprika. Melody came to pick up her Suma order, so I gave her a jar of the paprika as a seasonal present. She gave us a bag of foraged nuts, some jam and chocolates.
The nutloaf was delicious. I zoomed into town after tea as I wanted to attend the York Green Party AGM at the Guildhall. I enjoyed this. Then I visited Anna as she hires out TENS machines and I borrowed one for Gill. However, I'd asked on Freecycle about one and I had an offer there too.
I enjoyed a science programme quite late into the night, and a nice facebook chat with my friend Lisa. She is fun.
Showing posts with label AGM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AGM. Show all posts
A much busier day. I got up early as there was a commotion downstairs but I was ineffective in solving the problem. However I got busy with a bit of housework and at 10.30 got my bike out and headed to town as I had arranged to meet Naomi, and she'd suggested El Piano, my favourite place for a hot chocolate made with soya milk.
I met Naomi because she's a disability access campaigner and I too am fed-up with the discrimination that some people face... we also share an interest in circus skills. She's a psychology graduate and has just got a job with Lime Trees, so we talked about child development and mental health issues too. She asked me to help sort her compost heap (or lack of it!) at her new flat, so I think we'll be meeting again.
I came home via Country Fresh and Freshways and hauled home a broken pallet too.
After lunch I popped round to the house on Millfield Road which recently had a skip outside which provided me with a big haul of logs and privet sticks. I'd seen the owner the other night and he'd invited me to take some more logs, so I took the secateurs and loppers round and helped them clear the back garden. I got another load of privet, some hawthorn (my favourite wood for providing a really hot stove!) and some elder. The owner appeared and was happy to remove the twigs I'd cut off and take them to his horticultural nursery, and he used his chainsaw to cut another elder trunk down. I took a well-packed trailer full back, and then returned to collect a second load.
By this time it was dark and I was due to go to Leeds for a meeting starting at 6.30, so I had a tin of dolmades and a hommous sandwich for tea. And then down to the station.... ran from the bike park to Platform 4 and got the 17.40 train with seconds to spare. And was in Leeds by 6.08, and walked down to The Common Place for the Northern Green Gathering Annual General Meeting. I've attended quite a few NGGs, and am a keen supporter of what they do. I've provided composting services on several occasions.
I was pleased to meet my friend Dave Petty who is a long-term Director of the organisation, and there were several other familiar faces, and some new people who were friendly and nice. There were 15 or 16 of us there, and after discussion of the accounts and a report of the past 2 years activities, there were the elections of Directors. David and Andrea were re-elected, and Pete, Rowen, Keith, Nigel and Becky were elected as new Directors. I was considering putting my name forward but as so many other people did, I kept my hand down. I probably have enough on my plate as is.
It was a good meeting and it looks like we have a potential venue for next year's festival, and there are some possibilities for having a presence at other festivals.
I didn't go to the pub afterwards, as I wanted to get home so I walked back to the station. Once again there was a train just about to go, and I shelled quite a few pumpkin seeds on the way back to York.
I picked up a third load of logs from the Millfield Lane house on the way home.
I met Naomi because she's a disability access campaigner and I too am fed-up with the discrimination that some people face... we also share an interest in circus skills. She's a psychology graduate and has just got a job with Lime Trees, so we talked about child development and mental health issues too. She asked me to help sort her compost heap (or lack of it!) at her new flat, so I think we'll be meeting again.
I came home via Country Fresh and Freshways and hauled home a broken pallet too.
After lunch I popped round to the house on Millfield Road which recently had a skip outside which provided me with a big haul of logs and privet sticks. I'd seen the owner the other night and he'd invited me to take some more logs, so I took the secateurs and loppers round and helped them clear the back garden. I got another load of privet, some hawthorn (my favourite wood for providing a really hot stove!) and some elder. The owner appeared and was happy to remove the twigs I'd cut off and take them to his horticultural nursery, and he used his chainsaw to cut another elder trunk down. I took a well-packed trailer full back, and then returned to collect a second load.
By this time it was dark and I was due to go to Leeds for a meeting starting at 6.30, so I had a tin of dolmades and a hommous sandwich for tea. And then down to the station.... ran from the bike park to Platform 4 and got the 17.40 train with seconds to spare. And was in Leeds by 6.08, and walked down to The Common Place for the Northern Green Gathering Annual General Meeting. I've attended quite a few NGGs, and am a keen supporter of what they do. I've provided composting services on several occasions.
I was pleased to meet my friend Dave Petty who is a long-term Director of the organisation, and there were several other familiar faces, and some new people who were friendly and nice. There were 15 or 16 of us there, and after discussion of the accounts and a report of the past 2 years activities, there were the elections of Directors. David and Andrea were re-elected, and Pete, Rowen, Keith, Nigel and Becky were elected as new Directors. I was considering putting my name forward but as so many other people did, I kept my hand down. I probably have enough on my plate as is.
It was a good meeting and it looks like we have a potential venue for next year's festival, and there are some possibilities for having a presence at other festivals.
I didn't go to the pub afterwards, as I wanted to get home so I walked back to the station. Once again there was a train just about to go, and I shelled quite a few pumpkin seeds on the way back to York.
I picked up a third load of logs from the Millfield Lane house on the way home.
A good day... spent from about 9am til lunchtime finalising some paperwork with Gill, and then I phoned in the information to the relevant authorities. This was a big relief.
During the afternoon I sorted out the front garden, tidying, chainsawing up some logs, splitting them. Tara popped in briefly to pick up some muesli base; we got 20kg from Suma last time and usually I only get 10, so I've spare, and when she asked last week about the next Suma order, I said we'd just had one, but her request of a bit of muesli base could be granted.
Once she had been and gone, I went down the garden to continue with the pond area, which I'm really enjoying doing. I put a load of ground elder roots in the centre of the newly vacated 'New Zealand bin' made of pallets raised up off the ground, with a load of vegetation and twigs under them (and some fruit and veg 'resources') and will put a load more on top... the roots will cook!
I came in at 6ish to have tea, a pile of pasta with the rems of tomato soup on, with home grown courgette and our first tomatoes too! Then it was off out to go to the St Nicks AGM.
This slowly got started, after a glass of elderflower wine and some cakes, with a presentation from Lizzie Freeman about Edible York. Lizzie explained how this group had formed following the York in Transition 'Food Open Space' meeting and a visit to the Incredible Edible Todmorden conference. She told us that this local group was part of a much wider move to grow food locally, including Grow Sheffield, Edible Middlesborough and Shoreditch Vacant Lots. We were told about the two current EY projects, Abundance and GardenAble.
For me, Edible York is a very exciting project... and I'm delighted to have donated 30 sacks of compost to the Paragon St raised beds. There are quite a few future sites, including perhaps a big area in the Museum Gardens and, if lucky, a raised bed near the Theatre Royal.
After a break, the AGM proper started. Gail chaired and after her intro, introduced Catherine from York Rotters, Jonathan the new Volunteer Co-ordinator, Rachel the Schools Education Co-ordinator, Tom who's in charge of the recycling collections, and finally Ivana the Centre Manager. There were presentations from all of these people. Ivana told us about the most recent award, given yesterday, the 'Green Pennant', which St Nicks has earned for it's high quality green space.
Then there were the simple elections of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (Tina Funnell is the new Chair, the Treasurer post is now vacant.... anybody want to volunteer? If so, contact St Nicks!) and the Management Group were all voted in too. Several people were leaving their voluntary positions and got thanked.
I didn't hang around to chat once it had finished; I put a small donation in the perspex-fronted compost bin and cycled off towards the University, where a tree has been taken down and the logs left for people to pick them up. Goody!
Home after 10.30pm, and later, I lit the stove to get rid of some of the assorted paper and card etc, and to get some hot water for a late night wash up.
During the afternoon I sorted out the front garden, tidying, chainsawing up some logs, splitting them. Tara popped in briefly to pick up some muesli base; we got 20kg from Suma last time and usually I only get 10, so I've spare, and when she asked last week about the next Suma order, I said we'd just had one, but her request of a bit of muesli base could be granted.
Once she had been and gone, I went down the garden to continue with the pond area, which I'm really enjoying doing. I put a load of ground elder roots in the centre of the newly vacated 'New Zealand bin' made of pallets raised up off the ground, with a load of vegetation and twigs under them (and some fruit and veg 'resources') and will put a load more on top... the roots will cook!
I came in at 6ish to have tea, a pile of pasta with the rems of tomato soup on, with home grown courgette and our first tomatoes too! Then it was off out to go to the St Nicks AGM.
This slowly got started, after a glass of elderflower wine and some cakes, with a presentation from Lizzie Freeman about Edible York. Lizzie explained how this group had formed following the York in Transition 'Food Open Space' meeting and a visit to the Incredible Edible Todmorden conference. She told us that this local group was part of a much wider move to grow food locally, including Grow Sheffield, Edible Middlesborough and Shoreditch Vacant Lots. We were told about the two current EY projects, Abundance and GardenAble.
For me, Edible York is a very exciting project... and I'm delighted to have donated 30 sacks of compost to the Paragon St raised beds. There are quite a few future sites, including perhaps a big area in the Museum Gardens and, if lucky, a raised bed near the Theatre Royal.
After a break, the AGM proper started. Gail chaired and after her intro, introduced Catherine from York Rotters, Jonathan the new Volunteer Co-ordinator, Rachel the Schools Education Co-ordinator, Tom who's in charge of the recycling collections, and finally Ivana the Centre Manager. There were presentations from all of these people. Ivana told us about the most recent award, given yesterday, the 'Green Pennant', which St Nicks has earned for it's high quality green space.
Then there were the simple elections of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (Tina Funnell is the new Chair, the Treasurer post is now vacant.... anybody want to volunteer? If so, contact St Nicks!) and the Management Group were all voted in too. Several people were leaving their voluntary positions and got thanked.
I didn't hang around to chat once it had finished; I put a small donation in the perspex-fronted compost bin and cycled off towards the University, where a tree has been taken down and the logs left for people to pick them up. Goody!
Home after 10.30pm, and later, I lit the stove to get rid of some of the assorted paper and card etc, and to get some hot water for a late night wash up.
Woke at 10. I got myself ready to go to the Low Moor Allotment Association AGM, which was at midday. I left home at about 11.25 and went to see Richard at Country Fresh, got some veggies and a big bag of cabbage leaves and sprouting onions.
Then I went round to the allotments, and as I was still too early for the meeting, I popped in on the People and Planet allotment where Dora greeted me loudly and warmly as 'Compost John', and yes, I was bearing a gift for their heap... all the cabbage leaves, etc.
I told them about the AGM and she and Zak came with me to the meeting which was outside as it was a lovely day.
A good meeting, left me feeling positive and buoyed up. I cycled past my old plot on the way back and it has been rotavated! The new allotmenteers look like they mean business!
I visited Debbie on the way back and chatted for 10 minutes, and got in for 2pm, for lunch and Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4.
Then I got busy in the conservatory... I planted LOADS of seeds... courgette, pumpkin, squash, yams (in the cups rescued from the Ceilidh, punctured at the base with a hot wire) and sweetcorn plus one or two other things. Lots more to do though...
Then it was tea time, I had the last pastie and the cauliflower/pasta bake which Gill threw together, followed by a slice of cake.
Then it was yet another meeting... down at Anna's, the York in Transition 'events' meeting, which was quite well attended and very upbeat.
I got in just after 10pm and wasn't sleepy til 3am.
Then I went round to the allotments, and as I was still too early for the meeting, I popped in on the People and Planet allotment where Dora greeted me loudly and warmly as 'Compost John', and yes, I was bearing a gift for their heap... all the cabbage leaves, etc.
I told them about the AGM and she and Zak came with me to the meeting which was outside as it was a lovely day.
A good meeting, left me feeling positive and buoyed up. I cycled past my old plot on the way back and it has been rotavated! The new allotmenteers look like they mean business!
I visited Debbie on the way back and chatted for 10 minutes, and got in for 2pm, for lunch and Gardener's Question Time on Radio 4.
Then I got busy in the conservatory... I planted LOADS of seeds... courgette, pumpkin, squash, yams (in the cups rescued from the Ceilidh, punctured at the base with a hot wire) and sweetcorn plus one or two other things. Lots more to do though...
Then it was tea time, I had the last pastie and the cauliflower/pasta bake which Gill threw together, followed by a slice of cake.
Then it was yet another meeting... down at Anna's, the York in Transition 'events' meeting, which was quite well attended and very upbeat.
I got in just after 10pm and wasn't sleepy til 3am.
A busy day planned, so up at 8 so I could be ready for a 9am start... to cycle just over 3 miles to the Folk Hall in New Earswick for the AGM of North Yorkshire Credit Union. I got there in time for a coffee and a chat to my friends, some of whom go back to the early days of getting the Credit Union started.
This AGM is the first since the common bond was enlarged from living or working in the City of York, to the whole of North Yorkshire. The enlargement has been tough for the organisation, but things are looking good.. lots of people needing the services, and membership continuing to grow. I enjoyed the meeting.
I cycled quickly home as I didn't have much time. I had a quick lunch and packed my trailer with a lot of workshop stuff... and cycled the 7 miles to Wheldrake, via Elvington. The roads were very potholed and there was quite a strong wind, so it took 40 minutes. The gig was with some older Guides, aged 15 to 21. The venue was a nice hall, called the White Rose House, and I did a version of my show but less silliness and more showing how things work, then a workshop, which was great as they were so able.
So I really enjoyed this, and came back the same route... got home towards 5pm. So, parched and tired, I didn't do very much after getting in, apart from lighting the stove.
This AGM is the first since the common bond was enlarged from living or working in the City of York, to the whole of North Yorkshire. The enlargement has been tough for the organisation, but things are looking good.. lots of people needing the services, and membership continuing to grow. I enjoyed the meeting.
I cycled quickly home as I didn't have much time. I had a quick lunch and packed my trailer with a lot of workshop stuff... and cycled the 7 miles to Wheldrake, via Elvington. The roads were very potholed and there was quite a strong wind, so it took 40 minutes. The gig was with some older Guides, aged 15 to 21. The venue was a nice hall, called the White Rose House, and I did a version of my show but less silliness and more showing how things work, then a workshop, which was great as they were so able.
So I really enjoyed this, and came back the same route... got home towards 5pm. So, parched and tired, I didn't do very much after getting in, apart from lighting the stove.
Woke wondering about why I hadn't been contacted by the insurers re the York Green Festival. So after breakfast I rang... and found that the email I sent on the 21st hadn't been received. So I resent it and then had a chat to the recipient, who wanted several other bits of info plus a signature, electronic or otherwise. I knew nothing about electronic signatures, and I didn't have the other info either, so I sent out a 'help me' email to the other YGF-ites, and got a reply from Tom who offered to help me do an electronic signature.
Gill went down to the station to collect our eldest and his buddy, they'd travelled up on the train together from Leamington Spa, and immediately they came in the noise levels in the house rose about 100-fold. I soon went out to go to see Tom, who scanned my signature and put it into various formats so I have a chance to add it to documents, like the insurance document I need to send to the insurers. I'll have to have a play around later.
After seeing Tom I called in on Anita who told me that next month she is emigrating to Spain for a couple of years, to live in the house she's refurbished. I will miss her as although I don't see her very often, I am fond of her. She says she'll be back in a couple of years.
I came home via Sainsburys as Gill wanted flour, ice cream and a baguette to make garlic bread with.
I popped in to Freshways on the way back and picked up 3 small sacks of compostables, and then spent an hour or so down the garden sorting them out.
Pasta and home grown veg for tea, and garlic bread, and I then shot out to St Nicks for the AGM and a talk on the National Bee Unit which was really interesting.
Ben Jones is a researcher there and he talked us through the work of the Unit which is based at Sand Hutton. Their role is to ensure the health of the honeybee in England and Wales... there are probably no 'wild' or feral honeybees left, all are managed or farmed, either by commercial beekeepers or by hobbyists. Most people think of bees as responsible for honey, but this is just worth between £10million and £30million a year, but their value as pollinators is somewhere between £120million and £200million.
He told us about the assorted diseases, legislation, how the inspectors identify the problems, the different sorts of beekeepers, and lots more. There were lots of questions asked too, so many that we over-ran and therefore missed the little film that was planned about the tree planting on St Nicks, but there will be another chance to see that.
The AGM was very straightforward. I collected some logs on the way back from a chap round the corner who had invited me to pick them up whenever I wanted, and I got in just before 10pm.
Gill went down to the station to collect our eldest and his buddy, they'd travelled up on the train together from Leamington Spa, and immediately they came in the noise levels in the house rose about 100-fold. I soon went out to go to see Tom, who scanned my signature and put it into various formats so I have a chance to add it to documents, like the insurance document I need to send to the insurers. I'll have to have a play around later.
After seeing Tom I called in on Anita who told me that next month she is emigrating to Spain for a couple of years, to live in the house she's refurbished. I will miss her as although I don't see her very often, I am fond of her. She says she'll be back in a couple of years.
I came home via Sainsburys as Gill wanted flour, ice cream and a baguette to make garlic bread with.
I popped in to Freshways on the way back and picked up 3 small sacks of compostables, and then spent an hour or so down the garden sorting them out.
Pasta and home grown veg for tea, and garlic bread, and I then shot out to St Nicks for the AGM and a talk on the National Bee Unit which was really interesting.
Ben Jones is a researcher there and he talked us through the work of the Unit which is based at Sand Hutton. Their role is to ensure the health of the honeybee in England and Wales... there are probably no 'wild' or feral honeybees left, all are managed or farmed, either by commercial beekeepers or by hobbyists. Most people think of bees as responsible for honey, but this is just worth between £10million and £30million a year, but their value as pollinators is somewhere between £120million and £200million.
He told us about the assorted diseases, legislation, how the inspectors identify the problems, the different sorts of beekeepers, and lots more. There were lots of questions asked too, so many that we over-ran and therefore missed the little film that was planned about the tree planting on St Nicks, but there will be another chance to see that.
The AGM was very straightforward. I collected some logs on the way back from a chap round the corner who had invited me to pick them up whenever I wanted, and I got in just before 10pm.
Seemed to spend the best part of the day inside. During the morning I rang Outdoorkit, which had the best deal on the tent I wanted, and bought a Vango Sigma 300+ which has a door front and back, which allows the air to flow through... just like my old tent, a design I like.
I also did various other paperwork but I don't like doing paperwork so it wasn't a very inspiring day. But I also made some beetroot soup... fried a free onion and a stalk of purchased celery, rubbed off the loose skin from the free beetroot I cooked on the woodstove last night and chopped them up, put the chunks with the onion and celery plus about two pints of water, and simmered it for a short while. Then added home-made sweet red pepper paprika, bouillon and some balsamic vinegar, and whizzed it up til it was really smooth.
I reheated a bowlful in the microwave and had it for an early tea, Gill had hers cold and said it was very good.
I attended the YorkLETS AGM down at the Seahorse Hotel, Ben chaired and it was quite a slow one, interrupted by the chips and sandwiches arriving. Not very many people attended but hopefully we'll be able to change that this next year. I remain publicity person and also promised to contribute to the newsletter, as well as a couple of other tasks.
Home soon after 10pm, and had a phone call from a friend who's been feeling very low recently, and he thanked me for my support which was lovely to hear. I wish him well on his new turn of life, and hope he can look back on these days and say 'I got through it and I'm glad'.
I also did various other paperwork but I don't like doing paperwork so it wasn't a very inspiring day. But I also made some beetroot soup... fried a free onion and a stalk of purchased celery, rubbed off the loose skin from the free beetroot I cooked on the woodstove last night and chopped them up, put the chunks with the onion and celery plus about two pints of water, and simmered it for a short while. Then added home-made sweet red pepper paprika, bouillon and some balsamic vinegar, and whizzed it up til it was really smooth.
I reheated a bowlful in the microwave and had it for an early tea, Gill had hers cold and said it was very good.
I attended the YorkLETS AGM down at the Seahorse Hotel, Ben chaired and it was quite a slow one, interrupted by the chips and sandwiches arriving. Not very many people attended but hopefully we'll be able to change that this next year. I remain publicity person and also promised to contribute to the newsletter, as well as a couple of other tasks.
Home soon after 10pm, and had a phone call from a friend who's been feeling very low recently, and he thanked me for my support which was lovely to hear. I wish him well on his new turn of life, and hope he can look back on these days and say 'I got through it and I'm glad'.
Another busy day, but most of it around and about.
My first job, apart from making a couple of sandwiches to take with me for lunch, was to carefully load my trailer with a sack of drinks cartons... mostly soya milk which we've used, but also some of our fruit juice cartons, and some smaller drinks cartons from the school bins, as they don't bother to recycle. Then various electrical equipment... a video player which got the video stuck in it, and was thrown away by someone near Country Fresh, and the AVP computer tower, monitor and assorted cables, a bag of scrap iron from various places including nails from the stove and Pauline's stove, some batteries and a wok I found in some bushes...
This I cycled to the Council-run recycling 'dump' (Hazel Court) where I now know that 'officially' bikes are not welcome. There are limited recycling facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at the gate, but not for scrap metal, waste electrical equipment or drinks cartons. So I again ignored the rule which I think is stupid and was delighted to be welcomed by two staff members, who joked to each other about whether I'd applied for a permit for my trailer... I shouted back that my application had been refused. I put all my potentially recyclable items in the right place and cycled off, thanking the staff and feeling really good that I'd been treated with respect and like an ordinary punter wishing to use the facilities like anybody else. I decided to not reply to the letter telling me I do not qualify for a trailer permit, and that bikes are not allowed in the compound. I think that my occasional use of this facility, maybe once every month or two, will continue and that I'll just risk the potential of being told I'm not welcome, and in this eventuality, having to decide to ignore the person telling me I'm not allowed in, or to comply and dump the stuff on the ground at the gate, which is what I've been advised to do! What a complete farce!
Next I headed over to Country Fresh where Richard was just opening up the shop, and he had a small box of compostables for me, which I took up to the allotment and made a layer on the latest heap of mainly bramble stems and dandelion plants with parsnip-sized roots. I met one of my new neighbours, Caroline, who works at St Johns and is doing an excellent job on her plot, and at midday we walked down to the Low Moor Allotment Association Annual General Meeting.
There were about 25 people attending and it was a low-key affair really, just reports about the past year with the new shop building, the seed and potato order, the number of plots available and the waiting list, the kids allotment and various other bits and pieces. I gave out some Age of Stupid leaflets. I chatted to an American couple, Californians with unusual names that I cannot remember (!) who wanted to pick my brains about their composting attempts. They've been using bokashi and putting the material in a fabric composter and they'd brought this to the lottie today to start a compost heap on their plot. I helped them get it up to their allotment and they'd made a couple of pallet bins so I enthused and helped empty the compost out.
I spent another hot hour on the lottie weeding and preparing the soil for onion sets and potatoes.
At 2.20, zoomed off to Bryony's house in Fulford, where Barry was waiting too. Bryony wasn't around, so we waited for her and 15 mins later she arrived with her Mother after a trip to a Freecycler which took longer than usual. We had an hour discussing the meeting on Tuesday, the York in Transition Fulford Credit Crunch Discussion meeting at The Bay Horse. I'm presenting info on LETS, and we needed to work out the order to do stuff in, and who did what. Bryony has done an excellent job organising it.
I then cycled to Pauline's to remove a load of ivy she's taken off a shed. She had four sacks full and some 'matted sheets' of ivy stems from the side of the building, which is being taken down. I loaded my trailer and realised I had a flat tyre. I pumped it up but it didn't last long, going flat in less than 5 minutes. But I got most of the way home with just one stop to re-inflate. But at 2 mins from home the whole tyre/inner tube came off and the inner tube shredded when it wrapped itself round the axle. Very annoying, and I'll have to get a new tube tomorrow.
Shredded the ivy in my lovely Mountfield quiet shredder, a task I really enjoy.
Gill made spaghetti and beans for tea, home grown (dried and soaked) beans! Boys watched Robin Hood on their computer before bed time.
My first job, apart from making a couple of sandwiches to take with me for lunch, was to carefully load my trailer with a sack of drinks cartons... mostly soya milk which we've used, but also some of our fruit juice cartons, and some smaller drinks cartons from the school bins, as they don't bother to recycle. Then various electrical equipment... a video player which got the video stuck in it, and was thrown away by someone near Country Fresh, and the AVP computer tower, monitor and assorted cables, a bag of scrap iron from various places including nails from the stove and Pauline's stove, some batteries and a wok I found in some bushes...
This I cycled to the Council-run recycling 'dump' (Hazel Court) where I now know that 'officially' bikes are not welcome. There are limited recycling facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at the gate, but not for scrap metal, waste electrical equipment or drinks cartons. So I again ignored the rule which I think is stupid and was delighted to be welcomed by two staff members, who joked to each other about whether I'd applied for a permit for my trailer... I shouted back that my application had been refused. I put all my potentially recyclable items in the right place and cycled off, thanking the staff and feeling really good that I'd been treated with respect and like an ordinary punter wishing to use the facilities like anybody else. I decided to not reply to the letter telling me I do not qualify for a trailer permit, and that bikes are not allowed in the compound. I think that my occasional use of this facility, maybe once every month or two, will continue and that I'll just risk the potential of being told I'm not welcome, and in this eventuality, having to decide to ignore the person telling me I'm not allowed in, or to comply and dump the stuff on the ground at the gate, which is what I've been advised to do! What a complete farce!
Next I headed over to Country Fresh where Richard was just opening up the shop, and he had a small box of compostables for me, which I took up to the allotment and made a layer on the latest heap of mainly bramble stems and dandelion plants with parsnip-sized roots. I met one of my new neighbours, Caroline, who works at St Johns and is doing an excellent job on her plot, and at midday we walked down to the Low Moor Allotment Association Annual General Meeting.
There were about 25 people attending and it was a low-key affair really, just reports about the past year with the new shop building, the seed and potato order, the number of plots available and the waiting list, the kids allotment and various other bits and pieces. I gave out some Age of Stupid leaflets. I chatted to an American couple, Californians with unusual names that I cannot remember (!) who wanted to pick my brains about their composting attempts. They've been using bokashi and putting the material in a fabric composter and they'd brought this to the lottie today to start a compost heap on their plot. I helped them get it up to their allotment and they'd made a couple of pallet bins so I enthused and helped empty the compost out.
I spent another hot hour on the lottie weeding and preparing the soil for onion sets and potatoes.
At 2.20, zoomed off to Bryony's house in Fulford, where Barry was waiting too. Bryony wasn't around, so we waited for her and 15 mins later she arrived with her Mother after a trip to a Freecycler which took longer than usual. We had an hour discussing the meeting on Tuesday, the York in Transition Fulford Credit Crunch Discussion meeting at The Bay Horse. I'm presenting info on LETS, and we needed to work out the order to do stuff in, and who did what. Bryony has done an excellent job organising it.
I then cycled to Pauline's to remove a load of ivy she's taken off a shed. She had four sacks full and some 'matted sheets' of ivy stems from the side of the building, which is being taken down. I loaded my trailer and realised I had a flat tyre. I pumped it up but it didn't last long, going flat in less than 5 minutes. But I got most of the way home with just one stop to re-inflate. But at 2 mins from home the whole tyre/inner tube came off and the inner tube shredded when it wrapped itself round the axle. Very annoying, and I'll have to get a new tube tomorrow.
Shredded the ivy in my lovely Mountfield quiet shredder, a task I really enjoy.
Gill made spaghetti and beans for tea, home grown (dried and soaked) beans! Boys watched Robin Hood on their computer before bed time.
A good day although during the day I didn't get much done apart from housework and such like. I took our youngest into school... he didn't cycle as it was icy, he sat on my luggage rack with his cycle helmet on, hanging onto me. He says it's quite comfortable! Well, more so than sitting side-saddle on the crossbar...
So, before we knew it, it was time to go and get him again... the day went really quickly except from a visit from Simon to collect his SUMA stuff, always nice to see him.
Once our little one was home, I went up to see Wendy and her son, who's friends with our eldest, and quit by chance, they are selling an exercise bike at the same time as our eldest wants one! He no longer cycles to school as it's near enough to walk, and sometimes he has excess energy so he suggested that he get an exercise bike to use to use this. He had walked up to his friends house to see the machine. It seemed to be very posh... with electronic read-out of kilometres cycled, calories burnt, speed, pulse rate (measured by contacts on the handlebars) and even different sorts of rides, with uphill sections or ups and downs! New, I think it cost about £100, and Wendy was happy to see it go... for £5!!! I tried to offer her more but she wouldn't take it!
I left the boys playing and went to the veg shop and then on to Freshways to do my regular pick-ups, and home, and then back to Wendy's to pick up our static cyclist and the machine which fitted conveniently on my trailer. When we got it back, it caused some excitement... especially the burning off calories bit! It gives a readout about your fitness levels as well!
Tea was a carrot soup I'd made, with sandwiches, after which I went to the York Green Party AGM, which was well attended. Our guest speaker was Jacquie Warren the relatively new Sustainability Officer at the City of York Council, and then we agreed a new constitution which acknowledges our local supporters as well as paid-up national members. I managed to not volunteer for anything which was good as I'm involved with too much as it is! A good meeting.
Home before 10pm.
So, before we knew it, it was time to go and get him again... the day went really quickly except from a visit from Simon to collect his SUMA stuff, always nice to see him.
Once our little one was home, I went up to see Wendy and her son, who's friends with our eldest, and quit by chance, they are selling an exercise bike at the same time as our eldest wants one! He no longer cycles to school as it's near enough to walk, and sometimes he has excess energy so he suggested that he get an exercise bike to use to use this. He had walked up to his friends house to see the machine. It seemed to be very posh... with electronic read-out of kilometres cycled, calories burnt, speed, pulse rate (measured by contacts on the handlebars) and even different sorts of rides, with uphill sections or ups and downs! New, I think it cost about £100, and Wendy was happy to see it go... for £5!!! I tried to offer her more but she wouldn't take it!
I left the boys playing and went to the veg shop and then on to Freshways to do my regular pick-ups, and home, and then back to Wendy's to pick up our static cyclist and the machine which fitted conveniently on my trailer. When we got it back, it caused some excitement... especially the burning off calories bit! It gives a readout about your fitness levels as well!
Tea was a carrot soup I'd made, with sandwiches, after which I went to the York Green Party AGM, which was well attended. Our guest speaker was Jacquie Warren the relatively new Sustainability Officer at the City of York Council, and then we agreed a new constitution which acknowledges our local supporters as well as paid-up national members. I managed to not volunteer for anything which was good as I'm involved with too much as it is! A good meeting.
Home before 10pm.
I had a bit of a rude awakening as Gill was intending to take the kids to school but suddenly the realisation that there was some independent learning project work still not done meant that one of our boys had got back into bed and was refusing to go to school. So I got up and reasoned with him, cajoled him, explained about the law, etc etc, and even used the term offered to me by a commentator to this blog, that it was 'non negotiable'! I pulled him out of his room by his wrists and ushered him downstairs, onto the chair where his breakfast was waiting... which he started to eat and slowly then calmed down and seemed to forget his bad mood. By 8.30 it was clear that Gill would be able to take them to school, and I went back to bed and slept til 11.
During the day, helped tidy the front room trying to get ready for Linda coming to visit over the weekend. It's a big job as it has become the dumping ground for all my paperwork and circus stuff...
I picked up the boys from school and gave my apologies to the committee meeting of Green Thumbs, which I couldn't attend as I was bringing the boys home.
After doing emails I cycled down to town to get a couple of cheques out and put a trailer's worth of drinks cartons into the carton recycling skip at Hazel Court, James St. No-one tried to stop me this time, and I again ignored the advice/ruling of 'no pedestrians or cycles' in the top part of the compound. I watched a car-driver get out of his vehicle and wander between several skips... in a very 'pedestrian' manner! It's a nonsensical rule!
Home for tea, and at 7.15, whilst getting ready to go to the LETS AGM, got a Fiddlesticks phone booking to go to an Autistic Society playscheme, which I know I'll enjoy.
I thought I'd be late to the meeting but I wasn't, and several people arrived after me. I chaired the meeting, it went well and we made some importaant decisions including asking members to consider having newsletters and directories electronically. We had a nice buffet, sandwiches, pizza, quiche, etc. Good social too, and trading. Back home at 11pm.
During the day, helped tidy the front room trying to get ready for Linda coming to visit over the weekend. It's a big job as it has become the dumping ground for all my paperwork and circus stuff...
I picked up the boys from school and gave my apologies to the committee meeting of Green Thumbs, which I couldn't attend as I was bringing the boys home.
After doing emails I cycled down to town to get a couple of cheques out and put a trailer's worth of drinks cartons into the carton recycling skip at Hazel Court, James St. No-one tried to stop me this time, and I again ignored the advice/ruling of 'no pedestrians or cycles' in the top part of the compound. I watched a car-driver get out of his vehicle and wander between several skips... in a very 'pedestrian' manner! It's a nonsensical rule!
Home for tea, and at 7.15, whilst getting ready to go to the LETS AGM, got a Fiddlesticks phone booking to go to an Autistic Society playscheme, which I know I'll enjoy.
I thought I'd be late to the meeting but I wasn't, and several people arrived after me. I chaired the meeting, it went well and we made some importaant decisions including asking members to consider having newsletters and directories electronically. We had a nice buffet, sandwiches, pizza, quiche, etc. Good social too, and trading. Back home at 11pm.
