A good day!
Did quite a bit in the garden and building a logpile on the left of the front door, looking out, visited Richard at Country Fresh and met a nice law student called Gita, who knew of me as 'Compost John' from discussions at the Students' allotment.
Spent quite a bit of time sorting out the stuff from there, loading up the big Compostumbler with shredded hedge and greengrocers' unsold goodies.
I had an early tea... an aubergine thrown out for no good reason, and some slices of 'nutolene' that Gill found in the loft, in tins from a Suma order years ago. They are dated best before sometime in 2008 but as far as I'm concerned, it's OK, and 5 hours later, I'm not dead. I sliced this and fried it on the stove, and made two 'burger' things with Foccacia rolls that Gilly bought, with broccoli, baked beans and some home-made coleslaw.
Then I went out to 'The Climate Connection' meeting organised by York and Ryedale Friends of the Earth at the Friends Meeting House in town. This was a meeting to give information about the path towards the vital Copenhagen talks next week, and a chance for York people to hear what some local decision makers think about it, and ask them questions.
My friend Kate Lock chaired, and the panel were Andreas Heinemeyer from the Stockholm Environment Institute, Andrew Waller who is the leader of the City of York Council, Hugh Bayley our MP, and Mike Childs from FoE. The format was that they each had a chance to say what they wanted and then faced a couple of questions before the next panellist came on. Then all four of them faced a 'Question Time' type situation.
Andreas presented his take on climate change, which as a scientist had plenty of facts and figures, but as a father, had a soft side too. I've seen him present this before and he's one of the best, very accessible and easy to listen to.
Andrew Waller had a slide show showing some of the ways which York is responding to the issues. He had just come back from the Leeds City Region Housing Strategy and learning that York is to have it's own 'Urban Eco Settlement' where the British Sugar site was. He had slides of the Eco Depot, built with straw and with an innovative automatic ventilation system, and the Clifton Moor Eco Business Centre built by The Helmsley Group. I didn't know that York has a Passivhaus, (here's a good pdf from Leeds Metropolitan University on the development) but I did know about Elm Tree Mews in New Earswick, six homes heated by one ground source heat pump and with other built-in innovations. He mentioned the Joseph Rowntree Housing Association's other eco-experiment (to-be) at Derwenthorpe, near Osbaldwick and a 1930's semi they've bought and are retrofitting to high ecological standards. Andrew then turned to the carbon emissions from Council activities and property, which they have promised to reduce by 25% by 2013 using a carbon management system. This includes a new school which is heated with wood pellets, and a campaign to get shops to keep their doors shut in cold weather, keeping the warmth in (but hopefully not the customers out!)
Hugh Bayley was on good form and he too was pleased about the 'Eco-District' to be built on the brown-field British Sugar site. I didn't make any more notes about what Hugh said, nor any from Mike Childs apart from he was talking about leadership and the power that ordinary people have to lobby our leaders. The Climate Change Act only got through because of the thousands of us pushing the Government into it.
The Question Time bit of the meeting was excellent, with a first question on population and another on economic growth. I asked if any of the panel had measured their carbon footprint and which calculator they'd used. Mike said he had done his but had forgotten what the figure was, and that he 'was doing enough'; Andreas said he'd done lots of them and they all came up with different figures, but as he refused to fly, he was pleasantly surprised how low it was, Hugh admitted it was something he was going to have to do, to be able to say whether he manages his personal 10:10 pledge, and Andrew also didn't give a figure. Kate was the only one who knew her CO2e footprint had dropped from 16 tonnes to 12 over the 2 years she was writing her book. I suggested that people try The Carbon Account as it was so easy and visual. It actually doesn't matter which one you use... what's important is that people measure it now, make changes, and use the same calculator again to see the changes. Kate added some information about the Green Streets Challenge which she is involved with (door knocking!) and there were further questions about the Local Transport Plan and a complicated one about outcomes and policy.
All together it was a packed evening, with lots of information and I really enjoyed it.
I didn't hang around for too long, and was home by 10pm. I read Gill my notes and then typed up my blog whilst listening to music on BBC 2 and then Channel 4.
Showing posts with label Andrew Waller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Waller. Show all posts
Two visits to do this morning... to deliver compost to Caroline, to swap for some vegetable seedlings. I checked first that someone was in and cycled down to Fishergate with 4 sacks of well rotted but unriddled. In return I received a 'Small Sugar Pumpkin', a single Brussels Sprout seedling, a tray of Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli and 3 'Stringless Polestar' runner beans, and a bag of Tares seeds, a green manure which fixes nitrogen. I am happy with this swap. My allotment will be too.
As soon as I got home I set out again with a single sack of the same compost as Lynn had indicated that she needed some... and would swap it for a couple of squash seedlings. Lynn wasn't in but her daughter was and was happy to take the bag of compost... but didn't know which squash plants might be mine, so I said I'd be happy to have them another time.
Home for lunch and all too soon it was time for me to head down to town to go to the screening of The Age of Stupid at City Screen, hosted by York in Transition. About 140 tickets were sold, so the auditorium wasn't full, but we were reasonably happy with the turnout. This was the third time I'd seen the film but it still moved me to tears. But I sorted myself out by the end as I had been asked to sit on the panel table alongside Andy Chase the Green Party candidate for the Parliamentary seat for York Central, Daniel Vockins from Not Stupid and Andrew Waller the Lib Dem leader of the Council. Daniel talked about the film and the Not Stupid campaign first and then there were questions from the audience. This went well, apart from Councillor Waller firing off cheap party political jibe about Ralph Nader (Green Party in US) being responsible for Bush getting in. But apart from that, it was a good Q+A session.
Afterwards I gave out leaflets and some Calendars of Climate Change which Diana at Flipside Vision has sent me. Then a good chat with Bill who works for the Youth Service, about the Youth Parliament (I think it's called) and a myriad of other things, over a coffee. I also had a good chat with Alison and then Carolyn, before getting away at about 7pm.
Gill had made a rice and veg dish, which I had when I got in, and I then had an hour or so in the garden til just after 9.
As soon as I got home I set out again with a single sack of the same compost as Lynn had indicated that she needed some... and would swap it for a couple of squash seedlings. Lynn wasn't in but her daughter was and was happy to take the bag of compost... but didn't know which squash plants might be mine, so I said I'd be happy to have them another time.
Home for lunch and all too soon it was time for me to head down to town to go to the screening of The Age of Stupid at City Screen, hosted by York in Transition. About 140 tickets were sold, so the auditorium wasn't full, but we were reasonably happy with the turnout. This was the third time I'd seen the film but it still moved me to tears. But I sorted myself out by the end as I had been asked to sit on the panel table alongside Andy Chase the Green Party candidate for the Parliamentary seat for York Central, Daniel Vockins from Not Stupid and Andrew Waller the Lib Dem leader of the Council. Daniel talked about the film and the Not Stupid campaign first and then there were questions from the audience. This went well, apart from Councillor Waller firing off cheap party political jibe about Ralph Nader (Green Party in US) being responsible for Bush getting in. But apart from that, it was a good Q+A session.
Afterwards I gave out leaflets and some Calendars of Climate Change which Diana at Flipside Vision has sent me. Then a good chat with Bill who works for the Youth Service, about the Youth Parliament (I think it's called) and a myriad of other things, over a coffee. I also had a good chat with Alison and then Carolyn, before getting away at about 7pm.
Gill had made a rice and veg dish, which I had when I got in, and I then had an hour or so in the garden til just after 9.
Gill walked our youngest and his friend to school and I got up and did some paperwork and chopped wood. A few weeks ago someone suggested I enter a competition being run by the Yorkshire Post to find a green person.. even the greenest person, so I entered that. I also took some photos with Gill's camera of my assorted logpiles and compost bins.
Before going down to school I went to Country Fresh and came back with a huge load of stuff, which again I photographed to give an idea of the sort of stuff I bring back with me. When I transfer these to my laptop I will be able to post them on this blog... exciting! Well, exciting to maybe a few people!
Had an email from Susanne Wiigh Masak who has invented a compost burial process which is more environmentally friendly than conventional deep burial, called 'Promession', something I've been interested in for quite a while. And then I had a brief Skype chat with her. Excellent!
I prepared some of the contents of the fruit and veg haul, including a load of tiny tomatoes which Gill added to the tomato and onion base for the pizza she was making.
I went down to school and did my self-imposed composting duties, emptying the playground bins of about 20 Kg of fruit and veg bits, which as there is no compost bin at school to put it all in, I put in a large potato sack and brought it home, where it all went into the Compostumbler. I have had an email from the headteacher saying she had received my letter, and could she pass it on to the Health and Safety person who said schools weren't allowed to compost. No apology though, not yet. I would like one..... it would make it feel a lot better. I asked her to copy anything in to Councillor Waller as he said he was taking action, and I trust him.
I did some more splitting and stacking, had a phone call from Thomson Directories about extracting money from me, and then continued with the much more enjoyable wooding.
Gill's pizza was good, but it arrived too late for me to go to the Critical Mass, but I'm not obliged to go to that... but maybe I should have as there was aggro at home which I could have done without. But once the little darlings were in bed, all was peaceful and I prepared a large number of pears, putting them on racks for drying.
Watched 'Rocket Science' on BBC2 which was OK but not brilliant. Nice chats with Ali, sorting out future visits to Sheffield.
Before going down to school I went to Country Fresh and came back with a huge load of stuff, which again I photographed to give an idea of the sort of stuff I bring back with me. When I transfer these to my laptop I will be able to post them on this blog... exciting! Well, exciting to maybe a few people!
Had an email from Susanne Wiigh Masak who has invented a compost burial process which is more environmentally friendly than conventional deep burial, called 'Promession', something I've been interested in for quite a while. And then I had a brief Skype chat with her. Excellent!
I prepared some of the contents of the fruit and veg haul, including a load of tiny tomatoes which Gill added to the tomato and onion base for the pizza she was making.
I went down to school and did my self-imposed composting duties, emptying the playground bins of about 20 Kg of fruit and veg bits, which as there is no compost bin at school to put it all in, I put in a large potato sack and brought it home, where it all went into the Compostumbler. I have had an email from the headteacher saying she had received my letter, and could she pass it on to the Health and Safety person who said schools weren't allowed to compost. No apology though, not yet. I would like one..... it would make it feel a lot better. I asked her to copy anything in to Councillor Waller as he said he was taking action, and I trust him.
I did some more splitting and stacking, had a phone call from Thomson Directories about extracting money from me, and then continued with the much more enjoyable wooding.
Gill's pizza was good, but it arrived too late for me to go to the Critical Mass, but I'm not obliged to go to that... but maybe I should have as there was aggro at home which I could have done without. But once the little darlings were in bed, all was peaceful and I prepared a large number of pears, putting them on racks for drying.
Watched 'Rocket Science' on BBC2 which was OK but not brilliant. Nice chats with Ali, sorting out future visits to Sheffield.
I woke at 8am and took our youngest to school and came back via the trashed woodland to collect more bits of demolished tree.
Gill had already gone to art, walking up to Osbaldwick to do some 'pointillism'.
I wrote my blog for yesterday, and sent a copy of the letter to the Vicar of Heslington with whom I'm friendly. She asked me to copy her in to anything I was sending to the school when I chatted to her a while back expressing my unhappiness with the School's environmental performance... she is also a Governor or Board member.
Then, a phone call from Councillor Waller, trained Rotter and leader of City of York Council. He said he's received my email and was surprised to hear about this as a school near his house is successfully composting. Later, he sent me an email saying he was taking action! I felt quite elated! I am glad someone is doing something.
I spent a little bit of time in the garden, starting to load up the Compostumbler again. But came in for lunch and then spent some nice times with Gill who was busy in the kitchen and then ironed my work clothes. I loaded up my trailer with all the Fiddlesticks stuff and at 3 set off for Riccall, going exactly the same way as on the 28th January, via Heslington, Fulford, Naburn, and then the cycle track all the way down to Riccall. I arrived at the cycle track at 3.30 and Riccall by 4, and my gig started at 4.30. I had a quick chat with my handler... she confessed that the youngsters had not made juggling balls (as I'd suggested) and they'd not done any circussy practice at all. So I said that I'd just repeat the show, with plenty of participation, and that children were usually completely happy with repeats. There were a few new audience members too, which was good. So, 25 Rainbows and about 10 grown-ups and 3 or 4 pre-Rainbows and younger siblings. The show went well. I finished on time. I got paid for both days work.
And I was on the road again by 5.45 and was soon off the road and onto the Riccall to Naburn cycle track. I stopped several times to pick up litter... mainly aluminium cans, but got home on the dot of 7pm. Gill had made a simple but filling Bulgar wheat meal and I had this whilst watching Inside Out... which had the John Foster living on a pound-a-day piece, and me giving him tips. This is now on iPlayer, I'm on at about 9 mins 28 seconds... just at the beginning of his piece. See:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j20br/Inside_Out_North_East_and_Cumbria_04_03_2009/
A quiet evening mainly.
Gill had already gone to art, walking up to Osbaldwick to do some 'pointillism'.
I wrote my blog for yesterday, and sent a copy of the letter to the Vicar of Heslington with whom I'm friendly. She asked me to copy her in to anything I was sending to the school when I chatted to her a while back expressing my unhappiness with the School's environmental performance... she is also a Governor or Board member.
Then, a phone call from Councillor Waller, trained Rotter and leader of City of York Council. He said he's received my email and was surprised to hear about this as a school near his house is successfully composting. Later, he sent me an email saying he was taking action! I felt quite elated! I am glad someone is doing something.
I spent a little bit of time in the garden, starting to load up the Compostumbler again. But came in for lunch and then spent some nice times with Gill who was busy in the kitchen and then ironed my work clothes. I loaded up my trailer with all the Fiddlesticks stuff and at 3 set off for Riccall, going exactly the same way as on the 28th January, via Heslington, Fulford, Naburn, and then the cycle track all the way down to Riccall. I arrived at the cycle track at 3.30 and Riccall by 4, and my gig started at 4.30. I had a quick chat with my handler... she confessed that the youngsters had not made juggling balls (as I'd suggested) and they'd not done any circussy practice at all. So I said that I'd just repeat the show, with plenty of participation, and that children were usually completely happy with repeats. There were a few new audience members too, which was good. So, 25 Rainbows and about 10 grown-ups and 3 or 4 pre-Rainbows and younger siblings. The show went well. I finished on time. I got paid for both days work.
And I was on the road again by 5.45 and was soon off the road and onto the Riccall to Naburn cycle track. I stopped several times to pick up litter... mainly aluminium cans, but got home on the dot of 7pm. Gill had made a simple but filling Bulgar wheat meal and I had this whilst watching Inside Out... which had the John Foster living on a pound-a-day piece, and me giving him tips. This is now on iPlayer, I'm on at about 9 mins 28 seconds... just at the beginning of his piece. See:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j20br/Inside_Out_North_East_and_Cumbria_04_03_2009/
A quiet evening mainly.
Had a mini-lie in... til after 9. But then zoomed into the garden to continue riddling mature compost so I could take some down to the veg shop for distribution. I got just 5 carrier bags worth ready and took them down to Country Fresh, getting some provisions at the same time, and then heading off to St Nicks for their 5th anniversary of the surrounding area being designated a Nature Reserve.
Met Jean Claude my new Chilean friend, who bought my last Carbon Detox ticket off me... that means I've sold 18, not including mine and Gill's. I'm pleased with this. There is now a special deal on at the Theatre Royal, two tickets for the price of one... a 'Buy One, Get One Free' offer! so any folks still thinking about whether to come to see George Marshall's one-man stand up comedy show can now come with a friend for a tenner... see you on Tuesday folks!
The event at St Nicks was good, soup and bread, coffee and good company. Gill and the boys came down, and some of the boys' friends appeared which was a blessing... A photographer took some commemorative pictures and there were speeches from Pat Hearn, chair of the Friends of St Nicks, Barry Potter, chair of York Natural Environment Trust and Andrew Waller, leader of the Council, who just happens to be a trained Rotter and keen composter too!
I didn't have time to go on the new Tree Trail guided walk, as I had to get back home to tidy myself up, get changed, circus stuff packed and cycle off to Osbaldwick to do a party at 3pm. It was, as usual, a good party. The children were on the lively side of average... quite a noisy audience but lots of participation and fun, and the mum commented on my ability to hold their attention. Several of the youngsters said to me afterwards that they wanted to have a Professor Fiddlesticks party, so I told them to tell their parents! Finished on the dot of 5, having had a 55 minute circus show and workshop and 40 minute modelling balloon activity.
Later, at about 11pm, I popped out to retrieve the wood from that skip, quietly. Two cycle trailer loads... excellent!
Answered several composting queries on Facebook, and prepared an interesting fruit leather... about 15 passion fruit which had been rejected by one or other of the shops, plus maybe 15 bananas... liquidised together and pushed through a sieve and the resultant smooth pulp put in a tray for drying on the woodstove. Smells heavenly!
Met Jean Claude my new Chilean friend, who bought my last Carbon Detox ticket off me... that means I've sold 18, not including mine and Gill's. I'm pleased with this. There is now a special deal on at the Theatre Royal, two tickets for the price of one... a 'Buy One, Get One Free' offer! so any folks still thinking about whether to come to see George Marshall's one-man stand up comedy show can now come with a friend for a tenner... see you on Tuesday folks!
The event at St Nicks was good, soup and bread, coffee and good company. Gill and the boys came down, and some of the boys' friends appeared which was a blessing... A photographer took some commemorative pictures and there were speeches from Pat Hearn, chair of the Friends of St Nicks, Barry Potter, chair of York Natural Environment Trust and Andrew Waller, leader of the Council, who just happens to be a trained Rotter and keen composter too!
I didn't have time to go on the new Tree Trail guided walk, as I had to get back home to tidy myself up, get changed, circus stuff packed and cycle off to Osbaldwick to do a party at 3pm. It was, as usual, a good party. The children were on the lively side of average... quite a noisy audience but lots of participation and fun, and the mum commented on my ability to hold their attention. Several of the youngsters said to me afterwards that they wanted to have a Professor Fiddlesticks party, so I told them to tell their parents! Finished on the dot of 5, having had a 55 minute circus show and workshop and 40 minute modelling balloon activity.
On the way home I spotted a skip with some good big chunks of untreated wood in, so I stopped and knocked on the door, and asked if I might later go and retrieve them to recycle them, to which the answer was of course!
Home soon... and needed to collapse as the concentration and unicycling around is hard work, and both my sons were both very cuddly and loving, which was unexpected and very welcome! Watched 'You've Been Framed' and 'Harry Hill's TV Burp' which are definite favourites in this house!Later, at about 11pm, I popped out to retrieve the wood from that skip, quietly. Two cycle trailer loads... excellent!
Answered several composting queries on Facebook, and prepared an interesting fruit leather... about 15 passion fruit which had been rejected by one or other of the shops, plus maybe 15 bananas... liquidised together and pushed through a sieve and the resultant smooth pulp put in a tray for drying on the woodstove. Smells heavenly!
