Up early as I needed to be out of the house at 9am, to get on the 9.28 to Sheffield so I could be in good time for the start of the Sheffield Green Fair at St Mary's, a church more or less in the middle of Sheffield. I left the house feeling low as there was grumpiness and rudeness all around, but the ride to the station and then nearly an hour of reading NewScientist cheered me up, and by the time I got to the venue, I was happy. I expect this is partly because I love what I do, and this is one of the best gigs of the year; I'm amongst friends and people who share similar political views to me.
I got changed and was ready to roll before 11, which is when it officially opened. I was pleased to see my sister Anna on the Sheffield Freegle stall (very similar to Freecycle) and Douglas, who was as usual, looking dapper and lovely with a well-trimmed beard. I did some unicycling round, but the ground is pretty uneven and I came off a couple of times. I suppose this ought to have been a bit of a warning... because at about 12.30, I had just done a unicycle round the site and I arrived back at my performance area, which is right next to the church and is flagged with gravestones and they are sloping and not very even. I hopped off but somehow I went over on my ankle, there was an audible crack and searing pain. I fell on the ground and within about 5 seconds I was experiencing the most excruciating pain I've had for a long time, if not ever. I felt myself beginning to slip out of consciousness with it... everything started going white and I went dizzy, and had to go and sit down, then lie down on some table-like gravestones where people had been sitting watching me. Some people came to my aid, including a first aid person who I think was a Doctor... she prodded my ankle a bit and decided that I probably hadn't broken it, 'just' sprained. The loud crack would have been a tendon snapping.
I've done this twice before, same ankle. The first time was in Devonshire Green in Sheffield, about 10 years ago, and I, yes, hopped off my unicycle and misjudged the landing and went over on it. I was convinced that I'd broken it. I went to Sheffield hospital where X rays showed my Navicular bone was in two pieces, so they put it in a cast, gave me the X-ray images and sent me back to York, saying to present myself to York hospital on the Monday. The surgeon there took one look at my foot and the X-rays and told me I had an 'accessory Navicular', not a fracture, and the pot was cut off. My sprained ankle slowly got better. The next time, I was in Bradford and walking along to a Permaculture place, and I slipped off the kerb and turned my ankle, and fell into the road. So I have a known weakness there.
So, I was given ice in paper towels and someone gave me paracetamol and Ibuprofen, and a few minutes later I went inside out of the sun and had some lunch with Anna my sister and Ali and her daughter. After this, I decided that I ought to continue working to the best of my ability so I got a chair and blew up some balloons, stuck them in my uni spokes and before long had kids all around clamouring for balloon models. I did this for an hour and then my friend Tannis turned up. She's from Canada and she found me through my blog, she was interested in the composting, and some of the community development that I do. So we'd chatted on facebook and I was glad to meet her. We went for a coffee, and then it was time for me to prepare for my Balloon Workshop by blowing up a whole wheel full of modelling balloons. That show was at 4pm and it went really well.
I went to get paid after this, and as I hobbled back, I turned on my ankle again.... more uneven ground and a yelp of pain. But I was determined not to let this stop me doing what I'd planned, which was to walk back to the station and have a drink with Tannis, so we did walk, very slowly, to the station, where we met Andy (Sheffield World Naked Bike Ride) and Keith, and we all four had a really nice hour and a half, pint and a half, chat and a half.... mainly suggesting places that Tannis should not miss visiting whilst in the UK.
But towards 8pm I had to peel off and go and get the train home, and I found cycling not a problem, so was home at about 9pm. Gill gave me a bag of frozen peas to put onto the affected area to help reduce the swelling, but said that I really ought to go and get it X-rayed. But Graeme off facebook reminded me that casualty on Saturday night should be avoided, and a Sunday morning trip would be more sensible.
So I sat and enjoyed Glastonbury on BBC3 and put my foot up to help the swelling go down. The bruise is beginning to show, it looks disgusting.
Showing posts with label Anna and Douglas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anna and Douglas. Show all posts
Up at a reasonably civilised time of 8am in order to get ready to leave the house for about 9.30 with the boys, to get the 9.40 bus and the 10.44 train to Sheffield.
Long ago my younger brother Thomas had arranged to host a family get together so that our boys, who don't see their grandparents very often, could have a meeting... also with their cousins whom they get on with extremely well.
Over the past couple of days we agreed too that Gill could have a day off, away from the male dominated environment, and have a peaceful few hours. Although Gill loves seeing the extended family, she felt that she needed to have a rare bit of 'me time', and everyone concerned was happy with that. I suggested that instead of doing housework or tidying or stuff like that, she could do some art... making the cards with her water-wash and ink technique which she enjoys so much. Her eyes lit up at the thought!
So, we arrived at about 10 and I got tickets with the family railcard making the one adult and two children well under £20 for a day return. We spotted that the next train to Sheffers was 10.25, so we got that... and it was a fast train, via Doncaster, so just 50 minutes. Tom had asked us to arrive between 11.30 and midday so we walked slowly to his house (which is only 10 minutes brisk walk from the station) and when we arrived, my parents were already there, and it was good to see them as I haven't had much contact for a year or so.
Immediately all the 5 children resumed play... they just play together so nicely, as if they've been apart for just a few minutes! Soon my sister and her husband arrived, so all three siblings were together for the first time in ages. Various people had contributed to lunch, and there was a good spread with something for everyone (the youngest cousin just wanted a slice of bread, but Tom and Kate have a breadmaker so there's always a fresh loaf available) and I liked the caramelised onion tart best.
Tom has made friends with a local tree surgeon who had delivered a load of logs plus a large pile of shredded tree... and Tom wanted the shreddings to be put in his woodland where I think my Dad had been busy with a lawn-mower, making paths through the ivy, and the wood-chips were destined to cover these paths. We did perhaps 30 wheelbarrow trips between the three of us, and my mother and Tom's youngest filled sacks with woodchip so that Anna can use it for her work compost bins, which are currently under performing with too much fruit and tea bags and no carbon-rich material.
After the woodchip removal, we had a coffee and Madeira biscuit and then Tom and I did some log-wrangling... he has a petrol chainsaw with a not very good chain (at least one tooth missing, and pretty blunt) so he did the chainsawing and I split and stacked. Home from home!
We worked til after 6pm whilst the children played.
However, all good things have to come to an end, so at 6.35 we set off back to the station and caught the 6.50 train back to York. I think the boys would have liked to stay!
Tom had made us peanut butter sandwiches for tea on the train. We got the No. 10 bus back as far as Merchantgate but the First service stops at 8pm now, so we walked from town to home, getting in at 8.15.
Gill had been busy with her art and had created a brilliant canvas based on a picture of a Peter Randall-Page photo of one of his boulder sculptures under a tree (it's on the front of 'Granite Song' with photography by Chris Chapman). She had really enjoyed her peaceful day.
A peaceful evening too, boys exhausted and happy.
Long ago my younger brother Thomas had arranged to host a family get together so that our boys, who don't see their grandparents very often, could have a meeting... also with their cousins whom they get on with extremely well.
Over the past couple of days we agreed too that Gill could have a day off, away from the male dominated environment, and have a peaceful few hours. Although Gill loves seeing the extended family, she felt that she needed to have a rare bit of 'me time', and everyone concerned was happy with that. I suggested that instead of doing housework or tidying or stuff like that, she could do some art... making the cards with her water-wash and ink technique which she enjoys so much. Her eyes lit up at the thought!
So, we arrived at about 10 and I got tickets with the family railcard making the one adult and two children well under £20 for a day return. We spotted that the next train to Sheffers was 10.25, so we got that... and it was a fast train, via Doncaster, so just 50 minutes. Tom had asked us to arrive between 11.30 and midday so we walked slowly to his house (which is only 10 minutes brisk walk from the station) and when we arrived, my parents were already there, and it was good to see them as I haven't had much contact for a year or so.
Immediately all the 5 children resumed play... they just play together so nicely, as if they've been apart for just a few minutes! Soon my sister and her husband arrived, so all three siblings were together for the first time in ages. Various people had contributed to lunch, and there was a good spread with something for everyone (the youngest cousin just wanted a slice of bread, but Tom and Kate have a breadmaker so there's always a fresh loaf available) and I liked the caramelised onion tart best.
Tom has made friends with a local tree surgeon who had delivered a load of logs plus a large pile of shredded tree... and Tom wanted the shreddings to be put in his woodland where I think my Dad had been busy with a lawn-mower, making paths through the ivy, and the wood-chips were destined to cover these paths. We did perhaps 30 wheelbarrow trips between the three of us, and my mother and Tom's youngest filled sacks with woodchip so that Anna can use it for her work compost bins, which are currently under performing with too much fruit and tea bags and no carbon-rich material.
After the woodchip removal, we had a coffee and Madeira biscuit and then Tom and I did some log-wrangling... he has a petrol chainsaw with a not very good chain (at least one tooth missing, and pretty blunt) so he did the chainsawing and I split and stacked. Home from home!
We worked til after 6pm whilst the children played.
However, all good things have to come to an end, so at 6.35 we set off back to the station and caught the 6.50 train back to York. I think the boys would have liked to stay!
Tom had made us peanut butter sandwiches for tea on the train. We got the No. 10 bus back as far as Merchantgate but the First service stops at 8pm now, so we walked from town to home, getting in at 8.15.
Gill had been busy with her art and had created a brilliant canvas based on a picture of a Peter Randall-Page photo of one of his boulder sculptures under a tree (it's on the front of 'Granite Song' with photography by Chris Chapman). She had really enjoyed her peaceful day.
A peaceful evening too, boys exhausted and happy.
A fairly relaxed day... spent most of the morning writing my last Community Care blog, and doing other computery stuff. I went to buy bread, visited several ripe skips, had lunch and spent some time in the garden. Raj rang and I went down to Freshways. I planted more squash plants, some in the remaining spaces in the raised beds and others in containers.
Gill went to pick up our youngest and I cooked tea. I harvested the Chicken of the Woods mushroom, cleaned it up (it incorporates bits of wood etc into it's surface) and cubed it quite small. Fried onion, rescued peppers and cubed a squash which again, was a freegan find. Added the cubed Chicken of the Woods. Then chopped up 3 tomatoes and put them into the frying veg, and added some of the new season basil out of the conservatory. Finally, added a tin of cannelini beans to this. Gill then fried some already cooked potatoes in extra virgin olive oil, and we all had this, with the last of yesterday's asparagus quiche. The mushroom/pepper/bean thing was the best meal I'd had for ages, and I always like Gill's quiche. Lovely meal, everybody loved it!
I made a phone call at 7 to my Sister who knows more about Runescape and billing than I do; we did make a payment for our son to be a paid-up member of this a month or two ago, but the other day this level of access stopped, so I turned to Anna for advice. With her help, I resubscribed to a small monthly payment.
At 8 zoomed round to Lynn's to help her celebrate her 45th Birthday. Glad to see so many friendly old faces, Will, Phil, Helen, Stephen and Alison, and new friends Tony and Sharon.
I got home soon after 10.30 and settled down to try to empty my perennially over-full inbox, write this, and get some water warmed up to do the washing up...
Gill went to pick up our youngest and I cooked tea. I harvested the Chicken of the Woods mushroom, cleaned it up (it incorporates bits of wood etc into it's surface) and cubed it quite small. Fried onion, rescued peppers and cubed a squash which again, was a freegan find. Added the cubed Chicken of the Woods. Then chopped up 3 tomatoes and put them into the frying veg, and added some of the new season basil out of the conservatory. Finally, added a tin of cannelini beans to this. Gill then fried some already cooked potatoes in extra virgin olive oil, and we all had this, with the last of yesterday's asparagus quiche. The mushroom/pepper/bean thing was the best meal I'd had for ages, and I always like Gill's quiche. Lovely meal, everybody loved it!
I made a phone call at 7 to my Sister who knows more about Runescape and billing than I do; we did make a payment for our son to be a paid-up member of this a month or two ago, but the other day this level of access stopped, so I turned to Anna for advice. With her help, I resubscribed to a small monthly payment.
At 8 zoomed round to Lynn's to help her celebrate her 45th Birthday. Glad to see so many friendly old faces, Will, Phil, Helen, Stephen and Alison, and new friends Tony and Sharon.
I got home soon after 10.30 and settled down to try to empty my perennially over-full inbox, write this, and get some water warmed up to do the washing up...
Woken by yelling which wasn't nice.
But the rest of the morning went well and all was happy. My sister had arranged to be online at 2 so the boys could try out an online role-playing game and meet her avatar on it... so that was the exciting thing of the day for them.
I went to do a shop for assorted stuff.. veg/fruit, to a supermarket for various other bits like margarine and ribena, tea and cereals. On the way back I picked up some logs from the cycle track.
When I got back at about 3.30, there was a war going on, for real, not just in the game. One son had 'caused' the other to 'lose his life' and there was fighting and shouting, blaming and I don't know what but Gill asked me to come in urgently and keep them apart. Boys! Computers! Aaarrrgh!
I sat outside both their rooms to prevent them coming out whilst they calmed down for about an hour. After this we had a really nice family tea... just such a nice time.
So a real rollercoaster of a day.
A good evening... watched a brilliant film, by accident, called Snow Cake which was transfixing and really absorbing. However, was deleting emails at the same time and chatting to Ali on Facebook, and she was watching it as well, which was lovely, as we were able to comment on things that were happening. Gill woke up towards the end and I filled her in with the story... I'd been following it so well I was able to do this. Often, I cannot follow plots that well, but this one grabbed me!
But the rest of the morning went well and all was happy. My sister had arranged to be online at 2 so the boys could try out an online role-playing game and meet her avatar on it... so that was the exciting thing of the day for them.
I went to do a shop for assorted stuff.. veg/fruit, to a supermarket for various other bits like margarine and ribena, tea and cereals. On the way back I picked up some logs from the cycle track.
When I got back at about 3.30, there was a war going on, for real, not just in the game. One son had 'caused' the other to 'lose his life' and there was fighting and shouting, blaming and I don't know what but Gill asked me to come in urgently and keep them apart. Boys! Computers! Aaarrrgh!
I sat outside both their rooms to prevent them coming out whilst they calmed down for about an hour. After this we had a really nice family tea... just such a nice time.
So a real rollercoaster of a day.
A good evening... watched a brilliant film, by accident, called Snow Cake which was transfixing and really absorbing. However, was deleting emails at the same time and chatting to Ali on Facebook, and she was watching it as well, which was lovely, as we were able to comment on things that were happening. Gill woke up towards the end and I filled her in with the story... I'd been following it so well I was able to do this. Often, I cannot follow plots that well, but this one grabbed me!
Woken very early by one of my children shouting about there being snow on the ground.
I lay in bed awake until about 8 when I got up and there was indeed snow. I had breakfast and went outside and did some more work outside.
Soon my sister and her Husband arrived. It's my sister's 40th birthday soon and today she is having a party and several of her friends have been invited as well as me and my family and my brother and his family.
So it wasn't long before a couple arrived from near Coventry, and then a couple from near Nottingham. We had some lunch and Anna opened her cards and presents. It was a really good celebration.
I lay in bed awake until about 8 when I got up and there was indeed snow. I had breakfast and went outside and did some more work outside.
Soon my sister and her Husband arrived. It's my sister's 40th birthday soon and today she is having a party and several of her friends have been invited as well as me and my family and my brother and his family.
So it wasn't long before a couple arrived from near Coventry, and then a couple from near Nottingham. We had some lunch and Anna opened her cards and presents. It was a really good celebration.
Up early to go to Sheffield, as we had been invited to visit my parents to see their new house. Got a taxi to the station as we missed the bus, and got the 9.30ish train which took just 50 minutes to get to Sheffield. Then a little walk through the interchange to go to the 'Walkley' bus stop... and was in Upperthorpe/Walkley/Birkendale by 11am. The house is sort-of between all of these areas, not in the middle of anywhere.
The kids were very excited to explore the house and garden, and I helped my Dad take a gate off its hinges and then cut the hinges off the gatepost as the screws were completely rusted into the oak. Daddy is going to reposition the hinges and gate so it opens right back so he can easily get his car in.
Then we had lunch and soon after that we were driven to Thomas and Kate's to have our evening meal, and all the children played together so well. Anna and Douglas came too, it was lovely to have all three of us kids there, the parents and their grandchildren... the whole lot. We had the meal there as the folks don't have a proper cooker at the moment, and of course Thomas's house is so cosy and homely with it's two woodstoves!
We left after 8pm and when we got back to the parents' house, the kids were shattered and were soon in bed. We grown ups had a relaxed evening and watched a silly 'news bloopers' programme on telly, and were in bed soon after midnight.
The kids were very excited to explore the house and garden, and I helped my Dad take a gate off its hinges and then cut the hinges off the gatepost as the screws were completely rusted into the oak. Daddy is going to reposition the hinges and gate so it opens right back so he can easily get his car in.
Then we had lunch and soon after that we were driven to Thomas and Kate's to have our evening meal, and all the children played together so well. Anna and Douglas came too, it was lovely to have all three of us kids there, the parents and their grandchildren... the whole lot. We had the meal there as the folks don't have a proper cooker at the moment, and of course Thomas's house is so cosy and homely with it's two woodstoves!
We left after 8pm and when we got back to the parents' house, the kids were shattered and were soon in bed. We grown ups had a relaxed evening and watched a silly 'news bloopers' programme on telly, and were in bed soon after midnight.
A good little lie-in... til after 9. Fairly soon after that my Sister rang, she'd come to York with her husband Douglas to experience the Food and Drink Festival, and meet some friends at lunchtime. We were warned last night that they wanted to see the boys, but weren't coming to our house... so we should meet them in town. We never go to town on a Saturday as it's always manic, however when we got the call, it was action stations as we had less than an hour to get to the Fountain in Parliament St. As Gill had failed to get the clothes required for our eldest son's trip away at Bewerley Park, she decided to come in on the bus with the boys and then go and do some shopping at Clifton Moor where she thought she'd get the clothes. I cycled in. I got my prescription and found an adapter plug for the battery recharger which comes with the digital camera my friend has got me.
Then I met my Anna and Douglas, and chatted for about 10 minutes before the rest of the family came. A + D bought us a crepe and we chatted for perhaps half an hour, before they went and Gill decided to go to 'Next' for the track-suit bottoms, rather than go to Clifton Moor. I got a couple of book tokens for my brother's children, who had their birthday last week (we forgot!) and cycled home via the greengrocers on Heslington Road.
I had lunch, and then took the opportunity to spend some time in the garden, and did a bit more hedge, shredding and layering the latest compost heap. When the others came in I also came in and did some housework, including blanching some grapes to make into raisins. If they're blanched before drying, any mould on them is killed and they dry cleanly... if dried without blanching they can go mouldy overnight, before they've lost enough moisture.
I did a lot of tidying in the conservatory, cutting down the old tomato plants which have stopped growing and started going mildewy and horrible. The crop this year has been very poor, partly due to my not adequately removing side shoots and partly because of bad weather and growing conditions. At least they were inside and didn't get blight! However whilst I was removing them I did find a good little pile of mixed tomatoes, some green but most ripe.
Gill incorporated lots of these into tea, which was delicious.
Then I met my Anna and Douglas, and chatted for about 10 minutes before the rest of the family came. A + D bought us a crepe and we chatted for perhaps half an hour, before they went and Gill decided to go to 'Next' for the track-suit bottoms, rather than go to Clifton Moor. I got a couple of book tokens for my brother's children, who had their birthday last week (we forgot!) and cycled home via the greengrocers on Heslington Road.
I had lunch, and then took the opportunity to spend some time in the garden, and did a bit more hedge, shredding and layering the latest compost heap. When the others came in I also came in and did some housework, including blanching some grapes to make into raisins. If they're blanched before drying, any mould on them is killed and they dry cleanly... if dried without blanching they can go mouldy overnight, before they've lost enough moisture.
I did a lot of tidying in the conservatory, cutting down the old tomato plants which have stopped growing and started going mildewy and horrible. The crop this year has been very poor, partly due to my not adequately removing side shoots and partly because of bad weather and growing conditions. At least they were inside and didn't get blight! However whilst I was removing them I did find a good little pile of mixed tomatoes, some green but most ripe.
Gill incorporated lots of these into tea, which was delicious.
Today had a fairly early start as had a train to catch to Sheffield. However before I went, two pieces of post came through the door... a huge phone bill for £200, much bigger than normal (this is the new normal!) caused by over indulgence in dialup blogging and chat... and a cheque from Community Care for the two columns already published and the 8 blogs I've submitted religiously every weekend or soon after. This made up for the phone bill!
Cycled with all my gear in easily transportable form to the station, bought a ticket and got the 09.44 which would arrive in plenty of time to get to Heeley City Farm. There were slight delays as the floods had damaged the signals, but we were only 10 mins late into Sheffers. Met a very pleasent woman (Kate) on the train who was going to a wedding in Derby, and finishing off her home-made wedding card, and she knows Jeremy Clines in York, whom I know as he's a St John's College Chaplain with a keen interest in social justice and sustainability. Apparently he's getting married next week and she'll be going to that on Sat and to the Cyclist's Touring Club rally on the Sunday, where she might very well meet me as I'm working at it! Small World!
I got the 53 bus to Heeley within 2 mins of arriving at the bus interchange, and was soon off at the right stop (helpful locals) and was soon at Heeley City Farm. Jo the Education Officer met me and showed me where I could work, and gave me a quick tour, including the nearby Heeley Festival activities.
My job was to do a half hour of unicycle-about, advertising my circus show and balloon giveaway. My brother Thomas and his wife Kate, with their three little charges were there, as was my Sis Anna and hubby Douglas and his mum, which was really nice. Also delighted to meet again with Lorna, whom I met at the National Railway Museum at a Fiddlesticks gig, and we connected really well then. I told her via email that I'd be here today and she came up from near Burton on Trent in her Mini to see me and have the Heeley City Farm experience!
The gig went well, everything as expected, lots of people liked it, some came by after and said they loved it. Hooray! How satisfying. As the family members had gone home I put all the kit into Lorna's Mini and she took me out into the countryside nearby, and we spent an hour sitting on a recycled plastic bench near Unstone, overlooking a good view and chatting. As Chesterfield was on her way home, she took me there rather than back into Sheffield, and I got a single Chesterfield to Sheffield and a train came within half an hour, got into York shortly before 8pm.
Picked up from Out Of This World before getting home, and had a quiet evening.
Cycled with all my gear in easily transportable form to the station, bought a ticket and got the 09.44 which would arrive in plenty of time to get to Heeley City Farm. There were slight delays as the floods had damaged the signals, but we were only 10 mins late into Sheffers. Met a very pleasent woman (Kate) on the train who was going to a wedding in Derby, and finishing off her home-made wedding card, and she knows Jeremy Clines in York, whom I know as he's a St John's College Chaplain with a keen interest in social justice and sustainability. Apparently he's getting married next week and she'll be going to that on Sat and to the Cyclist's Touring Club rally on the Sunday, where she might very well meet me as I'm working at it! Small World!
I got the 53 bus to Heeley within 2 mins of arriving at the bus interchange, and was soon off at the right stop (helpful locals) and was soon at Heeley City Farm. Jo the Education Officer met me and showed me where I could work, and gave me a quick tour, including the nearby Heeley Festival activities.
My job was to do a half hour of unicycle-about, advertising my circus show and balloon giveaway. My brother Thomas and his wife Kate, with their three little charges were there, as was my Sis Anna and hubby Douglas and his mum, which was really nice. Also delighted to meet again with Lorna, whom I met at the National Railway Museum at a Fiddlesticks gig, and we connected really well then. I told her via email that I'd be here today and she came up from near Burton on Trent in her Mini to see me and have the Heeley City Farm experience!
The gig went well, everything as expected, lots of people liked it, some came by after and said they loved it. Hooray! How satisfying. As the family members had gone home I put all the kit into Lorna's Mini and she took me out into the countryside nearby, and we spent an hour sitting on a recycled plastic bench near Unstone, overlooking a good view and chatting. As Chesterfield was on her way home, she took me there rather than back into Sheffield, and I got a single Chesterfield to Sheffield and a train came within half an hour, got into York shortly before 8pm.
Picked up from Out Of This World before getting home, and had a quiet evening.
