I woke at about 9.50 and realised I was supposed to be at St Nicks at 10. Whoops! So I quickly got washed and dressed, shovelled down a pile of bran flakes and muesli, and got to St Nicks at about 10.25.
Fortunately, people were still gathering and Edwards York in Transition workshop about Eco Renovation hadn't started. So I chatted with Peter and JayZee, and within a few minutes there were 10 people sitting down to listen to Edward's presentation. He explained how he came to write his book, and then briefly went through each section, covering a few areas in more detail. There were some good discussions.
Afterwards I chatted with someone I knew from years ago, Anne Leggett, who's getting involved in a project to make the local pond more 'community friendly'. We had quite a long conversation.
I came home via a log pile and Freshways, the chemist to get a tidy-looking covering for my forehead and the Co-op for cereals. After a late lunch I had a busy afternoon in the garden, and just before 5pm cycled down to Country Fresh where Rich had several boxes for me, just before he closed.
I came back and had a bath, Gill carefully washed my hair as it had iodine in it, from the operation. I'd been told not to get the wound wet. Then at 6.30 I zoomed off to Clements Hall where Isobel had organised a surprise 60th birthday party for Hugh Bernays, her husband. I've known Hugh and Isobel for 20 years or so, and I'm very fond of them both. Their children knew me as Professor Fiddlesticks from when they were very young... but Emily, the eldest, is now a beautiful young woman and working as a hotel receptionist.
I took Hugh a jar of my best dried apple rings and one of Gill's home-made cards. As the time came for Hugh to arrive I got a bottle of bubbly (all with Isobel's blessing, of course) and a couple of minutes after the shout of 'SURPRISE' and the singing of Happy Birthday, I poured him and Isobel a glass. Then I headed for the food! Yummy party food! I chatted with loads of people I knew, and met a few people I didn't. I was very pleased to see Andy Chase, Simon Brerton and Pauline, all of whom have been involved with the Clements Hall project. I met the architect. Andy gave me a short tour. I got on well with Hugh's brother Peter, and he's coming to visit on Monday afternoon. I specially enjoyed listening to David Ward Maclean singing. Then Don Walls with some poetry. When the birthday cake came in, instead of a speech, Hugh played a tune on his Jews Harps, and David joined in with singing, and Milladio with the tomtoms. It was lovely!
But I left at about 9.40 and got home, had washing up to do and fruit to dry. And work tomorrow.
However, last thing I made a big pan of carrot soup with waste carrots, and left it on the woodstove overnight.
Showing posts with label Edward Harland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward Harland. Show all posts
Got up fairly early with earache. Very painful. Gill advised me to have some ibuprofen after breakfast, which within an hour seemed to work, and by midday the pain had gone completely.
I spent the morning on Novaterium, adding more natural and woodland burial sites, and I rang up several site owners and proprietors to get an exact location of their site. I also added a company who specialise in green funerals.
Just before lunch, Edward cycled round with the York in Transition cheque book to get me to sign a couple of cheques, and we spent nearly an hour chatting about all sorts of things including diet and health, green funeral options, and his book that he's rewriting.
Gill went into town on the bus to try to find some shoes which give her more support. Because her GP had suggested a certain shop, she had her gait tested several times and eventually got a pair of rather expensive but very comfortable and well made trainers. She says she looks like a chav but I don't really know what she's on about and as I love her I don't give a damn what she looks like or wears. I'm just glad that her pain might be reduced.
I had a good afternoon, including an invite from Steve Barnett of the American Progressive Radio Network, inviting me (or Rory) to talk about green funeral solutions tomorrow, on his programme 'Paradise Parking Lot'. So I agreed to do it, over the phone... it should be between 6 and 7pm tomorrow, UK time (1pm til 2pm Eastern Time).
Gill had a go at making chapattis for the first time and cooked some rice and an un-curried bean and veg stew. I liked the chapatti she made for me but it could have done with something else in it... caraway seeds, or cumin, or fenugreek... not sure... but next time she'll experiment, or I will!
At 6.15 I took a small notebook that Lynn left at the LETS meeting round to her and then on to the Planning Panel meeting, which was mercifully quick as I had to get back for 7pm, as we were expecting Tony and Sylvia, beekeepers, to visit. I gave my details to the local apiarist club and this couple rang me, saying they would be interested in putting a hive or two in our garden. So I took them down and gave them a quick tour, and I showed them where I'd thought that a bee hive or two could go. They agreed, and so I'll prepare the area and they'll prepare two hives. Very exciting!
I spent the morning on Novaterium, adding more natural and woodland burial sites, and I rang up several site owners and proprietors to get an exact location of their site. I also added a company who specialise in green funerals.
Just before lunch, Edward cycled round with the York in Transition cheque book to get me to sign a couple of cheques, and we spent nearly an hour chatting about all sorts of things including diet and health, green funeral options, and his book that he's rewriting.
Gill went into town on the bus to try to find some shoes which give her more support. Because her GP had suggested a certain shop, she had her gait tested several times and eventually got a pair of rather expensive but very comfortable and well made trainers. She says she looks like a chav but I don't really know what she's on about and as I love her I don't give a damn what she looks like or wears. I'm just glad that her pain might be reduced.
I had a good afternoon, including an invite from Steve Barnett of the American Progressive Radio Network, inviting me (or Rory) to talk about green funeral solutions tomorrow, on his programme 'Paradise Parking Lot'. So I agreed to do it, over the phone... it should be between 6 and 7pm tomorrow, UK time (1pm til 2pm Eastern Time).
Gill had a go at making chapattis for the first time and cooked some rice and an un-curried bean and veg stew. I liked the chapatti she made for me but it could have done with something else in it... caraway seeds, or cumin, or fenugreek... not sure... but next time she'll experiment, or I will!
At 6.15 I took a small notebook that Lynn left at the LETS meeting round to her and then on to the Planning Panel meeting, which was mercifully quick as I had to get back for 7pm, as we were expecting Tony and Sylvia, beekeepers, to visit. I gave my details to the local apiarist club and this couple rang me, saying they would be interested in putting a hive or two in our garden. So I took them down and gave them a quick tour, and I showed them where I'd thought that a bee hive or two could go. They agreed, and so I'll prepare the area and they'll prepare two hives. Very exciting!
Up early to help keep the peace. And lo it was a peaceful morning!
Once the children were at school Gill and I were able to spend a quiet hour together and then I went out into the garden to gather the riddled compost into carrier bags... I filled 7. I also finished emptying out the Composphere which I should have returned to York Rotters in December (whoops) after testing it. The material within was only partially rotted so I put it on the top of a heap I've just finished filling with fresher stuff. I need to write a review, for York Rotters and for Composphere, so here it is:
**************************************************
Links to the Composphere:
the manufacturers: Crompton Mouldings
several retailers: Original Organics, Green Rewards, home4eco, Natural Collection, and there are several others. Prices range from £75 to just over £100.
I've had the Composphere since June I think, but had some problems with it falling apart when I rolled it, but eventually the manufacturer sent some replacement bolts which do work, and hold the two halves together well. I filled it quite quickly with garden materials and fruit and veg from the greengrocer. I rolled it now and again, certainly not every day, but maybe once a week, and over the next month added a bit more as the material rotted down. I did notice that the holes in the base were quite small and rested more or less on the grass, and the contents remained quite wet. My view is that it could suffer from poor drainage due to it's design, but this could be improved by careful siting to allow maximum drainage. Over the winter months it was very cold and this would have slowed down the rate of composting, and I rolled it less often due to snow. However, I did still roll it around, and the half-full sphere was quite unwieldy... you need to be strong to roll it, and you need quite a few metres of free space to be able to roll it over more than once, although in a small space, you could swivel it round and continue rotating it in the direction needed to tumble the contents.
Yesterday and today I emptied it, using a medium sized garden fork. This was not that easy, although the aperture was just big enough for the fork I was using, but as I took the partly rotted material out, some got knocked off by the sides of the hole and it was a bit untidy. Some of the material had compacted a bit, the simple rolling motion had not broken apart the clumps and there was stuff in these which hadn't rotted as well as it hadn't received enough oxygen. None of the material was ready to use, and this was to be expected as it is ridiculous to expect to be able to make compost in less than 6 months... especially during cold winter months. I forked the stuff into a garden bucket and put it on one of my working heaps to continue to rot down.
This is a batch composter... it needs to be filled and then rolled regularly with no more additions, as it mixes newer material with older. After a couple of months with no new additions and regular rolling, it can be emptied and the material placed for maturation. I would regard this as a bit of a gimmick, a 'fun composter' for enthusiastic and strong gardeners with plenty of space. It is not the best tumbler on the market, nor is it rubbish. I give it 5/10. I don't think it will be a 'best seller', but it will be enjoyed by some. It certainly seemed sturdy and fit for purpose. I wouldn't mind having one to add to my collection.
John Cossham, March 2010
************************************************
I will send links to this review to York Rotters and Crompton Mouldings.
Anyway, I loaded my trailer up with the seven bags of riddled compost (which is 2 to 3 years old, but recently riddled) and the now empty Composphere. After lunch, at about 2pm, I cycled off to St Nicks to return the sphere to York Rotters for someone else to trial.
I had a chat with John, who is uncomfortable with my writing about the meeting we had on 22nd Feb, which he thought ought to have been confidential, as it concerned the complaints made about my over-enthusiastic and possibly unprofessional behaviour at last Novmber's Big Green Market, and my subsequent suspension as a York Rotter. However, no-one suggested that it should be confidential, and actually, I don't think that there was anything in the meeting which needed to be kept confidential. I don't mind anybody knowing about what I'm going through, and none of the complainants are named (I don't know who they are either!). Indeed, I think the process is quite positive, and I'm pleased at how the issues are being dealt with, despite being annoyed by the complaints in the first place.
For me, confidentiality is about protecting someone, something, or other information, and preventing that information going public. I cannot see anything in this process which needs protecting, but John asked me to look at my blog and consider removing anything which I thought might be upsetting to anybody or that could get taken out without detracting from the fact that it is my diary, and it's a meeting about me and my role in the organisation.
Later during the evening Edward rang up and we discussed openness, honesty and related subjects, and he agreed the world would be a better place if more people were honest and open, but that the reality of the situation was that many people cannot cope with it, and were in some instances frightened. I told Edward that to try to help the situation, I would remove any things that I thought were the most likely to be causing an upset. I could only find one. So that is now blanked out.
After dropping off the Composphere, I went down to town to see if I could give back a cinema ticket which I will not now be able to use (City Screen gave me my money back!) and then doubled back on myself to Country Fresh, where Rich was happy to have the bags of fresh compost. I picked up one large sack and two boxes of fruit and veg, and also two sacks from Freshways.
After a brief sit down with a coffee, I spent another hour in the garden... lovely and peaceful.
However, later on I felt a bit low as I have some paperwork and admin to do which I need to make time for and it's difficult to find the time and enthusiasm to do this.
Once the children were at school Gill and I were able to spend a quiet hour together and then I went out into the garden to gather the riddled compost into carrier bags... I filled 7. I also finished emptying out the Composphere which I should have returned to York Rotters in December (whoops) after testing it. The material within was only partially rotted so I put it on the top of a heap I've just finished filling with fresher stuff. I need to write a review, for York Rotters and for Composphere, so here it is:
**************************************************
Links to the Composphere:
the manufacturers: Crompton Mouldings
several retailers: Original Organics, Green Rewards, home4eco, Natural Collection, and there are several others. Prices range from £75 to just over £100.
I've had the Composphere since June I think, but had some problems with it falling apart when I rolled it, but eventually the manufacturer sent some replacement bolts which do work, and hold the two halves together well. I filled it quite quickly with garden materials and fruit and veg from the greengrocer. I rolled it now and again, certainly not every day, but maybe once a week, and over the next month added a bit more as the material rotted down. I did notice that the holes in the base were quite small and rested more or less on the grass, and the contents remained quite wet. My view is that it could suffer from poor drainage due to it's design, but this could be improved by careful siting to allow maximum drainage. Over the winter months it was very cold and this would have slowed down the rate of composting, and I rolled it less often due to snow. However, I did still roll it around, and the half-full sphere was quite unwieldy... you need to be strong to roll it, and you need quite a few metres of free space to be able to roll it over more than once, although in a small space, you could swivel it round and continue rotating it in the direction needed to tumble the contents.
Yesterday and today I emptied it, using a medium sized garden fork. This was not that easy, although the aperture was just big enough for the fork I was using, but as I took the partly rotted material out, some got knocked off by the sides of the hole and it was a bit untidy. Some of the material had compacted a bit, the simple rolling motion had not broken apart the clumps and there was stuff in these which hadn't rotted as well as it hadn't received enough oxygen. None of the material was ready to use, and this was to be expected as it is ridiculous to expect to be able to make compost in less than 6 months... especially during cold winter months. I forked the stuff into a garden bucket and put it on one of my working heaps to continue to rot down.
This is a batch composter... it needs to be filled and then rolled regularly with no more additions, as it mixes newer material with older. After a couple of months with no new additions and regular rolling, it can be emptied and the material placed for maturation. I would regard this as a bit of a gimmick, a 'fun composter' for enthusiastic and strong gardeners with plenty of space. It is not the best tumbler on the market, nor is it rubbish. I give it 5/10. I don't think it will be a 'best seller', but it will be enjoyed by some. It certainly seemed sturdy and fit for purpose. I wouldn't mind having one to add to my collection.
John Cossham, March 2010
************************************************
I will send links to this review to York Rotters and Crompton Mouldings.
Anyway, I loaded my trailer up with the seven bags of riddled compost (which is 2 to 3 years old, but recently riddled) and the now empty Composphere. After lunch, at about 2pm, I cycled off to St Nicks to return the sphere to York Rotters for someone else to trial.
I had a chat with John, who is uncomfortable with my writing about the meeting we had on 22nd Feb, which he thought ought to have been confidential, as it concerned the complaints made about my over-enthusiastic and possibly unprofessional behaviour at last Novmber's Big Green Market, and my subsequent suspension as a York Rotter. However, no-one suggested that it should be confidential, and actually, I don't think that there was anything in the meeting which needed to be kept confidential. I don't mind anybody knowing about what I'm going through, and none of the complainants are named (I don't know who they are either!). Indeed, I think the process is quite positive, and I'm pleased at how the issues are being dealt with, despite being annoyed by the complaints in the first place.
For me, confidentiality is about protecting someone, something, or other information, and preventing that information going public. I cannot see anything in this process which needs protecting, but John asked me to look at my blog and consider removing anything which I thought might be upsetting to anybody or that could get taken out without detracting from the fact that it is my diary, and it's a meeting about me and my role in the organisation.
Later during the evening Edward rang up and we discussed openness, honesty and related subjects, and he agreed the world would be a better place if more people were honest and open, but that the reality of the situation was that many people cannot cope with it, and were in some instances frightened. I told Edward that to try to help the situation, I would remove any things that I thought were the most likely to be causing an upset. I could only find one. So that is now blanked out.
After dropping off the Composphere, I went down to town to see if I could give back a cinema ticket which I will not now be able to use (City Screen gave me my money back!) and then doubled back on myself to Country Fresh, where Rich was happy to have the bags of fresh compost. I picked up one large sack and two boxes of fruit and veg, and also two sacks from Freshways.
After a brief sit down with a coffee, I spent another hour in the garden... lovely and peaceful.
However, later on I felt a bit low as I have some paperwork and admin to do which I need to make time for and it's difficult to find the time and enthusiasm to do this.
Up at a much more normal time and got my paperwork together to get three cheques out and to pay one cheque in.
Cycled down to town to the bank and the Building Society to do those chores, back for lunch, via Country Fresh to pick up the recycling. a sack and a box... including a load of reasonable tomatoes which look soup-worthy to me!
Cycled down to town to the bank and the Building Society to do those chores, back for lunch, via Country Fresh to pick up the recycling. a sack and a box... including a load of reasonable tomatoes which look soup-worthy to me!
During the afternoon I spent an hour preparing the tomatoes and made a load of what should be very tasty soup. The only 'paid-for' ingredients are one onion and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. The tomatoes and peppers were thrown out as unsaleable. But that doesn't mean they were unusable!
In the evening Gill did a simple stir fry with cabbage and cashew nuts, parsnips and sprouts. I had mine with a couple of dolmades, or stuffed vine leaves. The boys had a cheese toastie with theirs.
Then I went out to the first York in Transition Directors meeting, at Barry's house, and this went well. I walked some of the way into town with Edward who was very supportive with regards to my difficulties at York Rotters, and offered a bit of a solution. I'm glad that I have so many people around me who think I have wonderful strengths and don't seen to mind my frankness, occasional faux-pas and talkativeness. I'm sad that some people cannot cope with these same qualities!
I got home and did some washing up and watched Channel 4's provocative drama 'Cast Offs' which I'm not sure that I like.
