Human Lifestyle: Leeds

Showing posts with label Leeds. Show all posts

Wednesday 8th June 11 Performance/Installation in Leeds

I got up relatively early, before 9am,despite going to bed at 3 last night. I had my usual morning of muesli and laptop. A friend came round and asked me if I would look after their bank card to stop them spending money on drink. As I was at the front door, I noticed that the robins in the logpile had fledged and left the nest. How lovely!

Then I did some work outside, dug out a compost heap and turned it into the New Zealand pallet bin I emptied a day or three ago.

After lunch I got my well-loaded bike and trailer ready for going to St Nicks with Pauline's stuff for the Give and Take day. But just before I set off, it poured with rain and hailed. Never mind, I had to go as I had a deadline to meet in Leeds. So the stuff got delivered, albeit a bit damp round the edges.

Just a few days ago, a friend involved with the World Naked Bike Ride had sent a message from someone putting on an art installation in a strip club in Leeds, and they were looking for people prepared to be naked in this environment and interact with members of the audience. I emailed the organiser with a request for more information and wasn't told much, just to be at the venue by 3pm and we'd be provided with food and drink, and things to do, and that it wouldn't be too arduous. So I decided to give it a go.

I got the 2.14 slow train which took 35 minutes to get to Leeds, and walked quickly up to the Headrow to Wildcats. Waiting inside were Tony and Hugh my WNBR collaborators, plus several other naked bike riders, one of whom I knew by name, Stan. We were taken downstairs to the changing rooms (although we didn't really need to change, just take clothes off!), and I bundled up my shorts, teeshirt and bum-bag into my bag and brought it up to where we were supposed to be, a kind of lounge area with armchairs, other seating and tables, and a kind of tented area with enclosed cosy booths in it, which I guess must be for 'private dances'.

The young women who were in charge of the event brought us a pile of books, a game of Scrabble and invited us to have something to eat and showed us the coffee-making facilities. They told us just to chat, play card games and do what we wanted to do, and the audience would be brought up, one by one, by young women dressed very plainly and saying nothing. The visitor would spend just a few minutes with us and be taken away again.

So we drank coffee and chatted and milled around, and audience members started being brought up to us. They had previously been made to wait in a queue, and then in the lobby area, before being taken into the pole-dancing area. Here, they witnessed a 'cleaner' wiping down the pole, and a couple of bored-looking 'strippers' talking on mobile phones. Then they were brought upstairs to us, presumably expecting something maybe erotic or exciting, to see a bunch of naked middle-aged blokes (and one naked middle-aged woman) chatting and drinking cups of coffee. We engaged in a bit of small-talk with them... I, for instance, said hello and asked if they'd ever been to a strip club before, and most answered that they hadn't, at which I replied that nor had I, and I didn't know what to expect really. Other people also engaged with visitors, and a couple of times the organisers came in to ask us to do something slightly differently, or to say it was all going brilliantly.

Towards the end, visitors were being brought up in twos, and then in groups of four, which rather changed the dynamic, but it was still an incongruous situation, being brought silently into a room full of naked people, all very at ease with being nude, and the naked ones chatting away almost as if they were clothed and in a 'normal' environment. The person who looked most uncomfortable was actually one of the tutors, a middle-aged chap himself, but many of the younger ones were seemingly completely happy with it. Most of the audience were students from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

Afterwards, in the pub, we learned that the organisers were all students from the NSCD, and had thought this up very carefully as their 'Collaborative Arts Project'. It was called 'One Free Dance'.

So we had some good discussions in the pub, quite a bit about naturism, as most of the participants were naturists, and a bit about the WNBR as some of us had attended that, and many other related subjects.

I left at 9 and headed to the station, having had a very thought-provoking time, an enjoyable time. I had to wait 40 minutes for a train but got back home at 10.25 in time to watch Newsnight. I lit the woodstove, then washed up, chopped up some fruit leather and put it in a storage jar, had a bowl of muesli and dealt with a huge pile of emails and admin before writing my blog after 2am. Went to bed nearer 4. Whoops!

Friday 13th May 11

A bit of a frustrating day, blog-wise, as I was keen to send my Mass Observation post to the website recording the day, but Blogger was down all day, and had lost my post, and was just showing Wednesday's as the last one. However, I got on with various other things.

One of the things was to get a sack of riddled compost for Kay, and to fill a sack of unriddled out of a compost bin of finished 'raw' compost for her, and load my trailer.

I got a reply from a freecycler saying yes to the microwave. He'll collect tonight.

I had an early lunch and at 1pm got going to Kay's in Holgate. This delivery took a much shorter time than expected, and I arrived at the station to catch my bus at 1.45.... and my bus was 2.38. But there was an earlier bus, which passed Seacroft Hospital so I caught that.

As I arrived in Leeds it started to rain heavily so on my short walk to the blood donor centre, I got quite wet. They were happy to deal with me despite my being earlier than expected. I read the standard donor forms and signed the consent, then had another nurse explain about the platelet donation. I was told that the normal range of platelets in blood was 150,000 to 400,000 per mm3, the average being 200,000 to 250,000. My count was 370,000 which was why I'd been invited to donate. Most people donate 2 units in a session lasting between an hour and 90 minutes, but they reckoned I'd be able to give 3 units. If they extract platelets from donated blood, they need 4 units of blood to make one unit of platelets. They explained about the anticoagulant added to the blood, and the possible side effects. I signed up to donate.

I was connected up to the machine and it started a cycle of extracting a volume of blood, passing it through a centrifuge to separate red blood cells from the plasma and platelets, and then returned the blood. I was connected up for an hour, when the machine signalled I'd done... 3 units in 57 minutes. The nurses were delighted. They encouraged me to come back in a month. Whilst having a cuppa afterwards, I got chatting to a chap called John who was an experienced platelet donor, and he lived in York so gave me a lift back to the Tadcaster Road between Tesco and the Cross Keys on St Helen's Road. I walked into town, taking 20 minutes, and then cycled home, feeling good that I was a special platelet donor. Each time I donate, I'll get two points on my donor record, which so far is 26 units of blood plus today's two units of platelets. Even though I gave three, I still only get two units on my donor card.

I got in sometime after 6pm and lit the stove, and Gill made me some tea. The Freecycler collected the microwave. I had a fairly relaxing evening.... blogger eventually came back and I was able to submit my Mass Observation post. I didn't get to bed til after 2am.

Tusday 16th November 10

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.

Thursday 23rd September 10

Up reasonably early in order to get to Leeds for the hospital appointment to remove my dressing and the stitches. So I left home at about 9.15 and popped into Cycle Heaven as both disc brakes need tightening and the rear brake's plastic wheel with which it can be hand-tightened has disintegrated, and the socket to use to tighten it has become stripped, so I'm unable to tighten the rear one. The front one is movable, but difficult. I am not happy with these brakes. I had a chat with Ash who said he'd do something about them. I left my bike with him, and took a Cycle Heaven replacement.

I took this on the train to Leeds, as I missed the fast 9.58 which would have got me into Leeds with time to walk to the hospital, so I got the 10.11 stop-everywhere, which takes over 30 minutes to get there. So I put the bike on the train, and then cycled up to the LGI, and arrived at the Plastic Surgery dressing removal place at one minute past 11.

I didn't have to wait long, and the nice nurse took just 5 minutes to deal with me. I was really pleased to see that the scar is very well healed, is small and tidy, and already looks fairly invisible. Amazing!

I cycled back through Leeds and got on a train before midday. Cycle Heaven had sorted my brakes; Ash had dismantled and rebuilt the front one and removed the plastic disc from the rear, so that it can now be tightened with a spanner. He said that next time I brought my bike in for servicing he'd consider putting brakes on which had bigger pads, which he hoped would last longer.

I got home via Country Fresh, and 3 sacks and two boxes, about 60kg, and had lunch at 1.30pm.

So, the afternoon went quickly as my next appointment was at 3pm, with Owen about 10 minutes cycle away, who had asked me to install two compost bins at his block of flats. He'd had a neighbours meeting which I'd provided information for, and they'd then decided to get communal compost bins. One week later, Owen was lucky enough to win a compost bin! So he'd only needed to purchase one, and today I took a spade, a roll of chicken wire to make them rat-resistant, and pliers to cut the wire to size. To install a 'dalek' bin, it is best to first find level ground, in a sunny corner if possible, and to place the bin on the ground and mark out where the base of the bin sits with a spade. The bin is then moved away and a narrow trench made for the foot of the bin to sit in. Then Owen helped me cut the wire into a square big enough to cover the whole of the base of the bin, and stick out each side. This is put onto the ground, on top of the trench, and the bin carefully placed onto the wire and pushed into the trench, so the wire completely covers the base of the bin. Then the soil from the trench is put back onto the foot of the bin, to help hold it down. This makes it difficult for rats to get in through the base, although if they really want to, they can gnaw a hole in the side of the bin. However, I've only seen this once.

So I was home soon after 4pm, and I did a bit in the garden, and after tea (the delicious carrot stew/soup, with extra pasta in it), popped over the road to deal with another pile of waste wood... chopped shrubs and bits of trees, which I pruned down to useful sticks. Later, I went to collect a wheelbarrow full of them, and was accosted by a Woodlands staff member who was surprised to see me working there at that time in the evening. I guess she didn't know I've been visiting that bit of woodland for about 9 years, and tidying up some of the detritus the gardeners throw in there. I hope it doesn't put my becoming an official volunteer in jeopardy!

Later in the evening, I couldn't resist opening some of the windfall walnuts, and my fingers ended up black. I also got a load of very ripe plums from Country Fresh, so I halved them and skinned them and put them on the drying rack.... I had time to do this as facebook was playing up and I couldn't have my usual chats and Scrabble...

Thursday 16th September 10 Lipoma removal

I got up reasonably early as today I was booked into the Leeds General Infirmary to surgically remove my forehead lipoma. I've had this quite a few years; it's a fatty lump, benign, not harmful, but if it's in a visible place, people do notice it and some ask about it. Mine has looked like I've bumped my head and got a bruise or 'egg' for several years. When I took it to my GP after it became very obvious, he described it as the size of a squashed pea, and told me not to worry about it.

However, as it got bigger, an average of two people a week would ask me if I'd bumped my head. I grew tired of having to explain what a lipoma was. Children especially are really good at just saying what's in their mind, and sometimes have no concept of whether it's appropriate or not to mention strange lumps on people's foreheads. The worst time was when in a committee meeting quite recently, someone kept on looking at it; it was most off putting and I found it difficult to concentrate on the meeting because of that.

So today I cycled down to the station, hopped on a train which got in to Leeds at about 11.45, and walked up to the Art Gallery where I sat and had my sandwiches for lunch, listening to the aural sculptures. Then I walked up to the LGI and followed the signs to the Clarendon Wing. I went to the wrong bit at first, the plastic surgery dressings place (I was sent there by Reception) and they phoned through to Ward 63 to find out if I was on their list, which I was. So once I'd got there I sat and waited, then was called in to have my blood pressure taken and an identification band put on my wrist. Then I went to wait again, and there was friendly chat in the waiting room. Then I was called again and the Doctor drew an arrow above my lump and I signed the consent form. Then more waiting... but not long. I was called again and told to take off mt tee shirt and put on a gown. My canvas bag and bum bag were put in a locker and into the theatre I went.

I was asked to lie on a trolley/table and assorted covers were put on me, my head washed with antiseptic and eyes covered up. I had I think three local anaesthetic injections, which are never nice, but aren't really that awful. Then there was a fair amount of pushing and pulling and I recognised the crackling sound of cauterisation, where a wire is caused to heat up with an electric current, and this is used to seal blood vessels, as the area is well supplied with blood. I guess the operation took about 20 minutes. I'd already said I'd be interested to see what they took out, so when they were done and had taken the tape off my eyes, I was shown the little plastic jar with some clear liquid in it, containing my lipoma, a pink blob, like a Smartie or a Minstrel in shape, and size-wise, somewhere between the two I think. It had been growing between my skull and muscle. Apparently they can appear anywhere, under the skin, within tissues, even within a nerve. So mine was easy to remove. They deal with quite a few. Mine will be sent for analysis, to check it is in fact a lipoma and nothing more serious.

So I had a coffee and 10 minutes rest, and a talk about coming back in a week to have the dressings removed, and about not getting it wet and not doing vigorous exercise for a couple of days. I got my tee shirt back on and gathered my stuff and walked back to the station, leaving the hospital at 2.45. I got back into the house at 4.30.

I was fussed over but didn't want fussing over. I'd bought paracetamol in Leeds Station and that had kicked in and the soreness and pain was gradually going. Gill made tea... microwaved sweet potato and mushrooms in white sauce, with goats cheese, and broccoli.

After this I went to do just a bit of gentle wooding; to the place where the shrubs and trees have been dumped, and I sorted through them, secateuring off twigs and thinner stuff, ending up with another trailer load to bring back. I chopped this up with loppers and put my bike away and came in.

A quiet evening dealing with fruit ensued, with quite a bit of facebook stuff.

Sunday 20th June 10

Another work day, but I didn't have to leave York until the 12.15 train, so I was able to stay in bed until 10am. But after this I had to get everything ready... all the circus kit out of the Curver box it was in yesterday (fits into my trailer) and into my sports bag, which is how I transport it when going somewhere by train.

So, by 11.30 I had got my ironed costume and all the circus gear I needed into their bags and rucksack, my hair plaited, armpits washed, and then the bike sorted, unicycles stowed and by 11.45 I was off and heading for the station.

I met a nice student (Politics and Economics) and we talked about sustainability, co-operatives and other stuff. The journey to Leeds went quickly.

I waited for Alan at the pre-arranged place and ate my sandwiches, and he arrived at 1pm, and took me up to Middleton Park, where I was due to do my stuff from 2pm til 4pm. The Friends of Middleton Park have a really good range of activities this summer, including a Shakespeare production, several bands, and they even had a dog show!

I got changed and ready to work, and before 2pm kids started arriving and wanting to try out the 4 wheel unicycle and 2 wheel unicycle toys, so I did a bit of a workshop before doing my show to about 30 people, which went well, with loads of participation, and the workshop afterwards had nearly everybody involved... I was really pleased. I was especially happy to meet a little Fiddlesticks fan who's seen most or all of my shows in Middleton Park (this is my fifth), and her enthusiasm for devilsticks and poi and other circus/performance skills is really good to see. The balloon show afterwards was equally popular and had everybody having a go. I had quite a queue of children wanting replacement balloons, and didn't get finished til after 4pm. I think Alan was really pleased with the turnout and the interactive nature of what happened. I certainly enjoyed it.

A swift car journey back to Leeds Station and then a 15 minute wait before I got the Glasgow train, and I dozed until York, but also had a nice conversation with a Lesbian lass in a very fetching hat.

I called in on Country Fresh, who had closed but left me their donation to my compost heap, four boxes, which I managed to condense into three... one on top of the unicycles and two on my pannier rack.

When I got in, Gill was with Melody, who had come to pick up some more Chapatti flour and give us some almonds in their shells.

Within half an hour, Gill had a pasta-based meal for me and the boys. I then did a couple of hours work in the garden, lifting hidden paving slabs in the bog garden area, pulling up brambles and ground elder, and using this as a layer of stuff on top of all the Country Fresh rottables in the latest pallet heap.

I came in just before 11pm and then did emails and other electronic stuff....

Sunday 21st June 09 Summer Solstice

Another work day, but didn't have to leave until 11.30 as I was due to get the 12.15 train to Leeds, and be picked up at 1pm. This went smoothly, as did the rest of the day. Alan my handler from Friends of Middleton Park was waiting at the station pick-up point and drove me to Middleton Park, where I sat under a tree and had my sandwiches before the keyholder arrived to unlock the compound where I worked last year, and where Alan and several volunteers serve refreshments.

I did my show which was enjoyed by a reasonably sized group of children and adults (20?) and then a workshop followed, including some equipment that belongs to the Friends of Middleton Park. I made lots of balloon animals too, whilst people were trying to juggle or ride the fun wheels and pedal go. I had a very jolly time, really enjoyed myself. The session was supposed to finish at 4 but it over-ran a bit, and I didn't get back to the station until nearly 5pm.

Arrived home after 6pm, so a good day's work, for which I've already been paid, something to do with how the group is funded. I'm doing a second session there on 30th August.

Gill had made an asparagus quiche with potatoes and a mushroom and pea thing, which was good, but I had to rush out as I'd agreed to meet Helgi, who's in charge of the music stage at this year's York Green Festival, to see what he'd found out about bands who might perform. We listened to some of them on MySpace and researched others and he banged out emails to them. I enjoyed meeting his two younger brothers who were keen on pillow fighting me, and their parents Lara and Adrian. I'm impressed with Helgi's maturity; he's only just 15, and he's in several bands and is very able. I'm aware I'm breaking my rule of not naming children on this blog by naming him, but in my mind he is an adult already and I know he isn't bothered by this. I have a lot of respect for him, and am enjoying working with him.

I left his place at about 9 and picked up several items from a skip on the way back, and did a bout of Compostumbler filling when I got back. Came in after 10 and settled down to deal with the inevitable pile of emails.

Tuesday 27th January 09

A relatively peaceful morning, both children getting off to school as normal.

I got back and immediately went on the Government 'self employed' tax declaration website to submit my tax return. It was not easy... two businesses, interest from savings, a 'capital expense' ie my bike which I bought in Autumn 07, and I was advised to split the cost between my two businesses and personal use, a small 'loss' on 'John the Composter' the previous year to bring forward to the 07/08 year, but enough Fiddlesticks income to live on.... too complicated for my liking. I think that I'll hand over all my paperwork to an accountant for the 08/09 tax year, it'll be a lot less stressful!

This took all f the morning... but I did arrive at the end and a figure to pay. Hooray!

After lunch I bombed into town and got a cheque out and went straight to the tax office and gave it in.

Then cycled straight in to school and picked up our youngest, who'd had a good day. As I had just an hour before going into Leeds, I went to find a selection of different types and grades of compost, and two bags of worms which I'm swapping for some blackcurrant bushes. Also got a big mix of dried fruit together to donate to the shared meal.

Just caught the 5.28 train to Leeds... I didn't have time to get a ticket at the station and was prepared to buy one on the train. However, there was no conductor, so arrived in Leeds needing to get a ticket in the station platform area before going out through the new barriers. But there was no office open on the platforms, and the staff advised me to just walk through the barriers (which were open anyway!) and buy tickets at the ticket office. I did do this... a return, but could have avoided paying for the outward journey if I'd have wanted to.

An easy walk to The Common Place where the Leeds Permaculture Network was meeting. It was a social, with shared food and then an 'inspirational' talk from me with all you ever needed to know about composting, with exhibits and humour! It worked well and it seemed that we all enjoyed ourselves... I certainly did. The donations covered my travel and my dried fruit went down well. I swapped the worms for a large bag of assorted blackcurrant bushes and a spineless gooseberry. I will send another worm donation through the post as I feel Niels got rather less on that swap than me! The talk might result in some Compost Doctor contacts, some people coming to Carbon Detox, maybe something more...!

The train journey back was nice as I met Jill as in Ben-and-Jill, and her colleague Alex, both physicists at Leeds University.

Home soon after 10pm to a tired Gill who'd missed me.

Sunday 14th December 08

An early start this morning as working in Bradford.

I'd bought my tickets yesterday so arrived at the station with just 5 minutes to spare, and got the 8.40 to Leeds. I was due to get the 9.32 to Bradford Forster Square and be collected there at 10ish, but that train had been cancelled. I immediately went to the Leeds Station Office and asked if there was another train to Bradford, and was advised the 9.23 to Bradford Interchange, and I tried to ring my contact at the gig, but she wasn't picking up...

Went to get the 9.23 but it wouldn't start! The driver rang the Station Office to see if another train could be held for 2 mins to allow the passengers to get that but it went, just as I got to that platform.... so I decided to visit the Station Office once more, try to ring my contact again, and see what to do then. Fortunately, she picked up this time and told me the road name for the venue, and I went to get a taxi from outside Leeds Station, and helped the taxi driver put the road name into his TomTom guide thingy which he proceeded to ignore until he reached the centre of Bradford, when it directed us to the venue pretty well. This extra journey cost me £20, which I will try to claim back from the rail people (I'm not expecting this to work, but if you don't try, you don't get, so it's worth a polite letter!)

So, work today was at the Abundant Life Ministries, a Christian church based in an enormous warehouse and other buildings nearby. They have a congregation of two thousand or so, and plenty of activities for children and teenagers. It reminded me of some of the huge American churches in it's scale and approach. My role was to provide the Christmas party entertainment... a one-hour show for the 4 year olds to young teens, followed by a half hour show with the 1 to 3 year olds in a different venue. These both went well and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves... including me, as usual! I was given a lift back to the Interchange and got a train to Leeds and then one back to York, getting home just before 3pm.

Had a quick coffee and then finished off building the logpile to the right of the door, looking out.

The boys were engrossed in Spore and Gill, who's quite a bit better, went to the shops briefly.

Tea was soup followed by remains of pizza for me with baked beans and mushrooms, the boys had soup and cheese toasties with beans and mushrooms.

The boys went to bed without a hitch and I sliced apples and filled another rack for drying, then washed and graded 5 bags of grapes, blanched them and put them on a non-stick tray on top of one of the lids of the cans of water on the stove, so that within maybe three days, they'll be raisins.

Sunday 24th August 08

Another work day... but woke late after a late night... but didn't have to get to the station til midday as I have a gig in Middleton Park in Leeds at 2pm. So I had a shave and wash and got myself to the station to get the 12.13 train to Penzance and met a young(er) woman whom I sort of recognised but couldn't quite place... but it turned out she, Katie, was/is a volunteer at St Nicks so we had a happy chat until Leeds.

I was met by Alan from Friends of Middleton Park and he drove me to the venue which was a building next to a fishing lake in Middleton Park. I was pleased that the group had bought some circus skills equipment to help with the workshop. I'd thought that my activity would be part of a larger event, but it wasn't... it was just me plus four volunteers and Alan serving teas and cakes... It was a lovely, good-natured event, very easy for me to do, and 4pm came soon.

Alan gave me a lift back to the station and there was a train awaiting me(!) and I was home by 5pm.

Tuesday 17th June 08

Quite an early start for me, left the house soon after 8 to get down to the station so I could get to Leeds in time to start work in Bramley by 10am. I just caught an earlier train than I'd expected to, the 8.40 rather than the 8.44, and chatted to a politics student on the journey. When I got to the outside of Leeds station there was a number 16 bus which I hopped on and asked if the driver could tell me where to get off the bus, in Bramley.

My destination was 'Hillside' Refugee Reception Centre, for a funday. The event may be connected with Refugee Week. There were quite a few children there which was good. However it was quite tough as not all of then spoke good English, although I was suprised how many of them did speak English well. Did lots of balloons and towards the end of the day, a circus show. Right at the end of this, my unicycle pedal sheared off which was quite spectacular... Didn't get paid much but they are a charitable organisation and had asked for my lowest fee. Bus back to the station and a fairly quick change onto the York train, and dropped the uni off at Cycle Heaven to get the pedal fixed before bombing home, got in just before the family and spent some good times with them before tea.

After tea, went to school to mix soil with the compost I've already taken down. This will be used to fill the large containers so the children can plant up more of their seedlings.

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