I got up early as I wanted to attend the York in Transition Christmas Presents Swap at St Nicks, which started at 10am. On the way I found a bunch of bright yellow 'Winter Mushroom' or Enokitake, Flammulina velupites. I picked about a dozen, all quite small.
I was pleased to go as I met some good people and did two 'mini-tours' for people new to St Nicks, and I explained about the old landfill site, the beginnings of the nature reserve, the John Lally Wood, passive solar design, the two types of solar panel, green roof, rainwater harvesting, compost toilets and more. I really love showing people round!
I took a bottle of red wine with mulling spices, a Christmas present which we won't use as we don't drink red wine, and my usual bag of dried pea beans which I'm always happy to give out. I met my friend Linda, who really likes red wine, and gave her the bottle. She didn't want mulling spices, so those went on the swap table and were snapped up! I came away with a jigsaw, a wok stand for the stove and a pair of gloves. I gave two people some pea beans.
I came home at 12.30, Gill had gone to Scarborough on the train with our eldest and a friend, leaving the youngest at home in York. I had lunch and spent a bit of time on the computer but then suggested to our lad that he come off his Roblox thingy and do something active. Amazingly, he agreed and came outside and helped me move a lot of recently split logs from the front to a safe store at the rear of the house. He kept going whilst I did some chainsawing and splitting.
Later, he asked if he could have the stove lit in the front room... and I talked him through how to do it, provided the raw materials and he did an excellent job, got it laid and lit really well.
I cooked tea... a 100% freegan tea, apart from a tablespoon full of EV olive oil. I fried 2 onions (ones which had manky outside bits but the majority of the bulb was firm and lovely) and chopped up a small butternut squash which had a bit of damage at the stalk end, easy to chop out, a courgette which had one end going soft, a red pepper and most of 5 tomatoes. All this got fried up on the front room stove. I marinaded some out of date tofu (but hermetically sealed and absolutely fine) with garlic, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, and then slow fried them in some free pumpkin oil which dates back to Out Of This World years ago, I think! I put the mushrooms in with the tofu right at the end, and they just about disappeared. Enokitake is a very small mushroom! Then Gill came in and there was a request for pasta, so I boiled that on the stove. Actually, this pasta was bought too, so not a 100% freegan meal... shame! But a nice tea, much enjoyed.
I also really enjoyed... to the point of tears, the lovely BBC2 tribute to my favourite and now deceased actor, Pete Postlethwaite. Click here to see this on iPlayer, for the next few days only!
More fruit wrangling this evening, putting pineapple and apple into jars. And washing up, as per bally usual!
Showing posts with label Pete Postlethwaite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pete Postlethwaite. Show all posts
What a comfy bed! Although Jess's flat was cold, I'd been given two duvets and was therefore nice and warm, and it was a firm mattress so I slept well.
Got up around 10 and had a bowl of Weetabix and a sprinkling of porridge oats with a few bits of dried apple ring broken on top. Watched YouTube videos, including some blasts from my past, Osibisa and Steve Hillage. I logged in to facebook and saw a friend had posted about the death of Pete Postlethwaite, which made me cry as he was my favourite actor, especially after his wonderful performance in Age of Stupid. What a shame, he was only 64, and by all accounts a lovely bloke. This coloured my whole day.
Jess was mending Nomi's handbag which had poorly constructed handles, so Jess was replacing them with several lengths of tough rope and then sewing leather round to make a nice looking handle. But this meant we didn't leave the flat til well after 11, and I wanted to get the 12.19 train to York so I could be back in time for the opening of the BikeRescue HubStation. Jess and Nomi were heading over to Leeds to buy material, so they waited for the bus, and I cycled down to the Interchange, which only took about 10 minutes, and I was there in time for the 12.05 train to Leeds. But I said I'd wait until the later train, but they didn't get to that train so I had that hour quiet enough to read my NewScientist.
However, I met a cyclist with a folded Brompton who was going to the HubStation launch... a volunteer from Sustrans, and friends with my friend Gael.
Once in York I picked up my trailer and then had a toasted sandwich at ?Krunchies and then went to the new HubStation, the latest project from BikeRescue, headed up by Bernie Cullen, whom I have a lot of admiration for. The place was already crowded with York's cycling fraternity, Councillors, dignitaries. The building used to be an electricity sub-station, and in 2006 Bernie requested that the Council let it be used as a Cycling Centre. It has taken £300,000 and 4 years to get it to what it is now... with space for secure bike storage, repairs, sales of reconditioned bikes, spares and accessories, a cafe, shower, and today, a lovely cake and loads and loads of happy people. One really nice touch is a window which will be permanently used for bike-based art. It currently has a load of decorated plates in it, and is very pretty. It has been put together by Lu Mason, who I think may be the daughter of Tom Mason, one of my cycling friends who died a few years ago.
I stayed til about 3pm and then came away, I would have liked to take part in the ride through the city but I wanted to get home. Popped in to Country Fresh on the way home though, and picked up a couple of boxes of compostables.
Back to a happy home, where all was well and our eldest had gone out to a film with friends... coming back having really enjoyed it. Nice simple tea, and at about 7, I went out to the LETS meeting at the Seahorse... but no-one else turned up apart from two non-member ordinary guys who seemed happy to chat with me until their takeaway next door was ready. I left at 8.30, cleared up some frosted Nasturtiums from the Edible York raised bed, picked up a pallet and came home.
Gill was on the phone when I got in, chatting with my old friend Cathryn whom I've known since I was 18. She is considering replacing her oil-fired central heating with a Dunsley Yorkshire woodburning stove, and wanted my advice or opinion. Whilst on the phone, Gill suddenly got excited, saying 'Earthquake' but I didn't feel or hear anything. However, after the phone call had finished, I switched on my laptop and went on facebook... and several other people had felt the tremor. It was ineed a quake, Gill's third, and smallest. Her first was in Nort Wales decades ago and it threw her to the ground. We had one in York a few years ago, which was my first (and only!). This time, Gill heard the rumble, the crockery on the Delft Rack clink slightly, and felt the tremor. I was so focused on the phone conversation, I'd not experienced anything.
I rang my Dad at 10pm, to wish him a happy birthday as he's reached 70. I wanted him to know I've not forgotten him, despite not being in contact for a while.
Got up around 10 and had a bowl of Weetabix and a sprinkling of porridge oats with a few bits of dried apple ring broken on top. Watched YouTube videos, including some blasts from my past, Osibisa and Steve Hillage. I logged in to facebook and saw a friend had posted about the death of Pete Postlethwaite, which made me cry as he was my favourite actor, especially after his wonderful performance in Age of Stupid. What a shame, he was only 64, and by all accounts a lovely bloke. This coloured my whole day.
Jess was mending Nomi's handbag which had poorly constructed handles, so Jess was replacing them with several lengths of tough rope and then sewing leather round to make a nice looking handle. But this meant we didn't leave the flat til well after 11, and I wanted to get the 12.19 train to York so I could be back in time for the opening of the BikeRescue HubStation. Jess and Nomi were heading over to Leeds to buy material, so they waited for the bus, and I cycled down to the Interchange, which only took about 10 minutes, and I was there in time for the 12.05 train to Leeds. But I said I'd wait until the later train, but they didn't get to that train so I had that hour quiet enough to read my NewScientist.
However, I met a cyclist with a folded Brompton who was going to the HubStation launch... a volunteer from Sustrans, and friends with my friend Gael.
Once in York I picked up my trailer and then had a toasted sandwich at ?Krunchies and then went to the new HubStation, the latest project from BikeRescue, headed up by Bernie Cullen, whom I have a lot of admiration for. The place was already crowded with York's cycling fraternity, Councillors, dignitaries. The building used to be an electricity sub-station, and in 2006 Bernie requested that the Council let it be used as a Cycling Centre. It has taken £300,000 and 4 years to get it to what it is now... with space for secure bike storage, repairs, sales of reconditioned bikes, spares and accessories, a cafe, shower, and today, a lovely cake and loads and loads of happy people. One really nice touch is a window which will be permanently used for bike-based art. It currently has a load of decorated plates in it, and is very pretty. It has been put together by Lu Mason, who I think may be the daughter of Tom Mason, one of my cycling friends who died a few years ago.
I stayed til about 3pm and then came away, I would have liked to take part in the ride through the city but I wanted to get home. Popped in to Country Fresh on the way home though, and picked up a couple of boxes of compostables.
Back to a happy home, where all was well and our eldest had gone out to a film with friends... coming back having really enjoyed it. Nice simple tea, and at about 7, I went out to the LETS meeting at the Seahorse... but no-one else turned up apart from two non-member ordinary guys who seemed happy to chat with me until their takeaway next door was ready. I left at 8.30, cleared up some frosted Nasturtiums from the Edible York raised bed, picked up a pallet and came home.
Gill was on the phone when I got in, chatting with my old friend Cathryn whom I've known since I was 18. She is considering replacing her oil-fired central heating with a Dunsley Yorkshire woodburning stove, and wanted my advice or opinion. Whilst on the phone, Gill suddenly got excited, saying 'Earthquake' but I didn't feel or hear anything. However, after the phone call had finished, I switched on my laptop and went on facebook... and several other people had felt the tremor. It was ineed a quake, Gill's third, and smallest. Her first was in Nort Wales decades ago and it threw her to the ground. We had one in York a few years ago, which was my first (and only!). This time, Gill heard the rumble, the crockery on the Delft Rack clink slightly, and felt the tremor. I was so focused on the phone conversation, I'd not experienced anything.
I rang my Dad at 10pm, to wish him a happy birthday as he's reached 70. I wanted him to know I've not forgotten him, despite not being in contact for a while.
