Human Lifestyle

I got up early as I wanted to be useful before going out.  So got the stove lit and made a tomato soup with a red onion which had been deep frozen and was a funny texture, but smelled normal and fried in olive oil perfectly normally, plus some big thrown away tomatoes which needed their stem areas cutting out but the rest was fine, and a stick of purchased-at-full-price celery!  I also sorted through the second lot of grapes, blanched the good ones and put them in a tray to dry.

I left the soup cooking on the stove and cycled off to the station, where I'd arranged to meet Jackie, my friend from the Northern Green Gathering who lives out in the wilds of North Yorkshire, who wanted some company.  So she came with me to Manchester to the social group that I sometimes attend.  At Piccadilly we met Janie, and walked down to Night and Day to have a bit of lunch and lively conversations.  I was pleased to see Sean, the organiser of the Manchester World Naked Bike Ride, Christine, one of my facebook Scrabble opponents and her partner Simon, Ian, Ellie, Amy and Stephen, Robert, Simon, Laura and Victoria, and several others who's names I can't recall.  But we had some good conversations and I was glad that Jackie made some friends.  I was very happy to see Janie again, and Sean.

However, Jackie wanted to go to a particular shop called Unicorn but she was so engrossed in conversation that she left it too late... we got on a bus and arrived to find it just closed, with the staff shutting the shop.  Bummer. 

But overall, the day was lovely.  The train trip back was noisy with loads of police dealing with football yobbos.  But there was no hassle really.

I got back in at about 8.30pm, and a bit later, on facebook, read something which has saddened me considerably.  My good friend Robin, who has often commented on this blog with good humour, posted that last night his wife Stella died in hospital, following complications after weight loss surgery in November.  I didn't know Stella very well, I met her about half a dozen times, mostly briefly, but Robin loved her as did their two children.  Very sad news.  My heart goes out to them.  I'm so sorry.

Although I went to bed at a comparatively early 1.30am, I got up at 5.50 in order to leave the house at 6.35 and get to the station to get a ticket to Preston, and get the 7.06 train all the way there.  As I was settling in to my seat, Robin just got into the train as the doors were closing, he'd got the train down from Darlington.  So I didn't get a peaceful time... Robin is an enthusiastic talker and we had a year to catch up on!

So we were soon in Preston, and we got a taxi to where we thought the venue was, but it wasn't and we got taken down to another part of the campus.  I got changed quickly and proceeded to do a lot of devilsticking and a bit of unicycling in the area where new students were arriving with their parents, luggage, sometimes siblings.  This Freshers Weekend is a regular event at UCLAN... except that this year it's just the Saturday. 

I enjoyed the various bands and musicians, devilsticked to the music, made balloon animals for some of the staff and existing students and Student Union people, as well as the children tagging along with their older brother or sister starting Uni this weekend.  I had a lot of fun greeting the 6 or 10 year old and welcoming them to University, asking them what they were going to be studying, and more silliness.  I had quite a long lunch, 45 minutes, in a room out of the way, before embarking on my second 2 and a half hour slot of zany, clever, silly, colourful, quick-witted and quick moving entertainment.

I got away (in costume) just before 4pm, and scurried down to the station on foot, as I wanted to get the 4.10 train.  I got there and it was cancelled, so got the 4.23 instead.  Once my ticked had been checked, I got changed in the carriage toilet, and then dozed til Manchester... New Scientist sending me to sleep.

At Manchester I went to Cafe Nero and met up with Laura, who was with Ian, and Janie, who had her friend Jonathan there.  It was good to see both my friends and these new friends.  A bit later, Laura took me to the Arndale Food place, where she had noodles and bones and I had a baked potato.

Then back to the station, and I got on the 8 something and was back in York soon after 10pm, after a noisy journey and sympathy from/with my neighbour, Sally, a student of 3D wallpaper!

Later still, had a long type-chat with Ali, whom I haven't chatted with for ages.  Really good to catch up.

I got up at 9am to get myself ready for work, a gig starting at 11am in Haxby. So I set out with all my circus and balloon stuff at about 10.30, and got to the private house at 10.55, in costume, and just managed to get my bike and trailer down the passage at the side of the house to the marquee set up in the back garden.

The birthday girl had about 30 friends there, most of her age (she will be 7 tomorrow) and so this looked like the perfect party for me; a good-sized audience and the perfect age for what I do.

But there were also a good sized group of grown-ups, which I like too, as some of my humour is aimed over the heads of the children to the adults whom I like to sit on chairs behind the kids who are usually on a carpet or rug in front of my 'stage' area.

The show went well and absolutely as it should do. Afterwards several adults also said they enjoyed it, which is always nice. I got paid and got everything packed up and set off towards home. I called in on Robin on the way back as I wanted to talk to him about a possible job removing a dead tree but he hasn't got a decent chainsaw at the mo so that's off for a while.

Then, when nearly home, I spotted a big lump of Chicken of the Woods on a Cherry tree, so I with much glee used my penknife to slice that off and bring it back. This is my favourite edible mushroom and I'll do something special with it tomorrow.

I picked up one small sack of compostables at Freshways and about half a dozen loaves.

I needed to rest a bit when I came in, but then Gill started going on about buying some potatoes for tea so I cycled down to Country Fresh and got spuds, carrots, broccoli, bananas and eggs.

Then after a coffee I went down the garden to do a load of compost management. I started to move the compost heap from where the bee hives will be going, putting the contents into two empty daleks for it's final sit. I'm also going to reposition the Sun Mar 400 tumbler as it has moved away from being horizontal and I want it to be more level, as it should work better.

Gill cooked the potatoes and broccoli for tea and made a nutloaf with bread, baked beans and grated carrot. Very orange and delicious.

Lots of emailing and facebooking tonight, following the mega social weekend. I took the dressing off my ripped up knee to let the wound scab over: it is hideous. And still painful.

A good day, despite not spending enough of it in the garden. After breakfast I did my emails etc and then at about 10.30, got ready to get to Robin's for 11am, which is when he'd asked me to get to him to help him install his solar water system.

We had a go at this before Christmas... but he found the ?manifold had the sensor doobrey on the different end that he was expecting, so he had to alter things and today, all was ready and in the right place. His plumber/electrician friend Andy was there to help, so Robin did the on the roof stuff, tied on with climbing rope and carabiners. I climbed the ladder with the tubes and reflectors. Andy smeared 'Chinese Toothpaste' on the copper ends (prevents oxidation apparently) and helped clean the tubes.

What a great team! BUT... sad to say, on the 15th and last tube, Robin got a bit over enthusiastic and banged the tube on his knee... not hard, and by accident of course, and it broke. Fortunately he had a spare. These tubes work by heating a copper rod in a vacuum, the rod warms up and the heat is transmitted to the end of the tube which sits in the water flow, warming the water. Despite the day being overcast, these tubes heated up significantly... the tubes themselves didn't, but the copper rod did. Amazing though simple technology. Also, as water doesn't actually flow in the tubes, if one breaks, it can be replaced easily.

I left at just after 1pm and came home via a place where a large number of willow trees have been felled, and conveniently chopped into large chunks and just left... although willow isn't the best wood for fuel, I'll take anything! So, one huge chunk of willow and home.

Lunch. The rest of the afternoon went too fast. I had several Fiddlesticks enquiries.

I did manage to do some outside stuff, keeping me sane.

During the evening I had three long phone calls, one from a Channel 4 researcher who wanted my input to a programme about an interesting approach to reducing supermarket food waste, which I may be able to help with, and two long chats with people I know, all good conversations to have.

My 1000th blog post on Low Carbon Lifestyle. I wonder how much lower carbon my lifestyle would be if I hadn't have done all this blogging?

But hey, no-one's perfect... especially me, as today's events have reminded me.

Today I was due to attend a York Rotters management meeting, but yesterday one of the other managers rang me to tell me that there had been some complaints about me following the Big Green Market last week when I spent over four hours engaging with the public about home composting. So today, instead of the management meeting, I went in to St Nicks to listen to the accusations, and to try to work out how to deal with the issues.

So, what did I do? Well, it was acknowledged that I am an excellent communicator of composting information and there is no-one more enthusiastic and keen. But, on one occasion I was listening to another (novice) Rotter give some (incomplete or incorrect) information and when they had finished, I spoke to the member of the public and said "actually, you CAN compost that", and told them how. The other Rotter felt they had been contradicted and they didn't like it, and complained. So, first complaint, unjustified I think.

The second was more serious... I was talking to another volunteer and we were talking about ethical burials... I'm not sure who initiated the conversation, but that doesn't really matter. The problem, for the complainant, was that I talked about my plans (Gill and I have a burial plot booked in York Cemetery)and was explaining about Promession, which would be my preferred disposal route, and I told the joke which Gill made when we got the plot, that if I died before her, she'd request to be buried face down. Most people find this amusing, but some over sensitive volunteer complained. They thought it was inappropriate as another volunteer Rotter had died the previous week. I am quite matter of fact about death.. I see it as a consequence of life, but I do know that some people are not as comfortable with the thought of this inevitability. So, this complaint was perhaps half justified.

The next one is inexcusable. How I get members of the public engaged is to wait until someone looks at the cut-away compost bin and I then say "Would you like to tell me about your compost bin?" Many people stop and tell me. A few say "No thanks" and on one occasion someone said "I don't bother to compost" and on this occasion I said "So you don't like recycling then" and this I agree was unprofessional of me. Black mark against my name.

The final thing is the thing I'm most sorry about. One volunteer said they wouldn't want to be on the stall with me again, and another said that they felt like not being part of York Rotters after their experience. I am mortified about this as I started York Rotters in 2004 and love the fact we have been so successful, have lots of active volunteers and are a vital part of St Nicks.

So we sat and talked about my behaviour, the fact that I have been diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum, but don't tick quite enough boxes to be given the Aspergers Syndrome label, despite Gill, my mother, my friend Ann and probably others thinking I have all the classic symptoms. And if I do have AS, then it could be classed as a disability, and this puts an interesting spin on the whole situation. However, I am willing to try to improve and learn to be more empathic, more appropriate, and I will again look to try to secure some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy through the NHS, which might help me.

So, the result of this meeting was that I have been suspended from York Rotters for a month to see if we can resolve the situation. I cannot think of any 'quick fix' here. But in the meantime, I won't be wearing the York Rotters teeshirt, won't do any Rotters volunteering, and won't attend any social events. This is sad but if it helps, and enables York Rotters to continue more smoothly, I can accept the situation.

This was a really difficult meeting for my friend and colleague at St Nicks and I don't want to put that person through this again. Nor do I want to upset the other volunteers (whether or not I think they are oversensitive) or members of the public.

Anyway, I cycled home, had an early lunch and cycled off to see Robin who had asked me to help him install his new solar tubes on his roof. We spent an hour getting ready, with the help of his neighbour, and then when I was in his loft poking a sensor wire through the tiles, he realised he had made an assumption about the new set of tube-holders he had bought. His existing set was configured one way round, with water in at one side and hot water out the other, but unfortunately the new set was made the other way around. This means that he will have to replumb his pipework in his loft. What a nuisance. Poor Robin!

I then went into town to pay in a cheque and to get out another to pay for some advertising.

Then back home, via Country Fresh and Freshways.

I had a quiet and fairly subdued evening. I prepared some pears for drying.

Quite an early start as although my work in Leeds starts at midday, the train times mean I had to leave on the 10.11 train. And before this, I had to deliver the pumpkin soup to St Nicks.

So, I was up before 8 and had a shower and hair wash, Gill made my sandwiches and ironed my costume, I breakfasted and packed, loaded the bike. Gill was worried about my taking the preserving pan of soup on my bike, but it was quite easy and I got it to St Nicks un-spilled and with the loose-fitting lid still on. Catherine, our head Rotter, was pleased to see this.

Then onto the station and got my day return to Cross Gates. Once there, it was a 15 minute walk up a hill to the Church hall where Swiis Foster Care were having a half-term fun day, with about 20 children and the same number of adults invited. I arrived an hour early, as the next train of the day would have meant me getting there only minutes before being due to start, so I got the earlier train and had an hour to wait. However, there was an aerobics class going on so I sat quietly at the back and half-read, half watched this... I've never seen anything like it!

They finished at 11.30 and I got set up, got changed and the guests and organisers started to arrive. One of the staff, Gael, is a friend of mine from the Northern Green Gathering, and it was lovely to see her again. I was glad to be in costume to welcome the children, and I played throw/catch with my juggling balls, although one got lost. At 12.15 I started my show, and they were obviously completely un-used to live interactive entertainment. But quite soon I had nearly all of the children and a couple of the adults up and doing things, and the show lasted just over an hour.

As usual, whilst they were eating, I inflated a unicycle-wheel full of modelling balloons and then got everybody, including all the adults, having an attempt at making balloon animals. Lots of fun, finishing just before 3pm.

Got changed, got paid, got back to Cross Gates where I finished my NewScientist and was back in York for 4.20. Home via Country Fresh, where Martin had got me God knows how much unsold stock... I was only able to take two boxes of it on my pannier rack as my trailer was full of unicycles and juggling equipment.

I had a quick tea as soon as I got back, the boys were finishing theirs prior to going out to the St Nicks Pumpkin evening. I took my big pumpkin down, to enter it into the giant pumpkin competition, despite it being not much bigger than a human head. I decided to go via Country Fresh and picked up two sacks full of compostables and a big tray of grapes in punnets, each punnet having some mouldy grapes in, but, crucially, some good ones too! I left them in the punnets... and went to St Nicks and arrived at the same time as Gill and the boys who had walked down.

The pumpkin evening was very well attended, with quite a few folks I knew, including Jeremy Piercy, Jim and family, and Robin, to name but a few. My boys both carved a pumpkin, I had mine weighed and it was 24 lbs, and the biggest of three entrants! It looked like my medium pumpkin was the winner of the Giant Pumpkin Competition! Unfortunately, when the judge of the pumpkin carving arrived, Anneliese, and she chose her first, second and third from three age categories, neither of my boys won anything... but I won a new model of wormery called a Worm Cafe, see this (silent) video about how to use it! I was amazed.. I really hadn't thought I'd win. And it's worth close on £100! I balanced it precariously on top of the sacks of compostables and walked home with my family.

A quiet evening, slicing apples and sorting and blanching grapes. More raisins in a few days!

Up ridiculously early before 6am as the train to Preston is at just after 7am. I'd already got my ticket so I parked and locked my bike and got my stuff and got onto the train which was waiting as it started at York. I had agreed to meet Robin, who was coming down from Darlington, and I saw his train come in and he just got to the Preston train on time.

I'm very glad he did as he is such an entertaining chap, always full of anecdotes and funny stories, and I enjoy his company both when he's working as an entertainer and when he's travelling or socialising with me. So we caught up a year's worth of stuff, and at Leeds 'The Wonderful Stevie' got on so we suggested he sat with us. Stevie is the calmest and quietest of the three of us, but even so, the conversation flowed and erupted into laughter many times. It was amusing to find that all three of us were vegetarian, have never owned a car, have a pony-tail hair style, don't like football, rugby or cricket... and I'm sure there were other co-incidences too.

So, we all piled out at Preston and squeezed into a 'black cab' taxi which was a tight fit as Robin is large and between us we have a lot of weird luggage. The Harrington Building at UCLAN isn't that far away but a shared taxi was a good idea. We spent a while waiting to be told where to go, and when the person with that decision-making responsibility arrived, we all went to get changed and get to work. I was at the Harrington Building, where new students trickled through to collect keys. I had plenty of time to practice new tricks, including some 3-ball juggling (something which doesn't really 'grab' me) including juggling 3 balls whilst on the unicycle, this was a first for me, and certainly looked like it, so I was glad there was hardly anyone around.

After lunch Stevie and I were taken to Roeburn Hall, a halls of residence where all the rest of the action was... the other entertainers and two bands. And of course, hundreds of students and their families, many of whom were young enough to enjoy balloon models. I enjoyed devilsticking to the music and jolly repartee with the students and families.

Just before 4 I was taken back to the Student Union Building, '53 degrees' and almost instantly there was a bus which took me to near my bed and breakfast at Ashton, on the corner of Tulketh Road and Victoria Parade. I checked in, paid and collapsed onto my bed and was soon asleep.

I woke again at 8pm. I hopped on my unicycle and went to visit my friends Stephen and Meg, who live just round the corner. They were about to have their evening meal, as Stephen had done a 50 mile sponsored cycle ride and had only been in half an hour. I stayed about 10 minutes and unicycled down to Watery Lane to ring Robin and tell him I didn't want to come into town to meet for a drink and take away, and I went to a Spar to get a sandwich and some fruit for my tea. And another quick pedal up to the BnB to eat.

Later, at 11, I decided I should phone Gill and tell her I was OK, so I hopped on the unicycle again, cycled up to the Blackpool Road and turned right towards the Woodplumpton Road junction. I spotted a baby hedgehog crossing the bridge over the railway, so I stopped and walked behind it to make sure it didn't go into the road, and when at the other side, I helped it into Haslam Park.

It was good to chat to Gill who'd had a good day. We spent about 20 minutes on the phone, the full 40 pence-worth allocation. Then back to the BnB where I put my laptop on and deleted loads, as my inbox had overfilled.

Quite an early start when I'd have really liked a later one... as up til after 2am last night following the Climate Change Plan meeting. But, I got up before 8 and used my new beard trimmer for the first time so I was perhaps a bit more presentable, and maybe a bit less like Pete Postlethwaite who is looking really quite unkempt in some of the recent pictures of him.

I headed off soon after 8.30 to The Guildhall to the Development Control seminar which was led by Councillor Richard Moore, who sits on one of the Council's planning committees. This training was for members of Parish Councils, Planning Panels and other interested members of the public, so that responses to Planning Applications are more relevant and focused, and respondents understand some of the complexities of the planning process.


So, at 9 I was at the Guildhall and it was good to see George the 'front of house' chap who's been there ever since I can remember, and was ushered upstairs to The Smoke Room (now unimaginatively renamed 'Room 4') which overlooks the River Ouse. One coffee and several chats later, we were ushered into the main Council Chamber, where I unintentionally sat in Cllr Dave Taylor's seat. The course covered what is and isn't 'development', and which legislation and guidance covers the processes. We learned about 'Permitted Development', which does not need planning permission, and the different classes of land or building use, and the different types of planning applications. We were told the difference between Development Control and Building Control. Then we looked at how the application is submitted, who can be consulted, the levels of determination, which means whether an officer can decide, or the Area Sub Committee, or the full Planning Committee, or even another authority such as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Highways Agency or the Ministry of Defence. Decisions must be made on Material Considerations, and things which aren't Material Considerations must be ignored. Then we looked at how City of York Council runs its Committee meetings and how public involvement is provided. Finally we found out about the different types of decision made, appeals and 'Section 106' Agreements which in some cases can be seen as 'planning gain', such as a house builder providing a play area for residents to use. In one local example, all of the first residents from a group of new houses were provided with a 6 month bus pass so that they had the opportunity to get used to using public transport.

Then we had some real life cases which the Council has had to decide over the past year or two. Some of them were far from clear cut, and we were asked to vote whether or not to approve the application. I only got two out of the five correct, but sometimes the Committee doesn't agree, and it has been known for almost half of them vote to reject with the others voting to approve.

This finished at 12.30 and I went straight to the National Railway Museum to go to the Science Week event, and the York Rotters stall at this. I was pleased to see Robin and Jo, and of course our enthusiastic paid worker Catherine. I had my sandwiches and then started speaking to members of the public, asking them, when they were looking at our displays, if they wanted any help with their compost heap? If they replied that they had a heap, I asked them if they'd like to tell me about it. This then leads to me being able to ask if they put cardboard and paper on the pile, and the conversation continues. I often ask experienced composters if they put cooked food on the heap (and we have a plate with fake food on it!) and this allows the subjects of wormeries and Bokashi bins to be discussed.

John the Rotter talking to a member of the public.

Gill and the boys appeared and Gill had her camera, which is why these photos are on the blog.

Members of the York Rotters team at the National Railway Museum.

I left when it all quietened down towards 4pm, and came home via Country Fresh where Martin offered me just one compact box of recyclables, and I got home some time before the rest of the family who were on the bus. I lit the stove and had done one batch of washing up by the time they got in.

A happy evening, with me looking forward to tomorrow's big Premiere all over the UK... I'll be attending the York Premiere of AGE OF STUPID, at Vue, Clifton Moor, at 5pm.

See you there!