Human Lifestyle

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.

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.