Human Lifestyle

Quite a tough day; woke late after the late night last night, and certain household members suffering from 'Cabin Fever'.  But I kept busy... sorted out the last of the pumpkin seeds from their pulp, now all are on about 10 sheets of newspaper drying.

I went to the bread shop at lunchtime and later, took the St Nicks bucket back to them, plus two Apple Day posters which had been left on a lamp-post, and I'd taken back home for safekeeping and re-use.  I went on to see Rich at Country Fresh... and he was creating more pumpkin Halloween Lanterns, so he gave me yet more pumpkin seeds.  I really do need a little gadget or machine which de-hulls them.  I wish someone would engineer something which did this.  As it is, I either have to eat them with the tough outer coat on, which I don't like, OR have to peel them one by one, by hand, which isn't difficult but is time consuming. 

I did a bit of compost heap management but not all that I have to put on a heap actually went on, so I'll have to do some more tomorrow.

Gill got our eldest to make tea... he made a batch of savoury biscuits, something he invented and is good at making, and to go with this he made a pumpkin, veg and Bulgar wheat pate which went well with the biscuits.  He also sorted out some cucumber and celery sticks for dipping into hommous, coleslaw and mayo.  It was a good meal.

And then, I was delighted that both my sons and one of their friends accepted my invitation to take them to see Illuminating York.  There was a bit of discussion about how to travel, since the boys don't use their bikes now, as school is so close, so they aren't in a usable condition. There was talk of getting the bus, or walking down and getting the bus back... but I walked down with them, all the way to the Minster, leaving just before 8pm.  There was a big crowd at Minster Gates, the junction of Petergate and Stonegate, but we got through to Deangate which was more open and had plenty of space.  The installation 'Rose' by Ross Ashton and his wife Karen Monid was really good... at one stage it looked like the Minster was beginning to float up into the air! 

After we watched this for maybe 15 minutes, we walked round to the other side of the Minster, to see the various installations in Dean's Park.  I liked the 4 metre high sphere called 'Lightweight' best, but my friend Vanessa's community stained glass piece 'Unifying Light' was good too.

Then we walked home... Monkgate, Heworth Green, The Gasworks alleyway, James St, St. Nicks and home.  I was impressed that all 3 boys managed this quite long walk, with minimal fuss (only one was making a fuss, the others just kept walking) and we got in at 9.45pm.

So a good finish to a not so good day. I spent quite a bit of time refilling the drying racks with pears and apples til late...

Got up early and after breakfast I did an hour of work in the front garden.

I had arranged to meet Tomoko at 11.30 at the station so I bombed down there and we spent the rest of the day exploring York... it's great showing somebody around as you learn lots about your own City.

We had a small lunch at El Piano, and a coffee somewhere else. We went round the Minster, and for the first time I went down to the Undercroft and Crypt... absolutely brilliant, learning about the previous buildings on the site, from a secular Roman one to a Norman (I think) large church, replaced by the Medieval Minster. We went to Barley Hall, Clifford's Tower, Shambles, watched street entertainers.. all sorts.

At 6 I cycled home and found the family happy after playing in the garden (Gill had worked hard clearing up some of my mess too) and so she was happy for me to accept Tomoko's offer of taking me for a meal at 7.30.

We went to a pizza place and I had a really nice mushroom and olive pizza, we shared a salad and had a desert course too. What a treat.

Home soon after 10pm... bearing a couple of pallets I found on the way home!

A peaceful start to the day, and I got ready to leave at 11am to cycle to the station to meet my friend Laura and her parents, who are staying in York for a couple of nights.

They arrived at 11.35 and we walked into town to El Piano via Barley Hall. I had a hot chocolate and the others had drinks too, and discussed where to meet later. Then we split, Laura and I wandering through town via a pastie shop and the market, Anti Gravity Shop and then on to St Nicks where I had my pastie, and then showed Laura around.

On the way home I found some more Oyster mushrooms, and when we got back I fried those immediately. Laura was pleased to meet Gill and the boys, thought the boys were very engrossed in the computer and didn't communicate much, but although Gill and I see Laura as young, they see her as an adult!

We spent an hour or so at home and then went back into town... I cycled with her on my crossbar (a favourite way of transporting someone!) and we ended up at the Minster, which we wandered round. I followed Laura into the shop and was highly amused to see a wealth of 'Green Man' carvings and teeshirts etc... this is a very pagan or Celtic symbol of a man's head with ivy coming out of his mouth, symbolising rebirth (see Wikipedia for info and images). I like the Green Man symbolism... I suppose the rebirth meme is consistent with Christianity, so no actual conflict really.

Then we walked through the Shambles and to the Castle, Clifford's Tower, and up to the Pizza Hut where we ate. As we still had an hour before she needed to meet her parents, we walked down to the Millennium Bridge, over it and back up to King's Staith, where the Ghost Walk was to leave from, and we met up with Laura's parents... and I left her with them. They had been back to Barley Hall where an archaeologist from the Hungate dig was doing a talk, which they had enjoyed immensely.

I came back home, stopping to talk to my friend David, who has had a good photo session with a fairly well known York science writer. When he said her first name, I knew her surname before he said it... I'm a bit of a fan as she writes for NewScientist, and I like her writing. I've never met her but would like to.

I got home at 8.30 and helped put the boys to bed.

We both woke late, which wasn't good as we were expecting visitors and had to tidy up one of the rooms to make it presentable... I whizzed the soup and chopped up a Turk's Turban squash and microwaved it before roasting it in the oven.

Then at midday, my younger brother Tom, his wife Kate, her mum Jenny and three children arrived; we were a bit flustered but soon calmed down and made coffees and chatted, then warmed the soup and rolls, and served the with slices of roast squash. This seemed to be reasonably received.

We had a bit more chat and then Tom wanted to visit York centre, as Jenny hasn't seen it for 10 years and that was her first visit... so the visitors piled into the car and I went with them, we drove to the Monkgate car park and I took them to the Minster, where we looked at the roof bosses designed by Blue Peter viewers and tried to find the oldest tomb... then out to Stonegate where were entertained by my friend who's name might be Michael Mime, or purpleman, who was doing his cyclist 'statue' and for a donation in the tin, offers to paint the donor's hair purple.

From there we looked briefly into Barley Hall, walked down The Shambles and into Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate and then to the Anti Gravity shop, where Martin was only too happy to shop the children some of his awesome 'Yoyo Monster' tricks. Then back to Monkgate and Tom gave me a lift back to Hull Road as he was going this way back to Sheffield anyway... A lovely visit, I really enjoyed seeing them.

A large pile of washing up faced me when I got back home but I ploughed through it bit by bit whilst playing Scrabble on facebook, blogging, persuading the children to go to bed and encouraging Gill with her lovely arty doodles!

Well, a busy enough day starting with a cycle down to town to attend the CAFOD and Christian Aid - organised York Wave, a few hundred people encircling the Minster as a gesture of solidarity for those at risk from climate change and a message to our government that we want them to set ambitious, tough and binding targets at the Copenhagen talks in December.

I was glad to go, as despite my agnosticism and dislike of how some people put their religion above their love of humanity. I think we have to get over our differences and prejudices and move towards a unified goal of looking after this planet and life on it, whatever our beliefs in the supernatural, science or otherwise. I was pleased to meet lots of people I know and love and care about, and to join hands with to surround the Minster in solidarity.

After this I went to the Belfrey Hall on Stonegate, a building I didn't know existed, and took part in a debate about the issues surrounding governance and carbon emissions, developing countries and climate change. There were four speakers, Hugh Bayley, our Member of Parliament, a Nigerian called Father Blaize, an amazing 'sustainable housing' lecturer called John Grant from Sheffield, and Rashni Mistry: I'm not sure where she was from or who she represented. They introduced themselves, Hugh going on about the overseas development work he does, and John Grant was a very good speaker about the whole gamut of issues.

After intros, the chair asked if there were any questions, I got my hand up and was picked first. I asked the question which was on many people's lips, (John Grant had referred to it) which was why Hugh had voted against the 10:10 motion on Wednesday? Now I'm not sure if I heard him correctly, but I think he said he didn't vote against it, which is a lie, according to the official website (scroll down to see if your MP voted yes or no to the motion). He very cleverly wriggled out of it by going on about the small committee who had discussed the motion beforehand, and they had come to the conclusion that the House of Commons was incapable of reducing their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. Well if they'd voted to aim to do that, and maybe got to a 5% or 8% reduction, that would have been FAR better than saying 'We don't think this is possible'. I am very very disappointed with him. And, unfortunately, the more free-thinking John Grogan whom I like a lot. Our other local MP, Anne Mackintosh, voted for the motion. How sad that party politics spoiled this debate.

Anyway, back to today's discussion. The 'Energy Champion' for York, Cllr Christian Vassie, asked another difficult question as did a couple of other people. Not all the discussion was about Bayley's voting record, there were ones on insulation and water resources and other things.

I cycled home in the rain after this. Lunch. Gill went into town with the boys.

I washed up.

At 4.30 I cycled off to St Nicks to meet with Melanie who asked me if I could introduce her to foraging... she wanted to pick some sloes so I said yes, why not, on the understanding that she'd let me sample the sloe gin when ready. We also got some apples.

I had a 'use it up tea' heated on the woodstove. I had some nice 'bundles' with the boys (boisterous play wrestling which boys like doing... girls might too but it's very common in boys!) which was fun. And a quiet evening followed.

A day trip to Durham to meet up with some interesting folks who have unusual lifestyles, so went up to meet them and compare notes.

On the way from the train I met a chatty woman called Heidi, and it turned out that she is going out with our old friend Jim N from the York Arts Centre, so we swapped email addresses and we'll invite them round sometime, as we were both fond of Jim, and I liked Heidi a lot.

We met near the Cathedral in a cafe and chatted for a couple of hours, then went to the Cathedral which was having it's annual 'Open Belfry' day, so some of us paid to go up the tower and had bell ringing explained and demonstrated. Memorable.

When I got home to York I did a pick up from Out Of This World and came home to a happy family who'd had a pleasant day. I had a quick tea, a pasta and parsnip minestrone stew concoction with home-made cheese scones. Then I suggested that the family might want to go down to the Minster as there's some interactive art there, a light sculpture projected onto the West side of the Minster which reacts to sound. I cycled with my 10 year old and Gill went on the bus with the 8 year old who hasn't got lights on his bike. We arrived at the same time and we all enjoyed making lots of noise, along with dozens of other people. It was a most unholy racket, not that appropriate for a religious building, but fun! The light show was fantastic, one of the best I've ever seen.

Spent quite a long time there, til after 8pm, and the cyclist contingent got home much quicker than the bus riders.