A good day, up fairly early and cycled out towards Stamford Bridge to see Julie, who is interested in going greener and I think I may have persuaded her to get a compost bin. Spent an hour or so with her and on the way back I found some honey fungus growing on a tree stump. I collected a few of these and a bit closer into York, picked up some branches which will make good kindling.
When I got in I had a good session of stacking outside the front door, and then a late lunch. A low key afternoon, mainly within the house, washing up and dealing with pumpkin seeds and fruit. I had the honey fungus for tea along with an assortment of other bits and pieces.
I popped along to Dylan T's house to sort out his recycling problem (their green bin, supposed to be used for green waste, is full of bottles and cans and mixed waste) and met Tiger, a keen cyclist whom I get good vibes from, and then I visited a friend who is battling alcoholism. They also use their green bin for cider cans... it was completely full, and we calculated that there was about £100 worth of cider there... or the empty cans which used to contain the cider. I had some deep conversations with this person, they voluntarily let me confiscate 5 cans left in the house, which I'll pay for not with cash (which would get converted into alcohol) but by getting some fresh fruit and veg tomorrow. I'm trying to be a good friend. I really don't want to lose this person, but I think it is quite likely that their addiction will kill them.
In the evening I waited in to see my Fiddlesticks photo projected onto a Warsaw building, part of an advertising campaign by Aviva, called Be The Big Picture... I participated as the company said that they would give £2 per photo to Save the Children. So at 9.23 BST my family watched for the approx 3 seconds it was up... after which I went out to the York University People and Planet Bonfire on the Allotment. I had some lovely conversations, met some good people, some of whom I'm friends with already, some I interact with mainly through facebook, and some new people too. I rolled in at 1.45am....
Showing posts with label bonfire on allotment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bonfire on allotment. Show all posts
A good day, very sunny and crisp. I went to the allotment pretty early to collect my onion sets which did not come with the rest of the order. Had a chat about the bonfire issue with the person in the office and I plan to write to the lottie officer, local councillors, MP etc to see if something can be changed....
Then back in time to watch Countryfile and do some research for my column which is due in this week. Then lunch, prepared some parsnips for tea, and then some outside stuff, then at 3.30ish I went down to the veg shop to pich up the usual sacks of compostables plus some good fruit for the boys pack ups tomorrow. I took the 4 sacks of compostables to the allotment and put them all on two of the four heaps.
Back towards 5pm, and then went to Woodlands to pick up 4 trailer-loads of wood they've put aside for me. Then came in for tea, which was parsnip and potato and cheese patties with broccoli and a home-made garlic pizza base.
Spent the whole evening on the computer, with the telly on, watching Monty Don in the Amazon and George Melly (who once flirted with Gill at the Arts Centre and put his hand on her thigh!) which was sad as it concentrated on his last months of life. What an amazing man, one of my heros, in a way.
Then back in time to watch Countryfile and do some research for my column which is due in this week. Then lunch, prepared some parsnips for tea, and then some outside stuff, then at 3.30ish I went down to the veg shop to pich up the usual sacks of compostables plus some good fruit for the boys pack ups tomorrow. I took the 4 sacks of compostables to the allotment and put them all on two of the four heaps.
Back towards 5pm, and then went to Woodlands to pick up 4 trailer-loads of wood they've put aside for me. Then came in for tea, which was parsnip and potato and cheese patties with broccoli and a home-made garlic pizza base.
Spent the whole evening on the computer, with the telly on, watching Monty Don in the Amazon and George Melly (who once flirted with Gill at the Arts Centre and put his hand on her thigh!) which was sad as it concentrated on his last months of life. What an amazing man, one of my heros, in a way.
A really lovely day! Not an early start, which was good, then a session in the garden until 11 when I came in and half-watched Countryfile whilst doing washing up and other housework.
After lunch I went to Martin's veg emporium with 5 carrier bags of freshly riddled compost and 5 bags of freshly riddled seed growing medium... a mix of leafmold, loam and a little compost. I picked up a load of bananas and a sack of leek leaves and other compostables which I took to the allotment. There were a couple of lottie-holders working on their plot and clearing brambles etc, and putting them on a small smoky fire... which was blowing gently over my plot, so I couldn't work on it. I said something very polite to them about the materials being compostable and the carbon not needing to go into the air, and their response was that they got the allotment so they could do what they wanted to do, and they wanted to have a bonfire. I didn't get more involved, but I wanted to tell them that their 'doing what they wanted to do' prevented me from doing what I wanted to do. And it is unneccessary and polluting and a waste of resources, and the lottie rules say that if you have a bonfire you should have a non-smoky one which doesn't impact on other lottie users. I will write to the lottie officer with a complaint.
On the way back up the hill, I met Peter 'Earthquake Cove' and he was having a picnic with two Norwegian girls who are studying at St John's for the term. They were having Norwegian pancakes, and I had a quarter and a short chat before getting back to my family.
I then took the boys to the park for more frisbee and logging. We spent over an hour there, and had interaction with some young teenaged lads, who were happy to help chop down some of the fallen tree.
Home to a well-organised Gilly who'd made a quiche with home-grown broccoli.
Did my paid blog in the evening on Valentine's Day and consumption.
After lunch I went to Martin's veg emporium with 5 carrier bags of freshly riddled compost and 5 bags of freshly riddled seed growing medium... a mix of leafmold, loam and a little compost. I picked up a load of bananas and a sack of leek leaves and other compostables which I took to the allotment. There were a couple of lottie-holders working on their plot and clearing brambles etc, and putting them on a small smoky fire... which was blowing gently over my plot, so I couldn't work on it. I said something very polite to them about the materials being compostable and the carbon not needing to go into the air, and their response was that they got the allotment so they could do what they wanted to do, and they wanted to have a bonfire. I didn't get more involved, but I wanted to tell them that their 'doing what they wanted to do' prevented me from doing what I wanted to do. And it is unneccessary and polluting and a waste of resources, and the lottie rules say that if you have a bonfire you should have a non-smoky one which doesn't impact on other lottie users. I will write to the lottie officer with a complaint.
On the way back up the hill, I met Peter 'Earthquake Cove' and he was having a picnic with two Norwegian girls who are studying at St John's for the term. They were having Norwegian pancakes, and I had a quarter and a short chat before getting back to my family.
I then took the boys to the park for more frisbee and logging. We spent over an hour there, and had interaction with some young teenaged lads, who were happy to help chop down some of the fallen tree.
Home to a well-organised Gilly who'd made a quiche with home-grown broccoli.
Did my paid blog in the evening on Valentine's Day and consumption.
