I got up earlier than I'm used to as my friend Tara had asked me to come over and help install her compost bins. But that wasn't all... she also requested that I have a go at using the borrowed pick axe to break up the large lump of concrete which we managed to get out last time, and there were also 3 water butts needing to be installed. This seemed a lot to fit into a 10 til 1 slot.
However, the compost bins were easy to do... I used the outline of the base of the bin to make a little trench which the foot of the bin sat in, and the soil that was removed was then put back in the edge of the trench and on the lip of the bin to secure it. We put both of them next to each other in a sunny spot. Whilst I was putting the second one in, Tara chopped up some beech twigs to make an aerated base for the first one.
Then we undid one of her pots of potatoes, there were some but I think they could have been bigger, so I suggested the rest should stay. Then we had a look at her tomato plants which she's been growing on a window sill. They needed a bit of pruning but several of them had tomatoes on, and some will still produce a few more.
We were able to do some of the first water butt installation, by removing a section of down pipe, but then we got a bit stuck with drilling a hole in the side of the butt, so Tara made lunch and I had a bit of a bash at the concrete but I only got a few bits off, and some of these struck me on the face; one cut me and I decided that I didn't want to continue with this.
I enjoyed a cheese and onion sandwich and a hummus and tomato, plus dry roasted peanuts, one of my favourite treats, and then i had to go as I told Gill I'd be back around 2pm. I loaded up my wrecking bar on the trailer (I'd brought this in case we needed to lever the concrete somewhere) and set off, but I didn't get far before my trailer parted company from it's front part; the weight of the wrecking bar had caused one of the weak points of the trailer's metal bars to fatigue and break. It has broken there before, and been welded back together. I managed to fix it with bungees, and fix the wrecking bar alongside of my top bar on my bike frame also with bungees (I should have carried it here before, thinking about it) and gingerly cycle home, hoping that the bungees held the trailer secure.
As soon as I got in, Gill went to town to try to find some clothes for the boys for school.
I had a bit of time on the computer and did some housework.
At about 7pm, we all set off for Simon and Melody's party. I cycled down and Gill and the boys got a lift with Ros and her son in their car.
I had a great time, enjoyed chatting to Phil, and then Lynn, and briefly with Kate and Alison, and I prized myself free after 11.30. A really good social time!
Showing posts with label broken trailer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broken trailer. Show all posts
A good day.... I got up in time to make my muesli and have breakfast and take my damaged trailer to Cycle Heaven (I managed to break a couple of spokes with a badly aimed attempt at a narrow bridge... the wheel slipped off and I kept going, buckling the wheel). I delivered that and then went to see Pauline, to give her a few more logs and to get my regular bottle of Port, my annual present from her. Mind you, I haven't actually finished last year's bottle yet! That's how little I drink...
But lovely to see Pauline. She had some very good news for me, potentially very good news but I promised to keep it completely confidential, so oh, blog readers, you will just have to wait. But I am very happy.
I then went to the bank, was surprised how little money we have, went to the building society and took a wad of notes round to pump up our account. Then back to the bike shop... and the chap assigned to my wheel was still wrestling with it, so I said I'd collect by the end of the day.
Cycled home and sorted out a large pile of envelopes for composting and put some cheques in the post, assorted memberships (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Equity, Garden Organic).
I finished making the tomato soup in the afternoon, and washed up and did bits and bobs of housework, plus computery stuff.
Then at 4pm, back into town to pick up my trailer and popped into see Dylan at Millers Yard to pick up his unwanted orange halves and chat about York Green Festival. We had a lovely chat and I got a second piece of very good news... but again, this is embargoed until it is ready to be made public. I cycled away happy but with a very heavy load of compostables.
I had soup and an avocado sandwich for tea, and then looked at my emails to try to find out where this evening's York in Transition meeting was. No mention of the venue whatsoever! It could be St Nicks or it could be The Stables, or even someone's house... i cannot remember and it isn't in my diary nor is it in any of the email communications... So I stayed at home and watched an excellent programme on BBC1, called The Human Power Station, a Bang Goes The Theory Special. This is available on iPlayer for a week... it's a must watch! The experiment was to install an average family into a house wired up with cameras and all the normal mod cons... and to ask them to live normally for a day. However, they didn't know that the house was switched to being powered by a bank of 80 cyclists, each on a stationary bike with a dynamo, capable of producing 100 watts if going normally, or up to 200w if pedalling really hard. The cyclists could see a dial with how much was being used versus how much was being produced... and it is a very exciting and interesting result. I loved it anyway, and decided to start a facebook 'fan' page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Human-Power-Station-Bang-Goes-The-Theory-Special/216787805126?ref=ts
So, a happy and productive day, despite my foolishness in breaking a wheel and having a reasonable bill to have it repaired.
But lovely to see Pauline. She had some very good news for me, potentially very good news but I promised to keep it completely confidential, so oh, blog readers, you will just have to wait. But I am very happy.
I then went to the bank, was surprised how little money we have, went to the building society and took a wad of notes round to pump up our account. Then back to the bike shop... and the chap assigned to my wheel was still wrestling with it, so I said I'd collect by the end of the day.
Cycled home and sorted out a large pile of envelopes for composting and put some cheques in the post, assorted memberships (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Equity, Garden Organic).
I finished making the tomato soup in the afternoon, and washed up and did bits and bobs of housework, plus computery stuff.
Then at 4pm, back into town to pick up my trailer and popped into see Dylan at Millers Yard to pick up his unwanted orange halves and chat about York Green Festival. We had a lovely chat and I got a second piece of very good news... but again, this is embargoed until it is ready to be made public. I cycled away happy but with a very heavy load of compostables.
I had soup and an avocado sandwich for tea, and then looked at my emails to try to find out where this evening's York in Transition meeting was. No mention of the venue whatsoever! It could be St Nicks or it could be The Stables, or even someone's house... i cannot remember and it isn't in my diary nor is it in any of the email communications... So I stayed at home and watched an excellent programme on BBC1, called The Human Power Station, a Bang Goes The Theory Special. This is available on iPlayer for a week... it's a must watch! The experiment was to install an average family into a house wired up with cameras and all the normal mod cons... and to ask them to live normally for a day. However, they didn't know that the house was switched to being powered by a bank of 80 cyclists, each on a stationary bike with a dynamo, capable of producing 100 watts if going normally, or up to 200w if pedalling really hard. The cyclists could see a dial with how much was being used versus how much was being produced... and it is a very exciting and interesting result. I loved it anyway, and decided to start a facebook 'fan' page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Human-Power-Station-Bang-Goes-The-Theory-Special/216787805126?ref=ts
So, a happy and productive day, despite my foolishness in breaking a wheel and having a reasonable bill to have it repaired.
Another busy day, but most of it around and about.
My first job, apart from making a couple of sandwiches to take with me for lunch, was to carefully load my trailer with a sack of drinks cartons... mostly soya milk which we've used, but also some of our fruit juice cartons, and some smaller drinks cartons from the school bins, as they don't bother to recycle. Then various electrical equipment... a video player which got the video stuck in it, and was thrown away by someone near Country Fresh, and the AVP computer tower, monitor and assorted cables, a bag of scrap iron from various places including nails from the stove and Pauline's stove, some batteries and a wok I found in some bushes...
This I cycled to the Council-run recycling 'dump' (Hazel Court) where I now know that 'officially' bikes are not welcome. There are limited recycling facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at the gate, but not for scrap metal, waste electrical equipment or drinks cartons. So I again ignored the rule which I think is stupid and was delighted to be welcomed by two staff members, who joked to each other about whether I'd applied for a permit for my trailer... I shouted back that my application had been refused. I put all my potentially recyclable items in the right place and cycled off, thanking the staff and feeling really good that I'd been treated with respect and like an ordinary punter wishing to use the facilities like anybody else. I decided to not reply to the letter telling me I do not qualify for a trailer permit, and that bikes are not allowed in the compound. I think that my occasional use of this facility, maybe once every month or two, will continue and that I'll just risk the potential of being told I'm not welcome, and in this eventuality, having to decide to ignore the person telling me I'm not allowed in, or to comply and dump the stuff on the ground at the gate, which is what I've been advised to do! What a complete farce!
Next I headed over to Country Fresh where Richard was just opening up the shop, and he had a small box of compostables for me, which I took up to the allotment and made a layer on the latest heap of mainly bramble stems and dandelion plants with parsnip-sized roots. I met one of my new neighbours, Caroline, who works at St Johns and is doing an excellent job on her plot, and at midday we walked down to the Low Moor Allotment Association Annual General Meeting.
There were about 25 people attending and it was a low-key affair really, just reports about the past year with the new shop building, the seed and potato order, the number of plots available and the waiting list, the kids allotment and various other bits and pieces. I gave out some Age of Stupid leaflets. I chatted to an American couple, Californians with unusual names that I cannot remember (!) who wanted to pick my brains about their composting attempts. They've been using bokashi and putting the material in a fabric composter and they'd brought this to the lottie today to start a compost heap on their plot. I helped them get it up to their allotment and they'd made a couple of pallet bins so I enthused and helped empty the compost out.
I spent another hot hour on the lottie weeding and preparing the soil for onion sets and potatoes.
At 2.20, zoomed off to Bryony's house in Fulford, where Barry was waiting too. Bryony wasn't around, so we waited for her and 15 mins later she arrived with her Mother after a trip to a Freecycler which took longer than usual. We had an hour discussing the meeting on Tuesday, the York in Transition Fulford Credit Crunch Discussion meeting at The Bay Horse. I'm presenting info on LETS, and we needed to work out the order to do stuff in, and who did what. Bryony has done an excellent job organising it.
I then cycled to Pauline's to remove a load of ivy she's taken off a shed. She had four sacks full and some 'matted sheets' of ivy stems from the side of the building, which is being taken down. I loaded my trailer and realised I had a flat tyre. I pumped it up but it didn't last long, going flat in less than 5 minutes. But I got most of the way home with just one stop to re-inflate. But at 2 mins from home the whole tyre/inner tube came off and the inner tube shredded when it wrapped itself round the axle. Very annoying, and I'll have to get a new tube tomorrow.
Shredded the ivy in my lovely Mountfield quiet shredder, a task I really enjoy.
Gill made spaghetti and beans for tea, home grown (dried and soaked) beans! Boys watched Robin Hood on their computer before bed time.
My first job, apart from making a couple of sandwiches to take with me for lunch, was to carefully load my trailer with a sack of drinks cartons... mostly soya milk which we've used, but also some of our fruit juice cartons, and some smaller drinks cartons from the school bins, as they don't bother to recycle. Then various electrical equipment... a video player which got the video stuck in it, and was thrown away by someone near Country Fresh, and the AVP computer tower, monitor and assorted cables, a bag of scrap iron from various places including nails from the stove and Pauline's stove, some batteries and a wok I found in some bushes...
This I cycled to the Council-run recycling 'dump' (Hazel Court) where I now know that 'officially' bikes are not welcome. There are limited recycling facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at the gate, but not for scrap metal, waste electrical equipment or drinks cartons. So I again ignored the rule which I think is stupid and was delighted to be welcomed by two staff members, who joked to each other about whether I'd applied for a permit for my trailer... I shouted back that my application had been refused. I put all my potentially recyclable items in the right place and cycled off, thanking the staff and feeling really good that I'd been treated with respect and like an ordinary punter wishing to use the facilities like anybody else. I decided to not reply to the letter telling me I do not qualify for a trailer permit, and that bikes are not allowed in the compound. I think that my occasional use of this facility, maybe once every month or two, will continue and that I'll just risk the potential of being told I'm not welcome, and in this eventuality, having to decide to ignore the person telling me I'm not allowed in, or to comply and dump the stuff on the ground at the gate, which is what I've been advised to do! What a complete farce!
Next I headed over to Country Fresh where Richard was just opening up the shop, and he had a small box of compostables for me, which I took up to the allotment and made a layer on the latest heap of mainly bramble stems and dandelion plants with parsnip-sized roots. I met one of my new neighbours, Caroline, who works at St Johns and is doing an excellent job on her plot, and at midday we walked down to the Low Moor Allotment Association Annual General Meeting.
There were about 25 people attending and it was a low-key affair really, just reports about the past year with the new shop building, the seed and potato order, the number of plots available and the waiting list, the kids allotment and various other bits and pieces. I gave out some Age of Stupid leaflets. I chatted to an American couple, Californians with unusual names that I cannot remember (!) who wanted to pick my brains about their composting attempts. They've been using bokashi and putting the material in a fabric composter and they'd brought this to the lottie today to start a compost heap on their plot. I helped them get it up to their allotment and they'd made a couple of pallet bins so I enthused and helped empty the compost out.
I spent another hot hour on the lottie weeding and preparing the soil for onion sets and potatoes.
At 2.20, zoomed off to Bryony's house in Fulford, where Barry was waiting too. Bryony wasn't around, so we waited for her and 15 mins later she arrived with her Mother after a trip to a Freecycler which took longer than usual. We had an hour discussing the meeting on Tuesday, the York in Transition Fulford Credit Crunch Discussion meeting at The Bay Horse. I'm presenting info on LETS, and we needed to work out the order to do stuff in, and who did what. Bryony has done an excellent job organising it.
I then cycled to Pauline's to remove a load of ivy she's taken off a shed. She had four sacks full and some 'matted sheets' of ivy stems from the side of the building, which is being taken down. I loaded my trailer and realised I had a flat tyre. I pumped it up but it didn't last long, going flat in less than 5 minutes. But I got most of the way home with just one stop to re-inflate. But at 2 mins from home the whole tyre/inner tube came off and the inner tube shredded when it wrapped itself round the axle. Very annoying, and I'll have to get a new tube tomorrow.
Shredded the ivy in my lovely Mountfield quiet shredder, a task I really enjoy.
Gill made spaghetti and beans for tea, home grown (dried and soaked) beans! Boys watched Robin Hood on their computer before bed time.
Firstly, would Sabine please ring us again and leave a phone number, or leave a contact email using the comment facility on this blog, I won't publish your details Sabine. Thank you from Gill and John. x
Had a busy day inside mostly... I took the boys to school and then did various research about something I want to write about in my paid blog, and mid morning, went up to Archies to sign a form booking the library quiet room for the Hull Road Ward Planning Panel. On the way out of Archies, my bike suffered a 'catastrophic failure' and the back axel broke. I was due to go up to B+Q to get a sheet of plywood for our youngest son's train layout, but instead came home to ring Cycle Heaven who kindly offered to do a repair after lunch. I then half walked, half gingerly cycled to Bishy Road and they were able to get it sorted... many thanks Ash for swift and expert service. Came home via the body-repair shop place in the Raylor Centre on James St which does welding, as my trailer has suffered another fracture too! What a day!
More research, and the developer of NET.MESOMOCO CIC contacted me to tell me he had a meeting in York tomorrow and could come to see me too. I picked up the boys and then went to pick up my trailer, which was easily fixed.
At 6.15 got myself ready to go to the Hull Road Ward Planning Panel meeting at Archies... but the front door wasn't unlocked for us, nor was the library or the library quiet room, but a cleaner unlocked them for us. A good meeting, quite a lot to do, and we used the whole hour.
Came home and did a bit of work in the garden as it was a lovely evening.
Had a busy day inside mostly... I took the boys to school and then did various research about something I want to write about in my paid blog, and mid morning, went up to Archies to sign a form booking the library quiet room for the Hull Road Ward Planning Panel. On the way out of Archies, my bike suffered a 'catastrophic failure' and the back axel broke. I was due to go up to B+Q to get a sheet of plywood for our youngest son's train layout, but instead came home to ring Cycle Heaven who kindly offered to do a repair after lunch. I then half walked, half gingerly cycled to Bishy Road and they were able to get it sorted... many thanks Ash for swift and expert service. Came home via the body-repair shop place in the Raylor Centre on James St which does welding, as my trailer has suffered another fracture too! What a day!
More research, and the developer of NET.MESOMOCO CIC contacted me to tell me he had a meeting in York tomorrow and could come to see me too. I picked up the boys and then went to pick up my trailer, which was easily fixed.
At 6.15 got myself ready to go to the Hull Road Ward Planning Panel meeting at Archies... but the front door wasn't unlocked for us, nor was the library or the library quiet room, but a cleaner unlocked them for us. A good meeting, quite a lot to do, and we used the whole hour.
Came home and did a bit of work in the garden as it was a lovely evening.
Such a busy day... lots of rushing around! Started by taking the kids to school as I was not going to be available at 3pm to pick em up.... but this changed! Had a good little chat with Mrs. P the headteacher about a child brandishing bullets in the playground bought from Eden Camp yesterday.
I started by writing a letter to Eden Camp War Museum about the wisdom of selling bullets to children. I wrote out a copy for school.
Then eventually went down to town to take my rtailer to a welder, put a cheque in, shop for a wireless router, pay a bill to CVS for roomhire for CRAG.
Got a phone call from a friend who was due to meet me at 3 saying she wasn't feeling too good, so calling the visit off. This meant I could relieve Gill of going to school at 3, she doesn't like doing the afternoon trip much.
Home for a late lunch and did a little bit of stuff outside, before going back to the welders to collect my trailer, and then back home for 3 and immediately off to school to pick up three boys.
Did more woodpile when got back but at 5 came in and lay down for a rest, but was rudely woken by lots of angry noises before 6. A rather troubled evening, although we had a pleasent 30 minutes watching the last episode of Summerhill, very moving.
Spent most of the evening sorting communications on email and may eventually try to get my wireless router done, although I doubt it. I don't rate myself highly on taks like this!
I failed miserably as I could not even work out how to plug the thing into my phone socket!!! I emailed Netgear and confessed my ignorance and stupidity and asked for help...
I started by writing a letter to Eden Camp War Museum about the wisdom of selling bullets to children. I wrote out a copy for school.
Then eventually went down to town to take my rtailer to a welder, put a cheque in, shop for a wireless router, pay a bill to CVS for roomhire for CRAG.
Got a phone call from a friend who was due to meet me at 3 saying she wasn't feeling too good, so calling the visit off. This meant I could relieve Gill of going to school at 3, she doesn't like doing the afternoon trip much.
Home for a late lunch and did a little bit of stuff outside, before going back to the welders to collect my trailer, and then back home for 3 and immediately off to school to pick up three boys.
Did more woodpile when got back but at 5 came in and lay down for a rest, but was rudely woken by lots of angry noises before 6. A rather troubled evening, although we had a pleasent 30 minutes watching the last episode of Summerhill, very moving.
Spent most of the evening sorting communications on email and may eventually try to get my wireless router done, although I doubt it. I don't rate myself highly on taks like this!
I failed miserably as I could not even work out how to plug the thing into my phone socket!!! I emailed Netgear and confessed my ignorance and stupidity and asked for help...
Up quite early and spent some time with my eldest son, watching a programme I recorded called 'Atom' which is about the discovery of atomic and subatomic physics, with Boltzman, Einstein, etc... I learned more and our 10 year old was gripped, as he's convinced he's going to be a top physicist.
After 11 I cycled to the lottie as there might have been some help needed weighing out seed potatoes or onions, but there was no-one there so I got on with digging, weeding and removing brambles. I also dug up some artechokes which we'll eat sometime soon. As I was leaving, I got chatting to an old fellow, Dave, who was admiring my trailer but he pointed out that it was broken... one of the main struts has gone through, so it'll need welding. My Bishopthorpe Welder no longer works as a welder so I'll have to try to find another. Perhaps a car garage?
I washed the artechokes when I got home and put them on to boil on the stove and went outside to split more logs.... some of the last from Woodlands, and eventually Gill and the boys came in from the 'Residents First' weekend where people in York, who have a 'York Card' can get into various attractions for free. However the places all needed tickets which were given out first thing this morning. Eventually they found the Minster was open and didn't need a ticket. So they went and did some type of quiz or something.
So for tea I had a home-grown onion, fried to caramel stage and then artechokes, previously boiled and the skins peeled off popped in with them. Gill had made a mushroom and white sauce thing, and the pepper and lentil pate patties... a very interesting meal!
Then at 7.30, cycled down to town, minus trailer (boo hoo) to Millers Yard to the 'Greenspeak' meeting which was on the United States global domination, missile defence systems and the network of 'listening stations' like Menwith Hill in Yorkshire. A very interesting talk, lots of visuals, mainly taken from US publications, many of them looking quite 'Science Fiction', except much of it is sadly science fact.
Afterwards went to the Exhibition for a drink, and ended up having two plus pineapple in vodka (a freebie) and some really enjoyable chats with the two Green Councillors and the well-travelled Sarah. When I came home I had dreadful heartburn and hiccups! However enjoyed watching to a pop programme with Gill.
After 11 I cycled to the lottie as there might have been some help needed weighing out seed potatoes or onions, but there was no-one there so I got on with digging, weeding and removing brambles. I also dug up some artechokes which we'll eat sometime soon. As I was leaving, I got chatting to an old fellow, Dave, who was admiring my trailer but he pointed out that it was broken... one of the main struts has gone through, so it'll need welding. My Bishopthorpe Welder no longer works as a welder so I'll have to try to find another. Perhaps a car garage?
I washed the artechokes when I got home and put them on to boil on the stove and went outside to split more logs.... some of the last from Woodlands, and eventually Gill and the boys came in from the 'Residents First' weekend where people in York, who have a 'York Card' can get into various attractions for free. However the places all needed tickets which were given out first thing this morning. Eventually they found the Minster was open and didn't need a ticket. So they went and did some type of quiz or something.
So for tea I had a home-grown onion, fried to caramel stage and then artechokes, previously boiled and the skins peeled off popped in with them. Gill had made a mushroom and white sauce thing, and the pepper and lentil pate patties... a very interesting meal!
Then at 7.30, cycled down to town, minus trailer (boo hoo) to Millers Yard to the 'Greenspeak' meeting which was on the United States global domination, missile defence systems and the network of 'listening stations' like Menwith Hill in Yorkshire. A very interesting talk, lots of visuals, mainly taken from US publications, many of them looking quite 'Science Fiction', except much of it is sadly science fact.
Afterwards went to the Exhibition for a drink, and ended up having two plus pineapple in vodka (a freebie) and some really enjoyable chats with the two Green Councillors and the well-travelled Sarah. When I came home I had dreadful heartburn and hiccups! However enjoyed watching to a pop programme with Gill.
