I got up early as it was the first day of term and I had to be around to help. However, our youngest decided to not try going back to Archbishop Holgate's, and will therefore start a two week trial at the Steiner School next Monday.
However, as we had not had a reply from the Head, I wrote a letter to him asking him if he'd had it, and if so, he had anything to say about the issues. I hand delivered this. Later, we got a phone call saying they hadn't received the first letter. Gill rang the LEA, and they had been sent a Fax of it, so there are obviously major communication breakdowns at that school. We'll be invited to an interview there next week, apparently. I am very angry with the way our children have been treated, and I'm not going to back down and accept that it was all a big mistake. I believe that the school are denying that they have a problem with bullying as if they admitted to it, they'd be obliged to do something about it. And that's tough, in a culture which likes bullying behaviour and condones the belittling of people.
So both boys were at home and working, reading, and had a quiet and sedentary day.
I went on the HMRC website and submitted my tax returns. It took a couple of hours, but ended up with a calculation with them owing me 25 pence. My earnings have gone right down, so this is the first year I've not had to pay tax for well over a decade.
Got a booking for a Charity Cabaret for mainly retired and elderly folks in February, in Fulford. Should be interesting... I'll adapt my Woodlands MS Respite Care Centre show for them!
I made soup for tea... pumpkin and parsnip, as suggested by my dear mother who left a comment on yesterday's post. I was considering soup but was also considering a nutloaf. Nutloaf tomorrow... will contain some soup!
At about 6.30, I set off walking into town with our eldest son, to attend the Cafe Scientifique at City Screen. The talk was by Tim Clarke, from the Department of Electronics at the University of York, and was called 'Control: A Fundamental For Life and Living'. He's a control engineer, and gave lots of interesting examples of different sorts of controls... from genetic controls with genes being switched on and off, biological controls in homeostasis, keeping our body temperature constant, and biochemical controls, such as insulin and it's role in the management of blood sugar. It was quite an unusual talk, very wide ranging, from inverted pendulums to flocks of birds through to robots. For instance, check out this video of the Big Dog Robot. Really amazing. At one stage, Tim wanted a volunteer from the audience to demonstrate something, and as there were no other volunteers, I put my hand up. What he wanted me to do was to balance a stick on my hand... he couldn't have chosen a better person to use, as I was able to not only do it but describe what I was doing.
So, a good talk, I'm not sure I learned a lot of new stuff, but it was good to learn the meme of 'control' and put all these various things into it. Enjoyed the walk home and the discussions with my son.
My Feedjit widget tells me that over the past couple of days I've had a visitor on here from Buckingham (maybe, it's not always accurate!) who's been poring over this blog, viewing all sorts of links and spending more time than most do here! Makes me curious! So hello Person from Buckingham, on Internet Explorer 8.0 and using Windows Vista! Glad you're exploring! Do say hello!
Showing posts with label tax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tax. Show all posts
Spent nearly all of the day looking through this blog from July to April working out how much compost has been sold down at Country Fresh, to visitors to the house and stuff I've delivered. This works out at just under £200, my best year ever for compost sales. It's not much, but I don't do it for the money, that's just a nice extra.
So, Gill did paperwork all day and I did computery stuff all day... until 6 when I finished, jumped up and down (gently, my ankle is still delicate) and went to do some work in the garden.
We are now in a position to do our tax returns, which is really good as most years we leave it to the last minute. This year will be less stressful.
The highlights of the day were a nice chat with my Aunty Lizzy on the phone in the evening and a chat with a local person who'd got my details from Country Fresh, and wanted to get some advice about composting. I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with her and she was very happy with the outcome. I also enjoyed my tea, which was noodles, beans and nuts, with veg of course, sounds like a weird combination, well it was and it was delicious!
So, Gill did paperwork all day and I did computery stuff all day... until 6 when I finished, jumped up and down (gently, my ankle is still delicate) and went to do some work in the garden.
We are now in a position to do our tax returns, which is really good as most years we leave it to the last minute. This year will be less stressful.
The highlights of the day were a nice chat with my Aunty Lizzy on the phone in the evening and a chat with a local person who'd got my details from Country Fresh, and wanted to get some advice about composting. I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with her and she was very happy with the outcome. I also enjoyed my tea, which was noodles, beans and nuts, with veg of course, sounds like a weird combination, well it was and it was delicious!
A much better day. I got a lot done. I spent most of the morning sorting out the paper part of my accounts, getting them ready for electronic submission.
I popped out at lunchtime to get bread and pasties from Thomas The Baker, and then after lunch, in response to an email which was offering Freecycled materials for a forthcoming York in Transition Beehive Making day, I cycled down to town.
On the way I stopped at a skip and the man emptying the house said I could have a look through, and I found a large number of low energy lightbulbs in their boxes, a toasting fork and a freeview box. I also found a passport, so I took that in order to send that to the passport office, but a nosey neighbour over the road came out of her front door and shouted at me to not take the passport or she would tell the police. I gave it to the man cleaning out the house... I wonder what he will do with it? In retrospect I ought to have told her to mind her own business and taken it to the police myself.
I went via Alligator to get peanut butter, mayonnaise (yummy vegan stuff!) and marmalade for Gill, and then on to Kings Manor, where Dave, an archaeologist, met me, and showed me the materials he was happy to get rid of. These were four very large sheets of hardboard. I tried to get them on my trailer but they wouldn't go on without dragging on the ground... so after two tries, I broke each sheet in two and reloaded them. I still had difficulties getting these to St Nicks for storage... very unwieldy and good at slipping off. But, slowly and carefully, I cycled up to St Nicks and asked Ivana where they could be stored, and disposed of them. Whilst there I met Sarah, another Freecycler, which was nice.
Home via Freshways, and back to home where the dreaded paperwork was waiting. So I did half an hour chainsawing to use up the daylight.
After tea I went onto the computer again and worked slowly through the hmrc self assessment stuff... too slowly for the website as I had to re-log in twice, as I was reading explanatory notes. Also it was very frustrating as I tried to put some notes in boxes where it asked if I wanted to put more information... but it wouldn't accept my text. Eventually I had to put my notes in a file and attach it to the submission. I was able to pay my tax online, and by 11pm I had done it all!
A very good feeling, relief and happiness, a weight off my shoulders. Gill fitted the freeview box to the TV in the front room, and it works fine, although there isn't a remote for it, so we have a single remote control for two TVs. I think that needs sorting!
I popped out at lunchtime to get bread and pasties from Thomas The Baker, and then after lunch, in response to an email which was offering Freecycled materials for a forthcoming York in Transition Beehive Making day, I cycled down to town.
On the way I stopped at a skip and the man emptying the house said I could have a look through, and I found a large number of low energy lightbulbs in their boxes, a toasting fork and a freeview box. I also found a passport, so I took that in order to send that to the passport office, but a nosey neighbour over the road came out of her front door and shouted at me to not take the passport or she would tell the police. I gave it to the man cleaning out the house... I wonder what he will do with it? In retrospect I ought to have told her to mind her own business and taken it to the police myself.
I went via Alligator to get peanut butter, mayonnaise (yummy vegan stuff!) and marmalade for Gill, and then on to Kings Manor, where Dave, an archaeologist, met me, and showed me the materials he was happy to get rid of. These were four very large sheets of hardboard. I tried to get them on my trailer but they wouldn't go on without dragging on the ground... so after two tries, I broke each sheet in two and reloaded them. I still had difficulties getting these to St Nicks for storage... very unwieldy and good at slipping off. But, slowly and carefully, I cycled up to St Nicks and asked Ivana where they could be stored, and disposed of them. Whilst there I met Sarah, another Freecycler, which was nice.
Home via Freshways, and back to home where the dreaded paperwork was waiting. So I did half an hour chainsawing to use up the daylight.
After tea I went onto the computer again and worked slowly through the hmrc self assessment stuff... too slowly for the website as I had to re-log in twice, as I was reading explanatory notes. Also it was very frustrating as I tried to put some notes in boxes where it asked if I wanted to put more information... but it wouldn't accept my text. Eventually I had to put my notes in a file and attach it to the submission. I was able to pay my tax online, and by 11pm I had done it all!
A very good feeling, relief and happiness, a weight off my shoulders. Gill fitted the freeview box to the TV in the front room, and it works fine, although there isn't a remote for it, so we have a single remote control for two TVs. I think that needs sorting!
A good start to the day as I took the children into school, pushing the broken mountain bike I found a couple of months ago, and then cycled on to Cycle Heaven over the Millennium Bridge. I reported the found bike to the police on the day I found it, and was told that if no-one claimed it, that it would be mine in a month (28 days?) so today I got it repaired. It needed a new gear-mechanism hanger and a few other bits. When I took it in, one of the knowledgeable employees said they had seen the same bike on sale for £70. I had thought it was worth a lot more, as it has disc brakes and suspension and seemed quite chunky.... but anyway, I spent £50 getting it back into working order and it will be suitable for my son or sons when they grow into it....
I went from the bike shop to the Building Society to put a cheque in, and on to the Tax Office to see if an email I got was genuine. After a phone call from that office to another office, it appears that it was a sophisticated 'phishing' email, trying to get my bank details. It didn't succeed as I don't have a credit card, which it asked for to repay some tax overpayment.
And so to home, where I spent a bit of time doing emails and got a message from my St. Nicks friend Katie who wants to come and see my composting ops etc, and will be here at lunchtime.
I did a little bit of logging out the front waiting for her to arrive, and then gave her the tour and shared lunch with her. Good to inspire someone who is early-on in her path to living a low carbon lifestyle.
Soon enough 3pm came and Katie walked into town and I cycled to school to pick up my little boys. Got some nice feedback from the head about last-night's Green Thumb Gang activities, which was good.
Soon after we got home, the rain started and there was an incredibly heavy downpour.
At about 5pm, despite the continuing rain, cycled in to town via Country Fresh, where I dropped off another 4 carrier bags of riddled compost, and onto Mail Box Etc to do some LETS photocopying, and onto Cycle Heaven to pick up the mountain bike... and then to the Minster to meet up with any other Critical Massers... there were only 5 there... probably because of the weather. Two decided to slink off home and four of us went to the Three Legged Mare for a social, drink, and eat. One of the Massers was Jane G from Scarborough, one of my favourite activists... there was also Gillian and Andy D'Ag for company. I enjoyed the garlic olives and 'pear cider' (which I know as 'perry'!) and especially the conversation.
After an hour and a half there, bungeed the mountain bike onto my trailer and cycled to my LETS friend to deliver the photocopying, and then back home, all in the rain.
I went from the bike shop to the Building Society to put a cheque in, and on to the Tax Office to see if an email I got was genuine. After a phone call from that office to another office, it appears that it was a sophisticated 'phishing' email, trying to get my bank details. It didn't succeed as I don't have a credit card, which it asked for to repay some tax overpayment.
And so to home, where I spent a bit of time doing emails and got a message from my St. Nicks friend Katie who wants to come and see my composting ops etc, and will be here at lunchtime.
I did a little bit of logging out the front waiting for her to arrive, and then gave her the tour and shared lunch with her. Good to inspire someone who is early-on in her path to living a low carbon lifestyle.
Soon enough 3pm came and Katie walked into town and I cycled to school to pick up my little boys. Got some nice feedback from the head about last-night's Green Thumb Gang activities, which was good.
Soon after we got home, the rain started and there was an incredibly heavy downpour.
At about 5pm, despite the continuing rain, cycled in to town via Country Fresh, where I dropped off another 4 carrier bags of riddled compost, and onto Mail Box Etc to do some LETS photocopying, and onto Cycle Heaven to pick up the mountain bike... and then to the Minster to meet up with any other Critical Massers... there were only 5 there... probably because of the weather. Two decided to slink off home and four of us went to the Three Legged Mare for a social, drink, and eat. One of the Massers was Jane G from Scarborough, one of my favourite activists... there was also Gillian and Andy D'Ag for company. I enjoyed the garlic olives and 'pear cider' (which I know as 'perry'!) and especially the conversation.
After an hour and a half there, bungeed the mountain bike onto my trailer and cycled to my LETS friend to deliver the photocopying, and then back home, all in the rain.
Gill took the boys to school, although one didn't want to go and cycled off in several different directions which caused Gill some distress. She then had a long meeting with a teacher and the head about the difficulties we are experiencing.
I had a meeting with the tax office. They looked over my forms and helped me complete them, and worked our my tax burden, which wasn't too much, so I went to the building society and got a cheque out and took it in to the office. Met several of my friends in the tax office and the building society. Then to 'Staples' to see if they had the correct wireless router to exchange for the wrong one I bought a couple of days ago. They did, but it was expensive, so I went to Dixons in town where it was a tiny bit cheaper, so got it there and then back to Staples to get my money back for the wrong one.
Then onto St Nicks, where I was told that the City of York Council official had contacted our York Rotters manager Catherine to say how good and professional I'd been last night, and thank you! What a lovely thing to hear!
Home for a coffee and relax before getting on woth various jobs... including washing up a load of saucepans. Fortunately the stove had remained lit overnight and there was hot water available.
During the afternoon I tried to have a sleep as I was exhausted, but the high wind noises kept me from total unconciousness.... and when Gill went to pick up our youngest I got up and got ready for picking up the eldest from Drama.
An early tea... soup and nutloaf, and then I got ready to go and do my second Cubs 'Entertainment Badge' activity.... the circus skills of juggling, balancing, devilstick, diabolo and unicycle. It was a good session, finishing with a short performance.
On the way home my front dynamo light blew again, so came home along cycle paths and back roads with no front light, but I had to hurry as I had a CRAG meeting at 9.15.
This was a good meeting at Ivana's house with just James, Ivana and me.... hammering out how York CRAG is structured, how we do things, our roles, and about the next couple of meetings. This lasted til nearly midnight!
I had a meeting with the tax office. They looked over my forms and helped me complete them, and worked our my tax burden, which wasn't too much, so I went to the building society and got a cheque out and took it in to the office. Met several of my friends in the tax office and the building society. Then to 'Staples' to see if they had the correct wireless router to exchange for the wrong one I bought a couple of days ago. They did, but it was expensive, so I went to Dixons in town where it was a tiny bit cheaper, so got it there and then back to Staples to get my money back for the wrong one.
Then onto St Nicks, where I was told that the City of York Council official had contacted our York Rotters manager Catherine to say how good and professional I'd been last night, and thank you! What a lovely thing to hear!
Home for a coffee and relax before getting on woth various jobs... including washing up a load of saucepans. Fortunately the stove had remained lit overnight and there was hot water available.
During the afternoon I tried to have a sleep as I was exhausted, but the high wind noises kept me from total unconciousness.... and when Gill went to pick up our youngest I got up and got ready for picking up the eldest from Drama.
An early tea... soup and nutloaf, and then I got ready to go and do my second Cubs 'Entertainment Badge' activity.... the circus skills of juggling, balancing, devilstick, diabolo and unicycle. It was a good session, finishing with a short performance.
On the way home my front dynamo light blew again, so came home along cycle paths and back roads with no front light, but I had to hurry as I had a CRAG meeting at 9.15.
This was a good meeting at Ivana's house with just James, Ivana and me.... hammering out how York CRAG is structured, how we do things, our roles, and about the next couple of meetings. This lasted til nearly midnight!
Up early and looked after my youngest son who's got a bad cough and was missing school because of that. Gill went to a meeting about disability issues at school, but came in soon after 10am. I spent most of the day doing my paperwork... accounts are due in this week so the earnings from my 2 self-employed jobs have to be declared and tax paid... never my favourite work. However Gill does some of the paperwork but I still have to go through it and check it's right, and fill in the forms. Every year I think how brilliant it would be to have an accountant do it for us.... maybe this year I'll do this!
Went to the tax office after getting the eldest boyo from school (he's been at Eden Camp today on an educational visit) and have got an appointment on Thursday, the last day to give in the paperwork and a cheque....
On the way back popped into a garage which does welding to see if they'll ment my trailer. They'll do it tomorrow. Before tea did some log stacking in the back garden.
Gilly made tea, a stew with mashed potato on top... I've forgotten what she calls it.
At 6pm we all watched 'Summerhill' on BBC, it was very moving and the kids loved it too. I looked at the Radio Times to see the time of the whole 100 minute film, and although it was supposed to be at 9pm, it was scheduled to go out at 7.30, so we gave them the option to see the whole thing tonight.
Went to the tax office after getting the eldest boyo from school (he's been at Eden Camp today on an educational visit) and have got an appointment on Thursday, the last day to give in the paperwork and a cheque....
On the way back popped into a garage which does welding to see if they'll ment my trailer. They'll do it tomorrow. Before tea did some log stacking in the back garden.
Gilly made tea, a stew with mashed potato on top... I've forgotten what she calls it.
At 6pm we all watched 'Summerhill' on BBC, it was very moving and the kids loved it too. I looked at the Radio Times to see the time of the whole 100 minute film, and although it was supposed to be at 9pm, it was scheduled to go out at 7.30, so we gave them the option to see the whole thing tonight.
The boys were very fractious this morning and I trudged downstairs early to 'be a presence' and hope to ensure that they got off to school on time. They did and actually Gill had a nice little game with them in the playground before she came home again, so all was well there.
Gill went to Art Class, I went back to bed and finished reading last week's NewScientist and at 10 got up to do my tax returns. I registetred on the website... and was told I'd have to wait up to a week for a PIN activation number to come THROUGH THE POST!!!! Blimy! They didn't tell us about that on the TV ads! How annoying as I am now ready to do the return. Well, I suppose I'll just have to wait OR do it on paper... except I have mislaid the paperwork. I am so disorganised! And leave things to the last minute, almost!
So lit the stove and got some washing up water ready so Gill doesn't come home to a pile of dirty plates and pans.
We had lunch together and chatted... and Gill needed to go into town to put a cheque in so I spent some time in the garden in the wind, split some logs and did some composting and stick cutting from the pile of hedge, then at 3 I cycled down to fetch the boys, came back via the woods to fetch more logpile back!
Gill made pizza for tea, which was lovely as usual. Later, after the boys were in bed, we had a game of Scrabble, and Gill thrashed me, mainly because of a super 7 letterer on the triple score, 'ovaloid'... nice shape Gilly!
Gill went to Art Class, I went back to bed and finished reading last week's NewScientist and at 10 got up to do my tax returns. I registetred on the website... and was told I'd have to wait up to a week for a PIN activation number to come THROUGH THE POST!!!! Blimy! They didn't tell us about that on the TV ads! How annoying as I am now ready to do the return. Well, I suppose I'll just have to wait OR do it on paper... except I have mislaid the paperwork. I am so disorganised! And leave things to the last minute, almost!
So lit the stove and got some washing up water ready so Gill doesn't come home to a pile of dirty plates and pans.
We had lunch together and chatted... and Gill needed to go into town to put a cheque in so I spent some time in the garden in the wind, split some logs and did some composting and stick cutting from the pile of hedge, then at 3 I cycled down to fetch the boys, came back via the woods to fetch more logpile back!
Gill made pizza for tea, which was lovely as usual. Later, after the boys were in bed, we had a game of Scrabble, and Gill thrashed me, mainly because of a super 7 letterer on the triple score, 'ovaloid'... nice shape Gilly!
I took the boys into school and then went back to bed as exhausted.
Got up as I couldn't sleep and wasn't feeling restful, rested or restable, infact I had to go and check the emails to see if any of my friends/colleagues had sent me anything to assist in the making of the Green Festival Document to make it better and more likely to be accepted by the council.
There was one email, from Tim the council person who'd volunteered to take responsibility for organising the children's festival area, and he was pulling out. I felt depressed, rats leaving a sinking ship crosses my mind. Anyway, emailed my friends who are still supportive, I think, and asked for help.
Then it was lunchtime and after that I popped into town to put a pile of cheques in and visit Dylan at Miller's Yard and the tax office, to discuss how I deal with the impending purchase of my next bike, which will be used for Fiddlesticks, 'John the Composter' and for non-work rides. Over a phone helpline the system was explained about 'capital allowances' and how some purchases aren't considered simple expenses, but are treated a bit differently for taxation reasons. It is complicated but we'll cope!
Came back via Hes Rd Veg, Martin's Rotten Old Gunk shop and arrived back just at 3pm, in time to pick up the boys... all go... never stops!
In the evening I went to the St Nicks Volunteers event, to discuss volunteer policies and have a social. A good time was had.
Got up as I couldn't sleep and wasn't feeling restful, rested or restable, infact I had to go and check the emails to see if any of my friends/colleagues had sent me anything to assist in the making of the Green Festival Document to make it better and more likely to be accepted by the council.
There was one email, from Tim the council person who'd volunteered to take responsibility for organising the children's festival area, and he was pulling out. I felt depressed, rats leaving a sinking ship crosses my mind. Anyway, emailed my friends who are still supportive, I think, and asked for help.
Then it was lunchtime and after that I popped into town to put a pile of cheques in and visit Dylan at Miller's Yard and the tax office, to discuss how I deal with the impending purchase of my next bike, which will be used for Fiddlesticks, 'John the Composter' and for non-work rides. Over a phone helpline the system was explained about 'capital allowances' and how some purchases aren't considered simple expenses, but are treated a bit differently for taxation reasons. It is complicated but we'll cope!
Came back via Hes Rd Veg, Martin's Rotten Old Gunk shop and arrived back just at 3pm, in time to pick up the boys... all go... never stops!
In the evening I went to the St Nicks Volunteers event, to discuss volunteer policies and have a social. A good time was had.
