No green hair shirts here!

Are my chocolate Euros worth more than the real thing?

2011-12-09T05:49:00.001-08:00

I just thought I'd ask?

Won the bottle of wine!

2011-12-05T14:28:00.001-08:00

Just been to the Transition Town quiz night and our team won! I suspect because our powers of deduction -and luck-of picking the right a, b or c answer rather than our in depth knowledge of the environment, but hey, what the hell!

I have to share a couple of stunning facts with you though. The first is that bloomin' Wirksworth uses 10,000 plastic bags a week. I'm ashamed. And when each plastic bag takes at least 100 years to biodegrade that's 1 million years a week that will be needed for all our bags alone. That's just terrifying.

The other is that 50 hectares of rainfores is destroyed every single minute.

Oh dear, we're not getting very far are we?

Under floor heating

2011-12-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

How do you find someone who knows about under floor heating? It's such a new technology...we've got a pressure valve that keeps dropping to nought and we have to release it so it goes back up but every time it does, the heating doesn't work as efficiently. Nobody seems to know what to do about it. The people who provided it send us back to the plumber who sends us back to the people who provided it. Come on guys, get your act sorted!

PS. It's still warmer than my sister's Victorian house though!

Never too old to reinvent yourself

2011-11-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Oh help, you'll think I've fled the country! I'm really sorry, I haven't blogged for a while but I've been starting up a new business that I'm so excited about. It's rebootyourlifeholidays.co.uk and it's a short break holiday company for women of a "certain age" who want to nudge themselves out of their comfort zone.

We are taking over lovely 4 star holiday cottages and a b and b up the road in the stunning Monsal Head area of the Peak District and we're offering weekend breaks for women over 45. They will be a mix of workshops in styling, confidence, travel writing, using a digital camera, cycling walking and just good old fashioned fun.

We want women who may be on their own to feel they can relax amongst like minded people and maybe learn a new skill or refresh an old one.

It fits in exactly with my ethos on life which is that you need to face each day with a grin. ( No, I didn't say a grimace, pay attention!) Sometimes my grin is a bit like the Joker's and a bit manic, but it's better than a frowny face!

So, have a look at the website. If I go quiet, it's just while I'm getting Re Boot Your Life up and running...I'm still trying to be Felicity Kendal and live the Good Life and I would just like to mention, my green tomato chutney was a triumph!

Shallow, shallow environmentalist....

2011-09-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

So, when the chips are down, I lose all my integrity and head for Morrison's huh?

Oh this is sad. I am "mum sitting" while my sister is away and it is a constant round of cooking things she probably won't eat, preparing drinks she lets go cold and washing bedding and nighties to keep her feeling clean and nice. In between that, I'm trying to do bits of work so when I rush out to buy food in the hour she's asleep, what do I do? --go to the local butchers and greengrocers? Wander round several shops to find the organic or locally produced stuff?

Nope.

It's straight to the aisles of the supermarkets I eschew at all other times, it's the cheap brands because I suspect she won't eat what I prepare and because I'm in such a rush, I buy packaged varieties.

I did take some plastic bags with me though. Does that count?

Tent in Wales or last minute trip to Greece?

2011-07-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

OK, now listen to me, God of the weather, I am very happy to be an eco champion and eschew a flight, taking my tent to the Welsh coast but I want some cast iron guarantees here.

1. I want sunshine..especially at breakfast time and glass of white wine time outside tent.
2. I do not want a flood running through my tent.
3. I want beautiful sunsets so I can sit on the harbour wall and breathe deeply
4. I do not want a frozen nose at 3am

Got that?

Then we have a deal.

Showing off our air source heat pump

2011-07-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

We showed a young couple round the other day because they were thinking of putting in an air source heat pump. I think we rather overdid the enthusiasm!
How can you not be enthusiastic when you have 12 friends and family who live in big, but drafty houses threatening to move in with you over the winter! We can't help but feel smug when we read about gas prices going up.

I know, it's awful to be this superior but yer know what....

Ya boo sucks!

Anyone know of any rickshaw operators?

2011-06-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

We are trying to extend our wonderful Wirksworth Farmers' Market to the top end of town so that the traders up there are more involved. The market is going fantastically well..everyone loves it! We always have music and events and of course, it is known as the friendliest market in the Midlands. On 2nd July, we have

11.00-11.45 Chevrette ‘Early music from medieval to baroque’ (Lesley Clarke 01522-750596 and 07775-685100 lesley.clarke30@gmail.com)

11.45-1.15 John O “Tranquil Autoharp music for pleasant listening”

as well as a fantastic array of local produce and crafts. There's also a cafe being run by the Stoneywood Group.

But we want to open up parking at the top end of town and as we all know, people are lazy, so I was wondering whether anyone knew of anyone who would like to offer a rickshaw service from the car park down to the market and ( concentrate on this word...) UP back to the car park-yes we live in the hills of Derbyshire! It's not a big hill, honestly, but it could be excellent training for someone!

Do let me know

Monty Don-eat your heart out

2011-06-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

There is a very vague possibility that I shouldn't be allowed out into the garden. I am an undoubted disaster. So much for my green credentials.

Not only have my cabbages been stripped of any leaves whatsoever overnight but the "peas" I carefully staked have started sprouting lovely coloured flowers! They'll be sweet peas then.

You have to remember that this time last year, I carefully staked out emerging bindweed thinking it was beans.

Maybe I could write a book on gardening disasters. I may get drummed out of the Transition Town Growers' Group.

Talking of the Transition Town Movement, we went to the Green Fair at Regents Park on Saturday and the London branch was there. It's brilliant to see the TT net growing, we will report back to our core group here in Derbyshire tonight, but it was also great to see so many people there. The other thing I noticed was that there wasn't that much litter. That contrasted very sadly with Finsbury Park where we went for a picnic ( I know, blame elder daughter, it was her choice) on Friday night. It was absolutely foul, full of litter and rubbish. What is it about our nation? Why do we have to drop litter. People go to a green space and then completely ruin it.

What do you think? Any gardening disasters you want to share? What do you think about our rubbish problem? Have you seen CPRE's campaign to try to stop people throwing litter out of cars..that would be a start, don't you think?

End of rant, back to sorting out this quasi veg patch.

Il faut cultiver mon jardin

2011-05-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

I remember that phrase from "Candide" when I was at Uni and as I sat at the bottom of my garden last week, glass of wine in hand, listening to the stream, the simplicity of nature struck me - and all right, I know I'm totally ignoring Voltaire's deep and meaningful philosophy from the book, but there are times when you need to be simple and shallow!

I've had a difficult time with an ailing mum and I needed to escape down to the bench and just close my eyes and listen to the bees, the babbling stream and the birds. It made me drop my shoulders and I definitely felt better.

Then the next morning, I got a text from the local Growers' Group. They are planting in the Community Garden and the text was all about what plants they were putting in, how the watering was going and what plans they had.

It made me smile.

There are moments, even when life is throwing the book at you that nature can remind you that plants still grow, flowers bud and blossom and spring comes.

Phew.

Voltaire can have his cynicism, thanks, I'll just go and cultivate my garden for real.

We've done fish discard..now let's look at fashion

2011-04-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

Have a look at this blog:
http://thiftycouture.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-beginning.html?showComment=1302779014685#c1816337970548205950

We've had publicity about fish discard but what about the fashion industry? They are unbelievably wasteful. This sounds like a really good idea.

Our planet

2011-03-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

What is happening to the world? What exactly is going on? Are we going to learn anything from all this?
If we get rid of tree belts, then tsunamis, lava from volcanoes and landslips can power through lands without having their force challenged at all.
If we build nuclear power stations then we run the risk of natural disasters causing a global catastrophe. Even in this country, their "safety" can be compromised by a terrorist attack or a plane crash.

Watch and learn, leaders.
If we work against nature then we will be the the losers.
We are small and insignificant and although there is little doubt the planet will survive, we may not.

All we can do is look after our little bit of the planet, plant our bulbs, grow our own food and walk instead of getting in our cars, but we aren't the ones who look after the bigger picture. Wouldn't it be nice if those in power would do what we're doing on a small scale here in Wirksworth in our Transition Town movement, on a bigger one?

Good job the sun came out today and I could sit on my bench and drink in the sunshine. Sometimes it's hard to be a Polyanna.

Transition Towns don't have to be woolly and homespun!

2011-02-22T02:57:00.000-08:00

We had a meeting of the Transition Town core group last night which was a proper workshop about running a meeting.

I was lulled into the usual feeling of cosy warmth and welcome when the flipcharts came out! It was done really well and I learned a lot, especially about the fact that just because we are a sustainability group, that doesn't mean we can be wishy washy.

But running effective meetings, with goals, structure and engagement doesn't mean we lose sight of the essence of Transition Town which is that we involve the whole group, play to people's strengths and allow people to say no.

This was an interesting one because volunteers can get swamped and end up walking away.

Another interesting aspect was that you have a Mood Watcher..who keeps an eye on the feel of the meeting and if people are beginning to be glazed over or left out, then the MW pipes up! I thought this was a lovely idea and I was so grateful for the moment when the MW pointed out last night that we were losing the thread. Oh for one of those in some of the meetings I go to!

It's also about priorities. At various points in a meeting, you re-evaluate the time you have left and adjust your priorities so's you're not trying to do too much.

And then the one that is glorious to hear..you MUST finish on time.

I remember as a junior reporter going to council meetings where they would spend two minutes passing a £3m scheme and two hours discussing what toner to put in the printer. They needed a Mood Watcher!

The forests are still mine then!

2011-02-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

That's really good news! But what's better news is that in our own little British way, we are just as rebellious as the Egyptians when we believe in something and anyone who thinks they can get their commercial little mitts on our forests have been brilliantly scuppered!

Tiny shoots of recovery

2011-02-09T03:17:00.000-08:00

Not the economy, but us. It's been a tough winter with house renovations, work pressures and husband falling off ladder but yesterday, I spotted some snowdrops and the first shoots of daffodils.

This is why the environment is so important.

We need to know the world is going to renew itself. I need to know that the earth will re-emerge, just as green and beautiful as it ever was. I've been watching our little community of birds re-emerging looking for the food I put out. I was even pleased to see the magpie, although I haven't seen the one with the broken wing who amazed me with its ability to hop around using props to get from one place to another. Maybe it hasn't survived the winter.

Ok, this is waffling now.

I've been watching Richard Bilton's programme "Who gets the best jobs?" and then one called "Young, jobless and living at home" ( this is on I Player cos getting an aerial sorted in this dip we live in seems to be a mammoth task). So, the answer for our offspring is to work for nothing for at least a year, being supported by rich Daddy. Went wrong there then.
Work has to be worthwhile, you have to feel good about yourself and the job you are doing so what is the point if our youngsters aren't valued enough to pay them a living wage. Are we going backwards?

Been slacking in my duties!

2011-01-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

Oh help, I've been so absorbed in our house that I've ignored issues in the big wide world! I feel I'm only just able to worry about the rest of the planet again.

Let me start at the top: we have no telly as yet cos the aerial isn't up, but I've been watching Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Big Fish Fight and I've just watched the last one. It's disgusting what we are doing to our fish stocks. I feel really incensed. We throw away tonnes of cod and other good fish because we use purse seine nets ( had to Google that one!) which just catch everything and then they're all dead by the time they throw them back because they aren't allowed to catch them because of fishing quotas. Why can't they just go out fishing less and keep the whole catch?
Also, we feed good fish to feed farmed salmon. He was saying why can't we eat the good fish in the first place instead of the ubiquitous cod.
And then there's fish and chip shops. Why can't they sell mackerel baps instead of it all being cod and haddock?
We are really going to have to act on this one..come on, folks. Sign up!

And then there's our tree in town. We heard the other night that the Town Council were planning to cut down the beautiful plane tree because the roots were coming up through the tarmac and there was a danger someone might trip over. We raced up to the Town Council meeting and asked them to think again. It's a nonsense that just because they have put tarmac down instead of paving slabs that could be taken up, sand put down and the roots accommodated, that we have to lose this beautiful tree. Thousands of urban trees are being taken down because of health and safety or lack of water because of too much tarmac. Trees make our streets special. They make them human. We suggested there should be a seat put round the tree so that people can sit under it. We hope they were listening.

You can see I've emerged from house building!

pink house-with spots

2011-01-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

That's an interesting development! We have a pink house with spots on. It looks like something out of a fairy tale- it looks just so silly, it can't be real. Oh but it is.

It's all in a good cause however, dear reader. This is the insulation that is going to keep us toasty and warm and cheap! Tomorrow it will be meshed and then after that it will be rendered, so hopefully at the end of all that, its resemblance to the 'orrible 1960s' bungalow will be ended, over, caput, finished.

I had a masterclass in the underfloor heating system yesterday and I think I've got it. You leave the heating on all the time but as soon as the room reaches the temperature on the sensor, it cuts off, so throughout the year, you can probably leave it on because it won't use any electricity. That's the theory, I'll keep you updated as to whether that's the fact or not. We haven't had our first electricity bill yet. But the air source heat pump is very quiet and doesn't bother us at all and once we get this insulation finished, we should notice even more of a difference. I am getting very used to a constant temperature of 25 degrees and get a hell of a shock when I come outside!

And yes, thanks for asking, Peg Leg is improving. Shuffling around nicely now.

Life doesn't always go according to plan

2011-01-07T03:50:00.001-08:00

Well, 2011 has arrived with a vengeance. We are in the house, we sort of camped before Christmas and that was OK. Then last Sunday, KP fell from a ladder and has been in hospital since with various broken bones that should eventually mend OK but not what we envisaged for the beginning of the year.

I am trying very hard to do my Polyanna act so..

He will recover
We are no longer in a one bedroomed place with a loo downstairs
It wasn't snowing ( shouldn't have mentioned that one..it is now)
It wasn't before Christmas

Ok, that's it, that's all I can think of on the positive front. Off to pick him up shortly and I suspect we are going to both need all our patience and fortitude to get through the next two months.

Just made a round of cuppas for the builders who've watched me through all this move, build and accident. They've been very sweet. Especially the day I couldn't even find a room to have a howl in!

So, 2011, you'd better do better than this. So far, I'm not impressed.

PS: the house is looking lovely and is very comfy and warm but so far I haven't been able to imagine it without builders.

Move in minus 2 or maybe even 1 day..living on the edge

2010-12-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

No, seeing as how you ask...we are not ready to move in! Nearly, granted, and it could all come right by tomorrow night but it's not there yet. All credit to the builders, they are pulling out all the stops to get us in and were still there at 7.30 last night, two of them stayed till 9. If you are reading this Moggs, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

All we need are carpets in the bedrooms and the wooden flooring in..everything else can wait but we can't move anything back in until we have the floors down. Then there are the skirting boards to do. Ah me.

So I'm sitting in our little one bedroomed place looking at what I need to pack but there is no point doing it until the last minute. We won't be able to get anything out of storage until next week at the earliest so we will be sitting on mattresses in the lounge but we will be in, I confidently predict.

Wood burning stove going in today. This is so exciting.

I may be too busy packing boxes and working out how to live with no furniture for the rest of the week, so for anyone who has more time than me and is reading this blog, I'd like to wish you a really really happy Chrimbo. Make eco mistakes but remember, the reason we're all sitting here shivering is because we've all been wasteful, naughty people!

Move in minus 6 days

2010-12-16T02:56:00.000-08:00

And I'm not nervous..no not a bit of it, especially not at 3am when I clamber downstairs for the chamomile tea. Are we going to make it? I'm assured by those in the know that we will but when I saw the house yesterday, I did have an odd little doubt. By 2.57am they had grown to huge panic. Twill be fine ! We may be camping out on floors surrounded by builders but we will be in.

Anyway, what I did want to share with you, and those of you with large, draughty old houses won't want to hear this...but oh, the warmth as you walk in! It's just fab. There's not a radiator in sight, the air source heat pump is gently ( yes, gently, no great noise) churning away outside and we have heat! I am seriously going to love this. I heard of someone who just laid their washing out on the tiles in the kitchen and came back in the morning to it all dry! As we have racks all over the one bedroomed little place we are in at the moment, that sounds just great.

The man from the window company ( A and M Profiles) came yesterday to see if we were happy, I put a hand next to the bedroom window and there wasn't one little bit of cold air. Yep, I'm happy.

We're waiting for the next snow--no please, no more, got too much to do and I've sort of done snow this year, but there is a little bit of me that wants to challenge the weather to do its worst so we can be exceptionally smug!

Piccies

2010-12-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Well, you asked for some, so here they are. It's looking more like a house and we should definitely be in for 22nd, maybe even before????

Apologies to my readers!!!

2010-12-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

I've had complaints that I haven't been updating on the house...see, I do have readers! Amazing. Nobody more surprised than me!

Anyway, it's move in day minus two weeks and one day. We are due to "camp out" with minimal stuff on 22nd which should be fun.

As it is minus 16 degrees with 2ft of snow still here, we will be thrilled to little mint balls to move into our completely insulated house that feels warm even now and only the dehumidifiers are on. Wait till we get the air source heat pump going...not to mention the wood burning stove!

I may never move out again till spring.

So, I will take some pix today to update you which means I have to go down at lunchtime cos otherwise it's dark. Kitchen is in, so I'll put those pix for now to keep you going.

Watch this space!

To LED or not to LED? That is the question.

2010-11-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

But what is the answer?

We've done the first fix for the electrics, all the cables are there waiting but we have been struggling to decide on the best lights to put in. We want to put LEDs in but there's so much conflicting information, that we've become befuddled.

I think the answer is to have recessed lights in the ceilings where possible--don't put the white LEDs in-you'll think you're in an operating theatre- and a tracking system in other places so that we can put in a mixture of lights.

We asked electricians, suppliers and manufacturers and none of them agree! It is a minefield.

Roll back the days when we used to buy a 99p paper light shade from Habitat!

Crisp packets out of potato peelings? Bring it on!

2010-10-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Have a look at this.....http://http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=18795 it's about how Walkers are looking at using potato peelings for crisp packets. YESSSSS! As one of thousands of us who wander round picking up crisp packets on our streets, all I can say is- about bloomin time! Do pass the word and let's put pressure on Walkers to put their money where our mouths are!

Proper house innit?

2010-10-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Oh we are getting so posh! It's beginnning to look like a proper house with plaster board, insulation on the floors and the first fix lighting. As you may know, I have had a real problem with this build in that when it was a naff bungalow with swirly carpets, it was, at least, a home, with our things in it. Once they took all that away, all we were left with were the bare bones of the ugliest, most charmless, small building you can imagine. I hated it.

Well, I went down this week and now there is some plaster board and you can begin to see the spaces, I had a little moment of vision when I saw, for the first time, what this little house might look like. We went to see some friends' house and they are at the skeletal stage so I felt fo them and came back to find our floors insulated with gloriously thick padding. It felt warmer already. Also, we went to Grand Designs at the NEC on Friday and I did feel a smug little glow when I realised we were putting our money where our mouth was and were doing a really eco project that will be warm, cosy and best of all, cheap to run. It made me feel really good.

Transition Townies-- don't you just lov 'em?

2010-09-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just been to Transition Town movement and we are having a party in February. In between organising the local sausages, it was mentioned that we should have a Tranquillity Team.

Now this is a term that one of our members heard at the Climate Camp and to begin with, I didn't understand what it was. Then I realised it was bouncers!

Firstly, I can't see that a Wirksworth party of families and transition town types would need bouncers but secondly, the term Tranquillity Team just made me giggle. That just sums it up really....why I love this movement, why I love this team and why I love this upbeat, fun town.

It really cheered me to know that instead of conflict, agression and confrontation, we only deal in calmness, co-operation and negotiation. Shame the rest of the planet doesn't practice that too.

progress and ordered new kitchen

2010-09-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

OK, close your eyes and imagine! This space will be filled one day in hopefully, the not too distant future, with a posh new kitchen. I know, I find it hard too but I'm assured twill be lovely. I'm not a designery person so I can only visualise what I can see, and yes, I see bare concrete, mud and muckyness when I am there but when I flick through magazines, I can see a beautiful house that's warm, eco and cosy.

We're having a warm roof put on so that it will be all toasty. Now we're looking at LED lights to see how they would work. I want some of Esther's ( Curiousa and Curiousa, downstairs in our office) lovely hanging pendant lights and she and KP have been pouring over a websites that has more attractive energy efficient lightbulbs than the orrible ones you buy in the shops, but I'm not sure nice, individually designed hanging lights are in the budget. Hmmm, shame. I may have to get more work so I can justify the expenditure. Haven't got time, too busy choosing bathrooms now!

End of destruction, beginning of construction!

2010-08-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

I have been promised that that's it..the last of the demolition. From now on, it's onwards and upwards. Now, that picture of a block wall may look really boring but it is the first bit of new build and therefore, to me, it looks like the Taj Mahal.

We took a week's holiday last week--and spent it at Ikea. It was really sad, we even took sandwiches with us. I did look round for a post card but for some reason, they don't do them.

But on a positive note, we have recently talked to someone with a air sourced heat pump and they were really enthusiastic which is reassuring, because it is difficult to find out independent information on these things. At this moment, my other half is chatting to a lady who is planning her own eco build, she too is struggling for information.

If you want to, do have a look at this month's Self Build and Design mag, you'll see that I've bared my soul about our project.

Off to check the next course of blockwork now!

This is the worst it's going to get...apparently!

2010-08-24T04:36:00.000-07:00

So, it can't get any worse, there's nothing left to demolish. Now it's a matter of building it back up. I'm really relieved because, believe me, there's not much left at all.

Check out the pic of one of our builders shovelling all our rubble into a wonderful rubble guzzler..then we are able to use all that waste as hardcore for the floors. Such environmental brownie points!

Also, you can now see how high the kitchen through to the dining room will be, I think that 'll look good ( ok, so you need some imagination, but all those in the know...husband, architect and builder look up sagely and nod approvingly)

We're spending our " holiday" going round kitchen places, having arguments about worktops we can't afford anyway and generally playing with little pieces of graph paper. My lovely ideas about posh sinks and cookers are being downgraded daily until I'll be lucky if I get a bucket and a match.

It's fun, this bit, though. At least it would be if a certain person's eyes wouldn't keep showing cash registers like Tom and Jerry.

chimneys and badly built bungalows

2010-08-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

So the chimney wasn't keyed into the brickwork huh? So it had to come down when we took the support away. It's really good to know that when we have finished this 'ere house, it will stand for years. It does show how standards have changed. The pile of rubble is growing though.

It's really looking like a building site now..especially since the downpours last week. It's strange, I hate the whole building at the moment. I lived in it quite happily for three years, knowing that one day we would change it and I would wander round muttering cheerful obscenities against the green kitchen, the green bathroom and the green carpet, but now that it's not recognisable in any shape or form, I loathe it. I look at it with furrowed brow and clenched teeth. It was like my Auntie Ida with her knitted tea cosies--dated but sweet, and with our things in, it did have a feel of home. Now, it's more like a cardboard cut-out of a property, without character or charm and certainly nothing to do with us.

Fortunately, I think we're almost at the end of the demolition road so hopefully, it will start looking like something more interesting.

The debates re air source heat pumps, photovoltaics and water harvesting continue but in rebellion against momentous decisions, I went and weeded my veg patch at the weekend which was quite restorative and made me remember that, yes, this is my home.

No wonder we're all confused

2010-08-11T08:17:00.001-07:00

We are trying to our bit..we are trying to do this house in an eco friendly way, but when you read things like this.... http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=18533 ...you begin to wonder.

So do we put in a water harvesting system or not?

There's so little independent advice available on building in an environmentally friendly way, it's hard to make the right decisions.

But on a good note, just been to see the house and you see all that rubble? Well, it's all going to crushed on site and re-used. That's good, n'est ce pas?

There's so little left of the original bungalow now, I do wonder whether we should have knocked down the whole thing and started again. That would have saved us VAT but in this upside down world, you pay VAT on a re-build where you are saving parts of a building but if you get rid of it all and import all new stuff, then you don't. I do so love joined up thinking by government.

Day 9 of build: anyone got any info on air source heat pumps?

2010-08-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Mixed day: one quote on posh, modern, double glazed windows has come in . It's only a little house for heaven's sake, not Chatsworth!
Photovoltaics could make us money. We could pay off the cost in a matter of months. These feed-in tariffs are brilliant.
We think we're going for air-sourced heat pump but can anyone tell me, what happens when it goes to below minus 10? We've heard they're not at their most efficient when it's that cold..surely that's when you need the extra heat? Any thoughts welcome on this. It's hard to find the information.
LED lights. Talked to Mike at Peli Deli today in Wirksworth. He's having LED lights fitted and reckons the installation will be paid back with 9 months. Again, we've asked him for information cos it's hard to get independent advice on these things.
Maybe blogs like this are the way to go to gather information?
So, off to have a look at today's demolition work. Will post pix tomorrow.

Just one thing, we have a " death spot!"..the builder has gruesomely gathered three dead mice and a bluetit on my daughter's bedroom window sill. Too much information!

Day 5 progress

2010-08-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is sooooo exciting. It's amazing how much serious damage can be done in a week to a naff bungalow. It's still hard to see how good it's going to be but I am assured by those in the know that the wreck that now stands before me WILL be a lovely little house. The little is important because this is not a Grand Design. This is a compromise project. I went up to my sister's this week to keep an eye on my mum while my sister was away and by the time I had been up and down the stairs 46 times by 10am, I realised why she is losing more weight than me who trundles 6ft along the corridor to the bedroom. But, theoretically, there is only the two of us so at least we won't get lost and I can still hoover from one plug which has to be a major plus in any woman's life.

I am using the excuse that I need to water my tomatoes to go and have a daily nose at the progress and taking the opportunity to take a picture diary.

See below or above or alongside, wherever this blog puts pix and I will keep you posted.

DAY 1 of THE PROJECT

2010-08-02T05:20:00.001-07:00

So, the builders have bought the tea bags, the electrician has isolated one plug they can use for their kettle and we have moved out. Well, we moved out before the builders came,

but you probably realised that and I'm still tired from the move!

We can't find anything as most things are in storage but after 3 years of undoubtedly unnecessary agonising, we are finally re building our naff bungalow into a much more tasteful and eco house. I will blog progress and let you know how we are getting on. We are intending to put in solar panels, shed loads of insulation, water harvesting and lots of other eco type thingies. We will also, finally, have a house that reflects us and our taste and, even better, no more swirly carpets, artex or gas fires with pink and light brown stone surround. Yipee!

You have to understand, dear reader, that all this is being done because of my Christmas tree.

I have struggled for three years to make that house look pretty and festive at Yuletide but I have failed. Yep, despite the individual wooden figures from Prague, despite the discrete little white fairy lights and despite the little red lanterns with twinkling candles, it has looked wrong, so wrong. I mean, if you can't make a house look nice at Christmas, what hope is there?

So now the house is being designed around my Christmas tree and I have been promised we will be in for 17th December, you can follow my increasing tension here.

2010-08-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

The tasteful 1960s' bungalow that will be no more. This is the last time you will see it in its present state, it will undoubtedly look worse before it looks better!

The Alan Titchmarsh of Derbyshire...or not

2010-06-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

Found some lovely little plants where my beans had been last year, so I re-planted them in nice neat rows, staked them with canes and string and watered them.

It was only yesterday when friends were visiting, I found I had been lovingly tending bindweed.

Oops!

Is this what our future holds?

2010-06-16T03:04:00.001-07:00

Just have a look at this..it isn't science fiction! http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/16/centre-for-alternative-technology-eliminate-carbon-emissions

Can't say it makes me feel too depressed-I can live like that, just might have to get rid of my car if the cheapest electric is £20k!

Sounds OK to me. Bring it on.

Tipi living

2010-06-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

We've been playing at being red indians...actually we were a bit blue at 3am when the fire went out, but that's beside the point. We went to Hay on Wye Festival ( yes, scarf draped around linen shirt to blend in with literary types) and again stayed in a tipi, which is just fabulous. Next year it will undoubtedly rain because we have had two fantastic years but we sat at the tent door watching the flames from the fire in the middle of the tent and gazing at the stars. It was magical. (Try it, but not at Hay time, cos they're ours!...Hay Outdoor Training)

We went to several talks about the environment but they did prompt a few comments:

Nik Gowing reckons we will survive as long as we have GM crops and high yields but like nuclear power, we are creating a monster that we don't know how to control so no thanks, Mr Gowing.

Michael Pollan talking to Montague Don ( that's like saying Mr F.W. Woolworth) : don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognise: I like this one, a low fat yogurt contains three and a half cubes of white sugar.

Rosie Boycott and a panel talking about people displaced by climate change: one fact I remember is that £200 billion would save all the people who are left homeless by hurricanes, floods etc. That's a lot of money until you realise that £32 bn was paid to bankers in bonuses in the US. Not so much then. Cafe Direct got a bit hot under the collar when someone suggested that they had patronised people in their film by getting them to say they WERE Cafe Direct...that they somehow were being assimilated like the Borg into the brand. Bit far fetched I thought but shows how your message can get twisted.

Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC, is a former vicar! Does that give us more hope than some bankers have more ethics than the fact above would suggest?

David Remnick on Barack Obama: more about race than environment but the best talk of all! He sounds like the sort of US president you'd like to have round for a cuppa! Maybe he'd like to see my veg patch.

Guerilla gardening

2010-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Don't tell anyone but I'm becoming a subversive!

We had a Transition Town meeting and we've decided it's time for a bit of guerilla gardening. Suffice it to say, we are all armed with sunflower seeds, peat free compost and torches.

I can't tell you more because then I would have to kill you.

Mass murderer!

2010-05-11T02:08:00.000-07:00

Oh help, I suspect we are responsible for mass murder!

Yesterday, the natural little pond that has formed across the stream from us next to the public footpath, dried up. Lots of little tadpoles were spotted gasping for life but before I could get out there with my little bucket, someone else had come to their rescue and had whisked them away to the Junior School pond.

But this morning, we had water gushing out of a manhole at the bottom of our drive.

It doesn't take much of a brain to work out that we have a leak somewhere on our property. That leak could have diverted the water from the natural pond and eh voila, we 'ave no water for the little tadpoles.

I would now publicly like to confess that we are undoubtedly responsible, albeit inadvertantly, for the death of thousands of tadpoles who may have breathed their last on account of our leak.

I am waiting for a call from the water people who are coming, hopefully, to mend the leak but I know that every time I see a frog this year, it will give me THAT look. I also have to keep my head down in shame as I pass all the small children who rush every morning to the pond to see how the wonders of nature are progressing in what was a really lovely natural phenomenon.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa.

Never mind the election, what about my veg plants?

2010-05-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

There's a real sense of excitement and anticipation...no, not because of the election..but because I've put some veg in. I admit here and now, I have no idea what I'm doing with this veg patch but it keeps surprising me as it seems to be developing a mind of its own. I hadn't got round to taking out my purple sprouting broccoli from last year and lo and beyold, it's flowered again and was very tasty with mackerel, thank you very much! The curly kale has used hair straighteners and is reaching skyward and I suspect may be like cardboard and I have four leeks left that I'm saving for a special occasion.

The problem this week has been that, in typical style, I raced out in the sun to put in some veg plants only to hear yesterday that there was likely to be a frost at night, so in my pjs, in the dark, I raced out clutching 3 metres of fleece to tuck it in! Trouble is, I keep forgetting to take it off during the day so the "sun" can get to it. I remember when I get in from work--bit late in the day.

The transition town meeting was brilliant except we had an excellent but thoroughly depressing talk from local author and well known scientologist ( and a member of the Government's Cobra emergency group) Bill McGuire who wrote "Seven Years to Save the Planet. His words were so sobering, all our excitement and optimism plummeted. But despite our bravest efforts, we in Wirksworth can't save the whole world, only our bit of it, so we rallied.

Judith ( reduce, recycle, r-use) turned up looking very glam in "Cat Protection" chic, Glennie ( community and fun) urged us all to take our sunflower seeds and guerilla garden and I tried to persuade people to support our excellent, independent shops. Then we all had a drink and felt better.

That surely is the whole point of this blog. I know that millions will die in global warming; I know that we will all run out of electricity and that countries will disappear without trace, but I can't live feeling that life isn't worth while. The Sword of Damocles has to take a few days off in my life.

pedal power!

2010-04-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

So, we've all strangely survived not being able to jet off on hols have we? Apart from the man who missed his son's wedding and one poor child who couldn't get to an operation, I found it hard to join the general feeling of crisis and disaster.

I did want to share this with you though: A hotel has linked up the exercise bikes in its gym to the grid and are giving a free meal to anyone who produces 10 watt hours or electricity or more! Genius. http://http//www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=17946

Oh and the Transition Town movement in Wirksworth is gaining momentum. We're having our second meeting on Monday and it's really getting the town buzzing. As you can see from the photo, the only thing we need is some youngsters to join us!!!

2010-04-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Wirksworth clean up day. Hope our town stays sparkly and clean for a long time to come..do you know we spend £2.1 million a DAY cleaning up after 5% of the population who don't know how to clean up after themselves and their dogs. Dunt it make you mad?

reclaim the streets....with the sunshine

2010-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had a clean up day in Wirksworth and about 35 people turned up to wear fluorescent jackets and make our town sparkling ready for a beautiful spring-- shouldn't have to if dingbats wouldn't drop litter--but it was a fun community event. As I handed back my jacket I passed this lot enjoying the sunshine and I thought I would share the picture with you. Wirksworth houses often don't have gardens and that's one of the things that makes it the close community it is. Once you sit out and people go by, you tend to talk to them--far better than hiding behind fences and hedges.

As the sun comes out, why not take your chair to the front of your house rather than the back and talk to everyone who passes. Try it, you'll be surprised what fun it is.

Find out whose policies you really agree with

2010-04-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

Try this, it's fun and very revealing. You pick a set of policies without knowing which party it is.

http://voteforpolicies.org.uk

The only problem is that so much of the language is woolly and inaccessible...do they really want people to understand them? Why don't they speak in plain English?

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I came out mostly Green Party which was slightly smug-making!

Let me know your results

PS: bought everyone the little Lindt bunnies for Easter..a sort of compromise on packaging cos they're only wrapped in foil but after watching the programme about chocolate and Nigeria, I wanted to buy Fair Trade but they were encased in cardboard..being a greenie is all about compromise and weighing it all up. Now I have weighed myself up and frankly, no chocolate at all would be the "weigh" to go this week!

My kinda town!

2010-03-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

So, we're off! Transition Town Wirksworth here we come! A packed meeting full of enthusiastic, upbeat people who want to make our town into a green utopia. Sounds good to me! My favourite bit was the idea that we should have lots of fun events that helps the community to come together. So, veg swaps, skills swaps, tool swaps..all those sort of pooling of resources sounds like an ideal way to start us off. But I also liked the idea that we could find out what one thing people go to supermarkets for and then see if the shops in town can supply them. We have a fabulous array of independent shops but there is an odd thing you can't get here so if we tell them what those things are, then maybe they can supply them. But it was a really upbeat, inspiring meeting, so I'll keep you in touch.

gardening help for jam

2010-03-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

We've got our first major Transition Towns meeting tonight and I'm talking about the economy. I'm hoping that people will come up with loads of ideas but I'm starting off with the Letts Scheme which I heard about years ago, where you swap skills, knowledge and help. It is such a brilliant idea. It's breathtakingly simple..you just offer what you're good at or what you like doing and then use other people to fill the gaps to help with what you hate or aren't good at and there's no money involved.

That might mean I can get help and advice with my veg patch, but I can help people write a difficult letter. It means that Grannies can help teenagers with advice on how to deal with difficult parents (!); older people can find out that young people in hoodies can actually help you set up a conversation with your grandchildren in Australia without mugging you and stealing your pension; gardening help can be swapped for car maintenance; ironing can be swapped for babysitting..the possibilities are endless and not a penny changes hands. It brings the community together, makes them all feel valued and we all get those irritating jobs done! Perfect.

I also want to stress how lucky we are in Wirksworth that we have such a brilliant range of independent shops. I save a fortune by shopping in town which is against everyone's perception of local shops. By only buying what I need I save masses of money. I think we need to start to value that and pledge to support our local services more and maybe have a loyalty scheme.

It's all really exciting and I hope people will be inspired. I'll let you know.

2010-03-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Transition Town here we come!

2010-03-10T07:42:00.001-08:00

Wirksworth is going to be a Transition Town! How exciting is that? We are going to look at ways to be sustainable in transport, food, renewable energy, housing developments, improving the natural environment, reducing/re-using and recycling,local enconomy. But the one that made me woop with delight was the developing community/having fun one.

YESSSSSS!!

Isn't this what it's all about?

As we all tucked into cake and slurped our tea, we all bonded as members of a vibrant community. We planned, we wrote lists, we got inspired.

It's fun to be green, no really, Mr Daily Mail reader who worries about microchips in bins, it is. It gets you together with your neighbours, it saves you money and it opens up all sorts of opportunities..what's not to like?

So, I'll keep you in touch with how we get on. First, we have to inspire the rest of the town in a meeting to show them the vision of what we can become. Then we have to do it.

That's it then. Sorted.

Oh, and I meant to let you know what my floppy leeks were like..well, they tasted fine in a soup, but I'm not sure whether they would have graced a dinner table. But maybe some help in growing my veg is something we ought to put on our list for Transition Towns.

Maxim for the day: I've had a fabulous life, I just wish I'd realised it earlier: Colette.

Is London recreating Logan's Run world?

2010-03-01T03:06:00.001-08:00

Just been to London for the weekend and there are two words to describe it--both beginning with ex---exhausting and expensive! Still, it gives a hick towner like me a kick up the backside occasionally to go and see how the other half live and the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery were fab..and free. How lucky are we to have that free facility?

But what did interest me was the trendy world my sister and I infiltrated on Saturday night following in the wake of 20 something offspring. The crowds almost parted like the Red Sea as these two women of a "certain age" came in. We could have been from another planet.

I looked round and realised that most of London after 9pm on a Saturday night is between the ages of 20 and 30. There are no old people. On Saturday afternoon, we'd been to the Albert Hall and there had been children there! My daughter realised she never sees children..that they're squirrelled away somewhere most of the time.

The last time I went, my daughter and I found an elderly lady holding onto a wall. She'd felt dizzy as she tried to cross the road. We insisted on escorting her to the pub she wanted to go to, and one she obviously went to on a regular basis to have a Guinness but when we got there, it was a trendy bar with no room for a little old lady who just wanted to see something else apart from the four walls of her flat on a Saturday night.

I worried all night about her. London is not for the infirm, the little or the incapable. It is like the film Logan's Run, where they got rid of anyone who was over 30, if I remember rightly.

All the way home, I found myself quietly singing "Streets of London". It is too close to the truth.

How can people care about the planet when they don't even see the people less able than they are?

Can I give up my bacon buttie so my dog can eat meat?

2010-02-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

I listened to Costing The Earth on Radio 4 last night and apparently my dog has a bigger carbon footprint..sorry, pawprint..than the average person in Vietnam.

Hmm. Well, she's on a low fat diet so there's lots of rice but it does say it's got chicken in there as well.

I love my dog. Seriously love my dog. Therefore, we ate a mushroom omelette last night and watched her tuck into her meal with noble martyrdom. Perhaps we should have just fed her two tennis balls instead as she looks as if she prefers those!

Are you impressed and does that help you to have an occasional piece of meat, Mr Vietnamese?

Hotel waste

2010-02-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while, but put it down to poorly mums and work. All improving now though, thanks for asking.

I found myself having a little tut recently. I've been staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts for work and sitting there on my own trying to look occupied, a few thoughts occurred that I thought I'd share with you and see what you thought.

Why don't British B and Bs and hotels have a "company table" where people who are on their own can choose to join other people. They do it in France and it's lovely. It's even nice when you're with your husband of 35 years and you are on hols for a week and run out of conversation about offspring/news items/house projects. Sitting fiddling with a mobile phone while you eat your breakfast is boring.

Why do they have to have those little plastic milk/marmalade/butter containers. What's wrong with a little ramekin with them in? Much less waste. I ate half a carton of yogurt one morning with my fruit and asked them to keep the other half for the following morning. I got that "Oh dear, we've got a right nutter here" look.

Why do they have to have individual small containers of soap and shampoo..a dispenser would make so much more sense?

Apart from that, it was a nice change and I did try to use as few towels and pillows as possible, but I suspect they just bung the lot in the wash..oh, one more thing..how do they get their towels and sheets so white? My towels go creamy coloured within three washes or maybe it's because I do them on a low energy wash. Ah me, you can't win!

2010-01-19T02:59:00.000-08:00

Hey ho, it's January. Now the snow's gone, it looks really grim and miserable. The worst thing is the litter that's been lurking under the crisp, white, pretty snow. Litter is such an unnecessary evil it makes me bloomin' hopping mad.

So it's a year on since Obama took the reins. That's a bit scary. Where did those 12 months go? Has he achieved what we hoped for? I've been reading about this musical called Hope that's on in Germany about his rise to fame. I hope it doesn't turn into a dark thriller!

I inspected my veg patch with shame yesterday. I still haven't got round to picking the leeks and the curly kale looks very sad but I'll try the leeks tonight and let you know what they're like. I'm not really sure what I'm doing with this 'ere veg patch. How long can you leave leeks? And can you keep picking kale?

Any advice gratefully received.

Maxim for the day:Don't take life so seriously. It's not permanent.

2010-01-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

Still snowing here in the glorious hills of Derbyshire. Can't get to meeting in Shropshire so will have to join colleagues in local cafe for hot soup instead.

I really think I should hate this snow but I don't.

It's made everyone slow down, talk to each other and take time to appreciate what we have around us. Our local shops are saying it's like Christmas Eve every day as people shop there instead of struggling to supermarkets, the streets are less litter-strewn because a can of fizzy drink shows up like a belisha beacon in the whiteness of the snow, people look less stressed because they can't go anywhere. As my husband and daughter struggled off to work down our skating rink drive this morning, I know there are downsides, but overall, it's been fun!

I have, however, had the heating on more but I'm driving less so does that let me off?

It has made me smile though, when the first snows came, everyone panicked but now, as we've had almost constant snow since before Christmas, we've adapted to it and just get on with life.

Meanwhile, in the environmental world, we now have our first marine conservation area http://http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=17514 which I think is a great idea. Can't wait for the guided tours!

Take time to make a snowman and wear studded boots.

2010-01-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

HELP! Turn the heating off, put another jumper on, make a flask of hot drinks..we're running out of gas! See the Guardian front page story. ( It must be the cold, it won't let me copy the links this morning)

I've discovered that living in the glorious Derbyshire hills has its interesting moments..the small garden wall disappeared this morning as the 8 inches of snow on the path reached it--very confusing for the dog who walked into it.

Anyway, I'm OK, cos Jonathan Cainer, http://www.jonathancainer.com/---

my mentor in these matters says I can choose to be optimistic today. So that's it then. I'll look out of the office window and see the beautiful blue sky, the pure white, snow encrusted hills and take a moment to stop and stare. It's just fab! This is the view from my office window this morning.

2010-01-04T08:25:00.001-08:00

I watched part of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee the other night ( rest to be watched tonight) and it was horrific how we just walked over the Native Americans to get our own way and then I got a campaign leaflet from the Co-op urging us to stop the expansion of Toxic Fuels....it's being fought by the Cree Indians at Beaver Lake and I couldn't believe it....here we go again!

It's a campaign with WWF-UK and it aims to combat the global trend of extracting oil from unconventional sources, such as tar sands and shale oil.

The tar sands development in Beaver Creek in Canada have already destroyed the Cree Nation's traditional lands by deforestation and pollution and the Beaver Lake Cree Nation have launched a legal challenge against the Canadian and Albertan governments to enforce recognition of their treaty rights and to protect their environment and traditional way of life.

I cried when I read the book about what we did to the Indians in America. I thought the least I could do was have a look at goodwithmoney.co.uk/beaverlakecree and see whether I can add my voice. Do join me!

That's a very positive start to 2010, Shirley! Hope I can keep it up.

2010-01-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hi did you miss me? Happy New Year to all. Sorry I've been so rubbish but there have been reasons:
-I was sulking about the muddle at Copenhagen and couldn't find anything positive to say
-I've been poorly. A bronchial infection, yes thanks, a lot better.
-I was unbelievably behind with Christmas
-it's been freezing cold.

well, I know that isn't an excuse but I live in the Derbyshire hills for heaven's sake, and when it does "cold" it really does "cold".

We've been sledging today in glorious sunshine on the hill behind. We met a couple on the path as we went with our sledge and the dog and they looked at us to see where the children were..they probably thought we were crackpots..two 50 somethings plus dog and sledge. Ah well, ne'er mind. I've never had a very sophisticated image.

So, my new year thoughts on being an optimistic environmentalist?

It's hard. It's like being on a diet. You start off with great intentions but at the first hurdle, you fall. My presents were wrapped in paper that was thrown away, I bought too much food that was thrown away, I keep driving up to the shops instead of walking because it's freezing. So, I hereby promise to try to do better!

Have a wonderful 2010 and stay with me, please. It's nice to know people are reading this.

Isn't it easier to save money than to earn it at the moment?

2009-12-01T03:28:00.001-08:00

I was talking to a friend at the weekend who travels from Worcestershire to Warrington to work and he's apparently the lucky one! There is one person in his office who travels from Doncaster every day and another who travels weekly from Exeter to Warrington.

I always had to travel to work and the stress of it was one reason why I gave up. That night on the M6 when I missed a lorry by one inch as I raced back to the studio for a deadline made me think very seriously about what I was doing. I had two children at home and they didn't care whether or not I was going to be the next Kate Adie.

But the recession has put us all under strain. We are all saying yes when we should say no.

So this morning, maybe we should all think how we can cut down on our consumption so that we need to earn less. Yep, that's a good idea. We are about to hear whether we have planning permission for an environmentally friendly house. If we do, it means we can cut down our bills on heating, water and electricity by conserving what we do use better.

To me, that seems a very good idea for an optimistic greenie who likes to wander home from work and look at the hills rather than the exhaust from the car in front. I know I'm lucky but this recession has hit me too. However, I am trying not to panic and to remember what is important to me. So, the cheap lentil bake is on the menu for tonight, I'm not replacing my old jeans and am constantly wandering around looking very smart in my one pair of black trousers and I am turning lights off with a vengeance. It's easier to save money than to earn it at the moment.

I heard this lovely maxim on Ray Mears's programme the other night:

Nature will provide for our needs, not our greeds.

I like that one.

Have a good Tuesday and keep your fingers crossed for the planning permission.

So how do we answer the climate change sceptics?

2009-11-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Just been listening to the wrangle going on in Australia about whether to ratify a final vote on the government's carbon trade plan.

I have one thing to say to these climate sceptics:

If you were standing in front of a juggernaut that was coming towards you at 80mph, would you wait to see who was driving before you jumped out of the way?

Hmm, thought not.

Maxim for a Friday night: When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane

Have a fun weekend and enjoy your trundle to the compost bin

Let's call a halt to bottles of water

2009-11-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

A water fountain has been re-introduced into Trafalgar Square. Yipee!

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/news/trafalgar-square-drinking-fountain-declared-open-19468322.html

There used to be public water fountains everywhere and then....we discovered little plastic bottles!

Now there are 6m bottles of water that are sold in the UK every single day. That's an awful lot of little bottles to send to landfill.

I have one. I re fill it every time I go out. It saves landfill and guess what, it saves me a fortune too!

No brainer!

Will my tea leaves save the planet?

2009-11-23T02:28:00.000-08:00

I had a wry smile this morning as I was told off by Chicken Licken for putting tea leaves down the sink.

As I scooped up the said 26 tea leaves and transferred them smugly to the compost bin, I wondered whether it would make any difference to Main St, Cockermouth. I suspect not.

But then I thought of 26 tea leaves multiplied by the 2000 houses in my town. That's ( hang on, while I get the calculator...no, you silly woman, you can do that even if you didn't get maths O' level) so that's 52,000.

On a roll now, let's multiply that by 26 million for all the households in the UK and that's (ok, now I really do need the calculator) that's 676,000000. And the world? AGGGHHHH .. I start to lose track of the noughts now...but let's see..nope, can't do it..but there are 6.7 billion people in the world, so that's a phenomenal amount of tea leaves not going to landfill.-- ok, so some people drink coffee and some can't even get access to clean drinking water but you follow my drift.

We now clog up our back kitchen with stuff for recycling, empty our compost bin every few days before dodgy smells pervade the kitchen and our waste bin is only about half a bag a week. If we all do that, then we won't need to dig as many holes for landfill.

Sorted!

Just like to say to Chicken Licken that driving to work just 'cos it's raining negates all concerns about tea leaves!

Maxim for this wet Monday: We cannot all do great things but we can do small things with great love.

Just as well I really loved scooping out wet, soggy tea leaves from the plughole!

Are these people in the real world?

2009-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

A plane to carry a vet to help her dog have puppies?

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/carey-missed-beloved-dogs-labour_1123075

Oh dear, Mariah.

It makes me feel so much better about trundling down the garden in the rain to my compost bin to know that celebs are doing their bit too!!!

Maxim for the weekend for you: I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

Is it green to buy a SATNAV?

2009-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Supposed to drive 5 miles less a week huh?

http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home/campaigns/drive-5-miles-less-a-week.html

They've obviously never driven with me. It all started on the A6 in Manchester when I set off to Flixton and ended up in Stockport. For those not north of the country, I will elucidate. The A6 goes two ways. No-one ever explained that to me.
I bought a cheaper satnav last Christmas for my daughter and I, as she has obviously inherited my complete lack of sense of direction, but the satnav had somehow inherited my genes too. "You have arrived at your destination" it would claim triumphantly, as I peered out at a piece of derelict land.

I know that our mileage count rockets whenever daughter or I take the car out. This afternoon, I was on automatic pilot....a very dangerous occupation and I found myself going past the same road in Derby three times, twice on the wrong side of the carriageway.

The last time I did this was on my first shift at Radio Derby when I took the radio car out and had to stop to ask someone how to get back to the office. They looked in disbelief at the emblazoned car with the radio station's logo and I went into garrulous explanations that verged on the lunatic before slinking back the way I had come.

Please do not tell Chicken Licken this. He already thinks I'm loopy and if I'm beginning to risk the planet because of my tarmac wanderings, not to mention putting mileage on the ageing car, then I will get smug lectures from the man who never has to ask directions, never gets lost and obviously would never try to tell me that the road south is facing the sun in the southern hemisphere. ( Think about it)

So, rather than driving 5 miles less a week, perhaps I could pledge to look at a map more.

Would that make me a good little greenie?

Maxim for the day ( particularly apt, I feel) Everyone makes mistakes...the trick is to make mistakes when no one is looking ....and I presume that also means don't tell anyone on a blog!

What is happiness?

2009-11-16T02:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it's early on a wet Monday in November but a 23 year old we all know and love bemoaned last night: I just want to be happy. Tall order.
I wondered whether I now, at this vast age, qualify to become a tribal elder full of wisdom to impart and decided, as I take the vitamin tablet to keep the old bones working and hide the hair colour in the bathroom, that yep, now was as good a time as ever, so here goes.
As a 90% -of-the -time -Polyanna, I've always held on jealously to happiness, knowing that life has a way of throwing spokes in our wheels while we're busy making plans, so it's a sort of panic approach to happiness...buy it now before it goes. Happiness is not something on a cloud that floats past you or something that lands on your lap. It sneaks up on you when you are least expecting it. It comes from doing something that you love, something that touches your soul. It comes from suddenly giggling with someone you love and from watching your children grow into strong, capable adults or from looking down from a hill on an autumn day.

Oh, Christmas, this is beginning to sound like Thought for the Day! But maybe, because I am an optimistic person, I guard happiness with a tiger-like defence.

So, I am giving due warning to world leaders ( because they obviously read my blog), mess up this Copenhagen meeting and they'll have me to deal with!

Well, that'll work, Shirley!

Oh, and to the 23 year old: if you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

There are more of you out there than we know!

2009-11-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

I keep getting messages from friends --yes, I do have some---saying they agree with me that we can't wear a hair shirt all the time just because we care about the environment. I'm still learning how to maximise this blog shenanikins so I have no idea whether anyone except long suffering friends and relatives are out there, (you know who you are!) but I shall carry on wittering just in case. Anyway, it's good fun on a dark, Sunday evening between the crossword and The Archers and who knows, we optimistic greenies may eventually take over the world.

So, today, I picked up a pile of litter including three cans and a pile of plastic, not to mention those infuriating polystyrene chip containers. We had some friends coming and I wanted my beautiful town to look lovely, so I ended up trying to juggle the dog lead, the cans and the litter between my two hands which was fine till Molly saw a Jack Russell that looked like an interesting find and took me leftwards with a sudden jerk. I may be fast getting a reputation as the bag woman who, with hair flying, lurches from one side of the path to the other flaying bits of plastic in all directions. I suffer for my art!

Maxim for a Sunday night: You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

Wear blue if you can't go to the Climate Change march

2009-11-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

Now I'm torn. On 5th Dec we have a farmers' market followed by a makers' market with wonderful artists using our outside stalls from the morning to have an evening event with mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. I'm involved with the organisation so I am really excited about a fab Wirksworth day with loads of events going on, but it's the Climate Change march in London and there's a coach going from the town. I'd love to be there to let these leaders know that we're not prepared to let them mess up the planet for political reasons, but I'll have to just wear blue which is apparently what we're all supposed to do to send a wave of feeling down if we can't go.

Chicken Licken has been in the stream that goes down out garden in his wellies, trying to measure how much water comes down. I know, strange man, but there is a reason for this.

We are planning to knock down most of this 1960s bungalow and make a nice little more environmentally friendly house instead. We're looking at harnassing the water power in our little stream but it's quite hard to find out info about hydro power. Anyone got any info they can give us?

Maxim for the day ( from yoga class this morning as I was trying to ignore the fact that I'd had two wines last night and was not in the right frame of mind to hang upside down): Harness the chattering that goes on in our heads and calm them into a focus. I like that one. The chattering's been really loud this week!

2009-11-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

hmmm, we only need to plant seven trees each to make us carbon neutral. Chicken Licken is a landscape architect and has planted millions, does that let me off then?

Oh, all right, it was just a thought. Just been to a meeting about litter and dog poo--I know, this is life in the fast lane of glamour and excitement--but one of the issues raised by the local school was the amount of plastic bottles that the kids throw away (hopefully in bins!). Has anyone any ideas as to how schools can get recycling facilities installed? Our recycling centre isn't far away from the school so the local authority probably won't do it so we're going to have to think out of the box so any ideas welcomed.

Greenies without hair shirts demand cakes!

2009-11-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Cakes and fun! Apparently that's what we need to get people on board in the environmental movement. Well, I'm all for that. The suggestion came at an environmental conference without an agenda that was held in our little town on Saturday. It was really inspiring and what was even better, it was so much fun!

I was helping out at the local farmers' market in the morning, making trays of tea and coffee, so I could only go in the afternoon, but by the time I got there, there was a white pad plastered with loads of ideas from car sharing to garden sharing and from bike racks to sharing information about best practice as well as how we become a transition town. But the main thrust of the day was that we all wanted to enjoy ourselves, we wanted to feel positive about what we are trying to do and we wanted to have cakes!

The day was punctuated with some lovely goodies kindly provided by the organiser, Steve and the little breaks for lunch and afternoon tea provided us all with an opportunity to mix, chat and giggle.

Just perfect!

Exactly up my street and completely in line with this blog's philosophy which is that we can all do our bit to protect our bit of the planet but who says we can't smile and have fun while we're doing it. Personally, we're saving money by turning off things, by cycling and walking and by shopping locally, which means we don't buy lots of things we don't need and as you might guess, that even makes Chicken Licken smile !

Bring on the cakes and fun, say I! ( Well, I just may have to cycle and walk a bit more!)

Do you ferret in bins too?

2009-11-05T02:35:00.001-08:00

Well, I woke up this morning wracked with guilt. Last night, I cleared out the fridge and there were loads of very suspect half consumed jars of dodgy looking stuff. It was late and I was tired so I chickened out of getting a spoon and scooping all the mouldy contents into the bin and chucked the lot.

Oh, the pain, oh, the guilt, oh the horribleness of this all talk and no action person that assailed me this morning when I woke! So in my pjs, before I could change my mind, I gave in, got down and dirty in the bin and scooped them all out. Yuk! It was absolutely revolting..a gungy ( does that have an e?) mess that even the dog looked askance at. But I then rinsed the jars and put them out for recycling, feeling very smug and all in all, a much better person. You'll also be glad to know, I've put the pjs in the wash! You see, Al Gore was right, if we make being green a more spiritual thing, we'll all feel uplifted. I stop short of worshipping my recycling bin though. The Daily Mail this morning was saying we mustn't make being green into a religion following the case yesterday about the guy who was sacked for objecting to his boss getting someone to fly his phone over to the US http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1225358/Daniel-Johnson-Damn-false-God-How-sanity-green-religion.html

What do you think about that one? Leave me a comment and let's have a debate

Here are a couple of chirpy bits of green news to cheer you up this morning:

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=17209 : business could save more than £6.6bn by taking simple energy saving measures

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8339647.stm feeling grumpy is good for you : I'm not telling Chicken Licken though. He doesn't need an excuse!

Have a wonderful day.

Remember : if you're feeling smug, ring your mother!

Barn's burnt down....now I can see the moon ( Masahide)

2009-11-03T02:43:00.000-08:00

I have a problem. I can't be pessimistic about the future of this planet.

It is too easy as an environmentalist to be surrounded by gloom, doom, disaster and gnashing of teeth but somehow, I felt incredibly chirpy when I walked my dog on the field behind our house this morning. The sun was shining, the colours were beautiful and, even as I picked up a plastic bottle that had been left on the path to put in my recycling bin ( no bother, Mr Idiot, who left it there), I couldn't help but think that life is good.

I bought a card for my husband, who has, it may have been mentioned, Chicken Licken tendencies, ( from now on, he will be known on this blog as Chicken Licken or even CL if I'm in a rush) and it had the lovely philosophy on the front. I am getting it framed. It sums up how I feel about life, the planet and the universe. We are a resourceful species and, without being complacent, we can treat this climate change situation more of an opportunity rather than a threat.

So, I have decided that the voice of this blog will be an optimistic one.

If you want the doom, gloom and disaster, look elsewhere, I want to find the good news that will make us all feel better about doing our little bit. I believe that people will be more likely to make the changes we all need to change if they feel there is hope.

Each time I post a blog, I promise I will find something that will make you feel better about what you are doing in your little corner of the world to be greener.

And there are so many positives to this: if we turn off lights, we don't have to earn as much and we can spend more on lovely goodies at our local farmers' market. Sounds fun to me!

Yesterday, I heard about a scheme in the US that is turning algae into oil. Finally, real money is being put into developing something that find an alternative to oil: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8338164.stm

Al Gore's sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth", out today, (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/02/al-gore-our-choice-environment-climate) emphasises we should all have a more spiritual approach to climate change. What? More time spent appreciating what we have in this beautiful world rather than racing round the shopping mall. Bring it on!!

World Wildlife Fund are hosting a seminar this week looking at our use of water (http://www.prweb.com/releases/wwf_water-security/climate-change/prweb3150544.htm) any chance we could stop putting drinking water in our toilets then?

I'm off now to pick the last of the beans.

Smile! It may not save the planet, but it might save you frowny wrinkles!

2009-10-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

Thursday: Discovered I can have a breakfast rant in peace on this site and no one can interrupt me! Read in Daily Mail this morning typical over the top reaction to Stern's suggestion we eat less meat. A couple of meatless meals a week isn't going to kill us for heaven's sake, it's not an attack on our traditional egg and bacon breakfast or Sunday roast thus our whole traditional way of life. And less red meat will undoubtedly save a few lives as well. Oh get a life and keep it in proportion! I love my roast lamb and bacon butties but I will think about the mid-week shepherd's pie.

2009-10-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hello all, welcome to my blog. Now I feel really famous! I did start one several weeks ago and spent hours trying to get exactly the right tone between professional and personal. Frankly, I thought it was Goddammed good! Unfortunately, I sent it off into the ether and I have never been able to find it again. So I'm starting again, knowing there is a clone blog out there somewhere.

So, why should you read my blog? Probably because you're bored, the dog doesn't need walking, the work is tedious and your partner hates you. I will, in that case, take my responsibilities very seriously, and try to chat to you in an interesting, cheerful way.

I'd better introduce myself. I'm a very uncomplicated mix of a mum, wife and journalist. They don't conflict at all. I'm able to juggle them all, keep unbearably chirpy and be totally professional, a perfect cook, a social whirl and am totally unlike the stressed, snappy woman who falls asleep on the sofa during any sensible TV programmes.

Well maybe sometimes I am like that, and I can get pretty snappy when it's past my bedtime but generally, on the whole, I probably am a bit of a Polyanna, which drives my family mad and amidst Chicken Licken warnings of the sky falling in, I do tend to be relentlessly optimistic. That's fortunate, because actually, I'm an environmental specialist and things ain't looking that good on the environmental front with dire warnings of "The Day After Tomorrow" about to strike. But here's where the optimism comes in. I think we can limit the impact of whatever's happening to the planet if we all act together, make small changes and stop being so bloomin' precious about our consumer absorbed lifestyle. My whole day is involved with getting the environmental message out there...I have a media company that deals with ethical, often environmental organisations and companies, we do ethical PR, training courses to help people improve their communication skills and we make DVDs. My background is as a journalist across newspapers, radio and television and I spent most of my career trying to look very important with an A4 red producer's book tucked under my arm, wandering in a purposeful manner round the endless corridors in the BBC, attempting to find my own particular door.

I left the BBC 9 years ago on a bit of a wing and a prayer to set up what is now Harvest Creative So, here I am, nine years later with a perfect lifestyle! I cycle to a little office in the gorgeous hills of Derbyshire, I work the hours I need to with time for the fab diary entry of "meetings" which may, or may not, I'm not prepared to say..include lunch with friends, a natter with my mum or a walk in the hills with my dog.

Of course, the recession's hit and while my husband panics about the decreasing bank balance, I'm having great fun going out to networking events in snazzy scarves casually draped around my shoulders, trying to look trendy and creative. My mind is racing and I don't know whether to start the book, set up collaborations with fantastically creative people or find funding for the brilliant little DVD series idea I've got. I could also just go and play in the veg patch or rant about how we can save the planet, which is my other hobby of course.

I had great fun last week when I went to the House of Commons as one of four finalists in the Energy Saving Trust's Green Voice competition. I never expected to get to the final but there you go, I did! Piper Terret got the job and I know she'll be fab. (see her blog: frugal-life.spaces.live.com/ )Michael Groves, Tom Callow and I were the runners up but I'd had such a fun week doing radio interviews, having my very own soap box to stand on and talk about one of my favourite subjects, which is how we can all make small changes to make a huge difference. I will rant about this at length, be warned! If you want to check out the videos we all made, see http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=04757FC70FB58896&search_query=green+voice+finalists

So, to finish for now. I have more emails to send, more work to find and some soup to make for lunch!

Stand by and the fantastically fascinating world of Shirley Mann will be revealed tantilising bit by tantilising bit. It would be lovely to know who's out there and is reading this, so do talk to me, otherwise I will become Shirley Valentine and talk to walls!