Lost cat found!

I have just witnessed a lovely thing: the reunion of a woman with her lost cat.  He had been missing for a week so she had leafleted the area and received a call that someone had seen him.   I came across her calling for the cat, in a back street in Beverley, and then saw a grey cat sitting  behind her, mewing.  She turned and saw the cat and couldn't believe her eyes!  She picked him up and buried her face in his fur and kept saying 'My cat! My cat!' through her tears.  I know the feeling as I once lost my cat for 2 weeks... Such a relief. 

They eat horses dont they...?

Horsemeat hidden in food products....which raises the question - what else is going on?  Its clear, isnt it, that if you trust 'the market' and close down or decimate all the watchdog organisations such as the Food Standards Agency  anything goes...

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/features/horsemeat-is-not-the-only-unsavoury-secret-lurking-in-retail-s-supply-chain-1-5444491

....'The price of freedom is eternal vigilance'

Developers push to build on green land

Today and yesterday the public enquiry heard the appeal of Linden Homes against the refusal of  permission for them to build on land to the north of the market town of Beverley.  The government has set up a presumption in favour of new build, but Beverley, like towns all over the country, is holding out.  Even the Tory-led East Riding Council can see that all this building is not good news, but the Condems are desperate to have 'growth' by any means...and they see the construction industry as the answer. 

They are so wrong.  As a resident and Green Party member I pointed out that flooding will increase if more land is covered in concrete, since drains already under pressure will take additional surges of run-off water,  and that more suburbs do not contribute to a sense of place or to the local economy.  Executive homes are not whats needed ...whats needed is every bit of green land to stay that way as we need to grow food locally in light of climate change and peak resources.

We just have to hope that the investigator can see what is going on: settlements under seige from developers egged on by an amazingly unwise and short-sighted government.

Government-funded Hawkers

Yesterday an 18 year old knocked on our door saying he was on a programme to help him get work.  He wanted to join the navy and wanted to sell us stuff.  It was raining so we asked him in and gave him a cuppa.  He told us his history:  adolescent unit due to fighting in school in Hull;  qualifications in bricklaying etc, but now on some govt scheme for young offenders based in Nottingham.  They are bused all over the place (we live in East Yorkshire).  We said you'd better show us your wares.  We looked in dismay at the contents of his bag.. ironing board covers, 'screen cleaners' and other rubbish.  We didnt want any of it, but to help him we bought 2 veg peelers and a drain cleaner (if you buy 3 items he gets a bonus) - each £9.99 and made in China.  The drain cleaner broke on 1st application......

So the question is:  WHY is the government funding youngsters to  hawk trashy products (the components of which are wrenched from the long-suffering environment) when they could be supporting schemes to train them to do useful green work ?  I wonder if its because that would take a bit of effort?  Is this what we want our taxes to pay for?

Eco-house - York

Fancy a break in our homely Victorian eco-house?  It supports our green campaigning and lots of charities.  The lamp is made from a plastic milk bottle by a friend.  www.fairfaxcorner.co.uk  .  The house is very cosy - it now has secondary glazing (wooden frames made by local chippy Brian), additional internal walls built by Mike from Driffield, and most furnishings come from charity shops.  Energy is saved through having lots of pots and cutlery so that the dishwasher can be completely filled before running, and  (despite the Tourism inspectors' modernist requirements) we refuse to have an electric drying facility - instead we have washing lines outside in the yard and an airer (or kreel) in the kitchen.  There's solar water heating (backed by gas) and electricity from Good Energy (100% renewable power).  There are recycling bins in the kitchen including a compost bin which can be emptied down the road in the community garden - which is a good place to meet the neighbours as they come to empty theirs!  York's a great place to visit and we do discounts for people who dont bring a car (the house is very central and a short walk from the rail station). 

Flooding on Beverley Westwood, East Yorkshire

More flooding in Beverley late December,  despite the  installation of the new  expensive water tanks 'downstream' of this shot.  Springs could be seen bubbling up just behind me - which I'd never seen there before.

...Mrs Scrooge

...a retrospective shot: small demonstration of reusing cards -squeezed in between the (very inadequate) rubbish bin and a lampost in Beverley's Christmas Fair.  I was challenged by the fair organisers and assured them I wasn't selling anything - in fact I was giving away fudge - and non-consumerist ideas!