July 2007 Archives

Well, on Sunday, the event I've spent the past few months organising actually happened. It went off without a hitch, everybody enjoyed themselves, and during it and at the end, lots of people told me that I should feel proud, or asked me if I was feeling proud about what I'd done. However I didn't (and still don't!) have a sense of being proud, and I'm not sure why, as so many others suggested that I should. I do feel happy that it went well, that the weather was unseasonably kind to us (!) and I have a sense of satisfaction and profound relief. Is this pride?

Over the weekend I went to work at one of my favourite events of the year, Masham Steam Rally. Masham is one of the friendliest towns I know, and 'Professor Fiddlesticks' has been a regular entertainer at the Steam Rally and the Black Sheep Brewery for the best part of a decade. However, with weeks of unseasonably wet weather, the ground was very boggy and I was suprised the organisers were going on with it. But they did, and I therefore had a weekend's work, in challenging conditions, such as unicycling in the mud and creating balloon animals in drizzle. Saturday was very wet, with poor attendance, but Sunday was better and after lunch the sun came out and it felt quite summery.

I've done quite a lot of mainstream media work recently. Following my filming with BBC Newsnight's 'Ethical Man' Justin Rowlatt, and appearing with him on Panorama, and being featured in the Yorkshire Post, I've had BBC Leeds 'Inside Out' recording my composting activities, and last week, ITV Leeds filming for a late night show due to be broadcast in the Autumn called 'Wood You Believe It?' with Duncan Wood, again about my recycling habits.

I took part in Live Earth on Saturday. I helped raise funds and awareness with my circus show, all in the name of global and local sustainable development. Yes really!!!

It's a buy time of year for entertainers, as there's more work happening than in the spring or autumn, so I'm working every weekend and occasional weekdays. I've also got quite a lot of paperwork, replies to booking letters for gigs coming up later in the summer, and the rain means that the garden is growing well, mainly the weeds and hedge, so things to do there. Then there's my usual composting collections too. But I'm under pressure because as well as these, I've volunteered myself into the position of main organiser of York Green Festival, which takes place on 29th July, and there's such a lot to do. My main problem is doing the risk assessment.