New year, still same small society

Well apparently the Big society is now over, at least it is according to the Torygraph, aka The Telegraph, www.telegraph.co.uk, but as I don't read it I can't vouch for the accuracy of this statement! However my small society will be continuing, as will the blog, now read in Serbia and Egypt, as well as quite a following in Latvia.

Anyway, down to the actuality of what my small society has been up to since the break for Christmas and the New Year. 

A very normal week really, Tuesday and Thursday was LASSN stuff lassn.org.uk . Short Stop was very quiet, the young man from Iranian Kurdistan whom I've placed before and an older man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; I used to teach children from DRC, traumatised by the violence they had seen, they mostly still tried to work hard and do well in their studies. I placed both of them quite quickly and carried on with the tidying up and general household tasks that have been let slip over the holiday. Then I got a lovely text from some hosts who are away but who could have the man from DRC over the weekend (they are fluent French speakers and it is his main language). Thursday I went over to Leeds on the bus, had lunch with my gadding friend and as usual put the world to rights and then dropped in to see my other friend. She has had a lovely Christmas, many friends at church, some of whom stayed over in her new home. However she is desperately worried about a friend who is refusing to answer her phone, although she is in her flat.The friend has had a lot of mental health issues and is obviously not well again. My friend cares enough to put her own worries to one side and worry about a friend in need. There are problems with her boiler, so I phone the housing provider and arrange to check on Monday if anything has been done; it is leaking badly, ours did this before it failed altogether!

not a pond, it's quite deep

it might look muddy but
it's easier to navigate

Wednesday was back to Coasties www.northyorkmoors.org.uk, a fabulous day, sunny, no wind and in the sun we almost got hot as we worked to clear overgrowth from a bridleway. Although we were about four miles inland we were on the edge of a high ridge and could see clearly as far as Filey Brigg and possibly Flamborough Head. As well as the overgrowth, the path was flooded in several places, so blocked drainage ditches were cleared and the floods started to drain away.



a section of the collapsed path



Today I was doing a patrol on the Cleveland Way south of Scarborough, along the coast, www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway. There have been a lot of land slips, probably caused by the wet weather and they need to be checked. I phone in about a couple, it seems that they are probably no worse than a week ago, but the professionals will check them again next week. It is incredibly muddy and I slip and slide, fortunately not where the path has fallen into the sea. One section of the Cleveland Way that was diverted some years ago now goes through some lovely woods, fallen logs covered with moss make this look like a gateway.

a surreal landscape

As I drive home I realise how lucky I am. Two good days in beautiful countryside, less than an hour from my home, almost on my doorstep. And as a by product I've got fitter in the process, well my heart rate went up and I think that's what supposed to happen.