from brilliant sunshine to pouring rain

Last Tuesday there was just one short stop referral, the fourth and last call was successful, but more exciting for me (how sad am I?) was that the host was a regular reader of the blog and said how much he enjoyed it. LASSN, lassn.pir2.info are now involved in both Short Stop and a new project Long Stop, more asylum seekers are needing longer stays and this new project will give both them and hosts a greater degree of certainty. For more details please click on the link.

the view as we work, lucky us

Wednesday was a stunningly beautiful day, Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk, were clearing a section of the Cleveland Way just south of Scarborough. Long grass, nettles, briars and overhanging gorse and willow were all making this section of the National Trail rather too narrow. However one of my tasks was rather dispiriting, clearing masses of rubbish from around a bench, including the mesh from several portable barbecues, you can imagine what they do to small mammals and birds which get their legs caught in them. The stupid people who used them obviously don't care at all, there are litter bins just a five minute walk away!

all around the bench

The other ongoing rubbish issue is my usual moan at the idiocy of the thoughtless dog owners (note to friends and relations - not you); the plastic bag in the hedge will NOT degrade, the dog poo would. Yes I know there are degradable bags, but these were not those.

Saturday the members of our local Fairtrade group, www.fairtrade.org.uk, were up bright and early for our Craft Fair, a mix of Fairtrade and local craft stalls. Quite a success, we might repeat but possibly in a more central venue. Several of the local craft people were keen to come again and seemed to like the mix of stalls we had.

crafts from our friends at Fairer World in York

Every year we try something different, last year was a Clothes Show, this year the Craft Fair.

Sunday I was up on the moors above Rosedale, all the paths were clear, stiles and gates in excellent order, so I had a good walk and enjoyed the last of the sunshine. Lots of grouse and pheasant around and a few skylarks still singing high above. Then I came across this in a farm yard, not your usual farmyard item!

I could have done with this today (JOKE JOKE). I went to Leeds to see my friend, she still hasn't heard anything about her new accommodation, which is supposed to be by this Friday. I spent ages on the phone to the UK Border Agency and G4S (of Olympic infamy), both of them saying nothing to do with us, try the other one! The UKBA have given the contract to house asylum seekers to G4S whose incompetence seems to stretch way beyond the Olympics. Thus my need for the cannon.

The last straw was the bus on the way home, apparently no ventilation or heating, so condensation dripping down the windows onto anyone sitting by the window, me as the bus was full for much of the way home.

Never mind, at least I have a warm, dry house to come home to, and a feeling of a week mostly doing somethings towards my small society, and seeing old friends in between, which meant good food, chat and wine.

The tools of my trade, phone on Tuesday, sickle and shears today, and some bad news

Yesterday there were four short stop referrals! Luckily three of them were able to go back to Monday's hosts and the last was also found a room for the night very quickly. Lovely people prepared to offer shelter, often for night after night. I am happy to do the phoning, but don't know how easy I would find taking a stranger into my home. Once again PAFRAS www.pafras.org.uk/ the referring agency.

My asylum seeking friend has had good and bad news in the last week. She passed her Level 2 in Health and Social care with flying colours, distinctions in all eight sections of the course and has been offered a place to study for Level 3. However the Home Office, after many, many months has decided that she may not stay in this country. After everything she has been through and all her hard work over the last two years, not to mention what she is already bringing to our society and how much more she could bring...............  All her friends are desperately hoping that she will be able to appeal. Watch this space, I may need help. LASSN lassn.pir2.info and Solace www.solace-uk.org.uk/ are amongst the organisations supporting her.

Today I tried to put all that behind me and helped to clear a path in the shadow, literally, of the Boulby potash mine. Potash is in the news at present as plans for another mine near Whitby have just been announced. It seems that only agricultural type sheds will actually be in the National Park, modern sheds like this are fairly hideous, but if they were really agricultural they wouldn't need planning permission at all! The sun is shining and the view in front of us is of a lovely woodland and a field of sheep, behind us the bulk of the mine buildings, it all seems rather incongruous. New steps are put in and old ones cleaned up and repaired, but there is still much to do. I use an old fashioned sickle and rather blunt shears to clear a way through the mini jungle that is now the path.

after

before

All sorts in my small society

In my last post I completely forget to mention how pleased I was to see the Fairtrade logo at all the Olympic venues we went to, all the tea, coffee and drinking chocolate was Fairtrade, and here is a picture to prove it.

Some of the sponsorship of the Olympics and the Paralympics may have left a sour taste in the mouth, DOW and ATOS spring to mind, but the flavour and background to the hot drinks at least left a very good taste.

On the subject of Fairtrade I spent a fruitful few hours last week taking posters for our Fairtrade and local craft fair round various shops around my home.
www.fairtrade.org.uk


Earlier this week I once again had just one referral for a 'short stop' bed, a young man of only 18, PAFRAS, the referring agency wondered if I could possibly find somewhere for more than one night. The household I contacted were sure that would be possible, so once again I signed off with a lighter heart than I had started the day with. www.pafras.org.uk

Wednesday was Coasties www.northyorkmoors.org.uk in the rain; but nothing daunted we put on our waterproofs, picked up our tools and set off to cut back overhanging foliage on the Cleveland Way at Stoupe Beck. The damp and now the slightly warmer weather has made sheltered areas like this almost tropical in the speedy growth of the green stuff. I had to put up with some banter about last week's post on the raking, but no mention of raking this week I noticed, although we were once again based at the alum works at Ravenscar.            

 Later in the afternoon I went back to the alum works to help move shale from a local quarry onto the new steps on the Cleveland Way diversion, a messy task in the rain. The new board walk across the stream looks very good, the steps will too when they are all finished.

I suggest that when all the work is done we should have a champagne opening of the new diversion, there is a comment that if I provide the champagne................



Today we went to Howsham Mill for a willow weaving workshop, there have been several of these traditional workshops over the summer, showcasing both the work happening at the Mill and various local crafts people. The Mill itself is surrounded by scaffolding, the work on the restoration is well under way, it will be a wonderful local resource, especially showing off hydro power, when it is finished. www.howshammill.ning.com.

                                    

Here are the chickens we made, they are now sitting in our garden, confusing the blackbirds and the doves. Ok, so they don't look like chickens, but we are ridiculously proud of them, and they add to the jollity of life. After they are finished we chat to some walkers about the Archimedes screw that not only supplies power to the mill, but also a healthy income from the National Grid to the Trust that supports the Mill.

You may ask what all these bits have to do with my small society. Well it's my small society and I can decide, but what gives me pleasure and satisfaction is the variety of activities, none of which cause harm and some, I hope, are useful and even doing good to someone, somewhere.

no more raking, I am not in a pressed gang!

The title refers to Wednesday, so you will have to wait! At the beginning of the week the Malton and Norton Fairtrade group had their final planning meeting for our craft fair. We are planning to showcase both local and Fairtrade crafts; the usual worries, would we have enough or too many stalls, publicity and refreshments. I then spent some frustrating hours trying to upload details to the Guardian northerner notice website, however I managed eventually, www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner, you then click on the funny notice word next to the map. If this doesn't work it's on September 22nd at the Memorial Hall in Old Malton, free entry 10 til 4.

Tuesday was another quick short stop day, one referral only, I rang one of the regulars, they always answer their phone and almost always say yes. I chat to the person in the referring agency about the Olympics, and the tears we had shed as athletes showed their emotions on the podiums.    www.refugeecouncil.org.uk   was the referring agency this week.

Wednesday was Coasties, www.northyorkmoors.org.uk, and this is the subject of the title. Quite a big group today and the area to be worked in is steep and narrow, there is a board walk to be laid and lots of steps. Three of us realise that too many cooks will spoil the broth, or least fall over themselves, so we ask if there is something else we can do. So we find ourselves raking what would be hay if it was longer and drier, but is actually clumps of dank, damp grass on a sloping field. At least the sun is, mostly, shining and we are surrounded by stunning views; but it is back breaking and frustrating work, much of the cut stuff drags up roots when we rake, and if the grass goes on growing it will all to be done again soon. Can you see the wooden rake in the dead grass?



Next week we will be back, as the diversion of the Cleveland Way www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway through the National Trust's alum works, www.coastaltourism.co.uk/local_history.htm, still has many weeks' work to be done; more steps, gates and another section to be cut through dense undergrowth. However, the three of us make it abundantly clear that next week we will not be raking; if there is not room for all of us in the steep little valley, there is, apparently, much cutting back to be done on the trail between Ravenscar and Stoup Brow. We go there, willingly, but not in the cut grass.
I am usually happy to do what ever is necessary to keep the paths open, the alum works in good order and the park generally accessible, but there comes a time when I realise that I am a volunteer, not a member of a pressed gang!

back to normal

To my amazement I did finally work out a lot of what had been there before the Olympic Park, not helped by the park map which was not orientated with north at the top! It was as good as everyone else has already told you, but as a volunteer myself I cannot praise too highly the Games Makers as they were called. How proud we were that one of them was one of my step daughters. Next year we hope to go back and see what the Park looks like one year on. My worst fears about the obliteration of all that was good about the Bow Back Waters were confounded; wonderful wetland areas, wild flower meadows and masses of trees.

So on Tuesday it was Short Stop, only one referral, but over ten phone calls, mostly to voicemail, before I managed to place a young man from the Congo. As so often during Short Stop I was reminded of some of my pupils in London, several from the Congo, their French not like mine, to their amusement, with dreadful tales of fighting. I rang back to St George's Crypt and gave them the good news, once again the kindness of strangers. www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk.

LASSN coordinate the Short Stop programme and they are currently looking for a volunteer to help with their media work, this is what it's all about:-

Fed up with poor, inflammatory representation of asylum seekers and refugees in the press? Have a passion for writing, broadcasting and the media in general? We're looking to recruit a new volunteer project co-ordinator. If you are interested please go to http://lassn.pir2.info/current_vacancies

Wednesday was Coasties, this was the scene that met our eyes after we had walked, laden with tools and our backpacks, about half a mile downhill from the mini bus.

                                                      

Trail bikers have made these ruts in what was a lovely holloway through the woods. It is hot and humid and there are bitey things, but the job needs doing; so we set to with mattocks and spades and gradually mange to eliminate the worst of the ruts. Meanwhile some of our colleagues have, we think, the easier task; they are designing and building a deterrent and here it is.

Quite difficult for a trail bike

        

    After lunch the diggers carry on with the task of filling in the ruts, the ground seems to be much harder now and we mutter darkly about what we might do to these motorised vandals. There are places where can they can ride their bikes legitimately, but guess what, they would have to pay.

Eventually I text the fence makers for assistance, two of them join us and agree how hard it is. After a while we all decide to pack up early, it is a long steep way back up to the mini bus; the task is not finished, but there is another day. And below is a bit of the section that we levelled, not perfect, but much better now for walkers.

We are constantly being reminded how much more we should exercise, what an overweight nation we are becoming and how much it will all cost the health service. Well walking is a free form of exercise, it doesn't need much equipment and all you need is a place to walk, but not one that has been despoiled by motor bikes!

off to the Olympics

We were incredibly lucky and got tickets for various Olympic events, spread over the two weeks. So we are off to Bedford and London and the Lea Valley Park, early starts, late nights and, we hope, lots of excitement.

It will be a bit of a trip down memory lane as I used to cycle round the curious world of the Bow Back Waters when I lived in Stratford. Yes, parts of it were smelly, polluted and a bit scary, but other bits had a idiosyncratic beauty, like the time I saw a swan fight a heron for a nesting site. Now it is all part of the Olympic Park, will I recognise it, I don't think so!

Loved the opening ceremony, especially the parts celebrating the NHS and when Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty (of which I am a member) helped to carry in the flag. http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/ Another flag bearer was that brave conductor Daniel Barenboim, of the Divan Orchestra, http://www.west-eastern-divan.org/, bringing together young musicians across the Middle East's many divisons.

my small society going well, I can do smug!

Tuesday I was on Short Stop standby, no calls at all until after lunch; then 3 on top of each other, all placed very quickly, no voicemails at all, all the hosts picked up immediately. What was really nice was that two of them had been with the same hosts the previous night, and both sides, hosts and guests, were delighted. Then quite late in the afternoon the fourth, I could not believe my luck, and hers, when once again the previous night's host said that they would be delighted to have her again. Pafras, http://www.pafras.org.uk/, St George's Crypt, http://www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk/ and the Refugee Council http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/ were the referring agencies today and the whole scheme is organised by my good friends in LASSN, lassn.pir2.info. I clocked off at the end of the afternoon and went off to the theatre in Scarborough a happy coordinator.

the bottom of the deep gully

Thursday was an off shoot of Coasties, a Cleveland Way task force, www.nationaltrail.co.uk/clevelandway. I have blogged before about the old alum works at Ravenscar thedms.discoveryorkshirecoast.com/thedms.aspx?dms=13, well, so that more people can get to see these fascinating industrial remains, the Cleveland Way is being diverted through and around them. The only problem is that there are two gullies, one quite deep, two streams, one running in a very boggy area, and masses of Yorkshire jungle (bracken, nettles, willow, blackthorn, hawthorn, bramble to name but a few) to be cleared before the diversion can be used. So we set to; to help we had two strimmers and a chain saw as well as the usual loppers, saws and shears. I am not trained for power tools, not do I want to be, so at first it was sawing and lopping, ankle deep in the water, then after lunch dragging the cut stuff out of sight and out of mind.





the Yorkshire jungle

However, by just before 3pm, when we usually call a halt, both gullies had been conquered. Now boards walks, steps, gates and new signing will be put in and then, we hope, a ceremonial opening of the new section of path.

the start of the new section











fairtrade crafts and food

Friday I was in the canteen of Ryedale House, our local council, with our twice yearly Fairtrade stall, www.fairtrade.org.uk/; even though staff numbers have been reduced we do as well as last year. Fortified by coffee and scones by the canteen staff we have an enjoyable and productive morning.

 

 

So, yes, I do feel rather pleased with my small society, some vulnerable people helped, an interesting area will be opened up to more visitors and producers in third world countries given a fair price for their labour. I think I even got a bit fitter doing all that sawing, lopping and dragging.