Blue Witch

You spin me right round, baby, right round...

Last night Mr BW unpacked my new spinning wheel. I bought the flat-pack version because it was £90 cheaper.

I was very tired last night. And we'd drunk more than a bottle of fruity crisp white wine.

I fondled the pieces, beautifully made of silver beech (not a typo - it's a NZ timber it says in the instructions). I fell asleep.

When Mr BW woke me with a kiss shortly after 11pm, the spinning wheel had magically made itself. I must have accidentally touched the spindle.

I'm considering doing it again, and this time writing a note to leave at my side: "Please do not kiss awake until the Bui1ders BW have finished in about 3 months." Do you think that will work?

Tonight, after a day of successful pottering in the garden in glorious weather(cutting back, planting, weeding, strawberry tower planting - last year's potted-up runners in growbags, on a 5-stage shelving unit, that was recycled from Good Friend BW, before it was used in the Coven Attic - moving the washing line as the scaffo1ding was stopping it rotating), Mr BW is staining it for me.

In the cupboard we had 6 part-cans of woodstain, leftover from other projects, but, having examined a plank of quick samples he did, I still didn't see the cherrywood colour I desired. I was just never going to be happy with pine, old pine, antique pine, mahogany, walnut or teak. So, it was off to the shop to get some more. And, luckily, it's the exact shade. But, I really couldn't believe the traffic on the roads - more than a work-day - you wouldn't know that fuel is touching on a pound a litre.

I've spoken to my Nice Lady friend, and she's swopping a fleece for a jar of BW Special, and lending me her carding machine, so I'll soon be into production.

Have just thoroughly enjoyed the first of the three-part BBC1 series of The Impressionists. Brings it all to life. And apparently Old Monet was in Star Wars.

Rain is forecast for tonight. Keep your fingers crossed that the plastic sheeting over the missing side of our roof holds up, won't you? The Coven is usually very snug. But with only half a roof, and the fibreglass and old floor-boarding currently in the drive (chopping up the wood for next winter's heating is tomorrow's job; the fibreglass is, sadly, in the skip), it is jolly cold in the mornings - it's amazing what a difference insulation makes. Admittedly I did turn off the boiler when the roof came off, because it is a complete waste of energy, but still...

On the subject of energy, with electricity prices having gone up 31% in the past 2 years, I decided to see how much of a difference we could make by really thinking about electricity usage. The bill came in today. Despite the price increases since this quarter last year, we've still managed to shave 20% off our bill. Other than switching unnecessary lights off, and not leaving any appliances on standby, or chargers turned on when not actually charging, and using the laptop rather than the desktop PC whenever possible, we haven't really changed our habits. And, thinking about it, we've been running an extra electric greenhouse heater through this winter too. I thought we were fairly frugal before, but, it shows what can be done if you really try.

This took me all day...

Good job the hens needed straw otherwise that bale I bought yesterday would have gone to waste.

Judging by how hard it is to spin fleece into yarn, I think it must be nigh impossible to spin straw into gold, and so I strongly suspect that Rumplestiltskin must have been a made-up story.

Raw fleeece on the left (from a Jacob cross - it wasn't my dirty hands that turned the normal white wool brown, honest), carded roll next to it, then spun thread, with the finished plyed yarn, secured into a skein, on the right.

It now needs a jolly good wash as it currently smells - well, sheepy, to put it politely.

All I can say is that it's a jolly good job that non-regular yarn is fashionable. Gosh! The words *fashionable* and *BW* don't usually mix, now do they?

One of the Nice Ladies has offered me a whole fleece from one of her sheep, so, as soon as Mr BW has asembled my new spinning wheel (oops, I couldn't resist - but, it will make a nice feature in the new studio), I'll get started. My twisted yarn might just be more credible than Rumplestiltskin's.

I shall be needing to grow a large quantity of blue dye producing plant material... Now, if I did a spell, causing every reader to grow a small patch for me, I'd have enough...

More self-sufficiency skill acquisition

Yesterday I bought a bale of straw.

Today I am going to learn how to turn it into gold.

Original sin

Mr BW returned from Wales unscathed.

With numerous energy boxes and this energy bar:

Sign below if you're interested...

My reaction is *yuck*!

How to celebrate in style...

It's our twelth anniversary today.
I like the way we are 12 on 28.04.06.
Those of you who like numbers might be similarly pleased by this pattern of digits?

We are celebrating by having a meeting with Bui1der BW and Structura1 Engineer BW at 9am to ascertain how many more errors and omissions Idiot Always Late Arch1tect (yes, I have added a word to his title in honour of what has come to light in the last few days) has made in the plans and constructi0n spec.

There will be a very, very, very, stinky letter headed from my computer to his office in the not too distant future. The phrase "professionally negligent" might come into it. I would like to put "professionally incompetent," but I understand the legal difference between fact and opinion.

And, if he responds in the same rude way as he did last time we wrote to him, politely asking him to be less Always Late, the whole correspondence will be winging its way to his professiona1 association as a formal complaint.

Mind you, it does have to be said that bad news travels quickly in these parts, and that when one is in a profession whose operation is geographically based, and where work is often sourced on a word-of-mouth recommendation basis, one ought not to upset BW. BW knows lots of influential people, who frequently have need of professional services. Many of them now know about IALA's standards, work ethics and practices. And they all have lots of similarly well-connected and heeled friends. If you get my drift ;)

After hearing the worst about the already highly-complex structure of our new roof (ie what modifications are going to be needed, which I strongly suspect will result in a reduction in the overall aesthetic effect), we will be spending the rest of our special day going on a return trip to Wales to collect the so1ar water heating system components. Yes, we finally found somewhere to source them for a DIY jobbie - many thanks to Ken for all his help and advice with that one. By the way - Ken makes Mr Strawbridge look like an amateur. On which subject... I believe that Mr Strawbridge (aka, in certain parts of blogland, :{ ) will be telling you all about this exact system on 9th May.

Why are we going all the way to Wales? Because it seems to be the only place in the country that is selling just components rather than gold-plated installed systems for over-affluent greens, and delivery was £150.

Pre-Post Update: Slight change of plan since I wrote this post last night (and I can't be bothered to rewrite it) - as we woke up early, we decided that it made more sense for Mr BW to go to Wales on his own, and for me to stay and do the meeting then sort some more stuff out, and make a nice celebratory dinner (although, at present, I have no idea what).

It would have made much more sense for me to go to Wales, but, given the number of plates I am attempting to keep spinning at present, and how few hours there are in each day, I am exhausted, and haven't been sleeping well. Even on a good day, I'd have trouble doing such a long trip on my own in one day now. As Mr BW left 3 hours earlier than planned, hopefully he'll miss the worst of the traffic each way, and will be back before the Bui1ders BW finish tonight.

Thought for the day

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

My Latest Wacky Value Tip

The average mobile phone user could save around £3 per year at today's electricity prices (which I read this week are up 31% in the past 2 years!) by charging their phones in the car. Many people have car phone chargers for convenience anyway, but, if you don't - about £2.99 dahn your local market.

Or, if you don't have a car... try solar phone chargers (although the payback time is longer).

Look after the pennies etc :)

Update - 11.30pm: New info just in suggests that, despite earlier doubts being cast on my theory, this might still be a Value Tip - see end of comment thread - but other informed opinion and further debate is welcomed...

Oink

I've finally worked out what George Orwell was on about.

The penny finally dropped last weekend.

It wasn't the government's future tricks he was prophetically warning us about in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

That was way, way too simplistic.

The sub-sub-text was about T£sco.

What he foresaw, and was trying to warn us about, was T£sco taking over the world.

You want some evidence?
Try this week's announcement that their profits are up again - by 17% this year (building on 20.5% last year). That's £70 profit every second.

And that first link quotes Terry Leahy, T£sco Chief Executive: "People are not worried about Tesco being dominant."

Wrong Terry, wrong.

Some people are worried, very worried - but you're not worried, are you, because you know that your business practices have made you practically unstoppable.

Interesting discussion about the perception of supermarket hierachies at Gordon's yesterday, gave more meat to the bones of my idea.

I commented:

Like you I remember as a child that T£sco was always considered as the grubby place where poor people shopped. As far as I'm concerned, it's now the nasty place with grubby business practices where gullible people without the ability to see how they are being conned, shop.

NML added:

The reason why we can't do it and the French can is because our government and local authorties are in too tight with supermarkets and get lured by so-called investment into the areas they operate and also spend far too much time being lobbied. Our government cares far too much about pandering to agressive supermarkets than it does about the interests of small business. There aren't enough strict policies regarding anti-competitive activity as well. How do they expect small business to survive when supermarkets cut all their prices to cut out the small guy and they set up on forecourts AND they set up as convenience stores as well!?

Yep, it is definitely what Orwell was meaning. World domination by supermarkets who have the government running scared and eating out of their troughs.

So - my new slogan (albeit slightly jumping Orwellian publications - although there are clues in there too)... Two legs good, T£sco bad.

Unless you want to live in Orwell's world....
Boycott Tesco.

Thought for the day

Following on from my downshifting post the other day, I'm upping a belated comment to today's TFTD:

You don't actually have to physicaly downshift to enjoy work more.

You can be happy or unhappy in a highly paid job or a lowly paid job. Changing the job up or down does not come with a guarantee of happiness. I really genuinely do enjoy my job (gasp!). It can be stressful at times - but then living is stressful at times - but I genuinely enjoy a pretty good balance.

Balance is the key to everything.

Enjoy life, enjoy balance.

- Mr BW

BW, the only blog that brings you regular pics of dead things...

Well, Chief Bui1ding Control Officer has just made his first visit and says I can have the stove of my desire, with a few modifications to the underfloor structure, and the addition of some concrete.

Mr BW's foundation inspection hole has been passed as deep enough to prove that we won't need to underpin the existing single storey part of The Coven to put on the planned second storey, and the hole can now be filled in. Which will spoil GT&WF and PVC the new baby familiars games, but will improve safety no end.

And Bui1der BW has just handed me the totally dessicated corpse of one of the loft-inhabiting super creatures that so distressed me and kept the council pest contol officer visiting for weeks sometime soon after I started BW over 3 years ago. Complete with attached fibreglass (the rest is now in the skip in the drive - it can't be reused as it's not modern spec, and even *I* can't think of a way to creatively recycle that much old insulation material).

"I knew you'd want to keep it!" he smiled.

I think he has me all worked out... (the piles of displaced loft junk all over the house are a dead giveaway actually).

Anyone got any plasticraft left over from their 70s childhood?

Is it a mouse? Or a shrew?

(If I was a good and dutiful blogger, I would provide links to all of those things mentioned, but, frankly, I cba, and I'm meant to be working, but I just wanted to share... ;))

0870 numbers to end

People power works.

Long-term readers will remember that I've frequently suggested that you seek geographical alternatives to 0870- numbers to save money.

Last Autumn, the Say No to 0870 website, which I use most days as it provides a comprehensive listing of alternative numbers, asked users to respond to an Ofcom (the UK communications regulator) consultation on the subject, which I duly did.

At the weekend I heard on TV that Ofcom had publsihed its report, but it seems to have taken until today for online info to appear about it:

On 19 April 2006 Ofcom confirmed measures to improve price transparency and strengthen consumer protection for calls to 0870 numbers. These changes are part of Ofcom's final statement following its review of all chargeable 08 number ranges (known as Number Translation Services or NTS).

Ofcom’s approach is broadly in line with the proposals it published for public consultation in September 2005. Many of the 1,300 responses to this consultation highlighted the case for changes to 0870 and increased consumer protection.

Full details of what OFCOM are proposing (which will come into force sometime next year) are to be found here.

Bascially, it means that, in future, companies will not be able to generate revenue (currently around 2p per minute - no wonder companies using 0870- numbers like to keep you waiting) from non-geographic numbers (which may become numbers beginning 03-) and Ofcom will require mobile and fixed-line providers (including payphones) to charge the same or less for 0870 calls as they do for national-rate calls to geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02). If providers wish to charge more for 0870 calls they will have to make a free-to-caller price pre-announcement at the start of the call.

And about time to. In my opinion, Ofcom are the most toothless regulator in this country.

Also on this subject, I had a brilliant Value Revenge idea the other day.

There are several places offering free provision of 0870 numbers to individuals (I presume that these companies take the 2p per minute cut when people ring you). One could set up such a number and give only that number out when companies who use 0870 numbers themselves require a phone number from you.

As the number feeds into your normal phone, it would make no difference to you, but might make a point to them. If anyone realised. Which they probably wouldn't, as only Value people seem to understand just how much you can save in a year by refusing to use 0870 numbers at 10p per minute rather than geographic numbers at 4p per call, regardless of duration.

What colour is your aura?

Those of you who are energy-sceptics had best skip this post ;)

Senior Witches always tell me that they cannot discern the colour of my aura ("the aura is an electromagnetic energy field that emanates from all living things. The colours and patterns within this energy field constitute a kind of blueprint of a person's soul, a chart of the individual's potential. Reports of the aura describes it as being a luminous egg-shaped cloud of pulsing energy that surrounds the human body, extending about six feet in all directions. It is made up of concentric bands or layers of coloured light that travel in patterns around the body.")

I was once told that my aura was rainbow coloured. Which, given the symbolism, and my natural bent, made me laugh.

However, an internet quiz (which is actually based on a book on the subject, which seems quite interesting) now agrees that I am aura-schizophrenic:

Your aura colours are overlapped. Your most likely colours are:

Orange.

Oranges are daredevils. They are individualistic, fearless, physical, cunning, conquerors, danger-lovers and thrill-seekers. They have been known to tilt at windmills.

Indigo.

Indigos are truth-tellers. They are quiet, alert, spiritual, inquisitive, patient, determined, guiltless, stubborn and honest. They can be blunt.

Crystal.

Crystals are healers. They are private, spiritual, readers, socially awkward, rehearsed, shy, retiring, proper, misunderstood and unappreciated. They can seem fragile.

Find out what colour your aura is.

That is scarily accurate, especially when you look at the extended definitions.

What colour are you?

Thought for the day

Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.

- Thomas Jefferson

There's a hole in my roof, dear reader, dear reader...

Or, to be more exact, half a roof missing.

It wasn't all meant to be coming off, but Bui1der BW and Structura1 Engineer BW have decided that Always Late Arch1tect is an idiot and they have redesigned it between them to make it better (ie give us more headroom in the shower room). And hence the whole back of the roof is now off.

Tiles all stacked neatly on the scaffold, roof battens currently on the flat roof bit - ah, no, wait - I hear a noise - as I write, being thrown into the driveway for us to chop up for next winter's firewood (waste not, want not).

This is the view, leaning perilously, kneeling on my work desk, and hanging out of the open Inner Coven window:

And could I make a plea to the Met Office (via a certain blog reader) to give us more accurate weather forecasts for this area for the next few days, please? We've just had 3 heavy showers that weren't forecast... and Bui1der BW isn't impressed. I said I'd let the Met Office know they got it wrong. He thinks I'm joking ;)

Downshifting Week: 22nd - 28th April

So often I hear or read people bleat words to the effect of, "Oh I wish I didn't have to go to a job I hate every day, with a boss I hate etc etc."

Well, I've got news for those people... you don't.

The only thing that is stopping you is your state of mind.
And your need to be aquisitive and have things and paid-for experiences.
Change your state of mind and your fundamental beliefs about what is important, and you can achieve whatever you want.
Inner peace has no price.
You have only one life.
There is nothing material for which it is worth sacrificing your sanity or your happiness.

10 years ago I thought I couldn't have it all either.

It's not been easy certainly, but the process is interesting and enlightening, and has considerably changed my views on life and how the world operates. And yes, I'm lucky, I do have skills that are highly marketable and in great demand, if and when I choose to exchange my time for money.

Because that's what work is, a contract between you and your employer to exchange part of your life for his/her money. That's all. No more and no less.

Our culture has wrapped it up and packaged the concept of work beautifully so that we believe it is so much more than that. But it's not.

Proof comes in the stories you hear and read all the time - someone has given their life to a company, neglected their own social or family life, and very often also their personal sanity, to further the business (and profit) of another, and suddenly finds themselves redundant for no reason they can discern. Make no mistake: you are disposable. Everyone is disposable.

While doing an advanced business qualification a couple of years ago, Mr BW had an experience that illustrates how society and workplace culture lead people away from seeing the bottom line that work is a trade of your time and skills for someone else's money.

"What," asked a lecturer, "is the purpose of your company?" The handful of other people in the lecture came out with nicey nicey phrases from their company's mission statement - you know the sort of thing, "To enhance the quality of life," "To make a difference," "To provide the highest-quality widgets at the keenest prices," etc etc. Mr BW was last to answer. "The only purpose of my company is to make money for the shareholders," he said. That was the answer being sought. Everyone else had been blinkered into believing their company's corporate bullshit.

I get angry at employers who demand more from employees than it is possible for people to achieve in the hours they pay them for. More and more companies appear to believe that they have a right to encroach upon people's personal time. If you bunked off from work, your employer would quickly complain that you were stealing his/her time, but what is *s/he* doing by demanding you attend breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, or stay late to meet a deadline, and work evenings or weekends that aren't in your contract, but stealing your free time?

When Brother BW worked in Germany, back in the early 1990s, everyone from the MD down worked contracted hours, for a salary, and then, if they agreed to do more hours for a specific purpose, received overtime payments for it. He assured me that that practice was commonplace in engineering/IT over there, at that time. I don't know if it still is, but it's a sensible, fair idea.

A book that changed my (and Mr BW's) beliefs on life, that I can thoroughly recommend is: "Downshifting - the guide to happier, simpler living" by Polly Ghazi and Judy Jones. It's the definitive "How to..." guide, and gives lots of new angles on things, as well as practical advice, and inspirational case studies. Yours for less than £3, including postage, from here.

As the title of the post suggests, it's also National Downshifting Week this week. There's an excellent website here, with some good resources to help you think things through, and even a list of some very small things you can do to help you make a start towards turning your dream into reality.

Someone I know said to me the other day, "Oh BW, you're so lucky, you can spend time painting pictures while I'm at work!" "Yes," I replied, "but that privilege wasn't given to me on a plate. I've worked hard to be where I am now, and I still work hard, but I also understand Value, and that there are more ways to pay bills than by selling myself into daily slavery to line someone else's pockets."

And, of course, I have the advantage of Mr BW's total support. He is lucky. He enjoys his work. He has worked in the same place since he left school, and has risen through the company by working hard and gaining people's respect, by showing people respect. But, at the end of the day, he also knows that if ever he stops enjoying what he's doing, he can just walk away, there and then, uttering to his boss whatever final phrase he feels necessary.

Because we've got it planned like that.
And if we can, anyone can.
If they want to badly enough.

Thought for the day

He that respects himself is safe from others. He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Spring is in full flower

Today I am mostly looking at the pretty flowers in my garden, and trying not to get stressed by the fact that the bui1ders - Boss Man of whom has just arrived to do measuring, roof tile and floorboard removal - probably now need a crane to get in the structural supporting beams, which means closing the lane outside. Which you can't do without Following A Procedure. Which takes several weeks.

I've just noticed, there's even a scaffold leg in the top picture.

La la la la la la....

Thought for the day

Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you.

- Ogden Nash

Sunday - a day of rest?

We've been toying with the idea of getting a new TV aerial for a while now. The existing one is probably 27 years old. With a better aerial, Mr BW has always thought, we might just be able to get Freeview. Possibly. The website still says 'No', but last time I got a box on 'work or return for refund', we had a couple of ghostly half-channels. While Freesat would give us TV and Freeview, I don't believe in giving Evil Uncle Rupert details of everything I watch.

Yesterday, while out looking for stoves, bathrooms, flooring and tiles, we passed an independent TV shop, and picked up the required parts.

Now, most people would just get someone in, but not Mr BW. He likes climbing on the roof. A few years back he balanced on the ridge and stuffed a flexible flue and 5 bags of vermiculite down the lounge chimney for a wood burner. This time, the scaffolding that's been up since Wednesday (took 3 blokes 4 hours, and they even managed to go round my hanging basket, and only stood on one emergent hosta) made it much easier.

The GT&WF decided that the scaffolding was an excellent adventure playground, and a great way of showing off to PVC, the Baby Kitten Familiar, who wasn't big enough to climb the first ladder up.

I was having kittens with the two of them up on the ridge...

And, here's the proof that GT&WF and PVC are now friends:

Playing on the bag of leafmould we had to move from the drive in preparation for the bui1ders. If they don't finally show up tomorrow morning, there will be spells...

Happy St George's Day!

Good news on the kitten front

They're now sort-of playing together. That is, GT&WF has stopped hissing and running away, scared, from PVC (Pointy Velcro Claws, the baby kitten) and wants to play with her (although GT&WF's efforts are rather too boisterous), while PVC just wants to play with us.

21 hours it took. A good spell, involving a very warm day (23 degrees - possibly more, as the weather station thermometer is now in the shade of the scaffolding, so may be under-reading), some plant planting, a plastic bag, and a lot of patience, but thanks also, for the encouragement to continue, to Debster, GoodTwin and Joules.

Boring stuff to most of you... Kittens and Purchases... but, it's mostly what's going on round here...

Waking up early has not been a good idea.

I've just discovered that the object of my desire is available in BW Blue after all. Must be a sign. Oh bollocks; looks like the budget has just gone out of the window. And I'd nearly talked myself out of it too, because I wasn't convinced that either pale blue or white were quite perfect.

But, I have saved £120 on the backlit mirror and £100 on the heated towel rail (by unexpectedly spying said items in Costco, not vastly different to those I'd costed elewhere, at a third and a half of their respective prices), and I did save £400 on the shower yesterday... Aqualisa showers are like dishwashers and cleaners - once you've had one, you can't not have one.

But, I was shocked at how much they had gone up in price since we last installed one when we refitted The Coven Bathroom 8 years ago. Even t'inter couldn't deliver at a price I thought was acceptable.

Then Mr BW told me he's seen one on offer for less than £200 in a new trade plumbers' merchant near his work. I thought he was mistaken, so didn't follow up the lead until yesterday - when I discovered that Aqualisa now do an Optus range, introduced last year and designed for what the bloke in the shop described as "the contract market" (ie new house builders). A bit of Witchy negotiation, and I got the same 30% off list that is available to the trade (never, ever, pay brochure price for bathroom stuff - actually, never, ever, pay brochure price for any stuff without a good attempt at a haggle).

I'm assured that the shower quality is as good, if not better, than a standard Aqualisa. Given that the bloke knew I was dithering about having that or one of the domestic range at three times the price, because I was worried that the performance would have been compromised by the low price, it would have been in his interest, and quite easy, to flog me the more expensive one. So, I am reassured that it will do as he says. And if not, he'll get it back, as I (very nicely) said to him :)

It does 'only' have a 2 year guarantee, whereas Aqualisa's guarantees are usually 3 or 5 years now, but, at a third of the cost of the other one I'd priced, and as it's only for a second shower, I don't see that as a huge disadvantage. Plus, many other showers only have a year. Anyway, all that there is to go wrong on an Aqualisa shower is the cartridge, which costs around £50 to replace. We've needed 3 on the current shower as we live in a very hard water area and use it several times a day, every day.

Interesting that Aqualisa don't have the Optus on its main website, or in their domestic brochure, though.

Meanwhile, out in The Coven Workshop, Kitten Wars continue.

The Dark Tabby Baby Familiar is changing her name to Pointy Velcro Claws. It suits my misspent youth... tis very Witchy-Punk having a Familiar named PVC I think :)

I have never, ever, in all the kittens I have step-mothered over the years, had one capable of pulling itself up my trouser legs, up my fleece, over my shoulder, and then into the middle of my back, by its claws. No amount of shaking, bending or attempts to pick up could get her off, and I ran into the house shouting for Mr BW to urgently assist. I've got a trail of tiny claw marks, each one of which drew blood, up and down my body.

We got PVC as a friend for GT&W as we felt she was lonely. But, if they don't stop their hissing and start making friends soon, I'll sell PVC to a local tattooist as a novelty tool. Better still... I'll buy the CD and learn to do it myself. For £49.99 (or £39.99 for download) I could be grabbing a slice of the huge market for that round here...

Hot issues

Currently coveting one of these, for the new studio.
This one, to be precise.

In blue. Or maybe white. Because the blue isn't BW Blue. I'm not sure if white will discolour though. One would assume not.

They're made very well...

Should be for £1740.
No discounts available, apparently, even to persuasive Value Witches.

Found a Greek firm selling them for 1900 Euros.
Have emailed to ask the delivery charge...

I can't quite get my Value head round spending two grand on a stove (cost plus essential extras, like a flue). But, one is a long time dead... And, given the amount we're spending on the project anyway, I'm trying to think of it in terms of, why spoil the ship?

But grief... two grand... But, let's be positive... with firewood freely and readily available for the collecting, at least the running costs would be zero (and if electricity and oil keeps going up the way it is - 99.9p per litre for diesel round here now), it might quite quickly pay for itself...

And yeah, I know there are cheaper ones available.
But I don't like them.
Too traditional for the effect I want to create :(

Royal Kitten

Well, whichever wannabee Witch who did the spell to stop me posting more cute kitten pictures, it's failed. Bad luck. It only took 34sp 6 minutes from the time I reported the problem that was stopping me posting and you commenting, to fix it (now, that's service for you :))

So, would you like to see my picture of Madge (80 today), or another pic of the new Dark Tabby Familiar (6 weeks and 3 days today)?

No contest is it?

Like I said before, if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em.

Anyway, commentator Debster will be happy (and if GT&WF doesn't start being nice to the newcomer (how long might it take anyway?), Debster may just have to adopt one of them... :))

Please welcome the new Dark Tabby Familiar...

The GT&W Familiar is not amused though.

She was being such a hissy moo that we had to shut her in the cat box, and let the velcro-clawed Dark Tabby Familiar run around the workshop. If you look carefully in the top right corner of the smaller picture, you can see the GT&WF hissing at the poor little 44 day old new familar who arrived at The Coven a couple of hours ago.

Only child syndrome.

I'm sure they'll sort themselves out...

And then they'll start climbing the scaffolding. Which is more than the bui1ders are. Now apparently starting on Monday rather than tomorrow. Third delay. Only 3 weeks late...

Update, 9.15pm: Just went out to see them... GT&WF has somehow managed to escape from the cat box and was sitting up high looking scared. New small Dark Tabby Familiar was running round happily.

We gave them both a hug (hearing GT&WF purr and hiss simultaneously was amusing), gave DTF a towel-lined box bed, put GT&WF in her bed, and crossed our fingers.

101 uses for a kitten

1. Ginger, Tabby & White Familiar

2. Wheel arch cleaner:

3. ????????

Thought for the day

I cannot divine how it happens that the man who knows the least is the most argumentative.

- Giovanni della Casa

Tricky situations

I'm a bit preoccupied enjoying my last day for the next 12-14 weeks without men, scaffolding, and noise, around. No, well, that was the plan, but actually, I'm running around like a headless chicken trying to sort out loads of things.

One of the scaffolders just came round to see tomorrow's job. He was 17, 7 stone, rough, and was eating a bag of salt and vinegar quavers (with his mouth open) while he talked to me. He decided that they could put a scaffold supporting leg in the fish pond. I decided that he couldn't. He eyed up my largest koi and said it would make a nice dinner with chips. Not a good start. *sighs* Luckily Mr BW is having the day off tomorrow as I can't cope with scaffolders alone. There's something about men of that ilk that I find very, very hard to communicate with.

I was having a nice quiet swim earlier. Into my third week of swimming fast for at least 20 minutes (almost) every weekday, in a nice warm pool, my joints are creaking less, but I'm not any less tired.

I've finally, for the first time ever, managed to find some swimming goggles that don't leak. Which today wasn't a good thing, as I noticed a grossly fat woman in her 50s nonchalantly having a pee in the corner of the pool, while I was swimming down the lane at the far side. Given that there is a toilet just 10 steps from the edge of the pool (I measured it when I got out, to check), there is absolutely no excuse for that.

I stood up, looked straight at her from where I was across the pool, raised my eyebrows and shook my head very, very, slowly. I think that she looked a bit embarrassed, but maybe that was wishful thinking. Later I wished I'd said something too - there were 3 other people in the pool.

But what? What does one say to someone weeing in the corner of a swimming pool?

Thought for the day

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

- Albert Camus

The Great Sort Out: Day 4

It's empty upstairs and full, very full indeed, downstairs.

And there's a 6'4" naked man (that is, naked apart from a pair of Wellington boots and a Nigerian hat) in the dining area.

We are very very tired and need a long bank holiday weekend to get over the long bank holiday weekend.

Hot Cross Bun Count: 8 left. Bit dry now and no longer revivable with a quick 5 second blast in the microwave. May be hen food later.

Easter

These little bunnies were in a net inside a beautiful hand-painted mug given to me by one of the Pupils BW. Weird that of nine, 3 should be artist bunnies. It's a sign!

Mr BW says, a sign that we should get on and finish emptying The Coven Attic...

Easter Sunday, we were walking
Easter Sunday, we were talking
Isabel, little one, take my hand
Time has come

Isabella, all is glowing
Isabella, all is knowing
And my heart, Isabella
And my head, Isabella

Frederick and Vitalie
Savior dwells inside of thee
Oh, the path leads to the sun
Brother, sister, time has come

Isabella, all is glowing
Isabella, all is knowing
Isabella, we are dying
Isabella, we are rising

I am the spring, the holy ground
The endless seed of mystery
The thorn, the veil, the face of grace
The brazen image, the thief of sleep
The ambassador of dreams, the prince of peace
I am the sword, the wound, the stain
Scorned transfigured child of Cain
I rend, I end, I return
Again I am the salt, the bitter laugh
I am the gas in a womb of light, the evening star
The ball of sight that leads that sheds the tears of Christ
Dying and drying as I rise tonight

Isabella, we are rising
Isabella, we are rising

- Patti Smith

Happy chocolate bunny chick day to you all!

The Great Sort Out: Day 2

Hot cross bun count: Now at 14.

The Coven Attic is nearly empty.
The rest of the Coven is nearly full with everything that is being moved out of the Coven Attic in preparation for it becoming The Coven Studio.
We are really tired and ache all over.

I can understand why people move house regularly now. It's so they don't get an accumulation of things. If you have a huge, walk in loft like we have, it's just too easy to let it all build up. And then, when you have the good idea of turning the storage space into useful living space, you end up with a big, big problem.

I am unsure that I can live in this kind of a mess for the next 12-14 weeks.

Only the Inner Coven and the Workshop are usually allowed to be messy. I can't stand clutter anywhere else, and, at present, only the bathroom and the Rest Room are tidy. As those two rooms are probably also the only ones from which the scaffolding won't be visible, I may have to live in just them, during the hours of light.

Physical clutter causes me real mental pain. Keeping physical order helps me keep equilibrium in my head. And that's a hard enough battle usually, without half a dozen workmen intruding into my space every day too. I think I may have to run away. Anyone want a Witchy house guest for the next 3 months? ;)

Mr BW has calculated that there will only be room in the storage cupboards, that will be built into the eaves of the new room, for around 25 boxes, so is trying to 'encourage' me to throw away practically everything. But, I am resisting... there are reasons for keeping 'stuff', even if he doesn't understand... And I think he's wrong about the number of boxes that will fit in. At least, I jolly well hope so...

This is what my children do while I'm busy...

I still can't work out how D'Oves have babies, and pictures such as this and the one here don't help explain it. They've been at it all afternoon. And not just this pair.

The Coven Attic is roughly half empty. The allocated space for all the treasures (Mr BW would say "junk", but then he's carried it all downstairs, and 90% of it is mine rather than his) in The Coven Lounge and Outbuildings is more than half full. We seem to have a space problem. And that's before the space from whence it has emanated is turned into a room with only minor storage in the eaves. The paper recycling box is full (and it's not paper collection week). But, I refuse to throw away anything that could be construed as "social history".

It's fascinating how things have moved on in the education world since 1982 and 1991 (two years from which I have particularly large stocks - both years I moved, so, obviously, material was thrust into boxes in haste rather than sorted, wrapped in plastic, and labelled, "loft", to where it got relocated when I relocated, rather than reevaluated; it's weird unwrapping boxes that haven't seen the light of day for 24 and 15 years respectively).

It was 23 degrees celsius at 6pm. Most unusual for a Bank Holiday weekend.

And Grumpy Old Men is back tonight. Wonderful programme. Makes me realise that I am not alone :)

Hot cross bun count: Still at 18.

Hot Cross Buns

We are busy relocating the entire contents of The Coven Attic into a designated and groundsheet-enclosed half of the Coven Lounge, The Coven Garage, and various other assorted Coven Outbuildings, in preparation for The Bui1ders BW. The scaffolding is going up on Wednesday. Only 15 days late, but, it could have been worse, and, given how ill we've both been over the past few weeks, it's no bad thing.

It's weird only having a 14' x 12' lounge left to live in for the next 12 weeks. I know that's probably still larger than most new houses, but it's too small for me. I'm feeling claustrophobic.

But... many half-forgotten treasures have been uncovered.

Star finds to date include: apricot coloured plastic and elastic bobbles I wore in my hair throughout primary school, a signed photo and personally dedicated A4 black and white photo of Jilted John, my BAGA gymnastics awards from primary school, every single metro ticket and till receipt from the time as I spent in France as an au pair in 1979, a diary from a national Guide camp I went on in 1975 (that is hilarious - "I had to cut up bread for fried bread. It was mouldy. I had to cut the mould off. Mummy BW wouldn't be happy, so I won't tell her.."

Loads of excellent blog fodder. If only I had the time to post it...

Hot cross bun count: started at 24 yesterday. Now down to 18.

Tesco passes the buck on vegetarian error

Well, Tesco Corporate have been visiting BW again today while I have been avoiding traffic jams on the M1, M11 and M25 today (how I love my sat nav :))

I guess that's why Dear Susan was instructed to send Mr BW a further email (my bold and red):

-----Original Message-----

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk]
Sent: 13 April 2006 13:12
To: Mr BW
Re: vegetarianism

Dear Mr BW

I thank you for your reply, and I would like to advise that I do have some further information regarding the Greek Salad that was labelled to contain fish.

This product, did not in fact contain any fish, and it was the manufacturer's labelling which did not omit the information saying that it did contain fish.

This was down to human error, and as soon as it was brought to our
attention, steps were taken to remove the product and the labelling amended.

As I did advise previously, if we made any errors, they would be rectified and this is the case with the Greek Salad.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

Can anyone explain to me what the bold red paragraph actually means? It seems to be written in Tesco-Speak rather than English. I think they're saying it's someone else's fault? Surely someone in Tesco is involved in the design of own-brand product labels? And, even if not, surely someone in Tesco should have checked that an own-brand product's label was satisfactory before thousands were printed?

And isn't it wonderful to see that the buck stops anywhere but Tesco's door? (doubly interesting, in the light of the info on manufacturers and labelling offered by Cath in the comments yesterday).

But - as Tesco admitted previously that their vegetarian products do contain fish products, because they can, and do, produce misleading labels because the "V" symbol is not regulated, I'm just wondering what they're trying to achieve here?

I counted 14 Tesco lorries and a Tesco petrol tanker stuck in the absolutely stationary traffic on the M25 anti-clockwise carriageway between the Potters Bar junction and when I turned off up the M11.

I thought of the Tesco senior managers who must have been fretting because they were losing money as the product was being delayed getting to the shelves for the Easter weekend, and laughed.

Remember - you don't have to shop at Tesco, but, if you do, there soon won't be any other choice in many places.

Boycott Tesco!

Question: When is a vegetarian not a vegetarian?

Answer: When it shops at Tesco and trusts the labels on the food.

Well, the following volley of emails between Mr BW and Tesco had me laughing all afternoon.

You'd probably need to know Mr BW to appreciate the true sarcasm in the tone of most of the remarks made, mind.

If you read the original post down the page a bit, you'll remember that we'd reached this point yesterday:

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 10 April 2006
Subject: vegetarianism

Dear Susan

Thank you for your reply.

Whilst slightly patronising in trying to explain to me the different types of vegetarian, you are in fact completely wrong. There is only one definition of Vegetarianism and one definition of a Vegan in the eyes of the FSA.

I would have hoped that you would have been up to date with Food Standards Requirements, but as you clearly are not please allow me to patronise you, the largest food retailer in the UK, in return, and send you the link to their guidelines:

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/vegitermsgn.pdf

Your labelling as attached is therefore clearly in contravention of the FSA Guidelines.

If I might draw your attention to page 4, it says:

"The term vegetarian should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of product derived from animals which have died... including for example... fish."

Whilst accepting that this is a relatively new update, my major concern is that you appear to have no plans to bring your labelling in line.

Tesco has a well-earned reputation for arrogance in its dealing with the public, but defying FSA guidelines must break new ground for even Tesco.

Hoping that even Tesco might think that it is not bigger than the FSA and might reconsider complying with its guidelines,

Mr BW

Mr BW is of the BW School of Communciation - if it doesn't respond after a reasonable time, nudge it a bit harder, and then keep poking at regular intervals until it does.

So, not having had the courtesy of a reply to his email on Monday, this morning he wrote again:

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 12 April 2006
Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Dear Susan

I note you are taking longer to answer my second question. Might it be
because you now appreciate Tesco are in the wrong here, but, being Tesco, you don't want to admit it?

Mr BW

He received this reply:

-----Original Message-----

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk]
Sent: 12 April 2006 13:28
To: Mr BW
Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to learn that you were unhappy with my response to your
complaint, as there was no intention to cause you any further annoyance.

However, our labelling lists the ingredients, so that our customers can make
an informed choice before deciding to purchase.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at
customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

Now, by now Mr BW reckoned that the lady writing was dim and obviously had difficulty in identifying questions embedded in text.

So Mr BW tried another tack:

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 12 April 2006
Subject: RE: vegetarianism

Susan

Your answer bears no relationship to my question and you are doing nothing but reinforcing public perception of the arrogance of Tesco in their dealings with the public.

I am not questioning whether or not your labels list all ingredients. I am asking you why you are labelling food containing fish as vegetarian, which is in direct contravention of the FSA guidelines.

Please answer the question.

Thank you

Mr BW

And back came a reply, containing out-of-date information.

Interestingly it also confirms that Tesco don't consider they need to comply with official guidance that is not legally enforceable. Not that we didn't already know that (the word 'planning' comes to mind...).

-----Original Message-----

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk]
Sent: 12 April 2006 13:48
To: Mr BW
Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Thank you for your reply.

From the Food Standards Agency
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/foodlabels/labellingterms/vegetarian/

"You see a variety of vegetarian logos on food labels.

Products carrying the 'Vegetarian Society Approved' logo must fulfil certain requirements laid down by the Vegetarian Society.

But at present, there is no single legal definition of the terms
'vegetarian' or 'vegan' either at European or UK level.

The 'Suitable for Vegetarians' logo is not regulated. It is known as a
'voluntary claim', which means it is illegal for the labelling information to include anything that is false or likely to mislead."

Our labelling clearly states that the product contains fish, and so is not misleading.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at
customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

Mr BW hates inaccuracy and sloppiness.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 12 April 2006
Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Dear Susan

sorry but this is an out of date comment, not a formal dated guideline:

Please read my e-mail lower down in this string of 10th April, the current
FSA guidelines (dated 6th April) were linked in this e-mail:

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/vegitermsgn.pdf

Please read the definitions on page 4.

They are very clear about what can be included in any food with a vegetarian label, and fish is specifically excluded.

Tesco is therefore in contravention of current FSA guidelines.

Please advise.

Mr BW

And then the penny started dropping at Tesco:

-----Original Message-----

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk]
Sent: 12 April 2006 14:37
To: Mr BW
Subject: Re: veget arianism

Thank you for your reply.

I fully appreciate your comments. We aim to provide the best possible
service for our customers and any feedback or suggestions made are always very welcome.

The relevant department dealing with such matters has been notified and I can assure you that this will be taken on board as your views and comments are invaluable to us.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

Insert knife to really make the point:

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 12 April 2006
Subject: RE: vegetarianism

Thanks Susan.

I guess that is as close that we will get to an acknowledgment of error from Tesco.

I hope the 'relevant department' will not only worry about my views and opinions, but will also take note of those of the FSA

Ever in hope.

Mr BW

And here is Susan, trained not to admit the customer is right, replying (my bolding of 'if'):

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk] Sent: 12 April 2006 16:18 To: Mr BW Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Thank you for your reply.

I would like to assure you that if we have made any errors at all, they will be rectified, as you will appreciate, we do have to adhere to legislation.

I have forwarded all of our correspondence to the relevant department, but I will not be informed of any outcome I am afraid.

Thank you again for your time and consideration, and I am sorry for any inconvenience caused.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

She sounds so sad that Tesco "do have to adhere to legislation" doesn't she?

And Mr BW's parting shot:

-----Original Message-----

From: Mr BW
Sent: 12 April 2006 16:52
To: 'Tesco Customer Service'
Subject: RE: vegetarianism

Hmmm

Nice to see Tesco has a joined up communication process.

Perhaps I could suggest a new slogan?

Rather than 'Every Little helps,' perhaps, 'We live food: mushrooms.'
(Ed's note: That new slogan had me stumped for a bit - but, having thunk awhile, I suspect he means that Tesco keeps everyone in the dark and feeds them shit - she won't have understood that though :))

Good luck working for Tesco, I have a feeling you might need it.

Mr BW

Show Tesco that telling the truth on its food packets is vital.

Vote with your wallet - the only thing that they will understand - Boycott Tesco!

Happy Birthday!

The Union Flag is 400 today.

I haven't got time to write about it.

Thought for the day

Viral marketing seems to be a buzz word at the moment.

I'm thinking that I like the term viral blogging.
Lots of different potential usages of the term...

So, where am I?

Almost no time for blogging, sorry.

I'm busy sorting in readiness for Bui1ders BW (now starting next Wednesday), swimming (in an attempt to stop feeling so old and tired, I needed to up exercise I would enjoy, so, for the past 9 days I've been fast-swimming, in a lovely warm pool, every day for at leat 20 minutes - Value Tip - if you go early, you can get away with going in 'just-out-of-bed-mode' and save on your shower water at home - sometimes you even find 'forgotten' shampoo and can pinch a bit of that, so save on using your own ;)), and arting (I'm getting stressed by the thought of everything that could go wrong with Bui1ders BW, and thinking about all the things still to source, so I'm into major distraction).

I always conceptualise learning as a staged process:

Unconsciously incompetent
Consciously incompetent
Consciously competent
Unconsciously competent

I can't remember whose model it is, and CBATG.

I start everything, without exception, at stage 2, and, with many things, never bother aiming to stage 3, unless I definitely know I can do something well. Perfectionism is a hard affliction to live with.

But, maybe I crossed the stage 3/4 line sometime recently, as far as things arty are concerned. I'm now at the stage when I've done a couple of bits I'm really pleased with, that I myself would buy, and that I didn't fret about every step of the way. In fact, I even enjoyed doing them. And I don't care whether other people like them. I'm genuinely excited about where I could go with things in future. I can't remember the last time I felt like that about anything.

Just wait until I have somewhere proper to do them...
Ah, back to the second sentence.

Anyway, I seem to be using parts of my brain that have lain dormant for too long, recently. I guess it started when I was told, "Academics don't do art and cookery, BW!" at school. It's taken me 31 years to properly escape that... And, oh, it feels good.

WARNING:Tesco Labelling Lies

You may remember that I mentioned the other day that Tesco products, labelled as vegetarian, contain fish?

Well, Mr BW (who eats meat, sometimes, although not at The Coven) was rather cross about this. He knows someone who is allergic to fish, and must not eat it. So, he emailed Tesco on this angle, rather than solely on the strictly vegetarian one.

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 07 April 2006
Subject: vegetarianism

Dear Sir/Madam

I understand that you are labelling products containing fish as vegetarian.

I am appalled to now be told that your V symbol actually means that the product could include fish. For example, this label:

Please explain, as there are likely to be people allergic to fish who will trust your V symbol (without necessarily looking for fish as an allergy warning; why should they, it's a vegetarian dish?), as being an indication that there is no meat or fish in the dish, and could potentially become very ill as a result. Not to mention of course the problems you will cause vegetarians in 'making' them eat fish against their will (you might as well hide a piece of pork in the dish for good measure).

Do you remember the problems and publicity Gordon Ramsay had when he hid meat in a vegetarian dish? It was all over the papers for days.

Given that I have now made you aware of his potentially lethal situation, you will have no standing in court to claim ignorance of the issue when the first person falls ill from a fish allergy from eating what was labelled as vegetarian, and sues you, and be assured I am copying this e-mail to Watchdog etc to make sure that your knowledge of your dangerous (and surely illegal under trade description) practice is common knowledge.

Yours disgustedly

Mr BW

Tesco replied thus:

-----Original Message-----

From: Tesco Customer Service [mailto:customer.service@tesco.co.uk]
Sent: 08 April 2006 10:28
To: Mr BW
Subject: Re: vegetarianism

Thank you for your email.

I fully appreciate your comments. We aim to provide the best possible service for our customers and any feedback or suggestions made are always very welcome.

We will show our Vegetarian symbol on products which contain fish so long as there are no animal by-products.

Below is a breakdown of the 4 different types of Vegetarianism.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including honey. In addition, they generally do not use products, which have been tested on animals.

Lacto-vegetarians eat milk and cheese but nothing that has been produced as a result of animal being slaughtered e.g. meat, fish and poultry, or by products such as gelatine, whey or rennet.

Ovo-Lacto vegetarians eat eggs as well as dairy products.

Demi-vegetarians choose to exclude red meat but may occasionally eat poultry or fish.

Tesco Vegetarian products are suitable for Vegetarians who still eat eggs and dairy products.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.service@tesco.co.uk.

Kind Regards

Susan McAndrew
Tesco Customer Service

He was truly flabbergasted (not least because the response was self-contradictory and also didn't address the major point he raised), and applied a quick Google before responding in 2 minutes at the end of his lunchhour:

----- Original Message -----

From: Mr BW
Date: 10 April 2006
Subject: vegetarianism

Dear Susan

Thank you for your reply.

Whilst slightly patronising in trying to explain to me the different types of vegetarian, you are in fact completely wrong. There is only one definition of Vegetarianism and one definition of a Vegan in the eyes of the FSA.

I would have hoped that you would have been up to date with Food Standards Requirements, but as you clearly are not please allow me to patronise you, the largest food retailer in the UK, in return, and send you the link to their guidelines:

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/vegitermsgn.pdf

Your labelling as attached is therefore clearly in contravention of the FSA Guidelines.

If I might draw your attention to page 4, it says:

"The term vegetarian should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of product derived from animals which have died... including for example... fish."

Whilst accepting that this is a relatively new update, my major concern is that you appear to have no plans to bring your labelling in line.

Tesco has a well-earned reputation for arrogance in its dealing with the public, but defying FSA guidelines must break new ground for even Tesco.

Hoping that even Tesco might think that it is not bigger than the FSA and might reconsider complying with its guidelines,

Mr BW

After this, would you trust Tesco labelling on anything?

A company that believe they are above the laws on food labelling and plannning (issues on which there is irrefutable proof) just cannot be trusted.

Don't you need to be sure that you know what's in your food?

There is only one way of getting the message through to Tesco, a company who appear to have no morals or ethics, and whose only care appears to be profit. Vote with your wallet.

Boycott Tesco.

Thought for the day

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?

- Satchel Paige

Grand National Value Sweepstake Results

Apologies to witch of oz, ew, and LaP that I didn't manage to post your allocations before the race.

We've just watched it on tape, having been very busy in The Coven Grounds, and then talking to a solar energy man from a sensible company - half the price of the cheapest previous quote, and a new idea for making better use of the system by siting the tank differently and so being able to use the solar heated water in the utility too. And then... *jumps up and down with excitement*, Ken, who Clair discovered earlier in the week (thanks Clair, great find!) and told me about in the comments below, kindly replied to the email I sent and has told me where to buy just the panels (something I spent several hours trying to find, and, depsite my usually good Googling, failed), so we can now DIY for a third of the cheapest price, or a sixth of the original quote. More details once I've cleared with him that it's OK to pass them on.

So... the winners...

1st Numbersixvalverde - timothy
2nd Hedehunter - Chris
3rd Clan Royal - Esme Hen
4th Nil Desperandum - Mr BW (as 3rd and 4th were a photo finish, he reckons he was robbed by a blue egg layer)

Full results here.

Well done to everyone... and I'll try to organise it a bit further in advance (if I remember!) next year (I didn't come up with the idea until this morning, or I'd have done it yesterday).

Ooooh, I can't tell you how excited I am about being able to do the solar water project I'm so passionate about for around £1400. Value, Value, and another lovely demonstration of blogland working at its very best :)

Value sweepstake

Mr BW is disappointed that no-one organised a sweepstake in his office. I'm not, because betting is a complete waste of money, and every saved pound at the moment is a bonus. However.

To assuage his disappointment, and to have some fun on a Saturday (actually, I may have a MBWLA later - not sure, I have to check the files - but Mr BW has big plans for my time today, which do not include blogging, but do include sorting out the rainwater collection system, moving an antique plough, relocating a 10 foot high holly bush and lots of horticultural jobs), I was going to allocate a horse to each resident of The Coven. However, as the D'Oves are 50% of the inhabitants, they will probably win, and it would be hard to tell them apart, which would lead to D'Ove wars. So...

Pick a number between 1 and 40.
Put your choice in the comments.
If I'm allowed a moment before the race starts at 4.15pm, I'll tell you what you chose.
Later I'll tell you who's won.

The gee gees competing are here, but my secret numbering system doesn't follow theirs.

In fact - as it's Saturday and there'll be fewer visitors, you can have 2 numbers (horses) each until 2pm, then 2 more each of those left. Any remaining numbers then go to the hens. That's the hens I don't have anymore when the Government's panic cull starts btw ;)

Allocations pre-race:

BW: Whispered Secret; Just in Debt
Mr BW: Royal Au Clair; Nil Desperandum
GT&WF: Forest Gunner; Ebony Light
GoodTwin: Silver Birch; Iris Royal
dave: Rince Ri; Juveigneur
Beth: Amberleigh House; Garvivonnian
Harriet: Le Roi Miguel; Tyneandthyneagain
Clair: Colnel Rayburn; Shotgun Willy
Chris: Hedgehunter; Therealbandit
timothy: Numbersixvalverde
Ham: Heros Collonges; Risk Assessor

witch of oz: Baron Windrush; Direct Access
ew: Cornish Rebel; Haut de Gamme
LaP: Ross Comm; Iznogoud

Numbers still up for grabs are in the comments.

Beeb's top tips for winners are here.

The answer to The Friday Question

Well done tangerinecath!
Details 2 posts down.

Seaweed liquid fertiliser

Just had a lovely day across on the east coast with Good Friend BW. Went to an excellent and inspiring art exhibition at the Naze Tower at Walton, and then to Point Clear. Sunny but cold. Great views from the top of the tower, and great finds for beachcombing artists. But, to me, as someone who spent many childhood holidays on the Devon and Cornwall coasts, and lived 7 miles form Lyme Regis in the 1980s, the east coast always disappoints.

Collected masses of seaweed. Anyone any idea how to turn it into a liquid? I know people who leave it on top of their vegetable garden soil to rot and release its goodness, and others who add it to the compost heap, but I want the liquid stuff which now costs £6+ for a small bottle (it was cheaper, but then it got recommended on gardening programmes, and it's organic, so trendy).

I know that seaweed decomposes very quickly, and logic says that, as it lives in water it's unlikely to dissolve in water.

Our best guess so far is put it in a bucket, leave it to decompose for a few days (somewhere out of the way so we don't have to smell it) then add water to the resulting gunk, leave it a bit longer, then strain... but it can't be that simple, can it? Google doesn't seem to be helping much...

And still no-one's worked out the Friday Question. You disappoint me people, you really do ;)

Friday Question

What, where, why, how?

Clue: It has something to do with a Familiar.

More Art

This is this year's version of almost the same thing done last year, with the same evening group, led by the same person.

The group leader and everyone else but me appeared to have fogotten they'd done it before. As they are all older than me, it gave me hope. Or cause for concern. Depending how you look at it.

2 foot by 3 foot, on hot press (ie smooth) watercolour paper, in gouache (a water-based paint, heavier and more opaque than normal watercolour, so having the ability to produce brasher colour), slopped on with a 1" decorator's paintbrush, with soft pastels applied to highlight afterwards. Took just over an hour. That's the way to slap 'em out...

What's interesting, though, is that it's much more precise than last year's. In general, I'm much less precise than a year ago when I need to be freer and less precise, but I had spent all day working on a very intricate and detailed project (which will be revealed in due course), and I think it sort-of carried over! Goodness knows how, given the size of paper and brush, but...

Minutes after taking this picture disaster befell. Everyone else I know uses hairspray to fix pastel, so, as I've got very little proper fixative left (and as I'm on a super Value drive at present due to scarily large expenditure over the next few months, so I'm not planning on buying any more anytime soon), I decided to follow suit. Unfortuantely I failed to try out the spray nozzle after shaking and before applying. And, as the can was at least 15 years old, you can imagine what happened.

Penny-sized blobs of shiny liquid all over the picture. I hoped it was propellant that would evaporate, but, when it failed to dry, I decided to spray it again, to make it wet all over, in the hope that it would cover all the blobs. But, it just ended up looking like a pointillism with extra-extra-large dots. If I'd wanted to do that, of course, I wouldn't have been able to.

Thought for the day

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.

- Henry Van Dyke

Thought for the day

Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise.

- Bertrand Russell

Yet more Tesco lies

Tesco’s say it’s OK to label produce containing fish as suitable for vegetarians - and then lie about the Vegetarian Society endorsing this policy!! (via - where you'll find other info and interesting comment)

As ever, BW says: Boycott Tesco - the biggest threat to our way of life in this country that there is.

As a side issue, can anyone tell me why forums are invariably stuffed full of people with no respect? Reading that thread reminds me why I gave them up and migrated to blogging at the beginning of 2003. I find the same with political blogs - while I agree with much of what some of them say, I frequently find the way they say it, and the personal abuse they mete out in so doing, intolerable.

How do you eat your dinner?

Mr BW laughs at me.

When I have a plate of one sort of dinner (eg pasta in a sauce) I eat it from one side of the plate to the other, neatly cleaning up as I go. So, one finished dinner = one clean plate that doesn't need rinsing before being placed in the dishwasher.

When I have a mixed dinner (of the traditional 'something + potatoes + veg' sort) I eat a bit of one thing, then a bit of something else, then a bit of something else, in amounts roughly proportional to the total amount of each on the plate. Each forkful can contain only one foodstuff. A forkful of the thing I like best is usually left until the end.

If I have a side-helping of sauce or chutney, I like it on the side, not spread all over everything. I can then dip as I choose.

Mr BW, on the other hand, eats a whole plate from all over the top and then leaves a messy plate, and always puts a bit of everything in a mixed dinner on each forkful. And he has to have any side-sauce splopped all over everything. I think this is unnatural.

I'm sure there's one of those internet quiz-things in this concept... "Your personality from your eating style!" type thing.

But, as I have neither the time nor the inclination to set one up, tell me instead,
How do you eat yours?

Thought for the day

A new public opinion must be created privately and unobtrusively. The existing one is maintained by the press, by propaganda, by organization, and by financial and other influences which are at its disposal. The unnatural way of spreading ideas must be opposed by the natural one, which goes from man to man and relies solely on the truth of the thoughts and the hearer’s receptiveness for new truth.

- Albert Schweitzer

Art Class: 16 & 17

Well, yesterday's discussion on recycling greywater for garden irrigation proved that there's not much good info out there I think. The best I've found is on Australian sites; there seems to be little UK-based information of interest to those of us looking for a cheap and cheerful DIY system, and no definitive info on what detergents and soaps are or aren't OK for plants (most of the info is of the 'contains lots of salt so not good' level). So, it's down to the ingenuity of Mr BW and/or Ham to come up with something. Will let you know if/when we succeed.

But - I still return to the fact that there is comparatively loads of water up north - the prosperous south props up the north in many ways (unequal regional redistribution of tax revenues for starters), so, you wouldn't think it would be too much to ask for a bit of water to be piped down here, would you? They pipe oil across vast swathes of the Middle East and Eastern Europe, after all. Ah - silly me - that sort of co-operative common-sensical idea can't exist in these days of privatisation and foreign ownership of water companies, can it?

Continuing on an Australian theme, in the Thursday afternoon class, for the last couple of weeks, I've been playing about with bright coloured landscapes, from some of my photos from our visit to the Australian Red Centre a couple of years ago now.

Unfortunately, suffering from CRAFT as I do, I no longer know the name of this place - it was a sort of gorge. I do remember that it was very, very hot, and you weren't allowed off the minibus without 2 litres of water and an anti-midge head-net.

The one on the right is, of course, Uluru (Ayers Rock). Not much in the photo to give it any perspective though.

I can't get the images here to look as bright or sharp as the real things, and I want to do some more work from these photos - acrylics/oils and felting probably, or maybe watercolour with pastel - as watercolour alone, by its very nature, doesn't capture the vividness of the colours, the texture and the heat adequately.

But, it was a good exercise.

(Let me know if the page is messed up for your browser/screensize as I had a few problems...)

Thought for the day

Civilization can only revive when there shall come into being in a number of individuals a new tone of mind independent of the one prevalent among the crowd and in opposition to it, a tone of mind which will gradually win influence over the collective one, and in the end determine its character. It is only an ethical movement which can rescue us from the slough of barbarism, and the ethical comes into existence only in individuals.

- Albert Schweitzer

From The Coven yesterday afternoon

Unaltered picture (other than size):

Amazingly it passed overhead, and didn't rain until several hours later.

I knew it was an omen... and now I've discovered why.

Over the weekend my local water company decided to introduce a hosepipe ban, from today.

I only know because I just heard it on BBC Breakfast. No pre-warning in the media (as was given by other companies), no personal notification, no nothing. Tell me how I'm going to water my hens (we need to fill their 45 litre water dispenser, right down the other end of The Coven Grounds, at least twice a week in summer) given that I currently have pain right across my upper back and shoulders and certainly can't carry that many cans of water that far?

And yet... neighbours with swimming pools and spas can still legally keep them topped up.

I see they've even set up an online form so that one can report people using water improperly.

Why haven't the water companies planned properly?
They don't seem to have hosepipe bans in Mediterranean countries?

And the media are now speculating that the summer is going to be as hot as 1976. Well, that will be a summer of fun...

I've long wanted a properly pumped greywater saving system, but, just like solar panels, those commercially available are ridiculously expensive.

I'll have to get Mr BW busy on devising a diversion pipe so that reusuable water doesn't just go into the septic tank. I've never quite worked out whether dishwasher and washing machine water, or shower water containing soap and shampoo, is OK for watering, or not?

Thought for the day

The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.

- Paul Cezanne

Mr BW just found Freddo in his hole

Usually he prefers chocolate Freddos, but this one was quite cute.

Of the 6 photos I took, only two had Freddo in them. Freddo was just too hoppy. He nearly jumped under the fridge. He did jump into a cupboard door. He's now back in the damp grass under the hawthorn hedge (which is just on the point of bursting from bud into leaf) a few feet from the pond.

Strange, because yesterday on the local BBC radio station they were talking about frogs on the lunchtime gardening programme, and I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn't seen one near the formal pond for several years.

Still haven't found the bottom of the foundations in that hole. It's well over a metre deep now, but, Bui1ding 1nspector he say we must dig until we find the bottom of the concrete...

The Ultimate Personality Test

Oh for some energy...
Who's nicked our energy?
I haven't had any for over two weeks.
Can we have it back now, please?
Enough is enough.

All we can say is thank goodness the bui1ders aren't starting on Monday as was planned. Sometimes 2-week delays work out for the best.

Anyway, here's a nice little quiz to keep you going.

I'll tell you what I got later.
When I've found my energy.