When we moved we lost our garden sieve. After looking around I thought €15 was a bit much for a new one and I never did like shaking it about to get some nice potting compost anyway. I thought there has to be another way of turning our own compost into a good quality potting compost with less effort.

Looking in the old shed I remembered we had a knackered bottled gas heater tucked up the back somewhere. The front of the heater looked like it could make a good sieve to me, and here it is.



Next I remembered I had a couple of old plastic box's, I put one in the wheelbarrow to bring it up to a comfortable working height and to make it easy moving it around once full.



Ok let's shove a couple of spadefuls of our own compost in, throw on an old pair of gloves and just move it around till you're left with the rough stuff which you throw back in your compost bin.





And there you have it nice fine potting compost made with your own fair hands and it didn't cost you anything.





Here is the whole set up, and we can now start filling the compost bin up again ready for the next lot. *Remember to add a bit of your old compost to your new batch to help it get going.

I've made a start on the next garden project.

Last years effort with the container gardening just didn't give us enough, and to be honest was just as much work to look after. So we thought we would go back to beds.

This was the old place and as you can see production was good. However it was a pain going between them with the strimmer, and I didn't leave enough space between them if you want to kneel down (which we both do now as we tend to struggle a bit bending).

Our polytunnel has been one of the best things we have ever purchased and now we have moved we decided to see if we could rescue it and put it in our new garden.

It has been there for around 10 years and the last couple of years unfortunately we had neglected it a little, so it's now time to give it a new lease of life and start getting some nice fresh veg again.

The cover still looked good but as it was buried in the ground it was going to be a big job to dig it out, it also had a large bush pushing against it from the back so we decided to buy a new cover. We got the new cover from the company we first purchased the polytunnel from "First Tunnels" they gave excelent service 10 years ago and I'm pleased to say they still give excelent service and quality.

I can highly recommend First Tunnels you can find them here: https://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/ *Not an affiliation link, just a company I have used a few times that gives good customer service.

This is how she looked.



We cut the old cover off and set about rescuing the frame. (We kept the old cover as it's handy for making small cloches)



This is the frame removed and taken to it's new home.

India's state run railways decided to be a bit different and hire disabled people to work for them. This is a good thing as India doesn't tend to offer many jobs to disabled people or make access to buildings easy, and it's a success for those that campaigned their case to the Supreme Court to get vacancies in the disability quota filled.

So imagine you are disabled and how life changing this is going to be for you. You send of your application and get accepted to go and sit a test to show you are capable of working for the State Railway. You put your Sunday best on, give yourself a good old brush up, you strap on your second hand prosthetic leg or get out your home made crutches and haul yourself to the building for your important test that could change your life.  

You have struggled to get across town probably being ridiculed because your are disabled, and there it is the State Run Railways building in all it's glory looking at you. You straighten your tie and mop the sweat from your brow, you take a sharp intake of breath and............................................................

Spoiler

You find the examination room is on the third floor of the building that has no lifts or any form of disabled access.  

Wait there is more: Those that complained they couldn't get to exam room were told "Candidates who faced difficulties would be allowed to reapply for another exam"

This weekend sees the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, my Dad was out there when it was all going on. He was a prisoner and forced to work on the Death Railway, he and his mates were taken to Hellfire Pass (Google it and look at the result in images) my Dad was one of those that cut through the rock.

My Dad and his mates are all gone now, but I was lucky enough to have met some of his mates. But more importantly I was privileged enough to know my Dad, I had always been curious like any boy on what his Dad done in the war and when I was old enough my Dad told me. As I got older and more interested the stories got more horrific, he never spoke about it much but I feel I was the one in our family that he managed to share a bit more with.

On his deathbed he still told me he hated the Japanese people and unfortunately he took that with him, I feel proud that I was able to listen to my Dad but I never held the hatred that he had. So I would like to ask anyone who is reading this to take a couple of minutes this week and reflect on what people had to go through, not only my Dad and his mates, but also to the Japanese people who perished 70 years ago.

I know that both my Dad, his mates, and all the people from all nations that were touched by WWll would not be happy seeing what is going on today. We shouldn't still be killing each other, that was done 70 years ago so let's not let all those deaths go in vain.

Rest In Peace to the 1000s of those killed, and to those that had to live the rest of their lives full of hatred before dying.

Wikipedia: Hiroshima and Nagasaki

It was 4 years ago today that I lost my best friend, and although time does heal I still have sad moments. Odin was a Great Dane, he was only six weeks old when we got him and I remember bringing him home in a cardboard box. He settled in very quickly and it was as if he had been there all the time, he was a laid back dog even at a young age.

Odin 02 April 2001 - 26 June 2011

We're going to have a go at some container gardening, do to health problems I wasn't able to get the garden ready on time for sticking the Veg in. But last year we managed to grow a few Carrots, Lettuce, Beetroot, and Leeks in an old Bath.



So this year we have searched out various containers for a trial run to see how well it goes, were playing it mostly by ear and trying it as we go.



Got a load of compost form our local déchetterie.



So here we go, if I remember I will post more images as things progress.  

I wonder how long it will be before this backfires

Prince Albert Police Service (Canada) have started an initiative that enables officers to reward youth for positive behaviour.


"Patrol members issue positive “tickets” to youth who are nominated or observed doing something to better the community or themselves by making healthy, positive choices in relation to their behaviour, decisions or actions. (e.g., shovelling a public sidewalk, picking up trash, observing school crossing rules, deterring crime, etc.) “Tickets” are actually coupons or gift certificates donated by local businesses that allow youth to redeem items or experiences like a Raiders game, movie at Galaxy Cinemas, Slurpee, Froster, French fries, hamburger or an ice cream cone."

Now let's look at the Fred way:

#1 Shovel up the leaves into a wheelbarrow and get your reward, then tip it back out so your buddy can have a go.

#2 Hide around the corner after leaving a can on the pavement, then when your buddy across the road gives you the nod you walk around the corner just in front of the police officer and pick up the can.

#3 Get twenty of your buddies to use the school crossing correctly, then you can all go to the Raiders Game together.

#4 Excuse me Mr Policeman I just found this broken padlock on the factory gates.

And finally: The kids grow up to adults, never get a job, and take the Police Force to court for making them fat with all the free junk food they kept giving them.

The Tour du Poitou-Charentes came past our house today, the pictures aren't great as I'm no photographer and they was going at a fair old lick.

There was lot's of other action going on before they arrived with loads of cars and vans coming by throwing goodies at us, we got Cookies, Hats, Pens Key Rings, all sorts of little trinkets.

They came by so fast though that is was over in a flash, hence I didn't get much chance of photos. But here you go, oh and Mark Cavendish won. "clap"