Our Environment
My dear friend L. announced to me last week "That's my vest off!”.... Of course lots of us still gauge the departure of winter and the arrival of summer with the phrase 'cast not a clout till May is out' - well 2025 sees the may blossom (hawthorn) is out to herald the first day of the month of May. I do have a seasonal routine when I take off warm 9.5 tog duvets and put 4.5 tog ones on and in October vice versa. I have taken advantage of all the lovely sunlight to wash lots of bedding (after lots of visitors) and blankets (using all the solar electricity made on the roof) and getting everything dried so quickly outside; so Ladies 'make hay while the sun shines'! I have switched the radiator valves down to 'snowflakes' possibly till September nights start drawing in! I keep the night's coolness in and the sun's belting heat out of the house by keeping curtains closed during the day. Companies do not realise air conditioning costs so much and at 55 degrees north, do we need it in shops and banks?
I have put lots of seeds on the Broadway flower beds and we had to carry water there since the soil is rock hard and bone dry due to the lack of rain and the many days of sunshine. I have sat out in the garden and read books which I bought on our W.I. book stall which is so reasonably priced; another part of my seasonal routine is to bring and buy jigsaws from Rosemary's W.I. jigsaw stall which brighten my winter days: why not try buying our recycled books and jigsaws to destress and help the environment at a cheap cost. Please remember I will have your magazines and smallish gift bags (not from plants) to take in to our local hospital.
Talking of seasons, the new W.I. Life magazine is catching up with us at last, Ladies! Note the frontpage title- EAT the season- so as British produce comes in to the shops ( berries, spinach, courgettes, new potatoes etc) dig out your cookery books or W.I. Life and try something new (or old! Let's make jam!). What did you make with all your hardboiled eggs used for jarping? I made egg and tomato sandwiches- a long forgotten delight! Reminder- if you can, put all your foil ( washed milk bottle tops, Easter egg foil wrappers, silver paper, washed and dried cooking foil etc) into a solid ball and put it in your Council recycling bin. Recently supermarkets had bags of fruit and vegetables for 9p each to encourage families to cook cheap meals from basic. Supermarkets also have bins for your collection of soft plastics.
Talking of summer produce reminds me of summer holidays - why not book a staycation this year? No planes to release greenhouse gases and other pollutants during flights; these gases contribute to climate change and pollute local air quality. One bus engine (especially if the vehicle is electric) will carry 50+ people on holiday. My Dutch friends have just hopped on the ferry to return home; as they left they announced that England, and particularly Northumberland, is gorgeous! They have already booked Yorkshire in autumn and back to Northumberland for next year. We have a beautiful county so let us put our environmental and economic heads on and enjoy what is on our doorstep. Wherever you go remember that once you open the bathroom soap, shampoo etc provided by the B&B or hotel, it can only be used by you so - please bring whatever you have opened home with you to use till finished otherwise it will be thrown in a bin and end up in landfill.
WHERE AM I?
Last month I photographed the glazed tower above Trinity cafe on Gosforth High St. The decorative glass was commissioned after a selection from national artists; the artefact was carried out by Cate Watkinson ( Sunderland University 2008).
Where did I visit recently?​
Amanda
