June 2008 Archives

I've got some milk bottle tops can you do anything with them - said the email.

VALENTINO Rossi is without a doubt the greatest motorcycle racer of his generation if not ever....but this week I'm starting to wonder if he isn't, in fact, just bad for our sport.

I can hear the cries now (heaven knows I've heard them all before)...."what are you talking about woman?" ...."don't you know anything about bike racing?".....and then the old chestnut "What sort of journalist are you?".....but this time, I refuse to budge.

The reason for my sweeping statement comes on the back of the frankly disgusting behaviour of some of the great one's fans at Donington Park on Sunday.

Apologies if this blog is turning into a social column. I know it's supposed to be about everyday life but I've been to some really good events lately and a retirement party last Sunday evening at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland was no exception...

I recently got to thinking - how much stuff do I throw away every week.

Since joining Premier Waste Management I have become acutely aware of just how much material is being thrown away every year. Once you've visited a landfill site or a transfer station and seen lorry after lorry arrive you can start to feel overwhelmed by the waste problem.

But that's no excuse to give up - mamma Hitchens didn't raise a quitter.

So I decided to see how much of this waste tide I make.

Like most people, I complain about my job from time to time. There are never enough hours in the day, resources are always spread too thinly and then there's all the internal politics to deal with.

But whenever the pressure gets to me, I remind myself of one thing . . . at least I don't have to pee in a bucket.

So he did it.

Lying Lee McQueen won the latest series of The Apprentice despite lying on his CV. God help us if that is a typical example of the recruiting process of British businesses.

I took delivery of worms for my wormery yesterday. The receptionist at Premier Waste Management was quick to let me know the parcel had arrived.

In the evening my daughter and I carefully tore open the envelope and gently shook what looked like a loose lump of mud into the wormery.

That doesn't look too bad I thought as I watched a few small worms wriggling about. But they are not going to eat much - I thought they'd be bigger. Then we stuck our hands in to spread them out...

Our family's summer mission statement used to be - barbeque with the neighbours and sit out in the garden until the sun comes up...

One of my favourite blues lines, found in a Robert Johnson song and probably many other Blues songs was the line of the blues 
’walking around like a man ‘

its as if all your troubles take on a human form

If you’re on the look out for a weekend of fun for all the family then look no further!

This weekend (7 – 8 June 2008) is the Newcastle Green Festival at Leaze’s Park - jam packed full of top class entertainments, workshops and music to suit all tastes and ages.

The aim is to raise awareness of green and ethical issues while having a great time. The festival will be divided up into themes which explore how we can live in more environmentally friendly ways. They will also be putting into practice what they preach with renewable powered stages, recycling bins and car-unfriendly policies.

The festival has been going since the mid-Ninties as an offshoot from Newcastle University’s Green Society and has slowly grown into the flagship environmental event in the region.

Get more details from the festival site here.