Whats been happening? Think there was a radio interview yesterday with Theresa being our spokes person. Anyone hear it?

Today I brought home from work a big bag of shredded paper for my compost bins.

The rain today will be useful for those of you that are collecting the rain water.

Energy saving

Hi fellow neighbours,

Ive just been looking at the Genesis Energy site and they have some great specials for energy saving! Have a look , just go to their web site and have a lok. There maybe something there you can use or that you can buy for a christmas gift for someone.

I've just ordered a ELTO Power meter for us all to have ago at using! It measures the energy your home applicances are using at any given point so you can see which appliances are using a lot of power. Could be handy! I will let us know when I have it and after we have given it a trial then anyone else can use it for a month at a time to see where they can power.

Was going to talking on the radio this morning but don't know where it is today. Went to local station but they didn't know anything. Must find out more!

Sunny today but was raining this morning. Noticed the gutter grate was blocked so must go out and collect the stuff collected there to throw in my compost.

Today I am also going to take my bike tyres into the bike shop to get them fixed so I can bike to work. Sunny days only though!

I am now doing my dish washing in a plastic bin inside my kitchen sink. (They do this in the UK)

I think it must save water and also I can throw the leftover soappy water on my roses to kill any aphids.

Anyone else with any bright ideas ??? Post on this twitter.

Carolyn has made little covers for her plants from cut off drink bottles. She says she gets the empty bottles from raiding recycle bins so watch out for her! Perhaps she does it in the dead of night. She has veggie plants for sale too, she will have them at Raumati South School Fair this weekend. Fair is 10am til 2pm.

Sunday 13 Nov. Garden Meeting

A sunny morning for a get together to talk and walk about our gardens.
Eight of us met at Number 8 , thanks to Amanda for the home made muffins.

It was good for us to meet some of the others in the street and to catch up with the competitions goals as we have been away over the last couple of months.
A good way to meet those new to the street too.
Its good to get together as we would like to start a neighbourhood watch group which would also link us into Civil Defence.
The best form of support in an emergency is your neighbours.

We talked in general about some of the things we as a street could do, a street garage sale in the New Year. This could perhaps add some funds to a common bank account which could help to fund some of our ideas.
Carolyn is looking at getting the street a mulcher which would be shared amongst us , month and month about.
Sharing our excess produce. At the moment there are Lemons aplenty.
It will be great to be able to swap or buy plants from each other too.

Personal family ideas are changing use of disposable nappies to cloth ones, biking to work , and using the local butcher for meat to cut down on the use of plastic packaging.

The men are keen on investigating wind power using Smartdrive motor and also trying to make some solar power panels.
The families present are keen to do water conservation : for some mulching for others water storage from rain collection.
Carolyn is investigating the way disposable nappies break down.
One family would like to start a veggie garden.

So then it was off to look at each others garden.
We have an interesting variety with large family gardens and gardens for couples.
Some already established and some that are wanting to be extended.

The exciting garden was the one with the possibility of helping to add a vegetable patch.
Maybe we can make this a street project!

Look out for our sign that will be erected outside Number 1. It will have an area where we can leave messages .

Hoping to have regular Sunday morning meetings once a month or as needed, hope some more will be able to join us over time.
Let me know if anyone wants some lemons or if you would like some lemon cordial. I could do with any suitable bottles.

Sue NO.1