Monday 18 January 2010

The snow has suddenly all gone. After a big top up of snow earlier in the week it all disappeared over the last 24 hrs leaving everything rather damp, cloudy, misty, drizzly and gloomy.  What we need is some bright shiny stuff to get us all going.

Despite the difficult conditions we have achieved quite a bit this week. We have finished the bulk of our wooden box mending, with all the old 9cm box inserts taken apart and remade into 1 litre inserts and the odd broken tray repaired where possible. A new set of work benches (x6) have been knocked up from old trolleys and recycled timber, together with 20 new wooden clip boards and a couple of steps to help load the higher shelves. We have printed thousand of labels, propagated lots of plants in the microprop lab, and even delivered a few orders.

During all this time I have been busy soaking up the heat from the little heater in the office, it’s ok for some! I have at last sorted out the faxing software on the new computers, which ended up an expensive exercise due to my attraction to bits of computer kit which don’t fit in with ‘normal’ practices. I am now the proud owner of a faxing programme that will support up to 60 workstations! After downloading 6 or 7 other trial programmes to test, I got to the stage that anything that worked would do, whatever the cost. Anyway, it does seem like a better programme than we had before so it’s not all bad news. I am still sorting out the backup software, the accounts and payroll and the banking system. At least when the banking is sorted it will be cheaper than the system we have now and cleverer (direct info input from Sage Accounts), however it is has taken 4 weeks so far plus another 6-7 to complete the setting up. They must have someone as good as me doing their IT!

There was a big Christmas Exhibition in Harrogate last week which reminded me of something. I know Christmas was a long time ago but I have an ace tip for next year. When your other half says they don’t want anything for Christmas, they don’t necessarily mean it!

Eco Update
Despite the significantly higher heating costs over the last few weeks our energy consumption is falling. We have changed our lighting schedules in the microprop lab growth rooms, which made the air-con units run much more efficiently, improved the insulation in our one heated tunnel and repaired a broken time clock. Over the last 6 weeks we have reduced our consumption by about 15% which if we can keep it up over the year will more than achieve our 10:10 campaign targets. Check out the campaign website; http://www.1010uk.org/

Caroline & I have also downsized the car and moved from 30mpg to 53mpg and reduced the emissions to a lower tax bracket. Now I just need to try and remember how to start the thing as it is keyless(ish).

Nature notes
The sudden disappearance of the snow, resulted in lots of bird song this morning. I suppose the desire for food had been replaced by other desires as temperatures and hormone levels rise! Don’t you love the spring?

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