Just a quickie as I’m not meant to be doing this. We’ve been so busy over the last few days that I couldn’t find a moment to sort out last week’s update which was supposed to disclose the fact that I wouldn’t be able to do this one!

It’s fairly early on Sunday morning and I can look up to see the blue skies and azure seas of sunny St Ives out of the sitting room window. Usually I have to go online to do that but today I can do it for real, lucky me. If it makes you feel any better it’s actually blowing a gale, the rain is lashing the window and I can only just make out the waves through the murk. Well it is November in Cornwall. Heating works well and tea is hot.

So as you might guess we are on our hols and have left the nursery in the hands of all the very skilled and capable staff and if there are any problems my Mum & Dad are staying to sort it all out. Good luck to everyone!

If anyone has any burning issues or even the odd order they want to discuss, Richard will be in the office most of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the next couple of weeks.

Eco Stuff

A lot of activity in the last week which caused a few delays in the holiday preparations. Despite nothing too much actually getting done in real terms we had a load of visitors coming to have a chat, give advice and find out what we are up to. There was a visit by a Green MEP who had heard about the turbine stuff but was very interested to see all the sustainable directions we have taken. He knew very little about nurseries which always helps when making an impression!
Then we had an environmental consultant visit to see if we qualify for some funded environmental advice and training which could help us fine tune some of our projects and hopefully get some recognition or accreditation for our efforts. I’ve never been a great one for official form filling and box ticking, but from what he said we wouldn’t have to do too much to get some fairly major results which could improve our credentials and profile. Mind you after two weeks eating and drinking down here I don’t think I’m going to have any problem increasing my profile!

The bank, bless them, asked us to get another company to come and do an independent report on the viability of the turbine project so that they can avoid losing sleep over lending the dosh. Naturally this is for our benefit and so consequently we foot the bill. A very nice couple came to take a look at the whole business as well as the turbine site and seemed very positive so the report should be ok. The site assessment involved a fairly scientific walk to the top of the hill, rotating 360 degrees and deciding that it looks really good, big views, no trees and planning consent achieved. Thank the lord for expert input.

More expensive input with the arrival of the ecologists report on the turbine site. A nice long one describing what we have, what will happen on installation (remove three sections of 6 meters of young hedge, and hang a bit of orange fence on the hedge ends to prevent damage during fitting). Then what happens after for ten years (replant hedge over foundations, plant a further 60m of hedge and a 60m wild flower strip). Still such is life.

Got the insulators organised to do the house on our return so looking forwards to a cosy, reduced carbon winter.

Sun now out, so need to get the surf gear sorted, not.

Got to go and see if the American Bittern is still in Zennor.

See you all in a couple of weeks.