What a lovely bright spring morning, primroses in the garden and grass growing away well. What is going on, this time last year we were getting cold and snowy. We haven’t even put our central heating on yet, although that is mainly due to all the insulation and the wood burner we put in last autumn, smug, smug, smug. Actually the insulation didn’t get finished until nearly Christmas so we have still to see the full benefit of a whole year’s savings but it looks good so far with our heating oil consumption nearly halved for the last year, although the cost per litre went up hugely (over 30%). It has turned into one of those frustrating situations that we have ended up with a similar bill despite the investment and we just have to hang onto the fact that the bill would have been much higher if we had done nothing. It reminds me of the time we bought a very expensive automatic price labelling machine to stick the prices on the pots going to one of the multiples. The theory was that the kit paid itself back out of the labour savings over a few years but what happened in practice was everyone else did the same and the customer demanded a lower price because the production costs had fallen. In the end we effectively bought the machine to keep the customer and we got no extra profit to pay off the cost. You live and learn.
We have just got back from our annual break to sunny St Ives. What a fantastic couple of weeks, warm, mostly dry, lots of visitors came to stay and plenty of healthy outdoor activities were undertaken. There are now so many more people taking a break at this time of year in the area and most of the restaurants were open and much busier than previous years. We had some fantastic meals, a couple of special treats in our favourite (Al Fresco’s) on the harbour-side and some delicious more modest treats in other spots. We even managed Sunday Lunch at the Gurnards Head (as recommended in the Sunday Times) followed by an Italian in the evening. Needless to say I put on a little extra ballast, just the 9lbs (not a record), and we are now on a strict winter vegetarian soup regime to get back in shape for Christmas. It was worth it.
One thing I like doing on holiday is to stretch sides of me that don’t get much exercise the rest of the year and this involves taking a bit of the art scene which is so active in the area. Tate St Ives is always a challenging place to start and this year was no different with their current exhibition ‘The Indiscipline of Painting’. This was a collection of abstraction painting from 1960 onwards which can be a struggle to get to grips with for a simple nurseryman from the country. I have to go on the guided tour first to get an idea of what is going on but with that extra input I always find something of value to take away. Mind you it didn’t help me in the Exchange Gallery in Penzance where there was an exhibit of a young man in a just a loin cloth crouched in a large dog cage with a muzzle on. He was going to be in there for 5 days but there was no way of really getting to grips with what the intention behind it was. Then there are all the deep intellectual questions you want to ask but can’t, are you going to wash over the 5 days? Or are they after creating more of an atmosphere by day 5. Are you feeding through a straw and how about loo breaks? Have Health & Safety at work assessed your working conditions? Back to reality I think with bills to pay and a winter to get through before another exciting Spring starts in January.
Excitement on this week with one of our long serving youngsters slipping away to a new exciting life in Australia with her young man, and our longest serving young lady Elaine reaching an astonishing age (because she doesn’t look it). Loads of cake all round, bang goes the soup diet.
Eco News
The solar FIT rates are changing more or less as I expected and although there are a lot of complaints about how quickly the large reductions were brought in I feel sure that it is the fair thing to do. The rates of return on the investment were getting silly as the price of the panels fell and I have heard rumours already that the panel costs are set to reduce further especially after the FIT readjustment dates pass. This will hopefully take the jumping on the bandwagon element out of the solar industry and get back to a value and service approach. I have already heard from one business who are still looking at solar as an investment because even after the changes the rates of return are likely to recover to sensible levels very quickly.
Turbines had a quieter period with the rather slack southerlies we have been getting for the last few weeks. Did ok yesterday!
Cornish nature notes
Spotted; 6 Common Cranes (bizarre sight in UK field), Desert Wheatear, Marsh Harrier, Bittern, Cough, Great Northern Diver.
Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Showing posts with label st ives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label st ives. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Monday, 8 November 2010
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.
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.
Monday, 7 June 2010
A good bank holiday meant lots of top ups this week and just the four days to squeeze it all into, but we got it all done before the weekend started and got some potting done too. The scary thing is that this week we started taking deliveries of plant material destined for next year’s sales and I know the sooner we pot it, the chunkier it will be for the spring, so the pressure is on to tidy up and get going. It’s all go! There is this vague hope that we will get a pause between one season ending and the next beginning when we can sort out all those little projects that would make life easier. But as we approach holiday time and staff numbers dwindle, then the sales bowl along for longer each year (which is quite handy!) that gap evaporates and all of a sudden before you know it, it’s winter again! Mind you that might have something to do with age too. We are just about to re-book our annual holiday trek to sunny St Ives, which got cancelled due to the flat we rent being rebuilt. So that’s something to look forward to, roll on November, it’s just around the corner. Mind you I am quite lucky really as I get to go on holiday every day for a few minutes when I sit down for my afternoon/evening tea break after everyone has slipped away. The interweb is great for a taking a quick trip to your favourite place, just let your mind go (mine left ages ago) and you're there.
Quite a bit of effort this week on trying to get some positive comments put up on the planning website (see below) as one of the local councillors phoned earlier in the week worried about the negative landscapers report. It is possible that we make get a straight refusal without it going to the planning committee and then have to take it to appeal unless there is enough interest shown to justify a debate by the committee. She has requested that it should be discussed but we need enough support on the application to back the project up. Our planning man has done a detailed reply to the landscape report which should appear on the planning site very soon and does a great job of picking each point raised and arguing very convincingly that the rules/guidance can be viewed very differently. It’s great to have someone who understands this detail, otherwise we could just get squashed by the ‘experts’ interpretation of the policies.
Eco Update
Wind turbine planning app has been processed and is now being considered. All the details and dates etc are on the Winchester City Council website and there is space there to send in supportive (or not) comments on the application. If you would like to take a look follow this link;
http://planningapplications.winchester.gov.uk/PlanningWeb/Results.aspx?ID=10%2f00895%2fFUL&tab=0
More detail is on there now, including a report from the planning landscape man who visited this week and who like the permission refused due the impact of the turbines on the view. Consultation ends on the 16th June. So please if you have a view express it on the comments button on the planning website. Thanks.
Nature notes
Another RSPB bird watch this weekend. The usual one is early in the year but this gives a count of the summer visitors as well. It’s not very easy to count the bush & tree dwellers with all the foliage out now and the house martins move about so much it’s quite tricky. Rather handily we do have a puddle in the yard we keep topped up, so that the house martins are supplied with nest building material and we counted 11 there yesterday. A Red kite glided over earlier, now seems to be around more regularly. Had a long tailed tit in the office, let it out of the window and it flew into despatch where it called to its mates outside for a couple of hours before finding its way out. It’s funny how some birds struggle to find the exits, insisting on always flying up into the roof rather than out of the 4 wide open doors. The sparrows, robins, great tits and pied wagtails are in and out all the time, feeding on the trapped insects in the tunnel roof spaces, but get a pigeon or partridge in there and you’re lucky if you escape without another puncture hole somewhere.
Don't forget to do your bit. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
Quite a bit of effort this week on trying to get some positive comments put up on the planning website (see below) as one of the local councillors phoned earlier in the week worried about the negative landscapers report. It is possible that we make get a straight refusal without it going to the planning committee and then have to take it to appeal unless there is enough interest shown to justify a debate by the committee. She has requested that it should be discussed but we need enough support on the application to back the project up. Our planning man has done a detailed reply to the landscape report which should appear on the planning site very soon and does a great job of picking each point raised and arguing very convincingly that the rules/guidance can be viewed very differently. It’s great to have someone who understands this detail, otherwise we could just get squashed by the ‘experts’ interpretation of the policies.
Eco Update
Wind turbine planning app has been processed and is now being considered. All the details and dates etc are on the Winchester City Council website and there is space there to send in supportive (or not) comments on the application. If you would like to take a look follow this link;
http://planningapplications.winchester.gov.uk/PlanningWeb/Results.aspx?ID=10%2f00895%2fFUL&tab=0
More detail is on there now, including a report from the planning landscape man who visited this week and who like the permission refused due the impact of the turbines on the view. Consultation ends on the 16th June. So please if you have a view express it on the comments button on the planning website. Thanks.
Nature notes
Another RSPB bird watch this weekend. The usual one is early in the year but this gives a count of the summer visitors as well. It’s not very easy to count the bush & tree dwellers with all the foliage out now and the house martins move about so much it’s quite tricky. Rather handily we do have a puddle in the yard we keep topped up, so that the house martins are supplied with nest building material and we counted 11 there yesterday. A Red kite glided over earlier, now seems to be around more regularly. Had a long tailed tit in the office, let it out of the window and it flew into despatch where it called to its mates outside for a couple of hours before finding its way out. It’s funny how some birds struggle to find the exits, insisting on always flying up into the roof rather than out of the 4 wide open doors. The sparrows, robins, great tits and pied wagtails are in and out all the time, feeding on the trapped insects in the tunnel roof spaces, but get a pigeon or partridge in there and you’re lucky if you escape without another puncture hole somewhere.
Don't forget to do your bit. Have a good week, from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries
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