Co-operative Garden Party

This weekend, I got to play host to one! Huge thanks to E, M, K & D (G was convalescing).

About 20% of the scrubby grassed area of the garden - with a previously underlying thick layer of builders junk - has been transformed!

Roughly 30 rubble sacks full of broken glass shards, cement waste, discarded bits of plastic etc. resulted - half have gone to the Tip already.

One more day of de-panning, sifting, shovelling and applying compost will finish a wonderful, deep growing plot for annual vegetables.

My ultimate plan it to specialise in perennial plants - I already have a thriving colony of perennial leek.

This year, I will establish perennial broccoli and self-seeding greens - we picked up the seeds from the Royal Mail sorting office yesterday, including more lawn chamomile for our parking lawn. I want to get some perennial kale too.

Also, our sad old pear tree is being given one more chance - it's been thoroughly and carefully pruned to give it the best shot at regenerating this year.

Let's hear it for Co-operative Working Garden Parties!

(Also, I got a picture of some beautiful parrots on a card today - let's hope they're safely free-living ones!)

Technical experts in School Science

"There are lots of people who are underpaid, but this is one of those instances where people are paid low wages to provide the expertise to people who are often simply not as knowledgable."

"Initiatives in the pipeline to increase the number of pupils taking separate Sciences will have a considerable knock on effect on the workload of Technicians. Technicians are already recognised by professional bodies as the "expert" in the Science Department on practical Science issues, often training teachers in practical techniques and advising on safety, yet we earn less than £10 per hour. This state of affairs needs to remedied quickly if Science Education is to be at the forefront of government policy."

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Technicians/

Deadline is 6th March

Please copy to anyone you might know who's interested in the future of science / science education in the UK.