So... where are the bin collections

I am sure many people who read this may remember the Leeds bin strike where there were no rubbish collections for weeks on end. This was all caused by the threat of privatisation causing the collectors to strike in order to try to keep their jobs.

Well fast forward to now, and I can see why privatisation may have been a viable option in order for residents to actually have a collection. Take where I live in Morley, we have had no recycling collections since November, and on the collection day this week, a refuse collector was seen down the cul-de-sac, yet no bins were emptied what so ever.

Sometimes privatisation is the better option to improve the service. The council will have the power to give financial penalties to the company in the case of missed collections ect. Much better than the current situation in Leeds where streets are completely missed when the operators want an extra tea break.

Well I hope this gets sorted soon, otherwise the council will be hearing from me.

the hens are coming...

So after several weeks of preparation I am finally getting my hens this Saturday.

Somehow I cannot wait for the ex-bats to arrive; it will feel so good to give them a nice new home. The chicken coop and run is built, got a brilliant deal from http://www.chickencoopsdirect.com who gave such excellent service. There was a small fairly repairable crack on one panel, so they sent a whole new one out free of charge. The communication was excellent too, as they kept me informed throughout the distribution process.

I will be posting pics of the 3 ladies once they are settled in, they are to be named Hope, Faith and Charity.

It will be quite a process settling in ex-battery hens into a free-range environment though. They will arrive with lots of their feathers missing, plus I will have to teach them typical chicken behaviour such as roosting, and nesting. Will all be good fun.

Well, that's all for now. Have a busy day tomorrow getting the garden ready.

Welcome

Hi to anyone who is actually reading this.

Anybody who knows me understands how I lead a rather eventful life, trust me, in the last year I have fought a fire, been at war with student finance, graduated with a foundation degree in Countryside Management and am now part-way through topping up my degree with a BSc (hons) in Sustainable Land Management.

I have decided to start writing this to bring up and hilight any issues which concern me within my various areas of interest. These will include rareing ex-battery hens (they are arriving this Saturday... cannot wait), agriculture, the rural environment, and possible a fair few rants thrown in along the way (I work part time in a waiting job to fund my degree... so expect alot).

I do try to travel whenever I get a chance, so expect some views on where I have visited.

Thanks for reading so far, I look forward to hear your views on what I post.

Sophie x