ICT problems

For reasons best known to them the Telecoms company responsible for providing Internet access to Stockton Council's buildings disconnected it yesterday morning.  For 24 hours no emails could get in or out, no website was available and communications became a little difficult to put it mildly.  If you sent emails to the council yesterday it's best to resend them as they're probably lost in cyberspace.
Who needs cyber enemies when we've got friends like this provider?
I spent much of the afternoon at St Margaret's play area, first of all discussing with colleagues the removal of one piece of equipment and installation of another, and then picking sloes from the hedgerow.  They really are beautifully ripe at present and it's a very good crop so if you want your sloe gin for Christmas this is the week to go and pick half a kilo or so! Or more of course if you want more than one bottle.
After that it was time to go up to Billingham to have a look at what's planned for the new energy from waste site being proposed.  This is a waste gasification plant, producing gas which then drives turbines to produce electricity some of which is used to continue the process and some to sell into the national grid.  The company call it renewable energy but I prefer to describe it as recycled energy.  The plans are interesting and don't look as though they'll cause any problems - the road network is already there, already used by waste trucks going to the landfill site and not near any houses.  The waste being used would be diverted from landfill so it sounds like wins all round.  I look forward to seeing the Environmental Impact Assessment in December.  Meantime it doesn't mean we can stop recycling and reusing - that's much more important than gasifying what's left.