Wednesday, 28 November 2007
ME AND MY MOTOR-MARION MCDONALD
Cllr Marion McDonald from Moville is in the motoring spotlight this week. Marion is a tireless campaigner for improvements in green issues on the peninsula. She is involved with the Tidy Towns group and is presently campaigning for more bins to be provided in the town as well as introducing effective by-laws to clean up the doggy doo that covers the pavements. Marion is driving a 2006 Daihatsu Terios
How long have you had the car?
One and a half years. I bought it new. I always buy my cars from Michael Doherty in the town. I used to drive Fiats but now I drive Daihatsu, as Michael is the main dealer.
Any plans to change?
No, I am very happy with the car that I have.
Is it reliable?
Very reliable. The only time it sees the garage is when it goes in for a service. I stick to the recommended service intervals. I need a reliable car for the work that I do. I clock up a lot of miles going to meetings around the country. I was in Wicklow this week at a conference about the Parnell Summer School, and next month sees the start of more and more meetings, so reliability is very important.
Are you in a breakdown service?
No, I don’t feel that I need to be. If I did have any trouble with the car (like I did with a Fiat Punto once) Michael came straight out and fixed the problem. He is my best friend when it comes to cars!
What is the best thing about the car?
I love the high driving position. It makes me feel safer on the road as I can see obstacles better.
How often do you wash it?
It gets a good wash every week at the carwash.
How would you help motorists given the chance?
Although reducing tax is the usual answer I feel that this money is necessary, so I would recommend reducing the actual cost of the car instead.
What would you really like to be driving around in?
I must confess that a car really means nothing to me! It isn’t high on my list of priorities, as long as it gets me from A to B I don’t care what I am driving. The only thing I know about the car is when it needs to be filled up with petrol!
How long have you had the car?
One and a half years. I bought it new. I always buy my cars from Michael Doherty in the town. I used to drive Fiats but now I drive Daihatsu, as Michael is the main dealer.
Any plans to change?
No, I am very happy with the car that I have.
Is it reliable?
Very reliable. The only time it sees the garage is when it goes in for a service. I stick to the recommended service intervals. I need a reliable car for the work that I do. I clock up a lot of miles going to meetings around the country. I was in Wicklow this week at a conference about the Parnell Summer School, and next month sees the start of more and more meetings, so reliability is very important.
Are you in a breakdown service?
No, I don’t feel that I need to be. If I did have any trouble with the car (like I did with a Fiat Punto once) Michael came straight out and fixed the problem. He is my best friend when it comes to cars!
What is the best thing about the car?
I love the high driving position. It makes me feel safer on the road as I can see obstacles better.
How often do you wash it?
It gets a good wash every week at the carwash.
How would you help motorists given the chance?
Although reducing tax is the usual answer I feel that this money is necessary, so I would recommend reducing the actual cost of the car instead.
What would you really like to be driving around in?
I must confess that a car really means nothing to me! It isn’t high on my list of priorities, as long as it gets me from A to B I don’t care what I am driving. The only thing I know about the car is when it needs to be filled up with petrol!
PLANT GIFTS
Another favourite is the cyclamen
Plant gifts
Plants solve all sorts of present buying dilemmas. There is really something for everyone (who likes plants), from novice gardener to expert. For people who appreciate houseplants, the traditional gift is Euphorbia pulcherrima, better known as the poinsettia. It’s main interest is the showy red, pink or white bracts (leaves) that come as the same time as the tiny flowers. The plants survive all right in room temperature but they do tend to be short lived. I have tried on many occasions to make them last for a year but have come to the conclusion that the end up on the compost bin some time in February. If you want to try to make the bracts come again next year then water them sparingly and put them in total darkness for two months prior to flowering (October).
Another good one is the Madagascar jasmine, Stephanotis floribunda. This climbing plant is usually sold on a hoop or wire where the glossy dark green foliage is best displayed. The main reason these plants are so attractive is the abundance of clear, white, highly perfumed flowers. Give this to someone who has a bright, sunny window and won’t mind misting the foliage regularly and watering with a liquid feed every week or so during the flowering period. The sweet fragrance of the flowers fills the house.
Outdoor plant gifts
There are plenty of outdoor plants that look good at this time of year. Try Chimonanthus praecox, the winter sweet. This deciduous Chinese plant is often overlooked in favour of more showy summer performers but in winter few plants match it. The deep yellow flowers have strap like petals and a spicy fragrance. It makes a great specimen fan- trained against a wall or fence.
One of the most reliable plants for winter flowers has to be Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ . This produces a mass of delicate looking, highly fragrant, pink flowers from November to March. It is best suited to a sunny position in moist soil, close to a path where the fragrance can be appreciated.
ANNUAL VISIT
Nora is always good for a laughPaul left us this week to travel back to his homeland (England). He wanted to get back in time to see his youngest lad perform in the school nativity play. Willem, his son is only eight years old but finds himself typecast in the acting world. This is his third year of being a camel. He’s fine about this and says he’s not taking the hump (groan!)
I took advantage of Paul going home by jumping in the back of his estate car with my youngest lad and headed off to do my annual visiting in England. I am catching up with the gossip with friends of mine that also have children, which saves me having to apologise all the time for sticky fingerprints on the woodwork. My friends Rick and Karen Ann have themselves a house, which backs onto a mature, natural woodland. It’s owned by the council and is in need of some serious maintenance, there is a lot of dead wood to be taken out and as far as I can see there are very few new trees coming along to replace those that are dying. I’m itching to get in there with a chainsaw, but have to keep telling myself that I’m on holiday.
Christmas is coming
Nativity plays, late night shopping and hangovers are on the agenda over the next few weeks. There are plenty of distractions and excuses to keep gardeners from their gardens, and that’s without mentioning the weather! However, a few minutes in the garden could be exactly what you need to bring a little sanity into the hectic Christmas period. It’s also a good place to hide to get a break from all those festive jobs!
I took advantage of Paul going home by jumping in the back of his estate car with my youngest lad and headed off to do my annual visiting in England. I am catching up with the gossip with friends of mine that also have children, which saves me having to apologise all the time for sticky fingerprints on the woodwork. My friends Rick and Karen Ann have themselves a house, which backs onto a mature, natural woodland. It’s owned by the council and is in need of some serious maintenance, there is a lot of dead wood to be taken out and as far as I can see there are very few new trees coming along to replace those that are dying. I’m itching to get in there with a chainsaw, but have to keep telling myself that I’m on holiday.
Christmas is coming
Nativity plays, late night shopping and hangovers are on the agenda over the next few weeks. There are plenty of distractions and excuses to keep gardeners from their gardens, and that’s without mentioning the weather! However, a few minutes in the garden could be exactly what you need to bring a little sanity into the hectic Christmas period. It’s also a good place to hide to get a break from all those festive jobs!
CRACKED POTS
There are a lot of them around!
Not all patio pots can withstand a winter outside. Some may be labelled as frost resistant, but this won’t always guarantee the fact. Don’t risk frost cracking your favourite terracotta and glazed ceramic pots. Empty them out, wash them and store them in a frost-free place.
Not all patio pots can withstand a winter outside. Some may be labelled as frost resistant, but this won’t always guarantee the fact. Don’t risk frost cracking your favourite terracotta and glazed ceramic pots. Empty them out, wash them and store them in a frost-free place.
WINTER COLOUR
This is the time of year that garden centres are stocking up on early spring flowering plants. If you have any money left over after Christmas and the New Year sales it might be an idea to invest a few euro in a bit of winter/spring colour. I still have a few summer flowering containers outside the front of the house, I have been meaning to empty them for a couple of months now as they are in a real state with soggy looking geraniums and bits of dead twigs hanging from them. This week I’m definitely going to get around to it. I thought I’d put some pansies in them to brighten them up. The old compost from the containers will have to be taken out and composted, as the summer plants will have taken all of the nutrients. You never know what horrors lie in the soil either. Vine weevil love container compost and once those start munching the roots it’s not long before your prized pansies topple over and die.
WINTER HANGING BASKETS
I was at the garden centres last week and saw some great hanging baskets. Winter hanging baskets shouldn't be seen as the poor relation to summer displays. Winter displays can be equally alluring although they are subtler. For example I saw a very attractive herb basket. It wasn’t full of colour but it looked marvellous and smelt divine.
Winter baskets are relatively low maintenance.
The occasional water unless unseasonably dry.
In the depths of winter when frost and snow is about, you can stop watering completely as it will freeze the roots. With the onset of a thaw give the plants a good drink. Cold winds can also quickly dry out baskets.
Before planting think about the type of compost to use i.e. if planting heathers use ericaceous compost. Any compost used should be free draining. When planting, remember plants grow more slowly in winter so plant closer together or buy larger ones. Winter baskets - especially those containing winter-flowering plants - should be planted as early as possible as plants will not grow much in the winter and so won't initiate flower buds. Try and have them planted by the end of this article if possible!
CONTAINERS
Here’s a list of some of the popular plants that are available for containers, all of them can be planted out into the garden when it’s time to put in summer flowering plants, or alternatively leave them where they are and they will come back next year.
Violas. Very colourful and very hardy plants. This year we can see even more varieties in the shops.
Winter pansies. There are loads of different colours available. Make sure they are sturdy plants and not too leggy, plant them a bit deeper to stop them wobbling around in the wind. With pansies and violas they will flower a lot longer if you deadhead them regularly. Save the seeds and plant them out in spring.
Trailing ivy. Both plain and variegated ones look good. This plant brings shape to a container and fills them out.
Dwarf conifers. Dark or light green, take your pick.
Primulas and polyanthus. Both will give colour in spring and will spread nicely in the garden for next year. Again there are loads of colours available.
Herbs. Buy small plug plants if you can get them, they will soon fill out and provide plenty of foliage.
Heathers. I’ve found the winter flowering ones grow really well around the peninsula; they will flower well into the spring too.
Bulbs. There is still time to buy bulbs for planting out now. There are fabulous varieties to choose from. Ensure the bulbs are firm and disease free. Varieties such as the dwarf narcissi, crocus, iris and tulips look very effective in containers and flower for a long period.
Small shrubs. Shrubs with berries look effective, such as skimmia. There are many to choose from, try Euonymus for attractive foliage or bay and box for a strong central feature.
All of the plants mentioned are frost hardy and will cope with the worst of the weather. Sometimes just one specimen shrub can look more effective in a container than a lot of colour, for example a clipped box will look stunning on it’s own.
If an instant effect is what you are looking for then plant the plants close together. If you put them in the containers with a bit of room, they will soon fill the gaps as the growing season starts.
PLANTING UP CONTAINERS.
Make sure the containers you are using have drainage holes! Then put in some stones or old, broken terracotta pots. If the pot is heavy and you don’t need ballast to stop it blowing away in the wind then use old polystyrene. This will help the drainage. Some slow release plant food will help the plants along. You can try making up a hanging basket with these spring plants. The pansies, herbs, heathers and ivy’s will all look good. When planting the basket up, start from the centre and work outwards. There is more chance of root damage if it is planted up starting from the outside and working inwards. Water retaining crystals would be beneficial too but they aren’t so vital in winter baskets. Remember, plants will still dry out in baskets, even on the wettest of days, so check them regularly.
ME AND MY MOTOR- ANGELO CALLAGHAN
Angelo Callaghan from Newtowncunningham has recently created the funky Frocksrock Dolls with her business partner, Nicki Cole. These dolls are pretty funky too, as your child and her doll get to wear identical fashions. Frocksrock have set up a giant doll’s house in Santa’s Lapland at Doagh Island in the run up to Christmas to give people the opportunity to see and buy their dolls. The craft shop in Tullyarvan Mill also has some in stock.
Check out their website http://www.frocksrock.com/
Angelo finds her Chrysler Voyager 2.5 XD a versatile car with loads of room for humans and dolls!
How long have you had the car?
I bought the car a year ago. It was bought privately from Dublin, where it was being used as a VIP chauffeur driven vehicle for the likes of the golfer Tiger Woods.
Have you any plans to change?
No, I am totally in love with the car. It is just so versatile. One minute it is being used to take the children to school. Then the seats fold down to transform it into the works van.
Is it expensive to run?
It does over 35 miles to the gallon so it is about the same as a standard saloon. We have just had new tyres fitted though, which worked out at €120 euro each! The walls are re-enforced for extra safety, which is compulsory for MPV’s
Best and worst thing about the car?
The legroom is fantastic for everyone. The children love the in-car entertainment in the back. We have a fold down television on the roof with wireless headphones. The children can watch a movie if we are on long journeys. It’s great to hear the laughing coming from the back! The only negative is the security glass that has been fitted. People can’t see you waving at them when you drive past.
Does it ever get a wash?
We live in the country so the roads tend to be covered in mud from the tractors, especially when the spuds are being dug up. Last week we went to the Guildhall in Derry to a craft fair and I was backwards and forwards all day. I didn’t want to turn up with a dirty car so it got washed three times that weekend! Not since though I might add!
How would you help motorists given the chance?
People with four or more children have to drive MPV’s by law to ensure the passengers are seated safely. Most MPV’s have large engines and with the increase in tax, it makes drivers of these vehicles feel punished for upholding the law! VRT should be revised too.
What would you most like to be driving around in?
I have a soft spot for the Mercedes C180 coupe. I don’t know if I would get all of the boxes in the boot though!
Check out their website http://www.frocksrock.com/
Angelo finds her Chrysler Voyager 2.5 XD a versatile car with loads of room for humans and dolls!
How long have you had the car?
I bought the car a year ago. It was bought privately from Dublin, where it was being used as a VIP chauffeur driven vehicle for the likes of the golfer Tiger Woods.
Have you any plans to change?
No, I am totally in love with the car. It is just so versatile. One minute it is being used to take the children to school. Then the seats fold down to transform it into the works van.
Is it expensive to run?
It does over 35 miles to the gallon so it is about the same as a standard saloon. We have just had new tyres fitted though, which worked out at €120 euro each! The walls are re-enforced for extra safety, which is compulsory for MPV’s
Best and worst thing about the car?
The legroom is fantastic for everyone. The children love the in-car entertainment in the back. We have a fold down television on the roof with wireless headphones. The children can watch a movie if we are on long journeys. It’s great to hear the laughing coming from the back! The only negative is the security glass that has been fitted. People can’t see you waving at them when you drive past.
Does it ever get a wash?
We live in the country so the roads tend to be covered in mud from the tractors, especially when the spuds are being dug up. Last week we went to the Guildhall in Derry to a craft fair and I was backwards and forwards all day. I didn’t want to turn up with a dirty car so it got washed three times that weekend! Not since though I might add!
How would you help motorists given the chance?
People with four or more children have to drive MPV’s by law to ensure the passengers are seated safely. Most MPV’s have large engines and with the increase in tax, it makes drivers of these vehicles feel punished for upholding the law! VRT should be revised too.
What would you most like to be driving around in?
I have a soft spot for the Mercedes C180 coupe. I don’t know if I would get all of the boxes in the boot though!
INTERVIEW WITH JOE
A couple of weeks ago in the Inish Times, the editorial raised the point about recycling, or the lack of it in the County. Especially if the Christmas tree recycling scheme is anything to go by. This got my little brain ticking over as to why recycling isn’t catching on very quickly in Inishowen. After a bit of thought I thought the best thing to do would be to go out and about to ask a member of the public, so I headed down town.
At a local bar I met Joe (real name withheld due to marital reasons) who kindly agreed to give me a few minutes of his time.
Q. Hello Joe, nice of you to talk to me. My first question is, do you recycle any of your household waste?
A. Yea, course I do, one flush and it’s gone! (Laughs) But seriously now, I was thinking about getting one of those plastic bin things from the council to put me kitchen waste in. The council doesn’t deliver them so I didn’t bother me head. I don’t know if we have much kitchen waste anyway, it’s the wife that does the cooking so you’ll have to ask her.
Q. Do you ever use the bottle banks that the council provide?
A. No, I don’t bother with them either, there’s enough sand in the world to make glass forever. They ought to put a deposit on the bottles- that will give young kids something to do taking them back to the shops. I did it when I was a wa’in and it kept me in fags.
Q. What about the idea of recycling Christmas trees, why aren’t more people doing it?
A. What’s the point? They rot down in the back garden anyway. It just uses energy to get them to these drop off points and you get nothing for them. There’s that company makin’ money out of turning them into garden mulch as well, I’m not doing their job for them! I’ve heard some councils in England will give you the shredded stuff back for nothing…I might do it then.
Q. What about other household waste. The manufacturers of electrical equipment are being made to safely dispose of obsolete appliances such as fridges. Do you think that is a good idea and will you use this service?
A. Yea, that’s a great idea! Any company, or council for that matter that is prepared to collect old electrical stuff and get rid of it for you can’t be a bad thing. The council should get a massive lorry and collect all the stuff from people’s houses, and while they’re at it they can clean up all the old junk that’s littering the countryside and roadsides. Yea.. In Japan there’s this island that they put all their electrical goods on so people don’t have to look at it…
Q. You seem to expect the council to do all this for you. Have you ever thought of not being so dependent on others and take responsibility for your own recycling?
A. It’s what I pay me taxes for innit!
Q. So you work then?
A. Well, no, not exactly. But I do buy stuff that I pay a lot of tax on, such as me fags.
And do you know how much tax you pay on a pint these days; I don’t know where all the money goes to. Not on the roads I can tell you.
Q. O.K. O.K. what are your views on the prospects of large incinerators being built to accommodate all the waste being produced?
A. Oh yes, I’ve heard about them. They sound like a great idea. The council could get rid of all the rubbish easily. There would be no need for landfill sites either, which would be a good thing.
Q. Don’t you think that the use of incinerators is just substituting one potentially harmful method of rubbish disposal for another?
A. Huh?
Q. Well apart from toxic fumes there is also the issue of once the fire is lit it will need to be constantly fed. This might mean that the company running the incinerator will probably have to import rubbish from other countries to keep it burning
A. Aah yes, but it wouldn’t be built around here though would it? They could build it over in Cork or somewhere out of the way.
Q. The pollutants could be carried great distances in the air so it probably wouldn’t matter where they were built. What about the ideas that all of us can drastically reduce our waste in the house by buying products without packaging; this would reduce the need for landfill or incinerators.
A. Hey, don’t blame me, blame these companies that make the packaging and cheap plastic rubbish on the market that breaks as soon as you use it!
Q. I’m not blaming anyone, I’m just saying…
At a local bar I met Joe (real name withheld due to marital reasons) who kindly agreed to give me a few minutes of his time.
Q. Hello Joe, nice of you to talk to me. My first question is, do you recycle any of your household waste?
A. Yea, course I do, one flush and it’s gone! (Laughs) But seriously now, I was thinking about getting one of those plastic bin things from the council to put me kitchen waste in. The council doesn’t deliver them so I didn’t bother me head. I don’t know if we have much kitchen waste anyway, it’s the wife that does the cooking so you’ll have to ask her.
Q. Do you ever use the bottle banks that the council provide?
A. No, I don’t bother with them either, there’s enough sand in the world to make glass forever. They ought to put a deposit on the bottles- that will give young kids something to do taking them back to the shops. I did it when I was a wa’in and it kept me in fags.
Q. What about the idea of recycling Christmas trees, why aren’t more people doing it?
A. What’s the point? They rot down in the back garden anyway. It just uses energy to get them to these drop off points and you get nothing for them. There’s that company makin’ money out of turning them into garden mulch as well, I’m not doing their job for them! I’ve heard some councils in England will give you the shredded stuff back for nothing…I might do it then.
Q. What about other household waste. The manufacturers of electrical equipment are being made to safely dispose of obsolete appliances such as fridges. Do you think that is a good idea and will you use this service?
A. Yea, that’s a great idea! Any company, or council for that matter that is prepared to collect old electrical stuff and get rid of it for you can’t be a bad thing. The council should get a massive lorry and collect all the stuff from people’s houses, and while they’re at it they can clean up all the old junk that’s littering the countryside and roadsides. Yea.. In Japan there’s this island that they put all their electrical goods on so people don’t have to look at it…
Q. You seem to expect the council to do all this for you. Have you ever thought of not being so dependent on others and take responsibility for your own recycling?
A. It’s what I pay me taxes for innit!
Q. So you work then?
A. Well, no, not exactly. But I do buy stuff that I pay a lot of tax on, such as me fags.
And do you know how much tax you pay on a pint these days; I don’t know where all the money goes to. Not on the roads I can tell you.
Q. O.K. O.K. what are your views on the prospects of large incinerators being built to accommodate all the waste being produced?
A. Oh yes, I’ve heard about them. They sound like a great idea. The council could get rid of all the rubbish easily. There would be no need for landfill sites either, which would be a good thing.
Q. Don’t you think that the use of incinerators is just substituting one potentially harmful method of rubbish disposal for another?
A. Huh?
Q. Well apart from toxic fumes there is also the issue of once the fire is lit it will need to be constantly fed. This might mean that the company running the incinerator will probably have to import rubbish from other countries to keep it burning
A. Aah yes, but it wouldn’t be built around here though would it? They could build it over in Cork or somewhere out of the way.
Q. The pollutants could be carried great distances in the air so it probably wouldn’t matter where they were built. What about the ideas that all of us can drastically reduce our waste in the house by buying products without packaging; this would reduce the need for landfill or incinerators.
A. Hey, don’t blame me, blame these companies that make the packaging and cheap plastic rubbish on the market that breaks as soon as you use it!
Q. I’m not blaming anyone, I’m just saying…
A. Look, I haven’t time for all this, I’ll tell you what, get me another pint on your way out will you. Oh yes and a packet of those dry roasted peanuts as well……….
TOPPLING TURBINE
A new turbine in Inishishowen had a bit of a setback recently when the top section came crashing to the ground. No-one was injured but the cost of the accident was in excess of 1 million euro.
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