The times of the Tidal Wave passing through the village can be affected by many things. Best be on the Bridge by the Cock Riverside Pub 20 minutes before advertised time as being 30 secs late will be a major disappointment.
When I published Junes dates and times, i attempted to predict the strength of the Tidal Waves by placing stars next to the time. 5 stars are the best, 1 star is the weakest. I got it pretty spot on, even if i say so myself, so thought i would give it another go for the next three months in advance.
Remember, these are not organised events, please take care when near fast moving water...........
All dates and times are for the Wiggenhall Wave on the River Great Ouse in Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, Norfolk PE34.
July
Tuesday 23rd 5:21 AM ** 6:00PM **
Wednesday 24th 6:06 AM *** 6:47PM **
Thursday 25th 6:49AM **** 7:30PM **
Friday 26th 7:32AM *** 8:13PM *
Saturday 27th 8:13AM **
August
Wednesday 21st 5:05 AM ** 5:45 PM * Full Moon
Thursday 22nd 5:48 AM *** 6:27 PM **
Friday 23rd 6:28 AM **** 7:05 PM **
Saturday 24th 7:09AM **** 7:42 PM **
Sunday 25th 7:48AM **
September
Thursday 19th 4:46 AM ** 5:26PM ** Full Moon
Friday 20th 5:26 AM *** 6:02PM **
Saturday 21st 6:05 AM **** 6:37PM ** Equinox
Sunday 22nd 6:44AM *** 7:11PM *
Please respect the fact that I am only human and if there is slight error on timings I have no control over it!
Well, what a week. It started with the annual Garden Party and wave watching event. We transformed the Solar Shed renewable energy and advice center into a bar, cafe and tea rooms. About 40 brave souls attended the cold and windy afternoon and £200 was raised for Scottys Little Soldiers, a charity that looks after the children and families of the fallen and wounded.
Monday morning Harriet and I had a quick meeting with the web team who are designing the Solar Shed web site, funded after a surprise windfall after a visit to the accountants.
Monday and Tuesday saw a team of scientists based at the shed for the research they are doing Tidal Bores. They placed some monitoring equipment in the river to read the pressure, flow rates and volume of water as the tide changed. We had some great Tidal Waves and they weren't disappointed. I'll use the data from the research to build my hydro plant for the generation of electricity that will allow me to live a totally grid free life.
And if that wasn't busy enough, I then had two days at the Royal Norfolk Show as guests of the Country and Land Owners Association. They had a big marquee and restaurant set up opposite the members entrance on the main avenue, so although I wasn't there to sell anything, i was allowed to put the new roller banners up and advise CLA members on renewable energy and in particular, Solar energy.
The visitors were all land owners wanting to discuss large scale commercial projects ranging from 20 kwp systems (80 panels) right up to the multi million field mounted solar farms. It was very pleasing to have been asked by an organisation such as the CLA to get involved and I am not sure how I can ever thank them, but I will, when I can.
The contacts made over those 2 days are invaluable in business terms and I feel, as I go into the weekend that this is the start of a whole new way of working and another chapter in my life is about to start.
I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, tomorrow, our village is holding it's annual Fayre at the Village Hall. So with roller banners packed and cleaned, camping table and lap-top in tow, off i will go to the hall for a few hours and chat to neighbours and other locals about the benefits of solar. Like I have said before, one house at time, one street at a time, one village, one town and then the World.
#SolarLove people, its been the best Solstice ever and I can't wait for the Equinox. The most exciting time of the yr and after 8 yrs since leaving the Police, i finally feel that i have tuned in and making something of life, business and natures natural resources.
There will be a series of tidal waves on the river next weekend and through the following week.
To celebrate, we will be holding a charity garden party on the 23rd, which also happens to be a super moon date. A super Moon is a full moon when the moon is closest to the Earth. So it appears about 1/4 larger than normal as we pass each other. The gravitational pull on the planet is greater on a full moon, coupled with the high spring tides, we should see some fantastic late evening Tidal Waves.
The stars indicate the strength and force of the Eagre Tide. Graded 1- 5 with 5 being the strongest
23rd 5:15pm *
24th 6:10pm **
25th 6:20am *** 7:00pm ***
26th 7:05am *** 7:45pm **
27th 7:50am ** 8:35pm *
The times above are for ‘best chance’ of seeing a Tidal Wave on the River Great Ouse from the bridge, next to The Cock Inn at
Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, Norfolk
Best to be 20 mins early than 1 min late
For more info follow @TheSolarShed
Tidal waves are a natural phenomenon and the times above are subject to many factors that could have an effect of the actual arrival of the wave. These are NOT organised events and wave watchers should take care when near fast moving water. Be sensible and respectful to the residents of the Village.
Up nice and early today to watch the most spectacular display that mother nature can provide. There was a heavy steam rising from the surface of the river as today's tidal wave past. I hope the pictures do it justice. Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment. I did tweet a commentary as the wave passed. Have a look @TheSolarShed
I've been looking the charts of moon patterns and tides and can safely say we are in for real treat over the next week with regards to tidal waves on the River Great Ouse. The times and dates are for best viewing from Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen and in particular from the bridge by the Cock public house in Church Road. Good weather and warm evenings will mean lots of people so stick to the footpaths, park sensibly and please please please do not go near the water. The nearest train station is Watlington which is a 8 minute walk. Parking is available for patrons of the pub or in the car park by the bridge over the Relief Channel. I have predicted the times based upon a series of moon patterns, tide times and Fen lore. You might want to arrive 20 minutes early as I have been known to miscalculate. Later this year I will be holding a wave watching charity event for scottys llittle soldiers so please keep an eye for details. There will be a bar, live music and a bbq garden party on the River Bank on June 23rd. Everyone welcome.
Being born on April Fools day is no Joke let me tell you. First of all, you have to endure the same old comments every time you mention it. 'Ha ha April fool' and the 'Only Kevin Holland would be born on April 1st'. Not exactly the best way to start a birthday.
Then, oh yes, the years of 'No no no, this year it really is a great present' from the sisters. Like every year, I would open the first box to reveal another, unwrap that one to reveal another. And so it goes on for what feels like ages until you finally reach the matchbox size one wrapped in sellotape so tightly you begin to wish you never bit your nails. Finally, you prize it open to reveal that little piece of paper, again. 'April Fool' And you have to pretend it's funny. Again!
I WAS 10 FFS! All I wanted was a normal birthday and normal presents!
So 46 yrs later, here we are again. But wait. What beholds........ Well so far so good. Through the virtue of Facebook i have had dozens of well wishers, a couple of texts and some phone calls. A handful of cards from immediate family and a big pile of presents.. oh here we go I think to myself and start, slowly and surely, in front of the family to unwrap them. Not wanting to spoil their prankster mentality, I prepare myself and start to open them.
First, a nice new hoody from Ralph Lauren, and it fits perfectly. OK, i think to myself, good start. What next. I go for the large box, expecting the age old box in a box present that I fall for every yr. But no. Its a clock. A big clock for the wall in the shed. Nice one i think to myself. I continue through an assortment of smelly's, a few packs of liquorice allsorts, some more smelly's and a pile of presents wrapped in silver paper from Harriet.
Some car mats, some dashboard wipes, a few air fresheners and some upholstery cleaner. Baring in mind i almost live in the car, these are good presents. Then there was nothing left! I had done it. I had got through a whole pile without one Apil fool present!
So, with the kids packed off to Downham to visit friends for the day, dishes all washed after breakfast, i decide to use the smelly's and wear the new top. It feels like Christmas I can tell you. And then down the drive to clean the inside of the car for the first time what seems like months.
Then the magic moment arrives. Mid day and not one prank, comment or spoof present.
In a way, i feel kind of cheated now, as it wouldn't be the same without at least one person using me as the butt of their joke, but maybe next yr..... maybe next yr.
I suppose starting this blog at the tail end of last yr is what done it for me. All those memories about yesteryear, South London, Policing and Dulwich Hamlet.
I've been thinking about the old club of late and seem to have lost a lot of interest in Non League football here in Norfolk. My other Club, King's Lynn Town FC was born out of the old King's Lynn FC that went pop a few years ago. They owed big money to the tax man and instead of asking the community for help, they let it fold. A new club was born. All big and shiny but it costs more to watch King's Lynn than any other club in our league. It has done for 3 seasons now which is a shame because the manager has put a great little squad together and they play good football. But i don't like being made a mug of and refuse to be ripped off. So i have only attended when i am 'providing a service' by way of doing the online commentary for the Supporters who can't get there. But now, there is so much social media, I feel my service is no longer required. So I have stopped going all together now.
But through the virtues of Twitter and Facebook, i have found my old club. Dulwich Hamlet FC are a grand old name in Non League circles, having won the Isthmian league several times, the FA Amateur Cup and providing a solid foundation to scores of players who went on to be successful professionals. Hull City signed another one last week and their star man had recent trials with Liverpool and featured in an U21 game for them against West Ham 2 weeks ago.
A few months ago, i promised myself i would make the journey at least once this season to go and watch them. Since then, I have been twice. Both away games. The first was a few weeks ago away at Merstham in Surrey. I had been at a conference at Excel (EcoBuild) and had an overnight in a hotel. Well with the work finished by 5pm, all I had to look forward to was a long night with drunk sales reps or a Tuesday night under floodlights to watch the Hamlet for the first time in 10 yrs.
I chose the later.
And pleased that i did. It was just like old times. A couple of dozen of us, behind the goal singing and chanting and chatting like I had never been away. It was heart warming to catch up with old friends and fellow fans. These were the people that made my time in South East London so much fun many years ago. These were the people that introduced me to Non league football all those years ago and were also responsible for introducing me to a world away from the Police and into sports promotions 25 yrs ago. I stood and sang and chatted like it was yesterday. We were all older, a little rounder and a lot less drunk. But the passion was still there. Mishi was still there (I picked him up from Kennington Tube on the way down) Shaun was still there. Steve, Paul, Mr Watts, Burty, Jamie, Dave and Paul, John the program Editor, Brian the Vice Chairman, Jack the Chairman, in fact it was like really vivid dream. they were all still there.
We lost. But we sang. I drove Mishi, Burty and his mate home. First stop Sydenham, then onto Nunhead and through Peckham, Camberwell, Walworth and over the River and back to the Docks to the hotel. My re-introduction to Dulwich was the bait and I was hooked again.
Easter Saturday was always going to be the biggest game of the season. Not because Dulwich are within spitting distance of the Ryman League South Title, in fact they had just had over 1,000 on a tuesday night against the league leaders, Maidstone. But no other game could act like a magnet for me like this one. This was Tooting. Away.
Dulwich and Tooting in South London is like Inter and AC. It's the Glasgow Old Firm scaled down. Forget United and City or Liverpool and Everton, this was massive and no matter what happens during the season only one result matters.
The derby. At the Hamlet it ended 2-2 and this was game that we needed to win for two reasons. Bragging rights and to keep pace with Maidstone.
No-one could have predicted what was to come. I set off on the 10:03 my lad (aged 14 and never been to a Dulwich game since he was 3!) We arrived at Kings Cross wearing our Pink and Blue shirts and made away to The George in Croydon where everyone was meeting. There was about 30 of us. Then the Tram to Mitcham. As soon as the Tram doors closed at 2pm we started singing and we didn't stop till the final whistle at 4:45pm In fact I think we were still singing as the ground emptied and the players were in the changing rooms.
I have been the England matches, many a West Ham home and away. I have been to Wembley for Cup finals and with King's Lynn I have been part of great Vase and Trophy runs, home and away. But NOTHING could ever compare to what i was part of yesterday.
About 150-200 of us. Standing together as one.
Dulwich has a new, younger fan base. Teenagers. Teenagers with a drum, large flags, blue smoke grenades and a repertoire to rival River Plate or Barca.
Immense is the word i shall use for these fans. They carried us older boys along and when we went silent, they started. When they went silent, we started and we sang and sang and sang. We danced on the terraces and we sang some more.
Then, we all went home.
Dulwich won 0-2 and sit joint top of the league. They have a game in hand and promotion is in their hands. They might do it. They might not. If they do, it will be great and if they don't, rest assured all the talk over the summer will be of plans to invade Tooting like we did yesterday.
Saturday 30th March 2013 will go down as the greatest football away day ever. It will never been beaten in terms to passion, friendship and heart warming re-found relationships that hopefully will last a lifetime.
Oh, and King's Lynn won 7-0 so a good day all round. I kept up to date via twitter, which shows that my service is no longer needed...................
Here's a link to a blog from south London. It has some great pics of yesterday that show the passion we felt.
Now that the days are slightly longer, there is a fair chance of seeing an Eagre on the River Great Ouse. Due to the level of light, the AM sightings will be better than the PM ones. I have played around with some charts and looked at moon patterns and tide times and have come up with the following days and times as BEST CHANCE to see our wonder of Mother Nature.
The best place to view safely is from the Bridge by the Cock Public House in Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen. You can walk from Watlington Train Station or park in the pub car park or the car park by the cut off channel. During the spring and summer, we may well open a tea garden at Brighton House so parties can relax, learn more about the wave and then take a short walk up the slipway in the garden to view the wave from the back of the house.
The best time to arrive is about 20 minutes before the wave is predicted as I have been known to make small errors in the arrival time. After all, we are ten miles inland!
Saturday 9th Feb 4:32pm
Sunday 10th Feb 4:49am 5:07pm
Monday 11th Feb 5:23am 5:50pm
Tuesday 12th Feb 6:15am 6:31pm
Wed 13th Feb 5:55am 7:12pm
Sun rise about 7:30 and sun set just after 5pm so plan accordingly. There is a new moon so no moonlight, if you do come during darkness, please keep to the footpaths by the bridge, wear bright clothing and have a very low light camera otherwise you'll miss it!
To learn more about the Wiggenhall Wave and the history of our village please watch BBC1 East, Inside Out on Monday 11th Feb 2013 as it will be featured then.
In some of my previous posts, I have made reference to the
Tidal Waves and the River. Let me
explain. The house where we live is
nestled into the banks of the River Great Ouse in Norfolk. The River is tidal and we live about 7 miles
from King’s Lynn and 10 from The Wash.
That’s the square shaped estuary on the East Coast that separates
Lincolnshire and Norfolk. There are several
rivers that run into The Wash. The Nene,
The Welland, the Haven and the Great Ouse.
The Great Ouse is the UK’s 4th longest river and
over the years has been modified, diverted and extended to allow for the massive
Fen drainage projects that allow people to live in an area which would normally
be under water. 20 Miles south of us is
Ely which used to sit on a small hill surrounded by wet boggy marshes. Now this is prime agricultural farming land
all thanks to the drainage into the Great Ouse and out into the Wash.
The Fens are flat. They
were formed by the giant ice flows from the retreating ice sheets in the last
ice age. Rivers and basins were carved
out of the land by the ice and in the last 50 miles of the Great Ouse the river
only drops about 20ft! If the Great Ouse
burst its banks in Norfolk, towns as far as Huntingdon could end up under
water. The area is vast and has very big
skies. You can see for miles and the
heat in August can be searing as there is no shade from hills or trees. Nothing but water and fields.
The House is an old fisherman’s cottage and the original
building was no more than two rooms with a thatched loft to sleep in. It actually forms part of the flood defences and
we are lucky to have about 40 meters of river bank as our garden! Although there is a public right of way along
the river bank, it is only populated by dog walkers and the occasional hiking
party who are walking the Fen Rivers Way.
We can come out of the front door and within 15 seconds be
sitting on the River Bank and see nothing but water. A vast expanse of fairly fast moving water.
Like I said, it is an old fisherman’s cottage. For centuries, the people that have lived
here have been fishermen and there is a slip way in the garden. The fishermen would have fishing boats moored
on the bank and bring their catch in via the slipway to the sheds at the bottom
of the garden which is where The Solar Shed now is. The fish and other sea food would be brought
to them by the tide. They would moor a
boat in the river and at low tide wade out to the anchored boat. As the tide changes the water would approach
and they would drop their nets and allow Mother Nature to do the work for them. The fish would be caught, processed and boxed
and then walked by cart to Magdalen Road station for the early train to
Billingsgate Fish Market in London as well as some for local sale.
The approaching tide is called an Eagre, and Aigre or an Aegre
depending on what part of the Country you live.
Here, in the Fens we call it an Eagre.
An Eagre is the leading edge of the incoming tide and if you
catch it right, you can witness one of the Planets finest shows. Monster Tidal Waves form as the river narrows
and meet resistance from the steep banks that keep it in its place. 200 meters wide, 1.5 meters high and rolling in at 8
knotts. That is a lot of water.
The tide changes twice a day, every day without fail. It’s a moon thing. Some days you can see nothing more than the
water stop, pause and then change direction.
Other days you can hear the tide coming in before you can see it and you
can it see it approaching almost a mile before it gets here! I never fail to wonder at its marvel.
My Neighbour, Peter, an elderly gentlemen lived in my house
back in the 1940’s and his family stayed here till 1994 so I am fortunate to
have someone who has grown up and lived on the River right next door. We share tales of the size of the wave and
every time we meet, the story, like the wave gets bigger and bigger. It’s a Fen thing!
Peter, has also taught me how to predict the wave height,
time and force. I can now predict waves
several months in advance and I advertise them to bring people into the Village
so they too can witness this little marvel.
Up until now I have never told anyone the formula as the last thing I
want is hundreds of people at the back of my house making noise and dropping
litter. I do ‘manage’ wave watching events
and slowly drip feed the times by way of Facebook, twitter, local emails to
interested parties and also to the pres the day before they are due. That way, I can control within reason, how
many people come as the last thing we need is hoards of people tramping all
over the place and the dangers of serious accidents.
The Waves and tidal patterns run in cycles and last year,
2012, we only had 4 short cycles of spring tides and none were particularly
high. Most fell on a new moon as well so
the chance of a decent wave was minimal.
This year however, the Moon is aligned in a way that we will see ten
cycles of High Spring Tides, some not seen for 16 yrs or more. Every month this year will bring decent tides
and in turn decent sized tidal waves.
The general rule of thumb, without giving the game away too much as
follows.
The tide will change in the Village, one hour before High
Tide in King’s Lynn. If the tide height is
18 ft or more, a Tidal Wave will form.
Now that might seem too simple, and it is. A tidal wave can be just a few inches high,
but being exact in definition, it is a Tidal Wave. If the tide height is over 21ft and the High
Spring Tide is 2 days after a Full Moon, at 5:25 am or pm, to be precise, you
can guarantee an absolute monster of a Tidal Wave.
So based upon that formula, i have listed below the dates for
Spring and Early summer ‘Best Chance’ of seeing a tidal wave on the River Great
Ouse in Norfolk.These times are for
your best chance to see a wave from the Bridge by the Cock Public House on the
River in Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen PE34.
My advice is to get there 30 minutes before advertised time
as I have been known to mis-judge these times.
Better to be early than late.
APRIL 2013
25th 5:15
pm FULL MOON
26th
6:05 pm HIGH SPRING TIDE
27th 6:55 pm
HIGH SPRING TIDE
28th 7:45
pm HIGH SPRING TIDE
JUNE 2013
23rd 5.50pm FULL MOON
24th 5.25pm HIGH SPRING TIDE
25th 7:05pm HIGH SPRING TIDE
26th 8:10pm HIGH SPRING TIDE
As I have said, these times depends on many factors and
weather conditions so everything is subject to change. Once the first wave in a series is sighted, I
can predict with great accuracy what the times for the next few days will be so
follow me on Twitter @TheSolarShed and I will give more accurate times as and
when the first one is sighted.
Over the years, for many men, sheds have been an important part of their life. In fact, most wives would probably wish a shed for their shedless men, just to stop them from getting under their feet for a few hours. And what better place to while away the time, pottering, tinkering, thinking, making, inventing, reading, writing.
This list of things to do in a shed is limitless and there is now a full industry alive and kicking based around shed. I have been known to be an admirer of sheds and back in the days on the beat, I could often be found on my beat huddled inside a shed on the allotments drinking mint tea with fellow sheddies. Naturally, when on duty i would be conducting crime prevention surveys and offering advice (if the Sgt caught me) but there is no better place on earth than a shed.
A few yrs ago, I discovered a website called www.readersheds.co.uk A place for fellow shedman to go and discover their true sheddyness (made up word).
The webmaster started what has become a coveted prize in the form of shed of the year. Well, me being me, I have entered the shed of the year and came 3rd in the Unique category a few yrs ago. Then I built the Solar Shed and entered that. Well blow me down, last yr Solar Shed hit the National Press as it won the Eco Shed of the Yr category and shortlisted as a finalist on the overall competition. The following passage is a direct copy of what is written on my shed entry page on readersheds.co.uk website.
I've attached some web links and the bottom to the local newspaper articles from the competition.
The Solar Shed came up as an idea from a customer of mine who did not want to place her Solar Panels on the roof of her very old cottage. So we built her a bespoke garden structure for the job. I told the Mrs about this and she suggested we do the same, as our Solar Panels were facing East on my other Shed, Compost Lodge. So over the winter we started and came up with SOLAR SHED. An all in one eco center for a green lifestyle. 8 x 250w solar panels on the roof, correct angle, perfect south(ish)
Underneath and inside we set about designing it to meet our needs. We have a log making area where I can make fuel from recycled paper and wood shavings, a log store for the burners in the house. We have attached several thousand liters worth of water storage and have fitted the butts with pumps so we don't have to carry watering cans around the allotment. It also houses the drainage rods and sand bags that are always at hand for the little emergencies in life. The Solar Shed has been fitted with several PIR activated solar lights so it lights up at night. Solar Shed is adjacent to Compost Lodge, my main shed which now acts as a small renewable energy workshop so my customers can come and try b4 they buy.
Additional Info: The following was written last year and published on Uncle's Readersshed blog. Thought I would copy and paste as it explains everything.
Within minutes of arriving at the house back in 2004, we knew that this was the place for life. Three generations, all under the same roof with enough space to grow our own food and start a new life on the banks of the River Great Ouse in Norfolk.
The River is Tidal with a massive range and the house nestles into the River Bank as it has done for over 500 yrs. It was once home to the village fishing industry and has a slipway in the garden. Lurking at the bottom of the garden is a small collection of ramshackle outbuildings, greenhouses and sheds.
As soon as we were settled I took ownership of the Shed and due to the size and fact there is a massive greenhouse only accessible from the shed, I renamed it Compost Lodge and this particular Shedman came to life.
Up until moving from London, I had been no more than an aspiring Shedman with my unusual assortment of small sheds. One was down the allotment in Sydenham, South London where I lived whilst a serving Police Officer in London and the other was at the house. That was, in its own right, a small shed marvel as it was a roofed space rather than a shed.
My old house was a new-build and it was L shaped as it was built around an electricity sub-station. The shed was L Shaped and about 20ft long and 4 ft wide narrowing to a point where the house and sub- station met! Shed nights in those days consisted of me and couple of mates who would filter in and stand side by side as there was no room to huddle as man in sheds do.
Compost Lodge, however, is an altogether different type of Shed. More a social shed . So when I discovered Readerssheds.co.uk, I was one of the first to put some pics up for others to see and share their dreams of solitary isolation at the bottom of the garden.
I was dumbfounded when back in 2005 I was contacted via email by a bloke who claimed he was making a short Inside-Out regional prog about men in sheds and wanted to come over and film Compost Lodge on a shed night. I thought It was a wind up by a mate from work but went along with his request and that Friday the Fenland Shed Society were joined by the BBC film crew who I am confident have never had such a surreal assignment!
Time has passed, and the shed has evolved and become home to Village events and live music sessions. The term Shedaoke was first coined in Compost Lodge for my 40th Birthday celebrations where we had a Karaoke party in the shed!
Shed nights are good for the soul, and it was about 4 yrs ago during a shed night that i drunkenly suggested i would try and make the shed as self sufficient as possible. So i started by harvesting rainwater and now have over 1000 litres of fresh rainwater for the greenhouses and other water features. Outside the shed is the garden kitchen which comprises of a big barrel BBQ and cooking area.
There is a small solar shower hanging up outside Compost Lodge so we can wash and brush up whilst cooking or to wash hands after getting the coal for the fire! Last year, I had 100 yrds of black hose pipe coiled up, over the roof of the sheds, which was solar pumped with water from the kids pool. This kept the water warm enough to use at our leisure for about 6 months last year. And then, at last in July this year, i finally saved up enough money to purchase 2kw of Solar PV. This is the electricity generating solar rather than the heat generating solar. I already have those panels on the house and they provide all our hot water so when the UK Government introduced the feed in tariffs last year, i just had to get my electric panels up.
The shed roof faces North East and as you are only allowed one feed in tariff per electric metre I opted for the shed as although the house has a perfect south facing roof, i am leaving the domestic electric meter to feed back into the grid any surplice i generate from a tidal barrage i am designing. (I own about 50 metres of tidal River Great Ouse)
So Compost Lodge has become Solar Shed. There it sits generating about 5 kws a day (a decent positioned 2kw system will average 6-7 a day over a whole year) The shed is home to 5 freezers and fridges where we store the food we grow for the winter and spring.
The shed uses more background electricity than the house so we get free electricity during the day. I have the freezers on timers so they go off for a few hours overnight so i don t use any power when I am not generating it!
The money I receive from the Feed in Tariff pays for ALL my electricity in the house so I am in effect without bills for the rest of my life with regards to electricity! As I am in the Solar Trade, i have now set up shop at home so customers can come and visit and see the power of the sun before they actually buy the systems and as the shed is open beamed, they can see the fittings and wiring and all that goes with it. So after only 7 yrs, the Shed has become a focal part of our life. It is a hobby room, an office, a chill-out bolt hole and a place for rather unusual parties. It is also doing more than its fair share for the environment and the community.
To date the shed has been home to about 5-6 charity events where over £3,000:00 has been raised for McMillan, Help for Heroes, The Blue and Gold Trust, The Village Hall and other good causes. It has featured in the local paper, regional TV and is a talking point in the Village.
Last year it also came 3rd the Unique sheds category in Shed of the Year competition. Now that the panels have gone up, Solar Shed will be entered into Eco Shed next year and if there is any justice in the world Sarah Beeny will visit me with the winners award next year!
(update, Solar Shed won Eco Shed of the year 2012)
This was written a few days ago, before Christmas and before i started on the blog. It is a far cry from Policing the inner cities and will give an insight to my new life. Enjoy.
As it's the winter solstice today, i thought it a good day to reflect on the previous year and how far we have come with the business.
This time last year, the PV panels were on the main shed roof and because it faces East North/East, they were not doing much. More so due to the shade from the telegraph pole! Well, it was over the Christmas period that I had a word with Gordon, the woodman, and he started on the new Solar Shed.
Built to personal spec and at a perfect angle and facing due south, things have certainly improved with regards to how much energy I'm now generating. Having my own system at home, on the sheds, means that customers can now come back to our house and see for themselves how powerful the sun is.
The house has a PV pumped Thermal solar hot water heating system and customers can see for themselves how easy it is rid themselves of fossil fuel for heating water. We have reduced our oil use to next to nothing during March - Oct and very little in the winter on clear days. We only use fossil fuel for water heating when the heating is on, to top up what the sun has given us free of charge.
With regards to the Solar Shed, it is a comfortable environment for people to come and try before they buy. Or even just to pop in for a chat and a cuppa to discuss how to reduce energy use without loosing any comfort.
The Solar Shed has become a business in its own right and its not quite one year old yet so the dream of living the country and working from home is almost complete. I take appointments from a national company and all customers get the opportunity to come back and have a look during the cooling off period which allows them to take a more measured approach to the whole sales process. After all, Solar is not cheap and neither should it be considering what it does.
I've placed some simple signage out the front gate for passers by to see when we're open and had 10,000 leaflets printed and slowly delivering them to neighbouring villages and neighbours of customers when i make a sale. Occasionally I find customers who do not want or can not have panels on their roofs, so bringing Gordon in to design a bespoke shed for them helps. To date we have designed three solar sheds. One for me, one for a very green customer in North Norfolk who has water harvesting features, wood storage and an enclosed area for mowers and the like and the third for a customer with a listed property who wanted a car port for their electric vehicles. So, all in all a good year.
Inside the workshop, we have a few shelving racks and sell solar powered lights. Garden lights, security lights and torches as well as briquette makers for open fires and water harvesting equipment. Water is high on peoples agendas, and by designing personal solutions rather than off the shelf products, we can provide a very good, high end service.
As business has been good, we have also been able to assist others and proud to be sponsors of two football teams. The first is Dulwich Hamlet Supporters FC and the other is Wiggenhall FC who play in the neighbouring village. We also contribute to Solar Aid which is charity that sets up small solar businesses in the emerging world. They show people how to convert kerosene lanterns into solar lights with all the obvious benefits.
The Solar Shed won the Eco Shed category in the Nation Shed of the Year comp' sponsored by Cuprinol and I am delighted to say I have been placed in the Eco Build top 100 influencers for sustainable buildings.
Who knows where next year will take us. First step is to get the web site up and running and hopefully reduce the mileage I do and concentrate on the working from home angle. So, a good year all round. Here's to the next one. You can follow me on twitter @TheSolarShed
