Tax return due on Tuesday...

quercusrobur · Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:16 pm

Right, so here I am on the last Sunday before my tax return HAS to be
in, with the only bit of free time I'm likely to have before the 31st
jan, slipping into full procrastination mode as I look at the jubbled
pile of bank statements, reciepts and invoices and what might laughingly
be called my 'accounts' spread out on the table in front of me, so its
as good a time as any to join up to the self sufficientish forum...
(I'm also suddenly reminded of the apple trees in my garden that
absolutely HAVE to be pruned this weekend as well...)...

Anyway, i'm Graham, I run Spiralseed www.spiralseed.co.uk where I promote ideas around permaculture through books, teeshirts and running courses, etc.

Just thought it might be nice to check things out here and see who's about...

As for the mapping, I'm in Westcliff on Sea in Essex

Muddypause · Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:06 pm

Hello Graham.

I've visited Spiralseed a few times. Don't think we've met before, but I have a feeling I may have come across you in some other corners of the interweb, too. Nice to see you here, too.

I absolutely concur with your experience regarding tax returns. I used to employ an accountant, but realised that I did as much work sorting out my accounts to send to him, as I did if he wasn't in the equation.

Happily, these days I earn so little money it's reasonably straightforward.

Andy Hamilton · Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:21 pm

Hello Graham and welcome

Permiculture is one of those subjects that keeps comming up and I know little about. Might have to come on one of your courses at some point and find out.

TheLancsLass · Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:50 pm

Hi Graham and welcome to the forum!

quercusrobur · Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:42 pm

Muddypause wrote: I absolutely concur with your experience regarding tax returns. I used to employ an accountant, but realised that I did as much work sorting out my accounts to send to him, as I did if he wasn't in the equation.

There was an nice cartoon in the Grauniard last Saturday in the 'money' supplement, a bloke was in his armchair and his wife was saying "so what would you rather do, spend a few hours filing in your tax return or paying a Ã‚Â£100 fine?", bloke replies, "Hmm shall I toss a coin?"

There was also a nice bit in 'How to be Free' by Tom Hodgkinson (editor of 'The Idler' magazine) about the whole filling in forms and tax returns thing, "I have better things to do, like blowing smoke rings at the ceiling..."

My income from the books and courses is quite small, one day I dream of making a living from such permacultural activities rather than having a full time job, but unfortunately as Spiralseed is actually a registered small business I do have to fill the bloody things in each year even though the amount i actually pay is pretty minimal...

quercusrobur · Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:45 pm

Andy Hamilton wrote:Hello Graham and welcome

Permiculture is one of those subjects that keeps comming up and I know little about. Might have to come on one of your courses at some point and find out.

that would be marvelous, although it would probably be considered boorish to start promoting them here soon soon after signing up, even though I have been looking in on SSish for a couple of years as a browser...

Muddypause · Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:15 pm

I've looked in on The Idler from time to time. Tom Hodgkinson seems well into permaculture, too. And The Crass, too, IIRC (you'll prolly find many of us here prefer The Cress, y'know).

The strangest thing about this employment business - although I am certainly poorer since I decided not to go too far out of my way to do 'work', I'm not that much poorer. I'm probably doing a quarter of the work I was five years ago, buit I only seem to be half as poor, IYSWIM. But I suppose if I stopped working altogether, I'd be infinitely poorer. Not sure how the maths of that works out - perhaps it's because you can find ways to need less money, but it's very difficult to need none at all.

quercusrobur · Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:36 pm

Muddypause wrote:I've looked in on The Idler from time to time. Tom Hodgkinson seems well into permaculture, too. And The Crass, .

Yes it was a nice bit of synergy really, I've known Crass for years and run permaculture courses at their house, Tom has also known Crass for a while and ran an 'Idling workshop' at their house as well, Penny Rimbaud of Crass invited me along and engineered for the 2 of us to meet up, we both hit it off really well and have had a big influence on each other (note my sig line...) Heres my write up of the Idling workshop...
http://www.spiralseed.co.uk/idle/

Wombat · Post: # 47560Post **Wombat** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:14 am

G'Day Graham!

(English Oak isn't it?)

From the title of your post I thought it was span, but then realised there were replies!

Welcome to the forum!

Nev

Millymollymandy · Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:01 am

Hello and welcome!

Shirley · Post: # 47572Post **Shirley** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:38 am

Hi Graham

:welcomeish:

I've seen the spiralseed site before and it's great.... I can't seem to get onto the Idler website though

Ahhh... you've just reminded me that our apple trees need pruning too!

quercusrobur · Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:16 am

Wombat wrote:
(English Oak isn't it?)

It is indeed!

Wombat wrote:From the title of your post I thought it was span, but then realised there were replies!

Oops sorry, can understand why you thought that... It was just a comment on my own procrastination... Here's this imporatant but tedious job I really, really, really have to get done today - I know, why don't I join another web forum???

quercusrobur · Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:21 am

Shirlz2005 wrote:Hi Graham

I've seen the spiralseed site before and it's great.... I can't seem to get onto the Idler website though

Ahhh... you've just reminded me that our apple trees need pruning too!

www.idler.co.uk should get you there...

The apple trees do need a bit of a trim but can wait, it was just another avoiding the tax return strategy...