SATURDAY 15TH AUGUST - Recce

Whoops! Spot the mistake winner is San. She e-mailed and asked me why the blog was called 26.8@4, when my hour was in September. Well noticed. Thank you.

As I was going through Waterloo station, on my way back from Romsey, I thought I would do a plinth recce before going on to see my father in Hammersmith.

So at 1.15pm I turned up in Trafalgar Square. The photo shows the One and Other offices, facing the plinth. I handed one of my cards into the office. What it doesn't show, is the main part of the square that was taken up with a massive sound stage and set for a FreeRun Championship to be held later with 8,000 spectators. Very noisy.

I hoped for something worthwhile to watch on the plinth and was rewarded. Gillian from Leicester was doing a sponsored silence in aid of Help for Heroes. Given the chaos and noise surrounding her, Gillian's choice of silence was a good one.

Help for Heroes. www.helpforheroes.org.uk This is an organisation that the Human Givens Institute has contacts with, through the work with PTSD and service personnel. www.ptsdresolution.org Also, the local paper in York, The Press, is running a campaign called, Debt of Honour'.

Gillian from Leicester.

I found Gillian's supporters and chatted. It turned out that one of them walks through the square around 4am after her work at a theatre, so I gave her one of my cards. We were all made to move away from the plinth, when security, rather officiously, cleared the square for the FreeRun event - ticket holders only, which was a shame for the charity collectors. Saw later that I turned up on Gillian's film!

As I queued for a bus, I talked to a family from Ottowa, Canada. Grandmother (British I think), Mum, daughter and son. The children were looking forward to going to Hamleys. I gave them a card and suggested that they could watch my antics on 26.9. The mum took my photo, which was a bit of a shock. If they read this - hello! Hope the rest of the day went well.

Saw father and then finished the day at my son's home. Joe is going to be a hardy and dutiful son and accompany me at 2am on 26.9. Thank goodness it's a Saturday. Thought there were some watchable plinthers through the day. I was moved by 'Norton Folgate' at 6pm. A man with Parkinson's disease, who danced to a Madness album of the same name. A brave and moving hour.

I watched some of the FreeRun event on TV. I really am pleased that my hour is at a quieter time. I love cities in the quieter times - early morning can be very special. Saying that, the welcoming letter notified me of an event for Eid taking place later on 26.9. If there are event people around, maybe it won't be so quiet.

The last hour of the day was taken up by a very large Hippo advertising SilentNight beds. I thought one of the props was just was I needed, so e-mailed the company and asked if they would donate it. Nothing to lose by asking, as those who know about how we came about buying our new house, will know!

THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST - Cards and Props

First thing this morning I rang the contact given to me last night by Ann C. He is David Bloodworth from Scenic Route, a local props and scenery company.

David has said that he will very kindly think about my requirements and possibly provide one of the props. Well, the bare prop that Ann and I could dress up. No payment, as it is for charity. This is tremendous news. We have arranged a meeting, with Ann too, for September 1st.

Katie's promotional cards have arrived. Wonderful. www.lighthousecards.co.uk

Aide has said he will carry some on him too. He had a meeting with a student today, who told him that he had applied for the plinth, but no luck so far.

Some more generous donations. This is what makes it worth while.

WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST - The Welcome Pack

I was walking to work through the park, when an idea about a soft sculpture popped into my head. It would be good publicity to ask some art students at the local college, but they are on holidays.

The Welcome Pack arrived in the post:

A letter

Booklet on London

Few postcards

A plinth booklet with all the information needed.

Hilton are offering The Trafalgar Hotel for only £170 bed and breakfast, instead of £269. Don't think I'll be taking them up on the offer. Where's the nearest Ibis? I bet that's over £100 in central London.

My son, Joe, has offered to take me up from Hammersmith, but I have to be there by 2.30am latest, so think we'll have to re-think this.

I spent the evening with ten members of York Ebor Soroptimists at La Tasca. We enjoyed an excellent farewell meal for Ann Payne, who is sadly leaving us for Abergevenny, Wales.

The plinth came in to the conversation! Some interesting ideas around my 'soft sculpture' idea and two possible links to follow up. Also suggestions of hats.

A generous donation to ChildLine from some friends in Melbourne. Very kind.

TUESDAY 11TH AUGUST - PR Questions

PR from Visit York has written to me. These are her questions and my replies.

" To help me with a news release could you answer for me very succinctly:

1) What you are doing?

THE PRESENTATION WILL NOT BE REVEALED UNTIL 28.9@4. THE THEME WILL BE 'A CELEBRATION OF FAMILIES'. IT WILL CONTAIN STORIES, POEMS AND PROSE. I WILL BE ALSO BE PROMOTING SOROPTIMISTS INTERNATIONAL AND YORK, WITH REFERENCE TO THE AWARENESS DAY ON SANITATION AND WATERAID, THAT IS IN COPPERGATE, YORK LATER THAT DAY. I AM ALSO RAISING MONEY FOR WATERAID AND CHILDLINE THROUGH JUST GIVING.

2) Why are you doing it?

INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL WAY TO CELEBRATE MY 60TH BIRTHDAY YEAR (LAST MAY) AND LEAVE SOMETHING FOR MY GRANDSONS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. MY MOTHER ADORES LONDON AND I THOUGHT SHE WOULD APPRECIATE IT TOO, THOUGH DEMENTIA MAY MEAN SHE DOESN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND. ONCE I GOT THE DATE, IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME, THAT I SHOULD USE THE TIME RESPONSIBLY, HENCE THE CHARITABLE PROMOTION.

3) Exactly when and what time?

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26th. 4 - 5AM.

4) Are you from York? If not where? How long have you been in York?

I MOVED TO YORK IN 1994 (LONDON & BUCKS) AND RE-MARRIED. MY HUSBAND HAD MOVED TO YORK FOR A NEW JOB (UNIVERSITY FOR 4 YEARS)
I WORKED FOR YORK HELPERS AND AT THE RETREAT. I RETRAINED AS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND HAVE RUN YORK HUMAN GIVENS FOR 7 YEARS.(www.yorkhumangivens.co.uk)
I HAVE ALSO BEEN A CHOCOLATE TASTER FOR NESTLE FOR 14 YEARS.

Do you mind me asking and putting your age in?

NOT AT ALL. 60 IS NEW 40!! (I had an incredible decade from 50 - 60, so this is a pretty good start to the next decade.) "

SUNDAY 9th AUGUST - Grapevine working

Hilary, a Soroptimist, rang with the news that Yorkshire Water support WaterAid and that they had a speaker from the company at the last regional meeting. Certainly one to follow up.

There is no broadband in the cottage and I can't see the 'live' stream from the plinth. This is frustrating and I have withdrawal symptoms. Though it was a perfect summer's day in Scarborough to compensate. Visitor Liz is loving it.

SATURDAY 8th AUGUST - Grapevine

Good news from Ann at SI York Ebor. My original e-mail is doing the rounds from local to regional to national. This means it will soon be international too.

www.soroptimistsinternational.org

Friend Pam has visited the plinth and said how disappointing it was to see a man just taking photos of the crowd looking at him. Others may not agree and I don't wish to sound 'worthy', but I do feel a level of responsibility to use the time for the greater good of the human race. The fact that the date coincided with the SI York Ebor Awareness day in York City Centre, that I'm organising, pointed the way.

Woke at 12.45am and couldn't sleep until 2.15, for working on the presentation in my head. I have got to learn to put it on one side at night, otherwise I'm going to be a zombie. Now to find my props.