Olympic
fans are being offered an exciting opportunity to run their own
mini-relay with a genuine Olympic 2012 torch, to raise money for the
Queen’s Avenue Playground project.
A
local Olympic Torch-bearer is lending the Queen’s Avenue Park
Action Group and Transition Shipston their torch to enable local
residents to run mini relays around the park in exchange for a
donation. The suggested donation is £3 or £10 per family of four.
QAPAG
chairman, Polly Taylor, said: “Were thrilled to be able to offer
families such a wonderful opportunity to run with an official
Olympic torch and have their photo taken with it. The Olympics is
about exercise and activity, which is what we’re trying to promote
by establishing this new playground. We hope to see as many people
as possible taking part and helping us raise money.” All proceeds
will go to the Queen’s Avenue Park project which includes new play
equipment and a community orchard.
The
torch-running event is taking place at the existing Queen’s Avenue
Park from 11am to 1:30pm on July 15th.
Other activities are also planned and there may even be medals on
offer.
To
find out more, please contact Polly
Taylor on 661154.
(NB
this event is not part of the official Olympic relay)
Locally Grown
Vegetables to your door
Growing more food
locally is an important part of what Transition Towns are about.
Clive Stockton has been growing food locally on his 10 acre market
garden at Todenham for the last 10 years. He produces seasonal
vegetables and raises pigs, sheep, chickens & geese.
We first met Clive when
he was selling his produce on the Country Markets stall at the
Harvest Fayre in Shipston last September. Since then Clive appears
at our door every week on Friday at 3.45 in his little red van with
his freshly picked veg, eggs & meat. He also delivers to houses
(and a few pubs) in Shipston and other villages in a 10 mile radius
as well as having a stall at the Country Markets in Moreton every
Thursday morning.
Clive says his produce
is almost organic. He does not use herbicides or pesticides on his
crops but he does use some herbicides on the paths as weed control.
For fertiliser he mainly uses the manure from his pigs and chickens
but does have to buy in a small extra amount. The shape and size of
the veg isn't always as perfect as a supermarke'ts but he beats them
hands down on price, food miles and shelf life.
Despite getting up at
5.30 in the morning Clive turns up with his delivery 11 hours later
often wet and cold but with a smile on his face. The veg in the van
will have travelled all of 3 miles... you can't get much more local
than that!
To Contact Clive
phone: 07873 420440
Norgren Planning
Application - REJECTED UNANIMOUSLY
If
you hadn't already heard the Cala Homes Planning Application for
housing on the old Norgren site was UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED by the
Stratford District Council planning committee earlier this month.
This was a great victory for Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign and
others who oppose the application, as the Council Planning Officer
had recommended acceptance of the application.
Nearly two hundred
people turned up at the planning committee held in Ettington earlier
in the month to support Jane Brabyn and others who put the case
against the development from the floor. They said that what Shipston
needs is more employment not houses and that the development would
have a negative visual impact. However, Jane said that “Cala
Homes are likely to appeal so though the battle was won, the war
will most probably continue”.
The application from
Ainscough for the Campden Road development including a supermarket
is likely to get to the planning committee in September... there is
still much to do. If you would like to help with the campaign the
next meeting of Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign committee is on
Wednesday August 15th at 7.30 in The George Hotel - All welcome.
Shipston
Harvest Fayre – Sunday 30th
September 2012
For the second year
running Transition Shipston & Surrounding Communities is
organising the Shipston Harvest Fayre in Shipston Town Centre. As
last year the priority will be given to stalls selling local
food and produce.
Traditional music will continue through the day. As
well as celebrating the harvest the aim of the event is to encourage
the growing of more local food and making it available in local
shops. The
Fayre will be open from 10.00 to 2.00 on Sunday 30th
September. If you are a local producer or retailer and would like a
stall there is an Early
Bird Booking offer (before 31st
July) of £23 for commercial
stalls and £10 for voluntary (non profit-making) stalls. After that
prices go up to £28 and £14 respectively. For more details
contact:
Worms
If
you are planning to start a wormery, or wishing to restock an
existing one, would you like some worms? These little creatures like
nothing better than to chew through your uncooked organic waste
(vegetable peelings,eggshells, etc) and create soil-improving
material to mix in around your vegetables and plants, and a rich
liquid fertiliser to enhance it. Also, if you shred your private
papers, it is the perfect way of disposing of the shredded material,
good for you and the worms love it. In fact adding dry carbon to your
wormery is necessary.
There
are loads of websites giving advice about wormeries. I have added a
link to one of them below. You can buy a custom-built wormery for a
wide range of prices, or create one using plastic boxes that fit into
each other. Just drill holes in the bottom to allow drainage from one
into the other for the rich liquid worm juice (pee) to flow through.
Make sure there is only one outlet from the bottom box and put a
container underneath to catch the liquid.
They
are very easy pets. You don’t need to walk them and they sit
happily chewing for weeks while you go on holiday or are too busy to
bother with them. In fact they do better with periods of being
undisturbed. I collect my veg peelings under the sink for a week
before taking them out. The worms prefer their food cut small or
beginning to soften as their little teeth can get into things easier
that way.
I
have found it huge fun watching the little things at work and there
is great satisfaction when you get the balance right and they start
breeding like crazy. A good way to get children interested in
recycling and the wonder of the natural world. Suggested reading for
questions : http://www.wormcity.co.uk/wormfaq.htm
Pat
Harris
Read
Rob Hopkins' reflections on George Monbiot's announcement that "we
were wrong on peak oil":
George
Monbiot announced in the Guardian on Monday “We
were wrong on peak oil. There’s enough to fry us all“,
an article which concluded “peak oil hasn’t happened, and it’s
unlikely to happen for a very long time”. Read
more...http://transitionculture.org/2012/07/04/transition-reflections-on-george-monbiots-announcement-that-we-were-wrong-on-peak-oil
