Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting at Townsend Hall on Tuesday for your support. Things seem to be happening fast. The campaign has been on the front page of the Cotswold Journal, the MP is coming tomorrow to support us (see below) and we have been interviewed on Touch FM (the interview will be broadcast tomorrow before 9am). Here is an update...Ghost Town Shipston – Publicity Event – 9am tomorrow!Many of Shipston shopkeepers are emptying all or part of their shop windows on Friday morning and Saturday morning to highlight what Shipston would look like if the supermarket was allowed. Our MP Nadhim Zahawi will be in the Town Centre at 9.00 on Friday 9th March (tomorrow) to support the campaign.
A similar campaign was held in Holmfirth, Yorkshire. See video clip: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/video_ghost_town_holmfirth_shops_pull_up_the_shutters_in_tesco_protest_1_4141670Date for Objections - 19th. March!Two dates for this were given at the meeting on Tuesday but Councillor Richard Cheney has looked at the rules again and says it is quite clear that the 19th. March is the deadline for neighbour responses, which includes any residents objecting, Although comments received after this will be accepted they may not be in time to be taken into account in the planning officers'report to committee.Suggestions for grounds of objection to the ASL Application:
Public Meeting - March 22
At the meeting Town Mayor Mr Paul Rathkey proposed an additional meeting in a bigger hall on March 22 to let everybody express a view. We are trying to make arrangements for this. We will confirm the arrangements as soon as we can.Action Group Meeting 6.00 Tuesday 13th March
White Bear – All WelcomeUseful Websites - Supermarkets don’t always win!...TescopolyTesco now controls over 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2011, the supermarket chain announced profits of £3.4bn. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco's success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers and workers worldwide, local shops and the environment...For more go to... http://www.tescopoly.org/Tesco doesn’t always win.Plans for Selby Lane, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire were turned down and Tesco withdrew the application. See: http://www.sboote.demon.co.uk/110909tescodefeated.html
Corporate WatchWhen a supermarket plans to open a store in your town it frequently heralds the new development with effusive publicity about the benefits to the local economy and community. But the reality is different. Here are some of the arguments you might want to employ to counter the supermarket's PR. For more go to...http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=2351
SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE - STOP THE SUPERMARKET
TV ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER TO TELL SHIPSTON HOW TO GO GREEN
“See through the spin to really go green!” That will be the message that TV architectural designer Charlie Luxton will be giving in Shipston on Wednesday 21 March, when he speaks at the Shipston Community Energy Fair. Charlie Luxton is the presenter and "architectural expert" for many TV programmes including 2011DIY SOS: The Big Build(BBC1) and Britain’s Hidden Heritage (BBC1),and he has many years’practical experience as an architect in the design of environmental buildings. He is currently working on a programme for BBC2, Rebuilding Britain, which will be aired later this year. At home he has helped start Hook Norton Low Carbon, a community co-operative that has invested over £400,000 into village-wide carbon reduction schemes. This includes green-furbishing thirty houses, creating a car pool, installing a 12kW solar array on the local school and exploring the potential for a community wind turbine.
"Seeing Through the Spin to Really Go Green"
Charlie Luxton’s talk will take place at
Charlie Luxton’s talk will take place at
7.30 Wednesday 21st March
Townsend Hall, Sheep Street, Shipston
(as part of the Shipston Community Energy Fair)
The Community Energy Fair, which is being organised by local energy advice charity Act on Energy & Transition Shipston, will showcase the work of local organisations and energy businesses. There will be the chance to find out more about different types of insulation, heating, lighting and renewable energy technologies – all things that can help improve energy efficiency in the home. The Community Energy Fair will be open from 4pm to 9pm and entry is free.
Energy costs have doubled in the past five years and are likely to continue to rise in the future, making energy efficiency increasingly important, both environmentally and financially. Transition Shipston has recently organised an energy study of the town with support from Shipston-on-Stour Town Council. Dave Passingham from Transition Shipston, one of the authors of the report, said: “Our study showed the importance of improving energy efficiency in the town, so the energy fair will give people a great opportunity to find out more about this.”
For more information about Shipston’s Community Energy Fair, or the programme of energy fairs which Act on Energy is organising across Stratford District during March, contact Roger Matthews on 01789 298503 or e-mail him at roger.matthews@phonecoop.coop.FURTHER INFORMATION
The first of a programme of six Community Energy Fairs in Stratford District took place in Alcester on Saturday 10 March. In addition to the Fair in Shipston on 21 March, Fairs are being held in Studley on Tuesday 13 March, Henley-in-Arden on Saturday 17 March, Southam on Saturday 24 March and Stratford upon Avon on Saturday 31 March.For further information about the overall programme, contact David Jullien at Act on Energy on 01789 472690. For information about individual energy fairs, contact Roger Matthews on 01789 290736.
Funding for the programme of community energy fairs has come from the Government’s Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF), which is distributed by the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
In addition to the support for the energy fairs, Act on Energy is also using LEAF money to pay for the setting up of a specialised website which will provide information to owners of older homes, for energy audits of community buildings in the district including the Townsend Hall, for the creation of a series of case studies of energy efficiency improvements by local home owners, and for training. Information about these developments will be available at the community energy fairs.
March 2012 Newsletter
Contents:
“Thanks to a successful application through the Local Energy Assessment Fund, Act on Energy -working with Stratford on Avon District Council and Transition Shipston- will be carrying out some energy conservation activities and promotions in several communities in Stratford district over the next few months.
Mabel's Farm & Dairy - Thriving after three and a half years
SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE - STOP THE SUPERMARKET
Shipston Energy Exhibition
Shipston School EcoClub & Garden – Help needed
Shipston Pathways
Would you like to keep bees?
Websites from WI Sustainable Day
Rob Hopkins Podcast
Cool Bio News
Local - For Sale
Diary:
Saturday 3rd March, 10.30 to 4.30 - Warwickshire Transition Networking Day
Sharing skills and resources across local initiatives
Saturday 3 March 2012, 10 for 10.30 am to 4.30 pm
at East Lodge Sustainability Centre, Leamington*
Bring vegetarian lunch to share (tea and coffee provided).
*East Lodge Sustainability Centre is at the east gate of Jephson Gardens, Willes Road, Leamington CV32 4ER
Sunday 4th March 10.30 to 12.00 – Fruit Tree Grafting Skill Share
Jenny Lanham is hosting the session at her allotment in Long Compton. We have bought 5 apple, 5 pear, 5 cherry and 5 plum rootstocks and have taken cuttings from heritage fruit trees in local orchards. The session will include grafting and potting the plants. After a year or so we hope to sell the fruit trees at fairs or buy them ourselves.
We will be mainly in the polytunnel (esp if rain), but we will need to do some digging. Jenny will provide tea and coffee, but is happy if people want to do a bring and share/light lunch. There will also be some raspberry plants (summer fruiting) and strawberry runners if people would like to dig them and take them home. The raspberries can go home on the day, but the strawberries will need to be planted and given a couple weeks to set into the pots before being cut from the main plant - so you will also need to label any you pot up as yours.
Bring: your wellies and warm clothing... sharp pocket knife/pruning knife... gardening gloves... mug for tea or coffee... something to sit on (there will be a couple chairs)
***If anyone has any spare large pots for the grafts we would appreciate them. Also, we will be making labels from old soda cans, so please bring a few if you have any about.
Directions: Coming from Shipston head through Long Compton. At the far end of the village there is a 'V' with a side road to the right. Take this road, past the MOT garage on the Right. Just past the national speed limit signs are the allotments - park along the road, but not blocking the gate or the drive up to the farm please. If you get lost, call 07973 846605Sunday 4th March 2.00 Community Garden Season Opening
We will be discussing and preparing things for the new season.
Pop into the Community Garden at any time from 2.00 to 5.00
(For anyone who hasn't been before the garden is at the Darlingscote Rd crossroad with the Fosse)
***We will be having regular work sessions at the garden on the 1st and 3rd Sundays in the month between 2pm and 5pm.
Tuesday 6th March, 7.30 – Supermarket Debate
“Save Our Town Centre – Stop the Supermarket”
Townsend Hall, Sheep Street, Shipston
Wednesday 6th March, 6.00 - Transition Energy Group
White Bear pub, Shipston
Saturday 10th March 2012, 9.30am to 3.30pm – Shipston Bee-keepers Candlemaking Workshop
Dipped and moulded beeswax candles
Beeswax for showing – its preparation and presentation
Presenters: Sue Carter & Bill Fisher – prize winners at the National Honey Show.
Venue: Oxhill Village Hall, Main Street, Oxhill CV35 0QU
(Note: Oxhill is midway between Stratford & Banbury – just off the A422)
Cost: £10 including refreshments and light lunch
Bookings: Douglas Nethercleft 07850 352905 / djn0001@aol.com
Thursday 15th March, 7.00 – “Austrian Themed Bring & Share Food followed by film
“Farming with Nature” - an eco-film with Sepp Holzer
Hartwood, 11 The Green, Stretton-on-Fosse
Sunday 18th March 2.00 Community Garden
Preparing for the new season. Plus seed swapping session
Pop in any time from 2.00 to 5.00
Wednesday 21st March 4pm to 9pm - Shipston Energy Exhibition
Townsend Hall, Sheep Street, Shipston
Wednesday 4th April 7.00 – Transition Shipston AGM
Followed by the Annual Party at 8.00
Black Horse Pub
For more information on events contact Dave on 01608 661816 or 07973 846605
Mabel's Farm & Dairy
Thriving after three and a half years
Three and a half years ago Sid Betteridge and his wife Audrey almost had to give up dairy farming on their 70 acres at Mabel's Farm near Ilmington. They had a 89 cow dairy herd and were sell the milk to supermarkets who were squeezing them on the price and the costs of buying in animal feed rising. They decided to cut the size of the herd, start their own dairy and sell the milk directly around the Shipston area. They invested in a £12000 worth of pasteurising equipment and were lucky to be loaned a bottling plant by Holmleigh Dairies of Donnington. They reduced their herd to 48 cows so that they needed to buy in less feed and they bought their own bull.
However, on the first day of their new venture they only sold 27 bottles of milk! Sid said “I really got an ear bending from Audrey that night. We wondered whether we had done the right thing and would loose all out money.” But with the help and support of their family (they have three daughters and 4 grandchildren) they now have a thriving business with around 400 customers and are considering taking on more staff. Many of the new customers have come from recommendations. The milk is fresh every day and Sid make sure that people get their milk. Even in the worst weather conditions – last winter in the bad snow they delivered to Holford by tractor! Another big boost to their customer numbers was having stalls at the Wool Fair and the Harvest Fayre in Shipston last year.
Sid does not use pesticides or herbicides but is not officially organic because the cost of becoming registered with the Soil Association would have been £6500 in the first 3 years... which would have been a cost too high to bare. They use their own farmyard manure but have to spread it carefully. Sid says he can look after the welfare of the cows better with the smaller herd.
Mabel's Farm and Dairy has shown that small farms who provide their produce directly to customers without going through middlemen can thrive. Instead of all the profit from Sid and Audrey's work being “creamed off” by supermarkets the money has stayed in the local economy and helped Sid pay off his overdraft. Food miles have been reduced and customers can look forward to fresh wholesome milk everyday. Sid says “if we hadn't decided to set up the dairy 3.5 years ago we wouldn't be farming now.
Contact Sid & Audrey Betteridge on 01608 682454
SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE - STOP THE SUPERMARKET
A campaign to fight developers’ plans to build a superstore in the Campden Road outside Shipston will be launched at a public meeting in March. Our MP, Nadhim Zahawi, supports Transition Shipston's campaign, as does county councillor and district council leader Chris Saint, and district councillors Jonathan Gullis and Richard Cheney.
The meeting, arranged by Transition Shipston, will be held in the Townsend Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday March 6th. Transition's Helen Winnifrith said: “Lancashire based developers Ainscough Strategic Land are pressing ahead with their plans for a 2,500 sq metre supermarket, despite widespread opposition from local residents who fear that its development will sound the death-knell for our town centre shops and businesses.
“Ainscough deny the reality of these concerns. It is now time for local action.
“I urge everyone who values Shipston’s town centre to come along to the meeting and help plan how we deal with the threat of this superstore - which would be 25 per cent larger than the Tesco at Stow,” added Mrs Winnifrith. The meeting will be chaired by Town Mayor, Councillor Paul Rathkey.
After a short presentation by local speakers, people will have the opportunity to contribute their ideas to help plan the campaign, or simply pledge their support.
You can lodge objections until 29th March on the Stratford-on-Avon District Council website: http://www.stratford.gov.uk/planning/planning-565.cfm
Shipston Energy Exhibition
This will commence with an exhibition in the Townsend Hall in Shipston on Stour with several local companies and organisations there to demonstrate different types of insulation, heating, lighting and renewable energy technologies and things that help you improve the energy efficiency of your home. There will also be a presentation from a local project so you can see what can be achieved when communities get together to help themselves. The exhibition will be open from 4pm to 9pm on 21 March 2012.
If anyone is interested in knowing more or setting up their own local community initiatives to make energy more affordable, there will be an opportunity to attend free training sessions to give you the confidence and knowledge to become an energy champion for your community.
We will also be creating case studies of local homes where energy saving measures have already been adopted so others can see how successful they are and hear how the owners have benefitted. These will be available on a website in the next couple of months with an opportunity to visit some of the homes to see first hand what’s involved, how much it costs and how much it saves.
Energy costs have doubled in the last 5 years and will continue rising in the years to come. Being more energy efficient is the only way to protect yourself from the increasing cost of heating your home.”
For more information contact David Jullien at Act on Energy 01789 842898 or David Passingham at Transition Shipston 07973 846605
Shipston School EcoClub & Garden – Help needed
For the last two years Transition Shipston has been helping the High School with their EcoClub and Gardening Club. Last year the school put in raised beds - the children had a bed each and had a really good harvest. This year we are making a garden pond with a fountain in the centre of the garden and connecting the solar panel on the Transition Tower to run the pump for the fountain. One of our helpers is leaving soon and other helpers are needed. Any volunteers?...
Shipston Pathways
Two Transition Shipston supporters joined with Stratford District Council, Stour Enterprise Centre, Orbit Housing, the Police and other agencies in the “Shipston Pathways Project” on Friday 17th February. We were there with our “Energy Champion” hats on to give initial advice on energy efficiency in the home. There was a dozen helpers in all and we split into pairs to cover the Queen's Avenue and Station Road areas. We knocked on around 250 doors asking residents if they felt they were getting all the services that are available and asking them to fill in a questionnaire. Paul Chapman of SDC said “The weather was kind to us, as were many of the residents. It looks like we achieved 66 substantive interviews – and knocked on the doors of over 200 others. I feel that this means that we have reached far more people than the traditional means of mounting an exhibition in a hall”.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KEEP BEES?
A lot of people keep bees because they produce honey, one of the healthiest and most natural foods and one which has been valued by man since prehistory as a sweetener. Others keep bees because they are interested in the study of bees and of their habits; bees are fascinating creatures and there is always something new to learn about them. With no means of dealing with the varroa mite that is now present in all UK honey bee colonies, a feral honey bee nest is unlikely to remain viable for more than a couple of seasons. With the help of beekeepers it is only managed colonies that can survive to carry out the essential pollination our food crops. Beekeeping is an enjoyable open air hobby bringing you in contact with people from all walks of life. Bees can be kept by almost everyone except a very small minority who are allergic to bee stings.
Shipston Beekeepers are holding an “Introduction to Beekeeping” day on Saturday 14th April at the Old Free School, Brailes OX15 5HT. The day will deal with the basics of beekeeping for the complete beginner or those with very limited experience of this craft.
Arrive at 09.30 for coffee prior to a prompt 10.00 start. Refreshments and a light lunch are included in the day’s price of £30. The event is scheduled to finish at 15.30 approx.
Contact: Douglas Nethercleft on 01295 680041 or djn0001@aol.com to book your place. Numbers are limited.
Websites from WI Sustainable Day
Pam Bennett attended Sustainable Day organised by the WI. Here are some useful websites they were told about:
www.makeitandmendit.com Ideas of how to make and mend lots of household stuff.
www.greening-campaign.co.uk Helping communities reduce energy use.
www.givemetap.co.uk Drinking tap water saves money and help people all over the world gain access to clean water.
www.thebiglunch.com An idea from the Eden Project, to encourage everyone in the UK to have lunch with their neighbours once a year.
www.ecomodo.com Resources for lending and borrowing.
Visit Project Dirt online at projectdirt.com and connect up to over 5,000 like-minded people.
Rob Hopkins Podcast
Link to the latest podcast on Radio 4… it was very inspirational… worth 15mins of anyone’s time and perhaps worth a direct link from the website?
Cool Bio News
Sent in by Martyn Robinson:
Banbury’s Waste To Energy Sustainability Journey takes another step forward as our ‘Home Of Kenco’ celebrates approval of a £900,000 investment for a Bio Gas Engine. Methane gas is a by-product of the waste coffee treatment plant and for many years has just been flared off. This investment will allow for this gas to be captured, cleaned and burnt in a new Bio Gas Engine that will supply electricity and steam to power the manufacturing process. The investment planned to come live in the summer will lead to an off-set of 630Tonnes of Co2 emissions whilst producing 2.5% of total site electricity which is enough to power 400 UK homes for a year!
Local - For Sale
Double bed for sale – fantastic handmade mattress, base, headboard, duvets of different sizes, mattress cover. It can be viewed this week at the storage unit –Fosseway Hire in Shipston. Price-we paid £900 for it brand new 3 years go-so best offer?
Rowborough Farm - locally produced meat
All our stock has been either born on the farm (cattle and sheep) or purchased from local farms and reared here (pigs). The cattle and sheep are raised on a diet of grass and straight cereals and the pigs on locally grown barley meal. They have all been slaughtered at a small local abattoir, who butcher and pack the meat for us. They are a long established family firm who hang the meat well.
Lamb prices
Mince £4.00/lb
Pork prices
Leg £2.00/lb
Shoulder boned and rolled £2.00/lb
Sausages and bacon - also made locally for us
The sausages are very meaty, made with the shoulder and belly pork (all large, no chipolatas).
All flavours come in packs of 6 at £3.10/pack
Ham (2-7lb joints) £4.10/lb
Beef
Locally butchered and hung for 28 days
Sirloin steaks £6.00/lb
Rump steaks £5.00/lb
Fillet £10.00/lb
Frying steak (topside) £3.50/lb
Braising steak £3.00/lb
Mince £3.00/lb
Contact: Sue Finlay 01608 661157
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