Newsletters20110214

Hi Everyone,

This week there's another chance to see "The Turning Point" on Tuesday, showing how a community in Scotland are making the transition to a more resilient way of life. Then on Thursday you can have a go at making your own flour from locally grown wheat in the cafe. And we now have full details of Rob Hopkins' talk on 28th March - we hope you can come, and please invite friends and colleagues along too! (Here's a poster if you know of somewhere to put one up...)

CONTENTS

Transition News and Events

  • Tuesday 15 February: Film: 'The Turning Point' (and Events group meeting)
  • Wednesday 16 February: Energy Group Meeting
  • Thursday 17 February: Transition cafe night - Threshing and milling wheat
  • Tuesday 22 February: Art competition meeting
  • Wednesday 23 February: Food Group open meeting
  • Wednesday 23 February: Transition Knitting Circle
  • Thursday 24 February: Heart and Soul gathering
  • Saturday 26 February: Visit to London City Farms
  • Monday 28 March: The Transition Journey: from oil dependency to local resilience
  • Saturday 09 April: Coming Back to Life: Reconnection through movement
  • Transition in Newmarket

Community News

  • Help save water and money!

Other News and Events

  • 11-20 February: Love Food week
  • Tuesday 15 February: Grow Your Own - time for action!
  • Tuesday 15 February: Green Drinks: Bungay Community Bees
  • Wednesday 16 February: Talk: For 1 million green jobs
  • Thursday 17 February: Love Food Hate Waste event
  • Sunday 20 February: Sow, Save, Share: Audley End Seed Swap
  • Saturday 26 February: Creating a Greener Home
  • Sustainable 'Come Dine with Me' 

Transition News and Events

Tuesday 15 February: Film: 'The Turning Point'

18:00-19:00, Transition Office, 154 Cherry Hinton Road (in the church), Cambridge, CB1 7AJ

This is an excellent film about how a community in Scotland are making the transition to a more localised and resilient way of life. More info about the film here. The film will start at 6 and last for an hour. There office will be open from 5 if you'd like to come by earlier to browse our little library or find out more about what we're doing over a cup of tea.

We will also have a short meeting of the Events group before the film, from 17:15-17:45 in the office.

We'll be discussing preparations for the event with Rob Hopkins on 28th March - come along if you'd like to be involved with this! If you can't come, but would be willing to help on the night or beforehand, we'd love to hear from you (e-mail us). 

Wednesday 16 February: Energy Group Meeting

20:00-21:30, Nicola's house in Chesterton Road

We will be reviewing feedback from the PV Forum and from the Community Energy Network meeting. We need to make plans foer the next forum. We will probably be discussing kite energy some more and also the possibilities of lending out electricity monitors. Contact Nicola for details of venue.

Thursday 17 February: Transition cafe night - Threshing and milling wheat

19:30-22:00, 22 Jesus Lane

After a great evening threshing wheat in January, we'll be continuing with the second batch of wheat, and then milling the wheat afterwards. The wheat was grown in the gardens of Murray Edwards College, and some of it will be baked in the cob oven they built there last year - so the bread will have travelled less than 1 mile in its production. Come along to find out more and to join in!

Tuesday 22 February: Art competition meeting

18:00-19:00, Transition office, 154 Cherry Hinton Road (inside the church)

After the success of last year's story writing competition, we're starting to think about our next competition, which will be an art competition - visions of Cambridge in 2050. This is the first meeting to discuss what we'll do, and everyone is welcome!

Wednesday 23 February: Food Group open meeting

18:30, Earl of Beaconsfield pub, Mill Road, CB1 3AA (it's by the bridge).

Come and meet the food group and hear about our wonderful projects! If you have an idea for a project, bring it along... Everybody is welcome. More details here.

Wednesday 23 February: Transition Knitting Circle

19:30-21:30, Lulu's house (off Coleridge Road, contact her for details)

Whether you're a seasoned knitter or just starting out, you'll be welcome at the Transition Knitting Circle, hosted by Lulu and Mae. Come along to learn how to knit and read patterns, find out about new techniques and yarns, and explore the joy of creating, customising and re-creating clothing. Beginners are requested to call ahead of sessions to make sure that someone will be available to teach and help them. All welcome. Suggested 50p contribution towards refreshments. Contact Lulu for her address (tel: 411350 / 07951 318116). Dates this term are 23rd Feb, 9th and 23rd March, 6th April, & 4th and 18th May.

Thursday 24 February: Heart and Soul gathering

19:15-21:15, Friend's Meeting House, Jesus Lane

The first meeting of the Heart & Soul group will take place on Thursday 24th February at 7pm at the Friend’s Meeting House on Jesus Lane. The group will be facilitated by Catherine Price and will offer a safe and supportive space in which we can explore our emotional responses to climate change and peak oil, both the comfortable and the uncomfortable. Please bring something with you that evokes a response in you around these transition issues. It could be an object, a picture, a word or a phrase. We may use these as a starting point for our exploration of the relationship between our own personal inner transition and our outer transition, the way we choose to act in the world. We hope that the space will offer the opportunity to support ourselves and one another, through open and authentic communication. Do get in touch with us if you would like to find out more.

Saturday 26 February: Visit to London City Farms

09:10-18:30, London (meet at Cambridge train station)

What are city farms and how do they work? Come and find out with us on a visit to two London city farms: Freightliners Farm and Surrey Docks Farm. This is a joint event between the Cambridge City Farm initiative and TC Farming Group, and everyone is welcome to come along! Children are also welcome to come (accompanied by adults). Meet at 9:10am at Cambridge train station, we should get back by 6:30pm. Entrance to the city farms is free, but you'll need to buy your own train ticket and lunch in Freightliners cafe (or bring your own packed lunch). Please let Andrew know if you intend to come so that we can let you know any final up-dates.

Monday 28 March: The Transition Journey: from oil dependency to local resilience

19:30, Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street

Talk by Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition movement.

We live in an oil-dependent world, and we have reached this level of oil dependency in a very short time. We have used up vast reserves of oil in the process, without thinking ahead to times when the supply of oil may not be so plentiful. In this talk, Rob Hopkins will show how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive outcome, leading to the rebirth of local communities who grow more of their own food, generate their own energy, and use local materials to meet their needs. Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Town Totnes and of the Transition Network. He is author of ‘The Transition Handbook: from oil dependence to local resilience’ and publishes www.transitionculture.org.

This event is by donation (suggested contribution £3-5). There will be drinks and cakes afterwards to celebrate Transition Cambridge's 3rd birthday. There will also be stalls from local transition groups so that you can find our more about transition projects in and around Cambridge. More info here and here is a poster and some leaflets if you know of places to put them - thanks!

Saturday 09 April: Coming Back to Life: Reconnection through movement

11:00-17:30, The Junction

A one day movement and dance workshop with Mark Boylan, a joint venture with Cambsdance. Remembering our sense of embodiment is a good route to remembering what life is or should be about. We will use practices developed as part of ‘The Work That Reconnects’ by Joanna Macy and others and explore them through movement. More information here. Price: £20-£40 sliding scale – pay what you can afford depending on income. For queries or to book your place please contact Di Hinds via  the Heart and Soul group or call 07989 353602.

Transition in Newmarket

If you live in or near Newmarket and are interested in Transition issues, please get in touch with Andrew Gillett, who is working to set up a transition initiative there. Also please pass this on if you know of others who might be interested. Thanks!

Community News

Help save water and money!

Cambridge Water is giving away 2000 water efficiency kits to help customers save money off their bills. Worth up to £30 the kit includes showerheads, tap inserts and a Hippo water saving device that can be fitted inside the toilet cistern. Used together they could help homeowners save more than 100 litres a day. This will have the knock-on effect of reducing your energy and metered water bills. The devices are being offered to customers on a first come first served basis. You can request a free device here.

Related News and Events

Tuesday 15 February: Love Food week

11:00, The Larder at Burwash Manor, New Road, Barton, Cambridge CB23 7EY (map)

'Make the Most of Food' at Burwash Manor Larder's third annual Love Food Week! Burwash Larder's annual Love Food Week, from February 11-20th, promises to be the best yet with more suppliers, more cookery demonstrations and more informative talks than ever before! Now in its third year, the theme for this year's festival is 'Making the Most of Food', with a fantastic ten day programme of events.

Love Food Week gives customers the chance to meet the Larder's suppliers, ask questions and taste the diverse range of products that they have to offer. Tine Roche from the Cambridge Cookery School will be launching the festival with an exciting cookery demonstration alongside a talk on food waste reduction. The week to follow will give plenty more opportunity for culinary exploration, with an exciting bread baking day hosted by Glebe Farm, Dovecote and Priors, talks and tastings from the Cambridge Organic Food Company and Daisy Cakes and many, many more! Learn how to joint a lamb, what you need to produce the perfect cheese board for all occasions and how to grow beautiful vegetables even if you have no garden. Full info here, including the programme of events.

Tuesday 15 February: Grow Your Own - time for action!

19:30-21:30, Ross Street Community Centre, Ross Street, CB1 3UZ

A chance to share your gardening successes and failures with fellows, and pick up seasonal tips with local gardeners Keith Jordan and George Thorpe. All levels of gardening experience are welcome! 

Special to this session: Plans and preparations to increase your supply of fresh seasonal produce in 2011. Subjects to be covered: seeds, soil, compost, rotations, etc. If you also want access to your own growing space and some hands on advice then Jason and Martin will be there to chat about the Transition Cambridge allotment-based GYO sessions. No need to book. Sessions are free of charge and open to all, although donations are invited towards cost of room hire and refreshments are invited (suggested donation £3).

More details here. Organised by Cambridge Carbon Footprint.

Tuesday 15 February: Green Drinks: Bungay Community Bees

19:30, Green Dragon Pub, Bungay

Inspired by a desire to help everyones favourite (indispensable) pollinators, Sustainable Bungay established what is probably the first Community Supported Apiculture (CSA) scheme in the UK – possibly the world! Lauded by the Soil Association and a major influence on the Mayor of London’s Capital Bee project, Bungay’s Community Beekeepers are entering their second year with plans for exciting new education and outreach projects. We’ve invited community beekeepers Elinor McDowall and Gemma Parker along with other members of BCB to tell us more about the plight of the honey bee, how community beekeeping works and BCBs plans for 2011 and beyond. As usual we’ll ask them to speak briefly about what they’re doing, answer questions from the room as a whole and then circulate as we break into less formal conversations. More info.

Wednesday 16 February: Talk: For 1 million green jobs

20:15, Bramwell Lounge, Cambridge University Sports and Social Club, Mill Lane

This is a public meeting organised by Cambridge Trades Council, with a speaker from the Campaign against Climate Change.

Thursday 17 February: Love Food Hate Waste event

10:30-13:00, Arbury Community Centre, Campkin Road, Cambridge

The Recycling Champions are hosting a "Love Food, Hate Waste" event at Arbury Community Centre, Campkin Road, Cambridge on Tahursday 17th Feb. 10.30 - 1.00pm. All Welcome. Sponsored by RECAP & WRAP.

Sunday 20 February: Sow, Save, Share: Audley End Seed Swap

11:00-15:30, Audley End, near Saffron Walden

A seed club, which will help to sow, grow, save and share historic seed with gardeners and growers in Essex is to be set up at Audley End House and Gardens near Saffron Walden, Essex. Kicking off with a Seed Swapping Event on Sunday 20 February, English Heritage and Garden Organic, which manages the restored walled organic kitchen garden at the site, will give local people the chance to swap their surplus seed and try something different in the coming season. Visitors to the event are being urged to bring in their spare vegetable seeds to swap in return for more unusual varieties such as rare Heritage Seed Library tomatoes. Visitors can also enjoy talks and demonstrations on Victorian techniques from the kitchen garden’s Head Gardener, Mike Thurlow. Cost: £8.30 for adults, £7.10 for concessions, £4.20 for children and £20.80 for a family ticket. English Heritage and Garden Organic members get in free. More info.

Saturday 26 February: Creating a Greener Home

09:30-16:30, Ringshall Village Hall, between Stowmarket and Ipswich, IP14 2JE

Are you interested in learning about solar hot water collection, pedal powered electricity generation, rainwater harvesting, rainwater filtration and the many benefits of an outdoor compost toilet? This is a full day of talks and discussions. Learn low-tech, practical approaches to saving money and developing skills for self-reliance.Book your place at this event via the Suffolk Green Buildings Network website. Cost of the day: £12 (£5 concessions). Please send cheques (payable to OBee CIC) to: OBee CIC, Church Cottage, Capel St Mary, Suffolk, IP9 2EL. More info here or ring 01473 264832. See also the Orchard Barn web-site.

Sustainable Come Dine with Me

Many of you may have seen Channel 4’s ‘Come Dine with Me’ – well Cambridge Carbon Footprint is organising it's very own version, with the theme of ‘Sustainable Food’! We’re looking for people with a passion for cooking, and for the environment, to take part. Over four or five evenings (once a week) participants will take turns to host a ’sustainable dinner party’ for each other. This is your chance to show off your culinary skills, enjoy three or four nights of dining out, and meet some new, lovely, local people! To add a slight competitive element participants will rate their host’s performance, and there will be a prize for the best evening. So if you’d like to have dinner with a few Cambridge folk, and eat some seasonal, local, home-cooked food (or just to find out more), then get in touch… Please email or phone in with your name, address, telephone and email, any dietary requirements, and preference for April or May (if you have one). Contact Beejal or ring 01223 971353. More details here.

So that's all for this week - thanks for continuing to send in news and events for this bulletin!

Anna

Our Mission

Transition Cambridge aims to help Cambridge make the transition to ways of life that are more resilient in the face of rising energy prices and a changing climate.

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