Cafe Conversations in Magdalen Street

From infinity, to waste, to being bored - these are just some of the topics up for discussion in one of Magdalen Street's favourite spots for socialising and networking: Aladdin's Cafe, near Fye Bridge. This new programme has been put together to include a wide range of contemporary issues, with presenters and facilitators specialist in their field at UEA, The Tyndall Centre, and elsewhere. They are all free, and the first 5 to come get a half-price hot drink ( you don't need to enter twice to get a double shot if your like me) Chris Hull

For full April and May programme click here

Magdalen Street Cafe conversations

From infinity, to waste, to being bored - these are just some of the topics up for discussion in one of Magdalen Street's favourite spots for socialising and networking: Aladdin's Cafe, near Fye Bridge. This new programme has been put together to include a wide range of contemporary issues, with presenters and facilitators specialist in their field at UEA, The Tyndall Centre, and elsewhere. They are all free, and the first 5 to come get a half-price hot drink ( you don't need to enter twice to get a double shot if your like me).

For full programme and times see the main website. First up is 'What is Infinity?', Robert Henderson and Lydia Rickett (UEA School of Mathematics) on Feb. 4th 8.00 p.m., Feb 5th 3.00 p.m., and Feb 9th at 12.30. This is followed by 'Increasing Happiness, Decreasing Consumption', presented by Teresa Belton, on Saturday 19th February 3.00 p.m. Sponsors are UEA, CueEast, Magdalen Street Celebration group, and Transition Norwich (Chris Hull).

Call Stefi on 01603 591109 or Aladdin's 01603 766112 for further info.

TRANSITION CIRCLES - Hethersett - 31 January 2011

The vast list of foods available from Rainbow Wholefoods has been studied in intimate detail as we try to get an order together that will enable us to buy in bulk to save packaging and hopefully a bit of cash. This has turned out to be quite complicated because whilst some items are available in bulk containers others are multipacks that won't cut down on packaging. We have got a food order together and hopefully we can expand to include cleaning products. Anyone near to Hethersett that would like to join in with this is welcome.

Several of us are continuing to research options for Photo Voltaic panels and tiles and we still hope to negotiate a group order with an installer. One person is looking for a plot to grow veg in Wymondham and may be interested in a shared allotment.

Our next meeting is at 19:30 on Monday 31st at Ruth's in Shop Lane, Hethersett - when we will discuss how we might wish to influence the coming local development plans in order to achieve things like allotments, cycle paths, community orchards, community shop etc.

Contact Erik by email or John on 07979 800659

Dragon Dreaming - book your place now!

A living systems approach to building projects and organisations for the Great Turning

Dragon Dreaming is a way of making our dreams come true by running outrageously successful and transformative projects, as together we seek to maximise our creative potential on a scale never attempted before. Learn how to release the power of your ecological self and listen to the Dream of the Earth calling us forth to understand who we really are in the web of life.

Facilitated by John Croft, the workshop will use movement, dance, painting, singing, experiential exercises and meditation practice. John has trained with Joanna Macy and draws upon the experience of the Australian Gaia Foundation, indigenous Australian Aboriginal wisdom and twenty years experience of community building and teaching within the deep ecology paradigm.

Cost & booking

Cost: sliding scale between £95 and £190 (not including lunch) - please pay what you can.

Booking deadline: January 21st. Please send cheque payable to Transition Norwich with contact details to:

Dragon Dreaming
c/o Contemplative Forum
United Reformed Church
Princes Street
Norwich NR3 1AZ

7.30-9.30pm Fri 18th, 9 to 5 Sat and 9 to 4pm Sun 20th February 2011

Further information

www.contemplativeforum.org/dragon-dreaming
tully@transitionnorwich.org

RELATED EVENT: Mini-Food Co-ops Conference for the Eastern Region - 25 January

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A MINIATURE FOOD CO-OPS CONFERENCE FOR THE EASTERN REGION

For interested individuals, new and established community-owned food entreprises, and food access or ‘5-a-day’ projects
_____________________________________
Tuesday 25th January 10:30 - 4:30
Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket, Suffolk
www.eastanglianlife.org.uk
____________________________________

Discover what support you can get from Sustain’s Food Co-ops project, where your nearest co-op is, hear from experienced food projects, and exchange ideas for the future!

Speakers:
- Kirstin Glendinning - Swillington Community Supported Agriculture & the Soil Association
- Gemma Sayers - Food Co-ops Project & Ipswich Food Co-op

A Plenary with:
- JP- Hastings Community Fruit ‘n’ Veg project
- Jacqui - Community Food Entreprise, East London

+ Networking with local groups and Action Planning to help set up or improve your community food project
+ Delicious lunch of local seasonal produce

If you are involved in the local food, community food, or food production sector, this event is for you. Likewise, if you are faced with transitioning to a more sustainable and autonomous future. But you are welcome even if your interest is simply in the consumption of good food!

I have chosen the speakers to cater to a variety of groups; those needing templates for making their entreprise stand alone when they've previously been shored up by local authority funding and support; those looking for radical ways to take control of their food supply, those needing specialised information on ambitious independent systems like CSA's; and anybody who'd like to know what's out there that can make good food more affordable and accessible.

There will be plenty of time for Open Space discussions at the event, and that includes food co-ops and others presenting about the work they do, bringing any issues they've encountered to the forum, or thrashing out ideas for a project step-by-step.

This is a FREE event but booking is essential Contact: http://www.blogger.com/gemma@sustainweb.org or 07971 863 586 More information and a toolkit showing how to get started is available at http://www.blogger.com/www.foodcoops.org

Happy New Year Everyone!

As the light increases and winter looks forward to Spring, the stuff of life is our key Transition ingredient this month. Valuing the growing and cooking of food is the main theme of January as the Low Carbon Cookbook starts to track the ecological footprints of its winter larder, the newly-formed Permaculture group get ready to dig the garden for Spring sowing and Transition Hethersett put in their first community whole food order. There are also two free events this month for everyone interested in community and co-operative food enterprises - a communications training day and a mini East Anglian food conference. Check them both out here.

Norwich Community Agriculture meanwhile are preparing new plans for their two market gardens. Why not join them this month at Postwick for a grand planting of native trees? And talking of running successful projects, don't forget to book your hot seat at the "Dragon Dreaming” weekend in February.

On the blog, This Low Carbon Life we began last month facing that driving force behind Transition, Climate Change at Cancun and ended by considering our aspirations for the New Year rather nearer home. In the hours in between we carried on reskilling, repurposing, riding buses, sledging. thinking like creators. We considered religion and politics in Transition, contemplated the weather, sisterhood, took part in the Great Norfolk Anti-Cuts Demo, and watched the solstice sunrise. Look out for our second Transition Themes sequence this January, our first Fashion Week and tomorrow for Andrew Boswell on the controversial waste topic, incineration. Have a good one!

RELATED EVENT: Not About the Bike - 12 January

Not About The Bike is a bicycle recycling project - a green scheme recycling old and unwanted bicycles and getting more people on two wheels. Achieved through a weekly workshop enabling project users to develop life-skills and offering volunteering opportunities and also regular
inclusive cycle rides.

Today NATB are having an open day (10am – 1:30pm) @ Unit 6, Beckham Place, Norwich NR3 3DZ. For further iinfo email: notabouthebike@yahoo.co.uk
Or call (01603 626014).

Come along to see what we do and how you can get involved. There will be a cycling safety training session @ 12:15 pm with a qualified cycle instructor (bikes available).

Photo by Matt Wicks (from Bicycle Bonus Time - Bike Week 2010)

Norwich CSA - Tree Planting Day - 30 January

On November 24th nearly 20 people gathered to share their vision for the community supported agriculture and school farm, and more things that Norwich Community Agriculture could go on to do. The vision we created together was rich and resonant, and included our intentions for improving Norwich's food security, being inclusive, creating a strong community, taking care of and reconnecting with the land, and many other aspects. We agreed to meet again on January 13th to work out a plan for the projects that builds on this vision. Both workshops draw on the Dragon Dreaming approach to delivering projects, on which Transition Norwich is organising a training weekend in February.

Meanwhile the Growing and Environment Group have agreed a date to plant trees and hedges at the Postwick CSA site: January 29th and 30th. Everyone welcome! If you'd like to come and help contact Erik. We also agreed a plan for the trees based on Jason's excellent work, though it turns out we need to modify this slightly because of unforeseen planning permission issues.

Building on the vision we've now agreed, the Marketing group will be meeting with a branding expert to help work out how best to communicate the essence of that vision to other potential supporters. If you'd like to be part of that process contact Tully.

Also this month we've signed the incorporation documents for Norwich Community Agriculture, and agreed its constitution. We've taken delivery of a tractor, and a flour mill. We're still working on the lease and the irrigation. And we've had lots of good applications for the Farm Manager job. (Tully Wakeman)

Permaculture workday - 23 January

To meet, to share, perchance to do some work if it stops raining/snowing!

This Norwich permaculture workday caught the turning of the weather last weekend but held off enough for us to prepare 3 raised beds, plant beans, peas and garlic and weed the herb spiral in Ruth’s garden in Costessey between warming cups of tea.

Before our shared meal and shed-sauna we chatted about what we wanted from being in the group. We like the hands-on ‘doing’ side of meeting up. Being outside and helping each other out whilst sharing knowledge from our own experiences. A visual ‘ah! Look what got done!’ balanced with the social and relaxed chats and fooooood. We decided we were happy for it to grow, and go, however and wherever it wanted rather than to force it to take a direction. Less pressure, less stress! As long as everyone is happy with that! :)

Next stop Eriks garden Jan 9th and CSA tree planting Jan 30th. See Calendar for details (Tierney Woods)

Weeding the herb spiral, preparing raised beds for planting, steamed vegetables, tomato borlotti bean stew, carrot and beetroot salad, shed-sauna.

Grapes Hill Community Garden Opens the Gates - 15/16, 17 and 23 January

The Grapes Hill Community Garden Group wishes a Happy New Year to all our members and supporters.

Some important dates for January
Firstly we have discovered that the topsoil that was stored for us on Mousehold Heath and delivered in November is full of bindweed roots. 8 members spent several hours on 28th December forking it through to remove the roots but there this is going to take several more hours with only 8 pairs of hands. So we are posting this to Transition Norwich, BTCV and the Green Gym to see if any of their members are willing to help us out as well as our own mailing list. We need as many people as possible to join us on the 15th and/or 16th January from 11am to 2pm both days. Bring wellies, waterproof gardening gloves, a large fork if you have one and/ or sturdy soil rakes. We will be able to provide some of these for those without. Tea, squash and cake will be provided. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be willing to help.

Information including directions to garden can be found on our website http://www.grapeshillcommunitygarden.org/. Please call 07729 540 482 or email contact@grapeshillcommunitygarden.org if the weather is bad and you want to check before you leave whether dates have been cancelled or postponed. The website will also post this last minute information (Fran Ellington).

Weekend of 15/16 January – bindweed root removal days between 11am to 2pm both days.
Monday 17 January: AGM: 7 30 – 8 30 pm Belvedere Centre bar lounge, Belvoir street, NR2 3AZ
Sunday 23 January – Tree planting day. Meet on site from 10.30am. All welcome.

Photo: Open Day at the Garden, 2010.

Low Carbon Cookbook - 11 January

This month when the LCC Crew meet up after the break, we'll be checking in with our festive bring-to-share dishes, as well as cook up the vegetables that didn't get frozen into the ground during the snows, notably the winter's rich store of brassicas and roots.

At our last session we asked ourselves: If you could only have six items from outside the UK in your kitchen, what would they be? What would our convenient lives be like without olive oil, lemons, black pepper, durum wheat pasta, Basmati rice. . ?

So we’re going to be reporting on several of our favourites for our ecological and carbon footprint index from the dairy staple, yogurt, to that key Andean ingredient, quinoa. This picture of an Ecuadorian Mountain Farmer is from an outstanding book about food, What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio. It presents thought-provoking portraits of people and the food that fuels them over the course of a single day, from the junk and supermarket food consumed in the Western cities to the more sustaining and sustainable food of the developing world - the sustenance of camel herders, bakers, rice farmers, Amazon fishermen. The vegetables grown in the immaculately kept hill terraces of the Andes are amongst the best in the world. And that's the food we're finding our way back to: food grown, distributed and eaten, in synch with the living systems.

The kind of food that doesn't cost the earth.

For further info contact Charlotte Du Cann rootsshootsandseeds@hotmail.co.uk

Transition Circle West Update - 19 January

The Transition Earlham circles are having a bit of a makeover for the New Year too! We decided that we should recombine the Earlham North and South circles, not least because it is sad to divide a friendly community in two unnecessarily. To avoid the problems of too many people we are instead going to have two meetings a month and people will have to RSVP to meetings so that we know we can fit everyone in and hosts have a bit more forewarning of numbers! We have also set up a google group (noo not another one!) to make communication easier.

We have come up with an exciting list of possible meeting topics ranging from bike maintenance and foraging to household warmth and natural remedies. This month we are looking at setting up a resource sharing database, so that we can borrow things from each other rather than buying them new. We are meeting on 19th Jan at 7.00, so if you are interested in coming then please let Kerry know (kezereky_the_first@hotmail.com)