About Us

WELCOME TO TRANSITION NORWICH...

We're part of a world-wide community movement in response to peak oil and climate change. This site gives you details of our up and coming events and meetings, as well as reports and related matters that are going on in Norwich and East Anglia.

NEWS AND RELATED EVENTS... Common Room - Low Carbon Cookbook - Magdalen-Augustine Celebration - Norwich FarmShare - Transition Free Press 4 - Visions for Change -On the Blog Harvest: Looking in the Archive 2009-2013 - Flight of the Butterflies - Where We Are Now

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Talking To Each Other

In the early days of Transition Norwich google groups were set up for the main theme groups and for monthly announcements. Since then other groups have formed, some have ceased and the main announcements are made via the monthly bulletin. There has been no electronic way for transitioners to talk to each other outside of their own theme groups so a new group has been set up for this purpose which you can find at http://groups.google.com/group/norwich-in-transition

If you are interested in developing a sustainable future for the city and want to talk to others about such issues, whether or not they are part of Transition Norwich then do sign up to this group. It has been set in a way that should keep inbox traffic to a minimum for those concerned about receiving too many messages. If you sign up and find the group is not for you then you can unsubscribe at any time. Christine Way

Please note that there is a Transition Norwich Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/groups/transitionnorwich/ for those who wish to use it. Our twitter is tnnorwich.

Photo by helenofnorwich from This Low Carbon Life

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Welcome to our December News 2011!

Read all about what's happening in the city this winter from our Transition Norwich news crew: new Energy Look Outs! group starting, Occupy Norwich's discussions on climate change and monetary reform, Norwich FarmShare's big meeting, the Low Carbon Cookbook's merry midwinter meal, reports from TN's third birthday celebrations with Rob Hopkins, Transition East's third regional gathering, plus Transition Circles, climate connections, community gardens and more . . . .

Photos: climate chaos poster from The Greenhouse exhibition; Low Carbon Cookbook crew with beetroot at TN's Celebration (MW); houses from St Augustine's Visioning (Simeon Jackson); wish list from Finsbury Square, Occupy London. Banner by Mark Watson. TN News is edited and produced by Charlotte Du Cann for TN Communications.

Transition Circle West - 1 December

Transition Circle West does economics! We will be meeting at Jo's house to share a meal on Thursday December 1st to discuss the current global and national financial situation and what our response is/or should be as transitioners. Join us for what should be a very lively discussion!

To attend this meeting or for more information about the group please contact Helen Pallett at mshelenpallett@gmail.com

Photo by Simeon Jackson from St Augustine's Visioning, the current project of the Economics and Livelihoods group

Climate Justice March and Rally - 3 December

This year the floods in Pakistan have returned displacing 5 million and killing hundreds. Last year's floods were the worst in living memory with 20 million affected and 2,000 killed. Last year also saw record breaking temperatures in Russia with wildfires and crop failures, while this year we have seen the latest in a series of exceptional droughts in East Africa causing famine in Somalia.

The frequency and severity of weather related disasters is on the increase and scientists tell us this is due to human-induced climate change caused overwhelmingly by the high emissions and high consuming lifestyles of richer countries like our own. It's the poorest and most vulnerable around the world - many of them in Africa where this year's climate talks are being held - who have done the least to cause the problem but who are suffering the most. And all this is set to get worse. Yet climate change and the conversion to a low carbon economy are routinely dismissed as minor concerns.

"Climate Refugee Vigil"
Midnight Friday 2nd on the Thames foreshore near the Millenium bridge
7% of the world's population produce 50% of the world's emissions
7% of the world's emissions are produced by 50% of the world's population

Turn the desolate foreshore alongside the rising waters of the Thames into a 'stage' on which to bring the reality of climate change impacts around the world home to the City of London, the heart of the consumerist carbon-burning economy that created those impacts in the first place....

Climate Justice March
12 noon (Saturday 3rd) Assemble for the march at Blackfriars Bridge. March in support of the tens of thousands mobilising in South Africa to demand climate justice at the Durban Climate Talks.

2.30 - 3.00 pm Climate Justice Rally outside Parliament. Demonstrate the 7% versus the 50% and demand urgent action to achieve a Zero Carbon Britain by 2030.

For more information about here. Find out more about climate justice and the international negotiations here.

Norwich FarmShare Meeting - 11 December

On Sunday 11th December, 3.00pm until 4.45pm, we're inviting all our members to come along to the Friends Meeting House in Norwich to help us shape the next few months of Norwich FarmShare- and to celebrate everything we've achieved since the spring.

We like to get together every few months so we can all get to know each other- we've had several work days on the farm which have been lots of fun- but the weather is rather changeable now, so we don't want to risk a social on the farm in December.

We'll be following up the meeting with a trip to a nearby pub or cafe for a drink or two and a good natter. It'll be a really nice opportunity to welcome some of our newest members- and also to work out how we can continue to attract new members so that we can make Norwich FarmShare into a sustainable venture, providing delicious local veg into the heart of Norwich for many years to come.

Norwich FarmShare is so much more than a veg box. It really is your farm and we want to make sure you have lots of opportunities to get involved and choose how we develop. We'll be looking for ways we can improve the way we work on the farm and ways you can help us achieve our goals.

We'd really like as many of our members as possible to come along. If you're not a member of Norwich FarmShare but you'd be interested in finding out ways you can support us, you’d be very welcome.

See you there! Elena Judd

B is for Beetroot, Beanfeasts and Bees - Low Carbon Cookbook - 13 December

Our cookbook research year has now come to a close. Next year will all be about writing, grounding and, with luck, publishing. At our last meeting we met over a fine feast of autumnal pumpkins and beans and tried out our key downshift kitchen tool, the rocket stove. I had just taken one along to a discussion at Occupy Norwich on Relocalising the Food System (along with a loaf of bread baked by Pye, a scrumped apple and a copy of Local Food).

Christine’s Wild Stove roared up immediately, mine (handmade at the Transition Camp from five food tins) had to be determinedly coaxed with walnut shells and lavender sticks, but soon after the soup was bubbling, the kettle was singing and we were eating under the stars!

Meanwhile this month we're celebrating winter and would like to invite you to our merry midwinter meal on 13 December at The Nectar Café. We’ll be bringing along some of our seasonal delights and raising a toast to all who sail in this low-carbon lifeboat together (and especially those who work in the galley). We’ll be discussing our favourite recipes too so if you have one you’d like to share with us for the book do bring it, yourself and a dish along. If you could let us know you are coming that would be great (it’s a small space!) See you there!

This Low Carbon Life will be meeting at The Nectar Café, 16 Onley Street at 7pm. For further info and to book a place please contact Charlotte Du Cann the seakaleproject@hotmail.co.uk (01502 722419)

John's giant beetroot at the Low Carbon Cookbook table, TN Third Birthday Event, URC; by the light of the rocket stove, Christine's balcony, Inner Space.

A renewed sense of what's possible

On the evening of 15th November, around 250 people came together to celebrate Transition Norwich's third birthday and hear Rob Hopkins talk about the worldwide achievements of Transition Initiatives. We were treated to a showing of a wonderful film that Tom and Chris put together to showcase some of TN's own successes- one of several highlights of the evening. Everyone I've spoken to since has talked about a re-energising, a sense of being "part of the transition movement again". The talk was followed in fine style by wonderful music from James Frost, the arrival of our beautiful community-created-cake and a chance for everyone to chat and enjoy tea and cake together.

For me personally, the talk reinvigorated my understanding of what communities can achieve, working together- from covering the costs and washing up at an event like this to setting up community energy projects, carnivals and whole currencies. I feel much more hopeful, and more ready to take a full part in Transition again. For anyone who hasn't looked at the Transition website for a while (like I hadn't!), it's well worth a look- especially the section which lists Transtion Projects happening around the world. Stirring stuff.

For Rob's take on the evening, see his blog including a podcast of interviews with some members of TN. Elena Judd

Norwich in Transition - the film shown for the first time on the evening - is now available as a DVD! With specially written songs by James Frost, and many recognisable people and places, it's great to show your friends what Transition Norwich is all about and what it has achieved in 3 years. 15 minutes duration. A snip at £6 with hard box. Order through Chris: chrishull@phonecoop.coop 01603 664928

Grapes Hill Community Garden Update


The exceptionally mild autumn continues and, as I write, our annual flowers such as Cosmos, mallows and Helichrysum continue to flower in the absence of frosts. The ash trees have shed their leaves and we're using them to make leafmould. We've also created a log habitat pile for hibernating insects.

On Wednesday 16th November Rob Hopkins paid us a visit and then on Saturday 19th November we had a very successful fundraising concert at The Belvedere Centre, featuring Saxobility, Norwich Ukulele Society and Norwich Accordion Band.

Now is a good time to join the Grapes Hill Community Garden Group (GHCGG). We've just launched our members' newsletter, which features articles about the garden and its plants, people and wildlife. And on Saturday 10th December we will have a celebration in the garden for GHCGG members, featuring mince pies and mulled wine.

For more information on the garden see our website and Facebook page. Jeremy Bartlett.

Photograph by Jeremy Bartlett - Rob Hopkins
(second right) with Charlotte Du Cann, Mark Watson and Christine Way.

Transition East November 2011

On Saturday, 26th November 2011, 40 Transitioners from 13 Transition Towns in East Anglia met for our third regional meeting. It was hosted by Transition Stour Valley and held at Old Hall Community, East Bergholt in Suffolk. It was an inspiring day, that included a shared lunch, children's activites, a tour of Old Hall. Just hearing about each others’ experiences - good and bad - was valuable and illuminating.

Here are some of the highlights for me:

Transition v transition A few people reported that their initiatives had become inactive due to conflicts or burnout, but were then replaced by practical projects (ex. a community farm) which weren’t officially associated with the ‘Transition’ movement. The feeling was that these ‘transition’ projects were a natural extension of the movement and something to be proud of, not sorry about. There are lots of ‘transition’ projects around by people who don’t want to be part of an organised movement, but are very much on our wavelength.

Food projects galore!Most groups reported active food projects of various types: CSAs, food hubs, coops, market stalls, food sharing, festivals. Many met to discuss this in an Open Space session. Then in the closing session, we set up a small group that will help these food projects across our region to keep in contact with each other and promote synergy between them.

An East Anglian Transition currency? I was in the Open Space discussion of local currencies. It was difficult to choose the Open Space group I wanted, but I was so gripped that I stayed there throughout. We were actively discussing what we can do in case of major economic difficulties. The people from Cambridge are putting on a small conference on Alternatives to Economic Growth to look at this. The most exciting idea for me was a proposal for an East Anglian Transition currency that we could all use, tied to businesses and people who want an economy driven by wellbeing not money.

We will hold our next meeting next Summer. Several small groups will take forward the results of our discussions. Everyone thought it was an enjoyable and useful day. Gary Alexander

FILM: Little g shows Animate Earth - 16 December

Dr Stephan Harding puts forward a radical approach to the ecological crisis
Stephan believes that traditional mechanistic science has inadvertently fueled the crisis and that we urgently need to develop an expanded science that cultivates intuitive wisdom alongside rational knowledge so that we can experience everything, from the smallest microbes to our planet’s great life-sustaining cycles, as deeply interconnected.

Little g film night: Friday 16th December, 6pm, Friends’ Meeting House. The film is only 45 minutes long so there will be plenty of time for discussion afterwards Lesley Grahame