Good food March - 16 September

A Europe-wide protest and awareness-raising organisation, the march is campaigning to get changes to EU law on farming to support small-scale farms; encourage greener and more sustainable farming; get fair prices for farmers and consumers; improve animal welfare and much more. Find out more on their website.

The March is coming to Norwich on 16th of September, visiting by bicycle several food projects around Norwich before setting out to Norwich FarmShare for a picnic. You’re welcome to join the march at any point, from cycling the whole route to just enjoying the picnic at the farm.

Join the cycle route or join by car or on foot at any point:

Start: 12pm – 12.30 Meet at Norwich Train Station
12.30 – 13.15 Cycle to John Innes Centre
13.15 – 13.45 John Innes Centre, Colney Lane
13.45 – 14.00 Cycle Bluebell South Allotments
14.00 – 14.45 Grow-your-own Project (to be confirmed)
14.45 – 15.15 Cycle to Chapelfield Shopping Centre, Norwich
15.15 – 16.00 Chapelfield Shopping Centre, Norwich centre
16.00 – 16.45 Cycle to Norwich Farmshare, Near Postwick Park & Ride
16.45 – 18.00 Good Food Picnic at Norwich Farmshare

Refreshments will be available at Bluebell Allotments & John Innes and bring a picnic for the meet at Norwich Farmshare: the organisers ask that you bring homemade, wholesome, ‘non-supermarket’ salads, bread, hot water, tea, coffee & own plates & cutlery.

For more information and any questions contact Britta on 07545 765 274, For more information on Good Food March 2012 see www.goodfoodmarch.eu

The Rebirth Of A Community Garden - 2 September

When we celebrated the opening of Grapes Hill Community Garden just over a year ago, several volunteers from the Belvedere Community Centre came along to the Grand Opening and asked whether we could help them with their own garden.

This was the start of a year's work by volunteers to revamp the Belvedere Centre's garden, which was originally laid out about twenty five years ago, but had become overgrown and neglected.

Volunteer work parties removed brambles and perennial weeds and Norwich City Council gave us permission to prune and thin the trees, to allow extra light to reach the garden. We built a new compost heap and leafmould bin and then in early April we planted up a sunny, herbaceous border and a shade border. During the spring and summer we worked on the centre of the garden and have laid new slate paths, to allow people to walk between the trees.

At last the preparation work is nearly done and we will celebrate the rebirth of the garden with a Garden Open Day on Sunday 2nd September 2012 (12 noon - 4pm). There will be a barbecue, tea and cakes, live music and craft and garden information stalls. Admission is free.

We are setting up a Belvedere Centre Gardening Group to look after the garden, which will meet for the first time on Friday 21st September 2012 (10am - 12 noon).

The Belvedere Community Centre, Belvoir Street, Norwich, NR2 3AZ. Registered Charity No 295729.For further details phone 01603 616894 or e-mail belvederecentre@yahoo.co.uk.

Jeremy Bartlett.

Photo: The sunny herbaceous border in The Belvedere Centre garden, by Jeremy Bartlett.

Grapes Hill Community Garden: Poetry In The Garden - 12 August

During this last week we've been enjoying some summer sunshine at Grapes Hill Community Garden, which is a mass of colour at the moment.

We celebrated our First Birthday Party on Sunday 8th July and we're now looking forward to our next event - Poetry In The Garden on Sunday 12th August, from 2pm to 6pm. The afternoon will feature Norwich Poetry Group and wildlife poet Richard Bonfield, with music by Lucy & Dee, an open microphone slot, games, competition and quiz. Bring your own refreshments and something to sit on. Read your own poem or bring a favourite to read.

The Grapes Hill Community Garden Group has recently received Group Award in the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership Awards, in recognition of our "visionary project to create a community garden from a tarmac area in the heart of Norwich". We've also been given a Green Flag Award for being a high quality public space.

We continue to have garden tasks on Sunday afternoons (2pm - 4pm). Our next dates are 5th & 19th August and 9th & 23rd September 2012. The garden is open every day from 9am to 6pm in the summer (9am to 4.30pm or dusk from the end of October).

For more information about the garden see our website and Facebook page.

Jeremy Bartlett.

Photo by Jeremy Bartlett