Transition Norwich News

Occupy Norwich Festival and People's Assembly - 3-5 February

2012-02-03T02:22:00.000Z

A t Occupy Norwich, we are eager to hear the views, opinions and beliefs of the 100%. We have therefore conducted a survey, which has been sent to people across Norwich, the UK and the world. By now we have over 300 responses and Debbie Barker, Anastasia Moskvina and the Survey Working Group would like to share the interim results with you!

In November, the Occupy Movement got together for the first Occupy UK and Ireland conference in London. It was very moving, when about 30 occupations from the Isle of Wright over York to Edinburgh introduced themselves and expressed their will to stand up for a more just and democratic world. The reunion of so many different people from varying places with the same goal – to stop the abuse of the many by the few – was impressive and motivating. Since, we have had two more conferences in Edinburgh in December and in Sheffield in January.

In Norwich we are planning a People's Assembly in in mid/end February It's basically an alternative form of government to the existing one, where people from Norwich have the opportunity to discuss their interests, form working groups and basically make their own politics based on the consensus system Occupy Norwich use. Many people do not feel represented by the existing government anymore, including local councils. The idea of a Norwich People’s Assembly is to gain some influence over our own lives, practise real democracy and help the community and ourselves.

Many more activities have been carried out and are planned, like the Occupy Festival this weekend 3-5 February - an amazing assortment of events in venues situated across central Norwich. Live Music, DJs, comedians, poets, artists, workshops, great vibes, people, excellent conversation and lots and lots of fun. Vanessa Buth

Please do get in touch with us if you have inspirations, would love to contribute but don’t know how, want to get active or just express your opinions – we are here to listen to the 100%!

Further information about Occupy Norwich can be found at their website, on Facebook or Twitter.

Picture of Occupy Norwich assembly from Article on Occupy Movement through Pragmatist Glasses by Olaya

Welcome to our February News 2012!

2012-02-01T04:16:00.002Z

Read all about what's happening in the city as the light increases from our Transition Norwich news crew: spring arriving and fruit tree mapping at Norwich FarmShare, new Transition film launching the Energy Look Outs! expanding, the Low Carbon Cookbook beginning (really), plus all the latest from Transition Circles, Occupy Norwich, Grapes Hill community gardens and some great events elsewhere in East Anglia.

Poster for Robert Newman's History of Oil; winter sun and honesty seeds (MW); Tierney in article on TN in Norwich Magazine; A Pattern Language and streets of Norwich by Simeon Jackson

Spring is coming at Norwich FarmShare

2012-02-01T04:01:00.001Z

...and it can't come quickly enough for me! I enjoyed the spring and summer on the farm so much, getting involved with growing for the first time in my life. Tierney was able to spend part of a day hoeing recently- she told me how good it felt to be doing 'farm work' again. I listen to the birds song in the morning and I can already hear them preparing for spring. The sparky territorial songs are beginning- the great tit has the most distinctive spring song, listen to it here and then you'll hear it everywhere.

Tierney has spent the winter planning and plotting (and planning our plots) to get the best out of our land this year. She's created amazing spreadsheets showing what needs to be done and when: when we anticipate needing to irrigate, when we expect to be sowing and planting.... even when we might be able to hold open days, when we can invite the press to see exciting things happening on the farm, when would be good to hold wildlife walks.

It's easy to feel like the 'real' work is that done on the land with hands and tools, but it can only happen alongside the indoors planning work- so we're grateful for our members and supporters putting time in to plan our distribution and logisitics, our work to benefit the biodiversity of the site and yesterday planned how we can develop our marketing to reach more people around Norwich.

Find out more at www.norwichfarmshare.co.uk

Elena. Pics: last year's first onions poking though, Elena.

Energy Look Outs is expanding

2012-02-01T03:50:00.005Z

The Energy Look Out initiative is working on collaborating with other similar groups concerned about public resource use.

We are getting reports through from open doors to overheated public spaces, which no doubt reflect many more numbers of people who notice this kind of waste but do not report it. We want to use these reports to truly engage with businesses and public bodies to enable them to develop true sustainability policies, or where they already exist, to fully implement them at the front line.

Because members of the public who report such issues often do not get a positive response to their concerns, Energy Look Out is helping with the process of engagement.

Over the next 2 months we will be making clearer links with other local organisations to share resources and make reportage generally easier and more productive for everyone. Chris Hull

Photo from An Open and Shut Case on This Low Carbon Life, Transition Themes Week #11.

For further info contact chrishull@phonecoop.coop

Transition Circle West - 21 February

2012-02-01T03:42:00.003Z

The next Transition Circle West meeting will be held at 7pm and Anne's house on Tuesday February 21st. Following on from the focus of January's meeting on skills-sharing, where we all brought various examples of our handy work along to discuss, the meeting will cover resource-sharing. After sharing our usual vegetarian meal together we will be reviewing the circle's resource-sharing library and deciding rules of usage, the best form for it, and its possible benefits for us and for transition.

For more information about this meeting and future meetings please contact Helen Pallett mshelenpallett@gmail.com

Sewing circle from the Social Reporting Project's Skill Share Week.

Falling into the soup - Low Carbon Cookbook - 28 February

2012-02-01T02:55:00.000Z

“Wasn’t this meeting supposed to be the one where we got down to the business of actually writing the book?” said Erik. We’d been talking casually over potato curries and salads and Erik’s very tasty winter vegetable soup with pumpkin and lovage. We’d spoken about how meeting up monthly for the unwritten Low Carbon Cookbook had increased our awareness of food systems and radically changed our approach to food and our shopping habits. But it was coming up to 9 o’ clock and no one so far had mentioned the W word. To be honest we’d got a bit cosy.

So the three of us got up from Bee’s kitchen table and in the next hour came to an agreement to write something by the next meeting which we would then bring to show each other. Bee will write on the hungry gap and the carbon footprint of cooking, Erik on a calendar for home food growing and I’ll write about freegan and foraged food. All the low carbon cooks from past and present meetings are free to contribute - Erik will contact you about that.

Now, what to say about that freegan tofu… Mark Watson.

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

New Transition film launches this week

2012-02-01T02:37:00.000Z

In Transition 2.0 is nearly ready to be unveiled to the world! Tomorrow there will be preview screenings in community cinemas across the Transition world, from Moss Side to India to Japan. The film will have its official premiere in March.

Keep an eye out for on-site reports from five of the initiatives during the Social Reporting project's first international week, starting on Monday 13 February.

We're hoping to show this inspiring new telling of the Transition story in Norwich soon. Meanwhile, here is the film's trailer, directed by Caspar Walsh to whet your appetite!

Photo: poster for In Transition 2.0 by Transition Town Lewes

Where are all the fruit and nut trees?

2012-02-01T02:29:00.000Z

Years ago there was a tradition in our society of foraging in the wild. It is a tradition we have lost. Beginning with the Enclosure of common lands - and increasingly as food production has become more and more globalised, we have become used to buying all our food from shops and supermarkets. Before the process of Enclosure became widespread, culminating in the 18th and 19th century Acts, local people had the right to forage, cultivate, cut hay, graze their animals, fish and collect timber and turf for fuel from common land. As the fields, meadows and commons were fenced off, many of the poor became dispossessed and people were forced to leave the land. Food that had previously been free became a commodity that had to be bought.

These days there is necessarily an emphasis on local and low carbon food production; but ‘free food’ remains a largely untapped source. A number of communities have started mapping their local foraging opportunities. Following suit, a few of us from the (Norwich FarmShare) food hub, have created a map to show fruit and nut bearing trees and bushes (walnuts, sweet chestnuts, rose hips, hazel, elderflowers & berries, sloes, blackberries, damson, plums and apples; and so on). Go to http://g.co/maps/m86ft to add any sources you know of on publicly accessible land (please, not private land). And let’s grow the map. Sarah Gann

For further info contact Sarah Gann at sarahdgann@gmail.com

Photo: walnut harvest and oil

Norfolk Car Club - Free to join!

2012-02-01T01:36:00.001Z

Norfolk County Council is currently running a promotion to sign up more members to the Norfolk Car Club - a fantastic option for residents and businesses in Norwich looking to reduce their costs and be more environmentally/Transitionally-minded.

Norfolk Car Club is a 'pay-as-you-go' car club scheme operating throughout Norwich and some market towns in Norfolk. In Norwich, Car Club cars are parked in designated parking bays across the city. Members book online and use a 'smart card' to unlock the car and drive away. The user pays by the hour and cars are available 24/7. It’s a very flexible, alternative, driving option. You are fully insured and Norfolk Car Club takes care of all maintenance, servicing and cleaning.

The Car Club will work if one of the following is true:

* you need easy access to a car for work or leisure
* you don't want the expense and hassle of owning your own car
* you walk or cycle to work but need access to a car for meetings
* you are thinking of getting rid of your car because you hardly use it
* parking is a problem where you live
* the family car is being used in the day and you sometimes need another car
* you want to reduce your carbon footprint

Individuals can join as a 'personal member'; businesses can join the Car Club as a 'corporate member' - registering staff as drivers. The Car Club is currently free to join (saving up to £25) with the promotional code 'Norwich10'. Just use the code when you sign up online at www.commonwheels.org.uk or phone Commonwheels on 0845 602 8030. You can cancel your membership at any time. James Frost

Grapes Hill Community Garden Looking Forward to Spring - 19 February

2012-02-01T01:33:00.000Z

It is a dull and cold day as I write this update but we've already started the New Year at Grapes Hill Community Garden with our Annual General Meeting (12th January) and an afternoon's Fruit Pruning and Winter Tidy Up (29th January).

We pruned our apple and quince trees and redcurrants, blackcurrant and gooseberry. We removed some unwanted plants (all the Hemlock and surplus Black Horehound) from the meadow and replaced them with Oxeye Daisy seedlings. Over twenty people came along to help, including new visitors to the garden and most of our Raised Bed tenants.

On Sunday 19th February we are holding an event in the garden called Look Forward To Spring. The event runs from 11am to 3pm and admission is free. We will have a seed swap and garden information stalls such as Norfolk Master Gardeners and Master Composters.

The local RSPB Group will hold four nestbox building sessions: 11am, 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm. These are free of charge but places are limited so please book in advance by phone (07729 540 482) or e-mail (contact@grapeshillcommunitygarden.org).

The garden is open to visitors free of charge every day (9am - 4.30pm in winter) and we will be holding more events during the year. See http://www.grapeshillcommunitygarden.org/events.htm for up to date details.

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

Jeremy Bartlett.
http://www.grapeshillcommunitygarden.org/

Photo by Jeremy Bartlett - Witch Hazel, currently in flower in the garden.

Transition Communications, 2012

2012-01-25T01:11:00.000Z

Happy new year readers! Here are some of the trusty This Low Carbon Life bloggers at the Greenhouse discussing the programme for the year ahead. We will be continuing our community blog with its sure-fire mix of individual posts, Transition Theme Weeks and Topic Weeks (Sustainable Relationships to Alternative Currencies) and hope you will join us.

Meanwhile in the big picture Transition will be in full multi-media swing in 2012, as the film Transition 2.0 launches this March and there are plans to expand the 15 minute Norwich in Transition to a full-length documentary. You can find a monthly podcast (listen to last month's featuring Norwich FarmShare) and newsletter on the Network news site. And if you didn't catch Rob Hopkins talk in November about the new Transition Companion book there are still cut-price copies available (see below). A great full-colour explanation of the drivers behind the movement and the essential ingredients and tools that make up initiatives (now numbering over 800 in 34 countries).

On the Transition Network the innovative Social Reporting project came to the end of its three month pilot in December. The project begins again next week with a month of Looking Back, Looking Forward. Don't miss the daily blogs by ten writers from initiatives around the UK, including three of the TN bloggers, Charlotte, Mark and Kerry (now at Transition University West of Scotland), reporting and reflecting on all subjects under the sun. You can keep updated with our twitter news at tnnorwich and ttreporters.

STOP PRESS! Article on Transition Norwich now out in Norwich Magazine - reprinted on Transition Culture. Text by Sabine Virani. Photos by Tony Buckingham. See here.

Copies of the new Transition book, The Transition Companion, by Rob Hopkins (Green Books) still available for £14. To order your copy email: info@sustainablebungay.com

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T03:52:00.003Z

Read all about what's happening in the city in the new year from our Transition Norwich news crew: Norwich in Transition film on line, Energy Look Outs! starts out, Occupy Norwich continues, Norwich FarmShare looks to the future, the Low Carbon Cookbook plans the menu, plus Transition Circles, Carbon Conversations, community gardens and more . . .

Festive food and planning for the new year - 31 January

2012-01-01T02:38:00.000Z

We're all enjoying a little downtime at Norwich FarmShare over the Christmas break. Tierney and team as ever did us proud with a fantastic selection of winter veg for our festive tables.
As soon as we're back from Christmas we'll be right into the swing of planning for our next season. We'll be meeting in January to discuss how to make our distribution and logistics run smoothly, how to work best on the farm to grow the veg we need whilst improving the site for wildlife, and how to increase our membership to a level that will make us a sustainable farm.

The distribution and logistics group- will meet on Monday 16th Jan, 6.30pm at Take 5, Tombland.

The environment and growing group will meet on Tuesday 24th Jan, 7.00 p.m. at the Bicycle Shop, St. Benedict's Street.

The team looking at our marketing and communications will meet on Tuesday 31st Jan, 7.00pm Jan at Take 5, Tombland.We'd love to see as many people as possible at these meetings, the more ideas the merrier! Drop us an email to let us know, or just turn up on the day.

See our website for more about the farm, plus fabulous seasonal recipes.
Elena, at Norwich FarmShare.

Pics: Tierney's Christmas lunch

FILM: Norwich in Transition - Part 1

2012-01-01T02:31:00.000Z

Click and see the people behind the scenes at The Nectar Cafe, Norwich FarmShare, Carbon Conversations, Norwich CoHousing, Norwich Energy Lookout! See Part 2 (below) for Economics and Livelihoods, Magdalen Street Celebration, communications and the TN blogs.

Still: William Hudson from East Anglia Food Link discussing peak oil and the CSA on site at Postwick (with rain barrel)

Film directed and produced by Tom Harper and Chris Hull for Transition Norwich's Third Anniversary Celebration. Music by James Frost. Starring members and associates of Transition Norwich, November 2011.

FILM: Norwich in Transition - Part 2

2012-01-01T02:05:00.000Z

Click and see the people behind the scenes reporting for Economics and Livelihoods, Magdalen Street Celebration, communications and the TN blogs. See Part 1 (above) for The Nectar Cafe, Norwich FarmShare, Carbon Conversations, Norwich CoHousing, Norwich Energy Lookouts!

Still: Charlotte Du Cann (TN blogs and the Low Carbon Cookbook) at the Occupy Norwich camp, Hay Hill, talking about communications (not a distraction!)

Film directed and produced by Tom Harper and Chris Hull for Transition Norwich's Third Anniversary Celebration. Music by James Frost. Starring members and associates of Transition Norwich, November 2011.

Kitchen Encounters of the Low Carbon Kind - 18 January

2012-01-01T02:02:00.000Z

Last month the Low Carbon cookbook crew sat before a midwinter feast of spicy dahl, chickpea stew, millet, buckwheat, pumpkins, sprouts, parsnips, almond cheese, wild mushrooms, red bean hummus and something unusual: dried curly kale that tasted of cheddar. Intriguing and very very more-ish.

We were at The Nectar Cafe where the shelves are stacked with local herb teas and hedgerow cordials and jars of lacto-fermented veg, chutney and salsas, all primed for this year's hungry gap. Jo Balfe's cafe, like our Low Carbon Cookbook, is seasonal to the max. To live within these kind of constraints happily, as we have all discovered, requires a whole different approach to cooking and living life. It's something that all cooks and creators find as they bridge the gap between the left and the right ways of seeing the world - the spark that lights the stove.

The spark is what you look for when you write a book, a creative way to mix that left-side heavy-duty information and the right-side possibilities of living lightly in synch with the planet. None of us wants to write an entertainment, or a text book. What makes you pick up a cookbook? we asked each other around the table. To proceed towards a low-carbon future an imaginative relationship with the physical world is necessary, where certain key commitments have been made. We need to be fired up by something stronger, more alluring than any feel-bad information. Tastes and kitchen encounters that connect us with the earth and with each other.

Any surprising, life-changing, downshifting recipes to share out there? We'd love to hear from you. Charlotte Du Cann

Our next meeting will be a mapping exercise to plot out the structure of the book. Bring your pens and paper and a winter dish to share. Or if you have a recipe you'd like to be included, please contact Charlotte at theseakaleproject@hotmail.co.uk

Photo: Masanobu Fukuoka from One Straw Revolution); low carbon cafe conversation. Full text and pix from The Spark That Lights the Stove. The Nectar Cafe is at 16 Onley Street, off Unthank Road.

Transition Circle West - 25th January

2012-01-01T01:32:00.000Z

Transition Circle West starting off the New Year with skills sharing.

We will be meeting at Pete and Teresa's house on Wednesday January 25th at 7pm to share a meal together and to discuss how we can share our skills. You can even bring something you have made along to show the group! This circle meeting follows two stimulating and enjoyable meetings held during December, where we discussed alternative economics and the future plans of the circle. Join us in January to learn new skills for a resilient community and to help plan future meetings for the circle.

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

Photo: skill-sharing at Permaculture Norfolk's Workday by Mark Watson

Carbon Conversations - new series

2012-01-01T00:23:00.000Z

A new round of Carbon Conversations courses will be starting in January so now is the time to get your name on the list so that we can plan when and where the groups will be held.

Carbon Conversations are based on a psychological understanding of how people change and help people to make significant reductions in their carbon footprint. Each group of 6 - 10 people meet for 6 sessions usually in member’s homes. The course is for all those who are concerned about climate change and wish to reduce their carbon footprint regardless of their current carbon footprint

What do the groups offer?
- sessions on low-carbon futures, home energy, travel and transport, food and water,
consumption and waste and making plans
- space for people to explore what climate change means for themselves, their families and their aspirations
- permission to share their hopes, doubts and anxieties
- time to work through the conflicts between intention, social pressure and
identity.
- reliable, well-researched information and practical guidance on what will
make a difference
- support in creating a personal plan for change
- materials including interactive games and a comprehensive handbook covering climate change basics, low-carbon living and the four key areas of the footprint – home energy, travel, food and other consumption.

Joining or starting a group
The groups are ideal for friends, neighbours and community groups so if you can gather a group of 6 – 10 people we’ll provide the facilitators.

Alternatively, contact training@transitionnorwich.org giving your name and postcode and we’ll contact you when a suitable group is available.

The Energy Look Outs!

2012-01-01T00:21:00.001Z

Ever passed by an office block late at night and wondered what all those lights are doing on?

Or seen 'patio heaters' blazing away outside a cafe radiating heat and carbon into thin air with nobody in sight?

This new initiative now enables you to mobilise that curiosity and reaction into action!

We are all responsible for good stewardship of resources, and in Transition Norwich we have an ideal vehicle for engaging with businesses where we find behaviour is not matching rhetoric.

Local authorities have asked for citizen involvement in making decisions about efficiency savings, and the retail sector in particular is the main interface between individuals and the business sector.

So - we are starting with a reporting process whereby anyone can report to us a concern about energy or resource waste, and we will take this up with the particular business concerned. We will then engage with the relevant part of the organisation or business concerned, with a view to positively reporting any changes they make as a result of community concerns. Chris Hull

Report your concern by e-mailing chrishull@phonecoop.coop. Watch this space for our next meeting to further develop this initiative!

Lights at the Forum, Norwich by Mark Watson

Norwich's Occupation thinks about Climate Change and Monetary Reform - 2/3 February

2012-01-01T00:15:00.000Z

You may have noticed in the press, from friends, or by walking the streets of the cities of this world, that thousands of people have been camping in squares and streets in protest of corporate greed and economic injustice. Norwich has its own occupation going on at Hay Hill, which has been continuously in progress since 15th October in which several transitioners are involved.

Although the constant presence indicates how seriously the issues are that the movement is protesting about, its real strength lies in the conversations that it has been inspiring amongst ordinary people about our economic and social structure, what is wrong with it, and what the possible solutions might be.

Occupy Norwich has several working groups which are trying to determine the nature of our concerns and form consensus on possible outcomes and solutions. The Climate Change working group (who have generally been meeting Tuesdays at 7pm at the Occupy Norwich camp) have already come up with some statements which have been agreed by consensus.

There is also a Monetary Reform working group (Wednesdays at approx. 7pm at the Occupy Norwich camp), which has been discussing the nature of money and the alternatives to the current system. Minutes from the last Monetary Reform working group meeting are here on facebook, or here on the forum. Simeon Jackson

Occupy Norwich is organising an arts festival on 3-5 February: "An amazing assortment of events over a weekend in venues situated across central Norwich. Live Music, DJs, comedians, poets, artists, workshops, great vibes, amazing people, excellent conversation and lots and lots of fun." They are also organising a People's Assembly and have just published the interim results of a local survey. Further information about Occupy Norwich can be found at their website on Facebook on Twitter.

Photo: General Assembly by Mark Watson

Grapes Hill Community Garden Update

2012-01-01T00:12:00.000Z

In December we had our first real frosts of the winter and had our last gardening task of the year, clearing tender plants such as Nasturtiums and Achocha. We've left the dry skeletons of our herbaceous perennials and climbers as a winter hiding place for insects, such as clusters of 7-Spot Ladybirds.

The surfaces of the raised beds are covered in leaves, which will prevent nutrients from being leached out of the soil. We've now allocated each of the beds to local families, to give those without a garden of their own space to grow vegetables.

And so, the garden is resting for the winter, though it is still open to the public every day and evergreens, dried seedheads and the occasional flower provide continuing interest.

The end of the year is a time for reflection and so we've put together a brief video of the creation of the garden as a summary of what we've achieved so far. It is amazing that a year ago the garden was still a building site and, before that, an area of rough tarmac.

We wish you all a Happy New Year.

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

Jeremy Bartlett.
http://www.grapeshillcommunitygarden.org/

Film by Jeremy Bartlett, featuring photos by Jeremy Bartlett, Vanna Bartlett and Jo Rice.
Music - "Urban Oasis" by Dave Sturgess.

Talking To Each Other

2011-12-10T01:30:00.000Z

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

Welcome to our December News 2011!

2011-12-01T13:47:00.012Z

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

2011-12-01T08:52:00.001Z

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

2011-12-01T08:50:00.003Z

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

2011-12-01T08:27:00.000Z

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

2011-12-01T08:17:00.000Z

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

2011-12-01T04:41:00.000Z

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

2011-12-01T04:17:00.000Z

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

2011-12-01T04:13:00.000Z

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

2011-12-01T02:10:00.000Z

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

Climate Change Actions and Events in Norwich

2011-11-04T00:01:00.002Z

The Stop Climate Change Coalition (SCCC), the combined climate change voice of over 100 campaigning, community and faith organisations, supported by over 11 million people, are basing their East of England operations in Norfolk. The Greenhouse, Norwich's Environment Centre will be the host office from which the Eastern Regional Mobiliser will manage campaigns and mobilisation in East Anglia, including a Climate Change Exhibition which will be opened on 26 November by Simon Wright MP. This will be followed by a full on African drumming set outside the Forum at 12noon.

The SCCC Eastern Regional Mobiliser, Michael Uwins, said "Norfolk is the obvious place to be. There is a great deal of awareness in the area of the threat of climate change. Numerous SCCC member organisations including RSPB, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, UNICEF, Women's Institute and Christian Aid, work and campaign here. Each has their own agenda but all are united in demanding urgent and stronger action from Government to tackle runaway climate change. Our aim is to build bridges with politicians and we'll be working alongside local campaigning and community groups, unions and schools to make things happen."

On November 28th, the next round of the United Nations climate talks (COP 17) will open in Durban, South Africa. After nearly two decades of negotiations, including the disappointing Copenhagen conference (COP 15), international deadlock has resulted in a failure to establish a binding agreement to curb the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Former Norwich MP Dr. Ian Gibson, President of the Norwich and District United Nations Association, also a SCCC member organisation, said: "There was no significant mention of climate change issues at conferences held by the major political parties. The deniers of man made climate change are winning. A fresh political campaign needs to be resurrected to put the issue to the top of the agenda. The scientists have retreated back to their models and laboratories. A summit of concerned individuals needs to be set up. No more Copenhagens please".

To mark the Durban conference, SCCC will be staging a number of African themed events around the country, including many in the Eastern region. Grassroots groups will connect with each other to show local MPs and Government the strength of public concern on climate change.

For more information, please contact: Michael Uwins, Regional Mobiliser (Eastern) SCCC. email: east@stopclimatechaos.org tel: 07530 533747 or 01953 601624 www.stopclimatechaos.org

REPORT: St Augustines Visioning - Economics and Livelihoods

2011-11-02T00:04:00.000Z

The visioning session for St Augustine's Street that took place on 26th October was attended by at least 20 people (exact numbers not known!), including two Police Officers - nice of them to come - not bad for a cold, damp evening. There was a mix of residents, traders and some representatives from outside of the area.

The idea of the session was to start thinking about the potential that St Augustines Street has for economic regeneration, and meeting others who might be able to do their bit in bringing that about. Views were expressed on the possibility of a traders' association, the current status of properties, properties that have been vacant for long periods and may need encouragement to start letting again, and issues relating to parking and access.

But the process is still ongoing!

If you have an interest in the area, as a resident, a trader or someone who goes through the area on a regular basis, we'd love to hear your responses to the following questions:

a) What shops/services/facilities would you like to use/see locally?

b) What personality would you like the area to have?

c) What particular changes would have a positive effect on your life/business?

d) What would save you money, resources or wasted time?

e) What do you or your business have to offer to the development of the local economy in terms of premises, time and/or expertise?

The area we are looking at is St Augustines Street itself, the area within the Gyratory and the few shops beyond. Anglia Square and Edwards Street are not included.

You can email your answers to Simeon Jackson at simeon@simeonjackson.co.uk, who can also be contacted for any other queries.

St. Augustine's Community Together Residents' Association are also conducting an audit of businesses and empty properties on the street. Any knowledge of the current owners of vacant properties would be appreciated.

Photos of Magdalen Street Celebration by Mark Watson

Welcome to our November News 2011!

2011-11-01T01:20:00.003Z

Read all about what's happening in the city this autumn from our Transition Norwich news crew: TN's third birthday celebrations with Rob Hopkins, Transition East's third regional gathering, Norwich FarmShare's potato day, the Low Carbon Cookbook's A-Z, reports from St Augustine's Visioning Day and Urbal Fix, plus Transition Circles, climate connections, community gardens and more . . . .

Photos: Storing apples (Bee Springwood); Mike Grenville, organiser of the Transition Camp (Charlotte Du Cann); poster for Occupy Norwich; Rob Hopkins and the Ingredient and Tool cards (Transition Network)

Transition Circle Norwich West is back! 1 November

2011-11-01T01:16:00.000Z

After a small break over the summer, the Norwich West Transition Circle reconvened with fresh energy and enthusiasm at Helen's house last Wednesday to discuss our plans and objectives for the coming months. We discussed possible ideas for future meetings, including: a discussion about behaviour change; guerilla or indoor gardening; a discussion or activity around sustainable food; working together to think about answers to common questions about climate change; and many more! We also considered holding more regular general meetings where we might share a meal together or go to the pub to discuss Transition and other issues of interest, helping to create more connections within the group.

The next circle meeting will be held on November 1st. For more information about future meetings and the circle, please contact Helen on mshelenpallett@gmail.com

Erik from TC West outside The Nectar, NR2 (photo: Mark Watson)

Transition Circle Hethersett and the Green Space Group - 3 November

2011-11-01T00:41:00.002Z

Hethersett Transition met in Steve's garden to discuss various ways to start growing this afternoon. John Heaser, Erik Buitenhuis, and myself walked around the south facing plot with some enthusiasm, and came up with a variety of approaches to cultivating the turf. It was good to meet up and briefly highlight local issues, including landlords and cess pits!! There's a seasonal hush over the garden that a nice bit of mulching will further, putting the garden to bed for winter. It's still unusually mild with time for planting rooted perennials. bulbs, shrubs.

The Green Spaces Group have organised a meeting to discuss the future of green space in our village-and the possibility of adding to its 'green lungs'. The meeting will be a platform to hear and discuss what green space means for people, and how they hope to protect and use it. Eileen Mulvaney

PUBLIC MEETING is at Woodside First School, 7.30 to 9.30 pm on Thursday 3rd November to discuss a village approach to our green spaces and to look more specifically at our first space The Memorial Playing Field. All your views and ideas are welcome. This event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be available. for more information contact hethersettpc@tiscali.co.uk or phone 01603 814171

Photo: John Heaser's vegetable garden from Winter Stores

Rob Hopkins Visits Norwich - 15 November

2011-11-01T00:31:00.000Z

Positive approaches in difficult times
On Tuesday 15 November, Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network and Transiton Town Totnes will be visiting Norwich to talk about the Transition movement, and to help us celebrate 3 years of Transition Norwich. A lot of excitement is being generated around this visit, and it will be a perfect opportunity to find out more about Transition.

The evening will also feature a short in-house film telling something of the story of Transition Norwich so far, and sharing some of the amazing things that have been achieved. After the talk, there will be a chance to meet and discuss over tea, coffee and cake with other people who are interested in positive community responses.

Rob will also talk about his new book The Transition Companion which will be available at the event for £14. To order your copy Email: info@sustainablebungay.com

Looking forward to see you on the 15th.... Christine Way

Celebrate 3 Years of Transition Norwich with Rob Hopkins: founder of the Transition Town Movement Tuesday 15th November at 7.30pm United Reform Church, Princes Street, Norwich NR3 1LE . All Welcome Free Entry (suggested donation £5) and if poss do bring a cake

For further info email: training@transitionnorwich.org

Seed Swap Saturday - 19 November

2011-11-01T00:13:00.000Z

On Saturday 19 November, the third annual organic seed swap will be held at 2 pm in the Grow Our Own allotment hut. Entrance is free.

Grow Our Own is situated on the Bluebell South allotments. The entrance is where 82 The Avenues would be, down a narrow lane immediately after George Borrow Road on the way out of the city. Erik Buitenhuis

For more information on the venue see http://grow-our-own.co.uk/
For more information, contact Erik.

A is for Apples, Abundance, Allotments - Low Carbon Cookbook - 23 November

2011-11-01T00:10:00.000Z

We're on the home stretch with our cookbook sessions. In October we rounded up the growing year and looked at everything we had discussed - tools, ingredients, ethics, seasons -over our autumnal harvest feast of pumpkins and apples. Now we have a full store cupboard and soon we'll put our full attention on compiling an alphabet of downshift cuisine.

So to whet your appetite and intellect here is a quick ABC taster of the kinds of practical and philosophical subjects you will find within its covers:

Allotments, Beehives, CSAs, Dairy, Eggs, Foraging, Germination, Hungry gap, Industrial food systems, Jam, Kitchen Conversations, Land Grabs, Milling, Nourishment, Organic, Palm oil, Quinces, Rocket stoves, Storage, Tortilla, Umi plums, Veg boxes, Water, Xylitol, Yellow peas, Zero Waste.

I've written about the Low Carbon Cookbook on the Social Reporters blog during our Food and Health week. Do check it out! Charlotte Du Cann

STOP PRESS! Before our next meeting some of us will be leading a discussion on Relocalising our Food System at OccupyNorwich, Hay Hill, at 5.30pm. All welcome!

Photos: Thom and pumpkin at the Transition Camp 2011 by Tamzin Pinkerton, co-author of Local Food (Social Reporting project); apples stored in a drawer by Bee Springwood from Apple Time (This Low Carbon Life)

This Low Carbon Life - 26 November

2011-11-01T00:09:00.000Z

Our third year began in October with a Retroblog. Each of us chose three posts (from about 300) that had made an impact on us in some way. We looked at the Transition Themes Weeks and our Topic Weeks said why we kept writing in spite of everything that conspired to make us not.

"What I love is that you don't have to market Transition or spin yourself or your life. You can say how it is in ways that you can't elsewhere, at home or work or amongst your friends who are all hoping things will turn out otherwise. You can write stuff you don't find in the mainstream media or written in books, because none of us who blog are hip or connected enough to register on that business-as-usual radar, we don't fit the box or the mindset, we live in the wrong city, we're from the wrong class, we're unfashionably in Transition, too old, too poor, too green, too radical, not radical enough . . . whatever. You can wake up with something to say and today you're going to say it anyway, straight from the heart. Even though you are under the kind of pressure that Jon captured so clearly and honestly in his A Shocking State of Affairs. It's a different narrative. Written by the people who are experiencing it first hand. On a deadline." A Year of Living Differently

It was another rich month for the alternative media everywhere as the Occupy movement began to work its way into every thinking person's blog. Here on This Low Carbon Life we've been reporting on Occcupy Norwich, as well as Sustainable Livelihoods and Autumn Storecupboards and featuring guest blogs from Joe Rake of Transition Heathrow (on Facing Eviction), and Adrienne Campbell from Transition Lewes (on Life Preserving), amongst our regular posts. This week we're surveying and recommending the best Transition blogs on the web. Check us out!

(Charlotte Du Cann/Mark Watson)

TN bloggers are meeting on 26 November at the Greenhouse at 11.15am. All present and future contributors welcome! For more info email theseakaleproject@hotmail.co.uk

Third Transition East Gathering - 26 November

2011-11-01T00:07:00.000Z

Many of you will remember the first two gatherings of Transitioners from all around East Anglia, at Downham Market and at Diss. I found them really excellent events, and heard the same from many others who were there. They gave me a strong sense that there were many others like me, with similar projects and similar difficulties. Sharing those gave me a renewed sense of purpose, lots of good ideas, and, especially, new friends. They were well worth the travel effort.

The third gathering will be on 26th November, hosted by Transition Stour Valley and held at Old Hall Community, East Bergholt from 9 am (for a 10 am start) - 5 pm with optional food and evening entertainment for those wishing to stay on. The venue itself is an inspiring place, a large community that has been running for about 40 years on very environmentally sound and democratic lines. A tour of Old Hall is an option as part of the programme.

The programme is designed to help you to meet those Transitioners from around the region who are most likely to be of interest to you, with mapping exercises, discussions, and 'organised but informal networking'. There will also be fun creative activities for children and a children’s Book and Toy swap, so bring along any you would like to swap.

Please bring some lunch to share, and information about your group and what it has been doing, perhaps as a poster or leaflets. (If you can't come, please send information anyway). Come by public transport or in shared cars if possible. Gary Alexander

Getting there: Old Hall Community, East Bergholt, CO7 6TG. Buses run from Manningtree station (end of Station Approach) and will stop outside Old Hall if you ask the driver nicely, at 09.40 (96), 11.40 (96) and 13.40 (96). It's also a beautiful 3 mile walk on footpaths. Evening lifts can be arranged back to the station. There are also buses from Ipswich and Colchester to East Bergholt. Contacts: Miriam 07904198649 or Dave 07799338733 and further info and full programme at http://oldhall.org.uk/events/.

We Are the 99% #occupynorwich

2011-11-01T00:06:00.004Z

On Saturday October 15, inspired by the social uprisings that began in Tahrir Square in the Arab Spring and later in the indignado movements in Greece and Spain and the #occupywallstreet campaign people in 961 cities throughout the world spoke out in their squares and meeting places.

In the Haymarket over a hundred of us gathered to discuss the financial system that is squeezing the majority (99%) in favour of the ruling elite (1%). It's a global protest against the existing order, but it's also about taking part in a creative process in which the voices of ordinary citizens converge in order to manifest social change. Real democracy on a planet in a state of crisis.

Our prevailing "official" culture is rooted in the Western “business-as-usual” control of resources that denies rather than reflects systemic collapse. However the myths on which it is based - endless economic growth, the supremacy of the rich and famous - are being eroded as people everywhere are waking up to the reality that we need to create a new story that includes us all. On Saturday several of us from Transition Norwich were there (and one or two still are) as one of the key strands within this new cultural narrative.

Two weeks later the camp, like hundreds across the globe, is still active and holding assemblies, workshops and events like this weekend's The Undead Rise Up to join the 99%', with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (politicians, bankers, media, capitalism/greed), Vampires (politicians/bankers) and Zombies (the 99%)!

Occupy Norwich has also set up an information hub for anyone wanting to find out what this global movement is all about and what can be done locally. Do go along to their camp at the Haymarket or get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or their website.

Charlotte Du Cann

(See also Open Letter of Support to Occupy London by Jay of Transition Wivenhoe)

Photo: poster for #occupynorwich; consensus decision making on Day 2 by Ruski Fari

Norwich FarmShare Potato Day

2011-11-01T00:06:00.003Z

Last Saturday marked the first ever Norwich FarmShare Potato day. As we've not (yet) got any storage on site, we can't keep our potatoes in good condition over the winter. Potatoes don't like to get the frost on them at all, so we needed to work fast and get the potatoes up and out of the ground, bagged up and given to our members to store at home.

We had a fantastic turn out with more than 30 people pitching in to get the potatoes bagged up- and we had it nice and easy as the tractor pulled a potato harvester along the rows, doing all the hard work for us. All we had to do was pluck the potatoes up from the surface and pop them in our bags. Alas, disaster was not far behind as the tractor gave up the ghost half way down the second row.

Thankfully, our members and their friends and families got stuck in with forks and strong backs and dug the rest by hand: according to my calculations we lifted more than 2 tonnes of potatoes between us- not bad at all.

As ever with farm workdays, blisters and creaky joints were more than matched by smiles and banter- and a lunch break spent stretched out in the warm autumn sun soothed our tired muscles. If you're tempted to join us on the farm, as we go into the quieter winter season the best day is a Thursday- to help us with the harvest. Drop us an email so we know to expect you!

See our website for more info and some delicious kale recipes. Elena Judd

Grapes Hill Community Garden - Deep Beds To Rent

2011-11-01T00:05:00.002Z

A year ago the Grapes Hill Community Garden was a building site and the block paving was being laid and our nine deep beds were being constructed.

During the first year members of the Grapes Hill Community Garden Group looked after the deep beds and we shared out the produce amongst volunteers on garden work days, from courgettes, runner beans, French beans and beetroot to more unusual crops such as tree spinach and achocha.

From 2012 onwards we will be renting out deep beds, giving preference to people in the surrounding area who don't have their own growing space. If you're interested, fill in an application form by 1st December 2011 and send it to us. You'll also need to join the Gardening Group. Group members will receive a regular newsletter and invites to members only events in the garden, such as barbecues. For more details, including forms and where to send them, see the Get Involved page on our website.

The garden is now slowing down as winter approaches but there is still plenty to see and we've been preparing for spring by planting Anemone, squill and daffodil bulbs.

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

Photograph by Jeremy Bartlett

REPORT: The Urbal Fix - Next Steps

2011-11-01T00:03:00.001Z

On Saturday 29^th October nearly 40 of us from across Norwich gathered together at St. Thomas’ Church Hall for a screening of The Urbal Fix, a film which explores ways to respond to climate change and peak oil and transform our cities into greener, pleasanter places to live.

Although the film uses Leeds as its example, the problems and solutions described were easy to relate to Norwich and were clearly presented by Tom Bliss, who wrote and produced the film.

Suggested solutions included the creation of community gardens and other public green spaces, green corridors to link these together, the use of buildings to generate renewable energy, local food production and distribution and smarter town planning and building.

Most, if not all, of this will be familiar to supporters of Transition Norwich, but the film brings together ideas in a very inspiring and easy to understand way and by the end we were feeling energised and keen to do more.

Many different initiatives are taking place in Norwich, both inside and outside the Transition Norwich umbrella, and one positive outcome of our meeting would be to find ways to link together these initiatives and make it easier for individuals and groups to share ideas, learn from each others’ experiences and find the best ways to make changes happen.

The evening was hosted by Rev. Philip Young, the vicar of St. Thomas’ Church as part of One World Week. As well as watching the film we had a series of discussions and shared a selection of delicious desserts.

Many of those of us who attended the meeting passed on our contact details to Philip Young, who will host a follow-up meeting in the near future.

If you weren’t able to make the meeting you can view the film here. If you would like to take part in further meetings, please contact Philip on Norwich 624390 or via the St. Thomas’ Church website’s contact form. Jeremy Bartlett

Photo: Bluebell Allotments (Jeremy Bartlett)

Have Cake & Eat It - 15 November

2011-11-01T00:02:00.000Z

On 15th November after Rob Hopkins' talk we (350 of us we hope) will be eating cake. We would like the TN Birthday Cake to represent the communal spirit of Transition Norwich and therefore ask that you each bring a cake to share. The cakes will then be assembled creatively to make a big birthday cake. If you are bringing an allergen free cake eg. sugar, nut, dairy, gluten free please label it. Please deliver your cake to the kitchen or hand it to a volunteer in the foyer before 7.30 on the night. If you would like to join us for a shared supper before the event please bring a veggie dish (preferably local and organic) to share at 6.30pm.

If you could display a poster for the event or could print out a few leaflets to hand out and spread the word please email: training@transitionnorwich.org

We look forward to seeing you at the United Reform Church on Princes Street. Christine Way

Photo: TTBrixton's Unleashing Cake by Johhny Helm from Celebration Ingredient

Welcome to our October News 2011!

2011-10-01T13:08:00.001+01:00

Read all about what's happening in the city this autumn from our Transition Norwich news crew: Magdalen Street Celebration Big Day (today!), Norwich FarmShare's Indian Summer harvest, TN's third birthday celebrations with Rob Hopkins, This Low Carbon Life's 650 blogposts in two years, St Augustine's Visioning Day, plus Transition Circles, Low Carbon Cookups, the Oil Game, Norwich Community Bees and more . . . .

FILM: Just Do It - 18 October

2011-10-01T01:43:00.000+01:00

Just Do It is an observational documentary from award-winning film maker Emily James and it lifts the lid on climate activism. Emily spent a year embedded with a group of climate activists following them as they blockade factories, attack coal power stations and glue themselves to the trading floors of international banks in an attempt to force businesses and governments to adopt more environmentally responsible approaches.

The film is a powerful testament to those who refuse to sit back and allow the eco-systems and environmental infrastructure to be destroyed. Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inspire.

It will be screened in Lecture Theatre 1 and is free to attend thanks to support from PSI and an anonymous donation. Doors open at 7pm. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Ella Gilbert, a local climate activist featured in the film; Dr Rupert Read (Reader in Philosophy, regional co-ordinator and Norwich Councillor for the Green Party), and Lucy Baker (Doctoral student in DEV and academic observer from within the Bella Centre at the Copenhagen Climate summit). Erik Buitenhuis

Watch the trailer here

Just Do It Time: 7pm Venue: UEA Lecture Theatre

3 years of Transition Norwich - A celebration with Rob Hopkins - 15 November

2011-10-01T00:40:00.000+01:00

An evening for Transition Norwich and the City of Norwich to celebrate, reconnect, remind, regenerate, share and discuss where we are and what we have achieved since the 'great unleashing' back in 2008.

The evening is set for Tuesday the 15th of November- 7.30pm at the United Reform Church (Princes Street). The plan is to have a happy and relaxed celebration, an opportunity for further dreaming and planning, with stalls to display the various projects throughout Norwich that have been a direct result of TN or link directly with TN in their ethos and vision.

Rob Hopkins will be joining our celebration, sharing the broader story of transition as he witnesses it as well as discussing his upcoming book The Transition Companion (including sections about the TN blog, Norwich FarmShare and a great pic of the NR3 Reskillers by helenofnorwich).

Plus.... there are plans to put a short 10 min film together that reflects on Transition Norwich, the place, the people, the projects.For inquiries about the event please contact Christine Way at training@transitionnorwich.org

The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins (Green Books) was published on October 27 and now has its ingredient and tools on line.

Magdalen Street Celebration Today!

2011-10-01T00:14:00.004+01:00

Today on Saturday October 1st, Magdalen Street is celebrating its unique character in street festival style with performances, exhibitions, fashion shows, workshops, family activities and local history tours.

Following on last year's memorable and groundbreaking success, even more musicians and activities have been arranged.

Norwich Taiko Centre will be opening the event under the Magdalen flyover and some of the best-known bands in the city will be playing on the street throughout the day, using a cycle-powered PA. The audience will be able to hop on the bike and power up their favourite bands!

Helen Simpson-Slapp of the organising committee said “The goal of the day is to bring together neighbourhood residents, regulars and visitors to highlight Magdalen Street's role as a hub of creative, independently-owned, ethnically diverse and environmentally sustainable businesses.”

The art events, stallholders and historical aspects to the day will bring to life Magdalen Street's rich heritage. The street still boasts a range of food, clothes and shoe shops and is classified by the City Council as the busiest in the whole of Norwich for numbers of pedestrians and buses. Some of the shops from 1905 have survived - most notably 2 of the original fish shops.

The Magdalen Street Celebration themes for 2011 are Creativity, Diversity and Sustainability. Known informally as the 'Creative Quarter', the area houses a multitude of creative businesses. 'Diversity' refers to the street’s ethnic diversity as well as the range of disability-related charities operating in the area and 'Sustainability' is represented by the plethora of second-hand, vintage, antique and craft shops in the area.

The event is spearheaded by members of Transition Norwich seeking a fun way to engage community, celebrate the range of cultural backgrounds represented and promote the opportunity to live more sustainably by shopping locally, buying second-hand and making friends locally. Transition Norwich is a community-based response to peak oil, climate change and economic recession. The organisers are grateful for the financial assistance of Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council who are supporting this year's event. Chris Hull

Contacts: Helen Simpson-Slapp helenofnorwich@hotmail.com Tel: 07747 751656 Stefi Barna Tel: 07964 494836 Web: magdalenstreet.blogspot.com or join our Facebook page

This Low Carbon Life is Two Years Old!

2011-10-01T00:12:00.000+01:00

On October 4 This Low Carbon Life will be two years old. As Mark Watson wrote recently for the Transition Network's Social Reporting Project:

"For almost two years now the bloggers on This Low Carbon Life have published between us over 650 posts on everything from house insulation, saving toads, economic collapse, addiction to love and stuff, the Uncivilisation festival and
the woes of rural (and city) public transport, to celebrations, recipes, sharing meals, growing food, cycling, recycling, communications, plants, bees, lacto-fermentation and downshifting in low-carbon style. I’m not going to put links to all of these – but there is truly a low carbon post for everyone so do have a look."

The national Social Reporting project was inspired by our community daily blog and stars two of the TN bloggers, Mark and Kerry Lane (now up at Transition University at West of Scotland). The pilot will run every day with guest editors writing on a Transition theme and a crew of 12 reporters around the country responding during the week. Don't miss tomorrow's first guest editorial by Peter Lipman, Chair of the Transition Network on The Big Picture. You can read my editor's welcome to the project here.

Meanwhile back in Norwich we're celebrating a brilliant year with a "retroblog" and you can enjoy some of our fave posts next week. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed, commented cross-posted, photographed and read us through these months. It doesn't happen without you. Charlotte Du Cann

Photos: Mark Watson leading a bee and flower walk at Bungay Beehive Day by Muhammad Amin; Kerry Lane working in her Transition office in Glasgow from Stories by our Social Reporters

Grapes Hill Community Garden - Task Day 23 October

2011-10-01T00:11:00.000+01:00

Summer is becoming autumn in the Grapes Hill Community Garden, but there are still late flowers and vegetables to see. The meadow has been cut and we will be adding Yellow Rattle seeds this autumn. This beautiful plant, with its yellow flowers in June and dry rattle-like seedheads, is a semi-parasite on grasses, so will keep the height of the meadow down once established. The seeds need cold to germinate, hence the autumn planting.

There are two task days in October: Sundays 9th and 23rd. We will be in the garden between 2 and 4pm on those days - come and meet us and join in!

The garden has been open all summer, 9 - 6pm every day, but winter opening hours will start on Sunday 30th October, when the garden will close at 4.30pm. Admission is free.

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

Photograph by Vanna Bartlett: Rudbeckia and asters give late summer colour.

News from Norwich FarmShare - Workday 22 October

2011-10-01T00:10:00.000+01:00

We’ve had another busy month, but I suppose that’s farming: the quiet time is always just round the corner.

Tierney, our assistant grower has stepped in to take up the reins (though as yet we’re not using draft animals) as Head Grower, she’ll be assisted day to day by Martin, Christophe and the rest of the part time crew and will have help once a week from experienced organic grower Michael Knights. It’s no small undertaking and Tierney will need as much support as possible from the FarmShare volunteers. And the volunteers turned out in force to help Tierney on her first work day on the 25th when beanpoles were cleared, weeds pulled up, mesh moved and the poly tunnel prepared for winter salads.

The vegetable shares have been fantastic this month and, as we slip from Summer into Autumn, tomatoes and salads are being replaced by squashes, cavolo nero and leeks. A bumper crop of potatoes – too many to store – means we’re planning a potato harvesting day for October where members can come and pick their own sack of spuds from the soil behind the harvester.

Our activities have attracted a bit of national media attention too and next week FarmShare volunteers and staff will be interviewed about the project for Radio 4's Farming Today – we’ll keep you posted!

The next work day will be on Monday 10th October, 10am to 3pm; we’ll be planting onions – not as sets but as plugs each with half a dozen tiny grass-like seedlings and Saturday 22nd October when we'll be digging for potatoes. Josiah Meldrum

See our website for recipes, blog posts and information about joining FarmShare or email us

Gathering the Harvest - Low Carbon Cookbook - 11 October

2011-10-01T00:09:00.000+01:00

Last month the Low Carbon Cookbook crew met at the Friends Meeting House for a Kitchen Conversation at the FoodCycle Cafe. Our meal and discussion came just after watching The Shock Doctrine at Little g's first film night and it was hard to concentrate on the niceties of domestic food waste, after watching the violent way Chile, Argentina, Russia and the UK had been chewed up and consumed by the voracious appetites of the Chicago School of Economics.

The food however was delicious and the atmosphere very buzzy in its spiritual surroundings: Thai nut curry with rice and mixed salad and organic bread, followed by a knockout blackberry and apple crumble, served with a seriously industrialised Dream Cream (ah, the perils of freegan food!)

This month we are celebrating a year of low-carbon cooking and sharing and talking about everything edible and grown (including the kitchen sink) with a harvest meal. We are also deciding now how to cohere all our findings and get down to our winter work of Writing The Book.

If you would like to contribute to this TN project or come along and find out what we are up to do get in touch Charlotte Du Cann rootsshootsandseeds@hotmail.co.uk

Photo with Norfolk Biffin apple from Foraging for Abundance (This Low Carbon Life)

St Augustines Visioning - Economics and Livelihoods - 26 October

2011-10-01T00:07:00.001+01:00

As you are probably already aware, the North city is a development priority for Norwich City Council. There are plans in the pipeline for the redevelopment of the Anglia Square and the surrounding brownfield sites and public space improvement has already begun with the implementation of the "Gyratory" one-way system for St Augustines Street.

When it comes down to it, though, it is we, the people of Norwich, who define the place by the shops we run, the places we choose to use and care for, and the personal character which each one of us gives it, rather than simply what developers choose to build. Where property is in shared ownership, public, or is currently unoccupied, we must have a collaborative effort to consciously define the place in a way which is appropriate to all our needs.

With this in mind, there will be a visioning session for anyone with an interest in St Augustines Street on Wednesday 26th October 2011 at 6pm. Meet at the Corner of St. Augustines and Pitt Street, in front of the furniture shop.

We will be looking at what kind of personality we want the area to have, and how we can encourage the type of development that would create that personality. Are there any types of shops which would revitalise the street whilst bringing cash into the area? How can we improve the local economy in a sustainable way?

The full blog post on This Low Carbon Life explains more. Simeon Jackson

Please let me know whether or not you will be coming at simeon@simeonjackson.co.uk or for any other questions or comments you may have.

Transport - Northern Distributor Road - 14 October

2011-10-01T00:07:00.000+01:00

Norfolk County Council has submitted a funding bid to the Department for Transport for the Norwich Northern Distributor Road and Postwick Hub schemes for a decision by December 2011. There is a good chance of stopping the scheme in the current economic climate of tight public funding, but this is the last chance to do so.

PLEASE TAKE URGENT ACTION TODAY. Last week the EDP and Evening News ran a week of articles on the NDR. Please write letters to eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk and edpletters@archant.co.uk - and blind copy (bcc) i_oppose_the_ndr@fastmail.co.uk so we can keep track. Keep them short and focus on your most compelling concerns about this wasteful road scheme.

If you need further details on the articles, or suggestions of issues to write about, then contact andrewboswell@fastmail.co.uk.

We also need people to write further letters to the DfT and ministers (with more technical content) between now and October 14th. If you would be willing to write a letter, please email andrewboswell@fastmail.co.uk, and Andrew will send you details, probably a proforma letter for you to customise, nearer the time.

NNTAG and other campaign groups have also produced a postcard to send to the transport minister who will make the decision Norman Baker. To stop this devastating road from being built, please also send in the postcard (for cards ring 01603 611909). Also, if you can help with delivery of cards to homes in parts of North Norwich close to the proposed path of the road, then please call Richard Bearman (01603-504495). Andrew Boswell

Norwich Community Bees - Buzzing with Excitement

2011-10-01T00:05:00.001+01:00

The Norwich Community Bee scheme is officially up and running - our first bees arrived at the Norwich Farmshare site on 23rd September. Erik, Bee, Elena and Tierney were there to see it happen, and it was a proud moment when the hive was moved into position and the bees were liberated from their temporary travelling home.

It's been a long journey from the initial idea to finally getting the bees on site, but we're so excited to be a proper community beekeeping scheme at last! And it has really been a community effort, so a big thank you to everyone who's joined in the planning and doing, contributed their ideas, enthusiasm and skills. This is only just the beginning!

For more information on Norwich Community Bees, visit our website. Jon Curran

Oil Game goes global!

2011-10-01T00:05:00.000+01:00

Norwich Transitioners develop a home grown project called 'The Oil Game' that is now being played around the world.

Originally the seed idea of the Oil Game was created by Rob Hopkins for Transition Tales. It was discovered locally here in Norwich by Charlotte Du Cann and delivered as part of a workshop by Charlotte and Tom Harper at Catton Grove primary school in 2010. Since then, it has been expanded, developed and configured into a usable workbook for schools and other educational settings from key stage 2 up.

So What is the Oil Game? The Oil Game is a fun, innovative art and drama based workshop that engages participants with the concept of peak oil, inviting an exploration into our oil dependent lifestyles and questioning how we might move beyond that oil dependency to a low carbon, more sustainable world. The workbook was funded by CUE East and supported by the UEA as they were keen to research any pro environmental behaviour change in the students as a result of playing the game.

The workbook was created by Jane Chittenden, Alex Haxeltine and Tom Harper who set up a not for profit Norwich based company called Community Solutions East at the end of 2010 for the purposes of developing community schemes and initiatives that focus on strengthening our local resilience in the face of the challenges of climate change, peak oil and economic recession. Teresa Belton from the UEA also lent her expertise to the project in the form of a 'pro environmental' behaviour change researcher. The game is now being played around the world from Albuquerque New Mexico to France, Wisconsin U.S.A, Scotland, Bali and Wales to name a few!

And that is thanks to Rob Hopkins for sharing the 4 min film of the workshop on the Transition Culture blog. Since then, emails and phone calls have been coming in from all around the world by people wanting to play the Oil Game.

If you want to see the film you can also do so here and the workbook is currently free to download and is ready to be played at home as well as abroad! If you want to play the Oil Game or find out more, do contact Tom Harper- tomharper@ekit.com

RELATED EVENT: The Economics of Happiness - 21 October

2011-10-01T00:04:00.000+01:00

'Going local' is a powerful strategy to repair our fractured world—our ecosystems, our societies and our selves.

Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of big business and banking. It has also worsened nearly every problem we face: fundamentalism and ethnic conflict; climate chaos and species extinction; financial instability and unemployment. There are personal costs too. For the majority of people on the planet life is becoming increasingly stressful. We have less time for friends and family and we face mounting pressures at work.

The Economics of Happiness describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, all around the world people are resisting those policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.

This is the second Little g film night (September's was The Shock Doctrine). The idea is to relax over a film and food (bring something shareable if you can), and have time to talk about it. Lesley Grahame

Little g film nights run every third Friday of the month at 6pm, Friends' Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane.

RELATED EVENT: Visions of a Green Community/City - 29 October

2011-10-01T00:02:00.000+01:00

On Saturday 29th October 2011 we are holding an exciting event entitled "Visions of a Green Community/City", a chance to see a truly inspirational film and to have a party at the same time.

The film is made by Tom Bliss from Leeds, but the ideas are really relevant for our beautiful City of Norwich and to Transition Norwich.

Tom clearly presents the problem of our unsustainable lifestyles and the need for radical change to green and sustainable solutions. What is different is that he has good practical solutions, which bring together the doers, who like to create green spaces and community gardens, and the thinkers and decision makers who can get things changing City-wide.

This is a must attend event for all those wishing to put some energy into green action in our local community.

Bring along your councillors, and decision makers and your green activists. Hopefully the outcome will be a local action group to work alongside Transition Norwich and other green initiatives.

Get inspired by viewing the revolutionary ideas at http://www.turnstone.tv/theurbal%20fix.html. If you send me an e-mail at philipyoung@btinternet.com I’ll send you a poster to display Philip Young, Vicar of St. Thomas’ Heigham

The event will take place at the St. Thomas' Parish Hall, Earlham Road, Norwich. Gather at 7pm; film screening starts at 7.30pm and will be followed by interaction and discussion and a party until 11pm. Bring something to drink and a sweet/dessert to share so we can enjoy new friendships and continue sharing ideas and visions, hopefully leading to community action.

RELATED EVENT: UEA Cafe Conversations Autumn Series 12 October

2011-10-01T00:01:00.003+01:00

The UEA's Cafe Conversations series will begin again with an all-philosophy line-up in October and November, at two new venues. Discussions kick off on 12 October with an introductory session on "What is Philosophy?". Other topics to be placed on the cafe table will be "What is freedom" and "Philosophy against depression" and also in relation with money, consumption and the environment.

All Conversations are free and open to anyone. Come join us lunchtimes at Take 5 or evenings at Marzano's. Stefi Barna

Check out the full fall programme here.

Photo: Deepak presenting a precis of Nicole Foss' talk on Financial Crisis at TN discussion, Aladdins Cafe, May 2011.

RELATED EVENT: Green Buildings in Norfolk – Open Days - 24/5 September

2011-09-21T10:24:00.000+01:00

With energy prices on the rise, there is no better time to think about energy saving home improvements. Basic measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, draughtproofing, secondary glazing and rainwater collection will be within most household budgets, while renewable energy systems and whole house refurbishments require a bigger investment.

These guided tours allow you to meet homeowners that have already done the research, completed the work and are living with the results. The tours give you the chance to see materials and technologies in a real-life setting. You can study fuel bills, ask questions, discuss costs, read manufacturer manuals and get useful trade recommendations. You’ll find the homeowners will be completely honest with you about what works and what doesn’t; their advice is impartial and thousands of visitors to our Open Days have already benefited from their knowledge and experience.

As ever, there are a wide range of homes taking part, throughout the county. Terraced houses, farmhouses, bungalows, cottages, barn conversions and off-grid smallholdings are all featured. You can see examples of solid wall insulation, wood burners, cob and straw bale building, as well as many types of renewable energy technologies in action. We’ve also included a few pioneering business premises and community buildings for those looking to invest in other areas of their life.

The Green Buildings in Norfolk – Open Days event is in its 5th year and was the first ‘open eco-homes’ event in the UK. From LED lighting to natural swimming ponds, local timber shacks to Bavarian kit homes, air source heat pumps to wood pellet boilers, there really is something for everyone. James Frost

You can view all this year's buildings and book a tour on line from the CPRE website

Photo: Honingham Earth Sheltered Social Housing Scheme, Honingham

STOP PRESS! Keep a look out next week for our Buildings in Transition Week on the TN blog, introduced by Chris Hull whose NR2 house is on this year's tour. Don't miss!

Welcome to Our September News!

2011-09-01T11:51:00.001+01:00

Read all about what's happening in the city from our Transition Norwich news crew: our second Kitchen Conversations at FoodCycle Norwich FarmShare's summer harvest and workday, Magdalen Street Celebration preparations for the Big Day, plus scything courses, green buildings, road protests, updates on our blog and more . . . .

CPRE green build in Norfolk; Simon Fairlie's scything postcard; Mark's Feel the Beet medicine salad; Woodland Space at the Uncivilisation Festival; The End of Money.

Transition Tea Tent @ The Waveney Greenpeace Fair - 4 September

2011-09-01T11:45:00.000+01:00

The Waveney Greenpeace Fair is on! It will be taking place in its new location alongside the lime trees at Henham Park, Suffolk on Sunday 4th September from 11am to 11pm (find us on map here).

The Fair features three music stages: the big top with a range of amplified music, the acoustic stage, and a lively human dynamo stage where the sound system is powered by members of the audience riding an exercise bike! The music encompasses jazz, folk, blues, reggae, samba and much, much more.

Stalls are back, plus great kids’ activities and entertainment including the Woodcraft Folk and the Foolhardy Folk.

Some new things include Swingboats, ‘History of the Albion Fairs’ tent, a healing area, more campaign stalls and of course The Transition Tea Tent, organised by Sustainable Bungay and featuring sustainable bicycle-powered smoothies by TN's own Jo Balfe. There will also be a Transition East stall inside for all initiatives in the Eastern region to contribute posters and info, so do come along! It's a great place to meet up.

Admission is £10 per adult, £8 concessions, £5 children under 12, under 5s free. Please car share or come by bike, there's no extra charge for parking this year.

For further details including about volunteering contact Eloise Wilkinson eloise.wilkinson@gmail.com. For full line up www.waveneygreenpeace.org.uk

Transition Tea Tent and Stall from Greenpeace Fair 2010 by Mark Watson; Jo and bicycle-powered smoothies at the Harlequin Fayre.

Grapes Hill Community Garden Update - 25 September

2011-09-01T11:06:00.000+01:00

The Grand Opening Day at Grapes Hill Community Garden on 7th August was a great success and was attended by a wide range of people. Will Giles officially opened the garden, then we enjoyed a day of food, drink, music, plant sales, face painting and information about the garden. We recruited lots of new members.

August has seen the garden at its most productive, with plentiful crops of courgettes, French and runner beans, spring onions, parsley, nasturtiums, Alpine Strawberries, Japanese Wineberries and more unusual vegetables such as Tree Spinach and Achocha.

Some of the hardy Geraniums have been flowering for months and have now been joined by Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Soapwort, annual Mallows and Michaelmas Daisies.

It is always great to meet new members of the public and show them around the garden and this is why the Grapes Hill Community Garden Group now meets on alternate Sunday afternoons (2 - 4pm: 11th and 25th September 2011). Do come and see us!

For more information on the garden see our website and Facebook page - we now have over 140 followers!

Grapes Hill Community Garden is open every day (admission free). Summer opening hours are 9am - 6pm. Jeremy Bartlett.

Above: Grand Opening Day - 7th August 2011. Photo copyright Jo Rice / Grapes Hill Community Garden Group.

Kitchen Conversation 2 - Low Carbon Cookbook - 16 September

2011-09-01T10:25:00.000+01:00

Last month we had our first Kitchen Conversation at the Nectar Cafe and discussed Eating Local Food for Real. Our delicious supper of shared dishes, which included some of the new cafe's raw delights - gaspacho, blackberry and apple crumble, and courgetti, a spiralling bowl of small marrows as you have not yet known them, doused in peppery nasturtium and dandelion leaf pesto (a hit!), Mark's Feel the Beet Medicine Salad and Sophie's grapes from her native France.

Afterwards we discussed the varying engagements with local food from allotments, how you can get out (or not) from the supermarket system, the beneficial and low carbon advantages of eating raw food, veg boxes and how eating in season ties you in with the earth and the people and plants of the neighbourhood. Meanwhile the cafe's next door neighbour dropped in with a picture of a hummingbird he had taken in Northern Peru.

We'll be holding our second Low Carbon Kitchen Conversation at Norwich FoodCycle Cafe on 16 September at 7pm. These free community meals are cooked up each week at the Friends Meeting House kitchens from food that would otherwise be thrown away, all donated by local shops, restaurants and market stalls (including surplus veg from Norwich FarmShare). Our topic for discussion will be (you guessed it!) Food Waste, both the big global picture and the small ways we can rethink how we buy and pay attention to the food that keeps our bodies and souls together. All welcome! Charlotte Du Cann

For further info on The Low Carbon Coobook contact Charlotte at rootsshootsandseeds@hotmail.co.uk

Jo welcomes the crew to the Nectar; our shared late summer meal

Book swap @ Nectar - 24 September

2011-09-01T10:15:00.000+01:00

If you love your books, set them free. Based on this motto of bookcrossing, there will be a book swap on Saturday 24 September 3pm at Nectar Cafe, 16 Onley Street, NR2 2EB. Whether transition related, written by the enemy, or a novel that is collecting dust on your bookshelf, do bring it along. We'll also start an Official Bookcrossing Zone, so from then on you can come and take and bring books there. For free, there aren't even penalties for returning your books late. Erik Buitenhuis

TN Bloggers preparing to release The Transition Timeline into the wild in Chapelfield Gardens

News from Norwich FarmShare - Workday - 25 September

2011-09-01T09:28:00.000+01:00

We're fully in the middle of the most productive time on the farm: all the fruiting plants are heavy with produce- squashes, tomatoes and beans. The flowering plants are coming in: broccoli and cauliflowers and the cooler weather brassicas are starting to bulk up. This means that our veg shares are enormous, groaning with veg. Members stare wide eyed at each other over their mounds of fennel, custard squashes, tomatoes and more. We learn how to store veg and how to preserve it. Or we invite friends and family round for big meals based on what we have. And we store up memories of these bumper crops to last us when all we've got is root veg and cabbage. It's a surprising new-old thing to have to learn in these days of round-the-clock, round-the-calendar, round-the-world shopping.

The other new-old thing we're learning is that many hands really do make light work. We're growing without sprays, which means the weeds can only be kept down by sheer hard work. If we were to pay people to pull out the weeds, we would have to charge much more for our veg- so we ask all our members (and anyone else who would like to support us or who fancies a day in the fresh air) to contribute to work days at least three times a year.

The next work day will be on Sunday 25th September 11am to 3pm. Our last one was great fun, a really satisfying day. We hope you'll join us for this one too.

See our website for directions to the farm. We'll be working on the Postwick site. Elena Judd

The Shock Doctrine - Little g film night - 16 September

2011-09-01T09:12:00.000+01:00

Billed as "a busy activists' alternative to a book group", Little g is a new film and discussion night for everyone involved in regional activism, Transition culture and all things progressive. September's film will be Shock Doctrine. Based on Naomi Klein's bestselling book, The Shock Doctrine argues that America's 'free market' policies have come to dominate the world through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries. Both the film and the book argue that governments all over the world exploit natural disasters, economic crises and wars to push through radical free market policies. Klein calls this 'disaster capitalism' and in her view, disaster capitalism is as effective as psychiatric shock therapy at wiping our collective memory.

The film concludes that the result is often catastrophic for ordinary people and hugely beneficial to big corporations. The documentary also adds to Klein's thesis - which was written before the recent market turmoil - and includes an analysis of how the financial world got into its current troubled state.The book highlights the need for resilient communities in interesting times.

September is the first, if people like the idea and turn up, it will be a regular. The idea is to relax over a film and food (bring something shareable if you can), and have time to talk about it. Lesley Grahame

Little g film night: Friday 16 September at 6pm, Friends' Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane.

Reskilling - Scything Courses

2011-09-01T08:08:00.000+01:00

My name is Beth Tilston and I am a scything tutor. I am writing to gauge your interest in joining forces to run a one or two day scything course in your area either before the end of October this year or from May onwards next year (due to grass growth). Scything, as I am sure you know, is a way of cutting grass and weeds using a blade and human power rather than power tools such as strimmers and lawnmowers. A scythe is useful for lawns, allotments, community orchards - all the way to meadows and mountainsides.

I am looking for appropriate areas in which to run courses. An appropriate area would be somewhere which had access to a reasonable amount of grass which isn't regularly mown short, plus somewhere with nettles, docks, thistles etc to provide variety. I teach groups of up to six and can work with another tutor for larger groups. I provide all the equipment (including safety equipment) necessary and am fully insured. I am also available to do demonstrations.

Scything is a skill that takes time to learn but a skillful scyther can work as fast as a strimmer. Here’s a video of Peter Vido, a scyther in America, showing the versatility of a scythe. Scythes are also:

Zero carbon
Quiet - better for residential areas and for the hearing of the person cutting the grass - and for general peace and quiet!
Safe - Though it does involve using sharp blades, there are fewer health and safety risks in the long term than mechanical devices. For example, there is no risk of whitefinger or any other vibration related ailments.
Fuel free - and therefore cheaper in the long term
Easy (and interesting) to maintain
Requires skill to use and therefore makes the job interesting

Please email me at bethtilston@googlemail.com or phone me on 07818474712 to discuss options.
Beth Tilston with scythe at the Uncivilisation Festival; in action.

FILM: Just Do It! at Cinema City - 16 August

2011-08-11T08:27:00.000+01:00

Just Do It - a tale of modern-day outlaws - a film by Emily James is showing this Tuesday at Cinema City at 8.30pm. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Lauren Simpson and exec producer Christo Hird.

“Smart, funny, adrenalised portrait of 21st-century activism” Danny Leigh, The Guardian

Just Do It lifts the lid on climate activism and the daring troublemakers who have crossed the line to become modern day outlaws. Emily James spent over a year embedded in activist groups such as Climate Camp and Plane Stupid to document their clandestine activities. With unprecedented access, Just Do It introduces you to a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way; they blockade factories, attack coal power stations and glue themselves to the trading floors of international banks despite the very real threat of arrest.

Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inspire.

Further info: In May This Low Carbon Life published an in-depth report about the relationship between activism and Transition, inspired by this grassroots documentary.

Watch the trailer here
Invite your friends to the facebook event here.
Tickets are available here.

Get in for free! If 5 of your friends book their tickets in advance, we'll give you a free ticket. All you need to do is send the names and email addresses of your friends who've booked to our Outreach Coordinator Molly at screenings@justdoitfilm.com

Just Do It is on tour around the UK with screenings from Aberystwyth to Aberdeen, still to go we have Bristol, Birmingham, Aberystwyth, Brighton, Southampton, Exeter, Bath, Lancaster & Torrington.

Welcome to Our August 2011 News!

2011-08-01T11:51:00.000+01:00

Read all about what's happening in the city from our Transition Norwich news crew: the launch of Kitchen Conversations, Norwich FarmShare's summer harvest (and request for willing weeders), Transition Outreach's request for the Harlequin Fayre, Magdalen Street Celebration preparations for the Big Day, updates on our blog and more . . . .

SUN AND HOLIDAY READS: out this month Richard Heinberg's The End of Growth; Sunrise Festival; Sunflower from Deep Nature week on the blog; Rob Hopkin's at the Transition Conference with David Fleming's long-awaited Lean Logic.

Magdalen Street Celebration - 2 August

2011-08-01T10:20:00.000+01:00

This October will see the 2nd annual Magdalen Street Celebration – a chance for visitors, residents, traders and the vast array of local talent to come together in recognition of this unique corner of Norwich.

Our celebration explores Magdalen Street’s rich past, it’s diverse and highly creative present and gently nudges the area into a sustainable future. If you love Magdalen Street as much as we do, whether you live nearby or further afield, work in or just enjoy visiting the area, if you have a tale or talent to share, we need your help in making this year’s celebration the wonderful event it deserves to be.

Creators of all kinds welcome: painters, sculptors, photographers, craftspeople, film makers, designers, performers, musicians, dancers, tailors, bakers, candlestick makers and more! Get in touch (details below) and join us every first Tuesday of the month at Aladdin’s Café on Magdalen Street, to help plan this vibrant community event. Rachel Lalchan

Next meeting: Tuesday 2nd August, 7pm Further Info: Stefi Barna - 07964 494836 or Karen - artoftheordinary@googlemail.com. Web: magdalenstreet.blogspot.com or join our Facebook page

Grapes Hill Community Garden - Grand Opening Day - 7 August

2011-08-01T10:10:00.000+01:00

Since the Grapes Hill Community Garden opened its gates to the public on 2nd July it has proved a hit with people and wildlife alike.

We had a great evening in the garden on Sunday 10th July, after St. Benedict's Street Fair. On other days people come in to enjoy the garden's peace and tranquility. People appreciate the garden's wealth of vegetables, herbs and ornamentals, with the wildflower meadow being a particular favourite.

The garden is attracting birds and insects too. A pair of blackbirds nested in a courtyard backing onto our garden and the parents foraged for food here. Bumblebees, butterflies, moths, ladybirds and hoverflies are moving into the garden and we're keeping a note of what we see.

On Sunday 7th August we have our Grand Opening Day. This starts at 11am when Will Giles from Norwich's Exotic Garden officially opens the garden. There will be food, drink, music, ice cream, face painting, competitions, plant sales and information about the garden, until 3pm.
There will also be a one-off chance at this event to join the Grapes Hill Community Garden Group for half price until the end of 2012 for £5 (waged) or £1.50 (unwaged).

Admission to the garden is free - please come along and see Norwich's newest green space. Jeremy Bartlett.

Above: Drinks and food in the garden - 10th July 2011. Photo copyright Grapes Hill Community Garden Group. Visit our website or our Facebook page for more information.

Becoming the Media - This Low Carbon Life – 27 August

2011-08-01T09:55:00.000+01:00

It’s been full on this summer as the blog crew have tackled the hot topics of Deep Nature, Health in Transition, Gatherings, the Transition Conference and High Summer (well perhaps not so hot) as well as our monthly Transition Themes group reports.

In May we were delighted and dismayed when one of our top bloggers, Kerry left Norwich for a great Transition job in Glasgow. At the same time we welcomed aboard Simeon Jackson, mover and shaker behind TN’s new style Economics and Livelihoods and Outreach initiatives.

We also started an occassional cross-posting from local and Transition blogs: Adrienne Cambell from TTLewes on Swarmcatchers, Mark Crutchley of the OneWorldColumn on the state of the oceans, Rachel Lalchan of Ecomonkey on giving up supermarkets, Olivia Heal of La Bonne Bouffe on Lacto-Fermentation. Chrissie Godrey from TT Taunton and one of the Conference storytellers, related the End of the Tail.

Meanwhile our regular reporters have carried on contributing daily on all subjects under the sun bringing attention and giving value to all aspects of our downshfiting culture that’s rarely covered by mainstream media. Becoming the Media is one of the Ingredients in Rob Hopkin’s soon-to-be published, The Transition Companion. It’s been the key driver behind This Low Carbon Life and has provided the inspiration (and format) for the upcoming national Social Reporting pilot. We’re launching this Transition community blog on the Network site in September. Watch that space! Charlotte Du Cann

Making a bee-line to the community garden from The Spirit of the Beehive. Photo by Muhammad Amin. Sunflowers by Mark Watson.

STOP PRESS! Due to various factors, the date of the TN Blogger's Summer Meeting has changed. It will now be at The Greenhouse, Bethel Street on Saturday, 27 August at 11am. All present and future bloggers welcome!

Introducing Kitchen Conversations - Low Carbon Cookbook - 24 August

2011-08-01T09:50:00.000+01:00

Last month we gathered at Christine’s and welcomed Sophie and Nick to our low-carbon table. We ate, as usual, a delicious supper of shared dishes (from rainbow summer slaws to foraged cherry plum pie) and afterwards discussed the Burning Issues embedded in the present industrialised food system. We looked at the scarcity of water, the destructiveness of supermarkets, peak phosphates, and how we can change the menu, both practically and philosophically, in our daily lives and neighbourhoods.

We also decided to open out these monthly discussions and invite everyone to take part in a conversation over supper on all aspects of food and carbon reduction.

Our first Kitchen Conversation will be on Eating Local for Real on Wednesday 24 August at 6.30pm at Jo Balfe's new cafe The Nectar at 16 Onley Street, just off the Unthank Road. Jo is a member of the TN Permaculture group and gives regular workshops on cooking and eating local and raw food. We'll bring our own local low carbon dishes to share and Jo will be offering drinks and pedal-powered desserts.

We'll be holding our second Low Carbon Kitchen Conversation at Norwich FoodCycle Cafe in September. These free community meals are cooked up each week at the Friends Meeting House kitchens from food that would otherwise be thrown away, donated by local shops, restaurants and market stalls (including surplus veg from Norwich FarmShare).

Everyone is welcome at both events. Details and times will be added soon to the calendar. Watch this space! Charlotte Du Cann

Bicycle blender outside The Nectar; Low Carbon Cookbook Crew; blight-free organic potatoes at The Spuds Don't Work anti-GM rally outside the Forum

Kitchen Conversation 1: Eating Local for Real at The Nectar Cafe, 16 Onley Street. KC 2: Food and Waste will be at FoodCycle, Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane in September. For more details contact Charlotte Du Cann rootshootsandseeds@hotmail.co.uk

Norwich FarmShare Workday - 20 August

2011-08-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

As we head into August we are celebrating our first full month of delivering our fresh locally grown veg to our members. The veg we've supplied during our first month has been delicious and we've had a fantastic range. It's amazing to look back on how the site looked only a few months ago and reflect on how far we've come.

It's been really nice to start to get to know each other as we meet up to collect our veg. Lots of people stop for a cuppa and a chat- we often end up swapping recipes and tips on cooking the vegetables. I learnt that broad beans are much nicer if you take the skin off as well as podding them! I've never liked broad beans before, but I've really enjoyed them this summer, especially in the falafel that Tierney gave me the recipe for.

We've been grateful for lots of volunteer help over the month, some people come every week, others as and when they find the time. There are lots of jobs we need help with: harvesting every Thursday takes several pairs of hands to make sure all the veg is ready to take to our distribution point; but the job that's really getting away from us at the moment is weeding. Some of the weeds are taller than the crops! If you've got time on your hands and you fancy some healthy exercise in the fresh air, we'd love to see you on the farm.

We have work days every Thursday from 9.30 for harvesting. As for weeding, to make it as easy as possible you're welcome to visit the farm any time you'd like: then all you need to do is look for our 'weed me' sign and get stuck in. Our next Saturday workday will be on 20 August, 11am to 3pm.

Weekly updates, veg recipes and details of how to get to the farm are on our website

Looking forward to seeing you there! Elena Judd

Permaculture Norfolk - July /August

2011-08-01T09:20:00.000+01:00

Wakelyns Agroforestry visit
In July, 15 of us visited one of the Organic Research Centre sites, the fantastic Wakelyns Agroforestry in Suffolk. We were lucky enough to have an extensive tour of the farm by the owner/researcher Martin Wolfe.

Wakelyns are trialling growing crops cereals, potatoes and fertility building cover crops in rotation in alleys with a row of coppice or hardwood trees each side. They are then observing the yields and benefits of doing so compared to monocultures.

Diversity and increasing the opportunity for interactions between organisms are key.

By growing mixed varieties of wheat in trial areas they are able to compare the yield to an area of ‘standards’-low genetic diversity. They are also observing how they fair over generations and which varieties are naturally selected over others to the local conditions.

The farm is a closed loop system apart from the diesel for the machinery and some seeds! A very interesting afternoon. Thanks to Martin and Wakelyns for their hospitality and time. Keep up the good work. Tierney Woods

Wakelyn's Agroforestry www.wakelyns.co.uk. See googlegroup and TN calendar for workday/trip details as they arise. New faces welcome! To join the googlegroup discussion group or for more info: Tierney (tierneywoods@yahoo.co.uk)

RELATED EVENT: Harlequin Fayre - 12/14 August

2011-08-01T08:24:00.000+01:00

STOP PRESS! TN's Mark Watson will be giving a Bee and Flower walk at the Fayre on Saturday 13th August at 12 noon. Meet at the Transition tent in the Sustainable Futures area.

If you want to be part of those representing Transition Norwich at Harlequin Fayre this year, please get in touch! They have offered us a stall at the event which is on the 12 to 14 August this year and it would be great to be able to run some TN workshops for them there! As a community group in their "sustainable futures" area, we need to make sure that we really show what we are about!

Harlequin Fayre is a local festival with a green ethos that follows on the tradition of colourful events such as the Albion Fayres. It will never be a large "music festival" and is intentionally kept as a small, magical event. It's generally a great place to find people sympathetic to the ideas of Transition, and who may already be doing Transition, in their own way.

If you have any resources that you would like to have distributed there, or can donate banners, decorations, books or have ideas for workshops, please get in contact with Simeon: simeon@simeonjackson.co.uk

REPORT: Coming Together -Transition Conference 2011

2011-07-29T12:31:00.001+01:00

What was the story of the conference? Last year Stoneleigh's talk on peak oil and the financial crisis burst upon the scene and shocked us into looking at the future as a unified group. This year the strands were many and subtle and required time to reflect on. One common response to the weekend's full-on networking and activities and celebrations was the need for core messages people could take home to their initiatives and transition towns.

Calm. Focused. Mature. Engaged were the words used by everyone. A willingness to get involved with Transition at a deeper and more committed level. A willingness to accept challenges and break the tyranny of superficial communications. What kind of culture do you want to create? was a key question asked by Nick Osborne of Transition Glastonbury.

A lot of the discussion was happening at the edges. Like the conversation about livelihoods, the national hubs getting together and organising themselves as networks, the people from Barcelona and Madrid talking about Transition in the squares of Spain. How Transition and permaculture provided a central organising structure when everything seemed to be falling apart . . .

Meanwhile I'll leave you with one of my favourite conference videos taken from the Social Reporting workshop I ran with Ed Mitchell and David Wilcox. Mike Grenville, editor of the Transition Network news talking about change . . . and those butterflies.

For full report, including write up of the sessions, recordings, videos and photographs, check out the excellent Transition Conference blog 2011 Charlotte Du Cann

RELATED EVENT: Encounters with Butterflies@UEA - 8 August

2011-07-01T23:28:00.000+01:00

Sunday 7 August 10:30am-4pm there will be a day of fun and research with butterflies at the university. In the morning, researchers will talk about the impact of climate change on butterfly populations and distributions and focus on the importance of dispersal capacity for butterflies to shift their ranges.

After lunch, they will demonstrate some of the research techniques using common butterflies and explain how you can help with their project.

Free lunch!

Venue: UEA, Arts building, room 01.03, NR4 7TJ Booking essential before 4 August: contact Nathalie at n.gilbert@uea.ac.uk

Welcome to our July 2011 News!

2011-07-01T11:07:00.000+01:00

Read all about it in the updates and reports below from our Transition Norwich news crew: Norwich FarmShare share their first of the summer's harvest, Economics and Livelihoods discuss plugging the leaks, Magdalen Street Celebration makes bunting, Transition Circle West maintains bikes, Low Carbon larder keeps growing and cooking and eating, plus all the key meetings, the latest on the blog and more . . . .

Norwich FarmShare - First Shares in the Harvest

2011-07-01T10:27:00.000+01:00

Despite the near Saharan conditions endured early in the growing season FarmShare, Norwich's own community farm, has 5 acres of great looking vegetables at its Postwick site ready for harvest through the summer. Harvest shares started last week and have been greeted with enthusiasm by FarmShare members. That the vegetables are being shared only a few weeks later than originally planned is a testament to the hard work of head grower Laura, her assistant Tierney and team of irregulars.

FarmShare, which grew out of the Transition Norwich Food Group and is supported by local NGO East Anglia Food Link, has had a shaky start because of the weather but is really beginning to find its feet: almost 50 vegetable share holders (and rising) are now sharing the weekly harvest, meeting each other, volunteering on the farm, learning new skills and sharing their knowledge. There's enough space at Postwick to grow vegetables for over 100 people and the site has great potential for other activities - from training to beekeeping. Josiah Meldrum

To find out more about FarmShare and sign up for your harvest share email info@norwichfarmshare.co.uk or visit the FarmShare website: www.norwichfarmshare.co.uk

Grapes Hill Community Garden - Opening to the Public - 2 July

2011-07-01T09:29:00.000+01:00

On Saturday 2nd July the garden opens to the public and during summer it will be open every day between 9am and 6pm, with shorter opening hours in winter. Thanks to lots of hard work by volunteers it is now looking lovely. The wildflower meadow is a mass of blue, yellow and white (cornflowers, corn marigolds and corn chamomile) and the borders are full of herbs and flowers. At the top of the garden the raised beds are full of thriving vegetables, with the promise of later crops (tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers) to come.

The Grapes Hill Community Garden Group will have a stall at St. Benedict's Street Fair on Sunday 10th July and a collection of photographs of the garden will be on display at the EXPOSURE Photographic Exhibition at St. Margaret's Church in St. Benedict's Street between 5th and 16th July (admission free; closed Mondays).

Later in the day after St. Benedict's Street Fair we will have an evening of food, drink and music in the garden from 6 - 9pm. Admission is free. Come along and see our Urban Oasis! Jeremy Bartlett.

Above: Grapes Hill Community Garden, 27th June 2011, photo copyright Jeremy Bartlett.

The Leaky Bucket of Norwich - Economics and Livelihoods - 7 July

2011-07-01T09:24:00.000+01:00

It’s quite difficult to deny that the financial collapse has been quite a shock to the economy, but the big question is why should it affect me? Surely local services shouldn’t be affected by what London’s bankers are up to? Why have local workers lost their jobs because of a crisis that started in the USA’s mortgage market?

Imagine a leaky bucket. Water is being poured in, but as soon as the pouring stops, the water continues to flow out, and the bucket runs dry. This is a metaphor for our local economy, with national government and banks pouring money in, until a crisis comes along, and they stop lending and cut back budgets. The money currently in the local economy soon leaks out to banks in interest payments and to large corporations.

If we plug those leaks, by directing our expenditure back into the local community, rather than to national corporations, the local economy will become much stronger, multiplying the positive effect of each pound that you spend, generating local economic resilience. Much easier said than done? Definitely. But certainly not impossible. In the Economy & Livelihoods group, we'd like to see what we can do to help the process along.

If you are concerned with these issues, or want to know more about how economic resilience can be built, come along to an information and discussion session on “Plugging the Leaks” at House Cafe, 52 St. Benedict’s Street on Thursday 7 July, 6pm.

Contact: Simeon Jackson (simeon [at] simeonjackson [dot] co [dot] uk).

Transition Circle West Update - Bike Maintenance - 18 July

2011-07-01T09:17:00.000+01:00

Since the last update, members of Transition Circle West have been meeting twice a month with our usual bring and share vegetarian meal to do a variety of activities, including: textiles skills-sharing; discussing issues from ethical holidays to socio-cultural evolution; sharing herbal remedies; and going on a foraging trip! Most recently we met to discuss the changing role of shops and shopping in the future, and some of us also joined in at the open day for Norwich FarmShare at Postwick. We are currently in the process of creating a resource-sharing library for the group. Our next group meeting will be on Bike Maintenance. Do come and tune up!

Transition Circle West is open to anybody living in the west of Norwich who is interested in getting involved with Transition Norwich and learning about low carbon lifestyles. If you would like more information or to join get in touch with Helen on mshelenpallett@gmail.com

Photo from This Low Carbon Life on community transport

It's all about the veg - Low Carbon Cookbook - 19 July

2011-07-01T08:57:00.000+01:00

Suddenly the salads got intense, as the rain finally fell and the conversations shifted from the hungry gap to what am I going to do with all these courgettes? At our monthly meeting we discussed the lowest carbon ways to store the upcoming harvests from runner beans to gooseberries. Top of the glut preservation methods was lacto-fermentation (see Olivia’s blog on this subject) as as we sat down to our customary feast of local, home-grown, organic, freegan, fair-trade food. Erik’s jar of fermented parsnips added a zip to the new season’s potatoes, broad beans, sugarsnap peas, radishes, sea beet, French beans, asparagus (last of), artichokes (first of), eggs and raspberries. Mark's 14-herb medicine jelly refreshed our palates (and our systems).

Our other hot topic was rocket stoves: I’d just returned from the Sunrise Festival (see next week's Gatherings on the blog) and worked at the (totally off-grid) Tin Village making pizza in a wood-fired earth-oven. All our food was cooked on these extraordinarily simple and effective low-fuel stoves. Christine also talked about her super-efficient wood oven in the cottage she shares in the Thetford Forest. Community and field kitchens are a key way to share resources, swap skills and focus on the earthy, essential nature of food and cooking in a way that is hard to access with the batterie of the modern consumer kitchen - all its decadent recipes, techno-gadgets and supermarket-wrapped produce.

For low-carbon cooks the downshift is not just in the what, it’s also in the how. Charlotte Du Cann

For more info about the Low Carbon Cookbook or to join the group email Charlotte on theseakaleproject@hotmail.co.uk.

Local fruit: dessert and Morello cherries from Paul Jackson's and Bungay Library Community Garden; home-grown gooseberries and blackcurrents; whitecurrants from neighbours; home-made jam from Norman;s's gooseberries and Malcolm's strawberries: small rocket stove by Wild Stoves at the Sunrise Festival, Bruton, Someset.

Permaculture Norfolk - June/July 2011

2011-07-01T08:52:00.000+01:00

Welcoming those from 2010 and 2011 West Norfolk Permaculture Courses!

Brenna and Matt have connected up with the mailing lists of those who have recently completed their permaculture design certificates or attended intro courses with Hannah Thorogood of Designed Visions. Hooray for strengthening the Norfolk network! http://www.designedvisions.com/

Trip to Wakelyns Agroforestry

Thanks to Louisa who works at Wakelyns we have organised a tour and discussion with Martin Wolfe of the Organic Research Centre at his Suffolk Base. We very much look forward to meeting Martin and learning about the various research projects they are carrying out. http://www.wakelyns.co.uk

Workdays On the19th June Brenna, Callum and Brenna’s friend Luke assisted Erik to plant winter wheat as part of his ongoing cereals experimentation and winter vegetables. Next workday tbc. See googlegroup and TN calendar for details as they arise. New faces welcome! Tierney Woods tierneywoods@yahoo.co.uk)

Inter-cropping at Wakelyns Agroforestry. Top image, organic wheat understory. Pictures by Wakelyns.

RELATED EVENT: The Spuds Don't Work Rally - 23 July

2011-07-01T08:28:00.000+01:00

Following the successful GM Gathering Momentum conference held in London earlier this year an anti-GM rally will be taking place in Norwich on Saturday 23 July...

Over the past ten years British trials of Genetically Modified blight resistant potatoes have been failing to deliver. However, a conventionally bred variety of blight resistant potatoes has now been on the market for seven years. On Saturday 23rd July a coalition of ngo's, farmers and activists will be delivering a trailer load of this conventional varietyto the doors of the Sainsbury laboratory outside Norwich. There'll be pedal powered tunes, fine organic chips and good cheer as we go and show them that we've found the potatoes they're looking for.

Emma Hockridge, the Soil Associations head of Policy, Pete Riley, chair of the GM Freeze campaign, Gerald Miles, potato farmer and others will beinviting the John Innes researchers to join them in debate. On Sunday 24th July a day long camp will plan the next stages of the campaign. Help build projects on everything from getting the GM oil out of takeaways to next years proposed GM wheat trials, raising awareness of the new studies on human health effects to European public decontamination solidarity work.

Meet at the Forum in Norwich City Centre at 12 noon for free chips and fun. We will set off from there to the John Innes Research Centre by bike, tractor and coach at 1pm. Bring waterproofs and umbrellas! Camping spaces are available from Friday pm onwards. For practical details seewww.stopgm.org.uk/gathering-momentum or ring 07595 506673

Transition Conference 2011 - 8-11 July

2011-07-01T08:27:00.000+01:00

This year’s Transition Network conference will take place between July 8th and 11th at Hope University, Liverpool. Although, like last year, and like last November’s ‘Diverse Routes to Belonging’ conference, we will offer great virtual coverage for those around the world who can’t make it, still nothing beats being there in person.

Imagine immersing yourself for 3 days in the latest thinking on Transition, hearing from the most ground-breaking projects, going deeper into what it’s all about, putting faces to names you only know from reading them online, meeting hundreds of other Transitioners from all over, and going home revitalised, refocused and refreshed.

That’s what we’re talking about. There will be 3 sessions of workshops, 10 in each. Here is a taste of some of what is being planned:

How to work well together as groups; Kids in Transition The role of the Arts; Inner Transition; An update on Transition local currency projects; Community Supported bakeries, shops, farms, breweries…. Social reporting; Social Enterprise; Constellations; Action learning; Creating a new local food system: stories from various projects; Group dynamics; ‘Engaging words’: how your writing style can affect your effectiveness; Investing for Transition; Transition education Transition and health; Engaging and working with your Council and more!

There will also be tours of Liverpool and the opportunity to see some of the fantastic projects underway in the city. The workshops are also, of course, only a small part of the overall programme. There will also be many opportunities to meet other Transitioners and find out what they are up to, including the chance to meet in theme groups, so you can, for example, connect with all those who share your passion for local energy, food or education. There will be some large group activities, which were, for many, the highlight of last year’s conference.

Also, this year the team are trying a different approach, substituting Open Space, which has been a focal point for each of our previous conferences, with the Fishbowl technique, which will allow a much deeper exploration of some of the more charged and pertinent issues that you bring to the conference (a questionnaire will be sent round before the event to gather your thoughts on what those subjects should be). Our hope is that this will bring more focus and will be more insightful. Rob Hopkins

For further details contact Transition Network

RELATED EVENT: Green Community Challenge at UEA - 16 July

2011-07-01T08:11:00.000+01:00

Can you help? The Green Community Challenge is at UEA on 16th July from 10 am to 1 pm. It is donating any profits to the Transition Network. In return, we hope to promote it, to have a stall there and to have Transitioners on hand to answer questions.

It looks like an interesting event, concentrating on reducing energy use, bringing together energy experts, community groups and relevant companies. The keynote speaker is Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary. It is organised by students on the Strategic Carbon Management MBA.

I have agreed to be the contact person for Transition Network, but will be away on 16th July. If anyone is willing to attend or to organise a stall please contact me at garyalex@earthconnected.net. If you have any other mailing lists or places to promote this, please do that too. Gary Alexander

For more information http://www.greenchallenge2011.com

RELATED EVENT: Material Inequality in Britain - 24 June

2011-06-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

When The Spirit Level was published in 2009 it caused quite a stir. Taking the results of hundreds of studies it showed that, contrary to the general assumption, health and social problems such as violence, mental illhealth, addiction, teenage births and educational failure do not have a simple relationship with poverty. Instead, the authors show that problems which are most common at the bottom of the social ladder are actually more common in societies where the difference in income between the richest and the poorest is the greatest. The UK has the fourth highest inequality of income distribution of developed countries. The authors conclude that, “The evidence shows that reducing inequality is the best way of improving the quality of the social environment ....... for all of us”.

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, the authors, are in great demand as speakers and, to share the load, Martin Wilkinson, Richard’s brother will be coming to Norwich to give a presentation on the book and to lead a discussion on equality, both in terms of the Quaker Testimony to Equality and more generally on how we in Britain should respond to the message of the book . Rupert Read will then offer a short philosophical and political response to “The Spirit Level”.

Material Inequality in Britain (Based on The Spirit Level: why more equal societies almost always do better by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Saturday 25th June, 2-5pm at Friends Meeting House, Upper Goat Lane, NORWICH, NR2 1EW. All welcome – entry free

For further details contact Teresa Belton 01603 465851, teresa.belton@ntlworld.com

Photo from BBC documentary, "Poor Kids"

Transition East Summer Gathering - 25/6 June

2011-06-06T09:34:00.000+01:00

Last year Glenn and Jeannie hosted the first gathering of Transitioners from Suffolk, South Norfolk and North Essex at their farm in Framsden. This year they’re making their farm available for a two day gathering from 10.00 on 25th June, so come along to meet other Transitioners, share experiences, swap ideas, enjoy each other’s company and celebrate.

There’s even a village Barn Dance in a C15th barn – that’s something you definitely can’t get at Glastonbury!

In true Transition fashion, this will be a self organising weekend, with agenda and workshops arranged using Open Space. Workshops are expected to start around 13.30 on Saturday and to continue on Sunday.

Camping is free and self catering, on grass or in a barn. A loo and shower are available.

The (optional) barn dance starts at 7pm on Sat 25th and costs £5 (children £2).

Transition East summer gathering 25th/26th June - Hill Farm, Framsden, Suffolk IP14 6HAContact Glenn & Jeannie for more info and if you want tickets for the dance please let them know asap: hillfarm@helmingham.com or jeannie@hillfarm.eclipse.co.uk or 01473 890737.

Pic: recent meeting of Transition East food projects at Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm, Ipswich

Welcome to our June 2011 News!

2011-06-01T09:47:00.000+01:00

Read all about it in the updates and reports below from our Transition Norwich news crew: the revival of our Economics and Livelihoods group, the new Norwich Community Bees project, Norwich FarmShare open day, Magdalen Street Celebration, Low Carbon larder, key meetings, the latest on the blog and more . . . .

The Greenest Government Ever?- Public Meeting - 2 June

2011-06-01T09:45:00.000+01:00

Norwich & Norfolk Friends of the Earth and the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition present a PUBLIC MEETING on Thursday 2 June, 7:30pm at St Gregory's Centre for the Arts, St Gregory's Church, St Gregory's Alley, Norwich, NR2 1ER( Free entry). Speakers will include: Simon Wright MP Norwich South and Liz Hutchins, Parliamentary Campaigner, Friends of the Earth.

The Coalition said it wants to be the greenest Government ever. The UK urgently needs to cut its climate-changing emissions and this means shifting from dependence on finite fossil fuels to cleaner and greener ways of living. The Government’s Energy Bill is a massive opportunity to kick-start this green overhaul. A truly green Energy Bill would have enormous benefits for everyone, from warmer homes and cheaper fuel bills to tens of thousands of new jobs. This meeting is an opportunity to tell Simon Wright MP, who is on the committee that will debate the bill, that we need a stronger Energy Bill. And it’s a chance to have your say about the green measures needed – globally and in our own communities – for a sustainable green future.

Simon Wright MP (Norwich South) has very recently been appointed to the Public Bill Committee which will be scrutinising the Energy Bill. At short notice, Mr. Wright has agreed to attend a public meeting to be held in Norwich on Thursday 2nd June. Similar meetings have been taking place around the country involving MPs and as of last week 40 plus council leaders have signed up for a stronger Energy Bill, i.e. local low carbon budgets.

If you are unable to attend the public meeting, the deadline for the submission of written evidence to the committee is Tuesday the 21st of June. The committee will sit for the first time on Tuesday 7th June and the Bill is expected to be voted in Parliament before the end of the month. Mr. Wright can be contacted about the Energy Bill by email: office@simonwright.org.uk or write to his office at 2, Douro Place, Norwich, NR2 4BG. Tel: 01603 627660.

For more information, please contact: Jennifer Parkhouse, Norwich Friends of the Earth email: foenorwich@hotmail.com Tel: 01603 427767

The Big Lunch - 5 June

2011-06-01T09:40:00.000+01:00

Polite conversation with residents and patients has recently involved the royal wedding more than I would like, so I have looked for positive and truthful things to say:

it's great to have an event that brings people together,

sometimes people need a pretext to meet their neighbours,

there's nothing like sharing food to build community

These sorts of conversations might lead on to why community matters, how communities can develop resilience to economic and other shocks....

The Big Lunch initiative allows us to enjoy the benefits of street parties with a rather more interesting theme, or no theme at all except sharing a day with your neighbours.

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project: "The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. This year it’s happening on Sunday 5th June and a record number of people are expected to take part - why not be one of them?

A Big Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours getting together in the garden or on the street, to a full blown party with food, music and decoration that quite literally stops the traffic.

Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all kinds of communities across the UK and the best part of a million people get involved each year." Lesley Grahame

NB: Please click on the poster image for participating streets and contact details

Magdalen Street Celebration - 7 June

2011-06-01T09:35:00.000+01:00

The 2011 Magdalen St. celebration is all set for October 1st, and the planning group are giving the day a long run-in, after the astounding success of last year's event. Getting rave reviews in the local press last year was no mean feat, given that the whole event was planned and delivered through the amazing good will of volunteers, local people, and performers.

We are planning an even bigger event this year, and are bringing together more of the street's growing band of fans, and neighbouring resident's groups.

Who knows, by the end of this year we may have persuaded those in authority that the space under the flyover really is a space worth developing for regular community use! Chris Hull

For the story behind the scenes by helenofnorwich click here

Magdalen Street Celebration planning group are meeting at Aladdin's, Magdalen Street on 3 May at 7pm. For further information contact Karen artoftheordinary@googlemail.com or Stefi Barna on 07964 494836

Grapes Hill Community Garden - We've Finished Planting - 23 June

2011-06-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

We've now (more or less) finished planting up the Grapes Hill Community Garden.

Highlight of the garden at the moment is Salvia superba 'Mainacht', whose spikes of violet-purple flowers are proving a big hit with bumblebees. We've had three species so far, including Bombus hypnorum, which only started to colonise the UK in 2001, and is steadily moving north.

We've spread mulch in the garden. This is well-rotted compost from Shrubbs Farm at Edgefield and it is a lovely dark backdrop for the plants. It will help to suppress weeds and conserve moisture. We have a watering rota to keep the garden alive in the current drought.

Our gardening tasks are now every fortnight on Thursday evenings (6 - 8pm) as we prepare to open the garden to the public from Saturday 2nd July. And we're preparing for an evening of music and food on Sunday 10th July (after St. Benedict's Street Fair, 6 - 9pm) and our Grand Opening Day on Sunday 7th August (11am - 3pm).Jeremy Bartlett.

Above: Bombus hypnorum on Salvia 'Mainacht', photo copyright Jeremy Bartlett.

Norwich FarmShare - Open Day - 11 June

2011-06-01T09:25:00.000+01:00

It's Open Day down on the farm at Postwick on Saturday 11 June! Join us on the farm for a family day out. Bring a picnic to share!

We’ll be offering tours of the farm, introducing you to all the crops we’re growing and showing you the wildlife that shares our site. We’llh ave an opportunity for anyone who wishes to join in with the work onthe farm for an hour or so, and lots of fun activities for children. We’re also looking forward to a chance to share with you all the plans we have for the future. Absolutely everyone is welcome on the day: we hope to make it a real celebration of everything we’ve achieved so far. Please bring your friends and families along, the more the merrier. There will be lots of FarmShare members on hand to answer any questions you have and a chance to sign up if you haven’t yet.

Additionally, existing members are invited to join us a little earlier on the day at 12.00 for our Quarterly General Meeting. This will take only half an hour and is a great chance to catch up with what’shappening and take part in the decisions we make about the farms. As always, please contact us if you have any questions. Laura Creen

For latest Norwich FarmShare update click here.

Photo: Field of Dreams by Elena Judd

Low Carbon Cookbook (the book part) - 15 June

2011-06-01T09:20:00.000+01:00

May's Low Carbon Cookbook meeting took place at the Bicycle Shop cafe, where we also welcomed Olivia for the first time.

Although this meant we had to forgo our normal practice of bringing ingredients and dishes to eat, share and discuss, we took the opportunity to look at the material we've gathered so far, which we then mapped out on a large piece of pink paper in notes and sketches.

The structure of a book began to take form as we went round the table taking turns to describe some of our favourite low carbon recipes. We talked seasons, seeds, lactofermentation, herbs, flowers and fruits as well as how to live without a fridge and what exactly organic means.

We all got very hungry! I’d already eaten, but normally we would have been enjoying Bee's winter slaw and omelettes, Charlotte's oriental slaw, Erik's pumpkin soup and pickles, my freegan pizza and medicine jelly, and Olivia's Norfolk Black Turkey Egg n’ Nettle Quiche with Spelt Pastry, and all the compotes, breads, freegan gleanings and homegrown and foraged leaves, roots and sprouts that we were talking about.

It was exciting though, to get the actual book underway. Who knows? In a year's time you may be reading The Low Carbon Cookbook, paper version (recycled, of course). Mark Watson