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… to save the planet, save your (non-denominational) soul and save money.
Today’s top 10 are from Gordon Hook
1. Develop a love of the planet – some may prefer “cherish” or “respect” for the soil, air, lakes rivers and seas.
2. Carry out meaningful acts of cherishing, which can be anything from improving individual home recycling to picking up litter in the vicinity of your own home or business to getting an allotment.
3. Explore the world of renewable energy campaign with a passion against Nuclear Power.
4. Put a brick in the WC.
5. Promote localism and ownership, and that can mean locally grown food or locally generated renewable energy.
6. Communities should take responsibility for themselves – a community can be a family or household, it can be a group of families or an estate or cul de sac or school, the possibilities are ( almost) endless.
7. Go on educating ourselves irrespective of age.
8. Keep finding out. Two valuable recent reads which I can strongly advocate have been “Soil and Soul” by Alastair McIntosh and Rob Hopkins “The Transition Handbook”. There are of course no end of excellent environmental reads available, perhaps another issue for PRSD to take up would be “My Favourite Enviro Read?” Geoffery Lean is always well worth following.
9. Join others in groups for mutual support. It can be FoE/Greenpeace/WWF/ local or national organisation/ Transition Town Movement
10. Pledge to have at least one completely car free day not just once a year, but dare I suggest once a week?
Gordon Hook is a councillor on Teignbridge District Council, where he is the Portfolio Holder for the Environment and also on Devon County Council, where he is Climate Change and Bio -Diversity Champion. Gordon represents Buckland and Milber on Teignbridge and Newton Abbot South on Devon Council. Newton Abbot South is the District Ward plus College Ward. Gordon graduated from Loughborough and Sussex Univ. He taught for many years and has also run his own business. He is now a full-time community politician and welcomes contact with and comment from his constituents.
Organic food could be showing its colours in the ‘hood, if plans for new social enterprises from Riverford come off.
“Neigbourhood restaurants” are the new idea from the Riverford man Guy Watson. The plan, called “Riverford-goes-to-town” that would take seasonal and affordable organic food to the people.
It would be based on the Field Kitchen canteen style restaurant at the Riverford base where food goes from the field to the plate within 24 hours.
He told the Western Morning News: “”They would be the sorts of places you would go, not when you are looking for a really fancy night out, but when for whatever reason you can’t be bothered to cook.
“”You can go and eat reasonably affordably and see the connection with the food and the kitchen.
According to the paper, Mr Watson said he wanted Riverford restaurants to focus on the community, run by local people and supporting those in the area.
1. Change a lightbulb - Replacing one regular light bulb with a low energy one will save 68kg of CO2 per year and save you £9.
2. Drive less - why not make one day a week a car-free day?
3. Check your electricity and gas meters regularly to monitor your energy consumption
4. Make the switch to a green energy supplier
5. Put reflective foil behind your radiators
6. Collect rainwater and use it for flushing/watering the garden
7. Reduce waste - build a compost heap or wormery
8. Eat less meat and farmed fish
9. Buy less and be happier
10. Be part of the solution. Get involved in your local green group. If there isn’t one, get some people together and start one up - it’s a powerful force for change.
Bovey Climate Action was formed in October 2006 when a group of like-minded people got together to do what they could in the local community to tackle climate change. They are optimistic about a low carbon future, and their ability to respond to the effects of climate change. As a group, their aim is to:
• reduce the amount of CO2 emissions in Bovey Tracey
• raise awareness locally of climate change an how to tackle it
• lobby for greater change - to government and business
Our faith in the system can be restored. Giles Chichester MEP has been exonerated of any wrong doing in what we lovingly call Whoops-a-daisy-gate.
The South West MEP, who had been charged with leading a campaign to clean-up expenses by Tory supremo David Cameron, had been dragged over the coals during the summer, when it was revealed that his firm was paid £400,000 for, as the Western Morning News succinctly points out ’secretarial and assistant services for the European Parliament, constituency and committee work, in breach of a rule banning the practice when a family firm was involved.’
He described it as as “whoops a daisy” moment.
But apparently the European Powers That Be knew all about it.
And after the Maigret-like investigation it was revealed that ‘although there was the potential for a “conflict of interest” the money had been properly spent and Mr Chichester did not profit personally from the contract.’
With his reputation intact we can all celebrate and pop open the Champagne, or derivative there of. We always knew you weren’t THAT sort of politician.
We would never say that Abbfest was Abb Fab because that would be far too ‘bleurgh’, but we will say this for the food and drink festival of 114 real ales and ciders and local food, crafts and wide range of entertainment, which takes pace at Abbotskerswell from Friday September 26 to Sunday September 28 - it will be Absolutely Free for carers of adults with learning disablities from Teignbridge, the South Hams and West Devon.
The free entry comes from a grant for respite, which will pay for free entry for carers of adults with learning disabilities from Teignbridge, the South Hams and West Devon.
“Over 2,700 people have a learning disability in Devon, while 7,300 adults have autism”, said Jackie Milan, Learning Disabilities Carers’ Worker told the PRSD.
“Their carers are often under great pressure and these short breaks allow time off for people to look after their own needs. One of the pressures of being a carer is that of social isolation, and at our meetings across South Devon we asked carers if they would like to attend any activities and Abbfest was acclaimed as a great weekend of events. Carers were particularly impressed that Abbfest’s profits are all donated to local charities and the community.
“The respite programme allows carers time off while supporting the many tourist attractions and arts events that are going on all the time across the county. At our regular meetings across South Devon, we have identified a wide range of arts events, days out, tours, theatre and cinema visits - though we are still looking for ideas”.
“Abbfest is only one of a whole range of opportunities we have arranged. However, we do know that many carers are not aware of the support available”, said Jackie.
Meetings for Carers with Learning Disabilities are regularly held in: Ashburton, Tavistock, Ivybridge, Dawlish, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton.
Our thoroughly-deserved nomination and loss of the Torbay Artsbase award for literachure (apparently you have to be able to spell it to win it), had us nobbing our hob at Oldway Mansion’s and we briefly bumped to one of the Weaver Twins. Unfortunately, our brief encounter was cut short and you can find out why here.
Poet William Oxley picked up the literature gong, and recited a stanza or two on the event (which put our planned ‘address to the nation’ to shame). Le Chat Noir were the ones what picked up the ‘who rocked the Bay award’. And other winners included MusicPeg, Torbay Film Club, Our Glass, Nicky Swann, The Great Create, Space Invaders (who neither looked nor sounded as you’d expect), Ryans Bar, Mike Hurley, Gillespie Yunnie Architects, Anna Keheler, Nicholas Chave and Rebecca Parfett.
‘Winners’ are just a tip of the creative iceberg, there’s a full list of nominees here, but even nominees are just a sniff of the true creative and artistic activity that’s around. And for this lefty at least, the artistic community is the lifeblood of a healthy society, which promotes inclusion and equality, and defeats homophobia, anti-semitism or other bigotries that shouldn’t have a place… anywhere.
Those Surreal Salooners, are back again, yes that includes Big Brother Belinda. But of course that’s not why you’d go, is it? The next show promises comedy, burlesque, spoken word and Elvis and his Geisha backing band, and it kicks off at the Exeter Phoenix on Saturday September 27, at 8.30pm
Doors open at 8pm for surreal film footage, music, bananas and chocolates. So far, the acts include Wilfredo and his Band, Will Page (musical comedy/stand up), Emma Chilcott (stand-up), Sam & Dave (comedy duo), the Burlesque dancer Ness (Burlesque dancer), and Elvis and his Geisha House backing band, along with words from James Turner, hip hop poet Erin Miller & Oriana Reale Ascanio.
Tickets in are available in advance from Exeter Phoenix £9 (£7 for concession) and £10 on the door.
Umbrella Factory Event, The Hub, Exeter, September 25, 2008 by Butterside Down
Desolate tearooms by Butterside Down
.
The last few days have seen me struggling with so-called ‘quick and simple’ clip frames in an effort to have some sort of exhibition ready for September’s Umbrella Factory event, marking the first birthday of the organisation celebrated for promoting a thriving arts and culture community in the heart of Exeter.
Typically off to a smooth start, as soon as I got there I bent down to pick up a photo and my debit card snapped in my pocket. I lurched away, hand over my hip as though I’d had an embarrassing ‘little accident’ in a bizarre anatomical mix-up. Thankfully, impossibly skinny uber-cool type Phil Wyatt was there to save me from further mishap as he put up my photos for me, although the size of the nails meant that most of them hung at a jaunty angle several centimetres from the wall.
“Oh dear, that’s not straight is it?” murmured Phil, chewing a nail. I shrugged: ”It’s probably alright as long as they don’t fall off,” and wandered to the bar. Thankfully, when I returned he’d performed some technical miracle with the hammer and all photos were hanging straight and looked, though I say it myself, pretty good.
The Hub (formerly Three Fat Fish) is one of those industrial-looking places shrouded in dim lights and decked out in punkish colours that makes you feel as though you’re underground even though you aren’t. An edgy yet unpretentious open space transformed into an eclectic showcase of new artistic, musical, and even (as the clientele filtered in) sartorial talent. A testament to the anarchistic interior is a blue plaque by the door which simply states:
‘Sid Vicious
1957 - 1979
Punk Rocker
Gobbed Here.’
The live entertainment part of the evening kicked off with Steve Smith (44), who has been a performance poet ever since a CND benefit gig in Poole in 1982. His moon and water-themed spoken words were enhanced on this occasion by improvised instrumental backing by Tom Harrisson and Laurence Foster, and his narrative-poetry performances often feature a versatile mix of musicians from Native American flute players to classical violins.
A surrealist touch was added with Maddie’s Mobile Makeovers, a complimentary service including chill-out treatments, free tic-tacs and ‘Tie massage’, which turned out to be a light head and shoulder rub whilst, that’s right, wearing a tie. Several merrymakers gathered round to watch as a faintly-smiling man donned a pair of sunglasses and headphones in preparation for a ‘chill-out session’, and was anointed with relaxing scents and gently wafted with a newspaper as he listened to tranquil music.
Benoit Bennet (aka Object) was much in evidence as he was also exhibiting new artwork having recently returned from driving through Europe. The 24-year-old describes his art as ‘instinctive doodling’ and his distressed urban pieces are mostly created from scrap materials and other people’s rubbish. Not always intended for pure visual enjoyment, his work can carry more serious social statements, such as the privacy-themed piece ‘Complacency is Complicity’.
I briefly caught up with main event organiser Matt Ashford on my way to the bar. Commenting on the success of the Umbrella Factory’s first birthday, he said: ”These things never go exactly to plan but really that’s kind of cool. I think it’s going ok, it’s great to see so many people here.’ He soon disappeared into the crowd to organise the auction, in which artwork was being sold in aid of charity Hospice. Organiser Phil Wyatt was equally thrilled: ‘It’s a great turnout tonight, we spent a lot of time redecorating and making it look nicer, the only down note is having to introduce this new on-the-door charge but putting on these events does cost us. It’s hard work but I can’t wait for the AllHallowsEve event next month.’
Sadly, I had to leave before Finn Fintain and Kid Klanny, epic 80s duo Choirpad (unmissable in blindingly shiny clothing and a tonne of waterproof mascara), sent us back to the good ol’ shoulder-pad days with their singing time warp. I packed up my pictures and left them to the relaxed, appreciative crowd in the Hub where a good time, as they say, was being had by all.
The next Umbrella Factory event takes place at the Hub, Exeter, on October 30.
Butterside Down 2008.
Image is copyrighted to Natasha Kuler-von-der-Luhe, Butterside Down Ltd
The weekly technology column from those gurus of geek at Plymouth’s at Orange Crate
Technology moves so fast in this day age – January’s high-spec PC is December’s crawling, technological sloth; today’s ‘must have’ mobile phone is tomorrow’s embarrassing has-been, destined to be used only for sending text messages under the table to avoid it being seen by your peers.
Luckily it has become cheaper and easier to upgrade any of your household or personal gadgets, but unfortunately it can come at a different and more serious cost…
On average, mobile phone users upgrade their handsets once every 18-24 months, and industry estimates state that nearly 200 million mobile phones will be sold in the USA alone this year. The majority of these buyers will already have existing phones, meaning that over 100 million old handsets will be retired. According to further industry estimates, over 250 million PCs will become obsolete in the next three years, requiring replacement by newer technology. So what happens to all these old appliances? Well, here is where the problem often lies…
It is an unfortunate fact that the majority of old computers, monitors, mobile phones, and related accessories still end up at the dump. According to the US National Safety Council, 85% of the 63 million computers taken out of service last year ended up on landfills. Needless to say, this is not good news. Not only can components of these gizmos be highly damaging to the environment if not processed correctly, the dumping of them presents a huge wasted opportunity. But things may finally be changing.
Facilities for recycling PCs have been available for a while, but it is only recently that laws and regulations have been passed to make sure that businesses comply with safe disposal of electronic equipment (see WEEE compliance). But it remains in the hands of governments to not only enforce these regulations, but to make them financially viable for businesses and individuals.
Luckily, there may be another way. Computer Aid is a charity that encourages businesses to donate their old PCs so they can be used in developing countries. Their projects not only help to improve education, trade, and productivity in these developing countries, they also offer a brilliant alternative to businesses here who are upgrading their systems. And the idea thankfully seems to be catching on, with other organizations and charities running variations of the theme.
Similar concepts are also being developed for the recycling of mobile phones. Companies such as ReCellular and CollectiveGood in the States, and Mazuma in the UK process and refurbish donated handsets, then send them abroad to be resold in countries where consumers can’t afford the latest technology. Although this may sound a little mercenary on the surface, it both prolongs the lives of the technology and provides an affordable service to developing countries.
In addition to these, the companies also take phones that are at the end of their lives and send them to other specialist enterprises that reclaim as much material from them as possible. The reclaimed metals can then be resold and reused - a much better conclusion for them than ending up in the dustbin.
So the seeds have been sewn and all that remains is for people to start using these services on a larger scale. If nothing else, the financial rewards are there to be seen, both for individuals and businesses. And in all honesty, many of these schemes do everything for you – even as far as sending you a box to post your phone off in! So spread the word…
Greetings, People’s Republicans! Phig Billy here back with some irreverent insight and gonzo-flavoured scribblings…
Last Saturday (September 20) I attended a concert of folk music at Holcombe Burnell Church, just outside Exeter. We have friends who live in the village of Longdown (which finds itself in the parish of Holcombe Burnell) who invited me (well actually, they invited Momma & Poppa Phig, who extended the invitation to me) to attend this concert “of folk music”. That’s all they told us. “Folk music.”
Now I know what you’re thinking, dear reader: this had not insignificant potential to be truly horrendous, and I imagined myself sweating nervously amidst a sea of hippies singing We Shall Overcome. But I must have been feeling masochistic ‘cos I replied “Why the hell not?” and then spent the car journey over there wondering exactly what flavour of folk music I had let myself in for. I guess I was hoping for something for something deep and dark and obscure, and hardcore Devonian.
Erik played the clarinet
What I discovered was an unexpected delight: a quartet of Dutch multi-instrumentalist/vocalists (well, apart from Trilby, if that is her real name, who was born in Britain but had evidently lived long enough in the Netherlands to acquire a Dutch accent) known as “The Long, Long Walk”.
Mario played guitar
This group had compiled a set of folk songs from around the world, and proceeded to enrapture the meagre audience with wistful, magnificent melodies and tender, tragic stories of broken hearts and unrequited affection. The songs were delivered in a range of languages, which encompassed English, Dutch, Spanish, Yiddish, Russian and French. The performers were warm, sincere, humble and incredibly talented, and introduced each song thoughtfully and with precisely the right amount of explanation. While they were playing, I completed these sketches.
Peter played the funny boxy accordion thing
So many of the songs were about seafarers who had left their sweethearts behind, so I was inspired to sketch this detail behind my drawing of Trilby, and to subsequently work this into a finished piece. (Click on the image to see it full size!)
Trilby & The Seafarer
I spoke to the band afterwards, and they apparently don’t have a website or anything like that: for them, it’s just for fun. Although they said that they were hoping to record a CD at some point, so I gave them my card, and once those tracks are recorded maybe it will be possible to share some of them to some extent with you. I’ll let you know more as soon as I do.
But just because you missed this one, don’t despair! The concerts at Holcombe Burnell Church (Longdown, EX6 7RZ) are an ongoing programme and next up, on November 27, is the intriguing prospect of Afro-Celtic fusion from Su Hart!
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Welcome to the People's Republic of South Devon. Your subscription will begin with the next newsletter. Keep up to date by visiting the blog regularly and make sure your voice is heard. Many thanks, The People's Republic of South Devon.
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