How to Contact the Steering Group If you would like to speak to anyone, or have any queries/suggestions about the Green Village Project, please contact a member of the steering group: Eddy & Robin Hill (Belstone) 01837 840332 [email protected] (Editors) Marion Walpole (Belstone) 01837 840498 [email protected] Stella Hudson (Belstone) 01837 840669 Andrew Terry (Belstone) 01837 840718 [email protected] Theresa Weaver (Belstone) 01837 840459 [email protected] Carl Wratten (Belstone) 01837 840277 [email protected] Ann Dickman (Belstone) 01837 840966 [email protected] Rona Gundry (Belstone) [email protected] Olya Maiboroda (Plymouth University), 01803 866623 [email protected] Colin Trier (Plymouth University) 01752 233033 [email protected] Oz Osborne (Westden) 0845 345 5077 [email protected] Useful Websites www.westden.co.uk www.fairtrade.org.uk www.thehealthyhome.co.uk Aims to guide the way to Healthy- Low Energy- Eco-Homes This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper. Please let us know if you wish to have a large print copy or receive your copy by email. The mention of any product, supplier or service is for your information and does not constitute endorsement by the Green Village Steering Group. Green Tips Robin Hill: Now is an ideal time to plant soft fruit bushes in the garden. Blackcurrants, gooseberries and raspberries grow very well in Belstone and are readily available at Garden Centres and also Mole Avon. You might like to try something a bit more out of the ordinary like a Tayberry, Loganberry, Japanese Wineberry or Worcesterberry. They all give delicious, nutritious fruit for pies, jams etc. and if you have too many, you could always donate them to Marion to convert into jam to sell in aid of the Village Hall! I have recently bought step-over apple trees, to add to our fruit garden at Andrew’s Corner, from a good old fashioned nursery firm in Yorkshire – www.rvroger.co.uk – ordered Sunday, arrived the next Thursday. They do an excellent range of more unusual fruits and ornamental trees. Andrew Terry has provided us with information about a heating engineer in Devon – Bev Rowe – who is registered with the Low Carbon Buildings Programme* (formerly Clear Skies). Bev is able to give all sorts of advice and information with regard to heating with renewable fuels – solar, wood, wood-chip, wood-pellets etc. and can be contacted on 01392 277199 or visit his website at www.bramshawheatingandplumbing.co.uk *The LCB has substantial grants available for qualifying instillations. Phone 0800 915 0990 Website www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk Recycling Several people have requested a plastics collection facility in the village but this is not feasible at the moment. If you are unable to take your own recyclable plastics to Exeter Road, please contact us and we will arrange for someone to take them for you. Editorial Many thanks to Andrew Terry for the splendid Edition 4 March 2007 photograph of ‘Nine Maidens’. We would very much like to include a selection of village photographs in the newsletter in future months. Please email them to the editors, if you can, or lend us ones that we can scan into our computer, if you prefer. Are you aware that Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 26th Feb to 11th March? Many of our local shops and supermarkets stock some of the 2000 products that are available in this country. So, as the website says - make a positive change today for the lives of millions in developing countries. Why not look on the website to see what you can do? In some Devon villages members of the community get together and buy Fairtrade goods in bulk. One person collects the orders and sends them off together. Is there anyone who would be willing to do that for Belstone, please? There is a Fair Trade event in the Parish Rooms in Tavistock on Saturday 10th March. The Belstone Green Village Initiative aims to: provide opportunities and resources for Belstone to become a greener and more sustainable village, now and in the future. We hope to have an opportunity for more people to take part in the energy audit. The format is that Richard Pymm spends about 1 hour in your house, looking at your energy use, then provides a written break down of your household usage and how you might reduce the carbon emissions, save energy and save money. Please let us know if you are interested. Household Energy Audit Young People’s Initiatives A very successful inaugural meeting of the Youth Group was held on 10th Feb. at Moorland House – many thanks to Theresa and Bob for the use of their home. Lots of excellent ideas were put forward for activities specifically for the young people as well as what the group can do to help other village members. We have 50 young people in the village, of whom 45 are under 16. The, as yet unnamed, group will consist of youngsters aged 4 – 16years and they will meet in the Village Hall, initially, fortnightly from 2nd March. All are welcome. The Young Persons’ Film Group had a meeting at Birchy Lake on Saturday 24th Feb. An excellent few hours spent with Tim Webster discussing ideas and experimenting with the cameras and equipment. A tasty lunch supplied by Victoria helped to nourish active minds after a trip out filming in Belstone. Many thanks also for Fred and Victoria’s hospitality. Next meeting date to be decided but will be in the next few weeks. If anyone is interested in setting up a toddler group in the village please contact the editors. We are planning to take a trip to a Forest Garden th in Dartington on 19 May and hope to have lunch at Riverford Organics. A forest garden is a mixture of trees, shrubs and perennial plants organised to mimic the structure of a natural forest. The system aims to be biologically sustainable, low maintenance and productive. They have been used for thousands of years in the Tropics but are a more recent introduction into temperate regions. This should be a very interesting visit with ideas that could be adapted for our gardens in Belstone but we can only take a maximum of 20 people on a first come first served basis. Please contact the editors if you would like to book a place. Forthcoming Events The visit to Ann Dickman’s garden has now been moved to 10th June – more information later. A reminder that Westden invite us to their showing of the Oscar winning film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ at Tavistock Wharf on Sunday March 4th at 8.00pm. Tickets are £5 each, on sale from Westden or The Wharf box office 01822 611166. The film continues to be shown at The Wharf at 2.00pm & 8.00pm on Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th and 2.00pm on Thursday 8th. Mothering Sunday Lunch th 12.30pm Sunday 18 March (following the church service). Community News Bits ‘n’ Bobs The Village Hall library and sustainability information pack now includes the following publications – Green Futures, Permaculture, and The Ecologist. They are packed with a wealth of very practical information on a range of issues – not just green – so do take the opportunity to look. Several people have already taken up the offer of snowdrops but there are still plenty more! If you would like some, contact Robin Hill. We have not yet found anywhere to start a Village Orchard or Forest Garden – does anyone know of an area we may be able to use? Jill Sparks, Robin and Eddy Hill are taking up the opportunity to undergo website training and will be setting up the village website as soon as possible. Any ideas for items people would like to see on the site would be welcome. I you have any unwanted items that you think may be useful to others, let us know – we can always advertise them in this newsletter for you. We are planning a ‘Bring and Share’ lunch in the Village Hall at 12.00pm on Saturday March 24th, to celebrate Michael Ash’s 60th birthday. See enclosed flyer. A 1940’s lunch – Saturday May 5th at 12.00pm. Wartime style food and entertainment. Any recipes gratefully received by Eddy! Any memories, emailed, written or dictated to her will be displayed at the lunch as well as any memorabilia you would be prepared to lend. Look out for posters. Each and every one of us can make changes in the way we live our lives and become part of the solution to climate change - Al Gore “An Inconvenient Truth”