CRAG get-together Spring 2009. Treesponsibility again ?

angelaelizabeth

CRAGger Redland Bristol

tree planting was great, much better to meet to do something active useful and outdoors, rather than just meet
Angela
Bristol
www.sustainableredland.org.uk

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Been away so just catching up on posts. Permaculture or some CAFE training (provided it’s on a weekend) would be great.

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Rick

Many thanks for organising this. I’m afraid I’m busy studying all January or February, and I would also guess that I’m not the only faint-heart who is put off by the idea of tree-planting in Yorkshire in the vagaries of January weather! I’d be much in favour of a Spring date.

Jessica R

andy_ross

website team CRAGger Glasgow Leamington

Thanks, Rick, for doing this. Last weekend in Jan is good for me. Looking forward to catching up. Should have more time to keep in touch and do CRAGgy stuff in 2009. My enlightened bosses, bless them, have agreed to let me go part-time. Yippee!

Again thanks Rick for this. Yes aslong as there are cheap enough rail/bus options from London I would be up for this.

Tom

david

website team CRAGger Sevenoaks

Thanks, Rick, for organising this. That weekend sounds fine for me, I’m absolutely up for it. If that’s when they need us most, then I’m sure we can all take the weather. Bring it on!

And Happy New Year to everyone, I feel sure it’s going to be a good one!

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Rick

Thanks for your efforts and sorry to hear this hasn’t got off the ground. I don’t know for sure, but I think part of the reason for lack of interest is that not enough CRAGgers have read the thread. I think we need to get more Craggers talking about the gathering and make a plan for the activity and dates accordingly. As we know, many people don’t check the website often or get alerts, so I’m sure we have a larger pool of people who’d be interested.

Andy, David B – perhaps you could send a short email round CRAG administrators inviting them to contribute to the thread?

Also, I think Treesponsbility is a great organisation, but, if dates are very limited, perhaps we should look at other activities with equally good aims which would give us more date options? Eg, community gardening or Woodland Trust projects, BCTV, etc.

I’m still keen to have a gathering, preferably with many more people than last year. I also still think people would be more likely to come to an outdoor activity if we had it in the Spring when the weather is likely to be better.

John Cossham

CRAGger York

I’ve been reading the thread but as most folks are available on a weekend, it’s likely it will be on a weekend. I work weekends, as entertainer ‘Professor Fiddlesticks’ and therefore won’t be available to plant trees at the end of Jan/beginning Feb.
Sorry, I’d love to be with you!

John Cossham

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Hi all,

it’d be nice to meet in the spring. I’ve got some friends with an organic farm just outside Bedford. see images here http://wiki.uniteddiversity.com/tiki-browse_gallery.php?galleryId=7
we could get our hands dirty supporting this great farm.

They’re linked in as WWOOF’s and have a couple of caravans on site and enough space for camping etc
http://www.wwoof.org.uk/preview/Pwhost4cy.asp

Bedford is quite central (only 50 miles north of London)
i could contact them if there’s interest, perhaps with the idea of exchanging a weekend’s camping for x amount of hours work (something similar to whatever the WWOOF would be). i think with the WWOOF deal you get food too.

Shane

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Thanks, Shane. I’d be up for that. I think supporting a WWOOF-friendly organic farm is up CRAGs’ street.

We could do a few hours work and chat on the Saturday and Sunday mornings, say, and then a more formal conference on Saturday afternoon.

My only concern would if those in the north of England and Scotland felt that Bedford was too far south. I suppose it’s really the south Midlands, and, as I recall, with good transport links.

But what does everyone else think?

angelaelizabeth

CRAGger Redland Bristol

Dear All – I’m really sorry I haven’t responded saying I can join you. The tree planting last year was brilliant. Trouble is, there is so much going on with our local transition group (susredland) of which our CRAG is one part, and Bristol-wide with Transition Bristol and stuff, that evenings and weekends are getting hopelessly overcommitted. Don’t know what the answer is! There will be a transition conference in April – might that be an opportunity for a CRAG get together? not sure of details yet.

Angela
Bristol
www.sustainableredland.org.uk

david

website team CRAGger Sevenoaks

I’m sure CRAGs or Carbon Clubs have their place within a wider Transition initiative. What might be interesting is for someone with experience of CRAGs and Transition to go along and give a little introduction and thoughts on how the two could work together. I’d like to go myself, if I can make it, but don’t really have enough hands-on experience of Transition to give a decent shot. Anyone interested?

david

website team CRAGger Sevenoaks

Sound good, Shane. I’d be up for this. I think it’s time for a newsletter within the next few weeks. If someone can put together a little segment about this, I can whack it in. That way, it would go direct to all website members – probably the widest reach we have.

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

If there are no objections i’ll ask Jim and Margeret if they’d like to host us.
what’s the best dates? I figure May sometime, if we’re camping.
What’s a rough estimate of quantity of people?

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

I spoke to Jim at Yelnow Farm and he said it would be fine for us to meet there. Unsure of amounts, i’ve suggested we’d be between 5 and 20 people??? In general, they’re amazing people and are willing to discuss the best way to make the CRAG meeting happen.
Thoughts and where we go from here would be appreciated.
Shane

Zaria

CRAGger Peckham

Hi Shane,

Thanks for looking at this, I’d love to come and camp and CRAG and WWOOF on a farm but do we have dates? I can’t see any in the previous thread.

Sorry for being a bit slow saying, I know you can’t make plans until you have numbers, but some dates might be useful,

cheers, CRAG on..

Zaria Greenhill

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Thanks, Shane, for laying this foundation.

Easter this year is 12 April. Why don’t we go for a weekend after that, which will mean we’re safely into Spring and give us plenty of notice and time to organise?

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Hi there, lets use this thread to choose dates, we can then go back to Jim and Marget the farmers and confirm they’re OK. I’d vaguely suggested May, thinking that it would attract more people, but April is a key month on farms, so i’m open.

The site is idyllic, it’s only downside is, ironically, that there is Santa Pod drag racing track within earshot.
Many weekends you’ll not know it’s there but sometimes the drag could be a drag. I camped out there nearly all summer long and had no real discomfort.
However, It would be smart to choose the right weekend, eg 24, 25 and 26 of April. That weekend they’re having a VW bus jam and it is unlikely that we’ll here them.
If you wanted to come down early, a point of interest on the Friday of this weekend Santa Pod are having;

“Electric cars, hydrogen cars, bioethanol and butanol cars will feature in the Alternative Fuel and Zero Emissions race at Santa Pod on April 24th.”
http://www.aeracing.org/
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Daily-news/New-Transport-T…

for some an event like this is better placed on April 1st, for others it may be an added motivation. Tickets are only a fiver.

other suggested weekends are;

9 and 10 of May
or
16 and 17 of May

Standard WOOFing principals apply, we’d put in some hours and get food. If there’s lots of people, Jim and Margeret would like some people to put their time in helping to prepare the food, but that seems logical.

Shane

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

hi there, it’s backwater, so no route will drop you at the door, but i’ always happy to help where i can.
The post code is MK43 7AD and the it’s good to
take a look at multimap http://tinyurl.com/cpphs9 you’ll see the farm surrounded by forest.
The nearest villages are Sharnbrook (2 miles; bus route number mercury/52/53/124/125/126), Odell (1 mile; bus route 124/125/126/127)
the main routes from bedford are the 126 stops outside the Bedford train station, timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/timetables.php?service=132
and bus 50/mercury timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/news_2224.html

this webpage is quite handy too.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/bdm/busmaps.html

which ever way you look at it you’ll have a mile walk down a single lane road, which becomes a farm track. Depending on peoples ability and desire, i’ll happily help with a vehicle for the last part of the journey. the more arriving at the same time will of course economise.

that said wellingborough and northampton train stations are just as close as bedford.

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

there’s not enough interest in the offer that i put forward, i don’t want to string the farmers along.
i’ll leave the offer open to the end of this week, just in case, before notifying them of the lack of interest.
Shane

Hi Shane,

am interested but have been hanging back due to changing life and not wanting to commit to a weekend so far away when there are other things around. Would be a shame not to do it, how many people did you/ your hosts require?

Cheers

Tom

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

hi Tom, no minimum limit, just looking to take a direction and get a verdict, Yeh or Ney

Zaria

CRAGger Peckham

Dear all,

Thanks for taking care of this Shane, and sorry for the silence. I would love to come and hang out on a farm and WWOOF for a weekend with other CRAGgers, but I can’t make either of the May weekends. The last weekend in April would be good for me.

If we’re still doing it. I gather you had a nice time last year, why not have another meetup?
cheers,
Zaria

Zaria Greenhill

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Shane

Sorry also for silence. I see Zaria votes for 24-26 April, and I can do the same. (And I’m hoping that VW drag racing will be as quiet as you suggest!)

What about the rest of you? If we can get a core of us (say 10 minimum?) to commit to this weekend, I suggest we go ahead and book it, and then email CRAG administrators direct to ask who else would like to join us.

Shane, do you think we can add more people later, within reason?

.....

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Hi there, in response;

David said; “I’m sure CRAGs or Carbon Clubs have their place within a wider Transition initiative. What might be interesting is for someone with experience of CRAGs and Transition to go along and give a little introduction and thoughts on how the two could work together.”

I think that is a superb idea!! i would be interested in helping to develop this further.

Jessica said; “And I’m hoping that VW drag racing will be as quiet as you suggest!”

Just spoke to Margaret and she said that the VW bug jam is quite. Fundamentally this is old VW cars and vans and not drag racing which are two different noise levels. The weekend proposed is looking interesting as April is good for the Yelnow farmers (as indicated on their WWOOFer page), good for us as there’s less other happenings (distractions) than May and there’s the zero emissions race on the Friday too.

Jessica also said; “do you think we can add more people later, within reason?”

It would be good to get a first estimate of numbers by the beginning of next week, with a view to updating after the mail out to the wider CRAGers. That way we can make a provisional booking. How many people went last year? do we have an idea of numbers? i’ve suggested 5 to 20 and i think we could happily go up above this as, i imagine, we’re all willing to help with preparing food etc and making our visit as beneficial as possible to the farmers.

I imagine a few people from my community group http://www.zerocarboncastle.org/ would want to come, there are also a few Transition initiatives around here, although i’m not sure how appropriate people think it is to invite these broader groups.

Shane

andy_ross

website team CRAGger Glasgow Leamington

I can make it that weekend too.

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

i’m happy to provisionally book this!
are there any objections?
who sends the emails out to the list?
it would be nice to get a yurt/tipi for eating together and discussions, any ideas?

andy_ross

website team CRAGger Glasgow Leamington

I have a CRAG admin email list from this time last year. David B may have a more up to date one. If not, any of the website admins could have a go at updating it. How many and who are the current website admins, David? Would be happy to do update and email out if noone steps forward.

Andy

John Cossham

CRAGger York

For those unable to do the CRAGgers tree planting, you may wish to join this event

Earth First & Treesponsibility Tree Planting weekend – Hebden Bridge – 13-15.03.09
The annual and sociable opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on
a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth
First activists in collaboration with Calderdale community group
Treesponsibility. Based in Hebden Bridge in Calderdale. A weekend of hard
but satisfying work planting native woodland combined with good food and
socialising.
More info: treesponsibility@yahoo.co.uk or 07983743894

this ripped from Climate Action News Sheet 86, sent out by Rising Tide (info@risingtide.org.uk)

John Cossham

david

website team CRAGger Sevenoaks

Yep, I pulled out some admin contact lists from the database a few months ago: it includes the email addresses of each admin associated with a local group on the site. These are listed on the private steering group site at http://steering.carbonrationing.org.uk/wiki/crag-contacts (please see the CRAG steering group website & tools thread for registration information etc.)

Not sure if this is exactly the best list, as it depends on people keeping their local admins up-to-date on their group pages. However, it certainly makes things quicker for admin, and would be a good habit to get into, to draw things in a distributed way from the website.

Hope that helps!

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

that’s it i’ve booked it for the 24th, 25th and 26th of April!!
There’s a small caravan with a double and a single bed, if needed. what’s people preferred format/content for the weekend?
anyone up for putting together an invite for the wider group? Jim and Margaret are going to work out what kind of jobs will need doing so i’ll fill you in during the week. i liked the idea of discussing how CRAG’s fit into the wider transition town movement.
as well as the farmers there’s a permaculture teacher leaving there in a yurt at the moment who could probably do a course or something but i don’t want to start filling the weekend up as people probably have specific CRAG stuff in mind and we’ll already have WWOOFing to do.

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Thanks very much, Shane. Now that we have fixed for weekend 24-26 April, please can we all spread the word to other CRAGgers and find out who definitely will come? I’m going to ask the other members of Islington CRAG.

David, Andy – please could one of you send out details on your email list to CRAG admins?

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

I agree, and apologies for repeating; what’s people preferred format/content for the weekend?
anyone up for putting together an invite for the wider group?

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

In short;

doubts – I have serious doubts about putting anymore time into organising this. – i’m really busy and no one seems to want to put time in – general lack of activity around this thread
but a bit of inspiration – the task of cutting carbon is bigger than ever imagined http://transitionculture.org/2008/12/10/9-degrees-the-wizard-of-oz-and-s… – we’re doing worst than the worst predictions http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009572.html – the Farm For the Future reminded me that the rewards are greater than we may understand http://uniteddiversity.com/a-farm-for-the-future/ – millions have started to tinker around the edges at reducing carbon – the next step is the leap to a totally low carbon lifestyle – millions could gain from the examples that some CRAGers put forward

so i’ve emailed my contact details to those on this thread who have shown an interest.
Shane

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Jessica, great job getting the email out. in response to your questions;

Do you think its’s worth mentioning the alternative energy car race on the 24th?? http://www.aeracing.org/index.html
i’ve posted these comments on the forum;

In response to your questions;

- what is the accomodation?

mainly bring your own tents, there’s one caravan, with a double and a single bed and i can bring an extra four bed tent for people who want to come with a lesser load. I’d like a hand putting it up and down though, as it is quite a size.

- will we need all our own tents and camping equip or do they have some there for people who don’t have their own ?

as above

- is there any accom indoors and if so, for how many people?

none

- which is the nearest train station and hopw far is it from the farm?

it’s in the middle of bedford, wellingborough and northampton train stations.

- what are options for transit from train to farm? eg, buses, taxi price, lifts from farm?

I’d happily organise taxi/mini bus if we have enough people arriving at the same time. if people can contact you to let you know what time they’re arriving or contact me.

as in previous post for those wanting to find their own way. The post code is MK43 7AD and the it’s good to
take a look at multimap http://tinyurl.com/cpphs9 you’ll see the farm surrounded by forest.
The nearest villages are Sharnbrook (2 miles; bus route number mercury/52/53/124/125/126), Odell (1 mile; bus route 124/125/126/127)
the main routes from bedford are the 126 stops outside the Bedford train station, timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/timetables.php?service=132
and bus 50/mercury timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/news_2224.html

this webpage is quite handy too.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/bdm/busmaps.html

which ever way you look at it you’ll have a mile walk down a single lane road, which becomes a farm track. Depending on peoples ability and desire, i’ll happily help with a vehicle for the last part of the journey. the more arriving at the same time will of course economise.

that said wellingborough and northampton train stations are just as close as bedford. – what kind of jobs would we be doing on the farm, and what are options for those who don’t want to do physical work?

there’s never a shortage of work need doing, under the WWOOFer model, we’d be asked to do about 6 hours work. Exactly what that work will be is open to the weather and the progress on the farm but suggested possibilities;

a) laying timber into a benges hedge (i think this the name for it) – designed to encourage wildlife to it, creates a corridor that over time becomes a hedge, provides a barrier and little bit of protection, the seeds come off the trees and settle on and aroung the logs.

b) planting shitaki mushrooms in logs.

c) collecting firewood.

d) possibly general tasks, planting veg and collecting eggs.

e) if there’s lots of us some may be asked to help chop veg and prepare the food.

Shane

Jessica

website team CRAGger Islington

Shane

Many thanks for this very helpful info. I’m really looking forward to the weekend! And thanks also for your email to me separately – I’ll be in touch with you direct so that we can iron out details.

As not all Craggers use this forum regularly, I emailed all CRAG administrators last week to notify them of the Gathering details, and asked them to contact me direct if they want to come. I will collate names and numbers and liaise with Shane to set up the weekend.

For anyone reading this thread who hasn’t received my email and would like to join us on the weekend, please tell me here on this thread, or notify me privately by using the contact form on my profile page.

This is the ‘joining info’ I want to collect at the moment:

- (1) names of who wants to come and their CRAG, – (2) whether they will want transport to and/ or from the train station, – (3) when they plan to arrive and leave (NB if this is not Fri eve and Sun pm, they may have to make own arrangements for transport), – (4) whether they have any special needs which mean they don’t want to sleep in a tent and/ or do physical work – we want to try our best to make everyone welcome and comfortable, but we need advance notice so that we can consider the best arrangements. NB, per Shane’s info above, the only non-tent accom we will have on the farm itself is three spaces in a caravan.

Zaria

CRAGger Peckham

Hi Shane and others,

my apologies, I’m still quite prepared to come on the last weekend in April, we’ve got a crag meeting tomorrow so I’ll try and recruit more.

cheers,

Zaria Greenhill

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

just out of interest, for those who don’t want to stay in a tent. I’ve found a self catering cottage. Not the cheapest option at £250 for a cottage that sleeps 4 and £280 for a 5 person cottage. They only do week or weekend bookings and so you’d be paying for 3 nights (fri, sat and sun).
the link is http://www.dovecoteselfcatering.co.uk/

there’s also a BB (£37.50 a night)
www.bourneendfarm.co.uk

we could arrange transport or people could bring bikes.

On another note, if you’ve seen The Age of Stupid, the site for the rejected wind farm application, which featured quite heavily in the film, is about a stones throw away from Yelnow Farm. I’m thinking a little bit of direct action with “Stupid” stickers. let’s face it, if anyone looked stupid in this film, some of the NIMB’ies win the trophy. The way i see it, is if we can make the transition in Bedfordshire, we can make it anywhere. crack bedfordshire and you’ve cracked the world…

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Good news, we’ve been given a yurt to use. it’s set up (already) with a log burner and could sleep a quite a few if needed but also it would be good for round table discussions.
I feel that we should send another mail out, mainly to show that there will be warm places to stay (Yurt, caravan and BB’s) and send some images to let people know how beautiful it is out there.
Shane

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

I took a trip out to Yelnow Farm yesterday. The cycle was a pretty easy 45min to an hour from Bedford.
2 things have come out of the visit. My friend’s yurt is great, fully kitted out with everything we’d ever need and another caravan has become available, so we now have at least 5 beds already available (4 of them doubles).

Secondly, Jim (the farmer) is undergoing some petty heavy treatment and given that the yurt has a Rayburn, gas cooker and fridge etc, i’ve suggested to him that we (the CRAG get together) go self catering. The farm’s got some produce for the pot (potatoes, eggs, perhaps lettuce and anything else that is in season) and what i’m putting forward is that we all chip in and buy some extra foods. I’ve scoped some local stores. You may even want to bring some veg or tea bags from home to put into the mix. If anyone can’t afford or doesn’t want to chip in (understandably as the original plan was the farm would provide food), i’m sure we can work something out.
look forward to meeting you.
Shane

shane

website team CRAGger Bedford

Does anyone have access to the news letter mailing list? David emailed me a little while back, offering to add an invite to the the get together in the news letter. I’ve written back but i’ve got a feeling that he must be on holiday or not receiving these messages. i’ve sent a couple with a full write up of the invite to the get together but to no avail. any later and there will be no value in the invite.

a lifeline wanted…
shane