Zero Carbon Castle

Following the success of last year’s event we will be holding our second Local Food Day on Saturday. We will have paper potting and seed planting, herb selling and havesting, a composting workshop and mocktail fruit drinks on offer. Activities will be held at the Community Herb Sharing Garden on the Rothsay/Castle Road roundabout and will start at 11am, finishing about 2pm. Hope to see you there!

On Saturday 6th March ZCC and our Bedford in Bloom friends (BTCV, Kempston in Bloom, Taste Real Food, Transition Bedford) will be holding the first food growing event planned for 2010 – Seed Sharing Saturday. The event will be held at the Bunyan Free Meeting Church on Mill Street Bedford in the main hall and will start at 9.30am and finish about 12.30pm. Some simple free refreshments will be available on the day.

The idea is that anyone wishing to donate seeds (all types) either send them to: BTCV (FAO: Jill Ferry), Taylor House, 99 Ashburnham Rd, Bedford MK40 1EA prior to the event so they can be packaged up and made available at the start of the day or bring them along on the day. After the event, seed swapping can continue via this website for those growers who want to continue to widen their planting varieties. Details of how this will work will be posted shortly. In the meantime, you can begin to sort your seeds out and put them into envelopes clearly marked with the plant/vegetable type, the variety, any specific details (like expiry date or heritage or organic) and your name and any contact details if you wish to provide them.

So come and join us on the 6th for a warm cup of something and a biscuit and pick up some free seeds!

If you would like to display a poster (pdf) in your community or organisation, please click the link below.

seedexchangeposter rev1 jan10

Mile Road Allotments are doing some community tree planting on their site on Sat.20th and Sun. 21st February. There will be hot drinks all day and warming soup for lunch. All are welcome. The allotment site is next door to John Bunyan School and the Bunyan Centre.

Our first meeting of 2010 is planned for Tuesday 5th January at the Gordon Arms on Castle Road (7.30pm). All are welcome. Please bring your best ideas and diaries as we will be chatting and mapping our activities for the year ahead. See you there!

A great turn-out on Saturday helped by glorious sunshine. The mass of cyclists made a real impression in the town centre, and separately petition collectors gathered well over 150 signatures asking the Government to take every possible step at Copenhagen and beyond to secure a global deal to reduce the effects of climate change.

Great work all round we reckon!

Lucy, Tammy and Chris

A few of us met earlier in the week and tweaked the plan slightly to take away the collection of glass bottles idea and replace it with a petition instead. So if you would like to add to Bedford’s voice in pressing for decisive action at the Copenhagen Climate Change Talks in December, meet at 11.45am for 12.00 on Saturday December 5th at the foot of Castle Mound, The Embankment. Come on your bike or on foot, Viking regalia optional. Why not decorate your bikes too?

Some of us will be cycling a chosen route around the town centre & some of us will be collecting signatures for the petition calling for the strongest possible action towards securing a substantive deal at Copenhagen and beyond. Afterwards we hope to make a celebratory cycle to the Danish Camp, for those with the spare energy!

 We hope to see as many people as possible to make a real impact and show that we, in Bedford, care about climate change and are trying to do something about it. Please remember though that you are responsible for your own safety (and that of children with you).

Best wishes, on behalf of Lucy, Tammy and Chris

Lucy, Tammy and I were gossiping over a cuppa this morning and stumbled across an idea. To mark the start of Copenhagen we thought we could round up a load of cyclists and go door to door on Saturday 5th December asking people if they have any glass bottles etc. that we could take to the recycling point at Lidls for them. We even thought we could wear Viking hats to make the link to Copenhagen!? Beforehand we could write to the papers to let them know what we’re doing and why, to draw attention to the Summit and also to show that we in ZCC are trying to do our bit locally. What do people think?

We 3 are going to meet again down the Gordon Arms next Tuesday 17th at 7.30 pm to thrash out the details and develop thinking. It would be terrific if others were able to join us to help plan, assuming people don’t think the concept is barking mad full stop? So please do feel free to join us next Tuesday. We’d be very lonely on our own

Best wishes,

Lucy, Tammy and Chris – The Biking Vikings (who  love re-cycling)

Apple Day is once again being held at Bromham Mill, this years date is Sunday 18^th October 2009. See - http://www.bedford.gov.uk/leisure_and_cu…

Traditionally the event has been staffed by volunteers from the County Council (no more of course), however, this year they are asking for help from communities to assist at the event.

Help is required to set up the event on 17^th October, on the day (18^th ) help is required by organising stall holders, collecting admission fees and general assistance. Finally, on the 19^th assistance with the break down and clear up.  Reward -satisfaction of a job well done and free admission (£5.00 on the day).

To offer your services or more information contact Lorraine at the Mill on 01234-824330 or e-mail lorraine.daley@bedford.gov.uk or dpeet@bedford.gov.uk

As a member of the Soil Association, I just received a request to sign their online petition to get neonicotinoids, the insecticides that are linked to the decline in bee population, banned in UK.  If anyone else is ineterested go to www.soilassociation.org/bees.aspx

kath