We have got a new website!

From today please go direct to this site www.transitionwb.org for more exciting developments.

Introduce a meat -free day in your week

Meat-Free Mondays Go Mainstream

15 Jun 2009 by Paul Northup

Paul McCartney, Chris Martin and Sheryl Crow have launched the ‘Meat Free Monday’ campaign, asking people to forego meat one day a week to slow global warming.

As reported on Generous a while back, the world’s leading authority on Climate Change, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, says going meat-free one day a week is the ‘most attractive’ way for individuals to reduce carbon emissions. A 2006 UN study found that the livestock industry is responsible for 18% of man-made global greenhouse gas emissions, not least because of deforestation in the Amazon – cutting down trees to create land to raise cattle to cut down again to produce meat for

“I think many of us feel helpless in the face of environmental challenges, and it can be hard to know how to sort through the advice about what we can do to make a meaningful contribution to a cleaner, more sustainable, healthier world,” said McCartney. “Having one designated meat free day a week is actually a meaningful change that everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once.”

More on Meat Free Monday, a video here including these not bad vegetarian recipes.

Commit to go meat-free one day a week here on the Generous site.

The Queen installs a vegetable patch at Buckingham Palace

For the first time since the Second World War vegetables are being grown in the Palace's grounds alongside ornamental plants.

The move comes amid a surge in demand from people up and down the country to have their own allotment to grow their own food during the recession.

The Queen's organic vegetable patch is about 10 yards by eight yards in size. It is at the rear of the garden in an area which is called the Yard Bed.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh talk to Claire Midgley, the Deputy Gardens Manager of Buckingham Palace, as they study the new vegetable garden in the grounds of the Royal residence Photo: PA
The Queen installs a vegetable patch at Buckingham Palace
Queen Elizabeth's organic vegetable patch at BUckingham Palace is about 10 yards by eight yards in size Photo: REUTERS

For the first time since the Second World War vegetables are being grown in the Palace's grounds alongside ornamental plants.

The move comes amid a surge in demand from people up and down the country to have their own allotment to grow their own food during the recession.

Guests attending the Queen's garden parties will be able to see her new allotment over the summer.

Claire Midgley, the Deputy Gardens Manager, last week showed the Queen a variety of vegetables that are being grown, including runner beans, "Stuttgarter" onions, "Musselburgh" leeks, sweetcorn, "Red Ace" beetroot, "Fly Away" carrots and an endangered variety of climbing French beans called "Blue Queen".

No chemicals have been used to cultivate the allotment sites. Liquid sea-weed has been used to feed the plants and forms of garlic are being used to deter aphids.

Like the rest of the garden, water from the palace borehole is used to irrigate the plants. Mulch from the palace's compost heap has been used to bed the vegetables in.

In 1918, there was a vegetable patch at Buckingham Palace which was used to grow turnips. There is a short film of the turnips being harvested on the Royal Channel on YouTube.

During the Second World War, vegetables were also grown at Windsor Castle.

A photograph of The Queen, when she was Princess Elizabeth, was taken in the grounds of the Castle to support the Second World War "Dig for Victory" campaign.

Buckingham Palace's garden covers 40 acres, and it includes a helicopter landing area, a four-acre lake, and a tennis court where King George VI often played tennis with Fred Perry, three three-time Wimbledon champion.

It is home to 30 different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare.

The gardens can comfortably accommodate 7,000 guests at each of the Queen's annual garden parties.

Allotments were introduced by the philanthropic Victorians to provide a healthy diet and lifestyle for factory workers.

Today, when their appeal has crossed the class divide, they still offer the same benefits.

Over the years, the popularity of the allotment has risen and fallen in relation to the nation's feeling of wellbeing.

In times of hardship, the public has been keen to turn to the soil - most notably during the Second World War, when millions became vegetable gardeners

It was revealed in February that the National Trust is converting some of its land into about 1,000 allotments to meet soaring demand.

Beeston Transition festival

One of the very musical members of the Skills Exchange and Transition West Bridgford used her strengths and enthusiasm to set up a transition musical event.

For those of you who could not make it, Sharon or Freida Mai, sent you this link so that you can pick up some of their messages too.

Transition Nottingham is part of a nationwide movement which is unleashing the creativity and vitality in communities, encouraging self-sustainability and well-being while reducing our dependence upon peak oil. This is the first event by Beeston Transition to create a greater awareness of the issues surrounding climate change and fossil fuel depletion, with performances from local poet Ann R Parker, the Nottingham Clarion Choir, Freida Mai, Bronwyn Westacott (both accompanied on the clarinet by Mark Ives), Harvey Bruce and Jimmy the Squirrel. contact them at http://beestontransition.weebly.com


I hope you enjoy it.

"For Want of a Nail" is a proverbial rhyme showing that small actions can result in large consequences.

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The Transition West Bridgford Group is looking for more people who would like to make a difference. Even a small deed like, handing out some leaflets, sending an email, setting up a gazebo can change the lives of hundreds of people.

Please contact us if you want to feel empowered and make a difference.
Karina 9147408

Transition West Bridgford Summer Gathering

On Saturday 6th June over 50 stall holders came to celebrate and spread the message of sustainable living in West Bridgford. Although the weather was not very good (understatement) our spirits were high and the cammaraderie was strong.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who came to help set up and run the events and of course the entertainers (Julie from Fairy Land, May pole dancers, and the drummers) who gave their time for Free! At 10am the Therapeutic Drummers drummed their hearts out and made the gathering come to life. Visitors streamed in, protected by their umbrellas, joining in activities, receiving advise and having some wonderful treatments. A little before 11am the rain held off and the children of the West Bridgford Infant school treated us to a heart warming maypole dance that set the theme for the day. Fun,joy and togetherness!

I also would like to thank MC Parker for the wonderful games he organised at such very short notice. As you can see the children loved the tug of war!

Hopefully see you next year. First Saturday in June!