Come and join in!

Community Gardening is really taking off in Whitstable. The raised beds outside the library are full to bursting and the Stream Walk Community garden is being transformed. But we still need lots of helpers to keep them going. Especially as both have been entered in the Whitstable in Bloom competition. Come and drop in to our sessions, meet new friends and feel part of these exciting projects.

• Stream Walk has sessions on Tuesdays 12 – 4pm and the 3rd Saturday of each month 10am – 2pm. Tea provided! The Community Garden can be found along the Stream Walk footpath between Cromwell Road and Old Bridge Rd. in Whitstable. There is no need to book, you can simply turn up.
• The Library raised beds next session is on 26 June, late morning to early afternoon.

See you there.

TTW has gone from strength to strength in the years since it started and it is now looking for someone to help take it to the next level.

Do you love all things techy? Are you a budding social networking guru? Do you get a kick out of the web and email? Most importantly, do you have some time to spare to help publicise all the great work that TTW is doing? Then you could be the person we are looking for.

TTW is looking for a volunteer to take over their online communications. This will involve:

• managing our facebook and twitter accounts
• developing our website
• monitoring our email and sending regular email-shots
• looking after our online document store and calendar

Access to a PC and the internet, plus time and enthusiasm are essential. A full hand-over is provided. If you are interesting please contact Cyrus.

“The government was warned by its own civil servants two years ago that there could be “significant negative economic consequences” to the UK posed by near-term “peak oil” energy shortages.” Read the full article by clicking on the link above or go straight to the report.

Don’t forget, we can’t rely on our government, whoever is in charge, to prepare us for the coming energy shortage. We have to do it ourselves and getting involved in your local Transition Town initiative is a great way of doing this.

The days start at 10am and continue to 4pm, weather dependant. They provide teas, tools and materials, but ask you to bring lunch and wear old clothes and suitable footwear.

Hambrook Marshes is on the banks of the River Stour and can be reached via the Riverside Retail Park next the Wincheap Park and Ride in Canterbury. Follow the bridge over the river.

Further information and booking form.

Check out the latest newsletter from the network.

CONTENTS

~ TRANSITION NETWORK CONFERENCE, 8-10th July Liverpool
COMMUNITY NEWS
~ May Transition World Round-up
~ US Edition – May Transition World Round-up
~ Draught-Busting Workshops
~ Bicycles for community building
~ Transitioner selected for Yellow Pages cover
~ Transition Network Diversity Newsletter May 2011
COMING UP
~ Social Reporting Pilot Call To Action
~ An update on ‘In Transition 2.0′ the film
~ UK Allotment Waiting Lists 2011 Report
~ Free Trees For Communities
THINKING OUT LOUD
~ No More Need to Talk to Talk About Peak Oil?
~ Transition and Activism
~ Transition and Entertainment
~ When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting?
~ Toads Talk Transport
EVENTS
Quote of the Month

Have a look at our calendar for volunteer sessions in the coming weeks, we will be there on Be Nice to Nettles Day on Saturday 28 May.

Saturday 28 May

Celebrate the common nettle as part of national Be Nice to Nettles Week and discover there’s more to nettles than just their sting!

Whitstable Museum, Oxford Street

Morning: Displays about the many uses of nettles, and hands-on activities.

Free, drop-in event for all ages(10.00–13.00)

AfternoonTalks:

13.45 – Grasping the Nettle: an Introduction

14.30 – Knitting With Nettles

15.15 – Nettle Folklore and Uses

Call 01227 276 998 to book the talks.

Adults £2.50, Museum Friends £2, accompanied children free.

And follow the Whitstable nettle trail, all day (unless specified):

Herbaceous, Oxford Street

Nettle tonics, tinctures and teas

Farmers’ market St Mary’s Hall, Oxford Street (10.00–14.00)

Nettle products

Buzz 4 Wool and Crafts, Oxford Street

Yarns

Bridge House Arts, Oxford Street                   

Nettle paper and paintings

Whitstable Nutrition Centre, High Street

Medicinal nettle

Olivia’s Café, High Street

Nettle soup and tea

Jane at Graham Greener, Harbour Street

Display of the nettle family

Harbour Books, Harbour Street

Books on nettles in folklore, cooking and textiles

The Cheese Box, Harbour Street

Yarg cheese

Stream Walk Community Allotment, Stream Walk

Nettles and biodiversity

The Wine Room, Tankerton

Nettle wine and beer

A partnership between Whitstable Museum & Gallery and the Natural History Museum, London

Read the latest Edible Whitstable Newsletter

Issue 8 : May 2011

Greetings food folk! Early spring and blossom which bodes well for later foraging. Lots of food news to note since our last issue; the anti-Tesco protest in Bristol last month, planning applications for battery rabbit farms across the country and allegations from Unite of sweatshop labour down the road at Thanet Earth. Locally there is distress at the doubling of allotment charges, while at national level it appears that the government might be having second thoughts about releasing local authorities from their obligation to provide allotments.

But there are reasons to be cheerful in Whitstable as Transition Town’s growing projects are blooming.

There’s a working day at Whitstable’s wonderful new Stream Walk Community Garden this coming Saturday, May 21st 10am-2pm.

Lots of compost to shovel, hedges to trim, tea to make as well as a bit of carpentry. More info at http://www.permaculture.org.uk/whats-going-on/event/work-day/dirty-weekend-whitstable-compost-shovelling-day-2011-05-21. We’ll be getting ready for planting the raised beds and building a compost loo.

If you can’t make it, there are regular sessions every 3rd Satuday of the month, 10am – 2pm and also every Tuesday from 12 – 4pm.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who likes the thought of having an allotment and either can’t move up the list fast enough or doesn’t want the full responsiblity of their own plot or doesn’t know how to get started with growing their own veg and fruit – or if you just want to come and join in with the community garden.

Hope to see loads of you there – whatever your gardening skills.

Becky and Bear

Friday 20^th May 7pm

Swapping, recycling, making do, call it what you will but clothes swapping is in!

Bring any clothes and/or accessories that you would be proud to pass to a fellow swapper, take away as many things as you bring along. A fun way to update your wardrobe and make new friends. An informal evening based on good will and a love of free clothes! We would love to see you there.

Children are very welcome, feel free to bring along children’s clothes to swap too.

Entry £3 – No need to book just come along!