Lampeter Grapevine Issue 3 October 2012 by Lampeter Grapevine

FREE

october 2012

GRAPEVINE ddim

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31 October 1517:

TRICK OR TREAT?

-ou t u yc ! r a sc sk : a e sid een m n i free hallow

also this month: a good year for bad apples; the great school uniform fiasco; the low carbon house; the perils of pill-popping; sacred music; caption comp

GRAPEVINE no. 3, Octoberr 2012 Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, Ceredigion, SA48 7EE email: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com Published by Transition Llambed Development Trust, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, SA48 7EE www.transitionllambed.co.uk Printed by TSD reprographics, Lampeter, on paper from sustainable resources editor: Andy Soutter distribution: Gro-Mette Gulbrandsen design & page makeup: Captain Cat listings are free. To list your event send details to lampetergrapevine@gmail.com, with the subject line ‘listings’ advertising rates: 1/4 column £10; 1/2 col. or double 1/4 col. £20; 1/4 page £25; 1/2 page £40; full page £70. Personal ads: up to 20 words £2; up to 40 words £4. copy date: November issue: 15 October. We prefer electronic files, and email for communications. circulation: 1,500 copies distributed free in the Lampeter area

what’s going on these listings are free. send details of your event to lampetergrapevine@gmail.com

movies Moonrise Kingdom (12) Bruce Willis. Friday Oct. 12, Cellan Millennium Hall. Doors open 7.15, programme 7.45. Admission by donation, £2.00. Dark Shadows (12) Johnny Depp. Friday Oct. 26, Cellan Millennium Hall. Doors open 7.15, programme 7.45. Admission by donation, £2.00.

music Twmpath/folk dance. Saturday 27 October, Talsarn Village Hall. Live music & refreshments. £2.50. 01974 272098. The Fat Spanners at Llanfair Clydogau Village Hall, Sat. 20 Oct., 7.30pm (with real ale served from 5pm). Tickets £5 (£3 for 12–16 year-olds. Not suitable for under-12s). Call 01570 493706, or lindaquelch@gmail.com 01570 493706. Albert Lee, Juan Martin and Joan Armatrading play Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 4, 9 and 24 October respectively. See page 20. Catrin Finch. Highly esteemed harpist plays the Arts Hall at Lampeter Uni on Tuesday 16 October at 7.30. Tickets £9, concessions £7.50, students free, two children free. Book in advance at Hag’s, 23 Bridge St Lampeter. See page 21.

move your body Folk dancing. Every Wednesday, 8-10pm Talsarn Village Hall. Everybody welcome (incl. musicians). No partner or experience needed. £1.50 incl. refreshments. 01974 272098. Cerddwyr Ramblers. Lampeter group organises a variety of weekly walks throughout the year. Anyone interested in walking with the group is warmly welcomed to join. A walking programme is available from the Town Library or from James (01570 480743). Belly dance & Belly fit. Shiloh Church Hall (next to the police station on the high street). All fitness levels welcome. Mondays. Belly Dance 1.30–2.45 (all ages). Belly Fit 3.00– 4.00 (over 50s).

NEW CLASSES IN CRUGYBAR VILLAGE HALL Tuesday 7.30–8.30pm Belly Dance, £3.00. Thursday 7–8.30pm Beginner Yoga, £5.00. Call 01558 685 321 or email for more information: elenamgilliatt @hotmail.com

Zumba keep fit session with Julie Lancaster. Tuesdays 7..30pm till 8.30pm, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. Info 01570 470542 Zumba keep fit session with Louise Evans. Wednesdays 7pm till 8pm. Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. Info 07584 199372. Lampeter Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Mike A.

Banica. Thursdays 6pm till 8pm, and Sundays 7pm till 9pm. Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. Info 07783 582081. Boxersize. Body conditioning and toning keep fit session with Andy Jacques. Saturdays 2pm till 4pm. Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. Info 07703 722344. Line Dancing Mondays 7–10pm, Cellan Millennium Hall. Info www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk Healing Yoga, Tuesdays 10–11.30am, Cellan Millennium Hall. Info www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk Tai Chi , Tuesdays 6–8pm, Cellan Millennium Hall. Info www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk Yoga, 5.30–7pm Wednesdays, 10–11.30am Thursdays, Cellan Millennium Hall. Info www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk Five Rhythms Dance, 1st Thursday of Month 7pm, Cellan Millennium Hall. Info www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk

shows Absurdly Moving Theatre Company present Refuse at Cellan Millennium Hall on Saturday 13 October at 8pm. Tickets £5/£4 (no advance booking required). A community resists destruction against impossible odds. Multi-media performance with original music and film. Light refreshments available or BYO. Booking and info, Claire Turner: claire@phonecoop.coop 01239 621 039/ 07732 861104. See ad. on p. 23

sport Lampeter Motor Club meets 12 October, 8pm at the Black Lion, High St Lampeter.

meditation Meditation in Ffarmers. Mondays, 7.30– 8.30pm. Neuadd Bro Fana / Ffarmers Village Hall, Ffarmers, Llanwrda, Carms, SA19 8JL. The extension at Neuadd Bro Fana is available for an hour’s silent meditation. The doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Hot drinks available. Bring whatever you need to sit comfortably. Further info from Andrew, andrew@roberts.net or 01558 650472. Myfyrdod yn Ffarmers. Nos Lun (yn cychwyn ar Fedi 17eg 2012) o 7.30 hyd 8.30. Neuadd Bro Fana, Ffarmers, SA19 8JL. Bydd ‘Yr Haulfan’ ar gael am awr o fyfyrdod tawel. Bydd y drysau yn agored am 7.00 ar gyfer cychwyn yn brydlon am 7.30. Bydd diod twym ar gael. Dewch a beth bynnag y mynnoch ar gyfer eistedd yn gyfforddus. Am ragor o wybodaeth, neu os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, cysylltwch ag Andrew ar andrew@roberts.net neu 01558 650472.

religious services and groups Lampeter Parish St Peter’s Church, Lampeter. Main Sunday Service: 11.00am (bilingual). Other services: 8am Holy Communion (English). 9.30am Cymun Bendigaid (trydydd Sul yn y mis yn unig, Cymraeg). St Cybi’s Church, Llangybi. Main Sunday Service: 9.00am (bilingual). St Bledrws’ Church, Betws Bledrws. Main Sunday Service: 10.45am (English or bilingual). St Sulien’s Church, Silian. Main Sunday Service: 2.00pm (blingual or Cymraeg). St Mary’s Church, Maestir. Main Sunday Service: 2.30pm (second Sunday in the month only, English). Times apply to the first four Sundays in each month. For the few fifth Sundays there will be a single United Parish Service at 10am: the location will be published in the local newspapers. St Peter’s Church Hall in Lampeter is available for hire at £8.50 per hour. The hire charge includes use of the kitchen facilities. For enquiries or bookings contact Beryl on 01570 422 324. For more information visit: www.lampeterparish.org/ Monthly Hunger Lunch in support of Christian Aid Food Project, St Peter’s Church Hall, Lampeter, Friday 12.00– 1.30pm. Phone 01570 422 324 for date details. There is no fixed fee for this two course lunch but all donations received go to the Christian Aid Food Project. A warm welcome to all.

CELLAN MILLENNIUM HALL CLASSES AND GROUPS

Women’s Workshop

Classes subject to change: please see www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk for updates, contact details and the film page for up and coming movies

St James’ Hall, Cwmann, Lampeter 10.30am–3pm Wednesdays The hall has disabled access and toilet, and a free car park 11am Qi Gong-gentle exercise 12 noon lunch 1pm workshop

Autumn Workshops Wed. 26 September: craft Wed. 3 October: Celebrate National Poetry Day Wed. 10 October: quilting Wed. 17 October: craft Only £2.50 a session, pay on the day, no membership fee or advance fee to pay, drop in when you please. Come and see if you like our group. New members always welcome. £2.50 includes vegetarian lunch and all activities More details: 01570 423167 / 01545 590391

St Thomas’ Methodist Church, Lampeter. Friends of Kinango coffee morning and sale. Saturday 6 October, 10am–1pm. Cakes, antiques, bric-a-brac, books. All proceeds to sponsoring students in Kinango, Kenya. All welcome.

Lampeter Farmers Market

Seventh Day Adventists meet fortnightly on Saturdays at Cellan Millennium Hall, 10.15– 3.15. More details: www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk

Market Street, Lampeter 9.00am – 2.00pm alternate Fridays next markets: 5th & 19th October

Lampeter Evangelical Church meets every Sunday at Victoria Hall, 10am– 7pm. Contact Gareth Jones at The Mustard Seed. Tel. 01570 423344 An introduction to Buddhism group with Steph Jacques. 2nd Thursday of the month, 7 –9pm, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter. Info 01570 422273.

next month: FOOD! send us your thoughts, articles, pictures, and cheese

MONDAY Quilting (NEW VENUE: info 01570422066) RAY Ceredigion Play Sessions 4–6pm Line Dancing 7–10pm TUESDAY Healing Yoga 10–11.30am Lampeter Home Education Group 12– 5pm Qi Gong 6–7pm Tai Chi 7–8pm Beekeepers 2nd Tuesday of month 8pm WEDNESDAY Table Tennis 10am–11.30 Yoga 5.30–7pm THURSDAY Yoga 10–11.30am Five Rhythms Dance 1st Thursday of Month 7pm Village Improvement Society 1st Thursday of month 7pm WI 2nd Thursday of month 7pm Portraiture in Oils 12-3pm twice monthly from 4 October to 31 January with Sarah Spencer. Details and dates School of Education and Lifelong Learning 01970 621580 FRIDAY Art Group 10–12.00am Film Night fortnightly 7.15pm SATURDAY Seventh Day Adventists fortnightly 10.15am–3.15 SUNDAY Zumba 5pm-6pm with Julie Lancaster details 01570 470542

friday movies Oct. 12 “Moonrise Kingdom” (12) Bruce Willis Oct. 26 “Dark Shadows” (12) Johnny Depp Nov. 9 “Woman in a Dressing Gown” (12) Anthony Quinn Nov. 30 “Men In Black 3” (PG) Will Smith (We’ll be back in February 2013) DOORS OPEN 7.15.

PROGRAMME BEGINS 7.45.

ADMISSION BY DONATION £2.00

BIG SCREEN & DIGITAL THEATRE SOUND WWW.CELLANMILLENNIUMHALL.CO.UK 3

Ffarmers Market 6th October 10–12.30 Neuadd Bro Fana/Village Hall, Ffarmers

Llansawel Market 19th October 10–12.30 Llansawel Village Hall

sorry, kate Apologies to Kate Wilkinson, people’s market stallholder, whose email address we got wrong in our last issue. If you want to get in touch with Kate about her one-off designs in wool or paper, her hats rugs and shawls in 100 per cent natural fibres, or her knowledge of peg loom weaving, using whole fleece to make rugs or mats, this is the right address: kraftykate1@yahoo.co.uk (honest).

ADVERTISERS: remember these? we’ve had lots of requests that more of you supply phone numbers: please try for the sake of those without easy online access.

victoria hall bryn road, lampeter

activities and classes Monday: 2pm till 3pm Herbalife weight watching session with Hazel Pugh. Tel: 07854 743291. 7pm till 9pm Wing Chun Kungfu. with Flo Hunt Tel :07796 796259 Tuesday: 11am till 1pm WEA Introduction to sewing machines, and 1pm till 3pm, Restyle your clothes with Hannah Cutler. Tel: 07773 500328. 730pm till 830pm Zumba keep fit session with Julie Lancaster. Tel: 01570 470542 Wednesday: Fortnightly. Young at Heart. Tea and sandwiches for the wiser folk of Lampeter. 130pm till 430pm Wednesday: 7pm till 8pm. Zumba keep fit session with Louise Evans. Tel: 07584 199372. Thursday: 10pm till 3pm Welsh classes with Meryl EvansTel: 01545 572715 6pm till 8pm Lampeter Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Mike A. Banica. Tel: 07783 582081 Thursday: Second of the month 7pm till 9pm An introduction to Buddhism Group with Steph Jacques. Tel: 01570 422273 Thursday: Third of the month 7pm till 9pm Transition Llambed ‘Big Gathering’. A chance for all those interested and involved with Transition Llambed to plan and coordinate activities. Everyone welcome! Friday: 430pm till 630pm LYTSS: Lampeter Youth Theatre and Stage School with Annie May. Tel: 01570 423077 Saturday: 2pm till 4pm Boxersize. Body conditioning and toning keep fit session with Andy Jacques. Tel: 07703 722344 Saturday: 2nd and 4th of the month. 10am till 1pm. Lampeter People’s Market. Local food, produce and crafts. Plus cafe and other various attractions. Sunday: Lampeter Evangelical Church 10am till 7pm Gareth Jones at the Mustard Seed. Tel: 01570 423344 Sunday: 7pm till 9pm Lampeter Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Mike A. Banica. Tel: 07783 582081 4

as the battle for the best pseudonym hots up, may de pnayme reports on the battle to kit out your kid

lampeter school uniform fiasco Let’s slip back into the mists of time, back to last Autumn, and I’m leafing through a glossy brochure about the changes to the high school; I notice that there is a page on the change of school uniform. I am pleasantly surprised by the intimation that in similar situations as this, the PTA has bought every pupil in the school a new school uniform! Also nostalgically, I allow my mind to drift over the ease at which I used to be able to buy school uniforms, just by popping into Cwpwrdd Cwl when I happened to be in town. However, needless to say, the expense in the end has fallen to the parents and guardians, and, as the pressure to conform is ON, it is an expense I have to pay.

just to supply? more confusion!) uniforms, with many signatures already. If you go in and add your name you would be supporting local businesses, which is a fundamental part of Transition Llambed. Unfortunately, it is not this simple; it seems the parents and pupils have found themselves in the middle of what seems to me to come down to a lack of communication. The confusing facts are as follows:

 Whilst the school is under the impression that certain local shops 



But after the difficulty in actually getting hold of these new – very specific to each year – uniforms, I’m starting to wonder if I should bother. The school is allowing a years’ grace period after all, where old uniforms can be worn (despite the possibility of a 2-tier system of ‘haves and have nots’ emerging). And I’ve been wondering about the enormous waste that has just been created, a huge pile of obsolete uniforms; un-pass-down-able, pointless to charity shops … perhaps there’s some school in Africa that wouldn’t mind changing its name? As Lampeter is a Transition Town, one would hope that its own secondary school would be aware of issues like sustainability, and supporting local businesses. Which brings me to another major sticking point in this school uniform fiasco – the contract to make them has gone to a company in Nottingham. The shop formerly known as Cwpwrdd Cwl (A.J. Williams) has got all the necessary equipment to handle this order. It would have meant extra work for local people. It would have meant that, at any point during the year I could just pop in and purchase a polo shirt or two when in town. It would have meant that my daughter and her friends, as well as a huge queue of others, would not have had to queue for 2 hours on the designated ‘get your uniform day’ only to be told at the end of it (at 11am) that they had sold out. Even if a local company did not make them, there was (and still is) potential for them to stock the uniform. There is a petition in the shop, about allowing them to produce (or



did not want the contract to produce the uniforms, the opposite was the in fact the case; although A.J. Williams had been in contact with the school over the uniforms, and had provided them with samples, neither they, nor any other Lampeter shop, actually made an official tender. The only official tenders the school received were from Trutex and Price & Buckland. Yes, local businesses should have applied in time, but perhaps the school could have reminded them to put a tender in. There is, as ever, a debate over profit margins. In order to sell the official, made by Price & Buckland uniforms, local shops would have a profit of 50p to £1 on each item. It seems there is some confusion over the profitability of this. Also, A.J. Williams is reluctant to sell someone else’s products as they are concerned about the quality of the uniforms. It is true that the school jumpers are very thin and unlikely to keep anyone warm in a Welsh winter. Even though A.J. Williams has a stock of purple polo shirts and can embroider them with the logo, the School has put up slightly ambiguous signs which appear to suggest that if the uniform is not exactly the same in every tiny way as to the ones made by Price & Buckland, the child will be not allowed to wear it. When I spoke to the school, I was told that this may actually be allowed, as long as every detail is the same. This may enable me to buy a good quality grey cardigan and have it embroidered at A.J. Williams? I hope it won’t come down to teachers checking the labels!

So in the meantime, everything can be bought (eventually!) from the school, and they are not making any profit at all from it: if they buy an item from Price & Buckland at £6.75 they sell it to us at the same price. Eventually, they assure me that they will have a permanent stock of uniforms available for purchase at any time. So whilst there is a big lack of communication going on, it also seems that market forces have won again, Price & Buckland being the cheapest producer among those who actually put in a tender. I wonder if there is a factory in China that can make them any cheaper?

WANTED

journalists, writers, artists, photographers, cartoonists and contributors of all kinds young or old, aspiring or experienced we need your stuff to make this paper work ! we’re not hard to find: see sidebar on page 2, or turn up at victoria hall’s big gathering on the third thursday of every month 5

LETTERS letters, grapevine, victoria hall, bryn road, lampeter SA48 7EE email: lampetergrapevine@gmail.com sing out! Annwyl Olygydd, In response to Gro-Mette’s letter in the last edition of Grapevine, regarding ‘Lampeter has no choir’, I would like to draw the readers’ attention to two successful and well established choirs in Lampeter. First of all Côr Meibion Cwmann has been the local Male Voice Choir in the Lampeter area for the last fifty years. They’ve travelled all over the world and

have raised massive amount of money for charities by singing in various concerts. They practise every Wednesday evening in Brondeifi Vestry, Lampeter. For more details, visit www.corcwmann.btck.co.uk Then in 2006 a Women’s Choir called Corisma was established in Cwmann. They are a fun loving bunch meeting in Cwmann Community Centre near Lampeter every other Monday evening. They also entertain in local concerts and have supported numerous good causes. The website for Corisma is www.corisma.btck.co.uk Both choirs welcome new members, therefore go along and join in the singing. Like Gro-Mette, I’m also proud of

HEALTH walk it kay davies writes: Cerddwyr Ramblers, our Lampeter group, organises a variety of weekly walks throughout the year. Anyone interested in walking with the group is warmly welcomed to join us. A walking programme is available from the Town Library or from James (01570 480743). Easy access walking led by experienced leaders and suitable for most people (wheelchair & pushchair users please contact for advice). Meet every Friday morning, rain or shine at 10.00 at the Rookery Car Park, for a short leisurely walk around or near Lampeter town. Followed by coffee and chit-chat at the Black Lion Hotel. Friday Walkers: this is what we refer to as the easy Friday morning group, and contact for this is Philip Lodwick (01570 422181).

canuCân is coming... see page 20 6

the work done by Transition Llambed, but would like to emphasise that some Lampeterians have already shown signs of thinking and working locally. These two choirs deserve local support, rather than starting a new choir from scratch. Local efforts have gone into establishing Côr Meibion Cwmann and Corisma and keeping the good work going in the area over the years. Transition Llambed members, please join in with these hard working members of both established choirs, so that they can continue to entertain and provide social activities for Lampeterians of the future. Dylan Lewis Cwmann

from the bottom continuing annie may’s engaging chronicles of coming to farm in west wales

PART 3 A PLACE OF SAFETY: surviving a crash Depressions and recessions go in waves according to Bob Beckman. In the 80s we read his lively descriptions of what happens in an economic down turn. We thought we were ready for it. We weren’t. The economic upwave of the early 80s provided many opportunities for making money and it was tempting to think that if one set one’s sights on the big bucks one could just go on growing and growing. But financial bubbles always burst and the money made in a recession is far more secure than the quick buck made in an upwave. One day we were living in Abergavenny in a manor house, and Geoff was buying his suits in Jermyn Street and driving a glamorous gold BMW with white leather seats. The next, the bank foreclosed and we lost everything except the tools of our trade; in our case our brains and some sticks of furniture and an old Renault 4. To my mind it was the best thing that could have happened. And we came home to Lampeter. If you’ve been hit by an economic crash find a friendly small market town and go there at once. For preference choose a town where you know people. You will need friends but don’t be surprised if some of them dump you; what is left will be the heart warming and unexpected kindness of others. Dot and I sat in the kitchen at Llanfair Fawr. During most of he children’s babyhood Dot had run the farm house as a cosy B&B with welcoming home made suppers and generous breakfasts. She also did secretarial work, ran the house like clockwork and coped calmly with the small dynamos she was parent to. She and I had known each other for many years and when I landed a job with the European Commission I went to her for all my formal presentation work. In those days I had absolutely no idea how to treat a high powered secretary like her. My accounts were in a state, I couldn’t type very well and my spelling was suspect. Among many other talents, Dot could spell type and present material in a professional way; and boss me about with efficient ruthlessness. So I did the hand written brain stuff and Dot did the skilled presentation stuff. Geoff and I were living in a caravan. This was not because we were destitute, just unable to decide what to live in, or where. We’d sold the farmhouse and the caravan was on our land next to a large barn and the fields where our sheep grazed. My office was in the barn. Later on, after the rest of the land was sold, we moved to Swansea where I had a proper office and dry feet. But that’s another story. For the purposes of this chapter I will confine myself to various doings in the Teifi Valley. Immediately after going belly up things get pretty bad and Geoff began to show signs of going under altogether. Just as I was beginning to despair of finding anywhere to live or of Geoff ever recovering, the cavalry hove into view. Dot said ‘find a caravan buy it and come and live in our garden’. And so I did. I found a small static caravan with a kitchen, comfortable living space and a tiny separate bedroom that just took a double bed and chest. It was very cheap but buying it used up all my earnings. One lush and sparkling spring day we moved it across the fields to the orchard at Llanfair Fawr. Arwyn and Tim, Tim of Ani ben d’od fame, helped Geoff site the caravan and for two weeks Geoff scrubbed and painted it

so that when we moved in it was like a tiny new home, all red and yellow shining paint with a little black wood burner. Dot presented us with an oil stove as a moving in present and they put water into the van. It was the beginning of Geoff’s recovery and two memorable years. My memories of those two years still shine with a particular golden glow. The summers blazed and the winters froze and sparkled. Before and after those years the weather seems to have been its usual disobliging self. But those two years with their misty pellucid mornings, golden summer days, crisp icy winters and glorious autumn weather were blessed. There were spring mornings when we would all rise at five to see the men, the dogs and the boys, Timothy and Jonathan, off to take sheep to the hill pasture up at Fron Dale. The road to Fron Dale is pretty and somehow mysterious. You went up and up from Llanfair edged on either side with high banks covered in purple heather, blue scabious, and tender green whinberry under hanging branches of oak and beech. Then you turned off after the bridge at Glanrhyd and out into sunshine as the road goes ever on up and past Esgair Ddu, Esgair Maen and Esgair. Beyond these, habitation ended and the road would wind through pine forests up to the lake. Today the ruin of Fron Dale is rebuilt and inhabited. Llanfair Fawr was always full of people eating, drinking, gossiping. There was always a welcome, always a meal. Always a comfortable and casual welcome that made you feel that you were part of the place as soon as you set foot over the door sill. Timothy and Jonathan, twins who we’d known from the day after they were born, were inventively and endlessly naughty, just as twins should be. Even Geoff, a confirmed child hater, was captivated by these two. Welsh villages have a rich internal life that centres round the village shop, the post office, the church and chapel. Llanfair Clydogau is lucky, it hasn’t lost its shop and post office and it has an unusually large church with a curious horseshoe-shaped cemetery, denoting great antiquity. From the shop the road either goes from Lampeter to Llangybi or across the Teifi to the Llanddewi–Lampeter road. On summer evenings, the sages would gather on the bridge to smoke and exchange news. As the shadows lengthened and the air stilled their voices would drift to us across the river fields. While the moths whirled and danced round the light from Arwyn’s shearing supply shop the sounds of voices cloncing with Arwyn mingled with the ripple of the river and the sages’ deep drone. And we, Dot, Geoff and I, would sit outside the caravan on the little lawn I had made and listen. But custom is not timeless even though we would have it so. The old community glue has gradually come unstuck in the village because most of the old agricultural dates in the calendar that signalled a time of communal work and sociability have gone. At shearing time there were around 30 for lunch and even more for tea. There were sometimes five women in the kitchen laying tables, peeling, preparing and helping wash up. Cooking had been going on for two days before: baking pies and cakes; cooking hams, preparing joints of lamb or turkey. Casual lookers-in stopped by to exchange coffee for news. → 7

continued from previous page

Hanes Llambed

Shearing started early; at midday the workers in the shearing sheds came up; sweaty catchers, lanolin covered shearers and fleece folders, red speckled pitchers. They were accompanied by neighbours who had little or no experience and were little or no help in the shed, but were there for the clonc, the hwyl. Before they sat down there was queue for the basin in the scullery. Then in they came, curiously demure and scrubbed to be served great plates of roast lamb, ham or turkey, boiled potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbage, parsnips all swimming in gravy. Rhubarb pies and apple pies drenched in custard followed. The meal was eaten in complete silence. Within half an hour they were up and out with a diolch and a nod. Then it was the turn of the women. This time the room buzzed with talk as we piled the plates with food. It seemed that no sooner were the table cloths straightened and the plates, sandwiches, cakes, malt loaves, cold pies and biscuits put round than the sheering teams returned for tea to much the same routine as before. Once the shearers had returned to finish off, the old timers sat and chatted. Pipes were lit, more tea was poured, more cake passed round and the stories that everyone had heard time and again were got out, polished and retold. We finished the clearing up and were joined by the old timers’ wives. Some sat, chins tucked in holding cups with little fingers cocked. Occasionally they bowed to each other

programme october–november 2012 Meetings start at 7.30pm in the Old Hall of the University.

stop press! Our advertised talk for Tuesday Oct 16, author Gwyn Griffiths on ‘Henry Richard of Tregaron, Apostle of Peace’ (commemorating Henry Richard’s birth 200 years ago) will now take place on Wednesday 17th (as usual, in the Old Hall of the University at 7.30pm). Hanes Llambed has taken the unprecedented step of changing our regular ‘third Tuesday’ slot to avoid clashing with Lampeter Music Club’s concert by Catrin Finch, who was originally inspired to take up the harp by hearing Marisa Robles play for the Club.

Wednesday 17 October Gwyn Griffiths: Henry Richard of Tregaron, Apostle of Peace Tuesday 20 November Selwyn Walters: From Lampeter to Salonika: Nurse Ella Richards VAD (1887–1918)

next month: haymaking

Canolfan Gadwraeth Fferm Denmark Denmark Farm Conservation Centre Courses Autumn 2012 Feel Like Felt? – Learn the basics in a day Sat 13 Oct: First you will make a flat sheet of felt using just soap, water and fleece, mixing lovely wool colours and creating beautiful patterns. Next you will learn how to use the same technique with a resist to create a purse, mobile phone cover, passport holder or glasses case – no sewing required. Soft Shoe Shuffle – Felt to Fit Slippers Sun 14 Oct: We will consider the British wool breeds most suitable for the wear & tear of footwear. You will learn how to cut a resist to the correct size and adjust the shape to achieve a variety of slipper styles from bootie to mule or maybe a curly toed pixie shoe. You will also learn how to make a matching – or complementary – pair. Up-Cycled Textiles Sat 20 Oct: Recycled clothes are all the rage and can cost a lot to buy ... but there is another way to get your hands on the latest fashions: you can make your own instead. Simply by picking up a needle and thread you can turn out fabulous clothing which fits your size, shape and

personal style perfectly, any way you want. Carys Hedd’s mission is to provide you with the inspiration and know how to make your very own ravishing recycled creations. Wild In The Woods (ages 6-12) Tues 30 Oct: Give your children the freedom to learn in our lovely woodland where they can enjoy learning practical skills, meet new friends and have fun. Patchwork Quilts – 3 part course Wed 31 Oct & 28 Nov 10am–2pm: A three part workshop covering all aspects of patchwork quilting and providing the support to complete a beautiful and unique quilt by the end of the course. 3 monthly 4 hours sessions allowing participants time to complete tasks in between sessions. Come along and make the ultimate personal Christmas present for someone who you care for. Introduction to Permaculture Sat 3-Mon 5 Nov: Would you like to learn how to live more sustainably? Then look no further than permaculture design for how to create an ecologically sound way of living. By observing natural systems and adopting ecological principles you will be able to care for people as well as the earth. A visit to a local permaculture site to see sustainable practices in action is included in the course fee. Natural Festive Crafts Sat 1 Dec: An inspiring and practical day with talented community artist Pod Clare. Pod will demonstrate a range of simple and effective projects to decorate your

home during the festive period. Projects include embossed Christmas tree decorations, bramble wreaths, candle holders, larch cone stars and mini wooden trees using found and recycled materials. You can choose which projects you’d like to work on and take home whatever you make plus bags of ideas to keep on making. Make Your Own Herbal Cosmetics Sun 2 Dec: Spend an informative and enjoyable day with Christine Stephenson, Medical Herbalist learning how to make herbal cosmetic items such as herbal creams and bath products from plants that are easy to grow in your own garden in time for Christmas – making ideal Christmas gifts. All ingredients and utensils will be provided. The ingredients used will be of high quality, using natural ingredients, free from harsh chemicals and detergents. You will be able to take away with you four completed products. There will be some additional ingredients for sale on the day to take away and use at home. For the full list of conservation, natural crafts & sustainable living courses - See our website www.denmarkfarm.org.uk or phone 01570 493358 Cysylltu pobl Cysylltu pobl â byd natur Connecting people with nature Betws Bledrws, Lampeter SA48 8PB 01570 493358

www.denmarkfarm.org.uk

health & wellbeing in a transition town

are the combinations untested, but it is also a form of reliance on an unsustainable system. It is unsustainable because of: The financial cost to the NHS. Anti-depressants alone cost the NHS £264.5 million in 2007/8 (30 Dec 2011 – Guardian). The warning from Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, that ‘ant-microbial resistance to anti-biotics is on the rise’ (16 March 2012 – Independent). The national and global production and distribution networks of the pharmaceutical companies, and the ethics of certain companies; see for example ‘GlaxoSmith Kline fined $3 billion for health care fraud’ (through mis-selling drugs) (2 July 2012 – Guardian). The environmental side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, e.g. in the water. The potential side-effects of prescription drugs and their combinations. ‘Statistics from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency reveal 973 people died from suspected serious side effects last year, compared to 382 in 1996. The MHRA figures also show there were 9,801 cases between May 2006 and December 2006 of patients having a serious, suspected adverse reaction to the drugs they were prescribed’ (‘Prescription drug deaths double in a decade’, 22 Oct 2007 – Telegraph). the fact that anti-depressants, sleeping pills – 10.2 million prescriptions in 2010/11 (30 Dec. 2011, Guardian), and antianxiety drugs – 6.5 million prescriptions in 2010/11 (ibid.), do not address the mental and emotional issues underlying the problems. This reliance on ‘a pill for every ill’ negates the consideration of personal responsibility, including nutrition and exercise. Looby McNamara, in her book People and Permaculture describes ‘Personal Sustainability’ as: ‘The ability to sustain ourselves; our energy levels, health and connections to our dreams and visions, other people, and our own higher self. People have responsibility to maintain their own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. We need to have an understanding of our own needs and have mechanisms in place to meet them.’

The Health & Wellbeing group at Transition Llambed’s Big Meeting (every 3rd Thursday at Victoria Hall) has been discussing many things, including ‘Why is Health & Wellbeing a Transition issue?!’ In the Transition movement as a whole there are often, on the one hand, ‘push’ factors, things about the current systems that in many ways are not working for the good of everyone. We need to ask what is going on when, for example, there is such a massive amount of mental illness/depression in this country that is not being treated effectively. Depression alone is costing the country almost £11 BILLION a year in lost earnings, demands on the health service and in prescribing drugs to tackle the problem, according to a report in the Independent (30 Dec. 2011 – Guardian). 43.4 million prescriptions for anti-depressants were dispensed in 2010/11, up 28% from 2007/8 (ibid.)

The official recommendation for mild to moderate depression is for talking therapies. Professor Steve Field, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, has said ‘I’m concerned that too many people are being prescribed anti-depressants and not being given counseling and cognitive behaviour therapy. I’m concerned that these people are being treated with medication unnecessarily’ (‘Anti-depressant use rises’, 11 June 2010 – Guardian). Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said ‘ it is worrying that anti-depressants can be the first port of call for some doctors, despite the fact that ‘watchful waiting’ and talking therapies are recommended as the first line of treatment for mild to moderate depression’ (30 Dec. 2011 – Guardian). Prescriptions for Ritalin, for increasingly younger children, are also soaring, with figures rising from 158,000 prescriptions in 1999 to 661,463 in 2010, in England (6 May 2012 – Observer). Ritalin is used for behavioural problems in children, and there is another article’s worth of questions here about why so many kids are being diagnosed which such conditions. There is a worry, too, about untested combinations of pharmaceutical drugs being given. In the case of Ritalin, ‘the association of educational psychologists said its members were reporting an increase in children with behavioural difficulties being prescribed the drug in conjunction with anti-depressants, despite the fact that there was “little to no evidence about the effect which these cocktails of drugs are having on the development of children’s brains” ’ (ibid.) Whilst it is undoubtedly true that great strides have been made in healthcare, and many people’s lives are better every day as a result of prescription medication, I believe that we need to question this increasing use of pharmaceutical drugs, as not only

When you combine the amount of people on anti-depressants with the increasing number of people, children especially, developing asthma and allergies, and the increased reports of autistic spectrum disorders, clearly something isn’t working, despite the vast amounts of money spent. Clearly, there is something wrong with the whole system; the current economic system for example, fosters, depends on, even, inequality, which is surely a major source of the increase in depression. Transition Town initiatives are addressing the many issues involved in co-creating a 9

continued from previous page happy, healthy, creative and productive community. So, in various groups (e.g. Health & Wellbeing, Transport, Food, Events, Newsletter) we have been considering these issues, and there are many resources in and around Lampeter for those who want to take at least some responsibility for their own health & wellbeing, and in turn, the health of their community systems. ‘Personal well-being is linked to the well-being of the whole’ (Looby McNamara). Our aim is to strengthen and energize the community, so that we can build local and personal resilience in this time of Transition. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussions at the next Transition Town meeting on 18 October . We would like to put together a list of local therapists/groups, to show the support networks available to us all. If you wish to be included in the therapists’ listings, come along to the next Big Meeting. joanne camlin, BSc WSHom

waiting in the wings LYTss has arrived: alufy (per-lease!) describes the birth of a local theatre company and stage school for kids Lampeter’s got lots of things that other small Welsh towns don’t have. Put together they add up to a pretty special place. Yet it’s often hard to appreciate this little town with its hugely varied collection of inhabitations from all walks and conditions of life, its picturesque and bijou seat of learning, its long history, lovely wide high street for parades, carnivals and Christmas markets and collection of talented people. But it hasn’t got a Youth Theatre even though Wikipedia says it’s ‘home’ to Theatre Felinfach (an odd way of describing something that’s 8 miles away) the transport system doesn’t really help children to get to a source of interest, culture drama excitement straight from school that is 8 miles away. I think that children are owed a source of interest, activity, education and learning within walking distance from school. It was never going to be easy to give Lampeter its very own Youth Theatre. Initially there was no funding even for promotion. Even so the Theatre registered its first children in September 2011. The children wanted to act and so the first thing we did was to agree to do a Christmas pantomime. It soon became obvious that no ordinary panto would do; everyone wanted to star in it. As new children drifted in every week to swell the cast a new part was written for them and it wasn’t until 3 weeks before the performance day that the script was finally complete. This bothered me far more than it bothered the actors who all seemed to have an inexhaustible memory. With cardboard scenery, costumes from various wardrobes and the endlessly patient and flexible Andy Soutter accompanying the singing and providing accompaniment to the action on guitar we busked our way through the performances with gusto. The applause and support was tremendous and audience and children worked together wonderfully well. By this time the Director was on her knees and weepily grateful to the helpers and the amazing hard work and talent of the children. This first performance set the tone for the Youth Theatre. LYTss was instituted to serve the children

in the town and in the villages around it. The management of Victoria Hall was about to be taken over by Transition Llambed Development Trust and Lampeter Youth Theatre admired the ethics of Transition and wanted to work in association with it. We used local goods and services, and several town businesses big-heartedly sponsored us; Cellan and Llanfair Community Council and the Round Table gave us generous grants and the Town Hall gave us £50. By now Victoria Hall was truly our home and 2012 saw us working on our Easter and Summer projects. We decided on excerpts from Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. We agreed that we would no longer use cardboard but small, portable props that we could move from village to village. The fantasy of Alice gave everyone the chance to indulge in a lot of highly enjoyable ham acting. By early summer we were touring the neighbouring villages presenting one or two excerpts and acting in whatever space we had been given: Alice and the Caterpillar in the corner of a village hall, Humpty Dumpty sitting on the bar during the early moments of a village Beer festival, the slaying of the Jabberwock around and between tables and revellers. The actors were truly inspired and took each impromptu location in their stride. We did a final performance of all nine vignettes in the open air on the College campus. The dress rehearsal had been a disaster. It was blistering weather, our stage on the piazza of 1822 was like an anvil, the actors couldn’t concentrate and the stage crew was in disarray, poor things. The day of the performance was glorious. We had decided to perform on the grass under the trees; the audience brought picnics to eat and sat on rugs while they watched. It was a relaxed, accomplished cast that performed that day. You would have thought that I, who had seen the play over and over again, would be bored silly by it all, but I laughed with everyone else at Lewis Carroll’s fantastic creatures brought to life by the fabulous LYTers. Throughout the summer the School and

Theatre had offered everything for free: every performance in the villages, every weekly or bi-weekly session, all snacks, drinks and treats were free. At the final performance we collected £122.00 from a tremendously generous audience. We would like to publicly and formally thank them for this. Now Lampeter Youth Theatre also has a Stage School and the learning can really begin. The School runs every Friday and will offer drama, singing, dance, circus, philosophy for kids, stage management and technical skills The children who attend will learn a worthwhile set of skills and be a valued member of any cast, crew or organisation. This winter will see our biggest and most ambitious production so far: an all-singing, all -dancing A Christmas Carol in December: 13th, 14th and a matinee on the 15th followed by the Jelly Baby Awards, Christmas Tea and Father Christmas in the Victoria Hall. We hope it will be a perfect prelude to Christmas with traditional Christmas Carols, Victorian costumes, music and dancing in the street. From a lone struggling founder, to a highly efficient Theatre Secretary, a circus, dance and philosophy tutor, and a stage manager, we have now been joined by a band of hardworking volunteers. It looks like the employment of our creative talents on behalf of LYTs is going to be fun. All social enterprises should be fun and rewarding. There are already signs of what Lampeter might be without young people. There are fewer independent shops, independent entrepreneurs and little of cultural interest. If we don’t offer the young a reason to stay and then help them to survive and thrive our town will be the poorer culturally, socially, environmentally and economically. The Theatre was set up for town’s youth: the towns economic and environmental future and its cultural and civic wealth. LYTss (rather appropriately pronounced Lights) is about to go into its second year. We hope you will go on visiting us and coming to see our productions. LYTss’ founder has admitted publicly that she is rubbish at funding applications and is hoping some talented person in that area will appear stage left. We are just waiting in the wings to astound you! alufy

NEXT MONTH’S GRAPEVINE will be packed with as much coruscating content as our team of volunteers can collect, from rugby to wwoofing; and judging by the first two issues, might disappear quickly from the shelves. if you have had trouble getting hold of the paper why not ask yr local stockist to keep a copy by for you; else download the pdf via www.transitionllambed.co.uk under the News tab may we also take this opportunity to ask readers and especially advertisers to be patient with our various slip-ups as we work through many a teething trouble: diolch yn fawr

beyond peak england who’s afraid of reformation 4.0?

andy soutter gives you more than one reason to give it up for martin luther Halloween will soon be upon us. So the following tracing of a certain line through history has a Halloween story embedded in it, one that took place nearly 500 years ago. Before we begin: No one people’s past is spotless and none of us can be held responsible for the deeds of our ancestors. So apologies upfront to you good Catholics out there. But on to some of those deeds and this history, which is one of emancipation. Now, many of us are becoming familiar with the phrase ‘peak oil’, meaning that the world’s petroleum production will soon reach its maximum and then decline irreversibly, and then what in tarnation do we do? It’s a tricky one. But don’t change channels. Lets talk peaks awhile. Back in late medieval Europe, they had reached another peak: Peak Peasantry. To the movers and shakers of those days, your peasantry was your petrol. If your serf supplies ran out, you came to a halt. You were shafted. Nothing gets made, nothing gets done. Nobody serves you, feeds you or your horse, defends you, fights your wars. What happened was that for whatever reasons – act of God, plain bad luck, lousy climate change after the ‘medieval warm’, more likely the lot – in the 1340s the Black Death plague pandemic broke out across Asia and Europe – the entire ‘developed’ world if you like. It persisted until well into the next century, and halved the population wherever it struck hardest. Like the price of oil now, the price of labour rocketed. Ordinary people suddenly became quite valuable, and began to assert themselves. Strange at first sight: their numbers were halved and their power doubled. Serfdom began to wither away. People began to forget their place and join the expanding commercial and industrial class, membership of which entailed using your head as much as

your hands. But there was a large stumbling block – more like a tollbooth – in front of the freshly emerging freedoms of work, travel, commerce and ideas. Who ran Europe in those days? A powerful multinational based in Rome, with a supermarket on every high street in every land and no competitors. It creamed governments of their money, hated new ideas, and had a tendency to instigate the ritual murder of its would-be competitors. (By competitors I mean anyone who suggested, in one way or another, that ordinary people were quite valuable and due some respect). It – the church of Rome – was draining Europe of its wealth and its powers of invention. (The nascent industrial revolution could only happen at a fairly sensible distance from it, along the sea coasts of northwest Europe. Galileo had to mail order his telescope from Holland.) But even a pope has an upper limit on resources, and the peak we come to now is peak popery, which begins its descent – in Europe at least – around the year 1500. Its by these times that some competitors are brave enough to point the finger at all the deceit, exploitation and corruption, and start to whistle-blow: a loose knit, international group of independently-minded operators, into local rule and individual conscience, namely Calvin, Zwingli, Karlstadt, Luther, and the rest, bent on challenging Rome’s monopoly. Luther – a mine manager’s son – is known for the big emblematic act of the Reformation: he nailed the issues to the door. A transition manifesto with 95 bullet points. And here at last is our Halloween story, for this act is said to have come to pass on 31 October 1517. The spirits are abroad and there is a knocking at the chief priest’s door: trick or treat, Father?

continues over

LUTHERMANIA!

some hate him

some are on a mission

some are confused and cannot spell

celebrate reformation day and halloween in style with these tshirts, cloaks and accessories! Be the envy of your neighbours when you knock on their door wearing our free cut out mask !

you’re pulling my lego

continued from previous page

degree the result of Reformation 2.0, which over the next two hundred years brought an even greater degree of local autonomy. The chapels answered not to those in the pay of Llandaff or Canterbury, but to their own neighbourhoods. Their architecture alone, which – with a few exceptions – began as that of the plainest domestic building and progressed to a simplified neoclassical, speaks of this: they are emphatically not of the gothic, the style of medieval domination, and barring a hubristic blip in the nineteenth century when congregations lost it for a while and began to compete to build the biggest and the tallest, they are not designed to intimidate. Among many things, the Nonconformist chapels signalled independence, local resilience, local culture, education, modesty, and compassion (think Henry Richard of Tregaron, as one example among many). Those qualities have endured and helped the country gain a big slice of independence and recognition in the late 20th century: Reformation 3.0. Wales is now enjoying the downslope of Peak England. With that experience under its belt, the next thing to deal with – the threatening trio of Peak Stable Climate, Peak Traditional Fuel and Peak Sensible Economies – ought not to be that difficult. Decentering has a lot to do with it. Reformation 4.0 needn’t be too bloody but it might take some guts. And give it up for Martin Luther, who once – one springtime, not in dark October – used several fish barrels to smuggle out twelve nuns from their convent. Would you marry a nun smelling of fish? He did.

Whether Luther actually nailed his document to the door of All Saints Wittenberg or politely handed it in at reception we may never know. But he certainly had more sophisticated means of mass communication available to publicise his views effectively. The printing press had been around for fifty years or so and Luther & co. had the latest updates. This early IT revolution kickstarted a new freedom of speech, lawful or not, and the result was radical: pamphlets poured forth, word spread unbelievably fast: the centre is rotten, we’re going local. Suddenly there’s an issue that seems to cut across class barriers: suddenly no-one, from prince to peasant, wants that multinational messing up their lives any longer. And fairly soon most of Germany and northern Europe have closed down Rome’s franchises on their high streets and started their own businesses. A pretty smooth transition – barring one or two savage, bloody and relentless religious wars. The physical marks of that transition – that triumph of local over global, that great decentering process that could be said to be still in progress today – are particularly visible to this day in west Wales, and characterise the landscape: the area is studded all over with chapels. Wales had two early reformations: the first when Henry VIII broke with Rome, the established church went Protestant, and Elizabeth I subsequently installed resident Welsh speaking bishops and produced a Welsh bible. But the chapels are to a large 12

our distinguished ML mask will get you noticed on 31 October thanx to socrates58blogspot.com

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

a good year for the royal jubilee ... but where did the rest of the apples go? This time last year I was wondering how I was going to find time to process all the apples piled up in rubber trugs and cardboard boxes, lining the kitchen and porch walls, let alone all the apples still waiting to be picked. Whenever I had a spare moment I was to be found doing things with apples – I dried some, stewed some, made pies and crumbles, ate loads fresh, gave bags of them away to anyone who didn’t have their own apple tree. Then everything else went along to Lampeter Permaculture Group Apple Day for pressing into juice, for freezing or turning into cider. And there were still plenty left for the wasps and birds! But this year, it’s only the Royal Jubilee tree that has any fruit at all, and because it has been such a hard spring and summer for the birds, I am happy to see them eating any apples they can find. So what has happened? According to the Daily Mail: The season started well, with blossom appearing during the March heatwave, but trees were hit by exceptionally cold nights in April and May, and were also battered by heavy rain and hail. The cold tempera-

tures and lack of sunshine also deterred the emergence of pollinating insects such as bees. Fruit farmer Andrew Jackson, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said it was his worst apple crop in 50 years. He added: ‘We had lots of blossom in March. Then we got the cold and wet at the end of April and early May and in two weeks we had 7 inches of rain instead of the usual half inch. The blossom needed warm sunshine for the fruit to set but on May 5 we had three hailstorms and the fruitlets dropped off.’ There does seem to be agreement that it’s the weather. But what is going on with the weather? The wettest summer for a hundred years in the UK, drought in America, forest fires in Europe (my sister’s holiday was cancelled because of fires in Spain), the Arctic sea ice melting at unprecedented rates … Researchers have, for the first time, officially attributed recent floods, droughts and heatwaves to human-induced climate change. Up until now it could have been just variations in our weather patterns, but now the extremes are indicative of an underlying change in climate. The Met Office has said: The record wet conditions, which have brought serious flooding to regions from Yorkshire to the south-west, were owing to ‘a particularly disturbed jet stream’. That is the weather system across the

DIWRNOD YR AFAL APPLE DAY 29 Medi / September 11:00 – 3:00 · Dewch â ffrwythau a photeli gwag · Cewch gyfle i gynhyrchu sudd blasus · Cewch gyfle i ddysgu sut mae gwasgu afalau · Stondinau ar thema bwyd, crefft neu afalau · Yn rhad ac am ddim · Learn how to press apples · Help produce tasty juice · Bring or donate fruit and containers · Food, craft and apple themed stalls

Join Lampeter Permaculture Group at : The Organic Fresh Food Company, Tregaron Road, Lampeter. 01570 423099 14

north Atlantic that normally lies at higher latitudes during the British summer, but has been lower in latitude than usual for several years running, bringing wet and sometimes cold conditions. Some research has suggested that the massive melting of Arctic ice has been responsible for this effect – by changing the patterns of warmer and colder winds in the upper atmosphere. So, apart from there probably being shorter queues to get your apples pressed by Lampeter Permaculture Group on Saturday, 29 September at Organic Fresh Foods from 11am till 3pm (see Apple Day posters around town for details), what else does it all mean to me and my apple trees (and all the vegetables that were eaten by slugs, or didn’t thrive because it was too cold, or didn’t set because of the lack of pollinating insects)? The papers say it will mean another hike in food prices and that we can’t know what the changing climate will bring, except for more frequent extreme weather events. They don’t know what is going to happen to the Jet Stream or to the Gulf Stream – just that it is all changing and that having more of the coldest/hottest/driest/wettest months ever, throughout the year, will be set against the general backdrop of a warming world. It might be great for us in Wales! Some climate models show us having 30% less rain … but the other 70% might come in torrential downpours, causing flooding and damage to vegetation. We might end up with a much hotter climate – and there are some folk planting olive groves and vineyards, just in case. ‘Just in case’ doesn’t sound very reassuring to me. And hotter here in Wales would mean severely hot in other parts of the UK and beyond, perhaps leading to crop failures on a massive scale. Which is why I am a member of Lampeter Permaculture Group, and why I think Transition Llambed is really important. Climate change is one of the reasons that the Transition Town movement started – finding ways to work together to become more resilient, at a local level, to the changes we know are coming. There are plenty of ways we can do this, and over the next months we’ll explore some of them in a series of articles – but if you can’t wait that long, come along to Apple Day, or to the monthly Big Gathering at Victoria Hall on the third Thursday of every month at 7pm. For more info contact: Linda (Transition Llambed and Lampeter Permaculture Group) linda.winn@hotmail.co.uk Gary (Transition Llambed and Victoria Hall) royaloak.cellan@yahoo.co.uk

linda winn

this is lazy jill the scarecrow, photographed by her creator (who wishes to remain anonymous), protecting what appears to be a fine spread of overgrown grass. but wouldn’t she look good in your field? we hope to see lazy jills available soon at lewis’, williams’, d.a.r., canolfan addurno and steil ni

CAPTION COMPETITION: send

and this is our us a caption for these two characters....

... and you could win some of these (if we can find any – see opposite)

& we’ll print the best

now that we’ve thoroughly lost faith in banks and are keeping it all under the mattress, home security may be worth reconsidering. here, locksmith dave nutt offers an interesting lock primer

commercial properties often with no sign of the attack being carried out. CYLINDER LOCK SNAPPING is a quick, destructive smash and turn method used by criminals to gain forcible entry into your property. What is a BUMP KEY? It’s a basic Yale-type key cut and filed in a way to fit a range of Yale or other branded pin tumbler locks. Contrary to popular belief, bump keys do not automatically open a lock; they are a tool used to ‘trick’ a lock into opening by temporarily scrambling the internal pins inside the lock for just a split second, thus allowing the actual cylinder lock mechanism to be turned as with a normal key. This method can allow a pin tumbler lock to be opened without any sign of forced entry, making a reported break-in difficult to prove, which in turn can create a problem for home owners when negotiating claims with insurance companies. More worryingly, it’s possible to use this procedure without leaving any identifiable forensic evidence of an attack. EURO CYLINDER type locks are fitted to millions of properties in Wales, almost always in UPVC/aluminium and other double-glazed single doors, patio doors, etc. Since 2008/9 there has been a rise in the technique used by criminals that can allow entry to a property in as little as 20 seconds. This involves either bumping the lock pins (as described above) or applying a snapping force to the external face of the cylinder, hence effectively breaking the lock barrel in half. Once done this allows easy manipulation of the remaining multi-point locking mechanism with the subsequent result – easy entrance to your property. These two techniques are mainly prevalent with Euro cylinder locks fitted into UPVC doors. However, most traditional cylinder locks (Yale type) are vulnerable to the bumping kind of attack. Advanced high security feature locks have been developed to counter these problems. Unfortunately,builders, carpenters and UPVC door manufacturers rarely fit these enhanced locks unless they are specifically requested by their customers.

how secure is your home? Current Home Office statistics show that two thirds of housebreakers gain entry or remove goods via the doors. So it is important to ensure that good quality door locks protect your home. Burglars look for the easiest target but can be discouraged when they find they are up against quality well fitted door locks. If a door does not have a quality security lock, a determined thief can force it open in seconds.

can we deter the burglar?

timber and composite entrance doors secured by rim lock or mortice lock RIM LOCKS (commonly referred to as the Yale type) are identified by the bulk of metal casing fitted to the internal side of the door, and feature a small brass or chrome round keyway visible on outside face of the door. A rim lock is a locking device that attaches to the surface edge of a door. Most rim locks used today on external doors are of the nightlatch type (i.e. they are lockable from internal side via a key, a lever or small push down button called the snib). A rim latch lock (Yale type) on its own is not considered sufficient to secure a main entrance/exit door. It is recommended that the door also be fitted with a 5 -lever B.S. Kitemark approved mortise deadlock, although insurance companies will accept a rim automatic deadlock; both must conform to British Standard 3621 or the equivalent European Standard EN12209. MORTICE SASH/DEADBOLT TYPE (commonly referred to as the Chubb type) locks are identified by the lock casing being permanently fitted into the leading/thin edge of the door (opposite side to the hinges) with a brass or chrome narrow oblong faceplate; there will be a bolt keep fitted into a corresponding position on the door frame (a sash mortise lock has handles – a deadbolt mortise lock doesn’t, while both have escutcheon/keyholeor handles with keyholes fitted to either sides of door).

high security door locks are available

upvc entrance doors secured by euro cylinders & multipoint locking mechanism

The B.S. kitemarked anti-snap, anti-pick, anti-bump cylinder locks are typically more expensive than traditional Euro cylinder locks, but the price is justified by the increased level of home security. Take a look at your locks: if they are embossed with the B.S. or Kitemark logo then you are up-to-date secure. If not, it may be that your security and insurance indemnity would be compromised in the event of an attack. There are many other Kitemark approved additional security items available to secure doors and windows. For further advice or a free security appraisal contact your local locksmith, or contact CD Locksmiths: info@cdlocksmiths.co.uk; www.cdlocksmiths.co.uk

CYLINDER LOCK BUMPING is a quick easy to perform entry method, being used increasingly by criminals to gain access to domestic and

TRANSITION LLAMBED’S BIG GATHERING VICTORIA HALL 3rd THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH ALL WELCOME COME ALONG AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS what is a sustainable home and how can I get one? david morgan (BA., Dip.Arch., Dip.TP) answers these and many more questions introduction I have been designing buildings for the past 25 years or so. I’ll be quite honest in saying that until the mid 1990s, the nearest I came to desiging a ‘sustainable building’ was the occasional use of extra thick insulation, underfloor heating, heat pumps and solar panels. All of these were relatively inefficient and only affordable for rich clients. How things have changed! Sustainable building is a huge topic, and I can only hope to skate over the main features and perhaps provide some useful guidelines for those of you who are looking to the future. So what is a sustainable building? In a nutshell it is a building which:

 uses fewer resources

 is energy and water efficient  generates as little waste as possible  costs less to run and maintain  is durable and a good investment.

Telecoms – use of telephones and computers is a key factor

Investment Convenient access – how close to sustainable transport links, such as public transport the main objectives of a or footpaths sustainable home Proven technology – we can’t always rely on sudden breakthroughs Future proof Reliable utilities – we may have to become Preparing for the future – a world without more self-dependent in future cheap oil Favourable climatic exposure – getting shelAnticipating needs – how to cope with ter from wind and cold and maximum expochanging circumstances Imaginative solutions – pushing the envelope sure to sun Conservation design – designed to conserve of technology scarce resources Learning from experience – the best ideas from the past Affordability First cost – value for money Running costs – value for money Total costs of ownership – value for money. Personal health Warmth Ventilation Privacy Noise reduction Security Materials – non-toxic Air quality. Desirability Quality of life – can it be bettered No compromises – there will be some, but try hard Landscape Solar exposure – maximise Water harvesting – maximize potential Aesthetics – does it look good Privacy – as good as possible Road noise – least possible exposure Community Impact on neighbours – as low as possible Emissions – as low as possible Parks and play areas – as convenient as possible Links to public transport – as close as possible Resource use Energy: 30–40% reduction in energy purchase – way to survive without oil Water: 50% reduction in water purchase 100% harvest of runoff Solid waste: 50% reduction in landfill – recycling to produce energy Performance Improved building envelope Improved sound insulation Lower running costs Appliances and lighting Drying space, Durability, Weather tightness.

some frequently asked questions about sustainable homes What is a Zero Carbon Home? We are going to look at this in more detail later. What does a local low impact building look like? A good example is an earthsheltered house that has little visual impact and low energy consumption. How do we deal with hard to heat homes? The correct answer is better insulation rather than a bigger boiler. What are appropriate renewable energy systems? The simple answer is to use the most readily available source, so maybe windmills if living on an exposed hillside, solar panels when maximum south facing exposure is available, and hydro power when there is a constant supply and a good head of water. Where can I get local materials and recycled ones? Several local authorities including Ceredigion publish directories covering these topics. How can I reduce my building waste and pay less? Building waste is subject to tipping charges, but a lot of materials including concrete and brick waste can be crushed on site and used as filling or path surfacing. Who is qualified to assess sustainable homes? Most people will now know of the network of energy assessors that has evolved over the last few years to produce Energy Performance Certificates. How do I choose green insulation products? All manufacturers like to claim green credentials, but there are now a number of ‘green builders merchants’ who are careful to stock accredited products such as hemp, cellulose or sheep’s wool. What is a green roof? Literally a roof that is covered in turf that provides excellent insulation and drainage properties, while giving you extra garden space if you don’t mind the mowing! Where can I learn about cob buildings? The Building Research Establishment provides guidance, but the most obvious local source of information is the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynleth (CAT). Are straw bales really a good building option? The answer is yes in the right situation; bales are now being made in useful sizes for building, but before ordering think of the carbon footprint – the majority of straw is produced in East Anglia and reaches Wales on hundreds of diesel powered lorries. Is sheep’s wool a good insulation product? Again the answer is yes, but sadly for Wales there is currently only one plant processing Welsh wool. Most British wool insulation goes through a process that involves several movements via Cumbria and Ireland before reaching builders merchants. With a huge resource of virtually valueless wool on our doorstep in west Wales, this is a situation that we should try to rectify. Is thatching a good use of renewable materials? Again excellent in the local situa-

tion, as for example there are areas of reed thatch being grown in river estuaries in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. But always be aware of the carbon footprint from transport. Where can I get locally grown renewable timber? Look out for builder’s merchants who sell timber accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This timber is from guaranteed renewable sources, and the FSC records the forest from which it came and traces its pedigree! Why should I use lime and where do I get advice and supplies? Lime has enjoyed a revival in recent years. Portland Cement is a very hard product which works well in mass concrete building, but performs poorly when used for example for mortar jointing of natural materials such as stone. Lime mortar is softer and allows a wall to breathe naturally. What is a Passiv Haus? A big subject, but in short a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without

active heating and cooling systems – the house heats and cools itself, hence ‘passive’. The heating energy must not exceed 15kWh/m3 per year. Much of the early work was carried out by Dr Wolfgang Feist, the founder of the Passivhaus Institute in Darmstadt. What is heat recovery ventilation? Basically a system whereby warm air is exhausted from the house across a heat exchanger to provide heating. Where can I get triple glazed windows and do I need them? They are very expensive and not necessarily required in UK situations except in areas of high weather exposure. However, they can be useful when trading off glass area against wall area, lets say if you want to build a house with very large areas of glass which would not normally meet building regulations standards for heat loss. Low E glazing allows more heat through the glass than it allows out.

How do I conserve water and reduce my consumption? Think about water harvesting; most ‘grey water’ which is the stuff which goes down your basin or bath, or from your dishwasher can be recycled and used to flush the toilet. Rainwater can also be harvested, at a simple level through use of rainwater butts, and at a complex level by pumping from an underground tank for use around the home. Hippo type cistern inserts and dual flush devices are a simple water saver. What are SUDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems)? Basically any drainage system which allows water to percolate slowly back into the ground so that it does not impose a heavy burden on mains drainage systems. The system usually involves laying loose jointed paving for external surfaces rather than concrete or tarmac. What are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)? These are organic chemicals which easily vaporize at room temperature; the most well known is methane which makes a very significant contribution to global warming. Are all natural materials benign or are some of them toxic? Afraid not – for example, raw sheep’s wool harbours organisms and mites that can be damaging to health and building fabric; this is why sheep’s wool has to be processed before use as insulation. Is it always a good idea to orientate buildings to the South? Yes, but only if you intend to make use of solar power or passive heating. For example, you could build a conservatory on to a south facing wall, and use it as a heat store for the rest of the house, either passively or by using a heat pump to remove the excessive heat and use it to provide hot water. What is the Code for Sustainable Housing? We will look at this below.

preparing our homes and ourselves for the future The government believes that the future lies in Zero Carbon new homes. What are they?

The energy use for power and heating in our homes leads to CO2 emissions as a result of burning fossil fuels. 27% of the CO2 emissions in the UK come directly from our homes, so it has become important to reduce our energy use. To achieve zero carbon requires a mix of design improvements and energy saving technologies including:

 Very high insulation standards  Air tightness to stop warm air leaks  Attention to details such as thermal bridges  Heat recovery to return the warmth from waste air to the home  Renewable technologies such as solar and wind  Energy saving products such as washing machines, dishwashers and low energy lighting The biggest drawback to achieving the ‘zero carbon’ ideal is the cost – at present the additional cost is approximately £35,000 to £40,000 more than a home built to minimum building regulations. The government target is for all new homes to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2016. It has introduced the Code for Sustainable Housing to help achieve this goal. The Code has a set of mandatory and regulatory targets covering such aspects as insulation, water use and waste disposal. The Code covers nine categories of sustainable design including:

 Energy and CO2 emissions  Water use  Materials of construction  Surface water run-off  Waste disposal  Pollution control  Heath and well being of users  Management – site and future use  Ecology – protection

However, very few of us will be able to afford a brand new zero carbon house or live in a fully sustainable home. The country lacks sufficient building land in the right areas to make this possible for the majority, and it will be many years before the existing housing stock can be replaced by such housing.

what can we do in our own homes to move towards the ideal? The diagram opposite shows the main ways in which we can upgrade our existing homes. The savings shown are for an average home, but the cost recovery (CR) times in some cases may be long. But even upgrading your existing house to achieve higher levels of sustainability will cost a lot of money, particularly if you start investing in new energy technology. It is unfortunate that the need to meet higher sustainability targets for homes comes at a time when the construction industry is in the forefront of the economic downturn. I can highly recommend the pioneering work being done by organisations such as the Building Research Institute http:// www.bre.co.uk/ , Energy Saving Trust http:// www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ , and Centre for Alternative Technology http:// www.cat.org.uk/ . Their websites are well worth a visit! Since very few of us will have the opportunity or resources to live in a zero carbon home for years to come, it is therefore very important to put scarce resources into upgrading the houses we already live in. I hope I have covered at least some of the many ways we can do this. One of the best ways to share information and work towards ‘sustainable’ living is to join and support the aims of Transition Llambed. http://www.transitionllambed.co.uk/

y siambr fasnach ailgylchu. Darparwyd lluniaeth gan LAS. Cynhaliwyd Taith Feicio i godi arian tuag at y goleuadau Nadolig ar y 5ed o Awst. Daeth rhyw hanner cant o feicwyr ynghyd a mwynhawyd taith bleserus o gwmpas Llanfair gan yr ieuenctid a thaith o gwmpas Tregaron gan y beicwyr profiadol. Cafwyd barbiciw i orffen yn y Clwb Rygbi. Codwyd rhyw £1500 drwy gyfraniadau. Diolch i Gareth Harries am drefnu ac i bawb am bob cefnogaeth. Bydd y cyfarfod nesaf ar y 17eg o Fedi yn yr Hen Goleg am 5.45 yr hwyr pan fydd y Cyng. Gareth Lloyd yn annerch. Croeso cynnes i aelodau ên a newydd.

Bu’n dymor gweithgar i aelodau’r Siambr yn nhref Llanbed a braf gweld nifer y mynychwyr yn cynyddu o gyfarfod i gyfarfod. Siaradwr yn y cyfarfod cyntaf yn y coleg ar yr 21ain o Fai oedd Ken Shaw a fu’n annerch yr aelodau am brynu trydan a nwy ar y cyd er mwyn arbed arian. Yn ail, cafwyd cyfarfod yn y Siop Goffi yn Y Drindod Dewi Sant ar y 18fed o Fehefin. Siaradodd Denzil Morgan am y datblygiadau diweddaraf yn y coleg. Esboniodd Kevin Evans sut y gallai’r Uned Argraffu gydweithio â busnesau lleol. Rhoddwyd y lluniaeth gan y Cadeirydd newydd. Cafwyd noson ddifyr yng ngweithle LAS ar Ffordd Tregaron ar y 16eg o Orffennaf. Diolch i Tina Morris a Mark Saunders a’r staff am ddangos y drefn o ddidoli gwastraff ac 19

baby boomer month at aber arts centre don van fleet makes several commitments

Thursday 4 October: Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes. £9 to £18. Here’s a guy who needs four bodyguards, two with recent facelifts, just for his pickin’ fingers. Many moons ago he amazed your correspondent with what he can do with those digits when he played in Chris Farlowe’s backing group (along with a crazy young drummer named Palmer who liked to undress while playing fast complicated solos). A toffee apple if you can name that backing group. Two toffee apples if you can also tell us what happened to Chris Farlowe.

Wednesday 24 October: Joan Armatrading. £13.75 to £27.50. Here’s a girl so fastidious about her guitars she has them custom made by an obscure crofter in Patagonia who takes seven years just to make the scratch plate. I’d give anything for a voice like hers. I’d live in Patagonia if necessary.

Tuesday 9 October: Juan Martin. £8.00 to £16.00. The Don himself. This is what the Grauniad had to say about a recent show: ‘There were a few wild guitar flurries but much of the playing was thoughtful, stately and mesmeric.’ Now although this statement is 100% ambiguous and depends entirely on stress and intonation for its meaning, I suspect the writer favours thoughtful & stately. No toffee apples for guessing how your own correspondent would deliver those words. But half a toffee apple if you can tell us the Don’s original name. Joanie’s a bit pricey, no? All the boomer brigade kick off at 8 in the Neuadd Fawr, Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Book online at www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

catrin finch at lampeter music club david cockburn of lmc writes: Lampeter Music Club celebrates its 30th

anniversary this year. To mark the occasion our first concert of the year will be a performance by Catrin Finch. Described as ‘The Queen of Harps’, Catrin has delighted audiences with her performances in the UK and worldwide. Catrin, who was born in Llanon, was inspired to learn the harp at the age of five when she attended a concert at Lampeter Music Club. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2002 where she studied with Skaila Kanga and received the Queen’s Award for the most outstanding student of her year. Catrin has recorded for most of the major international recording companies and has appeared with many of the world’s top orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the London Mozart Players, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony and the Lake Charles Symphony. Catrin is the former Royal Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, and is Visiting Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music. You can get a taste of her outstanding talents through the

following link: http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=9O4dXs81OdY. Each year Lampeter Music Club organises a programme of six concerts of classical music by visiting professional musicians. The concerts take place on the university campus in Lampeter: most of them in the Arts Hall, which is approached by the entrance to the university on Station Terrace at the end of College Street.

LAMPETER MUSIC CLUB PROGRAMME 2012–13 University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter Campus CATRIN FINCH Harp Tuesday October 16th – 7.30pm – Arts Hall DOMINANT QUARTET String Quartet Sunday November 4th – 7.30pm – Old Hall TIMOTHY ORPEN & ALISON FARR Clarinet & Piano Sunday November 25th – 2.30pm – Arts Hall

this prisoner of music would appreciate a visit

Tickets may be purchased on the door, or in advance from Hag’s Music & Video shop, 23 Bridge Street, Lampeter: £9, concessions £7.50, two children FREE with a paying adult. Membership for the year, which covers admission to this concert along with the five others listed below, involves a significant discount: £35, concessions £30. You can join at the door of the first concert, at Hag’s, by calling 01570 422436, or through our website: www.lampetermusic.co.uk.

DANIEL EVANS Piano Tuesday January 22nd – 7.30pm – Arts Hall FABIEN GENTHIALON Cello Tuesday February 12th – 7.30pm – Arts Hall INNER CITY BRASS Brass Quintet Sunday March 10th – 2.30pm – Arts Hall

We look forward to seeing you!

LAMPETER FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC, 22–24 MARCH 2013 an ambitious new venture is coming to town next spring. josie smith writes: A group of local people are planning to hold an annual festival in Lampeter of Sacred Music drawn from the many spiritual traditions around the world. The Festival will be dedicated to a celebration of spiritual music, music that uplifts the human spirit, the spirituality of music in its many varied manifestations and will include contemplative and ecstatic music, sacred dance and the sacred expressed in other art forms such as poetry and art. Lampeter, with its history as a centre of theology and comparative religion and its current vibrancy and diversity, is ideally placed to host such a festival. There is an increasing interest around the world in sacred music and Lampeter would become part of the network of Sacred Music Festivals that includes Fez, Uppsala, Brighton, Roskilde, Los Angeles, Washington, Delhi, Quebec, Michigan, Dijon, Girona, and more. It is appropriate that Wales, with its own powerful tradition of sacred music, should be part of this network and be a significant partner. The Festival will draw on and promote the best of Welsh and Celtic

traditions of sacred music, to include the encouragement of such music through new compositions, and through performance of existing sacred music in different ways. The Festival aims to inspire and entertain as well as inform and challenge. The first Festival, to be held on 22–24 March 2013, will include Karl Jenkins conducting his Mass for Peace, ‘The Armed Man’, performed by several choirs and an orchestra, workshops, concerts, exhibitions and inspirational talks, as well as a sacred meal. Events will be held at venues around the town, including the Arts Hall and Victoria Hall. Trinity St David’s University, Lampeter Town Council, the Arts Council for Wales and the Confucius Centre have already offered generous support, and more grant applications are in process. Full details of the programme will be announced soon. For more information, or if you would like to volunteer to help the Festival manifest, please email: info@worldsacredmusic.com

what is transition?

Whilst we rely on fossil fuels to produce, package, distribute and dispose of non-essential items, we are not considering the legacy we are leaving for our own future, represented in the generations of our own offspring to follow. Is transition remembering the world will be covered with litter if we carry on like this? Fuel prices are rising – we know this. The cost of living on a week-by-week basis is increasing – we know this also. In 2002 a litre of diesel was 75p, today it’s approaching £1.50. Is transition accepting and realising that these issues are not going to go away? Is it by learning to live by need and limit the wants? Is it by growing food either by myself or in a group? Is it by consuming less fossil fuel? Note to self: Almost everything I buy which is wrapped in plastic, is made out of plastic and is transported any distance, is equal to oil consumption. If we reduce consumption, we reduce waste. That doesn’t mean to say that we need to reduce what’s good for us though. Imagine growing a few broad bean plants or garden peas in a tub outside. You wouldn’t have to pay upwards of £3/kg for the privilege of eating fresh food transported hundreds or thousands of miles. You would, however, know that what you produce doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, and you would have the added sense of achievement that nobody can put a price tag on. If we reduce waste, we reduce consumption. Does this mean, as suggested in a previous edition of Grapevine*, we should harvest and recycle things people are getting rid of? That before it goes to our local (items never to be seen again) recycling service, we could have a community recycling yard? Somewhere where rejuvenated bikes, salvaged garden tools and other useful-to-someone items could be distributed from? When oil runs out … if we haven’t suffocated ourselves with pollution, poisoned too many waterways or covered too much of the earth’s surface with unnatural items…what can I do to help prepare for that? Is that what transition is about, or is it someone else’s problem? Are my great grandchildren someone else? I’ve got a few ideas to share – projects big and small for everyone to get involved in. I know there’s more ideas and simple things that can be done, and it’d be great to meet you at a Big Gathering to explore them further. How about a Community Recycling Yard – recycle before you recycle. Or a Soup Kitchen – where anyone can learn how to make a pot of soup for themselves and their friends. Maybe you’ll be interested in learning about low-energy lighting, or join the ‘Electronic Yard Challenge’ where participants are invited to make a self-powered charger for your hand-held games console, using a bike and a motor? Or what about a ‘grow some food’ challenge, or maybe you’d like to join a growers’ group who plant food in public places? Maybe you’re more interested in helping the bees and pollinators by planting bee banks? I’ve made some steps towards someone else’s future over the last few months, but so many of you are already out there doing it. The Big Gathering in Victoria Hall is an ideal space for this type of discussion, so why not come and discuss what your thoughts and feelings are on transition and what you think we all need to consider. What is Transition? At the moment, it is learning, considering, accepting, planning and walking confidently towards someone else’s future – knowing I am no longer contributing blindly to a false cause.

I’ve attended a few Big Gatherings in Victoria Hall with Transition Llambed and started to consider what transition means to me. I mean it’s got a lot to do with oil, right? Until recently I didn’t fully understand the concept of ‘when it’s gone it’s gone’. You may have heard the discussion on the radio about helium. Like oil, it’s found in the earth. Unlike oil, we already know that there are nearly no natural reserves of helium left in the ground. It was quoted that the actual price of a £5 balloon is £100. Helium is used in all kinds of life-saving medical equipment, yet we can go to the shop, buy a balloon for a few quid, just to inhale it to make a few squeaky seconds of mirth. It seems crazy to me that my laughter now, in the future might mean the difference between a life and death diagnosis for someone else. I learned recently that local farmers are having similar supply problems with fertilisers, and peat is already considered really rare and is protected. So what is Transition? Is transition remembering all those times when I’ve thought … All this extraction of oil and gas from the earth, polluting the land and atmosphere to aid mass production of very unproductive and

rubbish creating items is the wrong direction for the general good of the earth and all the population. Is it that there is a need to drive down the production of oil? Oil is a finite resource: that is to say – like the sweets in a bag in your hand – once you’ve eaten them, they’re gone. The problem lies in the fact that it hasn’t gone yet, and I can just nip to the supermarket for another bag. All those sweets arrive by vehicle; they are wrapped in plastic, their production is powered, their ingredients are imported from great distances. All that effort for some treat that contains empty calories, and masses of landfill, not to mention related health problems. Is transition remembering that one day there won’t be any more sweets?

tricia durkin

* issue #1, ‘Having a Dump’. In that article the terms ‘reuse’ or ‘salvage’ are used as opposed to ‘recycle’, which is what LAS, for example, is geared to and which can be a very expensive and high energy (i.e. unsustainable) process – ed.

THE

Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market at Victoria Hall, Lampeter every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month, 10.00am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1.00pm cacennau cartref, cyffaith a bwyddyd sawrus ffrwythau tymhorol cartref llysiau a phlanhigion cig a gynhyrchir yn lleol a dewisiad o waith llaw crefft te a choffi homemade cakes, preserves and savouries home grown seasonal fruit, vegetables and plants locally produced meat and a selection of handmade craft teas and coffees