NEW EVENTS

Bee Friendly Fayre Saturday 7 October 2017

The Memorial Hall, The Borough, Downton, 2-4pm

Bees, both wild and honey, are vitally important for the pollination of our vegetables and crops. This event aims to be both fun and educational and is for both children and adults alike. Activities for children will include making a home for solitary bees and icing bee shaped biscuits and free seeds to take home to grow to attract bees and other important pollinators.

There are many types of both solitary bees and bumble bees - find out why they are so important in our food security, why they are threatened, where they live, how to recognise them and the best flowers to grow in your garden to attract them.

BECKY TWIGG, local expert and creator of Bee City, will be giving short talks on wild bees.

Stalls will include the sale of honey, other bee and food products and wildflower seeds plus of course refreshments including home made cakes.

RECENT EVENTS

Seedy Sunday 12 March 2017

This year’s ‘Seedy Sunday’ in the Memorial Hall on March 12th attracted a record number of visitors. Possibly a few Spring–like days and the sight of daffodils turned peoples’ thoughts to growing things and the SEED & PLANT SWAP was busy. Several parents brought children to choose their own packets of seeds and it was encouraging that all the free vegetable/flower starter kits for children were taken - the Gardeners of the Future?

Sadly, due to the bird flu virus, the chickens were not able to come but other stalls included Creatures in Crisis, whose work is needed to help hedgehogs (who help us by eating slugs!). Wildflowers encourage bees and ‘Bright Seeds' were selling wild flower seeds. Commercial vegetable seeds were available from‘More Veg’ .

Re-use and recycling was another focus of the event. Tools for Self Reliance (www.tfsr.org) were there to sharpen tools - their profits go to provide implements in developing countries. The recycling table of garden equipment showed that one person's reject is just what someone else needs! The information boards covered a range of topics including using water carefully, making compost, dealing with garden pests. These were read with interest.

It was the last day of FAIR TRADE Fortnight and their stall had a range of products including Easter eggs! And finally there were the refreshments - plenty of home made cakes to choose from!

Downton Christmas Tree Festival 10-11 December

Our recyclable tree, made from old food cans made its annual appearance!

This year each can contained a message on how to have a sustainable Christmas as follows:

·         Use old Christmas cards for parcel labels

·         Don’t forget to shred the Christmas tree

·         Use shredded confidential paper for packing

·         Make your own cards from recycled materials

·         Make Christmas food as local as possible

·         Don’t waste food – freeze and eat later

·         Support charities by buying their cards

·         Adopt’ a tree, flower or animal as a gift

·         Give charity membership as presents

·         Give public transport season tickets

·         Find a new home for unwanted gifts

·         Keep ribbon and other materials for next year’s decorations

·         Look for eco friendly and recycled gifts (e.g. foeshop.co.uk)

·         Unwrap carefully to reuse wrapping paper

Will Smart Meters make your home fuel efficient?

Wednesday 7 December, 11.30-1.30

Downton Green Group on 7th December at 11.30 in the White Horse Stables Room, The Borough, Downton hosted a short talk and Q&A session on the use of Smart Meters. This event was run by CSE (Centre for Sustainable Energy), an impartial Bristol charity which offers free energy advice to householders in the South West. Help was also available until 1.30pm for anyone on anything energy-related such as checking if you are on the best tariff and whether you are entitled to the £140 WarmHome Discount plus advice on the use of heating controls. Refreshments were available.

Apple Day - Saturday 15 October 2016

Apple Day celebrated the season with an invitation to those with surplus apples to exchange them for juice. Using a traditional press, members of the Green Group chopped and juiced apples at a great rate. Inside the hall a range of stalls featured local produce, both savoury and sweet, along with hand crafted lavender bags. Local experts offered apple variety identification and advice on the cultivation of fruit trees. There were displays outlining the aims and activities of the Green Group and our plans for the future, along with information on the vital role of pollinators and how to attract them to the garden. The Group had also gathered for display a selection of traditional recipes using apples. Refreshments were enjoyed, including apple cake of course!