A Busy Spring with Green Politics

This year I am juggling my usual spring activities of sowing seeds and planting out with politics as I am standing in the general election for the Green Party.
If you are interested in this politics stuff you can see our election leaflet at
http://www.ecodiy.org/clactonflier.pdf

Sun shines on Eco-house open days

Sun shines on Eco-house open days

Clacton Eco-house EcoDIY attracted more than 80 visitors on a sunny Sunday and bank holiday Monday.  Visitors came from as far as and includes included Green party MEP candidate Rupert Read.

Rupert met the leader of the Clacton Food bank which feeds up to 80 people each Monday from food which they collect from supermarkets and other shops.   Rupert Read is campaigning for more food self-reliance in the UK and praised the movement towards growing more vegetables in gardens and allotments as happens at EcoDIY in Clacton

Attached picture is Rupert Read meeting people at EcoDIY

Left to right David Egar, Rupert Read, Peter French (Foodcycle volunteer)

Green Wood Working Course

Green Wood Working Course

We are planning a course to take place in our 8 acre ancient woodland here in Tendring (Essex) working with green wood with pole lathe, cleaving, bodging etc.  The tutor would be an experienced wood Wright & course leader with assistants and the course would be limited to 5 trainees.  Cost would be about £85 including lunch and drinks.  Let me know if you are interested (probably later in April). 
We have installed a gate now at the wood.  The gate is a weathered old gate which we were lucky enough to be offered to fix and use (so it doesnt look out of place!) We will trade honey and egs for it.
I'm off to the Green Party Conference tomorow for 4 days look out on the news for reports (we hope)

Green Party Canditate for the coming election

The local Green Party voted last night to have me as the general election candidate for Clacton.  This is something I wanted as I am committed to airing issues which effect all of us such as

• energy policy; creating jobs by boosting energy saving and micro generation in homes and businesses;
• coastal defense (we are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise here in Tendring) 
• Improving public transport -  which will boost the tourist industry here.
• Taking Climate change and future fossil fuel shortages seriously
• Improving infrastructure in deprived communities in Tendring
• Expanding waste recycling to cover commercial waste (most waste is commercial waste!)
  

All that remains now is to start fund raising for my deposit!