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Amelia’s Magazine | Lammas Low Impact Courses and Conferences

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Lammas Low Impact Aurelia Lange
Illustration by Aurelia Lange

Wales – the land of soaring song, viagra turf-churning scrums and cunning cross-dressing rioters – is today at the forefront of sustainable, information pills ecological development. In 2009 the Welsh Assembly Government announced a national sustainable development scheme, buy One Wales: One Planet, which led last year to Technical Advice Note (TAN) 6: One Planet Development. The objective of the One Planet Development policy is truly laudable: for Wales to be using only its fair and sustainable share of the earth’s resources – which was measured in 2003 at 1.88 global hectares per person – within the space of a single generation. To this end, One Planet Developments must be zero carbon in both their construction and use, and within five years sit on land that provides for the inhabitants’ basic needs of income, food, energy and waste assimilation. Developments can take the form of single homes, co-operative communities or larger settlements.

Tir y Gafel Hub Outside
Low-impact building The Hub at Tir y Gafel

Roundhouse in construction at Tir y Gafel
A family’s roundhouse under construction at Tir y Gafel

Tree Planting sign at Tir y Gafel
Crafted wooden sign at sustainable settlement in West Wales, Tir y Gafel

One such community is Tir y Gafel, nestled in 76 acres of dizzyingly beautiful ex-farmland mixed pasture and woodland deep within the Pembrokeshire hills. Tir y Gafel is the first eco village to be birthed by Lammas – a cooperative trust that exists to support the development of eco villages in West Wales – following efforts by its founders, members and fellow low-impact supporters to gain planning permission for such developments. Currently under construction by the residents and volunteers, within a few years Tir y Gafel will comprise nine residential smallholdings created using the latest innovations in permaculture, environmental design and green technology. And, of course, they’ll be completely off-grid: water will be sourced from Tir y Gafel’s existing spring; on-site renewables such as the village hydro-electric facility will provide the sparks; fuel supplies will exist in the form of willow and ash; and organic waste will prove food for the village’s abundance of plant life.

Tir y Gafel flowers decorate The Hub
Tir y Gafel flowers decorate village meeting and celebration space, The Hub

Tir y Gafel Cat
Two of Tir y Gafel’s diverse range of residents

The people of Tir y Gafel will not just live off the land, but will nourish it, enriching their plots to the end that the land can support a range of livelihoods, from the growth of cash crops such as blueberries to crafts conjured from the woven hair of malamutes. The completion of the village community building The Hub is also in sight.

For many gazing in awe at the energy, vision and strength of pioneering spirit exhibited by Lammas and the Tir y Gafel residents, a relocation to Mars can seem more reachable than a move to a One Planet lifestyle, with all the land issues and lifestyle transformations it might involve. One of the guiding principles of Lammas, though, is to create a model for sustainable eco living that can be replicated across Wales – and, hopefully, outside it. Education plays a central role in the current life of Tir y Gafel, with courses and conferences inviting people to experience and explore low-impact living, and while doing so help make this groundbreaking example a reality. WWOOFers and other volunteers have been a driving force in the building of The Hub, exchanging enthusiasm and sweat for experience of low-impact building and a role in the future of sustainable living.

Footprints in the farmhouse
Lammas: Steps in the right direction

Building a timber-frame barn wall at Tir y Gafel
Building a timber-frame barn wall at Tir y Gafel

Carving joists for timber-frame barn wall at Tir y Gafel
Joy of joists: getting to grips with timber-framing at Tir y Gafel

Aside from a regular rotation of passionate volunteers, attendees of courses held at Tir y Gafel go on to spread the word, objectives and feasibility of One Planet lifestyles such as those that they experience and learn about through Lammas. The Eco Village Conference will bring those inspired by Lammas’s work and eager to grapple with the practicalities of creating an eco home or village together between 9-11 September, when the folks behind Lammas will impart advice on everything from land-based livelihoods to legal details. Other courses currently booking include a weekend covering willow planting, harvesting and sculpture.

A couple of Lammas course attendees tour the land
People power: Lammas Low Impact Experience course attendees tour the land

Group cooking at Tir y Gafel
The community that cooks together…

Tir y Gafel volunteer spades

Foraged blackberries at Tir y Gafel
Foraged blackberries at Tir y Gafel

Later in the month comes another of the enormously influential Low Impact Experience weeks, which have so far seen dozens of eco-conscious minds enter Tir y Gafel curious and leave – a week and countless incredible vegetarian meals later – with fresh skills spanning cob building, bread baking, stem wall forming, foraging, escapee hen catching and beyond. Led by Hoppi Wimbush and James Giddings, the most recent Low Impact Experience Week, held in August, was for this writer an inspirational reminder of the joyful warm ache of limbs worked sawing barn wall joists; of the rich pleasure – irate wasps and all – of a permaculture landscape; and of the timeless worth of a mental store of stories to tell while rain batters darkened windows. Above all, though, the Low Impact Experience Week re-affirmed the significance of community to our selves, our health and our happiness – and not just because the attendees shared our foraged wood sorrel.

Foraging for wood sorrel at Tir y Gafel
Foraged Tir y Gafel wood sorrel during the Low Impact Experience Week

Baking bread at Tir y Gafel
Future kneads: The Low Impact Experience bake-off

Banquet at The Hub, Tir y Gafel
Banqueting at The Hub, Tir y Gafel

Fire at Tir y Gafel ceilidh

Long gone are the days when it was considered avant-garde to believe that the future health and happiness of our communities rests on the success and extended positive influence of low-impact living initiatives such as those that Lammas is pioneering at Tir y Gafel. As the people of Lammas and Tir y Gafel are showing through their courses and conferences, if we are willing to share knowledge, skills, sweat and time as part of a wider ecologically minded and responsible community, the future can look very, very bright. Even if it is lit via homemade solar panels.

Written by Amy Hughes on Monday September 5th, 2011 4:55 pm

Categories ,Agriculture, ,Aurelia Lange, ,Baking, ,Biodiversity, ,camping, ,Cat, ,Centre for Alternative Technology, ,Co-operative, ,cob building, ,community, ,composting, ,Conference, ,Coppicing, ,course, ,Eco-village, ,Education, ,Farming, ,Grass roof, ,Hoppi Wimbush, ,Hydro electric, ,James Giddings, ,Lammas, ,Land-based Livelihood, ,Livestock, ,Living Roof, ,Low impact, ,Malamute, ,One Planet Development, ,Paul Wimbush, ,Pembrokeshire, ,Planning Permission, ,Polytunnel, ,Renewable Technologies, ,Renewables, ,Roundhouse, ,Self-build, ,Solar panels, ,solar power, ,Straw bale building, ,sustainable living, ,TAN 6, ,Timber framing, ,Tir y Gafel, ,Tony Wrench, ,Tree planting, ,vegetarian, ,Volunteering, ,wales, ,Welsh Assembly Government, ,Wild Foraging, ,Willow weaving, ,Wind power, ,Wood crafts, ,Wool crafts, ,WWOOF, ,zero carbon

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Amelia’s Magazine | Alex Czinczel presents Burro de Change at Prick Your Finger

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Prick Your Finger-Burro de Change
Burro de Change by Alex Czinczel at Prick Your Finger.

Prick Your Finger always host the most wonderful little exhibitions in their Globe Road yarn shop, ampoule and at the moment they have an animation inside a volcano courtesy of Alex Czinczel, viagra approved aka The Chinchilla. Burro de Change is a charming piece of work that features knitted donkeys and lots of… furniture. For now you can see it exclusively in their capacious window. I decided to find out what Burro de Change is all about, viagra 100mg and what else its creator has been up to.

Alex Czinczel Burro de Change volcano

Why a donkey?
44 years after Robert Bresson made Au Hasard Balthazar, it was clearly time to redress the balance of donkey cinema by making a film about a happy, carefree donkey. His only worry is how to find the perfect furniture. He is pretty lucky!

Prick Your Finger-Burro de Change

What’s it all about anyway?
Nothing really, just an inexplicable love of terrible puns. The installation Burro de Change is the third part of the Burro Trilogy. The film El Burro y Los Muebles is the first part. El Burro y Los Churros, which is announced at the end of the film, is the second part. The second part exists only as an idea, as it has been announced but not made. The idea is enough though, because we can all imagine exactly what happens. It is also all very much about this imaginary landscape which is inspired by Coconino County where Krazy Kat lives. Until very recently I thought George Herriman had made it up and I was almost disappointed to find out that Coconino County is real. It even has its own website. It tells you how to get a special event food permit, but makes no mention of George Herriman, the only person who ever had anything interesting to say about Coconino County. Life is much stranger than fiction.


Vladimir and Dragopov by Alex Czinczel

You seem to be a bit obsessed with furniture… where did this come from and why do you think this is?
A large unsightly piece of furniture fell on me and nearly killed me when I was three and a half years old, and ever since then… no, no, I’m lying. It comes from a road trip from London to Morocco: While travelling through Spain, I was constantly noticing signs for furniture shops, even in areas that appeared not to be inhabited by humans. I loved the absurdity of it and came up with the story of a donkey looking for furniture.


Two by Alex Czinczel

How do you make your creatures?
For the sewn creatures like the donkey, I start by designing a paper pattern, then sew it by hand in felt. Usually I have to adjust and change the pattern a few times until it looks right, which can take quite a long time. The knitted creatures are all done without a pattern, I usually start at the nose and then just increase, decrease and do short rows to get the 3D shaping. It’s much more fun that way than making a pattern, and it means if I do several creatures of the same kind they all look slightly different. For the big cat that’s in the film, I tried to knit everything but I couldn’t make the teeth look convincing so I had to crochet them in the end. 

Alex Czinczel at Prick Your Finger with a friend
Alex Czinczel at Prick Your Finger with a friend.

What next? What other ideas or projects are you currently working on?
I’m working on another animated film which will be shown in July as part of Kaleid Edition’s Art on Poetry season of exhibitions at the Saison Poetry Library in the Royal Festival Hall. I am also planning another donkey adventure. Who knows, maybe El Burro y los Churros will turn into a film after all.

Prick Your Finger-thimblesPrick Your Finger-threadsPrick Your Finger
More Prick Your Finger inspiration.

Why not visit Alex Czinczel‘s Burro de Change at Prick Your Finger for yourself? Amongst the knitted donkeys you will also find a fabulous selection of amazing wools, yarns, books, thimbles, spinning wheels…. and do say hello to the wonderful owners of this unique shop. Louise and Rachael are on hand to help with all your crafting needs.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday April 11th, 2011 2:05 pm

Categories ,Alex Czinczel, ,animation, ,Art on Poetry, ,Au Hasard Balthazar, ,Burro de Change, ,Burro Trilogy, ,Cat, ,Coconino County, ,Donkey, ,El Burro y Los Churros, ,El Burro y Los Muebles, ,film, ,Furniture, ,George Herriman, ,Globe Road, ,Kaleid Edition, ,knitting, ,Krazy Kat, ,london, ,Louise, ,Morocco, ,Prick your Finger, ,Rachael, ,Robert Bresson, ,Royal Festival Hall, ,Saison Poetry Library, ,Spinning Wheel, ,The Chinchilla, ,Yarns

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Amelia’s Magazine | Music Review: Francois and The Atlas Mountains

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Frànçois and the Atlas Mountains by Jenny Lloyd

Francois Marry by Jenny Lloyd

It’s not just because my cat is called Francois. This French musician is très bon. Francois Marry, tadalafil aka Francois and The Atlas Mountains, viagra buy is a songwriter, this musician, animator and artist from Saintes, which is a small town off the west coast of France. Lighthearted and friendly, Francois is extremely pleasant to listen to when you’re driving somewhere alone. Or indeed, when you’re cooking. Not that I’d ever dictate to you!

francois

Image Source

Francois moved to the UK at 19. To Bristol in-fact. Ever the artiste, he drew a picture and put a note up in a window, both announcing his arrival, and asking people to make music with him. Trawling the car boot sales, he found his instruments and started to play small shows. His endearing personality and actions got him quickly involved in the Bristol scene and he assembled a group of players; The Atlas Mountains. They include Rozi Plain, who I saw play with and support This Is The Kit, and possesses a gorgeously wholesome, free spirited voice. Since Francois’s local loving and successes, he has been traveling around… playing, drawing and singing.

F&A

Francois and Rozi Plain – Picture Source

As his animations stand next to and hold trees, moving the background of the myspace page, and Be Water (je suis de l’eau) streams out, you get a sense of French humour. As seen in many of the country’s films, such as The Girl Cut in Two, Priceless and The Beat That My Heart Skipped. A little bit of a slapstick chuckle.

However that’s not to say Francois doesn’t hold the other famous French attribute of sensitive LOVE – of course like in the aforementioned films. Night Lights and Remind displays this delicacy perfectly. With two voices singing, it is so tender. Tour de France too, although I don’t understand French (oh how I wish I did), to me, is a scene set in Paris, with a French lover driving from the city to the countryside of chateau’s etc. In a tiny car.

Francois

Francois and The Atlas Mountains have a total lack of pretentiousness, their guitars simply strumming and Francois’ tone, trustworthy in its lack of change. Sometimes the words don’t seem to fit the notes, but it comes off as beautifully haphazard. Their latest album Plaine Inondable, released in 2009 by Fence Records, follows the faithful, friendly vibe. The recordings took place partly in Charente-Maritime and partly in the Basques Country and includes a whole track of vocal harmony, Nights = Days. Although a mixture of English and French, the entire album sounds distinctly like an ambling along Frenchman with the jumpy, instruments like backing singers, and his revealing accent. Moitiee is so beautiful, thoughtful and melodramatic. And guitar focused French and English mixed Pic-nic is honest and sad; “and we’ll never go out for picnic anymore”, whilst the chorus style singing Do You Do, is splendid. So incredibly cute.

francois-front-cover-LST068305

Francois And The Atlas Mountains album, Plaine Inondable is out now on Fence Records are playing on May 5 at Anstruther Easter Town Hall, Ansturther, Scotland

Written by Helen Martin on Monday January 17th, 2011 5:13 pm

Categories ,bristol, ,Cat, ,Fence Records, ,france, ,Francois and The Atlas Mountains, ,Francois Marry, ,Helen Martin, ,Jenny Lloyd, ,Rozi Plain, ,The Beat That My Heart Skipped, ,The Girl Cut In Two, ,This Is The Kit

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Amelia’s Magazine | Music Review: Francois and The Atlas Mountains

by

Frànçois and the Atlas Mountains by Jenny Lloyd

Francois Marry by Jenny Lloyd

It’s not just because my cat is called Francois. This French musician is très bon. Francois Marry, tadalafil aka Francois and The Atlas Mountains, viagra buy is a songwriter, this musician, animator and artist from Saintes, which is a small town off the west coast of France. Lighthearted and friendly, Francois is extremely pleasant to listen to when you’re driving somewhere alone. Or indeed, when you’re cooking. Not that I’d ever dictate to you!

francois

Image Source

Francois moved to the UK at 19. To Bristol in-fact. Ever the artiste, he drew a picture and put a note up in a window, both announcing his arrival, and asking people to make music with him. Trawling the car boot sales, he found his instruments and started to play small shows. His endearing personality and actions got him quickly involved in the Bristol scene and he assembled a group of players; The Atlas Mountains. They include Rozi Plain, who I saw play with and support This Is The Kit, and possesses a gorgeously wholesome, free spirited voice. Since Francois’s local loving and successes, he has been traveling around… playing, drawing and singing.

F&A

Francois and Rozi Plain – Picture Source

As his animations stand next to and hold trees, moving the background of the myspace page, and Be Water (je suis de l’eau) streams out, you get a sense of French humour. As seen in many of the country’s films, such as The Girl Cut in Two, Priceless and The Beat That My Heart Skipped. A little bit of a slapstick chuckle.

However that’s not to say Francois doesn’t hold the other famous French attribute of sensitive LOVE – of course like in the aforementioned films. Night Lights and Remind displays this delicacy perfectly. With two voices singing, it is so tender. Tour de France too, although I don’t understand French (oh how I wish I did), to me, is a scene set in Paris, with a French lover driving from the city to the countryside of chateau’s etc. In a tiny car.

Francois

Francois and The Atlas Mountains have a total lack of pretentiousness, their guitars simply strumming and Francois’ tone, trustworthy in its lack of change. Sometimes the words don’t seem to fit the notes, but it comes off as beautifully haphazard. Their latest album Plaine Inondable, released in 2009 by Fence Records, follows the faithful, friendly vibe. The recordings took place partly in Charente-Maritime and partly in the Basques Country and includes a whole track of vocal harmony, Nights = Days. Although a mixture of English and French, the entire album sounds distinctly like an ambling along Frenchman with the jumpy, instruments like backing singers, and his revealing accent. Moitiee is so beautiful, thoughtful and melodramatic. And guitar focused French and English mixed Pic-nic is honest and sad; “and we’ll never go out for picnic anymore”, whilst the chorus style singing Do You Do, is splendid. So incredibly cute.

francois-front-cover-LST068305

Francois And The Atlas Mountains album, Plaine Inondable is out now on Fence Records are playing on May 5 at Anstruther Easter Town Hall, Ansturther, Scotland

Written by Helen Martin on Monday January 17th, 2011 5:13 pm

Categories ,bristol, ,Cat, ,Fence Records, ,france, ,Francois and The Atlas Mountains, ,Francois Marry, ,Helen Martin, ,Jenny Lloyd, ,Rozi Plain, ,The Beat That My Heart Skipped, ,The Girl Cut In Two, ,This Is The Kit

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