Friday 23 July 2010

what a venue! July Friends of the Earth meeting

Our July Friends of the Earth meeting is at Linthorpe cemetery Thursday 29th July, 7pm a 53 acre nature reserve, the biggest treed area in Mbro, which is jam packed with wildlife, flora and fauna and what wonderful, beautiful 100 year old trees.
Follow the link below to see a map and further venue details, but we are in the education centre that used to be the old Hebrew prayer house, a squarish building opposite where the old General hospital on Ayresome Green Lane used to be.
http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/GreenFlagAwardSites/NorthEast/Default.aspx?parkID=240
If you are interested in green issues, animals, allotments, cycling, renewable energy, food . . . . come along,please take this opportunity to get involved or give us a ring/email.

Boro Mela big success

The Middlesbrough Mela in its 20th year was very busy, and a big success. The Friends of the Earth's stall concentrated on getting new members, but we also had a colouring carbon footprint competition for the kids that went down well. It was great to meet the public and chat with other stallholders. Estimates are that some 7000 people came on the Saturday but there were many more on the Sunday.

The delicious smells wafting from the food stalls, the hubbub of the market, the rhythm of bangra music and the bright colours of the crowd were a heady mix, and it all went off with no trouble at all! The stalls varied from the council and fire brigade, to food stalls and fancy goods, to jewelery and clothes. On the Sunday morning the wind had picked up which made it difficult to put up banners and display boards but the stallholders all helped one another out and by mid-day it had died down and the sun came out and brought out even more people.
Here's looking forward to the 21st boro Mela!

Monday 5 July 2010

Greener Living Roadshow

In Holland over 30% of journeys are made by bicycle - thats a stunning fact. In the UK its only about 2% bike-it website and there is not any real reason why it is not higher in the teesvalley. FoE actually ran two stalls one to reduce cycle crime and the other to try and recruit more people to start a Friends of the Earth just for Stockton.

Apart from being able to try out lots of different types of bike there were other stalls included the 10:10 campaign, CTC, the carbon trust, the real nappy people and things like solar panel and insulation companies.

The day went well and the new venue of Ropner park was lovely.