Working with Willow Weekend, February 2011

On a cold and foggy Sunday morning in February - just the day for snuggling up with the spring gardening catalogues - I dug out my secateurs, loppers and a sharp knife and set off for a day of Working with Willow. This event was the idea of organic gardener and designer, Anna Corbett, who contacted Transition Alnwick to drum up some willing folk curious to learn more about using willow and other trees and shrubs for garden structures - and help her harvest the willows in her garden.

Five souls had braved the equally drich weather on the previous day and apparently enjoyed their day pruning the bendy yellow withies and learning how to fashion them into useful supports for sweet peas or runner beans.

After some reviving coffee and chocolate cake and a browse through some catalogues tempting us with ideas both whimsical and down to earth, the Sunday contingent - just four of us including Anna - got stuck into lopping branches and sorting them into 3 groups by diameter, the largest about 2 cms.

We each opted for a simple conical "wigwam" design and set to work choosing branches - largest for the 8 uprights, thinner ones for weaving into garlands around the supports and skinny ones to bind the top garland and secure the point of convergence at the apex. Selecting my eight supports, with instructions from Anna I started gently bending each of the branches back and forth to make them flexible before digging them into Anna's lawn in a circle ready for action (scope maybe for a future course on remedial lawn care?) Apparently even the experts can't always avoid breaking the branches during the bending process, so I was prepared but disappointed when some of my carefully worked stems snapped on me. (Watch out you willowy fashion models!)

I then began making the first of my garlands, weaving eight slender branches in and out of alternate supports horizontally at three points the length of the structure to give stability. Finally, the top of the uprights were secured with the thinnest stems. I decided not to cut the lengths of willow garden and I can always trim them later. We were all pleased with our efforts and stood back to admire an enjoyable day's work (see photos). Anna warned us to dry to structures thoroughly preferably indoors or they would root themselves.

Now I look forward to planting some sweet peas around my graceful wigwam and watching them twine up the beautiful red and yellow stems of Anna's willows. A day well spent and much enjoyed. Thank you Anna.

PS There's a lovely traditional ballad called The Bitter Withy which I hope is not prophetic, the last verse of which goes:

Oh bitter withy, oh bitter withy

You've caused me to smart,

And the withy shall be the very first tree

To perish at the heart.

Elizabeth Anderson

Skill sharing ideas

Following on from Paul's post we want to know how you'd like to be involved, what you'd like to learn or what skill you would like to improve to reduce your carbon emissions and reliance on oil.

Can you brew, harvest, reap, sew, mend, bake, knit, knot, build, design, generate, cook, preserve, grow, plant, reuse, repair, construct, sow, forage, paint, pot, weave, restore, dance, dig, pickle, sing, play, create etc?

Would you be willing to share that skill with others?

Activities could be for a few people in a kitchen, garden, garage, shed or workshop or we can organise a larger venue for a bigger group - they can be one off or regular activities.

Let us know what you'd like to learn or how you could get involved - add your ideas here - however big or small.

Transition Alnwick News

Following the most recent couple of meetings of the steering group, we've all emerged blinking in the winter sunshine reinvigorated and inspired! We're aware that the blog has been a bit quiet lately, which is not to say that things have been quiet - far from it. Rachael is nearly there with the orchard lease (not strictly speaking a Transition Project, but one which we know people are following with interest), Ellie has been out saving dolphins, Barbara has been forging links at regional events, Paul has been installing photovoltaics & Anna has organised a working with willow course......and all this is by no means an exhaustive list!

And yet! There is more to come - we've decided to take a slightly different tack this year and try to raise awareness, have fun and continue on a path to carbon reduction for the area. We plan to do this by holding a rolling programme of events aimed at education and skilling - keep an eye on this blog and also your e-mails for details, which should be finalised in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime if you have a skill that you feel others may wish to learn about and that would contribute to carbon reduction in some way, then please let us know.

Energy Advice Day Success!

As part of the 10:10:10 Global Day of Doing the Transition Alnwick Energy Advice Day was held at St James' Church, Alnwick. We had a number of advisors along with experts from Equinox Energy (Photovoltaics), Northumbria Renewables (Solar Thermal), Sustainable Heating Solutions (Biomass), Warmzone (Insulation) and the Energy Saving Trust. All the advisors and specialists were busy throughout the time we were open and anybody who completed a Home Energy Check for the EST received a computer power down device. members of the public described the day as "extremely useful" and others said "How lucky we are to have this right on our doorstep - Alnwick is a really forward-thinking town!"

Alnwick Green Advice Session

Alnwick Green Advice Session

As part of the 10:10:10 Day of Action, Transition Alnwick are offering free green advice sessions. The sessions will be held on 10th October from 1 to 3pm at St James' Church Hall, Pottergate, Alnwick, preferably on an appointment basis so that individual advice can be guaranteed.

Experts in various fields will be available to give individual advice to anyone who wishes to book an appointment - there will be some spaces for drop-in opportunities too. Members of Transition Alnwick will be available to talk through general advice about what is achievable to 'green up' a house along with the possibility of discussing what they have don in their own homes.

In addition there will be experts on solar PV, solar thermal, heating through wood burning, insulation and more. There will also be representatives from Warmzone and the Energy Saving Trust.

This represents a unique opportunity to pick the brains of people with real experience in domestic green initiatives plus more specific expert advice on a wide range of topics. To book an appointment call Paul on 01665 604869 or e-mail paul.mills@equinox-energy.co.uk

Roots and Shoots

Pete Edge, Alnwick Garden employee and Transition Alnwick member, provided a guide to the Roots and Shoots area of the Alnwick garden for the food group. Pete's enthusiasm made the tour extremely interesting and those who attended gleaned plenty of useful tips as well as enjoying a fascinating 'behind the scenes' tour. The Roots and Shoots area is geared for education - 10 local schools have their own patches for which they prepare the ground and seeds which they have selected. They then sow their seeds and tend to them as they grow, and in September their produce is harvested and cooked up for them by a Chef in the Alnwick garden.

The rest of the area is used to demonstrate different methods of growing plants (veg as well as flowers and fruit trees), composting and soon will house beehives. A good time was had by all and our thanks go to Pete for giving up his time to show us round.

Heritage Open Days

Ever fancied seeing how an ordinary house can be made more sustainable? Ever fancied seeing what a solar thermal installation or a photovoltaic installation actually looks like? Maybe you've just had questions about how easy it is to get extra insulation into a house or where people get enough wood to keep their stoves going. A unique opportunity to nose around 3 fairly ordinary houses that have had various green living additions put into them will arise between the 9th and 12th september. As part of the Heritage Open Days initiative 62 Chapel Lands, 50 swansfield Park Road and 24 The Dunterns will be open at various times for people to see themselves how different technologies, installations and additions have reduced the householders carbon footprint and the cost of running their homes. No prior booking is required, but see here to find out which house you'd like to visit and for opening dates and times:
www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory