Reconnect 55

The good living and community magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and across South Devon JUNE/JULY 18 ISSUE 55

produce ❋ energy ❋ land ❋ homes ❋ community ❋ wellbeing ❋ arts

glorious summer in devon

Pleas e tak e one

FREE !

Celebrating our joyful resilience

with a healing touch See our extended wellbeing section

A summer of merriment Regional festivals, gigs, & events

building on success Your local community projects

Celebrating local community life with inspiration and information for the Summer - powered by the people!

Visit us online at www.reconnectonline.co.uk

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Upfront

WELCOME...

IT'SWHAT WE'REABOUT

Broughttoyou by...

INTHISISSUE...

HERE BE DRAGONS

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Local entrepreneur forum EDITOR Scott Williams

ORIGINAL RECYCLERS 6 Libraries unlimited

10TH ANNIVERSARY 8 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Karen Williams

WELLBEING EDITOR Kate Philbin

Phonic FM celebrates

GOING OUT

11

A summer of merriment

ORGANIC GARDENING14 Summery advice

TIMBER RETREATS 16

Garden custom builds COUNSELLOR WRITER Leigh Smith

COMMUNITY FARM 17 Small scale growth

Build a barn - page 14

NOURISHING FOOD

A summer explosion!

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MORE FOLLOWS 20 This is a logo area

STOP PLASTIC BEACHES 22 End single use plastic

MINDFUL MAN

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to the Summer infused June/July issue of Reconnect. Wayyyyy back in June 2009 a new magazine launched with the intention of connecting local people and forming a better society. Ever since it has been empowering people to take greener action and offering practical solutions to equip people with the know-how on what they can do to make a difference to make a better life for themselves and others in a sustainable Devon.

Nine years later and this magazine continues to inform our readers of that vision. Thank you everyone who has contributed to make that possible. I can’t possibly thank everybody, but suffice it to say the Reconnect team are grateful to the readers and the advertisers who give their time and energy to provide the essential content we’ve published over the last 55 issues. Without their generosity the magazine could not continue.

If you have a story for our readers, or a business you think they should know about then do please get in touch. x

Scott

COVERSTORY...

The good living and community magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and across South Devon JUNE/JULY 18 ISSUE 55

produce k energy k land k homes k community k wellbeing k arts

glorious summer in devon

Please take one

FREE !

Celebrating our joyful resilience

Caspar Walsh speaks

WELLBEING PAGES

with a healing touch

27

See our extended wellbeing section

Our holistic health guide

EMOTIONAL HEALTH 28

GARDENING EXPERT Joa Grower

WEBSITE EDITORS www.doetsdesign.com

TECHNICAL AIDE Zelah Williams

STAY IN TOUCH...

EDITORIAL: 01392 346342 ADVERTISING: 01392 346342 SCOTT’S MOBILE: 07751 214656 EMAIL US: editor@reconnectonline.co.uk or adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk SEND US STUFF BY POST: 18 Millin Way, Dawlish Warren EX7 0EP FOLLOW US AND READ US ONLINE: www.reconnectonline.co.uk facebook.com/reconnectmagazine twitter.com/reconnectmag www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Regional festivals, gigs, & events

Is it all in the mind?

High Nature retreat - page 35

FOOD WRITER Jane Hutton

A summer of merriment

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Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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news&views Summer carnival

SOUTH Brent Summer Carnival Week starts on Saturday June 23, starting with the Carnival Summer Fair in the Recreation Field; this will be instead of Street Fair. South Brent Summer Carnival will then take place on Saturday June 30 starting at 6-15 pm from South Brent Station Bridge.

New mutual bank A CUSTOMER-owned financial institution for the Westcountry called South West Mutual has launched.

The cooperatively owned bank promises to serve the needs of the communities of the South West. Learn more and become a member - www.

SouthWestMutual.co.uk.

Human cargo

STORYTELLER Matthew Crampton unites with American folk music legend Jeff Warner in a new show at Exeter Phoenix June 12 based on Crampton’s book Human Cargo: Songs & Stories of Emigration, Slavery & Transportation.

The final straw

EXETER City Council have pledged to become a ‘singleuse plastic-free’ authority by the end of 2018.

Alternative UK

THERE’S an opportunity to come to a South Devon “Friendly” and find out how our communities begin to face the future together at 6.30pm on June 12 at Devonport Guildhall, Plymouth.

Outdoor films

PLYMOUTH Arts Centre’s Open Air Cinema returns this summer in 3 locations: Tinside Lido: 20, 21 and 22 July and also 24, 25 and 26 August. Mount Edgcumbe: 17 and 18 August. Royal William Yard: 13, 14 and 15 September

Midsummer on the moor

JUNE 22 sees Lower Merripit Farm, at Postbridge, host a Midsummer Celebration of Dartmoor’s ancient and early music under the stars hosted by Nigel Shaw and Carolyn Hillyer, with a mead hall, local honey ale, pie supper, roundhouse hearth tales and an evening of magical festivity as part of the Dartmoor Resonance Music Festival 2018.

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PLEASE contact us if you have a story to share with Reconnect readers. Email editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

Sew easy to help!

OVER the last few months, seamstresses and volunteers in and around Exeter have been making a huge difference to the lives of young girls out in Western Kenya for the charity Friends of Buburi. They have been busy making reusable sanitary towels to help combat the ‘period poverty’ suffered by girls in Buburi, a remote community in Western Kenya.

Friends, supporters, local craft and WI groups and the charity cut, pinned and sewed over 500 reusable sanitary pads to go into 122 ‘period packs’ for the schoolgirls. If you sew or know of a group that might be interested in sewing for Buburi please contact Gilly Sowden gilly@friendsofbuburi.com for more information and instructions.

Stories and songs of reunion

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EO and Sundara Sofer will be offering a special performance at Jellyfish Arts Hub in Buckfastleigh in July.

The couple, who have recently taken on the running of Jellyfish, will be performing “Stories and Songs on the theme of Reunion”.

The show was commissioned by the Örsundsbro Storytelling Festival in Sweden and was performed there, as well as in Oslo, last summer.

“Reunion can mean lots of things” says Leo, who has been a storyteller since 1989. “Reunion with nature. Reunion with other people. Reunion with our divine source. The stories and songs in our show speak to all of these reunions, and more.”

Leo began his storytelling career while studying at Exeter

University. “Devon is where storytelling started for me, and it’s great to be back here and sharing what I’ve been developing in the two decades I’ve been living elsewhere.” A reunion indeed!

To find out more about Leo’s storytelling, see his website www. storiesofthejourneyhome.com.

“Stories and Songs of Reunion” at Jellyfish Arts Hub in Buckfastleigh TQ11 0DD, Saturday July 14 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £8 and advance booking is advised, in person at Jellyfish or online atwww.jellyfishartshub.co.uk

Park bench reader BRAM Thomas Arnold aka The Park Bench Reader will be giving two lectures at Plymouth Athenaeum on June 19, and July at 3pm inviting audience members to look again at Plymouth and their place within it.

Here be dragons

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OUR fabulous local enterprises that benefit our community pitched to this year’s Community of Dragons. Part of the Local Entrepreneur Forum, (now in it’s seventh year) and held in Totnes, the annual event saw an audience of ordinary members of public make pledges to ‘invest’ money, expertise, neighbourliness and more. The night saw pitches from Rachel Musson and ThoughtBox Education (www. thoughtboxeducation.com), Anna Thomson with Nourishing Families (www.nourishingfamilies. co.uk), Rebecca Cheshire with Revolutionary Women (www.revolutionary-women.org.uk), and Yvonne Scepanik from Fieldgrassjuice (fieldgrassjuice.com). We’ll be featuring all of them in future issues.

on earth New show looks at debt Devon DEVON Community Foundation has launched a new fund dedicated to

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OR the first time Barrel Organ will be bringing a show to Exeter Phoenix on June 18 with the Exeter premiere of ‘Anyone’s Guess How We Got Here’ starring Byrony Davies. The play looks at the horror of debt with an aesthetic situated somewhere between Stranger Things and David Lynch.

The touching story follows a young woman who is returning to her childhood home to dig up something she buried under the floor boards long ago. The show received critical acclaim for it’s themes about the current unspoken and looming debt crisis in Britain.

The average UK household Bryony Davies debt was £56,731 in May photo by Joe last year. 14 properties are Twigg repossessed each day. The picture is even worse for the younger generation, unable to save due to zero hours contracts, credit card debt and overdrafts: one third have less than a month’s worth of living expenses in their savings.

supporting Devon community groups and change makers working to reconnect people with nature. They have just made their first grant from their Devon On Earth fund to The Bridge Collective, a community interest company supporting vulnerable individuals through use of nature and the outside environment to support mental health issues as well as general well-being. The community-led project will facilitate a series of 16 sessions over one year, providing access to the physical and mental health benefits of being in woodland and other outdoor environments and a chance to learn about traditional woodland crafts.

Andrew Barkla from The Bridge Collective said: “Making meals and cooking on our own fire in a woodland clearing, telling stories and making music under the stars and making things by hand from natural materials we collect ourselves, will allow us to see and experience life in a new healing way and help us to appreciate and fully value the natural world. We will meet in a number of venues around the Devon countryside including regular sessions in a woodland site at Lapford. All venues will be accessible by public transport and participants will be able to meet and travel together, usually from Exeter.”

Litter cleaning the coast of Britain

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N February 2016, Wayne Dixon and his dog Koda set off from Knottend on sea, Lancashire, to walk & litter pick around the coast of Britain. Since then Wayne has been picking litter as he walks and been taking part in many litter picking events along the way. Wayne is expected to travel the coast of South Devon over the end of May and early June as he continues his 7,000 mile trek around the whole coast of Britain raising money for his two chosen charities ‘Mind’ and ‘The Northern Inuit Society’.

Find out the latest on Wayne and Koda’s journey at www.facebook.com/ wayne.dixon.7543 and donate at www.gofundme.com/qejbb7uc.

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

Artist creates darling buds

TORQUAY artist, Becky Bettesworth, has been commissioned to produce the artwork for the front covers of five Darling Buds of May novels

by H.E. Bates, published by Penguin to celebrate 60 years of the Larkins!

Becky, who has developed a unique style for vintage travel posters and prints that are popular across the world, was recognised by Penguin Books who said her artwork was a ‘perfick’ fit with a wistful nostalgia for a bygone era but with a modern twist.

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Romeo & Juliet 2016 photo by Gemma Ward

Wellbeing fund

THE deadline for the latest round of applications for the Totnes Wellbeing Fund (TWF) closes on June 15. TWF aims to support individuals and community groups in Totnes and adjacent parishes, helping them to turn great ideas to boost wellbeing into reality. See http:// networkofwellbeing.org/ wellbeing-fund for more information.

Voluntary worker

IN employment? Then Devon Voluntary Action (DeVA) is asking you to volunteer. There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities available with local community groups looking for people with all types of skills including IT, Finance, social media, management, marketing and media. Find out more at their website www.devonva.org/ campaign.

Haldon hoot

HALDON Forest’s first ever early morning dance party ‘Hoot’ takes place on June 16 from 9am to 11am and will see the forest full of feel good activities and sessions for all ages, accompanied by local DJs.

Exmouth’s Pride Bard returns to the yard

BARBICAN Theatre will be bringing a visual and accessible version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the Residence One Garden at Royal William Yard this summer (July 31 – August 11). The fourth production in their ’Bard in the Yard’ programme, Macbeth follows three successful previous summer productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2015), Romeo & Juliet (2016) and Twelfth Night (2017). Dan Baker, producer for Barbican Theatre on Macbeth, said: Macbeth will be an exceptional experience when produced specifically for the garden at Residence One. I’m really looking forward to seeing what our talented cast and creative team make, and I’m sure it’s something Plymouth audiences will love.”

Tickets are priced at £19, Concessions £17 (under 16s, students, over 60s and registered disabled). Buy tickets at their website www. barbicantheatre.co.uk, or in person at the Barbican Theatre or by calling 01752 267131.

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HE fourth Exmouth inclusive ‘boutique’ Pride takes place on June 30 at Manor Gardens. The FREE family friendly LGBT Festival will have live music from Mrs Jones Soul & Motown, The Variables, Mad For It!, Break Beat Bandits, and more. Miss Dixie The Devon Diva will be in attendance.

There’ll be Bouncy Castles in the children’s area, hot food, churros, Shakers, and a licensed bar by OddFellows Exmouth. Plus educational organisations, local performers, and much more. l See www.facebook.com/prideexmouth for details

Jamming station win the lottery

LAST issue (page 16) we featured Jamming Station and the young musicians in Totnes are feeling blessed. In May they gathered enough public votes to support their National Lottery funding bid. The grass roots local community scheme (set up by three local mothers Jacqui Perks, Beth Coombes and Lee Friese-Greene) which has been bringing 13-21 year olds together in a safe and supported space to create and play music for 5 years now, won £50K via the Peoples Project fund! This money will help Jamming Station develop a new programme, called Sound Life, which will deliver all kinds of music workshops in Totnes and throughout Torbay. Jamming Station will now be able to train volunteers and mentors to work in creative ways to empower young people. Congratulations!

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

NEWS&views Help to stop tragedies

A SPECIALIST mental health worker has been based at the foot of the Tamar Bridge following a series of tragic deaths at bridge. The new worker will operate at Livewire Youth Project, which has based at the foot of the bridge for more than 30 years, and will hold sessions for young people struggling with their mental health.

Learn to mill

GROWN in Totnes and the Kitchen Table are holding A Day Milling and Baking, in association with the Craft Revolution on June 23.

The course will offer the chance to learn the craft of milling, sourcing locally grown organic grains and grain processing at Grown in Totnes’ small-scale Totnes mill. Priced at £80 it includes a lunch next door with conscious catering company The Kitchen Table, with dishes to inspire using Devon grown grains. After lunch the Kitchen Table will lead you through baking your own goodies (to take home) with the local grains you milled in the morning. Tickets can be purchased at unit 6 Burke Rd, or from the TTT website.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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news&views Newton Abbot showcases regional wellbeing

NEWTON Abbot Racecourse will be host to a new indoor wellbeing show on Saturday June 2.

Exhibitors from across the region (including many Reconnect have featured) who are all devoted to a healthier lifestyle will be there. Expect natural health, complementary medicine as well as the opportunity to learn about spiritual and personal growth.

The show is a great opportunity for individuals as well as groups to come along to learn how to enhance their wellbeing.

Newton Abbot Racecourse has a wealth of FREE PARKING and entry to the show is FREE too.

Doors will be open to visitors from 10am and the show will remain open all day. The Alfresco Café will be open all day providing a variety of healthy snacks, meals and drinks catering for every diet, including Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Vegan choices. Hot and soft drinks will also be available. l For further details go to www. newtonabbotracing.com

Libraries - the original recyclers

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T MAY be the 21st century and e-books are often the modern way of reading, but there has never been a time when the ability to read has been more important.

It is also a reminder that your local library is a recycling centre, as for decades libraries have been lending books, and latterly other things, making their wares available to everyone from the young child to the doting grandparent.

Not only that but often libraries lie at the heart of smaller communities.

This is very much the case in Brixham, more well known for its picturesque harbour and fishing vessels. Found near the shopping Centre, the Friends of Brixham Library (FoBL) want to make people aware that their library is open to everyone, providing a free lending service, as well as a free space to stop and browse in, or to bring the children to discover the whole world of reading and books. Supporting a range of events and activities to enhance the library offer, FoBL is working closely with ‘Libraries Unlimited’, who manage and run libraries in Devon, to ensure a strong and enhanced role for all its

Music at the farm

libraries in their Communities.

FoBL chairman Alasdair Anderson said, “Brixham is not alone in the services it provides and with nearly 60 libraries in the Devon area they are all important participants in the UK’s longest recycling facility that for too long we have just known as ‘borrowing my books from the library’. So, if you’re not already using your local library why not join today and encourage others to ‘read, recycle & return’ again to your local library.” l You can join Devon libraries online here: https://www. devonlibraries.org.uk/web/arena/ join-thelibrary

RICH Cottell, Sound Of The Sirens, Firekind, The Simmertones!, and Mammoth will all appear on the first day of this year’s Occombe Festival happening on June 15 and16.

There will be a live musical line-up with a foot stomping Friday of folk, rock and blues and a crowd pleasing Saturday of sing-along anthems and live dance music with Polly Money, Chris Thomas, 3BF, The Wondersmiths, Harbour, Flight Brigade, and Riviera Dogs taking to the stage.

Torbay’s only festival on a working farm promises a massive variety of beer, and cider, a selection of wines and Pimm’s and Prosecco too.

100% of festival profits go to charity, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust, to protect the places like Berry Head, Ansteys Cove, Occombe Farm and Cockington. To buy tickets priced at £13.50 for Friday, £18.50 for Saturday or £30 for the weekend, go to occombefestival.co.uk/tickets

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Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

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NEWS&views Seven generations mindful THOSE of us concerned about how the earth’s resources are used sometimes feel dismay that ‘sustainability’ merely maintains status quo.

But true sustainability has an eye on both past and future, aware that our past and present actions will resonate for generations to come.

In native cultures, elders advocate being mindful of people seven generations ahead. Imagine if every meeting of leaders took responsibility for the world inhabited their great great great great great grandchildren? Would we ever introduce plastics, knowing that our descendants will be still dealing with their disposal? And what about concrete, mass logging, or nuclear waste?

The practice of mindfulness, which originated in the buddhist tradition, has been similarly co-opted by mainstream thinking. It has been used, in an extreme case, to prepare soldiers for war. But while it is a useful tool to improve concentration and reduce stress, mindfulness can help us consider causes and effects. By bringing awareness to the present moment, we can gain insight into the way both past and present actions might impact on the future.

Off Grid Festival began as a small wind and solar-powered event in a corner of Sunrise Celebration. Their position at the edge of a bigger gathering speaks volumes about their aims and values. Off Grid is about inhabiting solutions, testing ideas, re-inventing lifestyle, livelihood and living our belief that Another World is Possible. The inventor Buckminster Fuller stated that “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” This pretty much sums up the intentions behind the Off Grid ethos.

This year, Off Grid has moved to a new venue at Tapeley Park, on the North Devon coast. They hope to harness some of the free thinking of host, Hector Christie, who has been a passionate supporter of sustainability for more then 20 years. He created one of the UK’s first permaculture gardens, which will be open during the Festival for learning opportunities. Tapeley also has mature woodland for Wild Wood activities and abundant space for the Resilience College, with informative and educational workshops, speakers and hands-on demonstrations. As usual, the Serenity Zone will be peopled with skilled healers offering a range of mind-body therapies and this year organisers will open a brand new Off Grid cafe, as well as on-site offerings from Tapeley’s own traditional tea rooms.

There’s still time to get your tickets for Off Grid Festival and if you have anything else you’d like to offer, please get in touch, they’d love to hear from you!

Tea Rooms & Fine Art Gallery 28 The Strand, Dawlish, EX7 9PS.

www.thesea.co

Fund raising walk for Little Bluebell

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N June 8 and 9 there’s a fundraising walk for Little Bluebell, a charity in South Devon supporting women’s emotional wellbeing in pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Little Bluebell offer a free service to provide 1:1 support to Mums and families during pregnancy and after child birth who maybe struggling with their mental and emotional wellbeing. The sponsored walk from Paignton via Cockington Country Park to Totnes on day one, and Cockington Country Park to Totnes on day two are to raise awareness of maternal mental health and money to support the care that the charity provides.

The two days are split into four parts. If you are interested you can do one or both days or just a part of it. It is up to you! The exact times are to be confirmed.

Day 1: Walk 1: Meet at 10.15am at Paignton Geo Park for a 10.30am start with the first part to Cockington Country Park: 3.5 miles (this part is pram friendly so if you wish to bring your baby please do so. There will be a picnic lunch at Cockington at noon. Even if you’re not walking you can bring a picnic and come along to support the walkers.

Walk 2: At 1pm set off from Cockington Country Park to Seven Stars Hotel, Totnes: 9.5 miles (arriving around 5pm walking leisurely with some stops).

Day 2 Walk 3: 10.30am Totnes to Dittisham (via Sharpham and Tuckenhay) 9 miles making stops along the way at Tuckenhay and Dittisham.

Walk 4: 3pm start from Greenway To Brixham 5.5 miles (approx. 2.5 hours with a stop) finishing at the Harbour and then to Breakwater beach for fish and chips, foot massages and a large glass of something cold!! l For more information about the project visit www.bluebellcare.org

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Evolution, Exeter’s Holistic and Ethnic Shop has now moved to 96 Fore St (same side at the top of the hill opposite St Olave’s Church) Come and see our incredible and Extended range of products including Books, Crystals, Cards, Candles, Clothes etc.

Tel: 01392 410759 Mobile: 07773282861 Email: info@evolution-exeter.co.uk Website: www.evolution-exeter.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/evolutionexeter

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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news&views Share shed

TOTNES’ Share Shed has now relocated to the Network of Wellbeing’s office at 16 High Street, Totnes. It is open for business at the usual time 10am-1pm every Saturday with a stall on the High Street opposite number 16. For further information contact info@shareshed. org.uk.

Support work

HANNAHS are offering job opportunities for people to join their dedicated care team at their Ivybridge site. Anyone who is interested is invited to attend one of two Open Days at Hannahs Ivybridge on June 1 and 2. Learn more about the job opportunities at www. discoverhannahs.org/ our-charity/work-for-us/ vacancies.

5th-century AD

MINECRAFT enthusiasts can now explore Exeter as it was in the final days of the Roman Empire with a free downloadable map as part of A Place in Time, a joint project between Exeter’s RAMM, and the Universities of Exeter and Reading.

8

10th anniversary celebrations for Exeter’s community radio station

I

F YOU’RE looking for an interesting and unusual day out on Saturday June 9, then The Phoenix Arts Centre in Exeter could be just the place for you.

Phonic FM, Exeter’s community radio station, will be holding its tenth anniversary celebrations and staging a wide variety of events to mark the occasion.

The Phonic FM studio, which is housed in the basement of the Phoenix, will be open for tours and the rest of the building will be given over to Phonic FM anniversary Happy Sunday host Jeff Sleeman in the events, including sixteen live music Phonic FM Studio. acts, diverse DJ sets, storytelling and spoken word events, outside community radio and hosting the show broadcasts and plenty of opportunities to has given me the opportunity to meet meet the station’s presenters. some really interesting people. Each Since it began broadcasting in 2008, show has two guests who are involved Phonic FM has provided a much in the arts or creative fields and needed alternative to the commercial interviewing them on air is a great way and mainstream radio stations with an to find out more about them and what enthusiastic and dedicated group of they do. I’m passionate about promoting volunteer presenters who host shows local music too so we usually have at featuring musical genres from classical to least one musical guest to play a live set heavy rock as well as chat shows, poetry, in the studio.” arts reviews and much more. l Jeff’s Happy Sundays show can be Life Coach and regular Reconnect advertiser Jeff Sleeman has been hosting heard on the first Sunday of each month his ‘Happy Sundays’ show once a month between 2 and 4 pm on 106.8 FM or on line at www.phonic.fm. for the past four years and is a keen advocate for community radio.

Podcasts of past shows can also be found Said Jeff, “I like the grass roots nature of on Jeff’s website www.jeffsleeman.com

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

Lifestyle help online A NEW south west based website hopes to inform and empower people, motivating them to support clean energy and reduce fossil fuel consumption. Based in Bristol, the website urges us to make five simple but impactful changes to our lives to help combat climate change.

Eating less red meat, driving an electric car, holidaying in the UK, insulating our homes and installing solar panels are the most important actions to take to reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions and benefit your quality of life, according to One Home.

The not-for-profit website encourages people to take action on climate change by giving them practical solutions. The good news for local business is that holidaying in the UK rather than flying is one of the most important changes people can make. A family of four driving from Bristol to Cornwall on a return trip emits 92kg of carbon dioxide. The same family making a return flight from Bristol to Alicante in Spain produces 1,142kg – that’s 12 times more than the Cornwall trip. A long haul return flight to Orlando, Florida, emits 2,780kg, which is 30 times more than driving to and from Cornwall.

One Home is being piloted in Bristol and the West Country before being promoted nationally later this year. l Visit https://onehome.org.uk

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

NEWS&views The Reconnect herb walk

south westerlies...

TORBAY herbalist Dawn Ireland of Green Wyse explains a little about medicinal uses of common seeds or herbs, taking us on a virtual Reconnect herb walk.

Scott was reminded of the shops of his childhood when he read that there are more shop closures on our high streets than there are openings.

A

STROLL along any area of wild ground and you will be quite likely to come across the tall, shiny leaved plant called Alexanders (Smynium olesatrum). Tall ribbed, hairless stems, sometimes up to waist height, the plant produces lots of light green leaves and clustered flower heads of lime green, or yellowish in the classic umbellifer shape (in common with others in that family such as cow parsley, hogweed Alexanders - Smynium Olesatrum and more importantly the deadly hemlock, illustrating the need for absolute certainty of identification accuracy!)

The hedgerows are coming into Alexanders have some constituents their own at this time of year, and in common with myrrh, the sap the hawthorn tree is particularly from a tree called Commiphora, beautiful. The white flowers are very which grows in the Middle East similar to the Blackthorn or sloe but and Africa. For those who don’t there is a very easy way to make know myrrh, it’s one of the most sure you have identified it correctly powerful anti-fungal, antiseptic (not that either would harm you). herbal medicines available. How The Blackthorn flowers first, on bare wonderful then, to find that one of twigs, without leaves. The Hawthorn our most common weeds has a few only flowers after the tree has plant chemicals in common. This produced its leaves. makes it a decent anti-fungal. The In the Spring, Hawthorn blossoms leaves and stems can be used, and and young leaves are used the seeds are even stronger. Use to medicinally; you can add the ripe make a strong infusion and pour berries in Autumn. Proven as a into a foot bath for keeping athletes foot at bay. The aromatic oils have a gentle support to normalise blood pressure and circulation, hawthorn mild deodorising effect with a scent somewhat reminiscent of cardamom. also works as a positive inotropic, which means the efficiency of the Internally a few leaves or ground heart beat is strengthened without seeds can be used to aid digestion. stimulating it. For this reason self treatment when already taking orthodox medication is not advised. Hawthorn is also strongly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Gather the flowers and young leaves and use to make a pleasant tea, or dry them and store for use out of season.

As always, harvest mindfully, with the land owners permission, leaving some behind, be sure of your identification, and when in doubt consult a professional for diagnosis. l Find out more about n thor Haw herbalism and Dawn at www.torbay-herbalist.co.uk

Sticking on the street

W

HEN I was a child I would spend my summers staying with my Grandparents in Cornwall.

I’d love the daily visit my Grandmother made to Camelford High Street, it would be something we’d look forward to. We’d visit the greengrocer and I’ll never forget the smell of all that fresh produce on display. We would follow that with a trip to the chemist (another distinct smell), and the bakery (my favourite as my sister and I would get a pastry treat). We would make happily slow progress to the various High Street shops picking up for the next 24 hours, then we’d do the whole thing again!

The daily ritual of making that walk whatever the weather was a chance for her to hear the latest goings on in her community. The whole pace of the street seemed slower, there were more obstacles to navigate, not just the knots of people chatting, but trugs full of flowers in bloom, and displays of wares extending into the street.

A decade or two later everything was removed to make way for new paving slabs.

Research from the Local Data Company showed that 14 shops closed every day in the first half of this year, which was actually the lowest level of closures in seven years. From what I see in my travels around Reconnect, the high street is having a bit of a renaissance in South Devon.

Last week I had to go into Exeter on the weekend. Something I’ve not done in a while. When I lived there a decade ago I always felt it had become a bit soulless since the new identikit shopping centre was built. But I was surprised to see a colourful umbrella art installation overhead and hear live performers on nearly every side street. There were three events happening in close proximity to each other, which made the high street a buzzing destination.

Devon has an advantage of being an attraction to holidaymakers.

Over decades this has meant our high Streets do not just have shops. They’re a warren of tea rooms, restaurants, ice cream parlours, and coffee shops.

Before the contraction of the last few years town centres were also a place where people came for public services. Places to learn have however not disappeared, they’ve been replaced by centres of wellbeing, spaces to relax, to foster community and to feel good about ourselves.

Whilst the local press continues to deliver headlines of major chains

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disappearing from local high streets, that’s not necessarily a bad thing; we are slowly changing how we shop and how we want to spend our weekends. Large chains are being replaced by small independent local community spaces, somewhere to stop and talk, to showcase healthy food, wellbeing practitioners, and local artists where the experience of the high street puts the heart back in the centre of towns and reminds me of those childhood memories.

For many years the decline of the high street has been attributed to the rise of the online market.

But that’s also changing, as even the smallest high street shops are familiar to some extent with e-commerce now, so you know what they stock before you leave the house. Farm shops and markets give us access to seasonal local produce. The tide has turned for physical shops; look no further than Amazon opening physical stores to see that’s the case.

Though their horrible idea of no checkout people makes them a soulless mistake I believe.

Earlier this year, Kevin Rushby, wrote piece titled ‘How to bring a high street back from the dead‘ where he announced: “The traditional high street of the last 50 years, founded on chain stores and well-known brands, is undergoing a brutal transformation.” I think he’s right, and that’s supported by figures from business research analysts LDC which show that the number of independent outlets has risen all over England in every region during the past year.

Footfall on Devon high streets is increasing, and so is the amount of time we spend on the street.

We’re definitely headed in the right direction, back to one of community and resilience.

Canadian planner Brent Toderian, coined the phrase ‘sticky streets’ and it helped redesign cities all around the world. Toderian said: “The measurements for success from engineers were about how many cars or people we could move through a space as quickly as possible. But there was very little conversation about how people actually use, enjoy and love streets, and how lingering should actually be a measurable definition of success for a great street.” Pavements are no longer sterile thoroughfares, they’re getting re-covered in tables and chairs, in planting, with art installations, and people are talking, and that all helps us to stick around.

Remember Reconnect is also available online

Scott

DON’T forget that Reconnect also has a website. Yes, we know the web address is on the bottom of every page, but not everyone has noticed! You can also read every issue online, click on ‘Back issues’ and you can browse through every issue of Reconnect - right

back to when we launched in June 2009. The webpage also carries a detailed list of outlets where you can find the mag; everything you need to know about advertising (prices and sizes and discounts); and even info on the Reconnect team.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

9

NEWS&views Showing the reality of fuel poverty

T

OWARDS the end of last year, Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) commissioned fellow Plymouth social enterprise, Fotonow, to take photos of people that they help. Its difficult to explain fuel poverty if you have never experienced it and pictures speak louder than words. The outcome, Cold Realities exhibition, was breathtaking and really hits the message home. It’s miserable, it’s cold, it’s life affecting. It’s poverty of hope. It’s about making impossible choices like heating or eating. It’s unjust and it’s totally unnecessary.

The reality in Plymouth is that 15,000 households (13.4%) live in fuel poverty, 60% of which are home to a member with disability.

Fuel poverty means excess cold and damp, worsening physical and mental health, an inability to afford repairs and high levels of fuel debt.

More often

Visiting Schumacher College speaker Laura Lengnick is an international soil scientist. Here she writes another exclusive article for this issue of Reconnect. than not, this is the result of poor housing stock.

The exhibition has been displayed at the Fuel Poverty Conference in London and at Plymouth full Council. If you know of any event or organisation that would like PEC to bring Cold Realities along, please contact them on support@ plymouthenergycommunity.com or call 01752 477117 now. PEC is a Community Benefit Society, owned and run by members, aiming to create a fair, affordable, lowcarbon energy system with local people at its heart. They provide advice and guidance at events, community groups and through one to one home visits. They have also community funded and manage 34 solar installations across Plymouth.

ReFURNISH

Helping People & Reducing Waste ReFURNISH your home with furniture and appliances at prices you can afford* *Discounts on proof of benefit entitlement

SHOPS AT WRANGATON, NEWTON ABBOT, TOTNES, BUCKFASTLEIGH, CREDITON & TAVISTOCK +THE RESTORE @DARTINGTON SHOPS +3 NEW SHOPS IN NORTH DEVON. SOUTH MOLTON, BARNSTAPLE & BIDEFORD

FREE COLLECTION of reusable furniture, appliances & other household goods.

www.refurnish.org.uk

01752 927002

Charity No. 1129455

10

What’s on in your garden?

The living, the dead and the very dead!

A

that soil life needs a lot more than LTHOUGH it sounds like the compost to be healthy. Recent latest hit at the cinema, the living, the dead and the very research has proven that soil life dead are the very foundation of needs a diverse mix of living roots, life on this planet. A thin layer of decaying plant matter like green soil, where elemental rock, water, manures and other cover crops, air and life all come together, is the plus residues of food crops, and place that the billions of organisms fresh animal manures to produce that create healthy soils calls home. healthy soils. As part of the “very And it is healthy soil that promotes dead,” compost contributes a lot the many other to soil health, but nature-based services it doesn’t feed soil upon which our life or stimulate the well-being depends: metabolic activity in nutritious food, the soil that builds clean water and air, soil health. beautiful landscapes, So what’s a and a stable climate. gardener to do?

Our very existence How do you know if on this planet is your soil is healthy? made possible by a What mix of dead life and death drama and very dead is playing out under right for your soil? our feet every day, You can find out the in every season, in answers to these farms and gardens questions and learn everywhere.

Laura Lengnick more about the Some of the stars of photo Amy Moore living, the dead and this drama are wellthe very dead this October in the known to gardeners everywhere short course Cultivating Healthy – plant roots, earthworms, Soils in Your Garden and On Your woodlouse, and stag beetles – Farm at Schumacher College. while others such as bacteria and many fungi are too small to see. This is “the living” the diverse population of organisms that produce a dazzling array of plant nutrients, growth hormones, pest suppressants, sticky gums and glues and other materials that promote healthy soils. The living Laura testing soil health with don’t make these materials out of Schumacher College horticulture thin air, they need plenty of “dead” and “very dead” to keep the show The course will be led by Laura on the road.

Lengnick, an award-winning The dead includes any recently soil scientist based in the U.S. deceased organic material, such Laura returns to Schumacher by as plants (including roots left in the popular demand after a visit last soil), animals, and manures. All year to work with students in the of these materials are healthy food Sustainable Horticulture program. for the living, because they are She brings to her work more than easy for the living to consume and thirty years of experience exploring digest. The “very dead” is left over what it takes to cultivate healthy after the living have eaten as much soils as a researcher, an educator, of the dead as they can. The “very a farmer and a gardener. Her dead” has unique chemical and award-winning 2015 book, physical properties that promote Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating healthy conditions for the living by Food systems for a Changing maintaining space in the soil for Climate, explores climate change, air and water, storing nutrients, resilience and the future of food and locking away toxic materials. through the adaptation stories Examples of the very dead include of some of America’s best compost and soil humus. sustainable farmers and ranchers. l You can learn more about Gardeners who do not know about Laura and her work at https:// the living, the dead and the very cultivatingresilience.com. dead are often surprised to learn

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

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Goingout

august/September 2018

OUR BIGGUIDETO BIG LOCAL EVENTS ART EXHIBITIONS WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? Until Sept 30, RAMM, Exeter.

How to get YOUR events into Going Out...

WELCOME to Reconnect’s out of this world GoingOut pages...

We connect all the hot stuff from across the region, categorised for easy access.

We have an EVEN MORE comprehensive online version at www.hubcast.co.uk/reconnect - also available via our busy website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk.

To get YOUR event listed online (and when possible, have it listed here in the mag too), simply register at ReconnectHub and enter the info free of charge.

To advertise here or online, email adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk or call 01392 346342.

MACHINA Until July 1, RAMM, Exeter.

ALFIE’S NIGHT OUT Until June 2, RAMM, Exeter.

EXETER’S FINE ART COLLECTION: CHILDHOOD Until July 18, RAMM, Exeter.

RICHARD THORN EXHIBITION Until June 11, Haddon Galleries, Torquay.

FROGMAN SOLID BRONZE EXHIBITION Until June 28, Haddon Galleries, Torquay.

POP ART IN PRINT Until July 26, RAMM, Exeter.

HUMAN ENDEAVOUR Until June 02, Brownston Gallery, Modbury.

ANITA REYNOLDS - A YEAR ON DARTMOOR Until July 1, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey.

PASSION FOR COLOUR Until June 3, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

TABLE TOP ART FAIR Until June 2, Brixham Society of Art, Brixham.

‘FEATHERED FRIENDS’

BY AMY LOUISE June 2-17, Host Galleries, Plymouth.

JUNE EXHIBITION June 2-22, Artizan Gallery, Torquay.

CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS June 5-17, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

EMG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FAMILY CONCERT June 30, St Peters School, Exeter.

EXWICK FAMILY CEILIDH June 23, Exwick Parish Hall.

DUO ‘ELEGANCE’ July 1, Totnes.

EQUINE

INSIGHTS II June 26-July 1, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

NEW CENTURY SINGERS June 19, P.P.T. Church

COLOURATION July 3-15, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

‘SONGS OF WAR’ June 24, The Dartmoor Society, Princetown.

EXHIBITION: COLLECTED SHADOWS July 6-Sept 1, Peninsula Arts, Plymouth.

UNIVERSITY PLYMOUTH CHORAL SOCIETY WORKSHOP June 30, Peninsula Arts, Yelverton.

EXETER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SUMMER CONCERT July 7, United Reformed Church, Exeter.

THE CHAGFORD SINGERS SUMMER CONCERT June 30, Chagford.

HAWKSMOOR CELEBRATORY CONCERT: CONSONE QUARTET July 11, RAMM, Exeter.

COLLECTIVE WORKS July 17-29, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

‘SUMMER LOVE’ BY LEANNE CHRISTIE July 21-Aug 4, Host Galleries, Plymouth.

BEDWYR WILLIAMS July 21-Sept 26, RAMM, Exeter.

CAR RALLY HISTORIC VEHICLE GATHERING July 7-8, Crash Box & Classic Car Club of Devon, Kenton

CHOIRS

SING EXETER Every Tuesday, St Sidwell’s Community Centre, Exeter.

SING PLYMOUTH Every Thursday, Pomphlett Methodist Centre, Plymouth.

100 YEARS OF SONG June 30, Sir Joshua Reynolds Choir, Plymouth.

VANESSA BEE - POSITIVE HORSEMANSHIP June 10, South Brent Riding Club, South Brent.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION & HEALING WORKSHOP June 23, Maureen Rolls Animal Communication, Yelverton.

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA July 14, Duo ‘Elegance’, Totnes.

TRISH BROERSMA - WHOLE HORSE LECTURE July 3, Erme Valley Riding, Ivybridge.

HAWKSMOOR CELEBRATORY CLASSICAL CONCERTS

COMEDY

Until July 11, RAMM, Exeter.

June 10, Northcott Theatre, Exeter.

VANESSA BEE - POSITIVE HORSEMANSHIP July 15, South Brent Riding Club, South Brent.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

DUO ‘ELEGANCE’ June 1, St Johns Church, Totnes.

DUO ‘ELEGANCE’ June 2, Old Chapel Christian Fellowship, Exeter.

THE WYATT TRIO June 8, Exeter Castle.

SACRED SONG AT BUCKFAST ABBEY June 16, Buckfastleigh.

ANNUAL DRECKI LECTURE: A LIFE IN ART June 6, RAMM, Exeter.

MUSIC OF EASTERN EUROPE: JANACEK AND OTHERS June 2, West Devon Chorale , Exeter.

SYNESTHESIA: ALUMNI SHOW June 9-23, Peninsula Arts, Plymouth.

MUSIC FOR ROYAL OCCASIONS June 9, West Devon Chorale, Plymouth.

TORBAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA June 16, Pavilions, Teignmouth

ALIVE IN DEVON June 19-24, Harbour House, Kingsbridge.

NEW CENTURY SINGERS June 16, Buckland Church

DARTMOOR RESONANCE June 19, Buckfastleigh.

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NO FEATU W FREE RING O ENTR NLINE I E MOR S AND E IN EXPO -MAG SURE

‘IMPRESSIONS OF DARTMOOR’ June 16, Tavistock.

BARRY CRYER & COLIN SELL

LEE NELSON June 16, Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay.

TIM KEY June 17, Phoenix, Exeter.

ROBERT GARNHAM June 23, Phoenix, Exeter.

EXETER COMEDY CLUB July 6, Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter.

DANCE

BOOGIE ON THE BRAIN July 16, Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter.

IRISH SET DANCING June 15 + July 20, St Thomas Church Hall, Exeter.

FARMERS MARKETS ASHBURTON

5 days a week: Tuesday – Saturday Tuckers Yard, Ashburton BOVEY TRACEY Alternate Saturdays every month. Town Square, Bovey Tracey BUCKFASTLEIGH Every Thursday near The Globe Inn, Town Centre BUDLEIGH SALTERTON Last Friday of every month. Polle Car Park, off High Street CREDITON Every 1st Saturday of the month.

The Market Square, Crediton

DARTMOUTH Every second Saturday of the month The Old Market, Dartmouth DAWLISH Every second Saturday of the month The Lawn, Dawlish EXETER Every Thursday Junction of South Street and Fore Street EXMOUTH 2nd Wednesday every month The Strand Gardens, Exmouth ILFRACOMBE Every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month St Peters Church, Highfield Road IVYBRIDGE Third Saturday of every month Hartford Road Car Park, Ivybridge KINGSBRIDGE Every first & third Saturday of the month Town Square, Kingsbridge NEWTON ABBOT Every Tuesday Courtnay Street, Newton Abbot PLYMOUTH Every second & fourth Saturday of the month Town Centre Plaza, Plymouth PLYMOUTH (GOOD FOOD MARKET) First Sunday of every month Royal William Yard, Plymouth TEIGNMOUTH Last Saturday of every month The Triangle, Teignmouth TORQUAY Every Friday Union Street, Torquay TOTNES GOOD FOOD MARKET Every third Sunday of the month at Market Square, Totnes Turn over the page for more GoingOut listings

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

11

GOING OUT EVENTS/FESTIVALS DAWLISH ARTS FESTIVAL May 26–June 2, Dawlish.

MANIFEST May 30-June 3, Dartmoor.

KINGSBRIDGE FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL June 1-3, Kingsbridge.

THE NEWTON ABBOT WELLBEING SHOW June 2, Newton Abbot Racecourse.

BUCKFAST ABBEY MILLENNIUM GARDEN FAYRE June 2, Buckfastleigh.

LEMONFEST June 8-9, Newton Abbot Racecourse.

THE CONTEMPORARY CRAFT FESTIVAL June 8-10, Bovey Tracey.

PHONIC FM TENTH ANNIVERSARY EVENT 9 June, Exeter Phoenix.

PARTY IN THE TOWN June 9, Totnes.

SOME MUSIC FOR A SUMMER EVENING June 9, Plymouth.

www.dangerousdads.org.uk/dadfest September 14th, 15th & 16th

DadFest2018

™

Location: ‘Forest & Beach’, Beeson, South Devon. TQ7 2ED Awarded ‘Best Small Event in the UK’ & the only festival just for dads/ male carers and their children

LET’S ROCK EXETER June 30, Powderham Castle.

3 WISHES FAERY FEST June 15-17, Mount Edgecumbe.

SUMMER OPEN DAY July 1, Sharpham House.

OCEANFEST June 15-17, Croyde Bay. SIDMOUTH LITERARY FESTIVAL June 15-17, Kennaway House.

HALDON HOOT June 16, Haldon Hill.

YOGAFEST June 16, Totnes.

THE SHALDON FESTIVAL June 21-24, Shaldon.

VEGAN FOODIE & ADVENTURE WEEKEND June 22-25, Kingsbridge.

TEIGNMOUTH FOLK FESTIVAL June 22-24, Teignmouth.

FALMOUTH INTERNATIONAL SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL June 22-24, Falmouth.

BUCKLAND MONACHORUM SUMMER FAIR June 9, Buckland Monachorum.

SOUTH BRENT SUMMER CARNIVAL June 23-July 1, South Brent.

SALTASH REGATTA & WATERSIDE FESTIVAL June 9-10, Saltash.

DARTMOUTH ART & CRAFT WEEKEND June 23-24, Dartmouth.

BRADNINCH MUSIC FESTIVAL June 9-11, Bradninch.

WONDER FIELDS June 29-July 1, Dunsford.

LONGBOW CANOE FESTIVAL June 10, Totnes.

EXETER RESPECT FESTIVAL June 30- July 1, Exeter.

 camping  archery  water rockets  green woodworking  STONE LANE MUSIC  wood carving  bushcraft  fishing  jam & pancakes

OCCOMBE FARM FESTIVAL June 15-16, Paignton.

FEST June 10, Chagford.

EXMOUTH PRIDE June 30, Exmouth.

MYSTIC HEART FESTIVAL July 4-8, Dorset.

EXETER CRAFT FESTIVAL July 5-7, Exeter.

GLAS-DENBURY July 6-7, Denbury.

ROCK OYSTER FESTIVAL July 6-7, Wadebridge.

WAYS WITH WORDS FESTIVAL July 6-16, Dartington.

SOUTH BRENT FOLK DAY July 7, South Brent.

GANDY STREET SUMMER FETE July 8, Exeter NEWTON ABBOT CARNIVAL July 9-15, Newton Abbot.

TAVISTOCK HERITAGE CREAM TEA FESTIVAL June 10, Tavistock.

BUDLEIGH MUSIC FESTIVAL July 13-21, Budleigh.

SNOOKY FEST July 14, Dawlish.

BUDDHAFIELD FESTIVAL July 18-22, Somerset.

WORLD YOGA FESTIVAL July 19-22, Reading.

CHAGSTOCK July 20-21, Whiddon Down, Chagford.

WITHYFEST July 20-22, Tiverton.

 pig racing  circus skills  star-gazing  entertainer   award-winning local food & beers  storytelling   live music  fake wounds stroke a lobster



Official 2018 World Dad Dancing Championship 

starts Fri. 14th Sept - ends Sun. 16th Sept DadFest2018 tickets must be bought in advance

Children all ages: Dads:

£30 £60

+ option £30 food ticket for the weekend + option £40 food ticket for the weekend

DadFest Ticket = all weekend activities: no other costs Add a food ticket = six meals & all cold/ hot drinks!

Concessions available - please contact the organisers

Book early: 077 317 95160 e: dangerousdads@btinternet.com

Get YOUR event out there with Reconnect’s Going Out pages TO ADVERTISE your event on our diary website, Reconnecthub, simply visit www.hubcast.co.uk/reconnect and register - then you can enter your own events whenever you want.

AND many of them will appear in the next (August/September issue of Reconnect magazine.

AND they will be viewed through other HUBCAST websites (across the SW).

AND it’s all FREE!

Best Small Event in the UK 2015

12

(There are some online advertisements available too and it’s first come, first served - so call Scott now on 01392 346342)

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

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GOING OUT THE GREAT BRITISH SUMMER GARDEN FETE July 22, Torpoint.

YEALMPTON SHOW July 25, Yealmpton PORT ELIOT FESTIVAL July 26-29, St Germans.

WOMAD July 26-29, Malmesbury.

SUNSHINE BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL July 26-28, Newton Abbot Rugby Club.

LAPSTOCK July 27-28, Lapford.

KOZFEST July 27-29, Uffculme.

LEOPALLOOZA July 27-29, Bude.

MUSIC GIGS REG MEUROSS + GUESTS June 1, Kingskerswell Parish Church CALYX & TEEBEE June 1, Exeter Phoenix BA BA BOOM June 2, Exeter Phoenix THE LOST SOUND AND GAUDEAMUS June 2, Totnes A JAZZ CRUISE UP THE TAMAR TO CALSTOCK June 2, Plymouth LUKE DANIELS June 3, Kingskerswell Parish Church THE CAROL GASSER QUARTET June 3, Plymouth SAMUEL EAGLES’ SPIRIT June 6, Torquay Speakeasy

FAKE THACKERY June 8, Watermark, Ivybridge ALVINGTON SINGERS SUMMER CONCERT June 9, Harford THE UPBEAT BEATLES June 9, Babbacombe Theatre JINSKI June 10, Kingskerswell Parish Church

GRANITE June 21, Ashburton WHO’S NEXT June 22, The Hub, Plymouth THE DRIFTERS June 22, Exeter Corn Exchange THE CALL OF THE HEATHERED HILLS June 22, Postbridge

HUMAN CARGO June 12, Exeter Phoenix

MILE KANE June 22, The Junction, Plymouth

FREDDIE GAVITA QUARTET June 13, Torquay

MEGSON June 22, Flavel, Dartmouth

PETE CANTER TRIO June 13, Shaldon

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD June 23, Exeter Lemon Grove

THREE CANE WHALE June 14, Exeter Phoenix THE BEAT (DAVE WAKELING) June 15, Exeter Phoenix BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN June 16, Exeter Phoenix KELLY OLIVER June 16, Kingskerswell Parish Church ABF THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY CONCERT June 16, Exeter HEBE June 17, Kingskerswell Parish Church RICHARD LEACH’S 7 STARS OF JAZZ June 17, Plymouth Jazz Club THE BOXCAR BOYS June 19, Kingskerswell Parish Church ALLISON ADAMS TUCKER June 19, Torquay Speakeasy

SILVER BULLET June 23, The Rising Sun, Ashburton NAJMA AKHTAR June 24, Kingskerswell Parish Church RURA June 25, The Junction, Plymouth MILES KANE June 26, Exeter Lemon Grove MACIEK PYSZ AND GIANLUCA CORONA June 27, Torquay Speakeasy

THE FLAMING LIPS

SILVER BULLET July 6, Shaldon

HAT FITZ & CARA

EXETER RAILWAY BAND July 8, Newton Abbot

JO HARMAN + JOANNA COOKE

SHANGELA July 12, The Hub, Plymouth

July 23, The Junction, Plymouth July 25, Exeter Phoenix

July 26, Exeter Phoenix

CHAKA DEMUS & PLIERS July 28, Exeter Phoenix JEFF LANG July 28, Exeter Phoenix DAMIEN O’KANE & RON BLOCK July 31, Kingskerswell Parish Church

SILVER BULLET July 13, The Dolphin, Torquay PEOPLE’S STRING FOUNDATION THE VIRTUAL ORCHESTRA July 13, Exeter Phoenix NATALIE MERCHANT July 14, Exeter Phoenix JACQUI DANKWORTH July 14, Flavel, Dartmouth OH SEES July 15, The Junction, Plymouth TOM JONES July 15, Powderham Castle CARNIVAL PRAISE July 15, Newton Abbot SILVER BULLET July 21 Cowick St Railway Club, Exeter

BETH ROWLEY June 28, Barbican Theatre, Plymouth THE EAST POINTERS June 28, Exeter Phoenix GUILTY PLEASURES June 29, Exeter Phoenix BELTANE FIRE June 29, The Junction, Plymouth

GRUFF RHYS June 6, Exeter Phoenix

A MIGHTY RIVER OF SONG June 20, Yelverton

JOEY THE LIPS June 29, Watermark, Ivybridge

SMOOVE & TURRELL June 8, Exeter Phoenix

ANDA UNION June 21, Exeter Phoenix

WILDWOOD KIN June 30, Exeter Phoenix

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HEIDI TALBOT + JOHN MCCUSKER July 3, The Junction, Plymouth

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

13

ORGANICGARDENING OUR gardening expert JOA GROWER offers summertime advice for gardeners to make the best of the longer days.

Extra feeding for Summer days

H

half way between each leaf.

ERE we are, Summer at last.

Way back in April I didn’t Potatoes will need to be earthed up to think it was ever going to increase the crop. If they’ve got blight stop raining! you must take off all the affected So, what do we need to get on with leaves (this goes for tomatoes also).

Burn the leaves or get rid of them, but over the next few months? Well, don’t put them in your compost heap, by now all your vegetable plants or it will spread. will probably benefit from an extra feed to give them more strength to Brassicas (summer cabbages, produce their crops. Organic feeds kales, kohl rabi, cauliflower and can be purchased calabrese) from quite a lot are most in of garden centres danger from the or DIY stores now Cabbage White and we (Growers butterflies. So Organics that if you see them is) certainly hanging around stock a few. Or your crop, check you could be to see if they adventurous and have laid their make your own! eggs on the Both comfrey underside of the and nettles make brassica leaves Making comfrey feed great liquid and, if so, remove feeds. First get a large bucket or them as soon as possible. Else water barrel and fill it with either they will hatch into masses of tiny nettles or comfrey and then fill it to caterpillars, who will in no time the top with water. Place a lid or strip your plants bare! We always a piece of wooden board on the net our brassica crops to keep the top and leave it to stand for at least Cabbage Whites out.

2 weeks, then it’s ready to use.

While protecting your Summer Be warned your mix will be very brassicas, you could start thinking smelly and I would recommend ahead to your winter brassicas, that you wear rubber gloves when (winter cabbages, kale and purple using it. Your homemade fertilizer sprouting). Plan ahead where you is particularly great for your fruit want them to go and start clearing bearing crops, so that of course those beds in preparation. They includes tomatoes, peppers, can be planted from as early as aubergines etc.

July onwards, so get them in as When you feed the tomatoes, soon as you’ve got the space. If always water them first before you’re buying your plants from adding a liquid feed. If you don’t us at market or from the nursery, water first, the feed will just run don’t worry we’ll have them ready straight through the dry pot and be for you in time! Don’t forget that wasted. Tomatoes will need to be the brassicas need plenty of space tied up to stakes so they don’t keel between them (about 30-45cm) over with all that lovely fruit. The as they’ll grow quite big. You can fruit will start to turn red by the end always plant some quicker growing of July. Keep taking out those side crops in between them. Plants such shoots too. These are the small shoots as lettuces and kohl rabi will be that appear just above the leaf; not harvested long before the larger the flower trusses, which you’ll see brassicas are ready.

Seasonal squashes and courgettes

EARLY June is still okay for sowing or planting courgettes, cucumbers and squash seeds or even better to get a head start, purchase ready grown plants (we have quite a few different varieties.)

Take care not to over water them at this stage and always water around the plants rather than directly onto the foliage. Start to apply an organic foliar feed when flowers and small fruits begin to appear.

With courgettes try not to let the fruits get to big and pick regularly otherwise the courgettes will turn to marrows, which is fine if marrows are what you want!

Winter squashes are a bit different. If you want to produce just a few large fruits, pinch the growing tip out when your plants has set about 6 small fruits.

Otherwise just let them do there own thing and you should end up with an abundance of smaller squashes, just right for baking whole in the oven.

After harvesting in the autumn leave them out in the sunshine to dry out properly before storing.

Have fun in your vegetable garden and enjoy all the food you grow! And don’t forget the rubber gloves when handling the comfrey/nettle liquids!

Reconnect’s Organic Gardening column is written by Joa Grower of Growers Organics. Meet her at Totnes market on Fridays and Saturdays.

Visit www.growersorganics.com, or call 01752 881180.

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Help build-a-barn at The Hillyfield!

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T LAST The Hillyfield has been granted permission to build forestry barns. On the 2nd day of their public inquiry, Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) dropped all objections and agreed that forestry barns are necessary for The Hillyfield to continue its award-winning work on Dartmoor.

Doug King-Smith, woodland owner at the Hillyfield, said: “Our success was greatly due to the support of our community and experts in the woodland world. It’s great news that at last our needs for small woodland restoration on Dartmoor have been supported by DNPA. Working together with DNPA has helped set a precedent for small-woodland management throughout the country and is the best outcome we could have hoped for.”

If you want to get hands-on with Barn-Building then get in touch with

Doug (details below). Also, if you are one of the amazing people who supported this project through their appeal-process then there is a celebratory friends-weekend camp on July 21 (tickets will be limited).

“For the Barn-Build, we will be doing everything ourselves. Milling timber from our own trees, making our own frames, and organising a great BarnRaising celebration.”

And it’s not for just one barn. The Hillyfield has permission to build a timber drying store, machinery store, and a barn for welfare and addingvalue, however they have just 18 months to replace all of the temporary structures used for workspace, fieldkitchen, and storage space.

“The time pressure is a concern, but we are really happy to at last be able to move forward and hopefully provide a great learning experience in the process. We invite people to be part of the whole process, join for a day a week, come for a workshop, or just celebrate the barn raising!” adds Doug. l More details at the Hillyfield website (www. thehillyfield.co.uk) or on facebook @ thehillyfieldwoodlandfarm twitter @thehillyfield instagram @thehillyfield

Free party returns to the town of Totnes PARTY in the town, Totnes’ free party, returns from 2pm til late on June 9 across various venues hosting music by 30 local artists and bands. Music fans can expect alt folk, jazz, singer songwriters, poetry and bands, plus family workshops, and a cèilidh.

The initiative started by the Artistic Director of the Dartington International Summer School & Festival, Joanna MacGregor, was funded by Arts Council England and the Dartington International Summer School Foundation, but these funds are not available this year. The poet Alice Oswald has held fundraising events and this year it is supported / organised by the Dartington Hall Trust.

An open consultation was held last December, at which there was an overwhelming sense that people wanted Party in the Town to continue. The meeting showed that there was both demand and also that it is a community driven project.

Local arts groups The Blackbird Collective and Fromthewhitehouse have joined forces with Dartington Arts in the organisation and development of the programme. New this year are musical workshops which are suitable for both children and adults during the daytime.

This year there will be wraparound food and drink stalls and cafes open late, including Seeds 2 and Delphini’s gelateria. The New Lion Brewery will run a bar in the centre of the town which will include a special edition ‘Party in the Town’ White Label beer. There will be additional features including poet Alice Oswald, with her writing group, organising a procession through the town and a late night Ceilidh in the dance hall.

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Local community land trusts update IT’S a time of waiting for Transition Homes CLT and for other local CLTs too, as they await the outcomes of grant bids, planning applications and land option agreements.

Nicola Lang, Transition Homes CLT project coordinator, brings you an update.

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T HAS been 6 months now since we got planning permission for our Clay Park scheme of affordable, sustainable homes in Dartington. We immediately received a grant from South Hams District Council which we are using to develop technical design for the scheme - structural, civil, and mechanical & electrical engineering - and progress legal agreements for the roads and sewers. We have tendered the build contract and are now negotiating with our preferred contractor. A big grant bid has been submitted to Homes England (formerly the HCA) for our shared ownership homes - a decision is due any day now - and two more bids are being prepared, one to another of their funds

(the Community Housing Fund, opening this month) and another to SHDC. And the decision on our reserved matters application for the community building is also due in May, so we are waiting on grant panel decisions, legal agreements, a planning application, and contract negotiations - but once we’ve got these in place, we’re ready to go on construction in winter this year... it sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But there’s a lot of work still to do, so it’s a great opportunity for you to get involved and support us!

We are calling out for people who want to support us by making a small regular monthly donation to support our core costs which are tiny (£2000 annually) compared to our huge £6million housing scheme - we do a lot with a little!

Please visit transitionhomes.org.uk to download a supporter form. l The CLT are seeking a Trustee with accounting experience to act as Treasurer; their volunteer treasurer is retiring after many years support. Please email Nicola Lang on info@transitionhomes.org. uk for more information on the role and joining this exciting community organisation.

Dartmoor skincare A YEAR ago Tara Leader founded a new local independent beauty business called The Dartmoor Skincare Company. The business is based in Yelverton, where beauty therapist Tara handcrafts each cream in her parents’ kitchen.

Tara says: “I am very aware of skin sensitivity as both my children suffered from eczema when they were little. I started researching the ingredients in baby care products and discovered that if I avoided sulphates, their flare-ups would disappear. This is how my passion for skincare originally began.”

Tara sources her ingredients for her creams from the Devonshire landscape, and has decided on five products with which to launch her range: cleanser, toner, moisturiser, hand cream and body cream.

Tara adds: “All my products are made primarily from naturally derived ingredients, including cold pressed organic oils and unrefined organic butters.

As these ingredients are less processed, they contain more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and fatty acids.”

See dartmoorskincare.co.uk for more on Tara’s local, natural, vegan and cruelty free skincare business.

New community pottery in the heart of the Dartington Estate.

Studio 45 is a busy hub and interactive learning space for potters and ceramicists.

It is an open-plan learning environment where members and students alike have access to wheels, kilns and equipment as well as technical know-how. We provide weekly classes in ceramics from beginners to advanced and specialist weekend workshops on glaze technology, low impact firing, women making big pots and kiln building. We are also offering low cost courses for special interest groups and low-income individuals.

For more information on membership, workshops and courses have a look at the website www.studio45.uk.com or contact us directly at info@studio45.uk.com

Royston E Naylor (Stone) Commonwealth Photographic Award Fujifilm Professional Distinctions Award Glastonbury Festivals Photographer since 1990 t: 07754 673658 e: stone@stonefree.org

Empowering families across Devon & Cornwall since 1999

Festival’s volunteer opportunity

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ET’S Rock retro festival are looking for volunteers to help out and enjoy the event for free.

Volunteers sign up to do a 4 hour shift with festival charity partner, Child Bereavement UK, selling wristbands and raffle tickets on the day, and gain entry to the festival without spending a single penny.

Let’s Rock Exeter will take place at Powderham Castle on June 30th and will include live performances from OMD, Sister Sledge, Nick Heyward and many more.

Ruth Sanger, Regional Fundraising & Communications Manager for the charity, said: “Last year we raised over £60,000 at Let’s Rock festivals across the UK and we couldn’t have done this without the support of our wonderful volunteers. The atmosphere on the day is brilliant and our volunteers really do enjoy themselves. So if you’re tempted, please give us a call and find out how you can get involved.”

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

l Email femke.bekker@ childbereavementuk.org or call 01494 568932. l Child Bereavement UK supports families when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child faces bereavement. To find out more about the charity and for support please visit: www. childbereavementuk.org or call 0800 02 888 40

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

15

eco homes TIMBER BUILDINGS/THERAPY ROOMS/ GARDEN RETREATS/ TIMBER WORKSHOPS Custom built to any size to suit your needs, can be fully insulted, double glazed. Cedar shingles, sustainable products used through out. Local carpenter 20 years exp www. timber-frame-carpentry.co.uk tobydare@hotmail.co.uk

Rocketlog The Original One-Log Bonfire

Hand carved in the heart of the woods A flaming centrepiece for any outdoor event, wedding, party or ceremony

Wedding Ring Making Workshop

We are very excited to be offering a bespoke workshop for couples looking to add their own touch to their wedding jewellery. Located in our Ashburton studio, our private wedding ring workshop allows you to make a truly unique, one of a kind bespoke ring.

26a North Street, Ashburton, Devon, TQ13 7QD 01364 388435 hello@yumejewellery.com www.yumejewellery.com

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EIGNBRIDGE District Council have ruled to allow 5% of land on all future big builds to be earmarked for custom and self-build. The ruling follows Teignbridge District Council’s planning committee granting consent for a custom build development at Highweek, near Newton Abbot, for 20 homes at Howton Road. Council Leader Jeremy Christophers, currently an ambassador for NaCSBA’s Right To Build Task Force, said: “Granting planning permission on Howton Road has paved the way for a scheme where families will be able to design the homes they want to live in. We expect the development to shine a light on how others can successfully deliver custom and self-build schemes across Teignbridge and beyond.”

Toby’s timber garden retreats

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01803 431473 07815 833645

LOG

Council rule on future custom builds

IMBER Frame Carpentry has been an established company for over 10 years, run by local Devon carpenter, Toby Dare. Toby has over 25 years’ experience as a carpenter. His experience has ranged from making furniture in Australia to refitting traditional buildings all over France. He then went on to learn the art of oak framing at a local Devon firm, using traditional methods of hand cut joints and wooden dowels. Toby is reviving the art of framing with huge beams, chisels, mallets and wooden pegs. The result, a timeless design.

Over the last 15 years he has worked throughout the South West, building and designing a variety of structures from oak frame garages, garden retreats, timber workshops, green oak extensions, therapy rooms and the odd farm shop.

He has designed structures and designs of all shapes and sizes, from octagonal, circular or standard rectangular buildings. He has also helped out at Embercombe, working with the many people he has met along the way. Currently he is working on a project down on the waterfront in Dartmouth, helping out the builder he first started with all those years ago.

When it comes to building materials Toby prefers to use natural products, i.e. Green Oak, Larch, and Douglas fir. He uses home grown and

sustainable products wherever he can. Some of these products include cedar shingles, natural slates and reclaimed timbers.

Located in South Devon, Toby can usually be found in the South Hams, Teignbridge, Dartmoor or the Exeter area. Toby has built up an impressive portfolio of carefully designed, custom made buildings.

Most of the timber used is locally sourced from responsibly managed forests and local saw mills. Toby’s passion and attention to detail as a craftsman makes the structures he builds completely unique. Carefully designed to meet your needs and requirements, they are a wonderful addition to any property. Buildings are individually designed whether it is an extension to an existing property, a work space, therapy room or conservatory.

Timber Frame Carpentry will fully customise your build by choosing materials that suit your requirements.

Toby is open to working with you and any plans you may have.

These may be hand sketched, architect drawings or just pictures of something you may fancy.

Toby says: “We are always open to working with new ideas and designs and are happy to have a go at creating something that’s a little bit different!” l For more information visit www. timber-frame-carpentry.co.uk or contact Toby at tobydare@hotmail. co.uk

The highest cost of living in the UK

THIS news may surprise many: price comparison site uSwitch have revealed that the highest cost of living in the UK is not in England’s capital, but in Devon. uSwitch conducted a study which found that South Hams residents are worst off, paying, on average, £332 a month on utility bills and insurance in contrast with just £185 for those with homes in Westminster. The cost of living figures were based on Council tax, energy and water rates, home insurance, and the price of internet access. The figures obviously don’t take account of those who have switched to renewable energy technologies and are saving a significant amount of money on electricity expenses.

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land matters

Tigley Tump - sharing the love Want chickens in your garden?

We have young birds of all shapes, sizes, ages and colours (some with fluffy legs).

Call for details and all the advice you need.

A taste of freedom

Growing on the community farm PUTTING this magazine together and traveling across Reconnectland means regularly passing the Dartington Estate near Totnes, home to the School Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a three-acre organic community farm.

The CSA model is a membership scheme where the community receive vegetables for the growing season. All their produce is grown on site and there are opportunities for everyone to engage with the farm through volunteer days, community events and training opportunities.

The volunteers were busy sowing seeds and planting out seedlings, now it’s time to reap the fruits of their labour, as the vegetables are ready for their first harvest in June.

Each week, the members receive a box filled with delicious, seasonal vegetables, along with regular recipe ideas.

School Farm member Lucy told Reconnect: “Getting my harvest share is one of the highlights of my week. The produce is super fresh, tastes amazing and changes every time - I like a surprise! I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with farm life too, and have picked up lots of great tips for my own garden” School Farm CSA also runs a variety of educational events. They have day courses in soil health and plant pollination coming up in June and July, aimed at gardeners and small-scale growers.

Farm members get a special discounted rate. They also host accredited horticulture courses in conjunction with Bicton College, with a level 2 course in practical horticulture starting in September 2018.

We will soon have truly free-range chicken, pork and lamb. Put your name down for the next batch.

Chemical-free fruit and veg For sale at our farm gate - find out more at facebook/tigleytump.

Wholesome compost Peat-free, seed-free and PAS-100, suitable for organic horticulture. 60-litre bags are £3.50 collected, or £4 delivered in Totnes area. Call us or PM through Facebook.

Other good stuff We also have secondhand chicken equipment and other goodies. Get in touch!

Tigley Tump is... an off-grid, chemical-free smallholding run by family and friends just outside Totnes.

Teacher, Melissa Harvey, said: “There is such a range of skills and experience in the student groups, and a real atmosphere of learning from each other: from new knots, to wildflowers, to perennial vegetables. As well as learning about the classic organic vegetable growing, we also look at more unusual approaches such as forest gardening and no-dig growing, it is a hub of practical innovation in this area.”

If you’re interested in receiving a harvest share box, learning new skills on a course, or just want to help out on a beautiful site brimming with wildlife and organic grown food then perhaps becoming a member of School Farm is for you.

Visit Facebook/tigleytump, call Jenny on 07976 504918, or email martin@foster42.eclipse.co.uk

l For more information on School Farm membership and educational opportunities: E: info@schoolfarmcsa.org.uk W: www.schoolfarmcsa.org.uk

. www.reconnectonline.co.uk

.

WWW.FOREST FUNGI.CO.UK

Forest Fungi, Warren Road, EX7 0NG 01626 864111

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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17

local produce The Devon vegan diary with Amelia Amelia from Plymouth’s Ethica vegan store gives us the lowdown on what’s happening in the region for our growing vegan population.

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Reconnect ad 2018 1/4 page.qxp_Layout 1 24/04/2018 18:35 Page 1

A delicious range of award winning local produce at

Ashburton’s

Upmarket Market!

Our well-established, under- cover Local Produce Market is now open 6 days a week in Tuckers Yard, Chuley Road, Ashburton TQ13 7DG. Come along and enjoy an easy, friendly shopping experience...there’s a host of locally produced meat, organic vegetables, cakes, bread, cheese, flowers, preserves, ice cream, fresh fish, Fairtrade goods and much more. Free parking right outside our door.

Real food at a fair price

MONDAY to FRIDAY 9.30am - 5.00pm SATURDAY 9.30am - 4.00pm

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HE folks at Exeter Friends For Animals, Sweet Vegan, and Fairfoods are coming together to launch an exciting new event launching this month; a monthly not-for-profit vegan market!

The first markets are on June 23 and July 21, from 10am-2pm at Exeter Corn Exchange, and entry is free.

With stalls from Sweet Vegan & Fairfoods, you can guarantee there will be an abundance of yummy sweet treats, and plenty of wholesome savoury delights too!

Also expect food, clothing, and toiletries from local ethical makers, crafters, traders and bakers.

I’m sorry if I confused anyone by giving the wrong venue for The Naturally Vegan Plot’s All Day Elevensies last time, hopefully everyone ended up at the right place in the end! Elevensies are definitely held at Tavy Lodge Scout

Hut, Tavy Place, Plymouth, and the dates for your diary are June 30 & July 28, from 11-5. Entry is free with food served all day, and talks, cooking demos & live music throughout. New from May onwards is “Kids Corner” from 11.30-12.30, a chance to meet other plant-based parents and get involved in some fun activities.

Hopefully by July we’ll have some sun, so there’ll be a BBQ to take advantage of the lovely outdoor space. And if you’re the green fingered type and keen to learn about veganic permaculture, Elaine & Jim from TNVP are super knowledgable and always happy to help you out.

July 21 sees the return of Plymouth Vegan Festival, where traders from all over the country gather in Plymouth Guildhall with a selection of fantastic vegan wares, including hot food, cakes, chocolate, clothing, and arts & crafts. Make sure you arrive with an empty stomach and a full wallet!

Plymouth Vegan Festival runs from 10.30-4.30 and entry is £3, or £15 for VIP entry, which includes fast track entry and a goody bag. l Ethica on Armada Way is Plymouth’s only 100% vegan store, visit www.ethicaveganstore.co.uk

Children with a nature connection

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ACEBOOK, Snapchat, Instagram, X Box, Netflix - the list goes on and on, of distractions and reasons kids in 2018 don’t spend as much time outside as we did when I was young. I’m grateful my summer holidays in the 80’s and 90’s happened before these choices were available. If we think Nature Connection is an important ingredient in a child’s physical, mental and emotional development, and all the numerous studies and evidence points towards it being crucial, then we need a strong hook to persuade our 11-17 year olds to put their phones and computers down and to spend 5 days in the woods and meadow.

Our Hunger Games and Mockingjay camps are such a hook; they are my Trojan horse of Nature Connection.

Over the past five years we have successfully run 11 Hunger Games and Catching Fire camps and 3 Mockingjay camps, and there is now a beautiful community feel as many kids, volunteers and staff return year after year.

This annual returning migration of these kids to this gorgeous secluded woodland near Bristol is testament to the sense of community, connection and downright outrageous fun they experience on these camps.

After all, given the suffocating nature and pressured lives many kids have nowadays, how many of them, given the chance, wouldn’t find enjoy being

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given the freedom of the woods intoxicating and want to drink deeply from that bowl.

Robin and his team run two 5 day camps for 11-17 year olds based on and inspired entirely by the Hunger Games, giving the teens an authentic deep nature connective experience.

Teenagers spend the camp practising nature awareness skills such as sneaking and ambushing each other and camouflage as well as wilderness and bushcraft skills such as fire making, shelter building, edible and medicinal food use.

WildWise are running two camps this summer holidays, The Hunger Games Camp on Aug 21-25, and The Mockingjay Camp on Aug 27-31.

See www.wildwisehungergames.co.uk

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Naturally nourishing New growing rooms for Forest Fungi

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IVE years ago family budget or a fussy foodie we can business Forest Fungi started, cater for your needs and budgets.” specialising in the growing The team have been celebrating and supply of gourmet mushrooms winning the Fresh at the Festival from a specially converted recycled award at Exeter Festival of Food space, which is also home to their and Drink earlier own farm shop and this year, and things cafe. Since then the are mushrooming business has gone at Forest Fungi from strength to with a new grow strength, supplying house on site and not just the public an additional 4 but also local growing rooms caterers with their (where visitors will cultivated produce be able to view which includes Lions the mushrooms Mane, Shiitake, growing) combined King Oyster, Yellow with a visitor centre Oyster, Pink Oyster, opening in mid July, Grey Oyster, coinciding with a Nameko, Simeji, new website launch and Hen Of The with an easier way Woods. to book their special The farm shop at meal events.

Timaru Gardens, on The new grow Warren Road, also house will give Scott showcases a range and his team the of quality produce chance to increase from around the the yield of their region. They offer in-demand gourmet opportunities to taste it too, with mushrooms. At the the cafe’s menu moment their grow Home to the new growing rooms showcasing tasty room accommodates food (with 90% of ingredients around 700 blocks that the coming from their shop), and the mushrooms grow from. The new friendly team also run special building will enable them to increase discover and dine evenings to that to up to 2,000 blocks. Scott said: showcase Devon’s top growers, “We’ve got some great plans for chefs, artisans and producers. the visitor centre, and with the new growing capacity, we will be growing Owner Scott Marshall said: “We loads of mushrooms every fortnight.” believe in fair prices and sacrifice the typical farm shop premium l Forest Fungi’s shop is open 7 days a allowing you to choose fresh local week 9am-6pm (closes 4pm on Sundays), award winning produce without and the cafe is also open 7 days a week having to ‘treat’ yourself financially.

9am-2pm for brunch 9am-5pm for coffee cakes and cream teas (4pm on Sundays).

Whether you’re a family on a

Free water refills offered across Devon

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EFILL Devon has been building on the success of Refill around the UK, and now boasts over ten schemes with a network of more than 1,000 Refill Stations. The scheme offers passers-by the chance to refill reusable water bottles with tap water for free, as part of a wider initiative.

Participating cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels and other public venues and businesses display a round, blue sticker in their window and can be located via the Refill app, inviting passers-by to “Refill Here.”

Lots of businesses already offer this simple service but research shows that people often feel embarrassed to ask. By letting people know they can look out for the Refill sticker or search on the Refill app, more people can take one small step away from relying on single-use plastic bottles.

The initiative aims to stem the tide of single-use plastic bottles and promote healthy hydration by making refilling your water bottle as easy, convenient and cheap as possible, with the aim of refill points on every high street, and is supported by Recycle Devon.

Millions of tonnes of plastic accumulate in our oceans every year causing pollution and environmental damage, whilst slowly breaking down and entering the food chain. Marine wildlife often mistake small pieces of plastic for food and, according to research by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic by weight than fish.

From now on, as you leave the house in the morning, remember your reusable bottle along with keys, wallet etc. See the website https://www. recycledevon.org/RefillDevon for a map to find your nearest Refill station in Devon and beyond, or get the Refill app at refill.org.uk/get-the-refill-app .

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OUR resident foodie, JANE HUTTON, explores the health benefits of plant-based eating over processed foods.

A summer explosion of plant foods

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HETHER you’re exploring eggs and dairy, which could the health benefits of impact on levels of good quality switching to a more plantprotein, plus removing all animal based diet, or you already eat this foods from the diet means way, it’s crucial you make the right potentially lacking calcium, iron, food choices to ensure it really B12, zinc and omega 3. is the health boost that you want While deficiencies would cause it to be! It’s still very easy to eat unhealthily on a plant-based diet tiredness and fatigue initially, in – sugar, processed alternatives, the longer term there are several and cutting out whole food groups detrimental effects are potholes to to the body as a watch out for. whole, such as on Don’t ditch healthy heart function. The foods such as fish heavy restrictions for more toast, on what you can or for processed eat may cause vegan products – there are growing nutrition issues numbers of if meals aren’t specialist products well planned. appearing, as Iron and calcium well as vegan are two of the shops, but most concerning processed foods mineral losses are still processed, that may be It’s not just about vegetables regardless of experienced by the packaging and vegans who aren’t careful cooks. marketing!

Protein is also important for The key is making healthy food satisfying appetite, maintaining choices, so it’s essential to plan muscle and protecting nerve your meals carefully and include function as well as repairing cells. a wide variety of nutrient-dense Animal products do contain a foods. When switching to a meat complete range of amino acids or dairy free diet it’s vital to also (the building blocks of protein in include fat. Good fat foods high the body), which can be replaced in energy and nutrients – such as properly by a careful combination nuts, oils, tahini, avocado and nut of plant foods. The secret is to butter – are incredibly important ensure that pulses and rice are in order to maintain a healthy in your diet daily, especially weight and get a wide range of together – this provides the same nutrients such as iron, calcium, B amino acids found in meat that vitamins and magnesium. the body converts so well.

Going plant-based doesn’t just Eating more plants is definitely a mean vegetables, it means good thing, and perfect for the exploring lots of plant foods, summer season – try this month’s including staples like beans, recipe, great for lunchboxes and pulses, lentils, tofu, rice, quinoa, picnics. Have a happy, healthy tempeh, nuts and tahini. Plantsummer! based eating means cutting out

Chopped and charred quinoa veg wraps 50g hazelnuts 25g sunflower and sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon each cumin seeds, dried red chilli flakes, dried oregano 2 mixed-colour courgettes 2 mixed-colour peppers 2 tomatoes 2 red onions 1 large aubergine 100g quinoa 1 lemon 1 tablespoon cider vinegar extra virgin olive oil fresh mint 4 tortilla wraps Toast the nuts, seeds, chilli flakes and oregano on a medium heat and roughly crush. Griddle the chunks of courgettes, peppers, onions and

aubergine to char and remove to a large bowl.

Cook the quinoa; add the lemon zest while still warm. Once the veg is cool enough to handle, add to the quinoa, along with any lovely juices.

Dress with lemon juice, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add the mint leaves, and nut/spice mix, then toss well with your hands to combine.

Warm the tortilla wraps, line with firm lettuce leaves (like cos or little gem), pile in the quinoa veg mix, top with whatever salsa or sauce you like, wrap up and enjoy!

Naturally Nourishing is written by nutritionist and “confirmed foodie” Jane Hutton. Visit her new website, www. functional-foodie.com, and sign up for programmes, recipes and advice.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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MORE FOLLOWS...

SMALL holder and former Reconnect editor MARTIN FOSTER has been branding… No not his livestock, these are animals kept to the highest welfare standards!

Potential placements available at Waterloo Wellbeing Centre

This is a logo area

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RE you a Rolling Stones fan?

Fancy a Stones cricket bat?

A ‘tongue and lips’ logoadorned rugby ball?

These and many more items of ‘genuine merchandise’ are available in a special four-window display of Stones goodies in the Oxford branch of Selfridges to mark the launch of their latest tour – and to celebrate the fact that they can make a shed-load of cash simply by sticking their logo on all manner of random stuff. A velvet armchair emblazoned with the surely ironic slogan ‘It’s only rock an’ roll’ for just 10 grand, anyone?

Or a pool table for a mere £8,200? Surely your three-yearold would LOVE a Stones logo’d leather biker jacket?

I just listened to a radio interview with the member of their entourage responsible for their merch - the words ‘band’ and ‘brand’ were virtually inter-changeable.

Muso fans have been wearing the names of their fave bands across their chests since Jagger was a boy, of course, but when did the excesses of rock and roll stop referring to good ol’ healthy drug abuse and hotel room trashing and start to reflect the branding of anything big enough to carry a decent logo?

The game-changing growth in online music streaming has meant a big re-think for musicians right across the fame spectrum. Revenue from sales of recordings have plummeted and artists are instead having to get out there and perform live to keep the dosh rolling in.

Not in itself a bad thing - gigs and festivals are thriving as a result.

The last Stones tour, A Bigger Bang in 2005-7, grossed over $500,000,000 – including merch sales, but probably more T-shirts than velvet armchairs.

Many of the larger festivals have themselves succumbed to the same temptations, their fields emblazed with brand names, making them look more like shopping malls than temples of rock. And all hail the events that have deliberately turned their rebellious backs on the corporate dollar – Beautiful Days, or The Green Man Festival in the Brecon Beacons, for example.

But is there anything wrong with a bit of fancy badgery? Surely it helps to guide the consumer – when they see the Stones logo, they know that this way comes a little riotous rockin’ rebellion?

Albeit from aged gentlemen with a taste for velvet armchairs…

The big corporations attach so much importance to logos and the image behind it that they spend a great deal of time and money to get it just right. In 2000, the nature-loving BP corporation spent a little over $200,000,000 on rebranding to include a flower in their logo. Although the Stones tongue and lips classic was

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actually created in a few evenings

by RCA student Jon Pasche in 1970 after Jagger visited his degree show. Jon got 50 quid for the “logo or symbol which may be used on note paper, as a programme cover and as a cover for the press book”.

So, contrary to that famous line in Sierra Madre - ‘We don’t need no stickin’ badges!’ – maybe we do. Reconnect just wouldn’t be the same without it’s instantly recognisible masthead across the top of each cover.

And (prepare that hypocrisy alert), we at Tigley Tump worked closely with the wonderful designer Robert Doets to create a logo that would reflect what we represent here: practical considerations of space, aesthetics and world supplies of ink and paper mean that while we could explain, every time that we mention Tigley Tump, that we’re an off-grid small-holding just outside Totnes run by family and friends who believe in sustainable living and producing food without destroying the earth, our hope is that our name and logo is becoming associated with those ideals. So when we launch a new product (our wonderful compost, for example – check out Facebook/TigleyTump), people hopefully recognising it as coming from a good place. Literally.

As a form of graphic shorthand, then, the logo works a treat.

Unfortunately, like everything else it gets its grubby hands on, things have become a little messy in the commercial mess of consumerism.

How did it become cool to wear logos like Nike, Hugo Boss and the like that do nothing but celebrate the manufacturer? They do, of course, also tell people that you can afford super-expensive items of clothing - a good chunk of the price of which goes back into advertising the brand; the studio-created glamour of which we all want to be associated with all the more.

Is there a more pointless cycle in modern life? It even puts me off buying heavily branded items of clothing from charity shops.

Another pointless old-manrant? Possibly, but while the big corporations continue to pump millions and millions into fuelling the brutally destructive consumerism machine, I feel obliged to sometimes use my little voice, no matter how quiet and humble, to suggest perhaps we could sometimes consider where and how we spend our cash – and just what ethos that cash is helping to support.

Must dash – I need to start work on our new range of Tigley Tump golf clubs…

in

Mart

T can feel like a big step to progress from training as a counsellor to building a successful counselling practice. That is what’s on offer at Lotus Training in Plymouth this Autumn.

Course leader and director of Lotus Training, Julie Jeffs asks: “Would you like to learn how to develop a thriving counselling practice; to become a practitioner that can stand secure in the world of psychotherapeutic counselling; to understand the true difference between working as an agency counsellor and running a private practice? Our Level 5 diploma in therapeutic counselling offers this and more.”

This course is designed to give learners the knowledge, skills and competencies to work as self-employed counsellors in independent practice. It also equips learners to take on a senior counselling position in an organisational context where client assessment, referral and routine evaluation are part of the role.

Julie adds: “During the course you will study how to work with complex mental health difficulties, death and dying, working with couples, attachment and the importance of therapeutic assessment.”

The course will be run by Julie and associate trainers. Placement opportunities at Waterloo Wellbeing may be possible. l For more information email: juliejeffs1@gmail.com or visit www.lotustrainingco.co.uk

Meeting a renewed interest in craft STUDIO 45 founder Richenda Macgregor reveals her vision and commitment to research and sustainable practice.

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HILST doing an MA in Art and Ecology and instigating and running a transition group for Makers 12 years ago, I began to see the importance of Craft and Making in a time of energy descent and increasing disconnection with the ‘material world.’

When I first started the business 9 years ago, I did no advertising, worked from a small studio in the back of beyond and yet within a relatively short space of time people started coming. They came to be taught. To be creative and inspired is what makes us human.

The shutting down of those two fundamental human needs is part of the crisis that we are facing in the world. Studio 45’s commitment is to facilitate the process of opening up those channels again. It is not the end product but the process that is key. In this digital age, we are experiencing a renewed interest and a passion for Craft and particularly for pottery as we turn our attention away from the screen and back to the Earth itself.

The business went from a trickle to a stream to suddenly finding we were bursting at the seams and needing to move to bigger premises. Moving to Dartington was a good move.

We now have around 80 students attending classes and workshops every week, 17 members and a team of 7 who help support and teach.

All those working for Studio 45 have been trained to a high skill

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level and are paid accordingly.

We are committed to the use of local materials. Principally we are investigating ash glazes and glazes made from stones and other materials easily obtainable in the local area. We are now extending our research to investigate firing practices and are working with PHD student and fellow colleague Michael Martin to research carbon neutral firings as well as low impact firings wherever possible.

Our aim is to be mixing and using local clays within the next five years and to have considerably moved away from mined materials. We are also aiming to work towards best firing practice, reducing the amount of energy used and moving away from fossil fuels.

Our plans are ambitious, a lot of hard work and energy is needed to truly embrace the changes we are embarking upon. But we are also confident that it can be done.

Making pots and an ever evolving culture have gone hand in hand for thousands of years. It is important now to bring us back to ourselves.

But with that comes a responsibility to treat the materials used with the utmost respect and reverence.

For more information info@ studio45.uk.com and www. studio45.uk.com

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Visit us at www.reconnectonline.co.uk Constructing a traditional cabin

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UILDING a traditional round house is not an everyday occurrence, and when Creative Cabins’ Leon Tye discussed the opportunity to build such a dwelling whilst sat around a fire, he had no idea the project would actually come into being.

Leon explained: “It was 2015 during a new year celebration, late in the evening, the conversation lead to a discussion on building a round house or forest cabin. After a brief conversation with our farmer / landowner friend and spurred on by encouraging friends, it was agreed the project could go ahead.”

Leon began the build, undeterred by rain and mud, in December 2016. The first few weeks consisted of clearing the forest floor and finding a suitable space to plan the roundhouse pillars.

Leon added: “The build strategy was to model the structure on a traditional design with modern features. I also wanted to create a space utilising recycled materials. Having previously a background within the building trade, I am aware of the abundance of materials available. With an economical approach, the quest to source quality timber was a priority.”

Sources for recycled materials came from builders’ waste skips, building sites and reclaimers’ yards, inspired by a community project promoting sustainable timber in Taunton (wereeco.com). “I also found a number of builders merchants, more than happy to offload unwanted

Creative Cabins’ woodsman’s cottage

Bespoke hand made timber product, for a range of uses, and sizes from garden man caves, garden workshops, garden retreats, summer houses, woodsman’s cottages, to traditional round house structures.

takes shape in a woodland setting.

DO YOU WISH YOUR TEENAGER SPENT MORE TIME IN NATURE?

damaged timbers and pallets.

During my materials gathering I also approached glazing firms for unwanted and mismeasured glass units, resulting in a grand total of eighteen double glazing window units, and five timber window frames. All free but involving many hours of work and tlc to have them finished to a satisfactory standard.”

He even discovered the cabin’s front door sitting on a neighbour’s drive for months, in pieces, beyond any economical repair. However after transplanting various timbers into place and roughly sixteen hours of sanding and surgery, Leon restored the door.

The timbers used for the main structure are all round logs, cut from Pine and Beech trees, harvested from the surrounding forest. The roundhouse has a total of twelve upright pillars ranging in diameter from ten inches up to thirty-six inches diameter.

The frame structure sits above the ground, due to the relative downhill incline. The floor’s lowest point has three inches of clearance to the soil surface, and the high end has just over 1 metre in rise. The base structure was cut again utilising round logs laid horizontally and prepared using a chainsaw to level the tops of the logs, in readiness for plywood flooring sheets.

Leon intends to use the project as a showcase of different traditional building styles, and intends to have the build completed within a year.

Reconnect will give you an exclusive look around once it’s complete.

Leon has launched a new business to put his newly gained experience to good use.

WILD CAMPS FOR TEENAGERS NEAR BRISTOL: HUNGER GAMES AUGUST 21 - 25 MOCKINGJAY AUGUST 27 - 31

wildwisehungergames.co.uk • 01803 868269

l If you would be interested in a bespoke timber cabin then see www.creativecabins.co.uk or contact Leon on 07770743194.

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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news & views

Greenlife’s range of reusable bottles and other biodegradable containers

How you can help put an end to plastic beaches...

Jon Inder, marketing manager at Greenlife in Totnes, explains why this summer we need to all think before we grab a bottle of water from a fridge.

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INCE their invention in 1907, plastics have revolutionised the world as an enduring and malleable solution to a range of problems. However, we are finally beginning to see the uncomfortable truth about them – both in terms of human health and also their utterly devastating environmental impact.

Like carbon fuels and petrol cars, for the health of the planet they must become the technology of the past.

Of course, there are solutions.

Waiting for big business or effective legislation may take too long but the consumer has real power to effect change. Plastic may not sink but the plastic industry can if we all stop buying it. It really is that simple.

So what can we do? Roughly half of annual plastic production is destined for a single-use product. The major culprit and the one that has to go first is the single use plastic bottle. A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping recycling efforts, so it is just not enough to chuck them in the recycling and hope for the best.

In the UK alone, 38.5 million plastic bottles are used every day – only just over half make it to recycling, while more than 16 million are put into landfill, burnt or leak into the environment and oceans every day.

Many of these bottles are for water, and one solution is simple. You can buy yourself a re-usable bottle.

All you have to do is remember it when you go out the door, on your train or car journey, or down to the

beach. Then get the app from www. refill.org.uk (see page 19) and plan where you will fill up your bottle for free. Yes, you will forget now and again, just like you did when you first had to remember to take your shopping bag with you. This may be annoying at first, but if we make these simple changes, at least we won’t have to find a space on a plastic beach to sit in the sun. ‘ Greenlife have decided to stop selling small single use plastic water bottles, and have expanded their range of reusable bottles and other biodegradable containers and

catering solutions. They currently offer a wide range of brands and styles of bottle – including Bobble, Cheeki, Chilly’s, Flaska, Grip & Go and One Green Bottle, these are made from plastic, glass or stainless steel.

Greenlife are located at the top of Totnes on the market square, and offer a wide range of natural and organic foods and supplements and an extensive range of natural bodycare products, green household products and other sustainable goods. l Find the bottles online at www. greenlife.co.uk

This summer at Sharpham THIS IS our early Summer edition which can only mean one thing… it’s time for a round-up of what’s on at Sharpham over the next few months. Here are some of the wonderful activities that might tempt you.

Woodland retreats A chance to experience mindfulness practice in the Great Outdoors, while staying in cosy, furnished belltents. Previous participants speak of a transformation that happens when they meditate in nature. On offer during the Woodland Retreats is: guided meditation, nature connection and ‘nature-sensing’ activities in a safe and supported space. There will be time around the fire, delicious food including foraged food and plenty of rest and replenishment in a very special setting. l Full-board 3-night retreats – including some women-only – from June to September. £325

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Summer Open Day Enjoy a packed day of family activities and the chance to enjoy the splendour of Sharpham House and Gardens.

The open day provides a rare chance to experience the interior of the historic Grade-1 listed house (normally only accessible to people on a mindfulness retreat). The Georgian Palladian villa is set in a landscape designed by Capability Brown and features an 18th century walled garden and ornamental grounds.

The day will include: arts and crafts, music, storytelling, nature walks, talks and tours, mindfulness workshops and a beer tent.

Entry is free but there is a charge for parking. A free shuttle will run between Totnes and Sharpham all day. Or you could walk or cycle along the path, starting at the Steam Packet Inn and passing through beautiful scenery. Sorry, no dogs except guide dogs. l Sunday July 1, 10am to 4.30pm.

Free but with parking charge Summer Embrace Retreat This new five-night retreat offers the chance to the experience a longer stay at Sharpham and explore different pathways to mindful awareness. It includes: • yoga and mindful movement • creative writing • activities and meditations surrounded by nature • singing • walking in the beautiful Devon landscape It complements the Autumn retreat (which begins on October 22), the Christmas and New Year and the Spring 2019 retreats. l August 6-11. From £350-£645

Turning Towards Compassion This teacher-led six-night retreat at The Barn asks: “how can we make a difference to our lives in the here and now?”

It is led by Dene Donalds, a lay Ordained Dharma Teacher in the Zen Buddhist Tradition of peace activist and Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh.

The retreat will consider ways to live together with compassion and insight and explore how we can contribute to a sustainable and peaceful world.

Dene’s focus is on engaged Buddhism and social action. He is based in the North of England where his work includes Buddhist chaplaincy within prisons and mental health settings. l Starting August 19. £340-£390 per person Bird Walk The mixed landscape of the Sharpham Estate beside the picturesque Dart estuary provides an ideal location for many different bird species.

Enjoy an evening guided walk to find some of the estuary’s more secretive birds in the reed beds, busy feeding and putting on weight before their southward migrations.

These could include Reed and

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Sedge Warbler, but also resident Cetti’s Warbler and Reed Bunting.

Led by bird expert Mike Langman who worked for the RSPB at their headquarters in Bedfordshire for 9 years. A full-time bird illustrator since 1991, Mike has worked for many book publishers and organisations.

His work regularly appears in the UK’s birdwatching and BBC Wildlife magazines. To date, he has illustrated 53 bird books. l Friday August 31, 6.00pm to 8.30pm, £12 adults, £4 children For anyone who hasn’t yet visited Sharpham it is an educational charity based in the historic Sharpham House and 550-acre Estate on a beautiful three-mile stretch of the River Dart. It focuses on connecting people with nature and fostering mindfulness and wellbeing through a programme of retreats, mindfulness courses, outdoor learning and the arts.

For more information visit: www. sharphamtrust.org or call 01803 732542 or email bookings@ sharphamtrust.org

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news & views What is CBD oil?

JONATHAN Abery is the owner of Torquay-based Therapia, his shop sells a complete range of medicinal cannabis products.

He explained to Reconnect what CBD oil is.

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ANNABIDIOL (CBD) is just one of over 200 known cannabinoids presently identified in the cannabis plant and the oil is extracted from high-CBD, low-THC Hemp (Latin name: Cannabis sativa). THC is well-known for the mind-altering “high” it produces. CBD is not psychoactive and this means that it does not change the state of mind of the person who uses it. Simply put, it won’t mess with your head — or the law! However, it does produce significant changes in the body and has some remarkable and well-documented medical benefits. Research into CBD is still in its infancy — but what is known is that incorporating CBD oil into your daily routine can have significant benefits for your physical and mental health. CBD has been proven for a range of treatments including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons.

Moreover, it is an effective antiinflammatory, has no side-effects and is non-addictive. Everyone who uses CBD oil say they sleep better and feel less pain.

MediHemp Complete CBD Oil is produced by Deep Nature Project in Austria from hand-picked, EUcertified organic hemp using the latest techniques so that the active ingredients of the plant remain in the end product as much as possible for better bio-availability.

During production, use is made of a critical CO2 technique with which the hemp flowers are extracted.

Because there is no preparation with heat, the favourable cannabinoids are retained in the end extract and it contains many other healthy and essential ingredients, such as: Hemp protein, Carotene, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Minerals, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. MediHemp has the waxes removed from the extract and this gives it a lighter colour, a more pleasing taste and a better viscosity than other CBD oils on the market.

Prices start at £14 for 10ml of 2.5% strength (250 drops/250mg CBD); £28 for 10ml 5% (the optimum strength with 500mg CBD) and £64 for 30ml 5%. We also stock CBD capsules, hemp tea and seed oil. l Therapia is a Torquay-based company producing medicinal cannabis products since 2001, including the ever-popular ‘Joint Cream’ which provides pain relief for arthritis sufferers. Therapia, Fleet Walk Shopping Centre (next to TKMaxx) Torquay TQ2 5EN, open 10.30 to 4.30 daily. Telephone 0800 0747 319 / 07817 454390 www.therapiaonline.com Therapia is a member of the Cannabis Trades Association UK.

Let’s Rock Exeter Powderham Castle Saturday, 30 June 2018

One Love Festival comes to Somerset

THE nomadic One Love festival happens at another new site, this time over the border amongst the rolling hills of the Somerset countryside at Gilcombe Farm, Bruton, taking place this year from August 31 until September 2.

One Love is a camping festival of reggae and ska, with soundsystems, created in recognition of Bob Marley’s famous 1978 ‘One Love’ concert.

For 2018, there’s 4 nights’ camping, a Rasta Village, increased toilet and pamper facilities, increased children’s and circus activities, more healers in the dedicated Field of Love, and a Strummerville Field.

Acts confirmed so far include Johnny Osbourne, Johnny Clarke, Alborosie & Shengen Clan, The Mighty Diamonds, Twinkle Brothers, Bushman, Little Roy, Cutty Ranks, Saxon Sound System, Caroll Thompson, Dennis Bovell, Iration Steppas, Mad Professor, Channel One Sound System, RSD, Don Letts, Zion Train and Brother Culture, Jerry Dammers, Earl Gateshead, and many more.

Tickets are on sale, currently priced at £135 for an adult 3-day ticket. See onelovefestival.co.uk for more details.

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Contact: Femke.bekker@childbereavementuk.org 01494 568 932

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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Equine news From ego leadership to eco leadership…

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1ST centuryhorse power getting people from where they are to where they need to be.

Adventures with Horses Equine Facilitated Experimental Learning is offering some exciting new programmes for businesses and organisations this summer looking at how to be sustainable and resilient in times of change. Sue Blagburn the founder and director of Adventures with Horses brings her own experience running a marketing communications business for many years with her work in equine learning and therapy and ecopsychology, plus her expertise as a facilitator and a coach. She brings into her work the latest ideas on complexity, theory U, living systems, conscious business and mindfulness. Including the wisdom from internationally renowned thinkers such as Daniel Goleman, Otto Scharmer, Peter Senge, Margaret Wheatley and Giles Hutchins - into the field with horses.

She will be starting her programmes and workshops with a lecture

and demonstration at the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled near Ivybridge on July 3 from 6pm to 9pm, there will be a chance for some of the participants to work experientially with the horses first hand. Anyone can come but the evening will be framed around leadership and building teams, this will include first working with the horses working with building presence and report and then moving into working with self organisation and chaos theory. The well known writer and management consultant Meg Wheatley who studies organizational behaviour through systems thinking, theories of change, chaos theory and leadership says: “I think a major act of leadership right now, call it a radical act, is to create the places and processes so people can actually learn together, using our experiences.” Sue is applying this to her work with horses.

There will be refreshments half way through the evening with a chance to network and share ideas with like minded people. All profits will go to the Erme Valley RDA and Adventures with Horses CIC including offering equine assisted learning, coaching or counselling

sessions for people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it. As well as running Adventures with Horses, Sue Blagburn works and volunteers at the RDA one morning a week. Tickets are available priced at £25.

On an Adventures with Horses programme, course or workshop you will be looking at the how we can get from ego leadership to living systems eco leadership with horses, gaining new insights into how to authentically step into a co-creative leadership style that is right for you.

Practice and embody presence and authenticity, and know when you have it from the accurate non-judgemental feed back the horses give. You will get to experience being in a place of power with, rather than power over, or no power at all, in the many different leadership positions and situations you find yourself in, and embody the leadership style that really works for you. By bringing your ideas, strategies and challenges out of the office and into “the field” and working with horses in systemic field work the intent will be that you will leave with a clearer

vision of how to move forward as both leaders and team players. Sue has had the chance to work with Giles Hutchins, in his book Future Fit he writes: “Returning our senses to our social herd-like nature is not a sign of weakness, but a place to gain personal responsibility through wisdom and courage. As we gain wisdom we increase our ability to become conscious co-creators for ourselves, each other and all of life. In this way, working on our leadership presence with horses provides a rich opportunity to refine our natural leadership qualities.

We deconstruct our rationality constrained ideas of leadership and learn that everyone has leadership capabilities and responsibilities.“ l For further information contact Sue on 07831 865259 or 01364 631444. Email: info@ adventureswithhorses.co.uk Book online at: http://www. adventureswithhorses.co.uk

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Working in partnership with Reconnect to print this magazine in an environmentally responsible way

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news & views An interview with a mindful man

I see it more as manual to be human, how I dealt with an early life of trauma and the HANKS for taking the time to ensuing madness that followed. answer a few questions for us For me, becoming truly whole Caspar. is all about the relationship Where were you when you first between mind, body and had the idea to write the book? how we connect to the natural world. I walked, talked and I’d been given the book, meditated on what is important Mindfulness and Surfing. to me and broke that down Think I was reading it in the into areas that I feel help us bath. It was the first time in become human and whole. a long while I’d held a book that looked and felt beautiful.

It also contains a host of I thought, ‘this is a publisher I quotes, and prayers from could write for’. luminaries down the ages, which one is your favourite?

The book isn’t a novel it’s set up like a manual for the mind, I spent days sourcing the quotes. They frame the ideas with mindfulness exercises, of the book. This one is a and a travel through guide to cracker: “In this here place, we feelings and emotions, what flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; inspired you to present it that flesh that dances on bare way? feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Beloved” Toni Morrison Morrison winner of The Nobel Prize For Literature.

If you could only offer one piece of wisdom from the whole book to our readers, that you are most proud of having written, what would it be, and why?

No pressure! To see myself as wise? Not sure about that.

Maybe at times, in a curb tripping kind of way. How about this: They (books) can be keys to the door, for sure, but reading alone won’t walk you

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We spoke to regular contributor CASPAR WALSH about his latest novel The Mindful Man which is due to be published any day now.

through the peaks and valleys of life. Books are tool kits, manuals for self-discovery and understanding. They are not the answer. You are.

It must have been quite an exercise to complete, who are you most grateful for supporting you on your journey, and what do you remember them doing that most motivated you when you felt at the lowest point?

Without a doubt, Amber, my loving and tenaciously patient partner. If I’d known it would be as challenging to write as it turned out, I’m doubtful I would have started. She encouraged me to rest, take my time and not buckle under the pressure of seemingly endless edits. To remember that my life as a writer is a small part of who I am and what I offer the world.

To loosen and lighten up!

If you were to describe the book in one sentence what would you say?

Feels like a ‘this is what I did next’ after my memoir ‘Criminal’, how I made it through, made sense of the madness, found peace and did something meaningful and adventurous with my life. It’s about how I got back home. l Read more from Caspar at www.wordsfromtheerath.co.uk

Opening the lines of communication CINDY May Cooper the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Embercombe has discovered her connection to nature.

The difficulty of describing nature connection stems primarily from the fact that we are attempting to describe a perceptual absence.

Rather like a high frequency noise, the communications of the non-human world appear to be beyond our sensory range.

The fact that tribal communities living close to the land retain many practical survival skills that we in the West have lost is widely documented and relatively uncontroversial. But the notion that such communities might also retain some perceptive skill, some intuitive sensitivity, a relational intimacy with their natural environment which we have also lost remains abstract. But the suggestion that this view might incorporate real world experiential differences, applicable abilities and capacities is hard to fathom. One can demonstrate tracking skills, they can be proven and replicated, but the “skill” of nature connection is far harder to transmit.

My personal experience of nature connection was genuinely transformed after attending The Journey programme at Embercombe. The day after returning home, wandering alone in the woodland near my house, I had one of the most profound experiences of my life. Those few

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days made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about myself and the world. They led me to make radical changes to my life. I had always loved spending time in nature, going on lone camping missions, cycling, walking. But suddenly my experience of nature was transformed.

I began to develop my own personal nature connection practice, spending long hours exploring the intricacies, peculiarities and personalities of trees, birds and rivers in the area where I live. It suddenly became apparent that I had barely begun to acknowledge even my nearest neighbours. The most commonplace of natural phenomena developed a mysterious and magical lustre. I began to perceive the sheer improbability of us, human beings capable of the most wondrous and terrible feats, emerging from nothing but soil. Somehow the lines of communication had been opened, and the effect was transformational.

It’s a challenge to keep the connection live. It’s not there all the time, as I cycle distractedly to work, as I fight the mesmeric glow of screens, as I become absorbed in the chatter of the human world. But it is the foundation on which my life is now built.

Embercombe is offering reconnect readers a 15% discount on its core programmes using the promotion code: Reconnect56K For more information visit https//:embercombe.org

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Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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wellbeing email: wellbeing@reconnectonline.co.uk

THE natural health and personal development PAGES Inside wellbeing...

Finding Active Hope

Emotional health 28 Try a Taiko weekend retreat 29 A medicine walk with otherness 31

Those times of transition

L Subtle energy medicine Daily yoga in your routine

32 34

Retreat to High Nature

35

A question of identity

37

Tibetan Master returns The classified adverts

41 42

And there’s lots more to read inside

IVING with illness or bereavement brings a whole range of different challenges – physical, emotional, practical, mental and spiritual.

Gaia House, a meditation retreat centre in the Buddhist tradition, is offering people the chance to find new ways of relating to these challenges in a silent retreat.

Now in its eighth year, the Living with Illness and Loss retreat allows people to be with their experiences just as they are, without judgement or blame. Developing such an approach brings a real possibility of change, according to Zohar Lavie who leads the retreat assisted by Nathan Glyde.

Zohar says: “Facing illness and loss in our lives can be a time to slow down and look deeply into our experience. The practice of Insight Meditation will be used as a basis for exploring our relationship to our experience of bereavement and/or illness. Cultivating greater mindfulness in times of transition, challenge and confusion can enable us to find new ways of relating to our daily lives.”

Participants will be invited to take part in guided meditation and reflection, experiential exercises and contemplative art/writing.

Jenny Nicholson, who attended the retreat in 2016, said: “The retreat was a safe space for me to start to explore my relationship with a relatively recently diagnosed chronic illness for the first time. The silence allowed me to really be with my experience, in beautiful, therapeutic surroundings, and the daily afternoon sessions helped me to face issues and feelings in a kind and supportive environment. I have come away with a clearer feeling of wholeness and strength to help me live with the condition.” l Gaia House is situated in peaceful countryside a few miles outside Newton Abbot. The Living with Illness and Loss retreat takes place from Thursday 23 to Monday 28 August and is limited to 25 places. It costs £250 or £213 supported rate and there is further financial support available. For more information visit: www.gaiahouse.co.uk. Call 01626 333613 or email info@gaiahouse. co.uk

Kate Philbin

The home of natural wellbeing WELLBEING is the home of natural health and personal development in South Devon - the perfect place to find your perfect therapy, retreat or workshop.

And if you work in natural health, it’s the perfect place to get your message out there.

A 1/8-page advertisement, like those below, can be yours for just £41.85 a month. A 1/4-page is only £66.60 a month.

And you can tell the story behind what you offer in our free editorial - with help from our Wellbeing editor, Kate Philbin.

Our designers will even put the artwork together for you at very affordable prices.

The Wellbeing deadline for the next (August/September) issue is July 1 so get in touch today and let’s get the ball rolling.

Call Scott on 01392 346342 or email editor@ reconnectonline. co.uk

The Cafe Copywriter • Blogs – individual or blog bundles • Website copy • Features

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Press releases Case studies Reports Editing

• Copy clinic – advice and recommendations • Writing coaching

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Content creation, writing advice, training and workshops for businesses and individuals.

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WELLBEING An eco-friendly retreat on the river Tavy CALLING all therapists and retreat organisers… A gorgeous eco-friendly retreat centre set in 10 acres of organic countryside could offer just the venue you are looking for.

River Tavy retreat is a private home in extensive grounds that is available for events, retreats, weddings and peaceful organic stays close to Tavistock.

The estate includes a 300-year old former gardener’s cottage that has been fully restored to the highest standard. There are three cottages and a garden studio on site, with accommodation for up to 20 guests.

Rich Moule said: “We offer the perfect location to host a wellness or culinary retreat. All the

facilities and the grounds will be available for your exclusive use during your stay including the restored Victorian glasshouse with its outdoor decking and views across the grounds and lake.

No plastics are used on site and all household, bathroom and laundry products are vegan, cruelty free, ethical and environmentally friendly. Waste is kept to a minimum, thanks to composting and recycling.

The site benefits from its own supply of pure, natural spring water and apple orchards growing old English varieties. Food is seasonal and locallysourced. There are also beehives producing River Tavy honey.

For more information visit: www.rivertavyretreat.co.uk

Take a deep BREATH...

Benefitting from ecotherapy

Learn how to use your breath to overcome stress and re-energise your body. Improve your health and help clear emotional blockages. Workshops and 1:1 sessions available.

E

See website for details.

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Audaye Elesedy from Bright Horizon and Ecotherapy Exeter C FA QUINE · E

increased positive affect and mental wellbeing. The study, published in 2014 is called ‘Examining Group Walks in Nature and Multiple Aspects of Well-Being: A Large-Scale Study’.

A Faculty of Public Health report noted that “contact with green spaces and natural environments can reduce symptoms of poor mental health and stress, and can improve mental wellbeing across all age groups”. Another study in 2010 found that being near water had a beneficial impact on mood and self-esteem.

Ecotherapy Exeter was set up to raise the profile of ecotherapy in training, research and practice and provide support to people in need in Exeter and across Devon.

Audaye said: “Our programmes are accessible to a diverse range of people and provides therapy that feels more informal, relaxed and engaging than working in a conventional therapy setting.”

I L I TAT E D AR NI NG ·

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Dawlish Intro Workshop – Monday 9 July 6.45-9pm £25pp

LE

COTHERAPY has the potential to benefit people affected by anxiety and depression. And that’s a lot of people. According to the Mental Health Foundation, these are the most common mental disorders in Britain, with 7.8% of people diagnosed. People from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most likely to be affected.

According to recent research, being out in nature can reduce symptoms and improve mental wellbeing for people with mental health issues.

Ecotherapy is the name given to treatments designed to improve people’s mental health by getting them out into nature and a new service in Exeter has been set up by a group of therapists specialising in ecotherapy.

Ecotherapy Exeter is offering guided therapeutic walks for small groups of GP-referred individuals with anxiety and depression. Participants will be invited to attend gentle weekly walks lasting approximately two hours for a period of six to eight weeks. The walks will be led by two therapists and will combine group sharing, personal reflection and creative processes in a gentle, supportive and stimulating outdoor environment. The format of the sessions is based on current research and best practice.

Audaye Elesedy from Ecotherapy Exeter and Bright Horizon said: “Both coaching and therapy whether in the consulting room or in the outdoors relies heavily upon the therapeutic relationship.

There’s an additional dynamic available for developing awareness and therapeutic connection by conducting this work in green and natural spaces.”

There is extensive research to support this work. One large-scale study of 1,516 participants found that nature-based group walks decreased depression, perceived stress, and negative affect, and

l For more information visit: www. ecotherapy-exeter.org l Audaye coaches in Exeter and South Devon through www. thebrighthorizon.org

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

27

EMOTIONAL HEALTH WELCOME back to our exploration into all things emotional. In this edition our Emotional Health columnist Leigh Smith explores the powerful force of intention, and how to stay on track to reach our goals.

It’s all in the mind! Or is it?

I

’VE noticed recently that ideas about the ‘power of intention’ seem to be popping up everywhere. It’s like I am being brainwashed by self help gurus to believe that simply setting an intention will change my life. I can’t seem to get through the day without advertisements promoting the latest self help guide, telling me my intention has the power to manifest weight loss, success, happiness and stopping smoking.

But is it really as easy as that?

Surely if it were that simple I would be fit and slim, because I have intended to lose weight and get fit for years, so where am I going wrong? My intentions are certainly strong enough, and I am surrounded by people who have intended to stop smoking or make time to be creative for years.

So what gets in the way of all of this intention?

There is something quite alluring about the mystical idea that thoughts alone can produce some positive changes in my life.

And this seems to gain credence when these ‘mystics’ are rubbing shoulders with nobel prize winning scientists whose research is proving that simply observing an experiment can change the outcome of that experiment (Double slit experiment). So maybe there really is something in the power of intention after all.

William A. Tiller, a professor emeritus at Stanford University, argues: “For the last 400 years, an unstated assumption of science is that human intention cannot affect what we call physical reality. Our experimental research of the past decade shows that, for today’s world and under the right conditions, this assumption is no longer correct.”

But it isn’t just modern day scientists who are expounding the power of thought, thousands of years ago sages of India observed that our destiny is ultimately shaped by our deepest intentions and desires. The classic Vedic text known as the Upanishads declares: “You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

So what actually is an intention, and how can I use it to improve my emotional health and wellbeing?

Deepak Chopra tell us that: “An intention is a directed impulse of consciousness that contains the seed form of that which you aim to create. Like real seeds, intentions

can’t grow if you hold on to them.

Only when you release your intentions into the fertile depths of your consciousness can they grow and flourish.”

So the ancient mystics are on board with modern day scientists, telling us that intention is a powerful force which can effect change, and this fits with Dr. Wayne W. Dyer who tells us that intention is a universal force, an energy which we are already a part of and which can allow us to co-create our life.

Ok then, I am almost convinced, but there is still something missing, the road to success seems to be littered with all this good intention, forgotten resolutions, and best laid plans. It’s clear that the starting point is setting an intention, but then what, do I just sit back and wait for the change to happen?

Intention on it’s own won’t get us very far, and this is the key.

Intention without action is a deadend road.

I have been spending time recently ‘setting my intention’ for the day, as part of my meditation practice, and I have realised it isn’t easy. Trying to find a ‘focus’ for what I want to get out of the day doesn’t come naturally. I have also been asking my students to set an intention at the start of each class, and mostly they struggle to come up with one. This has led me to realise that we are missing a trick here, missing the opportunity to focus in on what we intend for ourselves each day. And maybe this unconscious living, without a clear intention, is why we get stuck in negative spirals of behaviour, why our resolutions fall by the wayside.

Perhaps then we can ‘supercharge’ the power of intention by reminding ourselves each day what we intend, putting ourselves back on our conscious chosen path, and then stepping off in the right direction. Doing this regularly will keep us connected to our intention, keeping our goals clear and focused. But this is just the start, what comes next is action, determination and resilience.

I believe that a mixture of clear intention, a daily reminder, along with some positive action, may well be the winning combination.

Committing to our intentions and believing we have a right to achieve our goals might be the fuel to keep us going when the road gets tough. So let’s set our intention and take the first step onto our chosen path. Mmm maybe I should write a self help guide?

Leigh Smith is director of studies, course designer and tutor at Heartwood Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Training.

Visit www.heartwoodcounselling.org or call 01803 865464.

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Creating a different kind of ritual

I

COLLECT the habits and idiosyncrasies of the dead.

Unintentionally, but I do.

Along with their names and their stories and keepsakes from their funerals. It is part of the payment and the toll of the job, a gift and a burden.

I look at the faces of friends and fellow townsmen and women, and the faces of their mothers and fathers, their husbands and their children flash up unbidden.

My house is covered with their art, my family altar is dotted with the ephemera of their ceremonies, things like pebbles, painted for peace by an old man, or a stiff, long dried, spiky buttonhole bouquet of gorse handed out to each mourner one bitterly cold, bitterly sad day in a moorland village hall.

A clay leaf, imprinted and glazed, a string of origami cranes, all different colours from the funeral of a regal Japanese woman, hang from the branches of a houseplant.

One dying man turned each of his hospital paper pill cups into flowers, carefully unfolding and flattening them into simple, petaled suns, handing them out to visitors like a defiant hippy putting flowers in the gun barrel of his mortality. Sometimes I see these paper flowers hanging from rearview mirrors in cars.

We hold secrets and memories too, keep open hidden lines of communications between the living and the dead. It is strange to know things that others don’t, to remember things that never happened to me, but are now a part of me; a synaptic fusion of my life and theirs, a broker between the past and the truth, repositories of feelings, and the truth behind those feelings, should the living ever come asking.

And landscape is similarly animated by memory, the villages and graveyards of Cornwall and Devon each filled with story, the houses we pass that for us still hold anecdotes of the dead we met too late, and their bereaved we encountered, so fragile, so strong.

I take on the habits and rituals of the dead we have cared for too, consciously enjoy things they no

THE Green Funeral Company’s Claire and Rupert Callender hold the tranklements and habits of the dead, Ru tells us more. longer can, the polar opposite of the medieval ritual of sin eating: joy drinking.

I relish their likes, dance to their music, see the lines in the landscape they would, walk along their favourite beaches, enjoy fires and booming fireworks they loved.

One young man, dead far too soon, was irritated by a metal drain cover in the road outside his house. It was set badly, and every so often a car would drive over it making it loudly crack.

Most of us would harangue the council, badger an official for months to fix it. His approach was much simpler and purer; he would wedge a piece of kindling into the frame, jamming it in place. The weather and the passing cars meant it was an ongoing job. Effective, but ongoing.

One night, a year or so after his death, I found myself outside his house. I looked down at the drain.

His last bit of kindling was all but rotted. I turned back home to fetch a new piece, returned, and jammed it in, testing it with my foot.

I have taken on the silencing of the grate. Someone else lives there now, they need their peace too.

£41.85 There are many ways to keep the conversation going, keep stirring the memories, keep feeding the ancestors.

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WELLBEING Intention is everything

Real food, Real life,

Real health

MARC Blausten, Founder of The School of Energy Healing, explains how aligning our ego with the intentions of our higher self can help us discover more meaning in life.

Classes Targeted advice Books Eating plans Free resources Online courses Healthy recipe blog 1-2-1, online, phone/Skype ME, gut disorders, mental health nutrition, cancer recovery & weight management.

I

NTENTION is everything. It is the direction in which we focus our life energy.

Everything we experience is because that’s what we have intended. We have both conscious positive intentions and unconscious negative ones.

Barbara Brennan (author of ‘Hands of Light’) refers to an aspect of the Human Energy Field that correlates to our intention. She calls this the ‘Hara Line’ or ‘Intention Line’. It forms at conception, and holds the patterns of our life purpose.

The Intention Line There are three energy centres along the Intention Line: l The ID Point, or Individuation Point, is above the head and connects to Source. l The Soul Seat is in the upper chest, and holds the longing that pulls us along our life path. l The Tan Tien is in the lower belly, and connects deep down into the Earth. It is the rechargeable battery of vital energy that animates our physical body. People who are ‘full of life’ have a strong Tan Tien.

The Intention Line holds all that we need to be able to manifest our soul’s longing and heal the illusion of separation. We come into alignment when we surrender to our soul’s purpose. Life then becomes effortless and joyful.

However, when we experience the wounds of life it is normal to set up patterns of defence. These manifest as distortions in the energy field and pull us out of alignment and integrity.

email: enquiries@trinityholistics.co.uk more info: www.trinityholistics.co.uk

Jane Hutton The Functional Foodie

T: 07841 344934

Finding Life Purpose Sometimes we feel lost and without purpose in life. Particularly if our dreams or ambitions have been disappointed, then life can feel meaningless.

This is the experience of being out of alignment. We become lost in our story and unable to see the bigger picture. By coming back to centre and reconnecting to Source the way becomes clear again. We can tap into the resources that lead to a fulfilling life.

Intention Alignment or Hara Healing Intention Alignment, or Hara Healing, is an Energy Healing technique to align our ego/personality self with the intentions of our higher self.

The effects of this can be profound as we rise above the dramas of our life story, and align with our life purpose. l Marc sees clients in Totnes, Plymouth and Online. For more information visit: www.healingandhomeopathy.com or call: 0333 433 0454

Try a taiko weekend retreat

F

ANCY a weekend away with a difference? This year, Kagemusha Taiko, based at Hannahs at Seale Hayne near Newton Abbot are offering exactly that - Taiko Weekend Retreats.

With no previous experience of taiko necessary, these retreats are open to enthusiastic adults of all ages. Taiko is all about feeling good. You will play big drums and learn some choreographed routines that are fun to play and completely absorbing – providing a complete escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

The more you put in, the more you get out of it, which means that taiko is exhilarating rather than tiring. Kagemusha Taiko’s weekend retreats will provide the perfect balance of physical and mental effort with time for relaxation, whether you are floating in the warmth of the hydrotherapy pool in the evening or perhaps taking a leisurely stroll around the peaceful grounds at Seale Hayne. On Sunday morning

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there is a yoga session (suitable for beginners): the perfect way to stretch, breathe, and prepare for the day.

The retreat includes onsite accommodation in comfortable double rooms with en-suite facilities, and Hannahs bistro serves great meals, including excellent vegetarian and vegan options.

Retreat dates are June 2-3 July 21-22 August 18-19 l To find out more visit www. kagemusha.com/workshops/taikoweekend/, ring 01626 325832 or email info@kagemusha.com

Andy Thompson, Clin. Hom, Dip. B.F.D. ‘Helping you to heal yourself’

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WELLBEING A leading centre for mind-based therapists

TERESA WICKSTEED

T

Sound Healing Practitioner

07968 941854 www.teresawicksteed.co.uk teresa@teresawicksteed.co.uk www.collegeofsoundhealing.co.uk

Living with illness and loss retreat A meditation retreat for those currently living with illness or bereavement

Cost £250

23 - 28th August 2018

Financial assistance options available

www.gaiahouse.co.uk INSIGHT MEDITATION IN THE BUDDHIST TRADITION

Gaia House, nr Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6EW

IEMT can help with a range of issues Laura is a IEMT Master practitioner, Reki practitioner, Kambo practitioner, Qualified life coach and offers Chakra and Aura rebalancing Laura is in a new practice at: Phoenix Dental Castings Ltd, Unit 1, The Alpha Centre, Osprey Rd, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7LH. Tel 01392 444456, and is also about to begin working at Exeter Natural Healthcare Centre UK

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HREE years since The Nautilus Rooms opened with just two therapists, it has grown to become a leading centre for mind-based therapists in South Devon, with more than 30 therapists practising from its Totnes premises.

Among them are highly experienced counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and coaches. Ruth Baker said: “Our therapists provide short-term and long-term work for a range of issues including anxiety, depression, abuse, trauma, personal development, gender dysphoria and more. We also work across the entire life span: children, young people, adults and older adults. Most therapists here would describe themselves as integrative however we all have different leanings and specialities in how we work and who we work with.”

Among the approaches on offer are: CBT, Psychosynthesis, Gestalt, EMDR, Psycho-spiritual, Family Therapy and Systemic Work, Transactional Analysis, Core Process, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) , TRE Trauma Release Exercises, Sexual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Sandplay Therapy, Therapeutic Art and Play Therapy. Most of the practitioners at Nautilus work in more than one modality.

Ziva Weaver recently joined the team. She is a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist working with adults, children and young people. Ziva provides therapeutic support for parents and their children utilising the DDP model (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy). She also offers supervision to allied practitioners and is an EMDR practitioner of single event, PTSD and complex trauma.

Contact Ziva on: 07704 463790 E-mail: zivaweaver1@gmail.com www. zivaweaver.co.uk Also new to the team is Lynne Tarrab-Snooks who specialises in wellbeing, behaviour and relationship issues. Lynne was a co-originator of the Thrive Approach® and lead author of Thrive® training materials until 2015. She is a retired Integrative Psychotherapist and was a course leader of MA training at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education, London.

Lynne is offering a monthly confidential mentoring group on Tuesday evenings for people who work with children and adolescents. The group will use mark-making, collage, sand-play, exercises, empathy drawing, story, games and relational problem-solving skills to explore issues and presentations. It is an opportunity for therapists to expand their understanding and skillset and offers a safe, confidential space to discuss work in a small group of like-minded people. Once the group has settled, it has the potential to become a closed group.

Lynne also runs Swap your Kids, a two-session programme for parents and practitioners who work with young people. The programme will explore the many changes that occur for young people during adolescence. The first session focuses on Understanding the Neuroscience of the Adolescent Brain and the second is about Living Lovingly with Adolescents She has developed a two-day course called Becoming a Warrior for NOW, informed by the Shambala work of Chogyam Trungpa. Shambala is a global community of people inspired by the principle that every human being has a fundamental nature of basic goodness. The group will come together using breath work, meditation, movement, mark-making and inquiry to reconnect to the individual’s deeper capacities.

Contact Lynne on 07778 345233 E-mail: lynne@lynnetarrabsnooks.co.uk www.lynnetarrabsnooks.co.uk The Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists (AIST) continues to host the South West arm of its training courses at The Nautilus Rooms facilitated

by Sandplay, Therapeutic Art & Mindfulness Therapist and Teacher, Ruth Baker. The AIST offers a post-qualifying training in sandplay therapy starting with an introductory or foundation two-day course and further training including certificate, diploma and advanced CPD opportunities. There is a series of introductory / foundation courses being offered this year and the 2019 programme is under development. The feedback from these courses is fantastic with participants travelling from as far afield as Eire to participate. l Contact Ruth Baker. Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com and see www.nautilusrooms.uk

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WELLBEING A Medicine Walk with Otherness IN many rites of passage, a walk of the land precedes the act of initiation. Aboriginals have their walkabout, Thai forest monks walk without a goal, as a form of meditation. Many religions have some form of pilgrimage.

A Medicine Walk from Nature Wisdom follows this same tradition as a rite of passage. The walk itself happens from dawn to dusk either a month prior to the rite of passage or vision quest, or as a stand alone ceremony.

Rebecca Card, an Eco-therapist who organises these events says: “This is a time to begin asking good questions, to initiate the process of being open and receptive to the other-than-human realm and to the Mystery, or Otherness.”

People undertake the walk for many reasons, but predominantly from a desire to grow and change. Rebecca said: “The walk offers a time for contemplation, for reconnecting with ourselves and the natural world. The process is empowering because it is up to us to find our inner guide, our inner source of wisdom.

“Nature and the outer landscape have the potential to reflect what’s happening in our inner landscape and this can be extremely powerful. How we then translate the encounters from our walk into our lives is up to us. And this is where the real work begins………”

People can participate as part of a

three-day ceremony that includes sitting in a sharing council on the first day “to find and name your intention as well as receive guidance for self-generated ceremony”.

On the second day, participants are invited to leave at dawn and spend the day in ceremony and alone with the land and the other-than-human realm.

The third day brings the participants back together for a second council to share stories from the walk and to have them mirrored back to discover deeper meaning and understanding.

Rebecca explained: “Although these are called Medicine Walks it’s by no means obligatory to walk; wandering, lying and sitting are also part of the ceremony if that is what’s needed”. . l There will be a Midsummer Medicine Walk in July. For more information visit: naturewisdom.life or email Rebecca at: rebecca@naturewisdom.life

Finding help through soul coaching THERE can be many reasons why someone embarks on Soul Coaching, according to Gill Coombs. She sees adults of all ages and from all walks of life, and has many creative approaches to choose from.

She said: “Soul Coaching is about both depth and progress.

Topics I work with include: l Strengthening personal confidence l Growing resilience for stressful times l Resolving difficult workplace issues l Building good working relationships l Clarifying and planning the next phase of your life l Applying for jobs and preparing for interviews l Dreaming your own business into being l Positively addressing fears about today’s world l Identifying your values, passions, qualities and skills l Identifying and working with blocks that stop you moving forward l Exploring that elusive sense of purpose, whatever it means for you...”

Gill draws on coaching, counselling and mentoring skills, tailoring her approach to the individual needs of each client. Often people choose to

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Walk in sacred land, listen to your soul. Come home to You.

SOUL RISING

Join us for a life changing soul adventure in Avalon. Walking meditation and talks to support your freedom. Guided by experienced retreat holder and energy worker, Emma Stow and supported by the Earth and stars.

26-29 July 2018 Somerset A retreat with Emma Stow healer, speaker and writer

£420 Includes bed in shared bedroom, breakfast, and dinner.

Camping also available.

For more information please go to emmastow.com

Gong bath sessions

seek coaching when they are facing personal challenges. Gill said: “Times of upheaval and uncertainty are also times of opportunity and new beginnings.

How we respond is what makes the difference.”

Gill works from her home in Staverton near Totnes but also offers coaching worldwide via phone and Skype. She charges £35-50 per session depending on individual circumstances.

In addition to working as a Soul Coach, Gill is a highly experienced Learning and Development consultant and works with organisations large and small to help people develop more collaborative ways of working.

She is an author of several books. l For more information visit: www.gillcoombs.co.uk

Experience the delights of sound, Sessions for groups and individuals.

Bathe in timeless sound waves and rest in deep, nourishing relaxation.

Gong baths, and sound meditations

Sally Free • 07719 770660

www.soundsforthesoul.co.uk sally@soundsforthesoul.co.uk Find us on facebook ●

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

31

WELLBEING Some news of something new

A

The Feldenkrais Method® with Lifeworks Somatics • Reduce pain • Relieve stress • Improve performance • Move with ease

Functional Integration© individual lessons for those with chronic pain and injury, muscle pain and tension, RSI, chronic stress, physical and emotional trauma, degenerative and neurological disorders.

Awareness Through Movement© group lessons: Somatic movement explorations to help with posture & poor movement habits, to increase body awareness, help relaxation, & improve balance and coordination. Suitable for those wishing to maintain/improve mobility.

Learn naturally & organically. The way of “less is more” to being more flexible, strong & agile.

S IS so often the way, the peace and beauty of Devon has called an amazing therapist into our midst from London.

Subtle Energy Medicine Practitioner, Sandra Pepper, has left the capital where she ran a successful healing and teaching practice for 15 years, and relocated to Devon to be with her partner and focus more fully on her healing work in a peaceful, nurturing and beautiful environment.

Sandra trained at The Vibrational Healing Foundation in London under its principal and founder Henriette Maasdijk, who is the author of Crystals and Healing for Everyone.

Sandra began her practitioner training in 2004 and has practiced as an energy healer as well as teaching at the VHF for four years.

Sandra explained: “I use nature’s tools, specifically crystals, colour, sound and flowers, to help bring the bio-magnetic field (the systems within the energy field around our physical body) back into balance and harmony.

“Working in this way filters into healing on all levels because everything within the system is interrelated. It takes time to understand these systems, learning how to assess their condition, then choosing

With Nikhila M Ludlow (registered Feldenkrais Guild UK 2005)

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the appropriate crystals and techniques to help bring each person back into balance.”

Sandra pointed out that each one of us is unique so we need something that is tailored to our individual needs.

“Crystals are very powerful tools for healing and transformation,” she said. “They’ve held their particular ‘note’ or frequency for millions of years. With a little training, we can learn to tap into these frequencies, which can be helpful if we lack them in ourselves.

“Crystals can also expand our consciousness through raising our vibrational frequency. When we slow ourselves down, we begin to resonate with crystal and this is when the magic happens!”

Sandra recently taught her first series of crystal meditation evenings at The Arcturus Centre in Totnes.

She is also running a six-week course called ‘How To Use Crystals for Self-healing and Personal Development’ at the Arcturus Centre. The course begins on June 20 and runs every Wednesday, from 7.00 to 8.30pm, until July 25. l For more information or to enroll on the course email: sandra@ crystallighthealing.co.uk

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Awareness through movement lessons

T

HE Feldenkrais Method is known for helping with pain and mobility problems caused by injury or disease. But did you know it can also help develop and hone sporting and other skills?

The latest Feldenkrais National Awareness Week was entitled Feldenkrais ACTIVE. Via the Feldenkrais Guild website, you can find free short ‘Awareness Through Movement©’ lessons on skiing, swimming, running, athletics, climbing, Nordic walking, and the martial arts. All you need is a mat on the floor and 15-20 minutes of your time.

Nikhila Ludlow, who has run her private Feldenkrais practice in the Dartington/Totnes and Exeter areas since 2004, said: “I find that the Feldenkrais Method comes into its own when combined with one’s regular activities and practices.

It offers the possibility of taking a skill that you already have, and improving it. By becoming more efficient in your movement, you become more effective.”

The founder, Dr Moshe Feldenkrais, had a background as a distinguished scientist, engineer and Judo expert. “He understood that our self-image develops as a result of the way we learn, think and feel, and in relation to our environment,”

said Nikhila. “He knew that everyone has a self-image that evolves from when they are born, but that it is only as complete as the sum of their life experiences. Where there has been trauma or disruption to development, there are ‘gaps’ in the self-image.

“He understood, too, that the ability to move comes before strength can develop, so his method uses exploration and experimentation, much the way a child does, to develop and improve skills. When one is better co-ordinated, movement feels easier and the increase of strength and effectiveness follows naturally.”

In essence, his view was that all of us humans have an incomplete selfimage and the Feldenkrais Method was his response, offering the opportunity to make it more whole.

Nikhila concludes: “Once we do that, our potential is unlocked and we are more free to do what we like to do better and respond more effectively to the inevitable challenges that life continually brings.” l For more information visit: www.lifeworks4.me.uk or look on Facebook for Lifeworks Somatics Feldenkrais with Nikhila. For more information about Feldenkrais in general visit: www.feldenkrais.co.uk

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Teaching natural health care THERE is something particularly inspiring about working with therapists and instructors whose own lives have been transformed by the therapies they now practice and teach.

That is the case with Liz Reddish and Jane Fowler, who have combined their wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to teach people the skill of Touch For Health Kinesiology.

This non-invasive system of natural health care, which is performed over clothes, combines the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tibetan Energy techniques and more orthodox techniques. Muscle monitoring is used to assess energy and body function before a range of gentle, yet powerful, balancing techniques are applied.

TFH Kinesiology supports balance in all aspects of life, allowing students to make a positive difference to their own health and the wellbeing or that of others. The benefits include: Improvement in general health; increased energy and vitality; breaking down blocks, barriers and emotional triggers; more increased confidence and personal motivation; improved posture and relief from physical pain and

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tension; stress relief and day-today stress management strategies; support to change attitudes and set and achieve personal goals; and enhanced brain function which can support improved co-ordination in life, work and sports performance.

TFH Levels 1 – 4 have been developed as modular courses and are ideal for anyone dipping their toe into energy medicine for the first time or for the experienced practitioner who wants to expand their practice.

TFH Level 1 will run in Devon and Somerset from September. TFH Levels 2 – 4 are offered as a twoday residential course at Swallet Farm in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on top of the Mendip hills near Bristol and Bath, 30 minutes from the M5.

For more information call or email: Liz Reddish on: 07971 106 572 liz@devonwellhouse.co.uk Or Jane Fowler on: 07876 192 jane@ swallet.co.uk Visit: www.swalletholistic.co.uk / www.devonwellhouse.co.uk

Let go & surrender ~ Reconnect to your pleasure ~ Come home to your body sessions ~ workshops ~ bespoke retreats

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WELLBEING SOEL School of Experiential Learning Exploring the dynamic relationship between mind and body

Experiential Anatomy courses Body-mind Centering® • Workshops & Individual sessions

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Building yoga into a daily routine

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OW often have you started a new practice with great intentions only to find that it fizzles out after a few weeks, or maybe even days?

You are not alone! It’s a common pattern, as yoga teacher Natalie Austin has discovered.

“Yoga works on every level, but practice has to be regular for you to reep the benefits,” she explained. “A common mistake I see with students who want to incorporate a daily practice is trying too much too soon. Yoga is a discipline - and a daily discipline is a difficult thing to fit into an already busy day.”

Natalie believes that she has hit on a way to help people to start building yoga into their daily routine.

“My one-to-one yoga sessions are designed to explore your needs and desires so I can tailor a personal program for your lifestyle, body, preference and personal goals. It’s a great way to find a daily yoga practice that is realistic and that you will stick to and can build on as your practice develops.’

Natalie begins with a consultation, spending 90 minutes going over ideas, finding suitable postures and working on specific goals. As well as yoga, Natalie might suggest including a guided meditations to

Natalie Austin cope with stress or anxiety.

So, what are some of her top tips for developing a daily yoga practice?

“Create a space (even temporarily) where the ground is flat, free from distractions (all phone and devices off) and where there is a source of natural light. Summer is an ideal time to start as some days it’s warm enough to practice outside.

Candles can be used to give you something to focus on and smells and soft music are lovely ways of signalling to your body that it’s time for yoga.” l To book a one-to-one session or have a chat about it could help you contact Natalie on 07516 720246 or email natalie@loveyogatree.co.uk. http://www.loveyogatree.co.uk

Overcoming writer’s block A NEW STUDIO SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL

W

W E E K L Y YO G A R E T R E AT D AY S YOGA FOR REAL LIFE

( K U N D A L I N I S T Y L E , A S TA U G H T B Y M AYA F I E N N E S )

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with wellbeing editor Kate Philbin

RITER’S block is a term that is used to describe the debilitating brain fog that can seep into your mind sometimes, obscuring your creativity and clouding your thoughts.

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The sense of panic and frustration it engenders just makes the situation worse and it’s easy to convince yourself that the muse has deserted you and you will never write again.

So, what can you do about it?

I’ve been a commercial writer for the last 30 years. I write most days of my life either for work or for pleasure. Some days the words flow easily as though someone is dictating them to me from on high. I hear them in my head before I write them down and it feels like I am a passive participant in the creative process. On these days everything comes together and the writing feels easy.

There are other days, however, when the words get stuck somewhere between my thoughts and my fingers. I might have a sense of what I want to write but everything just sounds wrong. I find myself deleting and redoing paragraphs. Things that I normally do quickly seem to take forever.

On these days, if I can, I take myself away from my computer for a bit. I maybe go for a walk or take myself off to the café. Or even have a bath.

The secret is to stop thinking and angsting about what I’m trying to write.

Often I find when I go back to my computer my mind has cleared.

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If you’re experiencing ongoing writer’s block try finding a way to get yourself into a state of flow before you sit down to write. And, if you can, make it matter less. Don’t tell yourself that today’s the day you’re going to write a masterpiece. Instead try telling yourself you’re just going to make a few notes today. Always keep your reader in mind. Who are they? What do they look like? What are their interests? What would inspire them? Talk to them. l When not working in Reconnect Towers, Kate write all types of content for businesses and individuals, including press releases, articles, websites and blogs. Kate also offers copywriting, one-to-one mentoring and e-books for writers. For more information visit: www.cafecopywriter.com or call 07970 107123.

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WELLBEING High Nature at East Portlemouth

A

GRANT of £10,000 has been made from The National Lottery Fund to The High Nature Centre in East Portlemouth, a five-acre smallholding that aims to conserve habitats at the same time as increasing biodiversity and productivity and creating a haven for wildlife and visitors The High Nature Centre was set up to increase access to the countryside and wellbeing, not just within the local community, but it is also visited by people from all Inside the Small Yurt at High Nature over the world who are interested in what they’re doing, including Stroke Association, Living Options tourists and volunteers. It offers low Devon, the Filo Project, Rethink impact accommodation as well and Home Education groups, to as providing on-site workshops ensure the activities are tailored and affordable business start-up to people’s needs and interests. spaces for people running rural More organisations are likely to be enterprises. The site is run according contacted as research continues.” to sustainable practices, with yurtWorkshop leaders will offer based camping, compost toilets, activities such as: gardening, tree passive solar showers and homeplanting, willow weaving, tree care, grown food. pottery, bushcraft, bee-keeping, and The Awards for All grant will be much more. used to provide education, social “We are also part of a long term outreach and environmental initiative in the South Hams to development to people who are create a network of places where disadvantaged and marginalised. people with health needs, for Although this area is relatively example, can choose where to go affluent, Liz Turner, The Centre’s for help and health professionals Education & Social Outreach Cocan refer appropriately. A ordinator, explained that it suffers conference on Social Prescribing is from pockets of due to take place disadvantage. in May 2018 as “Some people can a first step” said be socially isolated Liz. and financially The centre hopes poor. They can to further develop have limited High Nature as opportunities, a place for the health problems community over and lack transport. the next year, The project while working aims to bring to set up social them together Arts & Crafts Session with Naturemake prescribing through to try new skills, at The High Nature Centre a network of learn about the complimentary environment and benefit from organisations. Working together wellbeing activities that improve like this will enable resources to self-esteem, peace of mind and be pooled and the idea to become physical fitness. By experiencing sustainable in the long term. this in groups, interacting to achieve Courses on offer include: goals and working together as a team, it is hoped that people will l Holistic Yoga build relationships, friendships l In Tune Reflexology and Foot and connections that would Massage not otherwise take place in the l Felt Picture Making community.” l Mandala Felted Meditation Cloth The centre has set up a Community Making Interest Company called ‘High Nature Care’ to run the new l Vinyasa Krama Yoga initiative which will target carers l Trees and Wild Food (including young carers), people with physical/mental health l Energy Medicine problems, young people, children l Native American Flute and and the elderly.

Sound Journey Liz said: “We have contacted l Making a Willow Platter Devon Carers, the Enabling Team l Shakti Dance at Devon County Council, Totnes Caring, Caring Town Totnes, l Plant Identification for Foraging Kingsbridge 18-25 Work Club, the l Creative Journey Volunteers help to plant potatoes l Environmental Storytelling and onions at High Nature l Deep Nature Connection l Personal Social Permaculture Design l Earth Song Circle l Scything Taster l Kids Yoga For more information visit: http://www. high-nature.co.uk/index02.html

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Write to Freedom is an award winning Dartmoor based eco arts charity working with addiction recovery.

We are seeking two new trustees specialising in Human Resources and Fundraising.

Contact info@writetofreedom.org.uk

Award winning family owned funeral director for all your funeral needs Gentle - Thoughtful - Inclusive “Your skill, kindness, compassion and sensitivity to me and the children in every situation was extraordinary.... Your work is remarkable and if you need any recommendation, ask me!” Lizzie Hubbard

Riverstone, the home of Heart & Soul Funerals, is friendly and comfortable, situated on the banks of the River Dart near Austin’s Bridge at Buckfastleigh.

The hall provides sanctuary for vigils and a beautiful space for a funeral ceremony.

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WELLBEING Craniosacral Therapy Able to cope, a sense of wellbeing, energised, relaxed, feeling more fully alive, whole again, healthy‌‌ Craniosacral therapy is a very gentle, yet powerful hands-on therapy. It works with the whole person at any stage of life and can be very effective in a wide range of areas, including: • • • •

Body strains and injuries Depression/Anxiety Head, neck, back aches/migraines Chronic fatigue conditions

• Pregnancy and child birth support • A general sense of “not feeling quite rightâ€? • Baby, toddler and child health and well-being

Sessions are in Dartington near Totnes.

Lea Zaccari RCST

0747 332 4730 cst.with.lea@gmail.com www.craniosacral-therapy-lea.yolasite.com

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Unfurling to the joyful kiss of life shift. Consequently A recent walk they move through life in the woods feeling dissatisfied and reminded Sexual disconnected from all the pleasures that life can Shamanic Healer bring. and Sexual For those who are curious Empowerment and brave enough to look deeper within and Coach of the who long for resolution effects of trauma from the ‘boa constrictor’ on our bodies and of trauma there is a way how we can come a coiled woodland fern out, where the body can unwind, unfurl and open to a place of freedom by to be kissed by the joy of life. letting go and “unwinding�.

Just like the fern responding to sunlight THE unwinding of trauma...

As I’ve been walking through the woods over the last few weeks I’ve come across ferns that were gradually unfolding from their tightly coiled configuration, over the course of weeks, until they were fully opened as a relaxed constellation of leaves gently swaying in the breeze.

It reminded me of how trauma operates in our bodies. In response to trauma we shut down, we curl up tight within ourselves, contracting and pulling within, hoping this will protect us from harm. But, coiled up we become shut down to life, intimacy feels threatening, and our sexuality can become totally disconnected or beset with a myriad of symptoms that lead to dysfunction and dissatisfaction.

Many people stay in this contracted place, not really knowing how to

in its uncoiling, so the body responds to its environment, if it senses it’s safe and that the people around it are there to support then this unravelling can arise naturally.

In my work I provide a safe place, where the body, and the mind can return to a place of trust and begin the process of unwinding into freedom, away from the barren lands of disconnection and isolation. It is a process of stepping into the forgotten places of safety and intimacy, of love and freedom and of coming back home to yourself.

l Catherine offers one-to-one sessions, couples sessions, workshops and bespoke retreats for people interested in finding their way back home to themselves. For more information visit:www.tantricawakening.org or email: catherine@tantricawakening.org

Controlling life force energy

P

RANAYAMA is the Sanskrit word for yogic breathing. It is made up of two words – “prana� meaning life force and “yama� meaning to control. So, pranayama literally means to direct or control life force energy.

Breathing is central to yogic practice. Yoga teacher, Sue Ley, who runs weekly Vinyasa Yoga classes in Plymouth, explained: “Prana is available to everyone and it is limitless. By regulating our breathing we can direct the prana to help heal ourselves or simply maximise our emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.�

Yogic breathing has particularly beneficial effects on the autonomic nervous system, which is divided into two parts - the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system deals with flight or fight. In emergencies it prepares us for action, raising our heart rate and increasing adrenaline. The parasympathetic nervous system is the calming side. It is the antidote to stress, helping us to rest and feel at peace.

Both systems work in balance with each other, when one is active the other is snoozed.

Problems arise however, if the sympathetic nervous system is unable to revert back to normal for

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some reason. This can occur after a traumatic incident. When this happens, the calming side to our nervous system remains switched off.

And when the sympathetic nervous system is stuck in the “on� position we can experience anxiety, panic, anger, fear and hyper vigilance.

So, it’s clear that some of the feelings we feel after a traumatic event are not only natural but are perfectly normal biological reactions.

Sue told Reconnect: “Yogic breathing can be a powerful ally in recovering from trauma and handling stress. It helps rebalance an underactive parasympathetic nervous system and encourage a healthier autonomic nervous system overall.�

Sue points out that though yoga is not a replacement for therapy, it can give your therapy wings.

For more information about Sue’s classes visit: www.onmymat.ninja

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WELLBEING Just keep going with the flow

Exeter Natural Health Centre’s Mo Morrish has been contemplating the riverflow, as an allegory to his homeopathic experience of more than 25 years.

M

USING by a Dartmoor stream recently (in glorious May sunshine) I found myself caught up, once again, in the simple yet profound phenomenon of flow. “Everything flows”, wrote Heraclitus, and it seems to be so; you really cannot step in the same river twice.

I created a mini dam with some rocks and branches and observed what happens when flow is blocked.

There is a build up of water force behind the dam and depletion below; breaking the dam led to a surging release and a degree of turbulence further downstream.

There are clearly consequences to obstructing flow. Also, just to state the obvious, it is more difficult and tiring to go against flow; try swimming upstream.

Why am I burbling away like a brook about this? Well, as a medical practitioner it appears that there are essentially two ways to approach the flow of a disease process; to go against it (anti-pathy) or go with it (homeopathy). The antipathic approach has its place in medicine and its practitioners mainly prescribe “anti-flow” drugs

such as antiinflammatories.

The homeopathic approach also has its place in medicine and its practitioners prescribe “with-theflow” medicines i.e. those which, in trials on healthy people, induce a similar disease process to that found in the patient.

Anti-pathy “fights” disease by squaring up to it, meeting it head on, like a boxer (“pain killers” are an example). Homeopathy uses the energy of the disease process to lessen its impact on the patient, like a martial artist (homeopathy is medical Aikido). As Hippocrates wrote over 2,000 years ago; “we can treat disease with opposites or with similars”; both approaches are useful.

Back to the stream; watching a leaf floating easily with the current brought to mind the relationship between ease and health, the power and beauty of going with the flow. This does not mean that life becomes easy for we all have our white water moments, yet the suggestion is that it might be easier than going against the flow and is less likely to create complications downstream.

HEALING AND HOMEOPATHY

Barbara Brennan Healing Practitioner Registered Homeopath • RELATIONSHIP CORDS • CHAKRA BALANCE • AURIC SURGERY • EMOTIONAL HEALING • HARA HEALING • ORGAN & SPINE REGENERATION • ALL STYLES OF HOMEOPATHY

Marc Blausten

LCHom, MARH, BHS, FIEH, BCMA

Healing and Teaching for 30 years Free initial chat 0333 433 0454 (local rate) www.healingandhomeopathy.com TOTNES – PLYMOUTH - ONLINE

If you would like to make an appointment with Mo please call 01392 214074 or visit www. thehomoeopathicpractice.co.uk

A question of your own identity WHO am I, is an important question to explore according to Gwen Channer, modern psychology practitioner, therapeutic hypnotist, success & transformation coach and energy healer.

“Am I the one who feels upset or am I the one who observes the me who is being upset?” She suggests further questions, “Am I actually aware of an observer or do I identify with my ups and downs so much that the silent background presence is completely obscured by it? What would it mean to be able to switch the endless mind chatter off for a bit? Would the quiet scare or liberate?”

Gwen explained that most people are so caught up in their daily lives and so identified with their mood swings that they are subject to huge amounts of stress and anxiety. Fleeting moments of happiness never last very long as they are dependent on outside events.

“Distraction helps to numb an uncomfortable feeling that we may not even be fully conscious of, so we watch telly, shop till we drop or down a few too many pints… anything for some relief. The sad thing is that we’re not even aware of all of this as it is the norm in our society.”

Gwen says that it is often not until the pain or discomfort becomes so pronounced that we can no longer pretend we’re okay and the distractions no longer pacify us that we’re ready for change. And even

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NEW TO YOUR COMMUNITY then we may hold on to what we know even though it is painful as we have become completely identified with it.

“To peel back the layers and reveal the peaceful presence that we are, that inherent being at our core who is totally well, is a work of love and determination. Awareness is the key, non-judgment the operator and love the healer.

“A life of ups and downs lived fully and completely in our modern day society with awareness of our core presence is both possible and liberating. And we are helping the world move closer to peace just by being our true self.” l To get in touch with Gwen visit: inherentwellbeing.co.uk.

01803 868282 07483 112920 ranbir@yinpalmtaoartsuk.co.uk www.yinpalmtaoartsuk.co.uk

See Ranbir if you suffer from Frozen Shoulder, Shoulder Pain, Lower Back Pain, Tennis Elbow, Ankle and Knee Problems, Numbness in Arms, Hands, Feet and Legs, Neck Pain, Sciatica, Insomnia, Night Sweats This list is not exhaustive

) ) ) )

Are you feeling stuck - Mentally, Emotionally and / or Spiritually?

Are you feeling fatigued?

Do you suffer from lack of energy / are you always feeling tired?

Are you suffering from constant pain?

Then Ranbir can be of assistance

The Exmouth Osteopathy & Massage Centre 14A High Street, Exmouth EX8 1NP • 01395 278220 • 07483112920

TUI NA CAN ALSO HELP TO TREAT SOME CHRONIC AND ACUTE CONDITIONS • TASTER SESSIONS AVAILABLE SOON Also please enquire about Taoist Breathing, Taoist Meditation, Qi Gong and Bagua Special offer for massage therapists, clear your blockages in your forearms and arms and strengthen your hands Plus assistance for new mothers with toddlers, if they are feeling tired, stressed, anxious and overwhelmed.

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WELLBEING

Katheryn Hope

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) (Stimulates the immune system to function optimally)

The Bowen Technique Arcturus Clinic, Totnes Home Visits AMANDA MORRIS

CLT – MLDUK – CertECBS – BTPA

For an appointment please call 07931 505 312

amanda@amandamorris.co.uk www.amandamorris.co.uk

Connecting with your own power

F

INDING your flow… It’s something many of us talk about but few of us seem to achieve.

Katheryn Hope practices Resonance Repatterning and she believes she has some important insights to share about energy and what gets in the way of us aligning with the power of our dreams.

“You feel as if you are blocking yourself with self-sabotage or procrastination,” says Katheryn, “maybe you start something and never finish it, your energy drops or doubt and confusion get in your way.”

This is a familiar pattern to many and the idea of Resonance Repatterning is to change that. Katheryn asks: “Would you like to feel clearer, more in control, confident, positive and inspired about your life right now and align with your intentions so they manifest? Finding your flow is connected with the power of your own energy.

“In life we are often aware of the energy of others, but less aware of our own. The way to change that is to pay attention to our feelings, our gut response and our intuition, but also look at our belief patterns.

“Energy in itself is neither positive nor negative; it is neutral. As we meet energy, we mould it through the energy we radiate. When we have a belief that has been a pattern for a long time, e.g. “ I can’t do that” this becomes part of our reality because we are vibrating with it and we convince ourself of its truth and repeat it. Our belief and thoughts create our reality by the very energy they emit.”

To change the flow of energy we need to change how we are resonating.

Resonance Repatterning is the process of uncovering limiting patterns and replacing them with positive ones.

For more information call: Katheryn Hope on 07971 416630 or email: coach@katherynehope.plus.com.

Explore, Discover, Learn & Relax...

High Nature aims to bring together visitors attracted to the area for its natural beauty with local people who rely on the sea and landscape to provide them with the resources they need to prosper and sustain their livelihoods. > Yurt Camping Our beautiful small-scale camping site consists of 5 yurts, hand built using natural materials. Our yurts are warm and cosy, and are furnished and decorated to a high standard with unique textiles and furnishings. Each yurt is surrounded by trees and wild flowers, and enclosed within its own private circular hedge bank. > Activities & Therapies We offer a wide variety of nature and well-being activities including yoga, massage, willow weaving, gardening, tree planting & care, pottery, bushcraft, natural building, craft from natural materials/ upcycling, forest school, bee-keeping, storytelling, shadow puppets, plant identification, kundalini dance, permaculture, wild food foraging, deep nature connection, agroforestry, reflexology, mindfulness, meditation, native American flute, cooking, singing and scything. We run a summer programme, perfect for your holiday activities, plus winter tree planting/care, and events/retreats at other times.

www.high-nature.co.uk 38

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WELLBEING Pregnancy techniques HYPNOBIRTHING can sometimes be misunderstood, according to Donna Ashton who teaches the technique to expectant mothers and their partners, along with BabyReflex.

It is not, as some people think, simply an alternative to conventional pain relief and there is no need for people to feel uncomfortable about the idea of using hypnosis during labour. It does not mean you will be unconscious or less present during the birth.

Donna explained that hypnobirthing is a range of techniques that pregnant women can learn to support them during pregnancy and labour.

She said: “The techniques I teach work on both your subconscious mind and your body. By practising them during labour, you will be able to access a deeply relaxing and positive state of hypnosis. This allows the hormones of birth to work effectively, resulting in a more efficient labour and a more comfortable and relaxed birth for both the woman and baby. Mothers are less likely to want pain relief but it does not mean you can’t use conventional pain relief alongside hynobirthing if you choose to.”

Donna is a former paramedic and qualified acupuncturist who specialises in peri-natal health.

She founded Confident Birth and Baby Courses and runs KGHypnobirthing for parents-to-be across South Devon.

She added: “Whether you are planning a home birth, hospital birth, natural birth, water-birth, caesarean birth or require a medically induced birth, the hypnobirthing techniques will keep you feeling calm and in control.”

Hypnobirthing offers partners a practical role to play throughout the labour and feedback from new mums often points to how supportive their partners were following this training.

For more details visit: www. confidentbirthandbaby.com

Rachel Phillips the Education and Wellbeing Coordinator at the Apricot Centre CIC based at Huxhams Cross Farm brings us up to date on the latest happenings at the farm.

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HE Apricot Centre at Huxhams Cross Farm has not hibernated over the winter period, we have been putting together lots of exciting events, learning opportunities and activities for adults and children.

We have seen our Farm Club start every Friday at 3:30pm where children have been sowing, planting and caring for the new vegetables on the farm, spaces are still available for our June start date.

We have also been busy creating a diverse range of courses for adults including an introduction to scything, an introduction to

Farm school at Huxhams Cross Farm

It’s a busy time at Huxham’s cross biodynamics, as well as agroforestry with Professor Martin Wolfe from Elm Farm Research Centre and a full Permaculture Design Course. If you are interested in enrolling on any of these courses please visit our website www. apricotcentre.co.uk/ training-courses If this wasn’t enough we re now offering wellbeing and farm walks once a month and we are part of Dartington Hall Trust FREE Open Farm Sunday event on June

Stirring day at Huxhams Cross Farm

10, where the public can come to visit the farm, take part in farm walks, meet the growers and farmers, buy produce, cakes and refreshment and children can take part in making clay trolls!

Life choices: crisis or opportunity

“I pay close attention to your situation, focusing on gathering as much information as possible to help you make the next step and to offer a wider understanding of the forces running through your life,” she explains. “A client recently told me ‘You clear the mud from the path so I can see the way forward, I cannot tell you how helpful that is.’ We all encounter mud from time to time and sometimes some practical help, support and guidance can be just what we need to see a way forward.” l For more information call Bell on 07796 900509 or visit: www.conscioustarot.co.uk

HEAL

As Bell can attest, none of us are immune to difficult times, and there are occasions when we need to dig deep within ourselves for the stamina and inner calm to see a challenging situation resolve. In these circumstances, a reading with Bell can provide some really practical guidance and help you to make strong decisions.

Offering bespoke massage for women that encompasses training in lomi lomi, abdominal sacral and myofacial as well as deep energy healing.

GH IN

Massage treatments through clothing.

N DS

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works better than being fearful and closed, that doesn’t mean its easy to do, especially when the opportunity a crisis presents is one that you would rather not have.”

A

EVEN the best laid plans can go awry.., and just because you’re a skilled psychic doesn’t make you immune, as Bell Bartlett recently experienced.

“A rock solid income stream suddenly dried up and I watched myself go into anxiety/ survival mode in an instant,” she said. “If you’ve experienced something like this you’ll be aware of how easy it is for our fear to take over and start dictating what actions we should take. The downside of being in survival mode is that it often involves becoming more rigid and closed, as opposed to more open and receiving. Well, why wouldn’t we? We are simply trying to protect ourselves!”

Bell is a professional psychic tarot reader based in Dartington. The information she gives to her clients can make all the difference, particularly when they are facing a crisis or tough decisions.

“This year, I’ve seen many clients who are facing life-changing choices. It can be very hard to make detached, intuitive and inspired decisions when we are immersed in our own difficult situations and our feelings are running high. Even if we know that doing our best to remain open and receiving

Treatments available in the Kingsbridge area.

Please contact Judy Talbot MRSS Dip.Tui Na on

07855 332329

Receive a personalised treatment which combines Shiatsu, Deep Tissue Massage and Energy work.

Treatments are supportive and nurturing and will assist the body’s natural healing processes.

They will alleviate and help: • Depression & anxiety/moodrelated disorders • Hormonal problems • Insomnia/sleep disorders • Digestive problems • Boost immunity & energy levels • Arthritis/joint mobility

Editorial: 01392 01392 346342 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk editor@reconnectonline.co.uk Editorial:

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,

WELLBEING Centre seeks therapists to join the team

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UALIFIED therapists looking for an attractive town centre location in Totnes are invited to apply to Chapel House Studios, which is recruiting now for people to join its team.

This popular dance studio and wellbeing centre in the heart of Totnes has a thriving programme of daily health, dance, Yoga, pilates, wellbeing and fitness classes for adults and children. Hundreds of people each week visit the centre and, alongside its busy class timetable, it offers a growing choice of therapies in its beautifully presented Therapy Rooms.

Totnes Osteopathy, Totnes Physio and Undone Beauty are based at the centre, alongside therapists offering counselling, massage, hypnotherapy, Bowen Technique, scar work and soft tissue therapy.

Chapel House holds an acupuncture licence and also has rooms available for talking therapies and bodywork.

Victoria Rogers said: “Why not come and join the friendly, professional team who have chosen to work out of Chapel House Studios? We offer clean, quiet, well-presented rooms in a central

Yoga with Natalie @ Chapel House Studios - Totnes

1:1 Private Yoga Session Personal Program for a Realistic Home Practice Transform your life with a simple daily yoga routine tailored to your personal needs.

 07516 720 246 | natalie@loveyogatree.co.uk | www.loveyogatree.co.uk

location and affordable room rates.”

Rooms can be hired for full days, weekly or on an ad hoc basis, from 9am to 5pm or 12 noon to 8pm subject to availability. They are also available for ad hoc hourly hire. Chapel House also welcomes enquiries from professional teachers interested in running classes in the studio.

The centre is located on Station Road, just off Fore Street. l For more information visit www. chapelhousestudios.com/work-fromchapel-house.html Email specifying the dates you are interested in, attaching a copy of your qualification and insurance certificate.

Buckfast’s new yoga studio

I

Training i i C Courses

@ Huxhams Cross Farm - TQ9 6AA

June 30/06/18-1/07/18 Scything the Land with Jeremy Weiss £120 - overnight experience including dinner and camping July 13/07/18 -15/07/18 Water and the Agricultural Organism with Simon Charter £120 - 2.5 days including lunch August 24/08/18-26/08/18 Making an Organic Clay Bread Oven with Gordon Clarke £150 - 3 days including delicious biodynamic lunches prepared by biodynamic cook Wendy Cook September 08/09/18-10/02/2019 Permaculture Design Course September to FebruaryFarm Scale and Smallholding Land Based focus With Marina O’Connell and Bob Mehew £720 - 12 days over 6 weekends

T is hard to imagine a more beautiful and inspiring setting than a converted former mill in the tranquil grounds of Buckfast Abbey.

That is the location for a new yoga studio and retreat centre founded

by Sarah Angilley who has recently relocated to Devon from Cornwall where she managed her own yoga and therapy studio.

Abbey Studio offers weekly Kundalini yoga classes, children’s and teenagers’ yoga classes, meditation and sound bath healing.

Yoga holidays are on offer, too, with the chance to stay in Sarah’s family home or in the grounds of the abbey in a range of comfortable, private accommodation.

One of Sarah’s former yoga students described her classes as “the highlight of my week”, saying: “Sarah creates a beautiful atmosphere, including candles, music, smudging.”

Sarah is also organising regular workshops, including a session with international yoga teacher, Maya Fiennes who was the inspiration behind Sarah’s decision to take up

21/09/18- 23/09/18 Agroforestry g y with Professor Martin Wolfe £120 - 2 day course including light lunch To book your place please visit our website www.apricotcentre.co.uk or email rachelphillips@apricotcentre.co.uk

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yoga teaching.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a beautiful meditation and sound bath at Abbey Studio led by the founders of The Living Voice Megan Selby and Oliver Maxted.

As the sun set on a warm May evening, a group of 10 or so of us, lying on yoga mats in a semi circle, were treated to an audio journey through the landscapes and experiences of our ancestors. Using an array of instruments – including a digeridoo, ocean drum, crystal bowl and shamanic drum – and chanting, Megan and Oliver took us into a deeply relaxed, meditative state. It was bliss.

Abbey Studio also offers a range of holistic treatments in its beautiful therapy rooms, including Reiki, Aromatherapy, hot stone massage and face, head and scalp therapy.

All holistic treatments are £35 per hour or £50 for two hours. l For more information visit: abbeystudio.co.uk or call Sarah on 07975 511128

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It can be lonely at the top WE tend to think of loneliness as something that affects older people or people who live alone.

But, research shows it’s a problem that afflicts a high percentage of business leaders, too.

The Harvard Business Review recently reported that half of business leaders feel lonely and 61% feel this impedes their performance.

Newly-appointed business leaders are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of isolation.

Matthew J Rochford works as a business coach and mentor. A client recently told him “you’re the closest thing I have to a business partner”.

Matthew said: “Our own story within our heads is the biggest challenge we face and that’s why sharing the journey with a trusted ally is such a powerful thing A combination of fear, anxiety, and inhibiting beliefs can power our behaviour to such an extent that we end up feeling alone - even if we are surrounded by great people. The main issue is the thinking that keeps us confined within a narrow version of who we are and what others mean to us. Having a key ally we can work with - someone who can challenge and help us gain deeper insights - means we get results in a way isn’t possible on our own. Plus it’s much more fun than taking that lonely path.”

Matthew believes that part of the problem is the fact that whenever we set about tackling our sense of isolation, our thinking gets in the way - “I can’t do this”, “what will they think of me?” and a myriad of

other disempowering thoughts (often accompanied by crippling feelings) can really hold us back.

He believes that the one insight that can really make a difference is realising that these thoughts are just thoughts, just a story. “They’re not real and they’re not us,” he pointed out. “Once you see this for yourself you can ignore the unhelpful thoughts and get out of your own way. It’s that key insight that can amplify your power in any situation freeing you up to overcome feelings of isolation and start to improve the relationships that really matter to your business.”

So, what are the main benefits of working with a business coach?

“Having a coach that understands you and also understands how the mind works means you’ll always be on the right track. Progress will be easier. It will supercharge your common sense and make the journey infinitely more productive.

Remember the adage “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”. I can help you and your business go far.”

For more information contact Matthew on 07717 172 691

Your mind. Your life. Your success.

Executive and Business Coaching. Call 07717 172 691 or visit matthewrochford.co.uk to book a free introductory session.

Tibetan master and scholar returns

T

HE renowned master and scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, Chamtrul Rinpoche, returns from the Himalayas to Totnes this June for the sixth year in a row.

He will give two teachings at The Civic Hall, High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5SF, on June 14 and 15, 7pm to 9pm each day.

Booking is not required, and the teachings are by donation, please feel welcome to go along.

The teachings will cover the following topics: Thursday 14, To Live And Die In Peace. Friday, 15 June; Healing With The Power Of Mind.

The organisers told us: “Chamtrul Rinpoche is from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet. He is the eleventh in a line of recognised

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reincarnations, and having trained under the some of most eminent teachers of the 20th century he is a highly renowned master and scholar of Buddhism.

Through his invaluable knowledge and practical advice, he compassionately guides people towards inner peace and happiness.”

In Chamtrul Rinpoche’s own words: “Your Buddha nature is beyond the differences of culture and gender.

It does not matter where you come from. It does not matter whether you are a woman or a man. You must always understand this.

You must have confidence in the fact that in this life that you have now, you can become a great practitioner.” l Visit: www.Bodhicitta.org

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COUNSELLING

classifiedads - HAVE A BROWSE THROUGH THE RECONNECT SMALL ADS Print or paint GRIEF SUPPORT

CREATIVE counsellor.

Heartful, Supportive Counselling. Creative Exercises with Art, Sandplay etc.

Adults, Couples and Young People.

Ruth Jenni MBACP. 07974097787 www.oakflower.co.uk Dartington, Newton Abbot and on Skype

HOLISTIC counsellor specialising in trauma/abuse, and for those feelings/ emotions difficult to put into words working with art, sand and outside amongst nature. Annie, www. natureswaycounselling. co.uk, 07760 439760.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

GRIEVING? STRESSED? Counselling and/ or body-based TRE (tension/ trauma release) @ Bowden House, Totnes with Carmella B’Hahn. 01803 867005 carmella@ heartofrelating.com www.heartofrelating. com

MOVEMENT MEDICINE

MOVEMENT MEDICINE open classes with Ailsa Lucas. Dance for awareness, healing, freedom, power, resources and transformation.

Monthly Saturday mornings. Dartington / Plymouth. movementmedicine association.org, ailsa. clare.lucas@gmail. com, 07999 486059.

£18.00 Small ads with BIG impact!

You can advertise in this classified section for as little as £18 (therapists also get a free picture, while space allows - first come, first served). Call Scott now on 01392 346342 or email adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk.

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DAVID OXLEY MA: Fully qualified Accredited BACP counsellor and psychotherapist.

Psychosynthesis and Core Process. Working with Relationship, Depth, Integrity and Soul. Central Exeter, Totnes and Plymouth. www. davidoxleycounselling. co.uk, 07876051093.

www.simplysoulful.co.uk

crystals

JANE Jones ICGT Grad.

A variety of authentic Crystal & Earth Cycle Workshops. For more details see www. crystalearthwoman. co.uk 07791939208

ARTIST Angie Seaway is running sessions starting June 20 and 22. Contact angieseaway13@gmail. com or 07971032927

Waterborn SUP June 3+16+18, July 2+10+16+22+26+30, Kingsbridge Yoga, Oils & Nutrition Master Class Series June 3 + July 1, The Hen House, Kingsbridge Beach Yoga June 14+20+21, July 5+11+19+25+29, Hope Cove Goat Yoga June 15+July 21, Old Parsonage Farm, Dartington Essential Oils Workshop June 21+July 17, The Hen House, Kingsbridge Yoga Cream Tea July 3, The Cottage Hotel, Hope Cove

FOR READERS... an at-a-glance guide to services and products - plus diary dates.

FOR ADVERTISERS... an affordable way to get your message across.

Boxes are £55 and £98 and the lineage ads cost just 90p a word, with a minimum of 20 words.

THE DEADLINE... for the August/September issue is July 1. Call Scott on 01392 346342 or email adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk.

REFLEXOLOGY

SHIATSU

TREE CARE

CLEANSE, relax, balance mind/body connection. £30 full-hour, discounts for initial treatment or course of 3, £75, book 07522344291, nicolasuzanne@ hotmail.co.uk based Totnes Natural Health Centre

SHIATSU in Chagford: Sensitive, powerful bodywork for deep healing/ transformation.

Melanie Ward MRSS tel: 07581 375988, email: melanieshiatsu@ yahoo.co.uk or visit: www. melaniewardshiatsu. co.uk

TOMMY Hutchinson BSc (Hons) Forestry, ND Arboriculture, NPTC Qualified. Sensitive, professional tree care.

Free consultation. Call: 07837486388 Email: universaltreecare@ outlook.com and https:// universaltreecare. wordpress.com

WORKSHOPS & retreats fooling workshops

FRACK FREE TOTNES

Introductions to Fool Expression Workshops on 9-10 of June.

Hittisleigh £100 (£90 conc.) Contact Christie Animas 07980371335 or christiede@hotmail.com.

Meetings are held at the Seven Stars The Plains Totnes at 7pm on last Sunday of the month.

pure power

A retreat from 26-29 July in Somerset with Emma Stow, who said: “At a time of global change trusting and following your intuitive voice and soul’s guidance is a life changing ability that is a great service to your relationships and to the world at large. I am delighted to support you at Soul Rising to walk your own soul’s path with assurance, and love.”

See emmastow.com

Access and explore your pure power in this 2 day workshop using Amanae & Frequencies of Brilliance, ceremony, movement, sound & journaling.

21st & 22nd September, Woodbury Salterton, Devon. Early bird discount available until June 29th £250 Hosted by Laura Mulvihill www. lauramulvihill.com and Cat Moyle www.butterflytherapies.com contact us for more info.

yoga

soul rising

Katheryn Trenshaw Passionate Presence Centre for Creative Expression phone: +44 (0) 1803 863552 skype: katheryntrenshaw email: post@ktrenshaw.com

VINYASA yoga classes led by Sue. The art of healing with yoga - opens and heals the heart.

For details: www. onmymat.ninja or 07400 242433

Re-Membering l Re-Invention l Re-Vision Two-hour, one-to-one sessions for professional, personal and artistic development - by phone or Skype

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

Feel welcome to sign up for our free newsletter at

www.passionatepresence.org www.reconnectonline.co.uk

T HE N AUTILUS R OOMS

COURSES AND WORKSHOPS Mindfulness, Sandplay and Art Monthly group on a Tuesday Evening

Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

Introduction to Therapeutic Art facilitated

by Ruth Baker Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists accredited course.

Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

Introduction to Sandplay Therapy facilitated by Ruth Baker Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists accredited course.

Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

Mindfulness and Creativity A day of mindfulness and creativity for all.

Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

Certificate in Integrative Sandplay Therapy facilitated by John Daly & Ruth Baker

Fabulously located in the centre of Totnes, yet tucked away in a quiet alley, with easy access to short and long-term parking. Check out our amazing list of highly qualified therapists and interesting events. Leaflets are available at the end of the alley opposite The Mansion and next to Lloyds bank. If you are looking for a wonderful venue for a group, meeting or CPD event, do come and check out our lovely group room.

Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists accredited course.

Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

Certificate in Therapeutic Art facilitated

by John Daly & Ruth Baker Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists accredited course.

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4 463 7 zivawe 90 a www.zivver@gmail.co m aweav er.co.u k

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To support, inspire and review the effectiveness of your work with children.

Email: lynne.tarrab.snooks2016@gmail.com

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The Work of Byron Katie with Sylvia Karathanos

Baker SW, Ad v

Swap your Kids: living lovingly with adolescents

A monthly group offering mentoring/ supervision for those people working with children and young people.

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A, Dip

Email: lynne.tarrab.snooks2016@gmail.com

What the world needs now: creativity, judgment and empathy

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2-day course informed by the Shambala work of Chogyam Trungpa. An introduction to finding and developing your essential Warrior Nature. Using breath work, meditation, movement, mark-making and inquiry to reconnect us to our deeper capacities. In these ways we will begin to meet our experiences with heartful resilience, focus and strength.

Email: lynne.tarrab.snooks2016@gmail.com

cr Ac Aist Baker m th il.co By Ru a

Ruth

Becoming a Warrior for NOW

Two evening sessions. To understand the neuroscience of the adolescent brain and what it means for parents, workers and friends. Exploring the delights, challenges and potential in living/being alongside adolescents

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Ruth Baker Email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

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A supportive and small group to learn and practice the work of Byron Katie (Fortnightly on Sunday evenings 7-9.30pm)

Call: 01803 868379 Email: skarathanos@phonecoop.coop Find out more at www.thework.com.

Women’s Circle A safe and sacred space for women to come together, use their voices, be heard and be seen.

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therap

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We will connect to the feminine through storytelling, yin yoga, discussion of the feminine, guided meditation and dance. isor & Mento

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Contact: katy-potts@outlook.com

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The Nautilus Rooms • 35a Fore Street • Totnes • TQ9 5HN www.nautilusrooms.uk • nautiluscentre@gmail.com Call Ruth on 07736 334454 or Peter on 07826 414404

Anna Karthauser - massage therapist Offers individual and group tuition on request. To find out more contact Anna.

Call: 07912 612462, Email: anna@karthauser.org or visit www.annakarthausermassage.co.uk