Reconnect #67

The good living and community magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and across South Devon AUG/SEPT 20 ISSUE 67

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

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embodiment in nature A time for incorporation from lockdown

community wellbeing Adapting to the new normal

a county of abundance

economic transition

Celebrating our local produce

New green local business

Your local community life magazine full of Devon life and inspiration during these times of change

Visit us online at www.reconnectonline.co.uk

T HE NAUTILUS R OOMS

The Nautilus Rooms in Totnes specialises in talking and creative arts therapies. We have a team of highly trained and experienced coaches, counsellors, family therapists, psychotherapists, psychologists, relationship therapists, sand play and creative arts therapists.

These mental health professionals work across a range of different theoretical models and with all ages. All are professionally qualified and insured. Wonderfully supported by massage therapists and mindfulness practitioners.

We are in a secluded location just off Fore Street and attract clients from across the South West.

Check out The Nautilus Rooms website for more information. www.nautilusrooms.uk or email nautiluscentre@gmail.com

Sandplay and Creative Therapies The Nautilus Rooms are home to the West Country’s leading provider of Integrative Sandplay and Therapeutic Art trainings.

Our courses are awarded by The Association of Integrative Sandplay Therapists.

Check out our website for more information: www.sandplayuk.uk or contact Ruth Baker at sandplaytherapyuk@gmail.com

Sandplay Therapists Courses

Foundation in Integrative Sandplay Therapy (2 day course):

Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapy (4 3-day weekends):

Advanced Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapy (5 3-day weekends): Foundation in Therapeutic Art (2 day course): Autumn 2020 diploma in therapeutic art and diploma in Integrative sandplay therapy

Mindfulness Courses Sand and Mindfulness

Mindfulness in Nature

Continuing Professional Development Courses:

Introduction to the Archetypes in the Sand

If you are interested in a course, or to enquire about training dates get in touch with Ruth to discuss further.

For more information email: ruthbaker1@gmail.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

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Upfront IT'SWHAT WE'REABOUT

Broughttoyou by...

INTHISISSUE...

LIBRARY OF THINGS

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apy

A diet of flower power - page 23

Share shed goes mobile EDITOR Scott Williams

OUR HERB WALK 9

Medicinal herbalism

ECONOMY TRANSITION 10 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Karen Williams

WELLBEING EDITOR Kate Philbin

COUNSELLOR WRITER Leigh Smith

A new climate economy

GLASS IN BACK

11

The new refillution

A NEW MILL

16

THE NEED FOR SEED

23

MACROBIOTIC

LIVING MADE SIMPLE 18 Appropriate technology

PRICKLES IN A PICKLE

FOXES BOLD AS LOVE 20

WELLBEING PAGES

The bounce forward

Area of natural beauty - page 10

GARDENING EXPERT Joa Grower

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Diversity in food growing

Be aware of the flours

n of

: at

WELCOME...

Scott x

COVERSTORY...

Steps to a better life

Helping hedgehogs

back to reading us on the printed page.

After being online only last issue, many of our regular distribution places are now open, and we are able to get paper copies out across Devon.

Those of you who read the online issue may get a certain sense of déjà vu as a few of the online articles have been reprinted in this issue.

The adaptation to the new normal has been swift in Devon, and for many of the businesses we champion, the adjustment has taken a lot of planning and time. We appeal to all our readers to please support all of our local businesses as much as you can. Reconnect has been no different to other print media companies. Like many we suspended printing at the outset of the lockdown and now face increased competition from social media platforms. We hope that your demand for reliable information and quality content continues. We are grateful for all those that continue to support us.

We champion resilience here, we hope trading can continue in the region as we learn to live with this virus. Stay safe, be kind, and all the best.

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Our holistic health guide

EMOTIONAL HEALTH 27

Navigating the new normal

KATE DOES...

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The feast and fast retreat

CLASSIFIED ADS 39

Reconnect’s small ads FOOD WRITER Jane Hutton

WEBSITE EDITORS www.doetsdesign.com

TECHNICAL AIDE Zelah Williams

STAY IN TOUCH...

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sustainable sources. It is printed using vegetablebased inks and the paper used has been carbon balanced with an area of land preserved in perpetuity with the World Land Trust (WLT) - an international conservation charity that protects the world’s most biologically significant and threatened habitats acre by acre. To learn more about them see www.worldlandtrust.org and carbonbalancedpaper.com.

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Please recycle this magazine by passing it on to someone else after you’ve read it COPYRIGHT © Reconnect Magazine. All rights reserved. No

COVER IMAGES Main picture: French actress Julie Delaurenti

by Samjhana Moon (www.samjhanamoon. com) Left to right: Foxhole Gardens produce by Zoe Jong; alfresco healing by Ruth Baker (nautilusrooms.uk); and ReRooted electric delivery van (www. rerootedorganic.co.uk) That’s a saving of £93.90.

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OCT/NOV issue out end of September - the next deadline is Sept 4 PRINTED BY William Pollard & Co Ltd, Exeter www.pollardsprint.co.uk WEBSITE Visit our website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk.

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Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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news&views Covid help

2 solar projects

FOR Coronavirus advice in Devon and latest updates see www. devon.gov.uk/coronavirus-advicein-devon/

Covid artistry

RAMM have commissioned Exeter artist Amy Shelton to create a new work in response to the lockdown Biophilia: The Exeter Florilegium.

It will be an artwork from a herbarium collection of pressed plant specimens that she has been compiling on daily walks in Exeter collected between March and October 2020, coinciding with restrictions imposed by Covid-19.

Plus pressed flowers contributed by staff and patients from the RD&E hospital as well contributions from the gardens and window boxes of people self-isolating.

Covid support

SAMARITANS: 116 123 SANEline: support@sane.org.uk MIND: www.mind.org.uk CRISIS: Text SHOUT to 85258 CALM (for men): 0800 585858 (5pm-midnight) SILVER LINE (age 55+): 0800 470 8090

Talk to the Frog

EAT That Frog, the community interest company who have training centres in Newton Abbot, Torquay, Paignton and Plymouth, are reaching out to anyone who is stuck at home and getting bored, stressed and isolated, by providing access to free online courses to help them manage their health and wellbeing.

Everyone who books a place will get telephone support from friendly tutors and access to short, fun, modules that can be accessed from a computer or smartphone, with topics such as Sleeping Well, Managing Healthy Relationships, Personal Safety, Diet & Fitness and Emotional Resilience.

Eat That Frog are also helping people who need to find work during the crisis, with free online support for Job Applications, Interviews and Writing Your CV. The short modules are achievable in a few hours and give people tools to help them manage through this difficult time – local residents who have taken up the offer of support have found it’s really helped their wellbeing. The courses are available to anyone in Devon who is in need. l If you’d like to take advantage of this free support, please call 01803-551551 or email info@eatthatfrog.ac.uk.

More details can be found at: eatthatfrog.ac.uk/online-adultcourses/

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Exeter Street Arts Festival returns

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USIC in Devon Initiative (MIDI) have successfully brought the city centre streets of Exeter to life each year for the last four years with the ever-popular Exeter Street Arts Festival! But then, COVID hit and all plans for their 5th birthday celebrations this year came to a halt…Until now!

The organisers of the annual event held on the last bank holiday Saturday of August, are planning to hold all activities outside in line with new government recommendations, activating space in the city in a safe and interesting way by bringing music, art and street culture back for free to everyone.

The non-profit community interest company, who exist to provide opportunities for musicians in Devon, usually pay 100 or so artists, a team of freelancers, university interns and volunteers to pull the festival together.

It usually takes 11 months to organise venues, programming, promotions, websites, social media platforms, pitches, traders, sponsors, promotions

and headliner negotiations.

Altogether it costs around £30k to put on. This year, the MIDI team are starting with zero budget and are calling out to performers, artists, arts organisations, local government and local business to come together with the MIDI team and bounce back out of lockdown and deliver a scaled down, but nevertheless inspiring event to bring the city back together as it emerges from lockdown and all within a fraction of the budget ESAF usually requires.

Since lockdown the Devon music industry has seen cancellations of all live shows, incomes evaporating, careers on pause and the loss of jobs and contracts. MIDI’s aim with this crowd funder is to ensure all of the monies raised go towards artist fees and festival production as a way to help pump some much-needed life blood back into our valuable yet deprived arts network. l If you want to get involved in any way please email info@musicindevon. org

THE two Exeter Community Energy projects at Westbank and The Beacon have been completed ahead of the deadline and despite the problems of lockdown. They are among the UK’s last solar projects to get government feed-in-tariff subsidies.

“Community energy projects like this make a real difference to our local area,” ECOE director Andy Extance says. “They are helping local economies and reconnecting people to the energy they use, so they become producers as well as consumers.”

Together the new sites should save 35 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, roughly the carbon footprint of seven UK people.

This important but small impact underlines society’s collective responsibility, including on energy efficiency and less use of fossil fuel-powered transport.

The projects are now part of the Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) portfolio, with ten sites generating power and returning wealth to the city and Devon more broadly. The solar panels at The Beacon have 29.9kW peak generation capacity, and could generate 22MWh of power per year, the equivalent of about five homes’ annual electricity consumption.

Westbank has 45.9kW peak capacity, and the potential to generate 43MWh of power per year, or about ten homes’ worth of power. With its other sites, this brings ECOE’s peak output capacity to 484kW.

Share shed goes mobile

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NE of our favourite projects, the Share Shed - Totnes’ library of things, is changing how people think about consumption and engage with each other at a community level. They have launched the world’s first mobile library of things in Devon. Totnes’ Share Shed has gone mobile serving Buckfastleigh, Ashburton and South Brent in a van, specially converted with the help of the National Lottery Community Fund and the Network of Wellbeing (NOW).

Mirella Ferraz, NOW’s Project Coordinator, says: “The Share Shed supports people to get things done in an affordable and convenient way, whilst helping to reduce the resources we use. With the mobile version of the project, we’re excited to make the Share Shed accessible for even more people.”

Over 700 people have signed up as Share Shed members since 2017, when the project was founded, enabling them to borrow things that they don’t use regularly, and consequently saving money, space and resources. The Share Shed’s collection is versatile and includes things such as camping equipment, gardening tools, musical instruments, household appliances, bicycles, things for when a baby comes to

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visit and much more. The most popular items include carpet cleaners, pressure washers, electric drills, strimmers, and sewing machines.

Share Shed Manager Mark Jefferys says, “Everybody we meet seems to understand the concept of ‘borrow, don’t buy’, and it’s a great feeling when we can help somebody out with the things they need to complete a task; be it putting up a shelf, or getting a house ready for a sale.

Expanding this possibility to other towns, and facilitating even more sharing is a great and exciting next step for us.”

In the UK, the Share Shed is one of 14 established projects facilitating this kind of sharing. Some projects, like the Edinburgh Tool Library, are solely focused on tools (in this case, with an impressive offer of over 1,500 tools), whilst others are all about baby-related items or simply toys.

Mark Jefferys, Share Shed Manager and the Mobile Share Shed The good news is that this is a growing global movement, which acknowledges the importance of a different way of being and consuming, whilst fulfilling the need of those who want to access things rather than own stuff. Such a shift is supporting people and communities to become much more resourceful and sustainable. After all, why buy when you can borrow? l People can already become a member of the Share Shed by paying a membership fee (sliding scale between £5 and £30), and place reservations online. To see everything the library of things currently offers and for further information, visit www. shareshed.org.uk. For any enquiries, contact info@shareshed.org.uk.

NEWS&views Outdoor events

WITH the relaxing of some social distancing restrictions WildWise who run outdoor events for all ages in Devon are delighted that many of their summer events and camps are going ahead with group sizes being appropriately managed and social distancing and hygiene protocols being adhered to.

More at wildwise.co.uk.

Blooming gong

THE Kingsbridge in Bloom Team have been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. It’s the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in communities.

Snooky return

SNOOKY Fest the fun filled charity run family day out with live music at Warren Farm in Dawlish has announced it will return on July 17 2021 with all tickets from this year’s postponed event valid for next year.

Cinema reopens

PLYMOUTH Arts Cinema has released its plans to reopen on Saturday September 26, following months of closure as part of the Plymouth Art Weekender. The cinema will be screening “This Is Us,” a free programme of short films.

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Queering Exeter’s museum online

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EMBERS of Devon’s LGBTQ+ community are being asked to make contributions to a Queer Collector’s Case as part of the Out and About: Queering the Museum project at the Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.

People are invited to share a queer object from home via a photograph or video, with an explanation of why they have chosen it, and what it means to them. This new collection of queer objects is inspired by RAMM’s ‘What Do You Collect?’ display case and will become a digital collector’s case, added to over the course of the project.

The Queer Collector’s Case is just one part of an extensive project, Out and About: Queering the Museum, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This collector’s case is a way for LGBTQ+ individuals to share and communicate something about who they are and what they have experienced. A first as a local collection in the South West, this initiative seeks to communicate a vast array of stories, reflecting the different experiences of people who identify as LGBTQ+.

Artist and writer Natalie McGrath, said: “As Pride parades around the UK, including our very own much cherished Exeter Pride, are put on hold to ensure public safety, we have been looking for ways to engage our LGBTQ+ community, and to celebrate its queerness online. This has included talking to the Trustees of Exeter Pride to look for ways to engage queer folk

Seeking volunteers EMBERCOMBE are starting up their local volunteering days again and seeking Devon based volunteers who want to get back to nature and help on their 50 acre rewilding site with varied tasks in woodland, orchards and herbal garden. Sign up for updates on dates starting in Aug see https://bit. ly/2Uqv6oM

#Saveourvenues

whilst we can’t march, gather and celebrate. We are very excited to announce our Queer Collector’s Case. At the heart of this project is a desire for social engagement to flourish and for the empowerment of often unheard LGBTQ+ voices and individuals’ stories. We are looking for ways to feel connected to a wider web of queer folk, to hear your stories and, by bringing them together, create a uniquely special collection all of our own. Personal objects hold many stories, especially ones that might not have been shared before in a public sphere.” l To see the submissions so far, or to contribute to the Queer Collector’s Case, visit. outandabout.exeter.ac.uk/ collectors-case-contribution/

THE ‘Save Our Venues’ campaign is hoping to reach artists, music fans and the wider music industry in order to help save the hundreds of grassroots music venues across the UK. Acts are being encouraged to head to the campaign’s website if they wish to help save a venue currently in crisis, where they can access “the tools and guidance to perform an ‘at home’ gig in support of that particular venue”. See saveourvenues.co.uk.

Treasure hunt

TREASURE Trail is a socially distant way for the family to uncover the hidden secrets of 20 trails around South Devon whilst solving a set of clues on a circular route of approximately two miles.

Booklets for each trail are less than £10, find out more at www.treasuretrails.co.uk.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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

The tale of the new theatre LOCAL author Phil Smith (previously featured in Reconnect 63 and 65) has been writing about something big in his life rather than poetry, walking and place and mythogeography.

Phil said: “It feels like it’s the right time to unveil a little of its story: in 1980 I got a phone call to go to a small mining village in Nottinghamshire to help with the first show of a new theatre company – TNT Theatre. 40 years later (before Covid brought everything to a halt) it has become the most popular touring theatre company in the world. It plays more venues in more countries than any other live theatre company.”

Along with the artistic director, long time friend and colleague Paul Stebbings, they have written up the story of the company as it emerged from the small scale UK touring circuit to entangle with music theatre, global touring and geopolitics.

Phil said: “The book tells of work both sides of the wall in Cold War Berlin, a #MeToo ‘Pygmalion’ in Istanbul, collaborations in Costa Rica and with the People’s Liberation Army Shanghai Farce Troupe, rehearsing with the religious police in Tehran and touring Poland in 1989 as the Wall falls. As well as tracing the often bumpy development of the company from our first show ‘Harlequin’ to recent works like ‘My Sister Syria’ and ‘Dracula and the Eco-Warrior’, the book explains the company’s abiding principles of grotesquerie and combining experimental with popular, taking inspiration from Russian director Vsevolod Meyerhold.” l If you use the promotional code TP20 at checkout, you can get the book for £12. Visit www. triarchypress.net/tnt.html for more info.

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Summer reading challenge for kids goes digital

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OCAL Libraries are calling for children to sign up to the Silly Squad Summer Challenge and read six books this summer as part of the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge.

The Summer Reading Challenge runs until Saturday September 5 and encourages children aged 4 to 11 to enjoy the benefits of reading for pleasure over the summer holidays, providing lots of fun as well as preventing the summer reading ‘dip’.

With the disruption caused by Covid-19 the 2020 Challenge is in a new digital format designed to keep children engaged and interested in reading. It will support parents and carers with children at home, offer schools exciting ways to animate remote learning, and provide great content for those back in the classroom.

The 2020 Challenge features bespoke artwork from award-winning children’s author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson (Amelia Fang; Evil Emperor Penguin; I Don’t Want Curly Hair).

Last year the Challenge motivated 14,000 children in Devon and Torbay to keep reading to build their skills and confidence. This year, the Summer Reading Challenge will celebrate funny books, happiness and laughter. Children join the Silly Squad, an adventurous team of animals who love to have a laugh and get stuck into all sorts of funny books!

The Summer Reading Challenge website is free to access and features games, quizzes and downloadable activities that encourage children to take part in reading related activities.

Children who complete the Challenge by reading at least six books over the summer, will be able to download a certificate. Once the libraries have re-opened, children can bring their certificate to their local library to claim a special Silly Squad medal as a reward for their achievement.

Although Devon and Torbay Libraries are currently on a phased return to physical buildings, libraries will deliver the Challenge through virtual services and the digital lending catalogue. Libraries will run a summer season of online events and as libraries reopen families will be able to use the Choose & Collect book service if they wish to access physical books during this challenge.

The Summer Reading Challenge website is free to access and features games, quizzes and downloadable activities that encourage children to take part in reading related activities.

Visit Devon Libraries and Torbay Libraries websites to find out how you can access eBooks and audiobooks for free so that you can complete the Challenge at home. Register for the challenge at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. l You will find out what’s on by visiting devonlibraries.org.uk or torbaylibraries.org.uk, looking at your local library’s Facebook or contacting your local library.

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

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NEWS&views Devon Open Studios 2020 to go ahead

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HERE’S good news for two hundred local artists, many of whom have suffered extreme financial hardship this year, Devon Open Studios is returning for a sixteenth year.

The event supporting Devon’s artists will go ahead on September 12-27 in line with lockdown easing restrictions.

Run by the Devon Artist Network (DAN) it champions the individual, self-employed artists and galleries in Devon, including supporting artists through economic hard times. This year will be no exception.

After consultations between the Board and the artists who signed up to open their private studios to the public, the agreed plan is to connect the region’s talented artists with the local art loving general public, giving their work exposure, feedback, and sales.

Many Devon artists have suffered extreme financial hardship during the lockdown period and Devon Open Studios enables them to sell their work without commission straight to the public, allowing a crucial economic boost in these unprecedented times. Participants will manage and control the social distancing procedures and allow the public access to their studios many of which are separate buildings or annexes.

Natacha Du Pont De Bie from DAN said: “At present the DAN Board are all collaborating with artists to reimagine and meet the needs of the artists involved this year, focusing on a larger scale digital marketing campaign and creating an online ‘flippable’ brochure.”

Devon Open Studios will provide the framework and support for the artists to ensure that all the venues will have the safety of both visitors and artists as their first priority.

Natacha added: “Over the years Devon Open Studios has seen nearly half a million visitors enjoy the event and we hope that both regulars and those new to us will seek us out again.” l Follow Devon Artist Network on social media and more information about event can be found on the website: www.devonartistnetwork.co.uk.

A free guide to the event with colour coded maps and every artist illustrated, will be available digitally in August.

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Cat run

TO celebrate Honiton Branch of Cats Protection opening up to start to rehome cats again Bob Carter, who is Branch coordinator, decided to get active. Along with 4 other members of Axe Valley Runners Bob ran 5km, on a course shaped like a cat.

The runners took care to socially distance in households and all the ladies were sporting cats’ ears!

The Branch has started to advertise for homes for their cats in care. This will be undertaken following Cats Protection guidance, in accordance with Government guidelines, social distancing and to not put at risk volunteers or members of the public.

Bob said: “We are as yet unable to take in any cats other than extreme emergencies, but this is being constantly reviewed and we hope further announcements will be made in the near future It will be great to get back to looking after all the local cats and kittens who need us.” l If you would like more information about cats looking for home right now or the work of the branch, please contact Cats Protection’s Honiton Branch on 01404 45241.

UK’s first sausages to use eco-packaging A Devon sausage-maker has become the first meat producer to use packaging that is all compostable. Charles Baughan from Westaways said: “If you walk down a meat or dairy aisle in a supermarket you will see that just about every product is wrapped in plastic. As a company that cares about the environment, we asked ourselves why that should be.

And, although it has taken a lot of investment and patience, we now have the answer.” Charles’ sausage range are sold in eco-friendly Forestry Stewardship Certified cardboard cartons and a revolutionary cling-film style wrapping mad of bioplastics. “In a compost heap it will fully disintegrate within six months and fully biodegrade within a further six months without leaving any microplastic traces - I know that because I’ve been trialling it in my own garden.”

Chris hopes: “The example we have set changes the way we do things in the food industry and other companies should follow our lead - which would result in the environment being freed of thousands of tons of plastic.”

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Evolution, Exeter's Holistic and Ethnic Shop will very soon be moving again or maybe already by the time you read this.

It's only just across the road and down a bit to 157 Fore Street. We're making some changes and may include therapy rooms and a coffee shop eventually.

Hope to see you there soon!

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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Photo shows Jeff with some of the participants at an outdoor improv session in Paignton

NEWS&views The joy of improv IF there are worthwhile lessons to be learned from the Corona virus crisis, it is that we have to be flexible, adaptable and creative in our approach to many aspects of our lives. And how important it is to make positive connections with others in order to maintain our mental and physical wellbeing.

Interestingly, these are the very characteristics which can be effectively developed through drama improvisation, a particular passion of one of our regular Reconnect contributors, actor, facilitator and life coach, Jeff Sleeman. Before the crisis, Jeff was running regular Saturday morning improv classes which, like so many other activities, had to be suspended once lockdown was imposed. But with the loosening of restrictions, Jeff has been able to restart the classes - at present outdoors and with appropriate social distancing.

Said Jeff: “The joy of improv is that anyone, with or without acting or performance experience, can do it and it very quickly builds a real connection between the

participants. Our sessions always promote a lot of laughter which is highly therapeutic and very welcome after the trials of the last few months. Doing the classes outdoors has been an interesting experience and I’m pleased to say that people seem to be embracing the change and enjoying them as much as ever.”

The two hour classes take place in Paignton every Saturday morning, starting at 11.00 at a secluded outdoor location close to the Preston Sands Hotel where the group meet.

Payment is by donation. l For more details contact Jeff on 07977 272174 or email contact@jeffsleeman.com you can discover more about Jeff by visiting his website www.jeffsleeman.com

Donna and Dermot return

WE’VE featured Hilda Kalap before, both as a healer and an author along with her series of wellbeing themed Donna and her dog Dermot books. Collaborating again with Ukrainian illustrator Jacob Artemenko, Hilda has a new book out called Donna and Dermot Stand Strong. This is her third published picture book following Donna and Dermot on the Move (published July 2017) and Donna and Dermot Heal (published June 2019). In this book Donna spends time with her cousin Lily and Lily’s newly-adopted dog, Fudge, a Jack Russell terrier like Dermot.

Both girls start to understand just how much humans can learn from dogs and other animals as they reflect on ways to protect the environment and unconditional love. Donna also confronts school bully Sean and his dog Storm, becoming a role model to two younger girls by demonstrating her courage and integrity.

Free award for eco-kids THE charity Eco-Schools is accepting applications from local schools to earn a free Green Flag certification. Paid for by Frugi, this British organic kids wear brand is funding 150 schools in the UK to achieve this accredited eco-certification. Schools may be out for summer, but it’s a perfect time for schools to plan this activity for September.

Helping to raise the next generation of ecowarriors, the Eco-Schools global programme empowers kids and teens to take environmental actions to get their school and community involved.

Pupils follow a Seven-Step programme that results in achieving an international Eco-Schools Green Flag Certification. Frugi is donating funds to help up to 150 UK schools achieve their Green Flag status. Each year Frugi donates 1% of turnover to charity and has so far donated £720,000 over the past 16 years to help children and environmental non-profit organisations. l Find out more about the Eco-Schools programme and register for free on their website: https://www.eco-schools.org.uk

Living in harmony with the natural cycles helps reduce stress and enhance your wellbeing. It’s so easy to be in tune when you have a daily reminder.

With a quick glance at a menstrual cycle or moon phase clock you’ll be up-to-date with what phase you’re in.

You and your family will always know where you are in relation to the cycles both within and around you. Helping to manage your energy, emotions and schedule with greater ease and in flow with the sacred cycles.

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“I love my menstrual cycle clock! It’s so useful and pretty as well. I love how it supports me on my path as a cyclical woman and how much easier the clock makes it to integrate my menstrual wisdom in my daily life.” Josianne

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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.

This issue Scott has to come clean on his passions. It’s been a period of living history for your editor.

It’s now time for cautious optimism

A

S my friends on my social media feed know, all too well, I’m a pandemic addict. As I embarked on my O levels (showing my age) I loved science fiction and biology.

I found viruses, bacteria and phages fascinating. Tales of space travelling bugs descending on Earth or being found in unexplored habitats were common in pulp SF anthologies. I loved Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy where Adams writes of a race in a distant galaxy called Vl’Hurg. After hearing Arthur Dent say “I seem to be having tremendous difficulty with my lifestyle” through a random wormhole, they travel thousands of years across the empty wastes of space in an interstellar war fleet to destroy Earth - where due to a ‘terrible miscalculation of scale’ the entire battle fleet is accidentally swallowed by a small dog.

I remember an English Literature class we had where a tube TV on a stand was wheeled in to watch The Roses of Eyam (which had its world premiere at The Northcott Theatre in Exeter in 1970) a tale of a village in Derbyshire where villagers escaped the plague by an exodus into isolation, building shacks in the hills, or living in caves. I remember I spent that summer making isolation plague dens in trees, caves, holes dug in the ground, and even a stream.

I was eager to find out more about plagues and pandemics and the Literature coursework in Samuel Pepy’s diary of daily life in 17th century London helped.

At the same time I had a growing interest in politics and punk in Thatcher’s early ‘80s Britain. One night I watched George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead film. A satire on the exploitation of consumer culture.

His mindless living dead horde’s attempts to get into the mall are never-ending, as their memories from their former living selves reminds them that this was once a place they needed to be at, they have a compulsion to be there, and once inside they shuffle around aimlessly.

From then on I was hooked on zombie and pandemic movies.

It’s been rather familiar seeing this whole global pandemic unfold.

I’ve bored friends rigid with my fascination for pandemics with constant updates on CV-19’s virology, epidemiology, contagion, exposure, symptoms, effects, treatments, and the politics.

Once we started coming out of lockdown the hordes of people in queues outside Primark made me feel like we were living in Romero’s film. Even more so as government failings were highlighted, media spread misinformation, paranoia drove fears, lockdown highlighted

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health issues and domestic violence, protests flared around racism (George Floyd’s killing), and suddenly his celluloid critique on society was all too real.

Roses of Eyam’s theme became prescient. Social distancing and isolation in a global pandemic became THE factor in mankind’s latest battle with infectious global disease on a pandemic scale. Controlling movement in metropolitan populations around the world means country density is not significantly related to the infection rate. A first in every airborne pandemic going back across history. For the first time in our species’ history inaction and isolation resulted in saving millions of humans from infection.

CV-19 has transformed our personal lives and spotlit pressing political, economic, and social questions. We can now transform the world, but it depends on whether Governments attempt to go back to normal or embrace this ‘reset moment’. Will the virus induced changes, in public health and education, in race-relations and climate change, stem the recent trend toward populism and nationalism and foster a resurgent international co-operation?

It’s hard to tell. Certainly attitudes to China are hardening, but that could be because we’ve come to realise how we depended upon them to make so much for us for so long. We now know we need shorter supply chains, and domestic manufacturing but do we also need to continue to buy stuff we really don’t need?

Have we learnt the lessons of Dawn Of The Dead? Can we consume less and reset to a green recovery? It will require major action by governments and other established institutions.

The economic shutdowns have heightened awareness of climate change and of the human causes of carbon emissions. But, it’s not yet clear whether the world will adopt new, greener strategies wholesale. CV-19 has amplified social problems and accelerated political movements; people are readier to confront and talk bluntly about race, climate change, corporate responsibility, and other issues of our age. We’ve come to reevaluate the worth of simple human connection. There’s some signs of a positive shift, even if it’s just in the number of major American companies that have embraced the anti-racism message.

Given the enormous number of lives and jobs tragically lost it seems strange, that once we reach it, our post-pandemic future offers reason, if not for unbridled optimism, at least for cautious hope.

Scott

W

HATEVER this year has brought us, we have shown as a human species how adaptive we can be.

The two herbs on our virtual herb walk together today can be seen wild in woodland or hedgerow settings, or in garden varieties.

Imagine a warm sunny day, walking along the edge of a woodland, with a meadow on one side. The birds are singing and there is just enough breeze to make it comfortable.

On the bank of the meadow some pale lilac flowers are just opening, in several clumps of dark green leafy foliage. Wild Oregano – Origanum vulgare flourishes in the hardiest conditions amongst grasses and other wild flowers.

Crushing the leaves releases a strong fragrance, maybe reminding you of Mediterranean cooking, or just a fresh almost antiseptic smell. Best gathered when the sun has been on the plants, as with all plants containing high levels of volatile oils, the plant will produce more oils in response to heat as a protective measure to prevent drying out. Both Oregano in the wild, or in the garden, including it’s relation Marjoram, contain constituents which are strongly antiseptic. This can be taken as a tea to help symptoms of a common cold and cough. The components also aid the digestion, especially after rich or fatty foods. The volatile oils have a strongly antifungal effect and can help as part of a regime to combat athletes foot when used in a foot bath regularly.

Use the leaves fresh or dried. To dry, lay the stalks on paper or hang upside down tied loosely with string, in an airy room out of the sunshine.

Wild Oregano

Turn daily until dry and crispy. Then store in an airtight container. A stalk or two per pot of tea can then be enjoyed all the year round.

Sage is a common garden shrub with several varieties available from garden centres. Commonly used in cooking, and especially nice sprinkled on a lentil or bean soup it aids digestion, and combats the wind which may be triggered by consuming pulses.

The purple variety has a tradition of use in sore throats, used as a tea or gargle. The common flowering variety can be used in just the same way, but is also used for hormonal imbalances, as it is high in phytoestrogens (plant molecules similar, though weaker than our own human oestrogen), it can be particularly helpful for menopausal hot flushes.

A short step into the woodland area from our meadow pathway may find Wild Sage growing, also known as Wood Sage, sometimes Wood Germander – Teucrium scorodonia, very similar in appearance to garden sage, but less aromatic, and with pale greenish flower spikes.

Wood sage is most commonly used as a bitter digestive to help poor digestive function or after rich food.

It has strong antiseptic properties and can be used as a tea or gargle for a sore throat in a similar way to garden sages.

As always be mindful picking plants with the land owners permission, and leave plenty for regrowth. Be sure of your identification and don’t self diagnose, if your symptoms persist, see a professional. Dawn l Find out more about m) Wood Sage (Teucriu /commons. herbalism and Dawn at https:/ 3.0,

By H. Zell - Own work, CC BY-SA www.torbay-herbalist.

016 1189 urid=1 php?c wikimedia.org/w/index. co.uk

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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Heart shape created by Vintage Machinery at Soar, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the legislation which created National Parks and AONBs. Picture from BBC Spotlight.

AONB look to celebrate 60th

I

N August this year South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be celebrating their 60th anniversary. The unit are delighted after securing support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards its Celebrating South Devon @60 programme.

The South Devon AONB is a special designation denoting the stunning natural beauty and distinctive landscape of the area; it covers 130 square miles (337 square kilometres) of coastline, estuaries, and countryside, and was designated as protected landscape in August 1960.

The Celebrating South Devon @60 campaign funding was made possible by money raised

by National Lottery players and will see the AONB wide ranging and plans to raise their profile as one of Britain’s finest protected landscapes via a programme planned from August 2020 to July 2021.

Celebrating South Devon @60 will look at life in the past, present and into the future. Elements will include: l Living here in the past – a series of mini-projects looking at specific events which have had an impact on our landscape. l Living and working here now - a programme of visits, walks and talks, led by local people, about farming, fishing, boats and waterways, holidays and food in the AONB. l Living here in the future - A filmed, targeted, participative consultation with a range of groups, exploring what they think the AONB will look like in the future.

Cows coming in to milk near the Coast Path Holbeton

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The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Stuart, McLeod Director, London & South said: “We are delighted to help mark and celebrate this important anniversary. The AONB is a designated exceptional landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are precious enough to be safeguarded in the national interest.”

Guided heritage walk near Start Point Roger English, Manager of the South Devon AONB Unit commented: “AONBs are protected and enhanced for nature, people, business and culture. We want this celebratory year to involve as many individuals, communities, and businesses across the AONB marking its significance and promoting its wellbeing for now and the future.”

Part of the programme will feature a 60@60 walking challenge to raise funds for Young Carers to have days out enjoying a variety of activities from surfing and canoeing to foraging and photography, in partnership with the South West Coast Path The official launch of the programme takes place on Monday August 3 with representatives from the AONB Partnership and South West Coast Path team walking a stretch of the 60 miles of South West Coast Path in the AONB from Broadsands to Berry Head. l The programme may be modified depending on Covid 19 guidelines at the time.

This Pandemic brings new possibilities for economic transition JAY TOMPT, manager of the REconomy Centre in Totnes, sets out a pathway to a new climate economy, and plots a route to a new economic transition.

M

ANY people don’t want to go ‘back to normal’ but want to go forward to something better. This is obvious by now. The economy crashed but what many notice is bird song, clean air, simpler patterns of life.

Citizens also notice the billions of pounds the government suddenly conjured up. There’s always been plenty of money for things like healthcare, education, housing, energy transformation, it’s just that there’s been a lack of leadership, honesty and justice. Now we know addressing climate and ecological crises is possible and affordable. Might this bring new political expectations backed by a greater willingness across all parts of society to act; to hold those in power accountable or depose them?

The government is acting to save business as usual, with bailouts for banks and big business. Action on the climate and ecological crisis remains in the background. We’re facing, perhaps, another Great Depression and wise government spending is the obvious remedy.

Some conservatives are poised to reimpose austerity. But calls for a ‘green new deal’ and #buildbackbetter are rising and getting louder.

The Totnes REconomy Project has tried to be a catalyst for fair, ecological and resilient economic transition. The importance of these goals has become crystal clear during this crisis. Maybe now there’s a chance to realise them. What might an ambitious, inspiring, transformative ‘Local New Deal’ response look like from this point of view?

Economic Transition and Resilience Programme – Our economy must change to meet everyone’s needs, dramatically shrink our ecological footprint, and increase resilience.

This requires more local and bioregionally appropriate methods, more local and regionally-based ownership and accountability. This programme must be ambitious – like the climate economy version of ‘the Moonshot’, perhaps. It would include: l Regional Mutual Bank Network.

There are a small number of startup banks of this kind, such as the South West Mutual. These banks would be essential financial services providers to a vibrant and growing relocalised and resilient economic system. Let’s fund 100 such banks across the country.

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l Regional Transition Enterprise

Ecosystem Fund to accelerate the development of bioregionallyappropriate economies. It could fund 10,000 co-working and incubation spaces across the country; entrepreneurial training programmes,startups and young companies, networks, ‘fab labs’, research and ‘enabler’ organisations. l Farming Regeneration Programme to increase adoption of ‘agro-ecological’ methods, producing more of our food domestically in ways that build soil, ecosystem health and food security.

And attract new farmers, too. l NHS Resilient Provisioning Network would create a robust and resilient supplier ecosystem for essential goods and services for the NHS, social/ green/cooperative enterprises able to produce a range of goods and services, as well as being flexible, adaptable, mutually supportive.

These practical programmes would help us meet the imperative delivered by the IPCC 1.5° report to reduce emissions 45% 2030. And they would build the foundation for long term economic resilience and prosperity.

Clearly, more needs to be done - a just overhaul of the tax system, reforming the planning system, reappropriating land from aristocratic and royal families, and so on.

These and other sensible proposals for economic transformation won’t become part of the national political discourse without the backing of a strong, credible movement. What we learned in the last election is that the party political system is, well, unreliable. This pandemic brings a rare opportunity. It requires citizen action and energy to grasp it.

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NEWS&views Glass is back

DAN Dawson and Richard Eckersley were frustrated at not being able to find a plant milk that was zero waste and good quality. So they founded ReRooted and began delivering plant milks in their electric van to Totnes and the surrounding area. Even during lockdown ReRooted continued to supply their milks. ReRooted is a great example of how new local businesses should be thinking, creating something needed with a regenerative business model that created from greener thinking. Dan explains more…

W

E are ReRooted. We are pioneering the Refillution with our mission to ‘ditch disposable, create a truly ethical alternative to dairy, and inspire positive change in the business world’.

We deliver in glass bottles to local doorsteps across the South Hams (see our postcode checker at www.rerootedorganic.co.uk to check if we deliver in your area), then pick up the empties, wash and refill right here in Totnes.

You’ll also find us in local stores and cafes across Totnes and surrounding towns, Exeter, Plymouth and now as far up as Bristol.

All of our Plantmilks are organic, and always will be. Each one has been blended to find the perfect balance of flavour to bring another level of deliciousness to your breakfast, your hot drink, or just a straight glass of milk.

Our whole business is powered with renewable energy and we currently source our ingredients from an ethical food coop.

We’re growing into our regenerative vision to connect directly with the producers of our ingredients; many of which will be sourced from the UK, all with the highest standards of ecological awareness and biodiversity reinvigoration.

Why ReRooted?

ReRoot – create a deeper, more reciprocal relationship with the earth, and reroute the conventional business practices away from destructive towards regenerative.

ReRooted was seeded from a sense of frustration with tetra pak waste. We looked at the recycling bags bulging outside of our houses, and saw even bigger ones next to cafes. We found out that only around 30% of tetra paks really get recycled. Given that recycling itself is inefficient, we decided to create something to solve this issue.

We also felt that the quality of the plant based milks on offer needed improvement. With only 1% almonds in the leading brand’s almond milks, many of them not being organic, and all of them being UHT, we didn’t trust those milks enough to keep giving them to our kids - we needed to make something better.

Many of the tetra pak milks are made overseas in huge factories and only branded in the UK. We wanted to have a connection with every step of the process, from growing the ingredients, to the delivering of the bottles, and everything in between.

Come join the journey to truly ethical milk. We have crate expectations. l If you have any questions or ideas, or would just like to say hi, drop us a line on hello@ rerootedorganic.co.uk - we would love to hear from you!

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Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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ORGANICGARDENING Resident gardening expert JOA GROWER offers seasonal advice for gardeners as we approach autumn.

Time to think of winter vegetables

W

ELL it won’t be long instructions (it is possible to before autumn is here over do it and kill young plants and you will be busy this way). With brassica plants harvesting your crops such as give the plants a good distance onions and potatoes to store and between each one approximately use over the winter months.

30-44cm (12-18”) for the larger When beds or rows become varieties and 25-30cm (10-12”) cleared, that’s not it for the year. for cabbages, now this might This a great time seem quite a big to plant your beds distance but when or plot with some fully grown they winter vegetables will need it! I like such as leeks to interplant so and brassicas that the space that’s anything isn’t wasted; in the cabbage lettuces and quick family like Kale, Brussels, growing salad Cauliflowers leaves are always and of course good for this. everybody’s Do you have a winter favourite lot of squashes and certainly and pumpkins one of our best growing in your sellers at Growers Time for a dibber Organics, Purple veg plot? Now is Sprouting Broccoli! good time to remove some of the larger leaves that are covering Make sure you rotate your crops, for instance don’t plant your leeks the fruits to allow them to ripen. in the same area as the onions If the weather is particularly wet, were growing as they are all in it may be worth popping a piece the same family. If this is your of wooden board or an old roof first time growing leeks, read on slate under the fruits to stop them as they are planted differently to from rotting. Make sure they most other veg plants. Using a have no damage on them before large wooden dibber or broom you store them for use over the handle make a series of holes winter months. approx. 10cm deep and 10cm apart. Trim the roots of your leeks Lastly spend some time just to about 2cm and then drop them enjoying the garden whist we down into the holes so that only still have some sunny days and the tops of the leeks are showing. warm evenings. It’s amazing how Now fill the hole with water and many good ideas and garden the job is complete! plans come to you as you relax in Before planting, the soil will a chair amongst your beautifully probably benefit from a bit of home grown vegetables and fruits. a feed, use a general fertiliser such as seaweed meal or chicken I hope you’ve all had a wonderful and productive year in your manure pellets, take care to always follow the manufactures garden in this strangest of years!

Joa’s A-Z of Organic Gardening

Q is for Quassia Chips. These are small chips of the wood (they can be purchased from wholefood shops as they are used in some natural head lice treatments). Simmer 30g in 150ml of water, add more water as it boils away. Strain and add 30g of soft soap or eco washing up liquid. Dilute the mixture 3 parts water to 1 part Quassia and soap mix. This is very effective against all types of aphids and gooseberry sawfly, but is bee and ladybird friendly.

R is for Raised Beds. I think most people know what these are, as they have become very popular over the last 30 years. When I built my first raised beds back in the mid 80’s, it caused a great deal of conversation on the allotment site where I gardened. Now they are a very common site. My advice is to make them no more than 1.2mt (4ft) wide and 2.4-3mt (8-10Ft) long. This is so you are able to reach the middle of the bed from both sides and the beds are short enough to easily walk around and you are not tempted to take a shortcut across the soil. Your beds can then be filled with a mixture of soil and homemade or bought compost. Don’ forget that you beds will need a yearly top up to keep them productive.

Just to let you know that Growers Organics will be closing for the winter season in mid September. We look forward to seeing you all again when we reopen in mid February 2021.

Reconnect’s Organic Gardening column is written by Joa Grower of Growers Organics. Visit www.growersorganics.com for the online shop, or call 01752 881180.

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Help for our struggling insect pollinators

W

E all know that pollinating insects like bees are crucial to our survival. An ambitious plan to help our bees, butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects has been launched by Buglife. The Devon B-Lines mapping, funded by Defra, aims to connect some of the county’s best remaining wildlife sites through targeted wildflower habitat creation, linking the moors to the coast and towns to the countryside.

Working with partners including our local authorities Buglife have mapped out a network of potential wildflower habitat – called B-Lines, and inviting farmers, landowners and the public to get involved in creating new pollinator habitat, and practically restoring wildflower-rich grasslands.

Bees and other pollinators are disappearing from our countryside because of a lack of wildflower-rich habitats. Three million hectares, 97%, of the UK’s wildflower-rich grasslands have been lost since the 1930s. Creating rivers of wildflower pollinator habitat will help wildlife move across our countryside, saving threatened species and making sure that there are plenty of pollinators out there to help us grow crops and pollinate wildflowers and enable them respond to threats such as climate change.

Sarah Jennings, County Ecologist at Devon County Council said: “We all rely on pollinators and know that we need to take urgent action to help restore their habitats across Devon. B-lines help us take forward the Get Devon Buzzing initiative as part of a network of action across England. B-lines will also form part of the wider Devon nature recovery network map which is being developed by the Devon Local Nature Partnership.”

Ed Parr Ferris, Conservation Manager at Devon Wildlife Trust added: “B-Lines identifies key networks where wildflower-rich restoration will be beneficial and is one part of a wider network being developed to restore nature, called the Devon Nature Recovery Network. I would encourage everyone to get out and restore existing wildlife habitats and create new native wildlife habitat.”

Richard Knott, Ecologist at Dartmoor National Park said: “The project demonstrates how Dartmoor’s wildflower-rich grassland habitats, already the focus for local projects such as ‘Moor Meadows’, are contributing as part of this wider network through Devon and beyond.” l If you have land which you are interested in restoring to wildflower-rich grassland, or if you would like to get involved in other ways, please get in touch with Buglife – www.buglife.org.uk

Yealm solar farms offer Covid funds IN these uncertain times local initiatives are always seeking financial support to help tackle the coronavirus emergency. Local group Yealm Community Energy (YCE) has made available £48,000 from the Community Benefit Funds of the solar farms it manages, Newton Downs and Creacombe, near Yealmpton, to support local initiatives. £10,000 has been made available immediately with £2,000 allocated to each of the five parishes of Brixton, Holbeton, Newton & Noss, Wembury, and Yealmpton supported by YCE. Applications for these funds are invited now via the YCE website.

So far funds have been allocated to Holbeton Covid-19 Emergency Food Welfare Group, and Newton and Noss Coronavirus Emergency Fund.

As efforts to overcome the virus continue, a further £20,000 will be made available for additional support measures as needed. A third tranche of £18,000 can also be made available if it’s needed. If these funds are not required for coronavirus mitigation they will be used to support other local community projects with an emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability.

Andrew Moore, Director, Yealm Community Energy, said: “This pandemic is the biggest national emergency most of us are likely to see in our lifetimes, and it has been inspiring to see the local community come together to support one another. We know that even a small amount of money can make a big difference in the hands of local people, and we hope that these community funds generated by our solar projects will not only be used where they are most needed to provide immediate assistance, but also help with the longer-term recovery in the Yealm community area.”

YCE expects to launch the first community solar investment offers this summer, allowing local people to have a stake in their local green energy generating assets, and resulting in additional community benefit funds over the lifetime of the two solar farms of £3 million. l See www.yealmenergy.co.uk/service/community-fund for more information.

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news & views How to get YOUR events into Going Out...

WE have currently paused Reconnect’s out of this world GoingOut pages... they will be back When they do we connect all the hot stuff from across the region, categorised for easy access - including your future event.

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.

Slow progress in a time for solace TRANSITION Homes Community Land Trustee Ruth sends this update on the small charity run by volunteers and their housing scheme at Clay Park in Totnes.

W

E hope you have all been managing to stay well and getting all the support you need during this time of COVID pandemic restrictions.

I have so much gratitude at this time for the solace and beauty of our little corner of the world with nature’s abundance on our doorsteps.

The Transition Home Community Land Trust team has been continuing to meet online and things progress, if a little slowly.

More Funding Success!

We have been awarded some “blended” funding – half loan and half grant - from CAF Venturesome in collaboration with Power to Change. This will fund the new planning application and include some other pre-development costs.

CAF Venturesome is the social investment arm of the Charities Aid Foundation who have been active supporters of Transition Homes with a £30K pre-development loan in the early years, agreeing £400k social investment for the build and now this new funding too – Hooray for CAF!

Latest Planning Application

Our new plan to include 8 more homes is in pre-application phase with South Hams, but of course has been delayed due to COVID restrictions. We are in regular contact with them to keep the ball rolling and hoping to hear something soon. For those of you unaware of the new plans more information on this application and feedback from the community consultation we held in February can be found on our website.

Working with local charities to deliver flats in two of our affordable houses The CLT is working with local organisations Young Devon and Robert Owen Communities (now part of United Response) to deliver some of the affordable rental units specifically for young people with support needs and adults with learning disabilities, to create an inclusive community at Clay Park.

Both these organizations felt that their clients would be best served by having small self contained spaces

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rather than having to share facilities.

We have now had our planning approved to convert two of the affordable houses into flats in order to accommodate this need. More info and plans can be found on our website.

Funding for TRESOC Solar Energy Feasibility study

We have had the fabulous news that local community owned social business TRESOC (Totnes Renewable Energy Society) has been awarded a Rural Community Energy Fund grant of almost £30,000. This funding will be used to carry out a feasibility study into the development of a solar photovoltaic (PV) array plus on-site battery storage and electric vehicle charging points at the Transition Homes site Clay Park.

If the study proves successful, a micro-grid will be set up to supply the site, taking renewable solar energy direct to residents at a below-market rate. It is estimated that the PV array could generate 180,000 kWh of energy on which residents will save approximately 10%. As well as improving local energy resilience, this would save an estimated 45 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere annually.

Sally Murrall-Smith, TRESOC’s Operations Manager said, “The grant, worth £29,156, will be used to evaluate the economic viability of the scheme, design the system, determine the best technology mix, and cover organisational and legal costs, community engagement and project management.”

TRESOC intends to raise the capital to install the solar PV panels, microgrid, and operating system, estimated to cost £180,000, thorough a community share-offer.

Clay Park residents will be able to purchase shares in the scheme if they so wish.

There are also plans to develop an on going renewable energy education programme in partnership with local schools and Clay Park residents. l More information about Transition Homes can be found on the Transition Town Totnes website: https://www. transitiontowntotnes.org/transitionhomes/

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13

The mindful man REGULAR contributor and Write to Freedom founder CASPAR WALSH considers how we connect.

Charity goes digital HOSPISCARE, the hospice charity for Exeter, Mid and East Devon, has launched a series of new digital services to increase access to its specialist end-of-life care during the coronavirus pandemic.

They launched a new website which makes it much easier for users to navigate and provides vital resources and advice for healthcare professionals, patients and their families, and anyone in need of support and advice during the pandemic.

The charity also launched a free digital service for care home staff that offers virtual clinic appointments and multidisciplinary team meetings with Hospiscare’s specialist palliative medicine and end-of-life care teams. The service also provides a telephone advice line to support care home staff in the area, staffed by a specialist nursing team offering expert advice on end-of-life care for people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Hospiscare’s use of digital communication has meant that almost 1,000 local people have been supported during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tina Naldrett, Director of Clinical Services at Hospiscare, said: “We really want to encourage people to use our digital platforms as a way of reaching us, as well as coming to our clinics and ward or having visits at home. Using these platforms allows us to support our community safely in many different ways. It is instant, confidential and effective; we look forward to growing the number of people we support in this way.”

Recent technical upgrades have also enabled the hospice’s specialist doctors and nurses to communicate face-to-face with patients and carers without risk of spreading the virus.

Due to the generous donation of an iPad, they have been able to use video calling software to ensure in-patients can stay in touch with their loved ones. l To access Hospiscare’s resources, support and advice on end-of-life care during COVID-19, as well as bereavement support visit: https://www.hospiscare.co.uk.

M

UCH of how I’ve moved through and view the world has been based on having what I believed was good judgement about people. Which could also be called cynicism, scepticism and at times, downright mistrust and suspicion. Growing up in 70’s/80’s London, this was sometimes a life-saving approach. It took a while to start to question this debilitating way of looking at life. Moving to Dartmoor helped.

Rutger Bregman has been opening my eyes (and confirming a quietly held belief) to a wider angle view on human beings. The central message of his book, Humankind challenges what research and history try to tell us about the nature of being human. At our core, we aren’t evil and dark but kind and empathic. That our woes began when we moved from nomadic tribes to putting down roots. Bregman backs this idea up with a mountain of research and examining the existing ‘bad human’ evidence and turning it on its head.

I noticed some years ago that I often felt uncomfortable and struggled to find my ground with people, saying to myself, ‘we don’t click’ and often looked for a quick exit. After god knows how long, I noticed a pattern: when I thought the thought about not connecting to a person, my discomfort and feeling of separation would intensify. And who I was with also seemed to become more uncomfortable. I tried a thought experiment. When I was feeling uncomfortable in someone’s presence, I’d catch the judgment and turn it on its head, saying internally, ‘we are connected.’

Rowing around the UK for charity

STAY SEA SAFE

The Socially Responsible BEACH GUIDE

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Follow Government advice: Follow Governments social distancing advice at all times.

Beach Bound

Check the water quality Download and check the Safer Seas Service App for water pollution alerts.

Be prepared Check the weather forecast and remember your refillable water bottle, ocean friendly sun cream and some warm clothes.

Tell someone Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

Know your limits We aren’t all pro’s, so swim, surf and enjoy the water within your abilities and let’s help protect our emergency services.

Enjoy it The water is great for mind and body so enjoy it, be thankful for it and help look after it.

Stay local Walk or drive to your nearest beach where possible, not your favourite beach.

At the beach

Be aware Obey all signage and if available, be sure to follow lifeguard’s advice at all times. Remember, the tides and wind can rapidly change.

Keep your distance Observe social distancing and keep 2m apart from others, including when you’re in the water. If it’s too busy, come back later.

Heading home Do a mini beach clean Take everything you came with home and if you see rubbish please pick it up.

Every piece of plastic pollution removed from the beach is a victory for the ocean.

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Almost immediately I noticed myself relaxing. And to my surprise, who I was with also seemed to relax. With this telepathic process in mind (!), I started exploring my judgments of people and situations in the wider world. When confronted with another challenging individual I repeated the mantra, ‘you’re good, doing your best, any difficulty is a call for connection’.

My mistrust is all too often based on wounds and lifelong patterns begun at school and crafted, over time, into weapons of defence and isolation. I chose the same internal connection technique in the wider world, telling myself that whoever I had the Lidless Eye of Mordor on this time, I’d say (pray), ‘you are a good person. If I Struggle with your behaviour, where possible, I’ll challenge it, but I choose to believe you are kind at heart’. I’m choosing not to right people off because of something they say or do, because at heart I believe (and this has taken a long time) people are good; pain and suffering arise from pain and suffering.

The road ahead seems perilous and uncertain for sure (doesn’t it always?) but choosing to see the good in all, people, however deep it may be buried beneath hurt and frightening behaviour, eases my system and opens my heart. A risky but essential step. l Caspar is founder of the award-winning addiction and trauma recovery charity, Write to Freedom. www.writetofreedom.org.uk

Home time Avoid gathering in groups and head home as soon as you’re done.

Don’t forget to wash your hands and gear, as soon as possible.

N the wee small hours of July 5 four young men from Exeter set off on a nautical charity challenge that, if successful, would make them the youngest team ever to row non-stop, unsupported around the UK. The Exe Endurow Team consisting of Harry Lidgley, Oliver Dawe-Lane, Arthur Chatto and Charles Bromhead endured a tough few months training during lockdown, self-isolating as a team, training at Exeter Rowing Club gym, for the challenge that has only ever seen four boats complete it.

The team who had no prior rowing experience, left Tower Bridge in London at around 2:30am to start the 2,000-mile GB Row Challenge 2020, known as one of the toughest races in the world. The challenge is a non-stop, unsupported rowing race around the UK mainland, setting off from Tower Bridge in London. It’s a formidable race that will see the team face all manner of dangers and obstacles such as shipping lanes, 2,000 miles of open water, bad weather and strong tides. They estimate it will take them at least 30 days to complete, in order to raise money for marine conservation charity Just One Ocean, and the British Red Cross, in support of their COVID-19 response. “We are raising money for two charities that mean a lot to us,” said Charles.

“With all the preparations completed

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it has become very exciting, but also quite nerve-racking as we realise how much of a challenge we have taken on, but we can’t wait to get started,” said Arthur.

Just One Ocean is a UK-based marine conservation charity that raises global awareness of the issues facing marine and coastal environments in order to protect and conserve them for future generations.

David Jones, who is the Founder and CEO of Just One Ocean, as well as a researcher at the University of Portsmouth, added: “The team have put in an incredible amount of work in a relatively short space of time. We are extremely grateful for the support they are giving to Just One Ocean and wish them the best of luck.” l To support the Exe Endurow team, visit their Just Giving page and see their progress go to exeendurow. com and follow them on facebook. com/exeendurow.

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news & views Landscape and our food chain

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OW more than ever we are appreciating and understanding the value of our connection with our local landscape and food chains both for our own food security but also for our own mental and physical health.

At Foxhole Garden their fifth year looked to be packed with horticulture courses and gardening days and events but this came to a swift stop in March.

One of the founders Zoe Jong said: “During the lockdown we focused on supplying organic vegetable plants to the local community. And since June we’ve cautiously started to open up the garden again.

And our Thursday volunteers have been working (at a social distance) to tend the garden, providing herbs and plants to our local fresh produce food banks. We have spaces available if you’d like to join us do get in touch for more details.”

And you’d like to grow your own food or start a gardening business, there are limited spaces available on the City and Guilds Practical Horticulture level 1 course which is starting in September running every Tuesday from 9:30 to 3pm for 10 weeks.

Foxhole garden organically using no-dig methods that build biodiversity, working with the environment. Students learn how to garden holistically

using a range of organic, permaculture and natural agriculture techniques. They grow organic vegetables, flowers and plants, and create wildlife sanctuaries and resilient gardens that work with nature rather than against. Zoe added: “We’ll be harvesting herbs, vegetables and flowers and building soil health as we mulch, weed and feed the soil with microbe and fungi preparations. “ This course fills up very quickly and there is also a course running on Thursdays at their neighbour School Farm CSA. The course costs £260 but is free if you are on low income or in receipt of certain benefits. If you’d like to find out more about the course call Zoe (details below)or Bicton College 03301 232 523 for details of fees and enrolment.

Many events are on hold but do sign up to their newsletter, follow them on Instagram or Facebook and check their website as they hope to be able to offer events again. Zoe said: “We hope to resume our series of training workshops run by horticulture therapy training organisation Thrive which will focus on working with specific clients with additional needs in a garden setting. These include people with dementia and cognitive impairment, mental health recovery and also working with children and young people.“

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And at the time of publication their popular parent and toddler group Fox Tots is still on hold as guidance is still unclear as to what and how they can safely run. This group is desperately missed – again do sign up for email updates or visit the webpage for news as Reconnect are sure they will be up and running again as soon as it’s safe. l For further details visit www. foxholecommunitygarden. org.uk or contact Zoe Jong 07505 805111 zoe@ foxholecommunitygarden.org.uk

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The changing face of cycling – what does it look like post-lockdown?

CYCLING has become more popular than ever during lockdown. Now, with people returning to work, increasing numbers of are planning to commute by bike. This is great to avoid using public transport or the car.

But how is cycling likely to change going forward? We asked cycling expert CATHERINE BEDFORD, founder of Dashel cycle helmets which are manufactured right here in Devon.

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T’S vital to be safe but this doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Cyclists should ensure they’re legal and as safe as they can be while sticking within their budgets. For example, you don’t have to be clad head-to-foot in day-glow – a high-visibility sash, costing as little as £8, will still ensure you’re seen.

Helmets are extremely important for safety.

If you’re not a fan of the traditional helmet shapes, there are some nice stylish ones out there these days!

New cyclists may discover that there are more routes than they’d have imagined where they can cycle away from cars. These cycle lanes really help keep you safe!

I think, as people cycle more, there’ll be a move towards more natural fibres. This will help ensure that they don’t arrive at their destination hot and sweaty. People will be keener to wear cotton than polyester, for example.

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I’d always go for comfort over fashion but, if you want to be a fashionable cyclist, there’s plenty of great, stylish fashion-wear out there and I think as people get more used to cycling as a way of life, they’ll find their own cycling style.

I think once people realise the benefits of cycling, they’ll want to continue. If you’re cycling to work, you’re getting your daily exercise in the time when you’d previously have been sat on a bus or train. This, in turn, saves you time going to the gym in the evening, freeing up time for you to spend with loved ones.

Secondly, people are happier in their locality when cycling. As they move more slowly through their commute; they can learn more about the local area, spy shops and cafes that they might like to visit or find a green spot that

they might like to go to with family at the weekend.

Certainly over the last few months there’s been an ever increasing number of cyclists enjoying the Devon countryside.

There’s never been a better time to Catherine Bedford is enjoy getting on Founder of Dashel. your bike. Enjoy! l Dashel’s slim, ventilated, lightweight cycle helmets

are made from recyclable materials. The helmets are sold packaged in a handy rucksack so no superfluous packaging - www.dashel.co.uk

Bike reuse and repair schemes IF you have an old bike that is in need of repair or want to buy a bike but are put off by the cost, there are a number of bike reuse, repair and hire initiatives happening across Reconnectland. Community bike reuse schemes include Ride On (rideoncycling.org) a social enterprise that take unwanted bikes and restore them to ensure they are roadworthy, and then sell them at a reduced price. Exeter’s The Bike Bank (bikebank.eci.org. uk/) teaches practical bike repair skills to vulnerable adults and, at the same time, refurbishes bikes and increases the supply of affordable bikes.

Other repair and hire schemes include Devon Cycle Hire (www. devoncyclehire.co.uk), Bike Shed UK in Crediton, Exmouth Cycle Hire, Partridge Cycles in Kenford, Hot Pursuit Cycles in Kingsteignton and Totnes, Torbay’s Baycycles and Fish BikesTorquay, and Exeter’s Cycle Surgery, Saddles and Paddles, Exeter Cycles, Richards Bikes, and The Bikeshed. Find out more at tinyurl.com/yajjyb7d

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New mill uses locally grown grain

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NE of the benefits to come out of the lockdown is a big uptake in baking at home with the National Trust reporting visits to home bake pages increasing by almost 900% compared with the same time last year. Home bakers will be pleased to hear the region has a new mill.

Dartington Hall Estate’s Parsonage farm is home to the new mill which is the culmination of many years work, based originally on “Grown in Totnes”, and now a partnership between Parsonage Farm, The Almond Thief and Apricot Centre. This project has been supported by The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development LEADER Programme, LUSH and local support from the LEF “Community of Dragons” in Totnes.

The mill is the first of its kind in the UK, a New American Stone Mill from Vermont and has started milling two types of locally grown wheat. One is grown at Huxhams Cross Farm in Dartington is a special wheat called YQ, which stands for “yield” and “quality”.

This wheat was specially bred

by Wakelyns Agroforestry, in collaboration with the Organic Research Centre. 20 varieties of wheat were crossed to create a diverse “population wheat” that is suited to an organic low input system. The YQ flour is fully organic and biodynamic and is perfect for making cakes and pastry, imparting a rich, nutty flavour. Although lower in gluten than “normal” bread flour, YQ flour can also be used to make a very decent loaf of bread, especially as part of a blend with some higher gluten flour.

Dartington Mill is also milling EHO Gold organic wheat grown by Nicola and Richard Rogers from Higher Farm, Beeson, near Beesands. This is being used by The Almond Thief bakery in their new stoneground sourdough loaves. The silky-smooth and aromatic flour helps to produce a high-quality bread that is flavoursome and nutritious..

Andrew Heyn, the American mill maker said: “Freshly ground flour retains more flavour and aromas than pre-ground flour, translating to a more complex, aromatic, and delicious baked good. Stonemilling grinds the bran and germ into the flour along with the endosperm, keeping valuable nutrients in the flour. Coarser elements can be sifted out as you like to produce finer flours, which still retain some of the nutritional benefit of milling the whole grain. Granite millstones help to keep grain cool as it travels through the mill, protecting naturally occurring oils and nutrients. Buying whole grains presents an opportunity to work with local grain growers, and for those farmers to access a local market via a new avenue: your bakery. It’s good for you, your bread, and your community.”

Dartington Mill is milling in small batches so freshly milled flour can be delivered to either The Almond Thief or the Apricot centre on a weekly basis. The flour is for sale directly from the Apricot Centre on their online shop www.apricotcentre.co.uk/shop, or email info@apricotcentre.co.uk or call Bob Mehew on 07507841158, and can be delivered locally.

The flour will also be available from in other local outlets and Totnes Market on Friday, when it re-opens. It is also stocked in the small shop on Parsonage farm Dartington Hall. The Almond Thief bread is currently available for delivery through their website (https://www. thealmondthief.com/), or via the Apricot centre online shop. You can also buy their bread from The Kitchen Table (thekitchentable.org.uk) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

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news & views

Maintenance Scything

Lockdown offers a window into gardening ROSS Adams, he with the greenest green fingers in Devon, has been busy over lockdown and receiving high praise. We know this because we received this glowing review from his latest happy customer - his wife.

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t’s true. I am his wife. You may think me bias to give him a glowing recommendation. Perhaps I am. Ross didn’t ask me to write this and if I didn’t feel inspired to, I wouldn’t. So, here I go.

Our small garden has been an ongoing project for some time now.

As a family with a young child at home and Ross out working on other people’s gardens, we’ve often looked out at our garden with frustration, wondering if there will ever be the time to bring it to life.

Lockdown has seen Ross at home more and the most rapid developments have been made in our garden during this time.

I love witnessing the dedication and care that Ross gives to our garden. It offers me a window into his professional life that I may not otherwise see. Witnessing him fills me with pride.

Ross’ business tagline is ‘bringing

gardens to life.’ This is something that is close to his heart and is true on more levels than one. As our garden blossoms and grows, with the help of Ross’ green fingers and our son’s enthusiasm, for the first time since we moved here I am enjoying being in our garden.

Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing but, as I walk barefoot to the ground, I can feel the life pulsing within it and, with this, a connection to the wider web of life within and around me. A smile forms in the deep ground of my belly.

Flowers; vegetables; fruit trees; birds; butterflies; bees; insects; we even have a tiny pond with tadpoles and a pond snail, and they are thriving in our garden. It shows me what is possible, even in a small space, and inspires me to dream big and get involved!

Ross is available for bringing your garden to life and I thoroughly recommend him and will (begrudgingly) hand him back into your service. l If you would like your garden brought to life, contact Ross: 07811608359, rossadams51@ gmail.com, or visit www. abundantgardens.uk

Wildflowers

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Students tackle global plastic pollution

A team of GCSE students have overcome the disruption caused by COVID-19 to their education, completing the entirety of their project by collaborating online amidst the lockdown, to win the British International Education Association’s (BIEA) third annual STEM competition to ‘Save Our Shores from Plastic Pollution’.

The students called Team Amet Activists created a detailed plan that involved the application of enzymes dissolve plastic waste, redeployment of military tankers and automated robotic mechanisms in order to collect the plastics.

BIEA launched the competition to engage today’s international youth to use education to become the ones who can help save the planet of plastic pollution. 36 finalist teams showcased their designs and prototypes to an international judging panel all aged 9-17 years, from 14 countries and regions (US, UK, Bosnia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, UAE, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Hong Kong). l For more information about the STEM Youth Innovation Competition, visit www.bieacompetition.org.uk

Connecting school kids to our oceans

Five primary schools in Plymouth from the multi academy Ocean Conservation Trust team will create and deliver a new Ocean Curriculum that will increase Ocean literacy as part of the nation’s first ever scheme to integrate the oceans into everyday teaching. The ‘Connecting us with our Ocean’ project aims to foster a passion for marine conservation in the pupils. Instead of oceanic discussions being confined to the biology classroom, core subjects like literacy and maths will include marine themes, so students are fully immersed in the ‘context of conservation’. Currently, the science National Curriculum in England is predominantly focused on terrestrial ecosystems, with ocean-related topics excluded entirely from primary schools. Nicola Bridge, from the OCT, “The UK is a national and global leader in marine science, and Ocean-related teaching should be an essential part of the core curriculum.” l Find out more at oceanconservationtrust.org.

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news & views

Living made simple...

IN the latest instalment of his examination of living more simply, MARTIN FOSTER turns his attention to technology and the impact - positive and negative - that it has on a simpler, more sustainable, lifestyle.

This time he’s coming clean about the dirtier side of his relationship with new technology - in the next issue he’ll plug into his life off-grid.

A very private estate retreat

Appropriate technology

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ET me state right at the beginning that I am not anti-technology.

I own and drive a car, I own and use a smartphone, I’m writing this on a laptop and I’ve just come indoors after strimming weeds for two hours in a bid to stop nature reclaiming the land where we keep poultry.

I am aware that when I talk about the practical aspects of my lifestyle, it can come over a little negative; detailing things I don’t have, I don’t do and I don’t like. But remember that the idea here is to live more simply, staying in touch with the richly rewarding fundamentals of life and not losing myself in all the literal trappings of a ‘modern’ existence - and not having to spend every waking hour doing a job I hate in order to pay for them. So less is more.

I try to adopt, and adopt in most areas of life, a conscious approach to technology; being realistic about its merits and weighing them up against its negative impacts before making a choice - and, admittedly, sometimes having to opt for the least bad option.

I think the best way of explaining my personal approach (which might inspire you to consider what you think - even if you disagree) is to look at my own use of information technology hardware, and to a lesser extent, software. My next column will be dedicated to the greener technology in my life, and the following one to transport, mainly centred around car ownership and use.

Probably the most common and powerful, example of modern technology is the smartphone. The benefits of these devices are obvious: they put the power of what relatively recently would have been a sizeable desktop computer, right there in our pockets. As someone who remembers the days before any kind of mobile phone, I still don’t take for granted the simple function of being to make a call to anyone from anywhere.

I can’t now imagine setting off on a long journey without the ability to let someone know I might be late; or call for help if I breakdown; or get in touch with the emergency services if I come across an accident.

I have a love/hate relationship with text messaging, but having created WhatsApp groups for members of both our family and the people with whom I share the land, we can update, stay in touch with, and occasionally horrify with bad puns, each other at the, in my own case ham-fisted, press of a button.

As someone who finds most jobs are enhanced by a near-constant soundtrack, my phone is also a source of music - from my own eclectic library created on Spotify or the curated playlists of the constantly wonderful Radio 6 Music (courtesy of the priceless BBC) - through headphones or rechargeable, portable Bluetooth

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speakers. Perfect for music in the car too - where I also use the SatNav app.

Remember asking for directions?

The dark side of phone use, particularly its negative effect on social interaction, is obvious - except apparently to those who indulge in it - and I make every effort not to use it in the company of real people (and I make a point of only visiting Facebook on my laptop at home). I’m aware too that phones are not inherently sustainable: their carbon footprint, from manufacture and use, is not insignificant and I admit my only effort towards reducing my personal impact is by not buying a new phone. Very secondhand ones do everything I need them to do and my last two were discarded by my kids when they bought newer models. Treating the phone with some care - not sitting on it, not losing it, not dropping it in a bucket of water (yes, it was very close) and housing it in a cheap but effective impactproof cover - increases longevity.

I never like to miss the opportunity to bemoan the evils of built-in obsolescence, as regular readers will know, and I hate the fact that phones, like most consumer products these days, are not built to last, something that is emphasised by the need to regularly update in order to run increasingly complex and capacity-hungry apps and operating systems.

My laptop is for me a crucial piece of kit. Again bought secondhand and again far from state-of-the-art, it’s used in conjunction with a portable wi-fi unit (I don’t have a landline), for streaming carefully chosen TV programmes (never left running in the background as TVs often are), and for conducting all of my non-land-based commercial work (Google has revolutionised research), and much of my creative work too.

The fact that I live off-grid (more on the nitty-very-gritty of that in the next issue) means I have to keep electrical consumption to an absolute minimum but the four solar panels and two chunky batteries I have here can easily handle charging phone, laptop and Bluetooth speakers all-year-round.

So that’s a quick rundown on my cabin’s communication nervecentre. It does what I need it to do - enhancing my life, rather than dominating, controlling or distracting from it.

Do I miss any gadgets from my previous, more conventional lifestyle?

Well, maybe a turntable and decent hi-fi system on which to play vinyl - I have neither the space or reliable wintertime power supply to make that viable. But when I down-sized my music collection, the local Oxfam store was very grateful for many boxes of CDs and records.

My son is enjoying the pick of the vinyl I couldn’t bear to let go.

And my carefully curated Spotify playlists are something to behold…

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EVON Sculpture Park (DSP) is at Mamhead Park (South) which is a very private estate retreat on the outskirts of Exeter. Indeed, the first thing you see as you enter is a ‘private’ sign to remind us that we’ll be enjoying a relaxed, immersive and very private visit.

This historic estate harks back to the Domesday Book and ancient, distant times. The landscape has been restored and rewilded, whisking us back many centuries while bridging us to tomorrow with advanced natural climate approaches supported by digital technology.

The family reside at the estate which gives any guest an instant feeling of home. Visits are warm and welcoming. The Letts’ have roots in Devon going back to the 13th century at the Shapcott estate, Knowstone. The family are private and deliberate, rarely inviting more than a handful of guests at a time.

Visits are requested online and by email each meticulously managed by the team and hosted with care. The integrity of this historical retreat, the natural habitats, wildlife and environmental art can only be fully protected in this very private of private settings. A place where social distancing is comfortably managed.

The family are often at the heart of things mingling with their various guests: artists, scientists, inventors, politicians, film makers, photographers, healthcare professionals, environmentalists or environmental and art enthusiasts. Government, non profit and business leaders come here to learn about the various environmental projects and the teams perspectives on the future of environmental solutions, the arts and the publishing industry.

The Letts’ have been high profile participants of the publishing industry for 250 years.

Mamhead Park (South) and the Letts Group are today innovating by finding and developing

by Allegra Letts

natural solutions to the climate crisis while supporting the environmental arts. Guests enjoy learning about smaller scale rewilding, regenerative estate management, carbon farming, wildlife habitats and wildlife gardening, natural plant regeneration, environmental art and culture and wild kitchen foods all mixed up in a Capability Brown setting with Robert Adam architecture.

The family and the team

in

treat each guest with the same welcome and the same enthusiasm for the environment, the arts, health, politics and new media - no matter what brings them to this project or what kind of meeting they will be enjoying.

Guests are grateful for the hands on experience from the team in-park and online. Safety, health, education and mutual respect are practised by all.

Most guests communicate with and visit the park and the various projects online meaning that the in-park experience is private, intimate and unique. The vast majority enjoy this special place digitally via DSP Online as only a very few can meet and retreat here - combining the best in modern technology with living history and conservation.

Mamhead Park (South) and Devon Sculpture Park have restored and reimagined the term ‘salon’ whereby supporters of the arts have for centuries been hosting guests in their home to view their private art collections and performances. It’s just that in this place the private gallery extends to the park. An oasis of magical tranquility and privacy layered with wild abandon and mystical moods. Guest after guest describe their time here as ‘fairytale’. l If you would like to request a visit go to www. devonsculpturepark.org.

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Mart

news & views The Kitchen Table order online

The Kitchen Table, adapting for Covid now has a pantry shop at their kitchen unit open Mon - Fri 10 - 3

Life on the Hedge by Chris Smith

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absolutely Love hedgerows, and when Scott invited me to write something about this for Reconnect, I thought; “Why not?...share the love!”.

Hedgerows are so much more than just the boundaries that ‘hedge in’ the fields. It’s so easy to just blip past them in our cars on the way from A to B without really noticing what marvels they contain, but I’d really recommend slowing down and really paying attention to these treasures around us.

‘Hedgerow rambling’ is of my very favourite pastimes. In fact, during the restricted movement time of the Covid-19 lockdown, I have found myself appreciating and being ‘resourced’ by this simple pastime more than ever.

I’ve come to think of it almost as a kind of daily mindfulness activity. All the stresses and mental pre-occupations of the day just drop away for a while whilst I wander along and get ‘lost’ in the hedge. Sometimes I might pick myself a delicious hedgerow salad with Hedge Garlic, Wild Ransoms and young hawthorn leaves, or whatever other edible delights I find. Sometimes I find a plant or a type of Bee I don’t recognise, so I pay close attention to its appearance, then look it up in one of my identification guides. At other times I get out my camera and try to make some kind of art out of this inspiration. It’s an endless source of fascination that changes everyday as different plants grow into season.

I’ve realised that I have a kind of ‘hedgerow calendar’ in my head, where I mark the passage of time in terms of which plants are out when. I call the first two weeks of May, for instance, the time of the ‘Mayflower Power’, when the hawthorn blossoms (known in folklore as ‘Mayflowers’) light up the lush green of spring with their brilliant white floral explosions, accompanied by a symphony of colour from bluebells, pink campion, red valerian, yellow archangel and so much more. It’s such a joy to behold.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the hedgerows of Devon might just be one of our greatest treasures - Devon has over 33,000 miles of hedges. That’s enough hedgerows to go all the way around the world and about a third as much again! Over three-quarters of these hedgebanks are thought to be of at least medieval origin (AD 1150 – 1450). In ecological terms, hedgerows are invaluable wildlife corridors, made particularly rich in diversity by their ability to offer a home to many woodland species in their shady interiors and the ideal conditions for sun loving woodland edge species on their exterior edges, as well as a welcome refuge for many meadow plants from the plough or from the grazing livestock in the fields. Apparently, one member of the Devon Hedge Group surveyed an 85m stretch of hedge over two years and recorded 2,070 species living within. Supposing that was at least moderately typical biodiversity for a Devon hedge, just think how much life those 33,000 miles of hedgerow are supporting!

Throughout history, hedgerows have been, and still are, incredibly important for people too, as a source of food, firewood and herbal medicine for instance. They are playing a vital role in helping us draw down carbon to combat climate change and in helping us manage soil erosion and water storage.

If you’d like to find out more about hedgerows yourself, I’d say the first thing to do is simply to get out there and start exploring them! Maybe download a plant ID app like PlantSnap, or take an identification guide. Take a camera too maybe.

You can also find out more online at https:// devonhedges.org or hedgelink.org.uk, or you could even check out my ‘Postcards from the Hedge’ videos on youtube on the Be BuckfastleighTV channel, and my photographs on my website at www. chrissmithphotographic.com/ Postcards-From-The-Hedge.php

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and a Persian inspired takeaway open for hot food collection Thurs & Fri 5-8.30 To order the takeaway please visit the website

Sima Cutting

www.thekitchentable.org.uk

07583400998

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Gardening courses, volunteer opportunities and events at Foxhole Community Garden.

Our Thursday Garden Volunteer day starts at 9:30am with a hot drink, catch-up. Finish at 1pm. All abilities welcome - there are also many opportunities for a more gentle morning gardening and the garden is wheel chair accessible. No skills or experience are necessary you’ll learn lots about growing organic veg, herbs and gardening with nature. Due to the coronavirus we have limited spaces available so you do need to get in touch to arrange to come. We work at a distance to each other and tools for you are cleaned and laid out before the session City and Guilds Award in Practical Horticulture Skills Level 1 – Whether you want to grow your own food or start a gardening business, this course will build your knowledge and confidence to get you started. Working with nature you will learn about soil, seeds, and caring for plants and the land. This Level 1 course is suitable for those who want to grow on any scale, whether it is a small patio garden, an allotment or on a larger piece of land.

Every Tuesday from 15th September 2020 to 24th November from 9:30 – 3pm. There is also a Thursday course running at School Farm CSA. Cost is £260 and there is funding available for those in receipt of benefits or on low income. For information about the course content contact Zoe (details below) or information about fees and enrolment contact Bicton College via their website or on 03301 232 523 Social and Therapeutic horticulture training with national organisation Thrive. Over the year we host a series of workshops on using horticulture to benefit a range of people with additional needs. Check the Foxhole Garden website for the latest details.

Venue: Foxhole Community Garden, Old School Farm, Dartington Estate, Totnes, South Devon TQ9 6EB For further details on the courses visit www.foxholecommunitygarden.org.uk or Zoe Jong 07505 805111 zoe@foxholecommunitygarden.org.uk

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19

rewilding Get on this land

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JO CLARK together with his team offer land-based learning of regenerative agriculture principles at Oxen Park Farm, near Exeter. During lockdown they switched to providing local vegetable boxes of their produce. Teign Greens sees them embarking on a new community supported social enterprise to provide the seasonal vegetable boxes alongside vegetable based learning.

was brought up on a small mixed farm in the Exe Valley. The visceral connection that I gained through my interaction with all that lived and grew on that land has informed so much of what I now stand for. As an adventurous young child I was often told by neighbouring farmers to “get off my land!’’, making me leave behind the apples, blackberries or hazelnuts that I had scrumped. I recall the feeling of indignation and sense of injustice as a child. I could not understand the concept of land ownership for me all the land around me felt like my home, today, 55 years on it still feels like home and I know now that it is our stewardship of this land that matters not our ownership.

Oxen Park Farm has offered us the opportunity to address the lack of access available to people so that they can interact in a meaningful way with this precious productive Devon land. When I look at the ancient patchwork of fields and woodland riding on the rolling curves of the hills that tumble into the Sunflower heaven shaded valley, I wonder at the farm. what the future might be for this magical, abundant landscape.

Small scale farmers scrape a living and their offspring move away, reluctant to take on the struggle.

Conventional farming still relies on heavy fertiliser and chemical input to produce meat, dairy and grain products, whilst land is amalgamated into bigger farms or sold for pony paddocks. It is now stated that our methods of food production and distribution produce around 25% of greenhouse gasses and scientists, academics, activists and many farmers know that we must change.

Over the last 200 years or so there has been a gradual rural depopulation with less and less people

Foxes bold as love I met a friend in the street the other day, and we chatted, whilst maintaining our obligatory 2 metres distance.

It is amazing how quickly this has become normal. For decades the idea of Totnes without hugs would have been utterly unimaginable, and yet there we were. He is someone who gets up earlier in the morning than I usually do, and he told me of encounters with deer in the street, foxes bold as brass strolling down morning streets, blue tits landing on his shoulder whilst sitting in the garden. It resonated with to stories from elsewhere, of herds of wild goats roaming town centres and dolphins popping up in the canals of Venice for the first time in living memory. Another friend who lives on the High Street told me of finding an owl on her windowsill for the first time ever. As I write this, a pair of bullfinches are sitting outside my window. I feel as though I am being visited by royalty.

I have lived through a Spring that, as Charles Dickens would have put it, “was the best of times [and] … the worst of times”. It has, in many ways, been the most glorious Spring of my life. Dazzling sunshine, grass

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involved in the production of the food that we eat whilst farming has largely become a monoculture ‘agri business’ rather than a craft. My parents could hand shear a sheep, grow any crop, heal Jo Clark direc a sick animal, cut and lay a hedge, repair any farm tool or of On The H machine, build or repair a fence, gate, shed and much more and C.I.C. whilst there are many farmers who still have these skills much of modern farming is often conducted from the seat of a tractor, even driverless tractors, whilst factory-scale pig and poultry farming is largely automated There is however a global movement known as regenerative agriculture which among other things fully recognises the imperative for humans to accommodate the needs of the wildlife, acknowledging the fact that our human health, well-bein and survival is dependent upon the health of all living things. This movement also recognises the need to bring people back to the land and to bring education bac to the experiential, sensory and tangible. The movement supports small humanscale farming, moving away from a reliance on fossil fuels, using organic method focussing on local food needs and maintaining the health of the soil as a living organism rather than a sterile growing medium.

Here at Oxen Park we are embarking on the creation of the second social enterp The first is On the Hill (www.onthehill.camp), a land based learning initiative bringing children, young people and adults to the farm to explore a regenerative, rewilding of education whist supporting schools to develop outdoor experiential land-based facilities.

During lockdown we have been expanding our organic and biodynamic vegetable production and in September we will launch Teign Greens, a Community Supported Agriculture social enterprise run by the dynamic Holly Budgen and Tim Dickens who have been here since March planning and preparing. Teign Greens will provide fresh seasonal veg boxes to members who will be invited to ‘’get on this land!’’, giving them the opportunity to be directly involved in the veg that they eat during regular community gardening days. The educational, therapeutic and social elements will work in symbiosis with the food production and all conducted in a way that benefits everything that lives and grows.

Bringing about positive change can be catalysed by the creation of inspirational examples of what the future could look like and inviting people to experience them. This is our hope and our intention.

To get involved: l Volunteering; email veg@onthehill.camp l Veg boxes; email veg@onthehill.camp l On the hill; email info@onthehill.camp

ROB HOPKINS founder of the Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes b have the perfect opportunity to bounce forward after what has been ‘the Sprin lives’. This article was first printed in our online only edition.

and leaves greener than I can ever remember, birdsong louder than I’ve ever experienced, sunrises and sunsets that took the breath away, a sky free from contrails, streets free of cars, air fresher and more delicious than I ever recall. Vegetable gardens popping up everywhere.

Seed companies overwhelmed with orders. Local food producers tripling, quadrupling production in order to keep up with demand.

In many ways, this has been the Spring of our lives. And yet at what cost? We have arrived here through the absolutely worst route. No-one would have chosen this as the way to arrive here, and it is almost certain that by the time you read this, business-as-usual will have clawed back most of the gains set out above. But what these weeks of lockdown have done is to give us a taste of what a more localised, more resilient future would actually be like. Hold on to that.

Emblazon it in your memory. Remember what it felt like, smelt like, sounded like.

Two weeks into the lockdown I took part in a ‘Teach-In’ with novelist and activist Arundhati Roy. She talked about how COVID-19 has been like an MRI scan for each nation it has visited, highlighting the inequalities and injustices in each. In the UK we have seen that BAME people have been 4 times more likely to be killed by this virus, and that air pollution, suffered predominantly by those in the poorest urban areas, has been a key factor in exacerbating vulnerability to it. The government was happy to send poorer workers back to work in unsafe conditions whilst the middle classes continued working from home, and while state schools re-opened, private schools remained firmly shut.

This has, of course, been ruinous to the economy, and Totnes is not exempt from that. Many small businesses will not survive and many families have suffered huge financial hardship. I fear for the damage this will do

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to Totnes High Street, with its 80% of busine independent, family-owned enterprises. Som of course have done well out of this crisis bu A French friend once told me a saying used describe how some people do well out of ev worst of crises: “we have a saying, that the the Titanic turned out very well for the lobste kitchen”. Jeff Bezos may well also be thinkin the best Spring of his life, but for very differe

What matters now is that we do everything to ensure that we do not go back to how thi before, that we ‘bounce forward’ rather than back’. It is entirely possible that we move fro economy to a wellbeing economy, one who purpose is the cultivation of those very thing cherished over these months, the clean air, t shared purpose, the biodiverse towns and st birdsong. In Totnes we already have many p puzzle. What matters going forward, and w is that we more skillfully work together, forge and connections, raise our level of ambition to build on this going forward, use it as the that enables us to leap to new heights, rathe slumping back into a business-as-usual that, actually worked well for very few people. Bu better.

l Rob has just launched a podcast series, ‘From If to What Next’. Subscribe a www.patreon.com fromwhatiftowhatnext . His latest book, ‘From W What If: unleashing the power of imagination to future we want’, is now out now. Follow his blo robhopkins.net

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See birds, bats and stars at Sharpham’s nature events

Bats and stargazing Meet the creatures of the night at Sharpham!

Jo Clark director of On The Hill C.I.C.

ly automated. ure which ommodate lth, well-being ovement also ducation back all humanganic methods, as a living

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0% of businesses being erprises. Some people this crisis but not many. saying used there to well out of even the ing, that the sinking of for the lobsters in the so be thinking that this is or very different reasons.

o everything we can ck to how things were d’ rather than ‘bounce we move from a growth my, one whose main se very things we have e clean air, the sense of towns and streets, the have many pieces of the ward, and with urgency, ogether, forge partnerships l of ambition. We need use it as the launch pad heights, rather than just as-usual that, in reality, w people. Build back

st series, ‘From What w.patreon.com/ book, ‘From What Is to imagination to create the Follow his blog at www.

SEE bats and stars (hopefully) on this very special event on from 7.15pm until 9.45pm on Thursday 3 September that awakens your senses to nature at night-time.

The Sharpham Estate is one of the few places in the UK and Europe where the Greater Horseshoe Bat can be found. The Trust is partnering with the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project, so you’ll find out more about this endangered mammal, you’ll try bat detecting and hopefully you’ll witness these elusive mammals in Sharpham’s grounds.

This event also includes – clouds permitting! – a tour of the nightsky, thanks to Dartmoor Skies.

Using supplied astronomy kit, you’ll see celestial objects including stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and more!

If it is cloudy, there will be an introduction to astronomy with lots of hints and tips so that you can explore the sky for yourselves when you get home, and a fun illustrated talk on Devons Bats.

Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Funding, Sharpham have a number of free places on this event for adults and children, for those who would find it hard to attend otherwise.

Adult £6 – standard cost (helps support and sustain the work of The Sharpham Trust) Adult £3 – subsidised cost for those who need it (still helps Sharpham) Adult free – fully funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for people on low incomes or unwaged Children (age 6 – 17) free - fully funded by The National Lotter Heritage Fund There is a maximum of 2 children aged 6-13 per adult. Minimum age of 6 years old to attend this event.

Babes in arms welcome.

Wading into nature BIRD expert Mike Langman flies into Sharpham to explain the ways of the estuary waders to you.

He’ll be guiding a special bird walk on the River Dart at Sharpham on Sunday 6 September, from 6pm to 8.30pm, enlightening us about the birds on the river.

The mixed landscape of the Sharpham Estate beside the picturesque Dart estuary provides an ideal location for many different bird species.

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

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sharphame have a number of free places on this event for adults and children, for those who would find it hard to attend otherwise.

Adult £12 – standard cost (helps support and sustain the work of The Sharpham Trust) Adult £6 – subsidised cost for those who need it (still helps The Sharpham Trust) Adult FREE – fully funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for people on low incomes or unwaged Children, aged 7-17, FREE - fully funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund There is a maximum of 2 children aged 7-17 per adult. Minimum age of 7 years old to attend this event. l Find out about all Sharpham’s nature and wildlife events here: www.sharphamtrust.org/ events or call 01803 732542 or email bookings@sharphamtrust.org

Linocuts by Rob who is passing the time in lockdown by doing something artistic every day.

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21

local produce The Kitchen Table is good to go

Oxen Park Farm

Organic Veg Bags Delicious bags of organic and biodynamic veg grown in harmony

Email: veg@onthehill.camp

with nature here in the Teign Valley

Phone: 07939575364

Collection in Ashton each Tuesday.

Facebook: @OxenParkDevon

Wholesale produce also available.

TOTNES based The Kitchen Table like many of the region’s caterers have been adapting to Covid. They are still catering where appropriate and branched out into supplying online Persian inspired Middle Eastern/North African hot food to takeaway and setting up a pantry shop.

Sima Cutting said: “We have now established a pantry at our kitchen unit; selling home & locally made items such as ferments, granola, cooking sauces, dressings, frozen ready meals, burgers & loads more. In addition, we sell ready to eat foods such as homemade sausages rolls, organic drinks, vegan crisps & delicious seasonal salads - lunch or your picnic needs sorted!”

The Kitchen Pantry is open weekdays Mon - Fri 10am-3pm at Unit 6 Burke Rd, TQ9 5XL. The Kitchen Takeaway is also open Thursday & Friday evenings from 5-8.30pm - find the menu at www.thekitchentable.org. uk. Order online anytime in the week or on the evenings, giving at least an hour’s notice. Last orders 8pm. Collection from The Kitchen Table unit.

Small - suitable for an individual or couple £9.50 Medium - suitable for a couple or small family £12 Large - suitable for a family £16 *Oxen Park Farm is in conversion to Organic and Biodynamic with Demeter

WWW.ONTHEHILL.CAMP/OXENPARKFARM

The Need for Seed (saving)

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All photos by Jody Daunton

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HE COVID-19 pandemic has put a massive strain on the global seed industry, with all companies struggling to keep up with demand, and many running out of stock of gardeners’ favourite varieties.

Fred Groom, founder of Dartington’s Vital Seeds said: “It’s fantastic that many people have taken up gardening and there has been increased interest in local food, however it has also shined a light on the importance of people saving their own seed.”

If the ‘Red List of Endangered Crafts’ extended to horticultural skills, seed-saving would almost certainly be on it. With the loss of seed-saving skills over the last century gardeners and growers have lost a crucial element of the resilience that comes through growing food.

Fred added: “The ability to save our own seed is absolutely crucial to the survival of what diversity in food crops we still have. The responsibility to save this diversity lies largely in the hands of individuals and communities and can not be left in the hands of a few seed companies which come and go through the forces of economics. Food and food sovereignty must not be boiled down to pure economics.

“By learning to save your own seed, you can be a part of building a food system that is far superior to what we have now. A food system that is more resilient, more diverse, and more socially and ecologically literate.

“Saving seed is such a fascinating process that even without all the ecological and social benefits, it’s worth learning for the pure joy of working with plants in the intimate way that seed saving requires.”

You can steward your favourite varieties, share your seeds with friends, build community around seeds, become a more empowered gardener or grower.

Fred is keen to pint out that Vital Seeds have loads of useful info about seed-saving on their website and social media pages. “We have also set up an online seed-saving course for people that want to take their learning to the next level.” l Find out more at www.learntosaveseeds.com, and www.vitalseeds.co.uk.

Naturally nourishing OUR resident foodie, JANE HUTTON, having seen the cornucopia of delights growing in her garden is thinking of rose petals on toast.

A diet full of flower power What Can We Learn From The Covid-19 Pandemic?

Macrobiotic Steps To A Better Life OLIVER Cowmeadow of the International Macrobiotic School, writes about the lessons learnt from this pandemic.

HEN I first Oliver started Cowmeadow studying founder of the macrobiotics International and the Oriental Macrobiotic view of life, School.

I remember hearing a quote from the originator of macrobiotics, George Ohsawa - “we should welcome difficulties in our lives”. This was shocking to me. Why would we want to have difficulties in our life?

He reasoned that difficulties give us a great opportunity and stimulus to study life more deeply to find the source of our difficulty or pain, and from this we become stronger and wiser. When we are faced with a challenging difficulty it is easy to go into fear, feeling a victim of the universe, or to blame others. The trouble with this attitude is that it does not change anything, so we stay in our misery. In contrast when we ask the question “what do I have to learn from this situation?” we come into a more positive state of mind. Despite the pain, there is something good that can come out of our situation.

I am sure that many lessons will become apparent as time goes by, but here is my list so far.

1. Become More Humble We need to be humble in the face of nature, we may think we are big, but whole societies have been brought down by such a small thing.

Let’s listen to nature better, rather than thinking we can override it, manipulate it, continue to take from it and not consider what we are giving back.

2. Prioritise Our Health Surely our health is a higher priority than many of the things people spend their life pursuing – fame, money, status, expensive material possessions etc?

3. Stop Eating So Many Animals The coronavirus is thought to have come from bats in a ‘wild food’ market in China. The breeding and close contact with large numbers of wild and domestic animals certainly contributes to flu and coronavirus epidemics and pandemics. So changing to a plant-based diet is going to reduce the chances of new viruses.

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4. Take Better Care Of Nature When things start getting back to ‘normal’ lets consider carefully how much do we need to travel.

In the last few decades we have taken for granted that we can fly to Bali, India, anywhere we like in the world. Now we are becoming conscious of the cost of this travel in contributing to global warming and polluting the air that we and every single other organism breathes.

5. Replace The ‘Constant Growth’ Economical Model With A ‘Steady State’ Balanced Model The world cannot sustain more and more growth based on higher consumption of limited resources like water, energy, earth metals etc. How can the economic ‘experts’ still think this model can continue to work forever?

6. Develop Our Global Consciousness This event is showing us how all peoples and nations of the world are connected and depend on each other, we share not only trade but also health and disease. Let’s reach out to people around the world, and overcome any enmity we feel towards strangers and people of other cultures and peoples, and again realise we are one people.

7. Value Our Communities Many people are being forced to depend on their family, neighbours and communities at this time, and are finding a richness in strengthening their bonds with their local community.

THIS issue I’m inspired by my garden. Not my greenhouse, veg, and fruit, but by my borders, hedges and flower beds. Local produce is flourishing, especially after such long periods of sunshine and watering, and while I’ve talked before about herbs and spices, one element of summer eating that I love is edible flowers.

What looks beautiful in your vase or through your windows can just as easily be on your salad, yoghurt, granola or even toast!

While foraging and natural ways of living, growing Flowery and eating have breakfast gone through a resurgence in interest, assisted hugely by the internet and social media, encouraged by the lockdown restrictions, getting your flower on hasn’t hit the mainstream yet.

Ironic when we are a nation of gardeners who take pride in our blooming beds and borders!

We know that green foods are healthy, with at least three to four servings in your diet every day as a good target. On top of that, the daily rainbow food mantra that we should be aiming for is perfectly supported by adding flowers to your diet when nature allows. As research into our microbiome develops, it’s clear that we need to encourage holistic nutrition and broad plant food diversity for our gut bacteria to thrive. When it comes to flowers, aromatherapy so often features our fragrant beauties,

and these can be another layer of food as medicine.

So, what commonly grown flowers are good (and safe) to eat? Natural and untreated, we can be chowing down on dahlias, marigolds, nasturtiums, roses, and lavender, and for the veg growers among you, try the flowers from your runner beans as well as courgettes. Don’t forget dandelions, borage, thyme, and chive flowers from the herb pots too. Flower heads or petals taste as good as they look while being another layer of nutritional goodness.

Nutritional analyses of edible flowers are limited, but several nutrients have been identified, including vitamins A and C, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium.

A salad is a perfect way to incorporate several servings of different green foods and flowers, alkalising your body, giving a host of benefits including more energy, clearer thinking, deeper sleep, and glowing skin. Colourful petals like these also signal the presence of phytochemicals and polyphenols with antioxidant properties, which may help prevent chronic or inflammatory conditions. Don’t just get your flowers in on salads.

You can incorporate them in jams, compotes, as dried decorations, syrups, and even on toast.

Seriously, why isn’t everyone putting rose petals on their toast?

Jane’s tasty flowery salad suggestion

More good learnings come to mind, but I think that’s enough from me, what do you feel you are learning through these times, and what do you feel the world needs to learn? When we come out of this, lets stand up for the changes we want to see in this world, and make these changes happen. l The International Macrobiotic School is reopening safely in September.

For course information please visit macroschool.co.uk or call them on (0)1803 762598

Grab a chunky, crunchy, nutritious lettuce like Cos, or Little Gem, along with other nutritious greens, and adorn with whatever flowers you choose: dahlias, marigolds, nasturtiums, roses, lavender, runner bean flowers, courgette flowers, dandelions, borage, thyme, and chive flowers – a cornucopia of colour! The veg, herbs and extras are supporting players - cucumber, tomatoes, red/ yellow peppers, spring onions, mint, coriander, basil, chicken, avocado, goat’s cheese, feta, halloumi, salmon, chorizo, smoked mackerel, seeds, nuts, the possibilities are endless. Your body (and mind) will thank you!

1 handful of spinach 1 handful of rocket 1/2 head, cos lettuce, chopped 1 bunch of parsley, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 green pepper, sliced Mix the salad greens together in a bowl. Top with celery, green pepper, almonds/seeds, parsley, and the other toppings of your choice. Dress with a light lemon and olive oil dressing or a balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

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

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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wildlife Prickles in a pickle JUDY THOMSON together with her partner Alan, from Stoke Fleming near Dartmouth, manage ‘Prickles in a Pickle’ a home based hedgehog rescue that takes in injured, poorly and underweight hedgehogs for care and release, plus other animals and bird too. Judy tells us more...

T

O misquote a well-known film, ‘If you build it, they will come’ certainly applies to us. As with many people that fall into wildlife rescue, we found that it found us rather than the other way around.

I have always been animal mad and constantly bringing broken feathered or furred souls’ home to be mended. When I arrived home with a Tawny Owl, my Mother uttered the immortal words: “I would have thought you would have grown out of this by now!”, I was 31 at the time. I am now in my 60th year and my passion for wildlife and especially hedgehogs, has increased rather than diminished.

My partner, Alan, comes from good old-fashioned Devon farming stock. His views on some issues have been different to mine but let us just say that some of these views have mellowed in time! His knowledge of the countryside and all the creatures that live within it knows no bounds. Plus, he is good at making various homes, houses, and pens. Between us we make a decent team.

The week we decided to move in together brought about an incident that was to change everything for us in the future, we did not know this at the time! This was 12 years ago.

I was carrying out a spring clean of the stables we rented when my shavings fork picked up a nesting hedgehog and her 4 tiny hoglets.

All I knew was that I had to put them immediately back where they came from and leave well alone.

Hedgehog mothers do not take kindly to disturbance.

I was concerned that they may be abandoned and perish, so Alan and I kept watch over the situation, from a distance for a couple of days. Our worst fears came to fruition on the second morning when we found distressed hoglets scattered all over the stable ‘peeping’ for mum. We gathered them up, put them back in the nest and rechecked in the evening.

They were all out of the nest again, cold, and only 2 of them.

We sorted through the rest of the shavings, like the graded grainers on the flour advert, with the aid of a head torch but could not find the other 2. We took them home,

warmed them up and with the aid of a glass ear dropper, some kitten milk, and the will to get them to live, we awoke every 2 hours through the night to feed and toilet them.

We learned a lot from these little creatures, Piglet and Roo we called them. They grew up and left home and the rest as they say is history.

We had no idea at this point how dire things were for the humble hedgehog. In the 1950s there was an estimated 30million, we are now down to our last 500,000 approximately. A high proportion of this loss has been in the last 2 decades. When you consider that out of every nest of babies, usually between 3 and 6, only 1 will survive to adulthood. They are sexually mature by their second year and in the wild live to about 3 or 4 years if they are lucky. Add to these poor odds the obstacles put in front of them and survival, it is no wonder we have lost so many.

Roads, pesticides, herbicides, tiny non interconnecting gardens with no wild areas, garden machinery, modern agricultural practice, badgers, global warming to name only some.

Ironically, it seems that ‘new build’ estates may hold the key to many wildlife species being able to thrive.

Integral bat and Swift boxes, hedgehog highways and built in wildlife corridors are some of the things designers are having to incorporate into their plans.

‘Prickles in a Pickle’ was created to give us a recognisable name.

For years we had been just quietly helping hedgehogs and other wildlife, out of our own pockets.

As we got busier and busier, we learned more and more by attending courses, networking with other rescues, reading and researching. I am lucky to have a lot of transferrable skills as I am a Registered Nurse, this has helped tremendously. Last year was phenomenal, the number of hedgehogs needing help was increasing day by day and this year we decided to register as a charity. It came to the point that I was literally working to look after the hedgehogs. l You can find Prickles in a Pickle on Facebook.

Caught on camera at Sharpham

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OXES, a tawny owl and a hedgehog are amongst the creatures caught unawares by hidden cameras on Sharpham Estate, around the site of the Sharpham Trust’s rewilding project which began earlier this year.

The Trust near Totnes was awarded £177,400 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to make more space for wildlife and take action for nature in a three-year project called Sharpham Wild for People.

The grant will help in turning the Sharpham Estate organic, re-wilding parts of its historic landscape and helping more people engage with the nature there – from members of the public to students of conservation learning to use camera traps.

“These first pictures of hedgehogs are amazing because as far as we know this is the first record of them being this far into the estate for over 20 years.” said Simon Roper, from Ambios Ltd, the nature conservation & education organisation which deployed the cameras via its trainees.

“Although our rewilding project has only just begun it is so encouraging to get this image of an animal likely to benefit from our future work in restoring nature. Sharing these pictures is a step towards connecting people with nature,” he added.

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An important aspect of the project Sharpham Wild for People is the exploration of organic farming techniques such as less-intensive grazing, in order to support biodiversity.

Ambios Ltd already operates Lower Sharpham Farm, an organic farm on the Sharpham Estate, and has just signed a tenancy to take over a further 50 acres of Sharpham parkland, which will be restored to parkland and wood pasture (a habitat with trees that would have characterised Sharpham parkland at the time of its design, in 1762).

An additional 137 acres of land has been leased to farmer David Camp for organic conversion.

“A key mission for Sharpham is to care for wildlife and enable people to connect with our natural world,” said Trust Director Julian Carnell.

“Because of this project, almost all the estate land will be managed organically which has proven benefits for wildlife,” he said.

The project was to include school visits, public events, volunteering & training opportunities this summer and the pandemic has meant that these have been postponed. However, the Trust hopes to start some of these in September, and is pressing ahead with other project goals such as introducing livestock, fencing and surveying wildlife.

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

Finding Active Hope

Quick adaptation Navigating the new normal Care, comfort, compassion

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What do we mean by ‘stay safe!’?

“ Realign your soul Systemic embodied coaching

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Rough Diamonds School Adapting to working online Alchemy in isolation

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The classified adverts

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And there’s lots more to read inside

STAY Safe” – it’s become the mantra for our times.

We hear it in Government soundbites, commercials and conversations between friends.

How many calls, Zoom sessions and FaceTimes now end with the words “stay safe”, even between strangers?

But, what do we mean by “safe”?

Carmella B’Hahn, who works with clients in grief, states of anxiety or transformation shared this moving personal story: “One Friday morning back in 1992, my five-year-old son, Benjaya, did something I’d never witnessed him do before. He put his finger into a pot of sacred ash (vibhuti) on my altar and made a mark with it in the centre of his forehead, saying happily, ‘This will keep me safe today!’ A few hours later he slipped into the river at South Brent while playing and drowned.

“Was he wrong about the ash keeping him safe? If “safety” means ‘alive and kicking on the earth’, then yes, he was wrong, but perhaps he knew that he needed help for a safe and smooth transition. Perhaps he blessed himself for an inevitable initiatory event that he intuited was coming.

It comforts me to stay open to this possibility and to trust that there is an intelligence - far more aware than my wanting self - that is orchestrating such initiations for the greater good.

“Many months later, an extraordinary visionary informed me of the ease of Benjaya’s death.

She said that he had felt no pain in his exit and was showing her, metaphorically, how he had simply slipped down a silver slide from this side to the other.”

Carmella helps people, through counselling, to find an inner sense of safety. She supports them to become conscious about conditioned fears around death/loss so that they can live more healthy lives. She also offers heartful communication support and TRE (tension and trauma release). By triggering the body’s natural tremor mechanism, TRE releases patterns and imprints that have become stuck.

Everything except TRE is available online. l For information on sessions and Carmella’s three books visit: www.heartofrelating.com, email carmella@heartofrelating.com or call 01803 867005. Special offer for all first sessions.

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.

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Quick adaptation

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RUTH BAKER, founder of Totnes’ The Nautilus Rooms has been rapidly adapting to running her therapeutic work in a new way, she wrote this for us as the centre readied to reopen.

HAT a time it has been since I last wrote. The Nautilus Rooms is largely a ‘mind’ based therapy centre specialising psychological therapies for people of all ages. As for all sectors it has been a steep learning curve for practitioners to move to online working. Sadly there are some people who have been unable to move continue their sessions on-line for a host of reasons including the particular need for privacy in the type of work we do. I have had a small on-line client base for many years as I have clients from around the world I find it to be a very effective way of working however there is an intensity to it for the practitioner which can be tiring.

In the run up to lockdown we started to put The Nautilus Rooms to bed for an unspecified period. Little did we know how long that would be. I took the last plants out with a tear in my eye. It was clear to me how much life plants bring to a building. A lot of love has gone into Nautilus not just by Peter and myself but by all who use the rooms. So its wonderful we are now in the process of re-opening. Covid risk assessments have been completed, therapists and clients have been consulted about our plans for re-opening. Next week I will trial a face shields simply to find out how they feel. My thoughts are if we can adjust so rapidly to online working then face shields will also be a quick

adaptation if that is the route we finally go down. Ultimately it is about keeping everyone safe. Visitors will see some changes from the welcoming hand sanitiser at the entrance to greater distance between chairs. We are fortunate in having large rooms most with high ceilings and windows which open to aid airflow and social distancing. Clients and therapists will clearly choose how they wish to continue to work either in person or online. Ultimately how you access therapy has to be a good fit for you and your therapist.

Fortuitously I had bought a beautiful bell tent last winter with a view to running some mindfulness / creative therapies in nature courses. I have begun to see some clients in this beautiful space with a wonderful view down the valley towards the edge of the moor. I sit with my clients watching the buzzards soar, the grasses move and nature unfold. It is a very enriching experience which deeply touches our therapeutic work.

Lockdown has been a mixed experience. Some have revelled in the social isolation, a new simplicity to life, a new freedom, reduced choices and possibly less or no work. For others it has been deeply distressing experience; problems in relationships have been exacerbated and the demands of home working have been under acknowledged. That juggled with childcare has been very tough for many. Little has been written about the impact of homeworking. I have heard of many incidents of people working longer hours as a way of somehow justifying their working day. The lack of social contact – the chat as you make a coffee or simple hello as you pass in the corridor – the friendly face – someone interested in you – however brief.

All these things break up the working day and bring a previously unknown pleasure to life. I read a report last week indicating productivity had increased since lockdown. All well and good – however if homeworking is to become a new normal we need to think carefully about our mental health, how we take breaks in the day and time for that simple chat.

Wellbeing outdoors finds funding

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EING out in nature can make us feel good, it’s instinctive. Many scientific studies have shown that connecting with nature and spending time in a woodland setting reduces stress, lowers anxiety, increases productivity, concentration and really does improve our overall mental health and wellbeing.

This concept underpins the wellbeing services for children and families at Dartington’s Apricot Centre. Manager Rachel Phillips explained: “Nature connects us to our ancestry, humans are ‘hard-wired’ through evolution to hold an emotional and psychological attachment to nature. To find natural settings calming, peaceful and relaxing. At the centre we combine time in nature with practising skills such as mindfulness, traditional woodcraft and rural skills, foraging and identifying wild plants as well as farm based activities such as growing, harvesting and cooking organic fruit and veg. We believe that the mental and physical health benefits from carrying out these activities really go beyond what you’d get from just walking in the woods or a picnic in the meadow.”

Rachel and her team based at Huxhams Cross Farm are celebrating the award of funding from The National Lottery Awards for All for their free Woodland Well-being Project. The project helps adopted and looked after young people and their families affected by issues from being adopted or looked after. It actively encourages them to reconnect with nature, find their voice, rediscover the art of play and become a part of a community of likeminded people whilst helping to improve physical, emotional and mental health. This is unlike traditional adoptive parenting support groups who do not work with the whole family to provide coping mechanisms that can be replicated at home or in a mainstream environment.

Rachel said: “We have also been awarded a grant from Imagine This Partnerrship for our Free - Woodland Wellbeing Root to Rise Project using the Orchards at Lupton House we will use nature connection activities and therapeutic support to help prevent suicide in young people by helping bring people together and build strong relationships and mental wellbeing support through a range of therapeutics and nature based activities.”

Their Farm Club starts again in September connecting children with nature, food & the farm. Children that attend the farm are encouraged to develop a passion for the environment through farm and woodland based activities including how to look after cows and chickens, the wildlife on a farm and about planting and harvesting fruit and vegetables. There’s a collection point at Dartington School and at the farm gates. £12 per child (includes collection from school) £10 per sibling for children aged 6+ years. l If you are interested in a place on any of these projects or would like to support in setting up more nature based workshops please contact Rachel on 07540445851 or rachelphillips@apricotcentre.co.uk

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EMOTIONAL HEALTH WELCOME back to our exploration into all things emotional. In this edition our Emotional Health columnist Leigh Smith , explores the psychological navigation of a whole ‘new normal’.

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Navigating the new normal

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So do make sure you look after yourself. Ensure you have a good office chair to work from. Stretch regularly, take some deep breaths of fresh air – get out and walk and experience the multiple layers of green our lush Devon countryside provides or movement of water weather sea or river. I love to experience the everchanging play of light on water. Give your eyes a screen break as well as your body.

If you are interested in Sandplay or Creative Therapy courses please contact Ruth Baker for more information. They will be re-scheduled.

If you are looking for a therapist The Nautilus Rooms website is a good place to start. If you are a therapist looking for a new room The Nautilus Rooms provides a wonderful atmosphere for your practice. l Contact Ruth Baker on ruthbaker1@gmail.com visit www.nautilusrooms.uk, or email nautiluscentre@gmail.com for more information.

Horse’s teach us how to find calm

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IRONA offers equine-assisted activities for some of the most vulnerable young people in our region, including those needing mental health support, children in foster care or young people with an education, health and care plan.

As we entered lockdown, Sirona’s board of trustees took the decision to keep the centre open, providing an essential service for young people, albeit under a reduced timetable.

This presented financial and operational challenges, but the team sought local authority guidance and was supplied with PPE by Devon County Council. Robust risk assessments, an adapted timetable and robust cleaning meant it could work safely, with social distancing measures in place.

Founder and CEO, Dr Hannah Burgon said: “The Sirona team has pulled together extraordinarily well under difficult circumstances. There were concerns about the effect on the young people attending, who may have a different practitioner or be on a different session than previously. However, feedback from them and their parents/carers has been overwhelmingly positive. For many, particularly foster children who may have had to move during lockdown, their session here has been the only constant in their lives.

We are very glad we made the decision to remain open for these young people and are conscious that our provision is going to be in even more demand going forward, with the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of many more young people.”

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Whilst the rest of the country has been gripped by the pandemic and getting used to living under lockdown, the Sirona horses have just carried on being horses, mainly grazing, drinking, dozing and play fighting (in the case of Toro and Rupert Jones).

The mares prefer peace and quiet – and they are not the only ones!

Hannah said: “We’ve all enjoyed the quieter and slower pace of life on the Dartington Hall estate, with hardly any cars on the lanes and much reduced traffic noise from the main road down the valley.”

She added: “The horses can teach us much about how to return to calmness after times of stress, with their capacity to react in the moment to threat or confrontation but then return to peace once the danger has passed.”

She added that anyone wanting to help support the charity at this time can do so by joining its Sponsor a Pony scheme, which is supported by patron, Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse Whisperer. You can find details at: https://sironaequine.org. uk/sponsor-a-pony/ With a reduced number of sessions, the Sirona horses have had more time off but have continued with their normal exercise programme to keep them fit and healthy. The centre is keen to hear of anyone locally who may be able to provide support later in the year to prepare Chasy for pulling a cart. Please get in touch if you can help. l Find out more at www. sironaequine.org.uk

Y head is a jumble as I write this column, normally I have a clear structure, a plan and a formula for my writing, but like so much during the pandemic that seems to have changed. I do have something I want to share with you, but I also invite you to ponder my questions and allow yourself the luxury of connecting to your own very personal experience.

These last months have impacted on us all to a greater or lesser degree, and whilst our experience of the pandemic has been both uniquely individual, it has also been a huge connector.

We have collectively faced this as a global community, and now we are all entering into the next phase together, the ‘new normal’. Whether you have been on the frontline 24/7 or furloughed at home, we have all been forced to engage with re imagining the way we live our lives, and how we can do things differently.

How has your view of your community changed?

I have been so fortunate to have managed to keep all of the counselling courses going at Heartwood, and with help from some very wonderful people, our students have been able to continue training and stay connected to their peers and tutors throughout.

This has been a Herculean task, but it has been so empowering and has allowed me to bear witness to the effect of the pandemic on many lives, hearing about the fears and anxieties, the grief for a lost way of living, and the anxiety about re-entering back into the ‘normal’ world.

One thing that is emerging as a commonality is that this period of lockdown has moved us into a reflective place, enforced us to take inventory on our lives, and by removing our ‘normal’ way of living it has brought us face to face with what we value most in our lives.

What have you yearned for most?

I heard lockdown described as mother earth losing her patience with us and sending us all to our bedrooms to: “seriously think about what you have done, and don’t come down until you are ready to take responsibility for your actions.”

Well, we have certainly had time to reflect on the way we were living our lives, and as lockdown lifts I sense in many people an anxiety about stepping back into the overwhelming and exhausting life we had before, and letting go of what we have found comforting in these last months.

Where did you find comfort?

Lockdown has given us the opportunity to re-evaluate our lives, it has shown us that even though we were scared we were able to make huge changes when necessary, and we did adapt to what was required of us. The positive message here is that anything is possible, we can be resilient,

supportive and we are adaptable.

What do you feel most proud of over these last months?

But these changes don’t just include how we go about our daily lives, managing the social distancing and safety protocols, but also the more internal changes around our mindset, and can create a whole new paradigm for how we live our lives going forward.

Being forced to let go of what I felt I needed in my life, was terrifying.

The government rules stopped me in my tracks, and the structure of my life was shattered, control was taken away. I was propelled headlong into a frightening situation where I was reliant on others to help me maintain control and manage the huge amount of responsibilities I feel I have to my students and colleagues. The battle to keep everything on track was exhausting, but my need to be in control and not let anybody down was a powerful motivator for me.

What has motivated you?

In the midst of creating a path through the chaos we had a devastating family crisis, and this brought my true values into sharp focus. I suddenly saw things from a completely new perspective, and my core, fundamental self was exposed. Whilst this was an horrendous experience it gave me the wake-up call I needed to reset, to realise I had wandered far from my path and was indeed lost, and it acted like a porch light, left on, guiding me back to my true destination, home.

What is home for you?

Perhaps this is the time for us all to remember why we were working so hard before lockdown, pushing ourselves to be so productive, ignoring our own needs and putting up with a toxic lifestyle that in effect was pulling us away from our true destination. For me the thing I hold most dear – my loved ones – had been pushed to the side lines, and ‘home’ had become the place to recharge before heading back out to the battlefield.

As I emerge from lockdown, I feel a new connection to home, I have placed home as central in my life, not a perfunctory pit stop, but the place where my heart sings and I am truly at peace.

As you emerge, what will you bring with you, and what will you leave behind?

This is a time to evaluate our lives on many levels, to take the lead from nature and make a clean sweep.

How has your world view changed, what became truly important to you?

Coming out of my ‘bedroom’ I feel ready to take up a new responsibility, and to be more aligned with what is really important to me. I am ready to get back on my path, my destination is clearer and I welcome a ‘new normal’.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

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.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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WELLBEING

ELL HOUSE

The source of your wellbeing

Kate does… The Feast and Fast Retreat YOUR wellbeing editor Kate tries out a treatment or event or activity each issue this time she seeks the diet she’s best suited to.

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Touch for Health KINESIOLOGY Massage • TFH Kinesiology • Training 07971 106 572 liz@devonwellhouse.co.uk www.devonwellhouse.co.uk

Jenny Heaton BA RSHom Registered Homeopath and Massage Practitioner Natural, holistic healthcare

ETO, Paleo, Carnivore, GAPs, fermented foods…

If, like me, you’re a bit confused by these different approaches to diet, a new Totnesbased retreat called Feast and Fast could be just the thing you’re looking for.

It has been created by Cat Nightingale, who has spent decades exploring different diets after experiencing severe migraines, unexplained wrist pain and low energy that began when she was a teenager. Cat started her food journey in the late 80s when she switched to organic.

Although she preferred the taste, sadly there was no improvement to her health and her quest continued. In fact, it was not until six years ago when she switched to a ketogenic diet that she saw any real change.

07908 402348 jennytheaton@gmail.com

Take a deep BREATH...

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Cat explained that the headaches and migraines went away “almost immediately”, as did the pain in her wrist. After three months of keto eating, she stopped needing to nap in the afternoon as her energy levels soared. But, although keto has proved effective for her, Cat’s daughter Braenna suffers from IBS and so Cat has also experimented with GAPs (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) and fermented foods including sourdough bread and kombucha tea.

The diet they have settled on is something of a “jigsaw approach”, taking bits from each of the different eating plans to achieve optimum health and nutrition for both Cat and Braenna.

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The aim of Feast and Fast Retreats is to introduce people to the key components of several different diets and show them some basic recipes so they can go away and experiment for themselves.

Rather than promoting a purist philosophy, Cat is keen to encourage people to discover what works best for them. They also demonstrated how fasting can help to achieve rapid healing.

During the taster day that I attended in July, Cat asked me

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what I was most interested in learning about. Having heard great things about the benefits of keto (but having ground to a bit of a halt when I couldn’t face eating another egg), I said I wanted to learn how to make keto buns. I was also keen to discover what else I could eat for breakfast besides avocado and bacon and eggs.

Cat, who lives in a beautiful house in the heart of Totnes and grows her own fresh vegetables, berries and herbs, showed me how to make my own keto muesli using a mix of nuts, seeds and a limited amounts of dried fruit which we toasted in the Rayburn until golden. I fell totally in love with the keto vanilla and pecan nut ice cream, which uses double cream, eggs, vanilla essence and xylitol to create the creamiest, most delicious treat you could possibly imagine.

We created our own burgers, which we cooked on the barbecue, and learned how to make keto buns with oat fibre and linseeds. The sauerkraut was surprisingly delicious although I must admit I’ve never quite found a way to enjoy the vinegary acidity of kombucha.

I came away from the day with useful insights and practical ideas for creating keto meals. Cat has created an ambitious programme of retreats throughout the year, including Keto/Paleo, Fermented Foods/GAPS, dry fasting and fasting with electrolytes. There’s even a retreat on Preparing for a Carnivore Christmas in December. l For more information visit: https://www.feastandfast.org

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WELLBEING Real food, Real life,

Real health 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.

A tribute to an extraordinary woman

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USIC has the power to comfort and heal. It is also powerfully evocative and for Bob Crowley, the CD he has created in memory of his wife Julie who died from dementia in February last year, brings back many happy and poignant memories.

Care Comfort Compassion is a collection of spoken word and music specially selected by Bob for its associations with his beloved wife and for its ability to bring comfort to him in his bereavement.

The CD and download is being sold in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society to help fund research into early diagnosis of the disease, which is rising steadily year on year according to the Office for National Statistics. Its latest report, released in May, shows that dementia including Alzheimer’s disease was the most common major pre-existing condition in Covid deaths between March and April.

The experience of caring for Julie and then losing her to dementia inspired Bob to want to create something to help other people going through a similar experience.

He said: “My life changed when I met Julie. She was always happy and smiling, but very sensitive, whereas, I often had black dog days. Julie taught me to live and love again. This compilation is a tribute to an extraordinary and much-missed woman.

Julie’s health began to decline in 2011. Unbeknown to her family, she was starting to show the early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. Bob was unfamiliar with the disease and failed to recognise the symptoms, something that he now deeply regrets. Julie died at the age of 72. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered on the sea at Cromarty Firth, where her son’s ashes were scattered in 1998 Bob said: “Looking after Julie was a learning process as her illness progressed slowly at first and then became unstoppable. As the illness develops, patients become less and less able to look after themselves.

“Looking back, I really would have appreciated an early warning of what vascular dementia meant for both of us. I’m hoping any proceeds from the CD and download will help to fund research into early diagnosis, as well as increasing understanding of the early symptoms. It includes a love poem, songs of love and hope and songs of parting.”

Contributors to the CD include: The Spooky Men’s Chorale, Reg Meuross Music and Riversong. l The album is available to download here: carecomfortcompassion. bandcamp.com/releases Limited hard copies of the CD are available by emailing info@ carecomfortcompassion.org

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Jeff Sleeman Life Coaching, Personal Development and Wellbeing

“Simple and profound techniques to get you to where you want and need to go”

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Bell Bartlett

A gift of lockdown HAT were the gifts of this lockdown for you? Have there been any?

For Nikhila Ludlow, being unable to hold her normal Feldenkrais Functional Integration sessions has pushed her to start offering Somatic Counselling, which is a form of body-centred therapy that looks at the connection of body and mind.

It combines talking therapy with physical techniques such as deep breathing, relaxation exercises and meditation. Somatic Counselling is based on the premise that the stress of past emotional and traumatic events affects the central nervous system and can cause changes in the body. The technique can improve brain and body function.

Nikhila has been running her private practice, focused on The Feldenkrais Method, in Dartington since 2004. She is known for her popular classes and individual work. Since 2013 she has completed a range of training courses including Holistic Counselling, Authentic Leadership, Relationship Counselling, and Advanced Counselling studies.

Lockdown was the spur for her to expand her support to clients.

Jane Hutton The Functional Foodie

T: 01395 443474 | M: 07977 272 174 contact@jeffsleeman.com | www.jeffsleeman.com Nikhila explained: “With my face-to-face Feldenkrais Functional Integration sessions on hold I was given a push– a bit like a fledgling out of the nest – to learn to fly.

It’s not that I haven’t been giving Somatic Counselling – I have – but it was never in the foreground as it was always overshadowed by my love of Feldenkrais. So, the gift of lockdown – and I do believe it’s important for us to find the gifts if we can– is that I am now officially offering this work. It has given me such a lot and I believe it can really help other people. All you need to bring is a problem you want to resolve and an open mind.” l All counselling sessions and online Feldenkrais classes are currently being held on Zoom.

For more information visit: www. lifeworks4.me.uk or call 07989 394904

let nature be your ally flower essences to improve your emotional wellbeing www.alliesofnature.co.uk

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

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WELLBEING The age of flowers and their essences

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N ability to communicate with the flowers is spoken of in the ‘Legend of The Rainbow Warriors’ by Steven McFadden. The book explains that the Age of Aquarius, which we’re entering now, will also be known as the Age of Flowers when “the people will wear feathers and beads and be able to communicate with the flowers. The flowers will guide them and support them as they walk their life paths.”

Simon Blackler is an Accredited Chalice Well Flower Essence Practitioner. He explained how he learned to communicate with the flowers and how he’s using that information to help and support others: “Flowers have been present throughout my shamanic training from 2013 onwards, appearing in every vision quest I’ve participated in. Each spring, I’ve become more aware of the swathes of blossom and wild flowers in the countryside, all calling for my attention.

“The flowers I’ve been particularly drawn to have all had a message for me, a quality that wants to be relayed to the world regarding how each flower’s essence can help with our own emotional wellbeing, our healing and our journey to becoming more whole.”

Simon explained that flowers continue to educate him about

their essence and healing qualities. His communications have taught him that, from the moment flowers appear during the year, many different factors come into play - where they are positioned within the landscape, how they relate to one another in their environment and how they connect to the lunar and solar cycles. Flowers also come with a deeper knowledge as to what is happening within ‘the field’.

By that I mean the wider events taking place in the Universe, and how these relate to the flowers’ as well as to our own life.”

Simon has been guided to create his own Allies of Nature range of flower essences, which are based on the cycle of the calendar wheel. He said: “This has proved to be particularly significant throughout lockdown, when the flowers’ chronological messages, month by month, have proved to be synchronistic with the societal restrictions we’ve been encountering. By connecting flower by flower, great support has been offered by the essences throughout the lockdown period, as the Rainbow Warriors prophecy might suggest.” l For more information about the Allies Of Nature range of flower essences and how they could help you, contact Simon on 07929 312675, email simon@ alliesofnature.co.uk, or visit www.alliesofnature.co.uk

Death Cafes TALKING about Death doesn’t mean you will die sooner but can help you make more of your life.

A Death Café is a welcoming, safe and confidential space for sharing and group discussion about Death and Dying. We encourage compassionate listening for people, often in small groups held by hosts.

It’s not a morbid space: there may be tears and laughter and it’s always very interesting. KindaDeath Café runs fortnightly on Zoom on Friday afternoons during lockdown. Face to face cafes are held at KindaPlace in Paignton. Other Death cafes are held in Totnes, South Brent and Exeter.

l Email Awi at awifrances@ yahoo.co.uk look for “Living well dying well in South Devon” page on FaceBook or visit https://deathcafe.com

TFH Kinesiology training

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SOMETIMES in the waves of change, we find our true direction” -unknownIf you are looking for something positive to focus on, that will support you through this huge period of challenges and change, this course may well be for you. If you are an existing healthcare practitioners and would like to extend your toolkit, TFH Levels 1-4 provides the foundation to becoming a kinesiology practitioner.

“The TFH Kinesiology training offers an educational model that not only teaches students how to work with TFH kinesiology to support others, but through it’s practical approach, it supports and facilitates students with their own personal health and wellbeing too. Benefits include: increased energy and vitality; breaking down blocks, barriers and emotional triggers; increases confidence and personal motivation; improves posture and relief from physical pain and tension; stress relief and day-today stress management; setting and achieving personal goals; processes trauma; enhances brain function, and supports and improves co-ordination, balance and general performance.”

Touch for Health Kinesiology is a non-invasive approach to natural healthcare that is performed over clothes. It combines the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, Tibetan energy techniques, Nutrition and Western bodywork techniques.

Energy and body function are assessed using muscle monitoring.

This gives feedback regarding where energy imbalances lie and what the body needs to restore balance. This process empowers

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the person by releasing trauma and resistance and gaining insight and tools that help to align the mind, body and soul.

Your instructor, Liz Reddish was inspired to begin teaching TFH Kinesiology after her own life was transformed by the approach.

Having run her own busy practise for over 20 years, Liz has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she brings to her teaching to guide and support her students through the modules. In addition to the modules, there will be practise sessions and online support available.

The next set of courses are as follows: Kinesiology training Level 1: Oct 9-10 2020 Level 2: Nov 12-13 2020 Metaphors: Dec 11-12 2020 Level 3: Jan 22-23 2021 Level 4: Mar 5-6 2021 l For more information call Liz on: 07971 106 572 or email: liz@ devonwellhouse.co.uk or visit www. devonwellhouse.co.uk

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WELLBEING

Realign your soul

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EAUTIFUL new beginnings are what life coach, Katheryn Hope specialises in. “I remember a time when I felt there was something more for me, but simply didn’t know what,” she said. “I’d become so involved in “everydayness” and work/home routines that I was unable to realise my true passion. There was a filter between it and me. It took an enforced pause due to burnout for me to find what my soul was so yearning for.

“In the last few months, all of us have undergone an enforced pause. During this time many people have been reviewing life and discovering they don’t want to get back to “normal” because normal has not nurtured them at a deeper level. Something within is waking up. Now is the time to allow whatever that is to emerge, to find alignment with your heart’s desire and take steps to a more meaningful and purposeful way of life.”

During lockdown, Katheryn focused on developing her coaching and Resonance Repatterning practice. She’s now offering Soul Reading Realignment sessions to help you find real clarity on the meaning and purpose of your life at soul level.

She said: “These sessions will help you shed deep karmic patterns, discover your soul gifts and soul family so you move into positive transformation.

Following a session, you’ll receive the steps to clear your way and move forward. With pure intention and action, the universe responds and supports you.”

One of her clients said: “I’ve come to know and love myself once again.

It’s been such a dynamic experience that so needed to happen if I was ever going to find my way back to my own unique path.”

Reconnect readers receive a special rate of £147 (normally £247) to take this step to a clean slate and beautiful new beginnings. l Contact Katheryn at coach@katherynehope.plus.com or call 07971416630.

Holistic healthcare: Homeopathy and therapeutic massage

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any of the things that help us to relax and unwind have been disrupted during lockdown and we may be experiencing various levels of stress as a result.

Jenny Heaton, who practices homeopathy and therapeutic massage, points out that stress can build up over time and manifest in lots of different ways.

We may become irritable in our mind or digestive tract. We might experience anxiety, palpitations and breathlessness, disrupted sleep, difficulty concentrating, low mood, low energy and more besides.

She explained: “Homeopathy doesn’t separate mind and body, we see them as interwoven, inseparable. I take a holistic approach to your health: how you are in yourself is as important as any physical complaints you may have. I see symptoms as signs of imbalance and, in your first appointment, I take a detailed account of how you are on all levels, as well as your general health and medical history. My aim is to find remedies that can help restore balance and strengthen your vitality.

“If physical tension is the main way you’re experiencing stress

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then a massage may be effective.

Massage provides an opportunity to stop, relax deeply and receive nurturing touch, which many of us have missed during lockdown. If stiffness and tension have built up in your body, massage can help restore mobility and flexibility and release whatever stress you have been holding.”

Jenny has worked as a practitioner in Bristol for over 20 years. Now she works from Ola Chiropractic in Totnes. She said: “Most of my clients see me for either homeopathy or massage and some have been coming since I started out in practice.

I’m registered with the Society of Homeopaths and am adhering to their guidelines for practice during the pandemic. As well as appointments in person, I can offer online and phone sessions and can send remedies in the post. Ola has put in place stringent measures to ensure that both clients and practitioners are safe.” l Jenny is happy to chat on the phone before arranging an appointment. For more information, call her on 07908 402348 or email: jennytheaton@ gmail.com

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WELLBEING Systemic embodied coaching

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

The Bowen Technique Scar Tissue Release Chapel House Studios, Totnes Home Visits AMANDA MORRIS CLT – MLDUK – CertECBS

For an appointment please call 07931 505 312

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

IN October 2018 Maren Freeland, a resident at Totnes Landmatters Permaculture Community, decided not to run her women’s mentorship programme scheduled for the following year after reading the IPCC report that had been published on climate change.

Maren said at the time: “We feel we can not carry on with business as usual and we’re not sure that our energies might need to be placed elsewhere at this time in history...don’t even know yet what this other response may be but it feels right to evaluate and see if our skills and offers need to be tailored accordingly.”

Maren realised that as devastating as the report was, we had a bit of time and urgently needed radical responses. Like many of the Reconnect community she became a supporter of Extinction Rebellion.

She told us: “I see a lot of lostness in people’s reactions to the report and I hope to be part of holding spaces that give space for despair and grief and fear and then see what creative responses can come from the void.”

Two years on and for many people the recent lockdown has been a time “out of the ordinary”, and an opportunity to slow down from life on auto-pilot. Some have likened this time to the archetypal stages of initiatory processes: separation, being in a state of ‘betwixt and between’ which often can be disorientating and scary, which leads to emerging changed ‘incorporation’.

Maren believes we should now be asking how can we integrate into

our lives going forward. She said: “I was struck by how the virus story made the interconnection of humans so visible. How our biomes mix and mingle. I became acutely aware of how my choices have shaped my life. Strangely, this period has changed my feelings of despair for our world, into a state of gratitude for life. I know now that it is possible for things to shift.”

Of course, we don’t know what this changing world is morphing into.

But change begins with each one of us. Maren said: “With the massive shake-ups we’re facing worldwide, my coaching sessions aim to help you reclaim your life’s direction.

It’s great for exploring issues in an embodied way, either nature-based or via zoom/ phone.”

One of her clients Charlotte Dean said of Maren’s Systemic Embodied Coaching style: “My coaching sessions with Maren are illuminating. Her gentle presence and guidance weave a powerful container for the magic of embodied coaching to unfurl. I have understood my situation from a completely different perspective.” l To find out more about her nature-based sessions via zoom/ phone contact Maren on marenfreeland@gmail.com or 07906 399990

The courage to change RIGHT now, many of us are wondering how to pick up the threads of our lives. Can we carry on with our life more or less as it was before or do we need to completely re-invent ourselves?

Belinda Bluebell, who has been on a Shamanic Path of Bee Shamanism for over 14 years, believes that in this post-lockdown period, it’s important to be clear about how we want to move forward. She said: “This is an opportunity to go inside ourselves, a chance to reset our lives onto the path that we really want to be on, and to be supported in this inner journey.”

Over the past few years, Belinda has been moving in a new direction herself with her healing work and understands the challenges and opportunities. She said: “At times it’s been difficult stepping into the unknown, however, it has been worth every moment of struggle.”

Belinda trained in Bee Shamanism 14 years ago. Two years ago, she Body Wisdom Coaching is a powerful therapy used to treat received an awakening to become energy disorders such as M.E, Fibromyalgia and CFS. Using a channel for the voice of the bees.

Since then, she’s been offering the messages from the body as our guide, we restore the Shamanic Bee Journeys online to support clients to get clear on their mind/body connection allowing health to return. next steps in life.

Fiona Montgomery One client recently commented: “Belinda is amazing at her craft. I Tel: 07920 461400 | Email: fionamonty1@gmail.com was despondent and disheartened www.bodywisdomcoaching.co.uk just before our online session

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and left feeling excited and empowered to implement the wisdom that arose.”

Belinda is launching a five-week online series called The Courage To Change with the aim of supporting people to journey deep inside using weekly Shamanic Bee Journeys. The themes are the gift of vulnerability, seeking your inner truth, trusting your own wisdom, stepping into your soft power, and lighting your inner flame. Each session will last up to two hours.

The normal price is £199, but the first five people to book will only pay £175. l For more information visit: www.belinda@thevoiceofthebees. com or www.thevoiceofthebees.com or call 07754 779282

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£41.85 WELLBEING

Where do we go from here ?!

PSYCHIC Tarot Readings with Bell Bartlett.

It is said that ‘When we can accept our limitations we no longer feel limited.’

What is your experience? Have you come through the lockdown brimming with new ideas and fresh enthusiasm? Or perhaps like many others, you are navigating your way through uncertain waters with a mixture of excitement and fear. Bell is a local psychic reader with 40 years experience and an enthusiasm for seeking heart centred, practical solutions to ‘interesting times’.

She said: “My readings centre on locating information which is most beneficial for you, personally and professionally. What is beneficial includes information around timing, when it will be best to act, and when to wait, when to make an important decision and when to put it into action. As a colleague once said to me, ‘the secret of good timing, is good timing !’ So if you are considering a significant change it can be worth checking out in advance how that will work out for you.“ It seems likely that for the next couple of years we may have to find a great deal of flexibility within

ourselves to respond to changing freedoms and constraints. The time will hold many more surprises for us, individually and collectively. If you find yourself not knowing what to do or when to do it, a reading with Bell will provide you with clarity in your direction, reassurance for your heart and confidence in your decision making.

“I’ve noticed that whatever my inner resources were before I see you, when I come out they are magnified. Seeing you makes a huge difference” - John. Father and nurse. l For more information visit: www. conscious-tarot.co.uk or call 07796 900509

Book a series of ads this size and it will cost you just £41.85 a month - including free editorial. Regular advertiser Jason Burns can vouch for the success of advertising. He said, “I’m pleased to say that I have had a very good booking for my services, because of advertising with you, so I’m happy to commit to the full year.” You too could find customers through an advert in these pages, call Scott on 01392 346342.

Vegan, organic, zero waste packaging, handmade in Torquay

07962 664294

www.greenwyse.co.uk

The rough diamonds school

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OUGH DIAMONDS is a collaboration between Phil Barber and Agata Krajewska.

The couple met in 2016 after Phil had completed a five-year journey that saw him writing a memoir of his early life and turning it into a solo show. Agata took on the role of director and they discovered a shared passion for autobiographical work.

Bringing together Agata’s bodybased approach and Phil’s expertise as a writer proved a great success and so Rough Diamonds was born a school for people from all over the world to explore and tell their stories.

Agata explained: “We carry our stories in our bodies, sometimes for years. We return to them in search of understanding, release, celebration, and completion. Stories can be like caged birds, longing to be set free.

When a story is ready to be told, a transformative process begins.”

Phil said: “Rough Diamonds offers a space for people to explore their inner and outer stories; giving body and voice permission to play and improvise. New threads of old tales emerge when we work somatically, as well as with the pen. By casting light on past challenges and joys, and how they have shaped us, we free up the raw material with which to craft performances.”

Agata and Phil point out that Rough Diamonds participants will find themselves alongside kindred spirits, with a powerful group alchemy helping to bring about change.

Agata said: “You will see, hear, and feel the stories of others, helping you to understand your own. Exploring together in a supportive community, we experience parallels and emergent collective narratives. This

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www.torbay-herbalist.co.uk

THE HOMOEOPATHIC PRACTICE of Mo Morrish RSHom & Ali Morrish RSHom can sometimes be a tender journey, which is why we provide you with a safe and courageous space - to unfold at the pace and depth that works best for you.

“We unlock the empowerment waiting in your story by returning to significant events and authoring them anew. Often our initiatory trials and triumphs go unwitnessed and unvalidated among our busy, fast-paced culture. It inevitably means parts of us remain in exile.

Sharing with a loving compassionate audience, we reveal our unique gifts and strengths in a celebratory homecoming.”

Rough Diamonds believes it champions the sort of stories that everyday culture may not get to witness. These stories offer a rich resource for community building and social change.

The work is aimed at people with zero experience of theatre work, as well as those who have worked in this way before. Phil said: “For non-actors we offer a unique chance to apply artistry to your biography. For experienced performers we offer training in how to work with autobiographical material, devising and creating a script and building stage presence.” l For more information visit www. roughdiamondstheatre.co.uk

ESTABLISHED in 1990 Committed to restoring health 01364 661397 www.thehomoeopathicpractice.co.uk Clinics held at: Exeter Natural Health Centre & Ilsington, Nr Newton Abbot

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WELLBEING YYoga with Natalie @ Chapel House Studios, Totnes Mondays 6pm and Wednesdays 10am Yin Tuesdays 10am and Thursdays 6pm Vinyasa Flow ALL CLASSES NOW ONLINE 07516 720 246 | natalie@loveyogatree.co.uk | www.loveyogatree.co.uk

Doing funerals a bit differently

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S you may have realised by now, as undertakers we do things a bit differently. We dress normally when we first meet a family. We feel the traditional formal look can be intimidating, with it’s subtle implications of etiquette and control. We try to behave normally too, preferring a calm openness to the solemn, mournful face still worn by so many funeral directors, who often look like your bereavement is theirs. We don’t embalm. We don’t use a hearse, unless a family really want one. Otherwise it’s our Volvo, always the oldest car at the funeral. Most importantly, we don’t employ any bearers, those retired men who literally shoulder the burden, carrying the coffin from the car to the grave or the crematorium catafelque, and in the case of a burial, lower the coffin into the grave. It means with us the family need to help. This is deliberate. It changes the funeral from something you watch, to something you do.

The funeral of someone you love is deeply surreal. It’s easy to almost leave your body, drift up into your head, become separated from what is actually happening. This sense of isolation can be reinforced if what is actually being done, moving the body from here to there, is being done by other people.

All the coffins we use have working handles, six of them. This means that anyone can carry it, without worrying about dropping it or not being the same height. We have had six elegant daughters carrying their beloved father, eighty year old grandmothers sharing handles with eight year old children, teams changing places. If you want to be involved in a funeral, really involved, carry the coffin. It is a

The Green Funeral Company’s Claire and Rupert Callender offer an ecological alternative to traditional funerals, and are firm believers in honouring our dead in a more participative way, rather than the more traditional ceremonies. thousand times more powerful than delivering the perfect poem.

Feel the uncompromising weight, the handles biting into in your hand. Let your body form a physical memory of this moment. Look at the people you share the burden with, listen to their breathing. Feel what’s happening. This is real. Go to the grave, slowly, carefully. Let the lowering straps slip through your fingers until the coffin rest on the bottom. This is the last act on earth you can do for them, this is it, journey’s end. Look down. You have accompanied them as far as you can, you have honoured them with effort. You can do no more. l Visit www. thegreenfuneralcompany. co.uk or email enquiry@ thegreenfuneralcompany.co.uk or call 07759 890 639.

How would you like your end of life to be?

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RITING an Advance Plan (Living Will) is an act of love for your loved ones so they know what your wishes are, if you should be unable to say. It contains what you would like for your end of life, what treatments you wouldn’t want, who you want to speak for you and what you want to happen

after you’ve died. It involves conversations with family that can be very hard but necessary and will bring relief afterwards.

Awi Frances, an End of Life Doula, offers 1:1 support for writing your plan and also runs community workshops for groups. l For more information, email awifrances@yahoo.co.uk

New personal growth book

O Books’ Gavin Davies contacted us and asked if we’d review The Divine CEO written by Geoff Thompson; former bouncer, world ranking martial arts guru, and BAFTA-winning screenwriter.

Geoff said that the book, out now, is: ”An inspiration and personal growth, mind and body, and spiritual title and a masterclass on how to contract your ego, expand your conscious awareness, and build a powerful internal hierarchy, through mastery of mind, body and senses.”

He asked if we’d recommend it for anyone seeking to break their negative associations with the world and create a divine covenant with their Greatest Potential (their own internal Chief Executive Officer). We said we couldn’t recommend it as we’d not read it, but that we would give it this mention.

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WELLBEING

Ali and Mo Morrish

Stronger together IN October last year Ali and her husband Mo started a new adventure at their shared Homoeopathic Practice on Dartmoor. Ali gives us an update....

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HE lock down period for us, as for most people, has provided ample opportunity for reflection and a timely chance for us to see how we work and how we might want to work in the future. With business far from ‘as usual’ and the chance to work from home rather than the clinic, we have been looking at how to nourish ourselves as practitioners which in our opinion, makes for better care of our patients.

We are reasonably unique in our homeopathic community as being partners in business and partners together and this gives us wonderful opportunity to share our work and to offer both a female and male dynamic if required by any of our patients for any reason. The sharing of our work is important, as it means we can offer supervision for trickier cases but also for each other, making sure that we are always governed by ‘best practice’ which again serves ourselves and most importantly the many people who come to see us. With a joint experience of over 50 years, we work with the same methodologies as homoeopaths and with the same shared vision of how to build a soulful and useful practice.

We are so grateful to one of our patients who kindly offered this feedback over the lock down: “I’ve been a patient of both Mo and Ali for a decade, and a user of homeopathy for more than 30 years. They are gifted, first class practitioners, capable of great insight, with the expertise to deliver accurate prescribing. Each does it in their own way. A particular strength of their practise is that, with your permission, they can consult with each other about what’s best for you. Twice the experience, a male and female dynamic, both coming from their own angle to try to reach the right decision. I’ve been in good hands with each of them, and you will be too.

But for me, this opportunity to benefit from shared thinking is a rare extra dimension, one that offers me even better treatment. “ And so, with this in mind, we have come to the decision that from now onwards, Mo will hold the clinic space solely at our home at Ilsington, Dartmoor. Many people now prefer to come to see us here as it stood before lock down and we know many more people are keen to do so.

Telephone consultations necessary during this period, have proved very successful and so provide an alternative for those people who might prefer not to come to Ilsington. Ali will also continue to see patients from Ilsington, but will now also hold the Exeter clinic space at Exeter Natural Health Centre as before. We sincerely hope that this slight shift in our working practice will continue to provide a good overall service as it has done for so many years and will continue to benefit our patients whilst providing us with the important self- care of working from home that we have come to appreciate so much.

Shamanic Healer Training Accredited course Totnes, Devon Further details

www.shamanichealers.co.uk

07882 634522

l Please contact us with any enquiries. We are here to listen. Call 01364 661397, email enquiries@thehomoeopathicpractice.co.uk or visit www. thehomoeopathicpractice.co.uk

Support the body to find its own balance

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steopath and Cranial Osteopath, Dianna Harvey is bringing her new practice to Totnes on Saturdays at the Arcturus Clinic. Dianna specialises in back pain, joint pain and Cranial Osteopathy for adults, children and babies.

She said: “I treat people of all ages, presenting with a wide variety of different conditions. My approach uses a range of techniques depending on the patient’s needs, from gentle Cranial Osteopathy to more active osteopathic procedures.

“What I love most about osteopathy is the way I can support the body to find its own balance.

I might be working with physical strains or injuries, yet the treatment can have a surprisingly calming and relaxing effect on the nervous system and, therefore, on mood and sense of wellbeing.”

Dianna aims to include the patient in their journey back to health, looking at ways to support the body’s function and noting the effects of

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posture and lifestyle habits.

She offers a free informal conversation to discuss whether osteopathy is right for you and 20% off the cost of treatment until the end of August. Her website contains helpful information and exercises.

l For more information, call 07957 634919 or visit www.dhkosteopath.co.uk

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WELLBEING

Sanjula Manthe

Adapting to working online

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Isolated on our HIS experience, Alpaca and Rare described by Breeds Farm has Natalie Austin, meant there had who normally been many a tale teaches yoga at to tell of the animal Chapel House antics too!”

Studios in Totnes, At the time of is one that will writing, there’s strike a chord with still ambiguity many of us. and uncertainty about restarting Describing herself group classes as “someone Natalie Austin and massage who does not businesses. All of Natalie’s gel too well with technology classes are still live streamed and doesn’t feel comfortable online and she is continuing in front of a video camera”, to offer them at the lockdown Natalie found herself having to reduced rate of £5 per class. shift all her yoga classes online For details visit: http://www. in a hurry. She said: “It was a loveyogatree.co.uk . You blessing really as I didn’t have can also access free classes, time to think too much about it, meditations and instructional which made me my focus on my videos at: http://www.vimeo. students’ needs. All my classes com/natalieaustin remain online as we slowly emerge from lockdown and try to Natailie said: “Check out my navigate the new guidelines. pages on Facebook Love Yoga Tree and Dartmoor Reach Alpaca “It’s been an interesting and Farm Yoga and Glamping if you wonderful journey and I would want to see what else we’ve been like to thank all of my students, up to over the last few months.” old and new, for supporting my classes through the last few l For more information please months. I think we’ve all been on get in touch with Natalie at a learning curve. I’ve remained natalie@loveyogatree.co.uk positive in my resolve to offer or 0751672024 or see www. some release, relief and healing, loveyogatree.co.uk for more mixed up with a wee bit of fun. details.

Developing your divine gifts

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OUR soul holds all the information you need to fulfil your Divine purpose here on the earth, according to Sanjula Manthe who is holding online angel workshops each month until the end of the year.

She believes that you need to support the body and mind and soul to cooperate in an environment of inner stillness. So you can gain a true understanding of who you are and why you are here. This takes practice, learning to quieten the mind and find a way into silence. Sanjula said: “Sometimes we need to take time out from our usual lives. Like taking a pilgrimage, attending a workshop or living within a community that supports personal growth. Simple practices like walking and being in nature can be very supportive. We may also need sessions with healers or bodyworkers to support our body’s to find balance.”

Sanjula believes we are all healers and have the ability to channel healing light into the earth. In doing

Scar tissue release

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EOPLE can sometimes have a complex relationship with their scars. If the scar was the result of a traumatic event, it can act as a permanent and inescapable reminder, which can cause distress or discomfort. In some cases, the scar may look or feel unpleasant.

Aside from our emotional responses to scars, they can have a physical impact too. Scars can cause: l Restrictions in the fascia l Reduction in blood and lymph flow l Weakened muscular strength l Reductions in the flow of energy l Inhibited joint movement But you don’t simply have to put up with scarring, as Amanda Morris, who practices McLoughlan Scar Tissue Release (MSTR)®, explained: “MSTR is an innovative, pain-free, natural method of helping you with your scars. Gentle fingertip pressure is applied to the area to help free the restrictions in the scar. No force is involved and the work is always applied within your tolerance.

It doesn’t matter how old the scar is.”

MSTR® work is suitable for postsurgical scars such as: mastectomy, lumpectomy etc.; appendix, gall

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this we can support a raising of our own consciousness, as well as bringing peace, balance and unity to the world.

“I have come to understand there is a big difference between the physic faculty and my own divine gifts. For me it has been more important to develop these gifts. One of which is to receive guidance in my life on where to focus. At present I am writing a book.”

Sanjula has worked as a spiritual healer and life coach for many years and is passionate about supporting people to find their own life’s purpose. She is holding online angel workshops via Zoom to help people develop their sensitivity and angelic guidance system. The two- hour workshops, from 5-7pm take place on 26 July, 30 Aug, 20 Sep, 25 Oct, 29 Nov and 27 Dec. The price per workshop is £55 and booking is essential. l For more information call: 07926 447158 visit www. sanjulalifecoaching.com Before and after pictures of scar down the spine.

bladder, hysterectomy, C-section and joint replacement scars. It is also highly effective at treating burn scars, trauma wounds, facial scars and muscle tears. Some people use it for stretch marks and plantar fasciitis. l Not everyone feels uncomfortable about scarring, of course, but if you feel that your scars hold you back in life or cause you distress, Amanda would be happy to help. Call her on 07931 505312 or email: amanda@amandamorris.co.uk

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Re-opening - How have therapy centres adapted?

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HEN we first talked to Dawn Melville and Nicola Parker in early 2020 they had just opened Temple Wellness, a new therapy centre, set in an elegant building in a peaceful area of Plymouth.

The sisters were eager to create a centre that provided a bridge between the more traditional clinic space and that of a spa offering clean, welcoming rooms for practitioners who provide relaxation and restorative treatments, alongside personal wellbeing and balance.

We revisited the centre as it opens its doors for the first time since the lockdown to see how they have adapted to ensure clients and therapists alike, feel comfortable to return.

“It’s been a challenge to get here” said Dawn, “especially given that some of our clients were able to seamlessly move their services online, but we have remained in close contact with our wonderful family of therapists throughout the crisis and together we have ensured we can continue to offer affordable rooms and most importantly, to re-open safely.”

Nicola added; “In a recent survey of our practitioners, one message remained clear; therapists and their clients are keen to get back into face to face practise and so responding to this, we’ve put in place a number of practical solutions to give our practitioners the confidence to re-start their businesses.

“Working in line with current government and industry guidelines we provide the following: l Large airy rooms enabling comfortable social distancing. l Regular deep cleaning. l Minimal furnishings.

l Limited access to communal areas. l Limited number of occupied therapy rooms. l Reduced room rates. l Central location with ample, free parking. l Flexible bookings. l Signage, hand washing facilities and PPE Temple Wellness also offer collective marketing support to their growing family of practitioners.

Nicola added: “We set out to create a wellness space where clients find themselves naturally relaxed and practitioners feel supported and engaged. Our ethos remains the same; we want to support our practitioners and offer a safe service – for the people working behind our doors as well as for the people coming through them.”

If you are a practitioner or therapist and looking for a comfortable and welcoming therapy space in the Plymouth area, please get in touch. l Call Nicola: 07825 818991 or email: info@ templewellness.co.uk visit www.templewellness. co.uk and Facebook: @ TempleWellnessPlymouth

Alchemy in Isolation

Lifeworks Somatics for The Feldenkrais Method® and Holistic Counselling

“

I have found the healings to be very beneficial in reducing stress over the last few months.

I’ve felt a deep sense of relaxation during and after remote healing sessions. The whole experience has felt very replenishing during a time of personal turmoil.”

These words, spoken by a client of Teresa Wicksteed, convey how, even though face-to-face Sound Healing sessions have halted due to Covid, people are still able to benefit. Teresa calls it Alchemy in Isolation.

Like many of us, Teresa was rather thrown at the start of lockdown and felt grief that she couldn’t continue to offer Sound Healing sessions in her yurt overlooking the sea, as she’s done since graduating in 2016.

Teresa uses the power of her voice to transmit healing energy.

However, a request from a client for distant healing helped to open up this possibility and Teresa has worked with a steady stream of clients in this way ever since. She said: “Distant healing formed part of my training, but up until now I had only used it with a small proportion of clients.

Since the distant healing session for the US client, however, I’ve had regular requests. I decided quite early on that I wouldn’t charge during this time. It instinctively felt better to me that way. With every healing session I do, my yurt has become a more sacred space, clients have reported good results, and I’ve become confident in this way of working.”

Teresa explained that she finds healing a very intense experience: “I hold the energy field and image

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• Helping You Take Back Your Power & Find Heart of my client in my mind’s eye, and within the safe boundaries and rituals of the session, I use strong Intention to open a healing channel between myself and that distant client. For the religious, this type of healing is comparable to prayer. It involves mutual trust between healer and client.

“To clarify, this is not remote healing using Zoom, Facebook or any other internet platform. I will connect with you initially by phone, then you lie down comfortably to rest and I go to the yurt to conduct the healing.

Feedback can be by email, or at the next appointment.”

Teresa is looking forward to welcoming clients back into her healing space in person soon but, in the meantime, distant healing offers an effective alternative. She said: “This very ancient form of distant healing can be most beneficial.

Clients report better sleep patterns, feelings of contentment, lower blood pressure, changes from negative to positive thoughts and other positive individual outcomes.” l Teresa offers a first hour appointment free. For more information email: teresa@teresawicksteed.co.uk

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WELLBEING

THE DIVINE FEMININE THERAPIST, facilitator and writer Sapphira de la Terre explores empowerment and awakening from a feminine perspective - in a refreshed version of her online only article.

Why is it so hard to follow our bliss?

S

OMETIMES I get annoyed by people telling me to follow my bliss. If it were easy, we’d all be doing it already.

The truth is that everything that we do has value, and takes us closer to that magical place of bliss. It doesn’t matter whether you’re stuck at home feeling under the weather or going for a beautiful walk by the river. It all matters. It’s all valuable.

I do however think identifying what your bliss is enormously helpful. And taking baby steps in that direction is obviously important too.

But the reality is that, as you do so, resistance will come up, and processing that resistance is almost more important than any end result you are seeking. By processing what I mean is: allowing the resistance to be there, naming it, feeling it, perhaps expressing it in some way, and staying with it until it disappears.

Of course big stuff like illness, penury, fear of being loved, that you’re not good enough… these are all major obstacles that may take some dispersing. Each time an issue gets triggered, you might only clear a layer… and then another layer will come up soon afterwards.

But staying with it and allowing it to be there, without judging it or pushing it away, is what allows it to fall away.

Right now, we’re all being confronted with huge stuff to deal with.

On one hand what is going on at the moment is a shocking global viral pandemic, leading to thousands of tragic and unnecessary deaths and a major international recession.

At a deeper level there is a battle going with between the powers that be (I’m not talking about most politicians here, I mean the shadowy people who pull the real strings, in charge of the banks and multinationals). They are feeling the pinch these days because we’re all now questioning much more what politicians, doctors and journalists say, and are thinking much more for ourselves.

The ‘powers that be’ need new ways to control people, and that means designer viruses, 5G, pressurising us into being vaccinated and apps which monitor our every movement. If we cannot be controlled just with brainwashing any more, then they need to bring in the big guns.

But at a deeper level still… there is something much bigger going on.

Something truly beautiful.

sapphira

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You could call it the awakening of humanity. You could call it a shift in consciousness. Waking up.

Becoming who we truly are.

Essentially, with the lockdown, everything slowed down for the majority of the population. Given that being busy is an addiction for most of us, taking away a layer of busy-ness meant that the stuff we were keeping locked down within us started to come to the surface.

Depression, grief, being endlessly wound up by their partners, financial challenges, fear of death, mid life crises… all the stuff we normally keep at bay has suddenly been in our faces and can no longer be ignored. In our families and relationships we’ve had more time to be triggered by each other, and less opportunity to put our attention elsewhere.

In a nutshell, we are being forced to face things we’d probably rather not face.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity to heal old wounds, and uncover more of our true selves. By facing these triggers naming whatever is really going on, feeling it, expressing it and staying with it until it shifts, we uncover more of ourselves. In myself I would describe it as opening doors within myself which I didn’t even know were there.

But it’s certainly not easy.

However, the more of this sludge we shift, the more we do actually know what we truly want in our lives, and the less resistance there is to taking steps towards it. It’s also a time of looking deeply within: is this really what you want in your life?

Are you in the right relationships?

Doing what you love?

It’s a very hard time, but it’s also a time of breaking out of the chrysalis, and becoming more and more… who we truly are.

l Sapphira de la Terre is a therapist based in Totnes. She uses a technique called EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - in a very deep and person-centred way.

She describes it as ‘allowing what is, in the presence of love’. She is currently doing sessions by phone and at her home in central Totnes: 01803 862628 or www. sapphira.com.

Sapphira has also just launched a free online micro-coaching programme to help people identify what their bliss truly is.

It’s called Sacred Inquiry and you can find it on Facebook - www.facebook.com/ sacredinquiry.

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