Reconnect Magazine #61 by ReConnect Magazine

The good living and community magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and across South Devon www.reconnectonline.co.uk

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

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leaping into summer Find positivity in our wellbeing pages

getting out and about Regional festivals, gigs, & events

celebrating rebellion

Planning our future

Full of new hope for a better world

In a more sustainable Devon

Celebrating local people local events local food local health local environment - powered by the people!

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Upfront

WELCOME...

IT'SWHAT WE'REABOUT

Broughttoyou by...

INTHISISSUE... TORBAY DRAGONS

SHARE SHED WINS

New community forum EDITOR Scott Williams

Mobile sharing library

TOTNES ALIVE! EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Karen Williams

WELLBEING EDITOR Kate Philbin

COUNSELLOR WRITER Leigh Smith

A free community festival

GOING OUT

Places to go, people to see

ORGANIC GARDENING14 Growing in the sunshine

CLIMATE ACTION 16

Rob Hopkins - page 24

NOURISHING FOOD How to eat well

SUSTAINABLE HOMES 20 Living made simple

Led by Plymouth’s youth

CLIMATE EMERGENCY 22

WAKE UP TO ORGANIC 18

HELP OUR SWIFTS

Better breakfasts

Open Day at Sharpham House - page 29

GARDENING EXPERT Joa Grower

to the June/July issue of Reconnect. For ten years now we’ve been bringing you the lowdown on local events, local people, local food, local health and most importantly the local environment. A decade on and we are celebrating the fact that the environment has finally become the most important issue on everyone’s agenda. We have always been about connecting local people to form a better, greener society, and now so is everyone else. This issue we continue to empower people to take greener action and offer practical solutions to equip people with the know-how to make a difference and to make a better life for all of us in a sustainable Devon. That’s been our vision since that first issue in 2009. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to make that possible over the last decade, the Reconnect team, the writers, and the advertisers, who give their time and energy to fill these pages. Without their generosity this magazine could not continue. t x

COVERSTORY...

A time to imagine

Before it’s too late

PEOPLE POWER

WELLBEING PAGES

Practical solutions

Our holistic health guide

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COVER IMAGES Main picture: Chris Smith at Extinction Rebellion Top to bottom: Picture provided by Katheryn Hope royalty free; Sharpham Trust Open Day by Sharpham Trust; and Off Grid Festival by Stonefree Photography

Reconnect’s small ads FOOD WRITER Jane Hutton

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AUG/SEPT issue out end of July - the next deadline is July 5 THESMALL PRINT... PUBLISHED BY Reconnect Magazine, 18 Millin Way, Dawlish Warren EX7 0EP PRINTED BY William Pollard & Co Ltd, Exeter www.pollardsprint.co.uk WEBSITE Visit our website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook. com/reconnectmagazine

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news&views Organic Brekkie

WAKE Up To Organic returns on June 12. Local businesses, cafés and other food stores will be taking part dishing up free organic mini breakfasts to show how easy it is to switch to an organic breakfast, and to showcase the fabulous range of organic food and drink that the region has to offer.

Summer carnival

SOUTH Brent Summer Carnival Week starts on Saturday June 22, starting with the Carnival Summer Fair in the Recreation Field. South Brent Summer Carnival Parade will then take place on Saturday June 29.

Apology

LAST issue we printed a photograph of Tom Greeves on page 22. We should have credited the image to Elisabeth Stanbrook - sorry Elisabeth.

Dragon racing

THERE will not be a Canoe Festival this year instead Totnes Rotary will be running a Dragon Boat Challenge on July 14.

Exhibition

‘DARTMOOR Called Me Home’ is an installation of new photographic work from British artist Henry Everett at Totnes’ Angel Studios from May 29 to June 3.

Local exhibition

WINNER of the Local Art Show 2019, Exmouth Art Group will display their work in an exhibition at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) from June 11-30.

Community comes together to help local businesses LOCAL Spark is organising a big new event in June. Torbay’s first Local Entrepreneur’s Forum (LEF) takes place at the Lucky 7 Club in Paignton - it should be great and just like the popular TV programme Dragon’s Den. The LEF will see a number of the region’s budding entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to members of the local community, and anyone can be a dragon and support them. However, Torbay’s dragons won’t just be investing money; once the entrepreneurs have outlined their business ideas, they tell the audience what they need – it might be money, but it might be marketing advice, office space, the use of a vehicle or some other form of support. The audience then responds with offers of investment – pledges to help out. Chris Gunson from Local Spark Torbay, the event organisers, said: “The atmosphere at these events is fantastic, as member of the community come together to help local business people. And it’s infectious, everyone wants to join in.” But the LEF is more than just an evening of pitching and investment. It also comprises an afternoon of networking, discussions and idea-sharing with entrepreneurs, community members, non-profits and investors. Gunson continues, “We are delighted to have keynote speaker Tony Greenham from the

Calling all extreme event fans: Wild Tri is on its way

F you like to challenge yourself with extremeevents then there’s a new event coming to Devon later this year perfect for you. Hospiscare hosts Wild Tri, and its big brother, Wild Tri Extreme - wild takes on a triathlon for hard-core extreme event enthusiasts. The events will take place near Okehampton on September 14 across the landscape of Dartmoor by bike and on foot, and each will include a water section through pools. Wild Tri Extreme consists of a 30k off-road cycle on a route that skirts Meldon Reservoir and then climbs, with some steep ascents, more than a quarter of a mile to the windswept heights of the moor, before

Outdoor films

PLYMOUTH Arts Centre’s Open Air Cinema returns this summer in two locations: Tinside Lido: August 1, 2 and 3, and also August 23, 24 and 25. Royal William Yard: September 2, 13 and 14.

dropping down again. Then the challenging route of the 13k cross-country run takes runners up to the highest Tors on Dartmoor, High Willhays and Yes Tor, across rocky terrain, bog and water course. A gorge scramble through rocky pools will ensure all competitors get muddy and wet. Wild Tri’s shorter routes are tailored to those novices who prefer their sports a little less extreme, but will be no easy option. The 16k offroad cycle ride climbs more than 250 metres in height onto the moor and includes some sharp and challenging ascents. Part of the 8k run hugs the eastern side of Meldon Reservoir and also includes sections that will test the fittest. The gorge scramble lies in wait for Wild Tri runners, too. Event

New choir seeks singers in Totnes A NEW adult choir has started in Totnes, based at Totnes Progressive School they gather on a Tuesday evening from 6.15-7.30pm. The choir is open to all levels with a focus on contemporary music (rock, pop, soul, blues etc.) There is a main focus on having fun with fellow singers so no experience is necessary, however vocal training tips and tricks will be included, as well as ensemble practices to get the best possible sound. The choir is run by Rose Kimberley (vocal coach and singer based in Totnes). Rose has had extensive experience, teaching all levels over the last 10 years helping singers to reach their potential. She also offers individual singing lessons in Totnes. Feel free to make an enquiry or pop along to check it out! rkvoxstudio@gmail.com, www.rosekimberley.com

South-West Mutual Bank kick the evening off with a talk about the bank’s progress, and Maureen McAllister, Operations Director of the Palace Theatre in Paignton, is also coming to reveal how they have turned the theatre’s fortunes around.” On top of this, a £500 Inspire Award from Transform Ageing will be presented to a local business. The first LEF took place in Totnes in 2011 and is in its eighth successful year. The model has been copied around with world with LEFs taking place in Japan and the US, as well closer to home in Brixton, Glastonbury, Hebdon Bridge, and Frome. l More information about the Torbay LEF is available at www.localsparktorbay.org/LEF and tickets can be booked through Eventbrite, with entry on a donation basis.

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Seeking artists

Applications are now open for Exeter Contemporary Open 2019’s exhibition, which will run from September 20 to November 10. This opportunity is open to all contemporary artists working in any medium who live in the UK. The deadline for applications is June 17 and the shortlisted artists will be announced in July. To apply or find out more visit www. exetercontemporaryopen.com.

Race for life

THE annual Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life takes place at Exeter’s Westpoint on July 20 and 21. Training is unnecessary and the route follows the paths and fields around the showground with lovely views of the countryside to be taken in.

Lichen club

THE Woodland Presents in Dartington’s North Woods will be hosting a free Lichen Club on June 23 offering the chance to learn about Lichen, identify different local species, and understand the importance of lichen to identify air pollution levels.

Kiefer visits organiser Becky Botfield said: “We’re very excited to bring Wild Tri to Devon for the first time. We’re offering two levels of challenge to cater for different levels of fitness and experience, but each will take participants across some stunningly beautiful parts of Dartmoor. Its wild, rugged and sometimes unforgiving landscape is the perfect location for our event and should make for a thrilling experience.” For more information or to sign up go to www. hospiscare.co.uk/events or phone 01392 688020.

Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland’s will be taking to the stage at Exeter Phoenix on Friday August 2 for a onenight-only evening of music.

Snooky returns

Snooky Fest, Dawlish’s family friendly music festival with loads of great live music, licensed bars and yummy food, returns on July 13.

Singers sought

The Torbay Police and Community Choir are looking for male singers to join them in Torquay on Tuesday evenings.

Children seeking families in Devon SPECIALIST Adoption Agency and locally based charitable trust South West Families for Children are hoping to place vulnerable children from all over the UK with new adoptive families in Devon. They currently have a real shortage of adopters coming forward and a growing number of children waiting for adoptive families. They are appealing for potential adoptive families to come to sessions to learn about becoming an adopter and how Families for Children can offer a lifetime of support. Confirmed sessions are June 1 at Buckfast Abbey Garden Fayre, July 6 at Ivybridge ‘s The Watermark, August 3 at The Promenade in Kingsbridge, and September 7 at Dawlish Library. Families for Children are also hosting adoption information events at their offices in Buckfastleigh on June 5, July 3&22, August 14, and September 23. To book onto a local session contact Families for Children on 01364 645487 or email devon@familiesforchildren.org.uk. See the website www. familiesforchildren.org.uk for more details.

NEWS&views Action camp

RECLAIM the Power is taking direct action this summer against the new gas fired power stations fuelling the climate crisis, and taking action on the UK’s Hostile Environment for migrants. Their family-friendly mass action camp will set up from July 26-31 at a secret location in the South East of England, within reach of London. Find out more @ reclaimthepower.

Aqua pictures

BUDDING local photographers are invited to take part in ‘Splash-In’, Torbay’s underwater photographic competition, on June 29 hosted by Torbay BSAC. Happening at The Harbourside, next to Living Coasts, entrants are invited to take underwater photographs on the day in and around Torbay in any or all of 4 the categories. See torbay-bsac.co.uk for full details and entry form. Open to all divers, snokellers and swimmers. Entries will be on display at Living Coasts in the evening during a ceremony to reward the winning images.

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

Kingsbridge strollers

Re-inhabiting the forest

XCITING things in the world of wood are to take place at Dartington Hall this year. Evolving the Forest, incorporating the 2019 Annual Conference of the Royal Forestry Society and art.earth™ Creative Summit are celebrating 100 years of the Forestry Commission. The relationship between humans and forests is an ancient one. Yet in an age where forests are under threat from industrial human activity, that relationship feels broken, with the human species often seen as a plague rather than a native. This panel discussion centres on the importance of rebuilding this ancient relationship, in particular for our children and young people. How can we create invitations that entice them to explore, play and learn amongst the trees and rivers? How do we help them understand how their own wellbeing is intertwined with the wellbeing of the forest? How do we find ways for them to feel, once again, at home? Approaching these questions from the perspectives of play design, education, cultural stories and social justice the panel will lead us into an exploration of what a re-inhabited forest might look and feel like. Evolving the Forest takes place from June 19-21 and is convened by art.earth, the Royal Forestry Society and Timber Strategies. You can find out more about this sold out event on the website evolvingtheforest.uk

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THE South Devon AONB Unit is organising a special series of short walks, for anyone aged 55 or over, every Wednesday between 9.30am10am during June and July starting from Kingsbridge Information Centre. The short walks, part of Connecting Actively, will help participants to discover the wildlife on the Kingsbridge estuary in a series of 10 minute easy strolls to take in the view and study the wildlife, followed by a cuppa and a chat. The walks will be led by Project Officer Adam, who is a keen birder and knowledgeable about all sorts of animals and plants that might be spotted during the stroll. These walks are particularly aimed at anyone who wants to get more active and meet a few like-minded locals. The walks will be short - no more than 10 minutes to start with - on flat, surfaced paths. Walks guide Adam Davison commented “There is a treasure trove of wildlife to be found just a few minutes walk from the centre of Kingsbridge. The idea of the walks is to enjoy the surroundings and get a bit of exercise as well. The outdoors can really lift our mood and help us stay active too.” If you’d like some further details, please call Nicky or Adam 01803 861384 at the South Devon AONB office.

Say no to racism EXETER Respect, the city’s annual celebration of diversity, returns to Belmont Park on June 8-9. Each year the performing and creative arts engage the wider community in saying no to racism and all forms of prejudice. Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the celebratory family friendly event with plenty of music & dance spread across the festival’s five stages with everything from breakdancing to Bollywood to belly dancing, rock, funk & pop to jazz, folk & soul.

Nursery open days

SMALL family owned chain of day nurseries, Humpty Dumpty Childcare based in Dartington, Dartmouth and Newton Abbot, have two open days on June 12 and July 5. Since 1989 they have been providing quality childcare for children from 3 months to 4 years. To book call 01803 8668693 or email enquiries@ humptydumptychildcare. co.uk. Find out more about what they offer at www. hdcnurseries.com.

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

news&views Meavy Oak Fair

MEAVY’S traditional village fair returns on the third Saturday in June, which this year is Saturday June 15. The Fair starts at 2pm with a pageant followed by the Burrator Horseshoe Run, a family dog show, children’s games, a bouncy castle, Dartmoor hill ponies, food and drink, plants and trade stalls.

Antique quilt

EXETER Quilters will be running a 3 day exhibition of patchwork and quilting at The Mint Methodist Church on August 15-17. The exhibition will display over 100 items of new work made by members of the group. Also on display will be an antique quilt which was discovered in 2017 in the attic of Topsham museum.

10 days of speakers

WAYS With Words returns on July 5-15 at Dartington Hall to host leading local, national and international authors and thinkers from the UK.

E have been a fan of the Share Shed, Totnes’ library of things, since it opened its doors in April 2017. We’re clearly not the only ones. In a national vote via the People’s Project website, the project won the first prize, £48,599 from the National Lottery Community Fund. Its success means it can now become the world’s first mobile sharing library. The Share Shed will now go mobile - extending its service beyond Totnes to Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dartington, South Brent and the villages around, supporting a more sustainable and collaborative lifestyle. Mirella Ferraz, Share Shed Coordinator, said: “We’re thrilled to have won the grant, especially in this case, which highlights how many people supported our project! We’re very grateful to every single person who voted for us”. The Share Shed offers over 300 useful items for people to borrow. Its collection includes tools, camping gear, gardening equipment, cooking appliances, sewing machines and much more. The Share Shed is at 16 High Street, Totnes, and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm. To see everything the library of things offers, visit www.shareshed.org.uk. Mirella adds “We’re overwhelmed by the support we’ve received – and we’d love to have even more volunteers involved with our project. Supporting the Share Shed is a great way to help people whilst saving a lot of natural resources.” If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch via info@shareshed.org.uk

Here be dragons

OUR fabulous local enterprises that benefit our community pitched to this year’s Community of Dragons. Part of the Local Entrepreneur Forum, (now in it’s eighth year) and held in Totnes, the annual event saw an audience of ordinary members of public make pledges to ‘invest’ money, expertise, neighbourliness and more. The night saw pitches from Melbee Artworks, Dartington Mill, New Futures Academy, and Apricot Centre CIC. We’ll be featuring all of them in future issues.

Music weekend

Share Shed wins the people’s projects vote

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EXPECT a footstomping musical line up including The Trees, Rum Puppets, Mr Tea and the Minions, Firekind, Dr Oz. Daisy Clark, Jake Morrell, Mafia 4, Blues Brothers Collective, the Kaizens, Black Water County and Mammoth, at this year’s Occombe Festival happening on June 14 and15. Torbay’s only festival on a working farm promises two days of live music; a superb selection of beers, ciders, ales, wines; and a feast of local food. Organised by and raising funds for Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust to help care for some of Torbay’s most beautiful green spaces like Cockington Country Park, Berry Head and Occombe Farm (Over 18yrs only). To buy tickets priced at £13.50 for Friday, £18.50 for Saturday or £30 for the weekend, go to occombefestival.co.uk/tickets

Pride in the community The line-up for this year’s Exmouth Pride 2019 has been announced. Now in it’s fifth year, it promises to be the biggest and best year yet, featuring activities for all ages and amazing local live music talent including Reckless,

Mrs Jones, Arina Fox, Break Beat Bandits, Kyle Finn, Martin Weller, Reflex 80, Remedy Southwet, and La La Choirs. The all day event will be taking place at Exmouth Manor Gardens on June 22.

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NEWS&views

Experimental learning centre OUTDOOR learning is something we repeatedly champion in Reconnect, and at The Husbandry School near Ashburton they utilise 49 acres of land to focus on the practical application of agroecology and husbandry (the care and management of nature and the resources of living). The school uses the land as an experimental learning centre to illustrate husbandry in action, growing two acres of vegetables, fruit and flowers and raising livestock. The small team of staff supply local shops and passionate chefs with their ecologically produced food. The land and their low impact

school buildings are also used every day by their re-engage, reinspire students. These are school aged children who attend for long-term therapeutic education placements where they engage with outdoor learning. The school also delivers an extensive adult learning programme, teaching ancient skills of rural craft and traditional land management. To find out more about what they do, visit their Summer Celebration day on Saturday July 27, from10am4pm. Find out more about their courses throughout June and July at www.husbandry.co.uk or 01626 821145.

You are invited to join the Chrysalis Community Assembly Day Woodlands Yard, Totnes, TQ9 6NS Sunday June 2nd ,10.30am - 4.30pm You are invited to join the last stage of the making of Chrysalis project.

Dance, dance, dance, dance on plastic

GLASTONBURY Festival this year has a ban on the sale of plastic bottles at the event. However, on one stage there will be a great deal of it, and that’s because that’s what it will be built from. The Gas Tower dance arena in the ShangriLa area will be built entirely from discarded plastic. Organisers, partnered with Keep Britain Tidy, have started collecting the ten tonnes of plastic waste needed to build the installation. “This ground-breaking project will see tonnes of plastic removed from our environment – where it has such devastating consequences on our wildlife and marine life – and put to good use”, says Allison Ogden-Newton, CEO of Keep Britain Tidy. “By working together, we are showing the world

that the plastic we no longer want or need can be recycled and turned into something that is both exciting and useful”. The Orca Sound Project, which is behind the idea, added: “We are pioneering a global first, not only in terms of stage production and festival experience, but also community-building, strategy and awareness for a global issue – thanks to Shangri-La and Keep Britain Tidy. We’re so excited for Orca Sound Project to be given this unbelievable global platform to raise awareness”. Collections in Devon and Somerset made in May are to be processed by Exeter City Council to turn it into usable material.

We have some final jobs to complete from sewing to carpentry and all hands are very welcome to help Chrysalis come out of her cocoon and take flight! If you have already been involved in making something for Chrysalis please bring the pieces you have made or if we already have them, they will be there waiting for you to complete the finishing touches.

This will be a celebratory day for all who have been involved so far and a chance to welcome new supporters and makers. There will be an official Chrysalis Launch moment at 3.30pm ( If we can get everything made and finished in time ! ) Please let us know if you are coming by emailing mair@ encounters-arts.org.uk and if you need help with Transport. We encourage you to come for the whole day but you are welcome to drop in too. Encounters will be providing a free lunch and refreshments and If you would like to bring a homemade cake or snack to share for our celebration please do.

Festival returns demanding our action

AWKWOOD’S Seed Festival – Planting Big Ideas, the UK’s most exciting Ecology & Arts Festival held biennially, returns on July 19-21 at Hawkwood, near Stroud. This year’s theme is ACTION, a rallying cry to stand up, speak out, make a difference, buy eco products, and pave the way for our children’s futures. Currently we are witnessing our youth as leaders, standing with Greta Thunberg ‘to make the planet Greta again’. All the amazing music, exciting speakers, engaging workshops, and inspirational stalls will be focused on the aim of educating through discovering how we can make a difference to ‘feed our kids futures’ starting now. All full of a wealth of knowledge and tips that can be applied in our everyday lives in the hope of making the planet a healthier, safer, more sustainable place for our children and grandchildren and those still yet to come. Future thinking speakers include BBC Spring watch’s Gillian Burke,

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Good Energy’s Juliet Davenport, Kit Beazeley of Triodos, Jon Young (USA) from 8 Shields, Extinction Rebellion co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook, Guardian’s Bibi van der Zee, Soil Association’s Helen Browning with her new book PIG, RSA’s Matthew Taylor, C40 cities’ Rachel Huxley, Permaculture Legend Maddy Harland, Empathy Museum founder Roman Krznaric, Embercombe’s Mac Macartney, Julie’s Bicycle founder Alison Tickell, CEO of Friends of the Earth Craig Bennett, and Rob Hopkins from Transition Network. And that’s just as a start. Performing artists are also a key part of the festival, with Drew Dellinger (USA), Mal Webb and Kyle Morrigan (AUS), Nigel Shaw, Carrie Tree, Murray Kyle (AUS), The Fox and The Owl, Matt Harvey, Natalie Fee & Angus Brel, Lewis Barfoot and many more. The festival celebrates courageous leadership, creative expression and innovation in partnership with our natural world. Find out more at www.seedfestival.co.uk

Evolution, Exeter’s Holistic and Ethnic Shop has now moved to 96 Fore St (same side at the top of the hill opposite St Olave’s Church) Come and see our incredible and Extended range of products including Books, Crystals, Cards, Candles, Clothes etc. Tel: 01392 410759 Mobile: 07773282861 Email: info@evolution-exeter.co.uk Website: www.evolution-exeter.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/evolutionexeter

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

news&views

Jeff with some of his second year medical students celebrating Pie Day.

Totnes to host a free community festival SUMMER is always a good time for locals to share a sense of community, come together and celebrate. On Saturday June 8 at St John’s in Bridgetown, Totnes Alive!, a free community festival, takes place - a get together to celebrate community, a place to discover what we are already doing about the challenges around us, and explore new ways for us to contribute to a better world. There will be a packed programme from 10am-10pm. Everyone’s invited to come and enjoy a showcase of local groups, inspiring discussions and hands on workshops with Playback Theatre, Ruth Ben-Tovim of Encounters Arts and Lily John of Craftea Collective among many others. There will be kids’ activities, a lantern procession and good food. Matt Harvey will MC the evening including a crowd sourced poem, Glorious Chorus and a DJ set from Jamming Station. Transition Towns co-founder, Rob Hopkins, will be sharing some insights from his forthcoming book on imagination, inviting us to take part in a bit of imagining, some interactive storytelling, and some reflections as to why imagination matters today and why perhaps our imagination muscle might not be as strong as it needs to be. What would it look like if our imaginations were nurtured, treasured and able to shape the world around us? Be there to re-

fire our sense of what’s possible. The festival is going to build on our existing efforts to respond to local and planetary challenges such as the climate crisis, extinctions, plastic pollution, inequality and isolation. A resilient community is really important to face whatever the future brings, so Totnes Alive! brings us together to celebrate our connection and achievements. We also hope the day’s activities might give you a spark of inspiration to do something new. We all get the gentle nudge to act now and again, often followed by a zillion reasons why we can’t or it’s not enough. But anything that it occurs to us to do, big or small, is equally helpful and valuable. We each have a particular set of experiences, gifts and gentle nudges which Totnes Alive! will help us to share. A wide range of local voluntary and community groups have played a part in bringing this event together including Bridgetown Alive!, Transition Town Totnes, Bob the Bus, Network of Wellbeing, South Hams CVS and many more. l To find out more, visit www. totnesalive.org.uk

Celebrating American pie day

HEY say that America and Britain are two nations divided by a common language and there are numerous examples of the ways in which our cousins across the Atlantic differ in how they use and pronounce words. But did you know that while ‘Pancake Day’ which we use to mark Shrove Tuesday is unknown in the USA, they have Pie Day which is celebrated on March 14th with the eating of pies? The discovery of this little known fact is one of many incidental outcomes for actor, life coach and Reconnect regular advertiser Jeff Sleeman which has evolved through his work teaching communications skills courses at the University of Plymouth medical school.

Said Jeff: “In a recent cohort of students I had an American who explained the concept of Pie Day to us during a session that fell on Pancake Day. As the following class happened to be scheduled for 14th March, we decided to show our solidarity with her by taking pies in for the morning break. The reason that Pie Day is so called is because in the USA, March 14th is written 3.14 which are the first three digits of the mathematical symbol Pi. Teaching these courses is very satisfying work - I always come away from a session feeling uplifted and usually having learnt something new myself.” l More information about Jeff’s work can be found on his website www.jeffsleeman.com

Cyclical living

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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 plants, seeds or herbs, taking us on a virtual Reconnect herb walk.

THIS issue sees us celebrating that ﬁnally climate change has come to the forefront of our lives. Thanks in great part to local involvement in Extinction Rebellion.

ERB Robert (Geranium robertianum) is a very common pretty little pink flowered plant, which spreads very easily in gardens, and waysides. This is not a herb used much by herbalists these days, though it is mentioned in some of the old herbal books such as Culpeper who says it ‘stays the blood for all wounds’. It is true this plant has an effective amount of astringent constituents, which means it will tone, tighten and slightly dry up fluids. Therefore it will help speed healing of wounds, scrapes, grazes and small cuts. However, recent research shows an even more interesting benefit from this herb. When taken as a tea (a few leaves per mug of hot water) it shows an increased capacity of cellular oxygen uptake. If you imagine how this would help the body, it will give symptomatic relief to any lung conditions where oxygen uptake is compromised, such as chest infections, coughs and colds. It will improve symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia where oxygen uptake is lower because of lowered blood cell population, and might even be useful if you’re going mountain climbing! Please note that those conditions would all need other treatment too, as this will only give some symptomatic relief, but not cure. It’s also important not to mask symptoms without treating the cause. Hypericum (St John’s Wort) is well known and widely available in many over the counter remedies. The most well known use of this herb is to combat low mood, lift the spirits and help mild depression and the common name of the Sunshine Herb supports this use. It is very effective for this, but comes with a list of contraindications against being used alongside orthodox medication. It is not always because it interacts with the medication itself, though it sometimes does, such as SSRI anti-depressants when it should be avoided. But it also has an

Another greener way is possible

T THE time of putting this issue together climate change moved into the spotlight, thanks to many of you who live in Reconnectland, and I’d like to dedicate this issue to you all. I listened to a fantastic podcast - Inside The Ride (tinyurl.com/y2xhx8vf) made with Rob Hopkins - at the early stages of putting the magazine together, and found it inspiring; so much so, I contacted Rob and asked him if he would contribute our middle page feature. I’m aware that for many the climate breakdown issue has such a negative connotation; a friend of mine calls it her ‘Armageddon Phobia’ and says she can’t cope with reading or watching anything that may include a negative portrayal of our future. Rob says in the podcast that we should see this period of change in a more positive light. We need to change the language used, when we implement green solutions they will not make future generations much worse off. We need to see that a life of low carbon emissions could be wonderful. “The future with less CO2 could be absolutely glorious.” Cleaner air, less pollution, more trees, an appreciation of nature what’s not to love? A climate emergency fighting future is an opportunity for reimagining, and invention and entrepreneurship, and brilliance and creativity like we’ve never really known before. We need to change the narrative. The scale of what needs to happen in the next 10-15 years may be unimaginable but it will be wonderfully transformative. Rob said: “If we get it right, and we can be brave enough, and imaginative, and focused enough, there will be a time when future generations will sing songs about and tell great stories about.” “That’s the kind of future we can create, we need to come together and dream it and imagine what it will be like.” It’s that inspiration, that asking of “What if?” that we need to happen now and reveal that another positive world is possible. This issue hopes to celebrate that positive approach. As editor I do hope you like it. I do worry that too many people have fallen into the negativity trap - a more positive change to a more healthy and environmental protective approach will be bad for us because we’ll have less stuff. I hope this issue is an antidote to that and once you’ve read it you feel more positive about a greener, more responsible future. I hope the theme doesn’t appear to those ‘Armageddon Phobic’ people as off putting. I am optimistic that we have enough imagination to turn the ship around,

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and do think there’s a few simple actions we can all take to help improve our lives immediately. The first of these is the big one, we have to stop flying by plane. Aviation is by far the worst CO2 offender. I read Noel Harrower’s book Yestermorrow recently. Set in the future, he imagines air balloons being used for air travel; it’s a solution I’d love to see happen. I don’t know where we are with the development of the world’s biggest aircraft, the British-made hybrid airship Airlander 10, last I heard it was being equipped with electric engines, but its commercial debut is still a year or so away. Until it is in service, it’s a case of take the train and plan holidays nearer home. I don’t need to mention (but I will) the virtues of buying local, or the mantra of recycle, reuse, and repair. They might be central here at Reconnect but they’re still not part of the general mindset in this country. Our message is also to buy only organic, whether it’s food, clothing or household/ garden plants. Plus we often mention the virtues of a greater plant based diet, now extolled in the public consciousness. Less so, that if we do buy meat then we should get it from local non-intensive growers. The biggest thing we can do to capture carbon is plant trees, millions of them. I grew a few from seed recently. They were from the Woodland Trust. I hadn’t appreciated how slowly native trees grow before; two years later and they’re just over a foot high. Stopping our plastic use/waste is now probably the first thing anyone says when asked how we can help the environment regardless of your age, and I hope soon everyone will also be suggesting we all stop buying stuff that we don’t intend to see at least 10 years of use out of, and that includes clothes. Water use is going to come more and more to the fore as its increasing importance and how much we take it for granted is highlighted in the next few years. The plight of our pollinators has resulted in a wilding of our hedges and verges, and I think we all know that we should let our gardens go wild and stop using pesticides. It’s not just mowing less, but washing everything less, and if we do get the urge to clean remember to use organic household cleaners and as little water as possible. They’re all suggestions regular readers have seen countless times before, but it’s good to know everything Reconnect has been suggesting for a more sustainable lifestyle over the last decade (yes ten years now) is now seen by most as crucial to our future wellbeing.

Scott

St John’s Wort

Herb Robert interesting influence on the liver in that it promotes the function of metabolization of any drug in the body. This means any drug will be excreted out of your body more quickly than it would normally. If you think of all the drugs which are important to maintain even levels in the bloodstream constantly over 24 hours, this could mean fluctuations in the efficacy of those drugs. For example, contraceptives, epilepsy medication, blood pressure medication, blood thinning medication, immune suppressing drugs, and so on. Other lesser known benefits of St John’s Wort are unsurprisingly as above, supportive to liver function, anti-viral effects and it has some benefits against mild nerve pain. Externally it is a good wound healer, and again is often used in oil, creams or ointments for this purpose and with other herbs against nerve pain. The flowering tops are traditionally harvested on St John’s Day and made into an oil for use on the skin or adding to creams. The flowers are packed into a jar, covered in oil, weighted down with a clean pebble or marbles, and placed on a sunny windowsill for a few days. The oil will gradually turn a deep wine red colour as the active constituents are extracted. Once this occurs, strain off and compost the flowers, keep the oil in a glass container in a dark cupboard away from the sun for up to a year, and use directly on minor cuts and grazes. One final word of warning about this effective herb, is that very high doses can in some people enhance sun sensitivity, increasing the risk of sunburn. (even when taken internally). So care should be taken in the hot weather to perhaps reduce your sun exposure or wear sunscreen earlier than you would normally. As always please see a professional before self diagnosing or treating to make sure of your safety. l Find out more about herbalism and Dawn at www. torbay-herbalist.co.uk

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

Off Grid discussion Photo by stone@stonefree.org.

NEWS&views

Creating something from nothing

E all love a success story and Dawlish based Mike Steer’s will hopefully end up being one too. Mike was long-term unemployed and has managed to create something pretty amazing from nothing, and having to overcome significant obstacles to get to where he is. Mike explained: “I had gone through a period of unemployment and decided to study Graphic Design at Exeter college as a mature student. For my final project I created a clothing brand, which gave me a great deal of satisfaction. After college I didn’t have any luck getting a job, partly I think due to my age and poor recent employment history. So I decided to try and change things myself by setting up an ethical clothing brand called ‘Hit The Day’ which comes from the Fijian phrase Moku Siga.” Despite living on next to nothing, Mike has been determined. The startup entrepreneur added: “The reason that I wanted it to be ethical was I had recently become aware of the negative impact the fashion industry can have on the environment from watching the BBC film, Fashions’ Dirty Secrets. I have always been into nature, and although I haven’t been for a few years, I love surfing and the ocean. For me, Hit The Day is all about that connection with nature, the positivity, freedom and joy it can bring.”

Mike was lucky enough to go on a mindfulness in nature course at Sharpham recently where that connection with nature was strengthened. He said: “I have had a lot of help along the way, which I am very grateful for. I am very lucky to live in Devon with its amazing coastline and countryside. I have had depression for a few years and I find I can think more clearly when surrounded by nature. I like indigenous and ancient art. My latest design was inspired by ancient cave art married with the Shaka symbol that has been adopted into surf culture. “Self-expression is a universal human need and I think it is inspiring to look at art from tens of thousands of years ago when humans first started expressing themselves in this way. I hope that more people become aware of the negative impact of fast fashion and that ethical clothing becomes more mainstream. I believe that we hold great power to change the world for the better simply by what we choose to spend our money on.” If you find Mike’s story inspiring, visit his website www.hittheday. com to see original designs inspired by nature on 100% organic cotton products. You can also see his photos of South Devon at www. instagram.com/hit_the_day.

Loosening our grip on phenomena and

Relaxing in the Nature of Mind nd with

Lama Lena Yeshe Katyup

Dreamers, makers, doers, creators

OUNDED a decade ago, Off Grid Festival believes ‘Another World is Possible’. Focusing on community, sustainability, creativity and consciousness, the festival values resilient living, interdependence, localism, renewable energy and above all the power of hope and action! Over four days, they host 500 people at the historic Tapeley Park, where festival goers learn, share, teach, inspire and empower each other with new skills, knowledge and wisdom. Attendees can expect live music and dancing, therapies and healing, nature awareness and other family activities, open spaces for creating and playing, trading and bartering, impromptu workshops, pop-ups and low-fi demonstrations, practical classes and talks including permaculture, organic food production and DIY renewable energy. Off Grid began in 2009 and was hosted at sites around Somerset and Exeter, until settling in Tapeley Park and Gardens in 2018.

This is the 2nd year that the estate has hosted the festival. It is a venue once frequented by artist and socialist activist William Morris — who would hold radical meetings on the lawn! Organisers said: “In a similar spirit, we focus on the sharing of radical ideas — encouraging participants to take 4 days out to learn how we can change the world. Guided by sociocracy, permaculture and One Planet Living principles, we have educated and informed thousands on how to live a more low-impact lifestyle. Join us and put the ‘U ’n’ I’ in Community.” Join their radical community, committed to changing our world for the better via the website www. offgrid-festival.co.uk/tickets. Off Grid is organised for the people, by the people. “We are 100% volunteer-run! Do you have time and skills that you’d like to share? Get in touch, we have a place for everyone.” l Email info@offgrid-festival.co.uk, visit www.offgrid-festival.co.uk or Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @Off Grid Festival

An introductory evening talk and a non-residential Weekend retreat at Dartington Hall, set in beautiful gardens and countryside For accommodation including B&B and Camping please see www.dartington.org/visit/camp and www.dartington.org/visit/stay

Talk

no need to book (there will be signs in courtyard)

Retreat low

for booking contact us– see be-

At Dukes Room, The Courtyard, Dartington Hall TQ9 6EL As a western woman, and a lineage-holding Lama in the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition, Lama Lena’s entertaining and down-to-earth teaching style makes the precious teachings of Tibetan Buddhism relevant and accessible to a western audience. Considered uniquely suited to our times, Dzogchen (Direct Mind Perception) teachings are famed as offering a path to Buddhahood in this lifetime. The talk and retreat will offer the opportunity to recognize more clearly the deepest Nature of our own minds, and to receive guidance on continuing to re-discover and nurture that recognition, in our everyday lives. There will be a focus on questions and answers this year, so please bring your questions in order to receive tailored advice. LL will also teach in Oxford and London.

The teachings are offered on a donation basis. For more information look on https://www.facebook.com/ events/636813806750131/or to book please contact: piamartinus@yahoo.co.uk or Josh on: 01803 762438

We are funding the room hire, accommodation, travel, publicity etc by crowdfunding, we would appreciate your help, however small. Please see: https://www.gofundme.com/lama-lena-devon-dzogchen-teachings-june-2019

Local products on offer at market IF you’re ever looking for gift ideas, there’s a variety of handmade products all created by the Devon crafters exhibiting at the weekly Thursday Craft Market held at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, in the National Trust’s 16th Century Church House. There’s a range of local products on offer includng pottery, classical film photography of Dartmoor, engraved glass, house linen, knitwear, local sheepskins, plus, guest crafters, including iron work, wood turning, engraved leather, fun wooden animals, honey and bee products, fused glass, hand crafted mice, felting,

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art cards, hand-made notebooks and jewellery. The same venue also hosts a produce market on the fourth Saturday of the month. You could always make a day of it with the village and surrounding moor offering scenic walks, challenging on and off road cycling, horse riding, two pubs, a National Trust shop, cafes, the ‘Cathedral in the Moor’, (a wonderful 16th Century Church), and a working forge. The craft markets take place on Thursdays until October 17 from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Free entry, although donations are welcome towards the Devon Air Ambulance.

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Goingout

June/july 2019

OUR BIGGUIDETO BIG LOCAL EVENTS ART EXHIBITIONS

EXTREME IMAGINATION: INSIDE THE MIND’S EYE Until Jun 2, RAMM, Exeter

How to get YOUR events into Going Out... WELCOME to Reconnect’s out of this world GoingOut pages... We connect all the hot stuff from across the region, categorised for easy access. We have an EVEN MORE comprehensive online version at www.hubcast.co.uk/reconnect - also available via our busy website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk. To get YOUR event listed online (and when possible, have it listed here in the mag too), simply register at ReconnectHub and enter the info free of charge. To advertise here or online, email adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk or call 01392 346342.

WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? DETECTORISTS Until Jul 7, RAMM, Exeter JOURNEYING TO LIGHT: ELAINE GOODWIN MOSAICS Until Jun 23, RAMM, Exeter NORA DOHERTY Until Jun 28, Teignmouth Pavilions, Teignmouth

THE MAYNE SUMMER SHOW Jul 11-Aug 8, Mayne Gallery, Kingsbridge.

SING PLYMOUTH Every Thursday, Pomphlett Methodist Centre, Plymouth

COFFEE CONCERT ELEGANCE

T HORSWELL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Until Jul 31, The Orangery, Torpoint

NOMADS: HOMES ON THE MOVE Jul 13-Oct 6, RAMM, Exeter

HAWKSMOOR CONCERT SERIES: SOLEM QUARTET Jun 6, RAMM, Exeter.

THREE HARES EXHIBITION Until Jul 13, Ludgate Fine Art, Chagford

CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS: ELEMENTS Jul 16-28, Harbour House, Kingsbridge

ROSSINI PETITE MESSE SOLONNELLE - EXETER PHILHARMONIC CHOIR Jun 1, Northcott Theatre, Exeter.

MARKING THE LAND WESTWARDS Jun 1-12, Harbour House, Kingsbridge

BIRDS WITHOUT BORDERS Jul 20-Sep 20, RAMM, Exeter

IMAGINARY DRAWN WITH LIGHT Jun 4 -15, Artizan Gallery Cafe, Torquay ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE GRADUATE SHOW Jun 8-15, The Arts Institute, Plymouth ALUMNI SHOW Jun 8-29, The Arts Institute, Plymouth LOCAL ART SHOW 2019: MIGRATION Jun 11-30, RAMM, Exeter CONTEMPORARY COLLABORATIONS Jun 14-23, Harbour House, Kingsbridge INSIGHTS III Jun 25-30, Harbour House, Kingsbridge CATHERINE KENNEDY Jun 30-Jul 19, Teignmouth Pavilions, Teignmouth 4 MEDIA MIX Jul 2-14, Harbour House, Kingsbridge

CHILDREN/FAMILY

ENCHANTED PRINCESS PARTY Jun 1, Barnfield Theatre, Exeter IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE Jul 6-7, Plymouth Pavilion, Plymouth FATHERS CLASSIC CAR DAY Jun 16, Morwellham Quay, Tavistock FATHER’S DAY FUN Jun 16, Lewtrenchard Manor, Lewdown

CHOIRS

EXWICK COMMUNITY SINGERS Every Monday, Exwick Parish Hall, Exeter SING EXETER Every Tuesday, St Sidwell’s Community Centre, Exeter. THE TORBAY POLICE AND COMMUNITY CHOIR Every Tuesday, St John’s, Torquay

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

Jun 1, St Mary’s Church, Totnes

AS LONG AS I HAVE MUSIC- SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS CHOIR Jun 14, St. Maurice Guildhall, Plympton THE NEW CENTURY SINGERS Jun 15, St.Peter, St.Paul and St.Thomas Church, Bovey Tracey BLOW AWAY THE MORNING DEWSOUTH WEST CHAMBER CHOIR Jun 15, Wembury

VIOLIN AND PIANO

WEST HILL COMMUNITY GARDEN OPEN AFTERNOON Jun 12, Ottery St Mary CREDITON REPAIR CAFE Jun 15, Crediton

TOTNES GOOD FOOD SUNDAY MARKET Jun 16, Totnes

MOZART AND ROSSINI RECITALELEGANCE Jun 29, St Stephens Church, Exeter

JAMES ACASTER Jul 6, Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay

SALTASH REGATTA Jun 22, Saltash

SCUMMY MUMMIES Jun 6,Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter

OPERA CLASSICSSOUTH DEVON CHOIR Jul 6, Central Church, Torquay

EXE REGATTA Jun 8-9, Starcross

COMEDY AT THE PARK Jun 28, Sandy Park Stadium, Exeter

SEANN WALSH Jun 1, Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter

TORBAY POLICE & COMMUNITY CHOIR Jul 5, Stokeinteignhead

COVENT GARDEN COMES TO EXETER Jun 8, Guildhall, Exeter

SHALDON FESTIVAL Jun 20-23, Shaldon, Teignmouth

COMEDY

BRENT SINGERS PRESENT BRENT’S OWN LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS Jun 29, St.Petroc’s Church, South Brent

MARK WATSON Jun 23, Corn Exchange, Exeter

BOVEY TRACEY CRAFT FESTIVAL Jun 2, Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey

FEAST FEST Jun 15, Topsham Rugby Club, Exeter

THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS - ELGAREXETER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Jul 6,Exeter Cathedral, Exeter

AS LONG AS I HAVE MUSIC- SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS CHOIR Jun 29, Sherwell United Church, Plymouth

SEAN MCLOUGHLIN Jun 18, Phoenix, Exeter

PICNIC AT THE PARK Jun 2, River Dart Country Park, Ashburton

TONY LAW Jun 23, Phoenix, Exeter

BRITISH CHORAL CLASSICS- WEST DEVON CHORALE Jun 29, Church of St Andrews, Plymouth

AS LONG AS I HAVE MUSIC- SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS CHOIR Jun 22, Harewood House, Plympton

CLASSICAL MUSIC

MUSIC IN THE CASTLE - ELEGANCE Jun 7, Powderham Castle, Kenton

TEIGNMOUTH COMEDY CLUB Jun 14, Teignmouth Pavilions, Teignmouth

‘COLOURS OF THE WIND’ FLOWER FESTIVAL Jun 1, Crediton

EXETER COMEDY CLUB Jun 7-Jul 5, Corn Exchange, Exeter GARY DELANEY Jun 8, Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay SOFIE HAGAN Jun 9, Phoenix, Exeter

CARL HUTCHINSON Jul 12, Corn Exchange, Exeter TEIGNMOUTH COMEDY CLUB Jul 12, Teignmouth Pavilions, Teignmouth JIMMY TARBUCK Jul 19, Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay

DANCE

MADHEAD NATIONAL YOUTH DANCE COMPANY Jun 23, The Arts Institute, Plymouth

EVENTS

NEWTON ABBOT RACECOURSE WELLBEING SHOW Jun 1, Racecourse, Newton Abbot OTTERY ST MARY FOOD & FAMILIES FESTIVAL Jun 1, Ottery St Mary

MALBOROUGH VILLAGE FETE Jun 22, Kingsbridge RAINBOW RUN Jun 22, Exeter BEAT AS ONE: CELEBRATE REFUGEE WEEK Jun 22, RAMM, Exeter AXE VALE SHOW Jun 22-23, Axminster THE BIG BANG FAIR Jun 25, Westpoint Arena, Clyst St Mary MINI CRAFT FAYRE Jun 29, Teignmouth Pavilions, Teignmouth STORIES FOR CHANGE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Jun 29-30 June, Bogan House, Totnes LISTER ENGINE FESTIVAL Jun 29-30, Morwellham Quay Turn over the page for more GoingOut listings

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

GOING OUT EVENTS

DARTMOUTH ART & CRAFT WEEKEND Jun 29-30, Dartmouth THE REBEL FILM FESTIVAL Jun 29-30, Plymouth Arts Centre SUMMER OPEN DAY AT SHARPHAM Jun 30, Ashrington, Totnes THE FORE STREET FLEA Jun 30, Exeter EXETER CRAFT FESTIVAL Jul 4-6, Cathedral Green, Exeter

f H

HOLBEfest

’19

Saturday 22 June 12 noon @ Flete Park PL21 9NU HEADLINE ACTS FROM

SUPPORT ACTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY: THE SEPIA TONES • STEVE JENNER • KNIGHT & TUFFERY FREE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT FROM “ELFIC” THE JUGGLER

BOOK NOW! Hf19_poster v3b.indd 1

SARA HURLEY – STORYTELLER

INFLATABLES, PHYSICAL CHALLENGES, STALLS & GAMES, KIDS’ WORKSHOPS, ARTS & CRAFTS TENTS

CAPOEIRA TOTNES

10K TRAIL RUN & KIDS’ FUN RUN

FANTASTIC LOCAL FOOD & A LICENSED FINE ALES BAR

Discounted early bird tickets @ www.holbefest.uk before 29 May

CORNWOOD 10KM AND 4KM FUN RUN Jul 27, St Michael and All Angels, Cornwood MID DEVON SHOW Jul 27, Tiverton TOTNES & DISTRICT SHOW Jul 28, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Jul 30, Killerton, Broadclyst

FESTIVALS MANIFEST May 29-Jun 2, Dunnbridge

OCEAN ARTISTS & MAKERS MARKET Jul 6-7, Royal William Yard, Plymouth

KINGSBRIDGE FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL May 31-Jun 2, Kingsbridge

NEWTON ABBOT CARNIVAL WEEK Jul 8-13, Newton Abbot

BRADNINCH MUSICAL GARDENS Jun 1-2, Bradninch

DARTMOOR SOCIETY SUMMER BBQ Jul 19, North Bovey

THIS EARTH GATHERING June 6-9, Exeter

PSYCHIC AND WELLBEING FAIR Jul 20, Discovery, Torquay

SIDMOUTH LITERARY FESTIVAL Jun 7, Sidmouth

CANONTEIGN FALLS ABSEIL Jul 20-21, Exeter STOKE VILLAGE FUN DAY Jul 21, Plymouth ICE CREAM AND BUBBLE FESTIVAL Jul 21, Torpoint TOTNES GOOD FOOD SUNDAY MARKET Jul 21, Totnes

LUPTON HOLISTIC FESTIVAL Jun 15-16, Lupton House, Brixham THE SHALDON FESTIVAL Jun 20-23, St Peter’s Church, Shaldon KINGSKERSWELL SUMMER MOON BEER FESTIVAL Jun 21-22, Kingskerswell TEIGNMOUTH FOLK FESTIVAL Jun 21-23, Teignmouth

SOUTH BRENT FOLK DAY Jul 6, South Brent

KINGSBRIDGE FAIR WEEK Jul 20-27, Kingsbridge

FALMOUTH SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL Jun 14-16, Falmouth

FUNKY LLAMA FESTIVAL Jun 8, The Hoe, Plymouth

3 WISHES FAERY FEST Jun 21-23, Mount Edgecumbe OCEANFEST Jun 21-23, Croyde Bay EXMOUTH PRIDE Jun 22, Exmouth HOLBEFEST Jun 22, Holbeton, Plymouth AXE VALE SHOW Jun 22-23, Axminster GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL Jun 26-29, Somerset GOREN FESTIVAL Jun 28-30, Honiton

EXETER RESPECT FESTIVAL Jun 8-9, Exeter

LET’S ROCK EXETER Jun 29, Powderham Castle, Kenton

OCCOMBE FARM FESTIVAL Jun 14-15, Paignton

SUNDAY SESSIONS EXETER Jun 30, Powderham Castle, Kenton

ALTITUDE FESTIVAL Jun 14-15, Cullompton LIVE IN THE WYLDES Jue 14-15, Bude, Cornwall

GLAS-DENBURY Jul 5-6, Denbury EXETER FESTIVAL Jul 5-9, Exeter

Get YOUR event out there with Reconnect’s Going Out pages TO ADVERTISE your event on our diary website, Reconnecthub, simply visit www.hubcast.co.uk/reconnect and register - then you can enter your own events whenever you want. AND many of them will appear in the next (August/September) issue of Reconnect magazine. AND they will be viewed through other HUBCAST websites (across the SW). AND it’s all FREE! (There are some online advertisements available too and it’s first come, first served - so call Scott now on 01392 346342)

21/03/2019 22:04

Advertising: 01392 346342 adverts@reconnectonline.co.uk

www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Studio 45 is an open-plan learning environment for potters and ceramicists where members and students have access to wheels, kilns and equipment, as well as technical know-how from our experienced teachers.

Doing our bit with carbon balancing

HIS year, World Land Trust are celebrating their 30th anniversary. CEO John Burton looks back on three decades of global conservation work. “A friend of mine ran a conservation society, which was about to start a project in Belize,” remembers John. “He said to me: ‘If I give you $10,000 to start fundraising and get a public awareness campaign going about the project, would you be up for it?’ I thought, ‘This is a good challenge’ and took it on. By the end of the year we’d raised over $100,000.” That project focused on buying land in Belize that was threatened by agriculture, which had already destroyed the surrounding forests and the unique animal and plant life it held. As well as saving this vital area of land and its inhabitants, this became the starting point for World Land Trust. A global operation World Land Trust protects the world’s most biologically significant habitats by funding the creation of reserves to provide permanent protection for habitats and wildlife. In the past three decades they have directly funded the purchase and protection of more than 700,000 acres of tropical forest and other vulnerable land in 19 countries, from the Khe Nuoc Trong region of Vietnam to the Gran Chaco forest of South America. Protecting over four million acres of additional land. While World Land Trust are constantly looking at new regions and countries, some of the early projects are still being worked on today. “We started 30 years ago in Belize and this year we’ve funded another land acquisition programme in another part of the country. So we’re back where we started.” Carbon Balanced Paper A long-time patron and supporter of World Land Trust, Sir David Attenborough understands the value of carbon balancing, something shared by the Carbon Balanced Paper programme. This is a simple way for companies to reduce the carbon impacts of their marketing communications and preserve highvalue conservation land, the habitat and the species they support. “The money that is given to World Land Trust has, in my opinion, more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of,” says Sir David Attenborough. A year of celebration World Land Trust have a number of

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EXETER based printers Pollards carbon balance the printing of each issue of Reconnect by offsetting it to an area of land preserved in perpetuity with the World Land Trust (WLT). Sam Upton tells us more about the international conservation charity that protects the world’s most biologically significant and threatened habitats acre by acre.

special events lined up to celebrate their 30th anniversary, including an exhibition in London of photographs and film taken on land saved from deforestation in Belize, an impressive exhibition stand at the British Birdwatching Fair taking place this year on 16-18 August. For John, this year is a landmark in both a personal and a professional sense, as he steps down from the role of CEO and moves into the area of conservation impact investments in South America. l For more information about World Land Trust and their work, go to: www.worldlandtrust.org

• • • • • •

Weekly 10 week courses - Beginners to Advanced Membership Program Apprenticeship Scheme Specialist Workshops & Master Classes Glaze Technology Sustainable practice and research team

For more information on membership, workshops and courses visit

www.studio45.uk.com or contact us at info@studio45.uk.com

Empowering families across Devon & Cornwall since 1999

Photos by Natalie Singleton and Bjornolesen.com/Viet Nature Conservation Centre (middle image)

Editorial: 01392 346342 editor@reconnectonline.co.uk

land matters

ReFURNISH

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

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Widecombe-in-the-Moor 2019 Craft Markets

Built by the community TRANSITION Homes Community Land Trustee Ruth has more news from the small charity run by volunteers and the Transition Homes building contractor update.

O THE Transition Homes team has bounced back from recent disappointments around loss of our original contractor and are looking forward to developing a fruitful working relationship with a new contractor. We hit the ground running and due to experience gleaned from the last process have run a streamlined re-tendering process looking at five different companies in some detail and weighing up which of them would best fulfill our requirements. The main factors for us are whether the contractor has sustainability and ecological building experience and expertise, whether they are fairly local, and balancing that with the requirements of funders for a company of a certain size and financial stability. So there’s been a lot of time spent reading tenders and meeting with the companies to discuss how they would tackle the intricacies of this unique project. We are now in the process of appointing a new contractor for stage 1 of the build contract. They were unanimously preferred by all the team for their enthusiasm and commitment to working with Transition Homes to

deliver the houses at Clay park in alignment with our principles and financial constraints. They are a local firm based in Plymouth and have successfully completed many exciting projects in the south west including utilising some environmental building techniques and materials. We are excited to begin this new phase working with them and continuing our general preparation to start on site in November. Along side the tendering process much work continues on terms and contracts. We’ve had a very positive meeting with Triodos, which has hopefully helped to pave the way to a smooth and efficient journey through the due diligence process with them. Finally we are putting out a call for help with our day to day core funding. Partly due to being delayed we are stretching the pot to keep things ticking over. So we would love to hear about any funding streams that we may not yet have come across or anyone who might like to make a donation however small. Small regular donations can be really helpful and of course larger one off amounts will be gratefully received as well. We are a charity and so it is a great way to make an ethical donation and really make a difference to those in need of affordable housing in the local area. Please contact us at admin@ transitionhomes.org if you think you might be able to help.

Youth-led climate action in Plymouth

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LYMOUTH Energy Community have once again teamed up with Fotonow (a Plymouthbased social enterprise, using creative media to enable people’s voices to be heard) to explore a youth-led climate action project. Local students have been actively joining Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for the Future strike against inaction on climate change and Plymouth City Council recently joined many other UK councils to declare a state of climate emergency. “We want to help amplify the voices of our young residents” says Jemma from PEC: “it takes real courage to drive action and given the opportunity, young people can lead the way. It’s their future that is at stake and they should have a say. The aim is to have a youth climate summit or assembly that could contribute to the city’s climate emergency plan, showing that their opinions do count and that they can have real input into policy-making.”

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If you would like to find out more or get involved with supporting the project, please contact Jemma on jemma@ plymouthenergycommunity.com.

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news&views Revealing Devon’s hidden treasures

OSPICARE’s Open Gardens returns to show off Devon’s hidden treasures with local residents opening their gardens for a fifteenth year across Exeter, Mid and East Devon. To date the local adult hospice charity has raised £227,000 to help them provide quality care and support to people with any type of terminal illness, and those close to them, in Exeter, Mid and East Devon. The gardens participating this year can be found in the Hospiscare Open Gardens booklet with a forward this year by local broadcaster Judi Spiers. To find out more about this year’s open gardens and how to visit, take a look at the brochure online at www.hospiscare.co.uk/events/opengardens-2019. This year sees the return of many beautiful gardens, as well as new gardeners who have come forward to open the garden gate. There’s a huge variety of gardens from the grandeur of Holcombe Court to many smaller but equally well cared for urban gardens on display. If you would like to open your garden, please contact Hospiscare on 01392 688020. Alternatively, you can email fundraising@hospiscare.co.uk.

Helping you get the most from your garden

living willow structures scything fruit trees organic growing edible planting com posting raised beds wildlife areas 07811608359 www.abu ndantgardens.uk

With love from Tigley Tump + Delicious, high-welfare meat: traditional, slow-grown, rare-breed pork and lamb + Keeping chickens? We have pure-bred birds of all shapes, sizes and colours - call now for full details and friendly advice + Visit our farmgate stall (see Facebook) Email jennfoster58@googlemail.com or call 07976 504918

Tigley Tump is... an off-grid, chemical-free smallholding just outside Totnes, run by family and friends Visit www.tigleytump.co.uk and Facebook/tigleytump

DO YOU WISH YOUR 11-16 YEAR OLD SPENT MORE TIME IN NATURE?

Get growing this summer ABUNDANT Gardens’ Ross Adams wants you to get growing this summer!

ERE you hoping to grow some vegetables this year but fear that you’ve left it too late? Don’t worry! I can install a raised bed for you and, with a helping hand from Growers Organic veg packs, you can still get growing this year. Raised beds are great because they are versatile, attractive and tailored to your needs. If the soil in your garden is lacking fertility, or you want to have less lawn, then a raised bed is a great option. They also work well if your garden is on a slope and the angle makes it difficult or uncomfortable for you to establish plants, or if the plant you are wanting to grow has specific requirements, like Blueberries. I can advise you on the best location for rasied beds in your garden and, if you are new to growing, offer suggestions on what to grow in them. I use locally sourced Larch and Chestnut or Oak when making raised beds. They are naturally rot resistant so there is no need to use treated

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timber. Depending on your needs, and the aesthetics of your garden, raised beds can be built in a number of different ways. They can have curved edges to suit the landscape and can even be raised higher so you can access them from standing. On another note: we are now well and truly into the mowing season. Instead of reaching for the mower and strimmer, I reach for my Scythe. I started scything 3 years ago and I have to admit I absolutely love it! Scything has a satisfying rhythm and is, by its nature, peaceful. I use it mostly to cut long grass in orchards or wildflower meadows. These are best to do from late July. It is also effective for clearing areas of bramble and woody weeds, like dock, and it can also be used for keeping your lawn mown. If you would like to discuss having a raised bed in your garden or you have an area that needs scything then do get in touch. l Contact Ross on 07811608359 or rossadams51@ gmail.com, and visit www. abudantgardens.uk.

WILD CAMPS FOR 11-16 YEAR OLDS NEAR BRISTOL: HUNGER GAMES AUGUST 20 - 24 MOCKINGJAY AUGUST 26 - 30

wildwisehungergames.co.uk • 01803 868269

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

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news&views

Keeping Totnes healthy since 1990

Wake up to organic at Greenlife

Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 5.30pm 01803 866738 www.greenlife.co.uk

Greenlife Ad 92 x 132mm.indd 1

29/08/2018

WEDNESDAY June 12 sees a national campaign to promote organic produce – called ‘Wake Up To Organic.’ All around the country cafés, restaurants and retailers will be giving away free breakfast foods and other organic goodies to raise awareness of organic produce. “The idea of the campaign is to show how easy it is to switch to organic foods, to generate interest in organic products, to encourage new customers to ‘make the switch to organic’ and we would hope, to remind people that organic food is not just better for the environment and your health, but that it tastes better too!” said Jon, marketing manager at Greenlife. “On the morning of Wednesday 12th 12:19 June, Greenlife will be offering customers the chance to try a range of organic breakfast foods so if you are in Totnes pop in for a free second breakfast!”

There will be a range of mueslis and organic cereals on offer for customers to sample, along with a range of other breakfast foods. Greenlife are grateful for the support of local suppliers Heron Valley and Luscombe Farm, who will be supplying refreshing juices and to Owen’s Coffee, who will be supplying delicious artisan hand roasted coffee. Greenlife sell a very wide range of organic foods including dried fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, pulses, breakfast cereals, snacks, tinned goods, teas and coffees, dairy produce, wine, fresh bread and fresh fruit and vegetables from local organic producers. They also sell a selection of organic herbal supplements, household products and body care products too. They are open from 9am-6pm MondayFriday and 9am-5.30pm Saturday. l The Greenlife range is also available online at www.greenlife.co.uk

Amelia from Ethica’s Devon vegan diary Summer Courses Open Days

May 25th / September 21st

Looking After Your Health everything you need to transform your diet and health Delicious Desserts the most amazing sugar- and dairyfree desserts! Love Health Love Cooking 2 days of seasonal hands on plant based cooking Summer Garden Party

June 19th – 23rd

June 30th

July 6th & 7th

August 3rd

Professional Training Courses Year 1 – Holistic Nutrition for Body and Soul Year 2 – Health Coach and Natural Chef Year 3 –Nutrition Consultant and Medicinal Cook

www.macroschool.co.uk check out free 48 page recipe booklet!

OKEHAMPTON’s wonderfully quirky vegan cafe Mooplehog is hosting two special nights in June - a Palestinian/Lebanese buffet on June 1, and their regular buffet night on June 29. Both are £12.99. Every Thursday from 9-12 is Community Conversation morning, a place to relax and connect, with free tea and coffee. If you love creative home cooked food served with a smile, then definitely take a trip to Mooplehog. The Naturally Vegan Plot are holding their Summer Solstice Social at Veggie Perrins, 97 Mayflower Street, PL1 1SD, on June 19. Tickets are £15, which includes a meal of authentic Gujarati cuisine, and music from brilliant vegan musician Bert Miller. June’s Earth Cafe will be held in a brand new location, The Old Morgue, which is just a few doors down from it’s current home at Union Corner. Dates are still to be confirmed, so keep your eye on their Facebook page for details. As well as the signature vegan buffet, there are announcements and speakers for those interested in getting involved in community projects, and live music from local musicians. Also based in The Old Morgue is Plymouth’s brand new vegan pop-up, Cosmic Kitchen, who are taking the local vegan community by storm with their colourful Mediterranean creations and vegan ‘scotch eggs’. Sample the Evangelou twins’ good mood food every Monday from 12am-10pm, and they’ll also be feeding hungry revellers at Freedom Fields Community Festival on June 1 & 2. Plymouth Vegan Festival returns to the Guildhall once again this year, with over 70 stalls from traders both local and much further afield, plus cookery demos and talks. Entry is £3, from 10:30-2.30pm, and VIP tickets are £15, which includes fast track entry and a vegan goody bag. The next Exeter Vegan Market is July 20 in Exeter Corn Exchange, from 10-2.30pm, and entry is free. May’s market featured a fantastic range of different vegan stalls, including vegan kebabs, handmade truffles, zero waste skincare, craft beer, fudge, and ceramics; an absolute smorgasbord of the best handmade local ethical products. Plymouth also has a new regular vegan market run by the wonderful folks at No Whey! which is held at the colourful Nudge Community space in The Clipper Inn, Union Street. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for dates and details, or just to drool over pictures of their yummy tacos! l Ethica is Plymouth’s 100% vegan store, visit www.ethicaveganstore.co.uk. Reconnect would like to thank Amelia for her articles for us in recent issues.

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Naturally nourishing How to help solve four world problems with one simple action that everyone can take right now

OLIVER Cowmeadow, one of the founders of the International Macrobiotic School, offers a practical contribution to the rebellion debate, with an article on how eating a locally sourced plant based diet is one of the biggest ways we can all reduce our carbon footprint. I GOT into macrobiotics 38 years ago in 1980, and the world thought we were crazy for eating a plant based diet with no dairy foods, meat or processed foods. Now it turns out we were just way ahead of the time, as now exactly this diet is being recommended to help solve four of the world’s pressing problems.

1.GLOBAL WARMING Around 20% of carbon production is from meat and dairy production – the same as for all the transport used in the world. Cutting meat consumption in half would reduce carbon more than everyone cutting car use in half. This is partly because cattle belch large quantities of methane, which creates 20 times more warming than carbon dioxide, and also the amount of energy that goes into producing cattle food. Eating mostly whole grains, vegetables and fruits, beans and other sources of vegetable protein, seeds etc. with little or no dairy foods or meat, something that almost everyone can do today, would create an immediate reduction in carbon production, and cost nothing!

2. DEGENERATIVE ILLNESS In the last 30 years western medicine has shown what Oriental medicine has known for much longer, that eating a diet high in meat, dairy, sugar and processed foods is by far the largest cause of heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes, and most likely dementia, arthritis and many other degenerative diseases. New research is showing every day that a plant based diet such as the Mediterranean diet would greatly reduce all of this diseases. Look at the latest NHS recommendations at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eatwell/the-eatwell-guide/

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3. ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION Go onto Google maps and take a look at what is happening to the Amazonian rainforest – you will see big chunks taken out of it – zoom in and you will see it has been replaced by fields – much of these are growing soya beans to feed to cattle not only in south America but also in Europe and north America. Soya beans are a good food for human beings, yet 92% of the world’s production is fed to animals! https://www.google.co.uk/maps 4. FEEDING THE WORLD You can grow 10 or more times the amount of plant food on a piece of ground as you can animals. The worlds’ population has trebled in the past 60 years, eating a plant based diet is the simplest way to make sure there is enough food for everyone on the planet.

Now 38 years on macrobiotics has developed a fantastically healthy and delicious and varied way of eating a plant based diet. Here at the International Macrobiotic School we want to help as many people as possible make the change to a plant based diet and a more natural, balanced way of living for maximum health and wellbeing, AND to help the planet and all its inhabitants. If you would like to learn how to look after your health and the planet then download a free 48 page booklet at: tinyurl.com/y2a9eq6e or come to one of our talks or classes, and find out how you can make a difference! l For more information visit www. macroschool.co.uk

OUR resident foodie, JANE HUTTON, offers tips for getting the best nutrition in the ﬁrst part of her exploration into eating well.

Easy solutions to undernourishment

O, you try to eat well, but aren’t feeling top notch. You try even harder, eating your ‘5 a day’, not skipping meals, keeping away from processed foods, but still don’t feel as good as you think you should. Niggling problems set in, and increase dry skin, spots, tiredness, achy joints, headaches, irritability, digestive disruption, athlete’s foot, sore tongue, and so the list goes on.... You try still harder, even turning to multivitamins, but without the sparkle returning. The very simple answer? You’re undernourished. How can that be possible when you put so much thought and effort into eating healthy unprocessed food, and have even tried supplementing too? Trust me when I say, malnutrition is much more widespread than most realise, even in a place where food is cheap and readily available. If you’re not feeling your best, you’re not getting everything required, and that comes down to a combination of what your body needs and what you’re giving it. What and where you buy, and how you store and cook are important parts of the equation, and the solutions are actually really basic. This issue and next, I’ll sum up the most common causes and their easy answers. Problem #1: If you’re buying food from a supermarket, its nutrient content will have dissipated significantly, no matter how

carefully controlled the storage climate. Your ‘5 a day’ has the actual nutrient value of much, much less! Answer: buy from shops or markets that stock local, fresh produce. Frozen veg are a good stand by for times when have an empty veg drawer! From farmers not having to farm intensively to using increasingly natural pest Buy local control methods, local really is king nutrition-wise, giving your body the best chance of getting everything it needs to fire on all cylinders. Problem #2: If you boil vegetables, heat in a microwave, buy veg already prepared or store produce for days before eating, nutrient content is depleted still further. Answer - steaming, or even steam-frying (a little water in a pan while veg are stirred around) preserves nutrients. Don’t overcook! There are some exceptions to the less-ismore cooking rule though. For example, carrots release more of their vitamin A precursors when cooked, and when cell walls are well broken down, so julienned or mashed carrots are better than raw when it comes to those valuable carotenes. Look out for Part 2 next issue, and in the meantime, no matter what the rules are, there’s always room for cake, especially if it’s as nutrient-packed and delicious as this issue’s recipe!

Blueberry and lemon polenta cake 150g ground almonds 75g polenta/corn meal 3 large eggs 125g golden caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarb 150 ml olive oil 1 lemon, zest and juice 200g blueberries, fresh or frozen MIX the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together the oil, sugar and zest, then add a spoonful of the dry ingredients, mixing well. Add an egg, then a third of the dry ingredients, another egg, another third, then the ﬁnal egg, and the rest of the dry ingredients, combining thoroughly.

Fold in the blueberries, saving a few, and pour into a lined 8 x 8 tin. Add the saved blueberries on top, and bake for approximately 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Don’t allow to dry out, but cover with foil to prevent burnt edges to cook through. A skewer should come out without batter, but it takes longer if you use frozen blueberries. Drizzle with the lemon juice, cut in the tin, and pull up and out using the parchment lining. Serve warm, decorated with drizzle icing, rose petals, bee pollen, poppy seeds or just a dusting of icing sugar.

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

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living: made simple This time, MARTIN FOSTER turns his simpler life attention to the home...

Home is where the heartY lastisLiving Made Simple a conventional ‘square box’ house

column introduced the idea of deconstructing your life into bite-sized chunks in order to run a kind of sustainability audit. Now, I don’t intend to come over all dogmatic here: to suggest we should all live our lives in a state of ultimate sustainability is unrealistic – and might even promote the dangerous conclusion that if we can’t do everything, there’s no point in doing anything. But while you might not feel drawn to address every area of living that we will look at over the coming months, you will I hope be moved to do something. If only to think about it. Let’s first, then, think about that most fundamental of requirements: shelter. Clearly this is one big subject (big as a house, even) and one that has been explored in great detail in any number of excellent books and across the internet too. I clearly don’t have the space they do to explore in detail the practical side of eco home design, from hightech insulation and natural energy sourcing to low-tech compost loos and rainwater harvesting (although I can’t resist saying AGAIN that it’s so crazy we use thousands of gallons of carefully cleansed drinking water just to wash away our shit!). What we can do here though is explore a few of the more conceptual issues around home creation; maybe get us thinking outside of the bricks and mortar box. Continuing our theme of breaking things down into their most basic functions, what would you say are the primary roles of the place where you live? Providing shelter must be top of the list but that could be served by the provision of fairly basic walls, roof, windows and doors – the degree to which they do that efficiently takes us back into that practical eco build area, but I would like to touch on one aspect of it here: the materials used. But I’m thinking not so much of the classic sustainable design qualities like insulation and heat-retention but rather their integrity and inherent sense of well-being. I currently live in a wooden cabin, for example, which does tick all the locally sourced and insulation boxes, but perhaps as importantly, it feels good. The craftsmanship is clearly on display and never ceases to delight me; and it connects too, perhaps on some primal level, with a sense of being part of the natural world, particularly because I know the material used came from the local landscape – some of the ‘feature’ timbers came from the floor of the woodland behind the workshop where the cabin was built before being brought on-site. And while the whole structure won’t be as durable as bricks and mortar, when it does need repair, it will mean simply replacing timbers or boarding – obvious to the eye and within the ability of anyone who can work with wood. Maybe even me! I realise this is a fairly extreme example, but our previous home was

on an estate and while living there, we laid an oak board floor and had a green woodframe conservatory built on the back, with recycled secondhand glass doors to let in the sun’s light and heat. We also added a hand-made oak side door and a log burner (which heated the whole house after we opened up the stairs) and it felt transformed. It felt homely. The cost of the transformation was easily recouped when we sold the house – the first three people who viewed it all wanted to buy it, delighted by the fact that while externally it still looked the same as every other home in the street, inside it was a very different, more interesting, story. By personalising our homes, we inevitably create something that says something about ourselves. If your priority is to tell people you are wealthy, and therefore ‘successful’, you will want something big and flashy – the ultimate in conspicuous consumption. But your home can reflect other values too: I prefer conspicuous sustainability and durability. ‘Feel’ plays an important part in another function of our homes: hospitality. While ‘putting a roof over the heads of our families’ might be our primary focus, our homes are also places for socialising and we all want our guests to feel welcome. Before our kids grew up and moved on, we had a large family, and lots of pets, so our home was always a little chaotic – but we frequently received comments about how friendly and homely it felt. Life itself, then, is an important part of making a house a home. And many homes today have to accommodate other aspects of our lives. If you are self-employed or freelance, you probably have a home office, or even a home workshop or studio, which makes great sense, both practically and financially. I have found - and it’s a view others have shared with me - that it’s important to have a designated working area: in the past this has tended to be a spare bedroom (although the kids who had to share a room as a result might dispute the description ‘spare’); today, it’s a small (two former scaffold boards deep, to be precise) shelf, which I like to call a desk. The ‘I’m in my office’ feel is heightened by the addition of an old swivelling office chair, found in Exeter through an online ad and a few junkshop officey items; and my more creative side is satisfied by a few ‘visual notes’ – images cut from art magazines and pinned on a noticeboard – when my desk becomes a studio workspace. None of it cost much but it’s highly personal and constantly reinforcing of my role when I’m sat here. So if you can’t put any more money into your home, fall back on other less limited resources: creative thought, people and love. And, please, don’t buy anything new or imported!

This is a mobile free zone

EN years ago, you might have seen ‘the mobile free zone’ quite regularly. It was easier then as the mobile phone was exactly that…. a phone. Now, with the advent of social media, using the phone as a camera, diary, timer etc, it is much harder to implement such a rule. But at Studio 45 there has never been a question for me that phones are out. If I am to be honest I am a bit of a Luddite. It is no surprise to me, or anyone else who knows me, that I am a potter and when I am not potting, I am growing things in my garden. Massively resistant to using a mobile or a computer, it was years before I actually started using either. My workshop was in the middle of nowhere with no mobile reception, no wifi and not even a radio signal. No-one could ever get hold of me and it was bliss. When I was there, I got into the zone. When I was teaching I watched others entering that space, the depth of engagement, the dropping down into a deeper attention, a deeper connection with the material at hand and with each other. Creativity flourished and a strong artistic community started to form. That was the beginning of what is now Studio 45, a teaching space and a community of budding

potters and sculptors situated on the Dartington estate opposite the Green Table cafe. Working with clay, and especially learning to throw on the wheel, is an all absorbing task. It demands all of your attention and to enter the zone you need to give it all of your attention. I always see it as a kind of active mindfulness. Whoever I have worked with over the years, whatever their background, clay never fails to gain attention. The point being that it is becoming clearer that many of us are addicted to our phones. And maybe that is not a problem, but for me what we lose and are in the process of losing is a quality of attention, a quality of engagement with the material world and with each other. Creative spaces are sacred spaces. Time ceases to exist and ideas come thick and fast, the chattering mind has an opportunity to rest and you emerge refreshed and rejuvenated. So, if you are part of Studio 45, remember to switch off your phone, put it on silent or better still… don’t bring it into the space. For the rest of us, let’s make sure we have at least some time during the day where we leave our phones behind. l For more information please contact info@studio45.uk.com or see www.studio45.uk.com

This is a 5G emergency THE UK government is currently rolling out fifth generation wireless technology across the country, going live in London, Bristol and other main cities this summer. 5G is not as simple as 4G + 1, 5G will transform the world that we live in completely. With smart cities, towns and homes, smart agriculture, driver-less cars and artificial intelligence everywhere, no longer will we just talk to our devices but our devices will talk to us and to each other. But no one is asking us, “Do we really want it?” Is a techno revolution that is forecast to bring a 48% increase in energy use on a global scale really ever going to be the answer to the environmental crisis that we are now in? However well framed, I think most would agree not. In her recent testimony against the expansion of 5G in Michigan State, Dr Sharon Goldberg states, ‘Wireless radiation has biological effects. Period. This is no longer a subject for debate when you look at PubMed and the peer-review literature. These effects are seen in all life forms; plants, animals, insects, microbes. In humans, we have clear evidence of

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cancer now: there is no question. We have evidence of DNA damage… 5G is an untested application of a technology that we know is harmful; we know it from the science. In academics, this is called human subjects research.’ It is imperative that we now all educate ourselves as to what this technology, should it be rolled out as intended, could mean for the fabric of our lives here in the UK and all over the world. Are you choosing this? To find out about events and actions email 5gfree.protonmail.com. Download leaflets for further research and to spread awareness at www. aevamagazine.co.uk/resources. html and visit www.safenotsmart. co.uk, www.5gexposed.com and www.5gspaceappeal.org for more information.

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news & views Pastures new

WARENESS with Horses CIC, Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy, is moving to new premises just 7 miles from the centre of Exeter and 10 minutes drive from the A38 Exeter Racecourse turn off via Haldon Forest. Sue Blagburn, Managing Director of Awareness with Horses said: “As the company develops we have found we were compromising ourselves by being too far out in the sticks, and not accessible enough to some of the clients who need our services most. Our new base will be much more accessible to both existing clients and new ones. “With our team of 4 special horses we plan to move to Dream Wood Farm, near Higher Ashton, in early June. Dream Wood is a family run

Awareness with Horses’ Sue Blagburn

smallholding and woodland, owned by Sarah and John Ponti who are already offering both children and adults the space to reconnect with nature and experience outdoor fun on the land and with their animals.” Awareness with Horses CIC is a notfor-profit organisation that works with both young people and adults offering one to one and group sessions in learning and growth through the naturally occurring therapeutic and transformative opportunities horses can provide, in order to create self awareness and well-being, and develop potential and skills which transfer forwards into peoples everyday lives. Collaborating with Dream Wood Farm feels like a really positive step forward. The main objective of the move is to be able to offer more opportunities to young people and young adults who are disadvantaged, vulnerable or excluded, and to fund this work, also to be more accessible to business clients who could benefit from our professional or personal development, business coaching and leadership. Please find further details at www. adventureswithhorses.co.uk the new Awareness with Horses website will be launched soon.

AEVA’s Summer celebration

AFTER five years AEVA Magazine’s Isabella Lazlo welcomes summer with news of major change and a celebration that we are all invited to.

S we step into summer and the bounty of nature’s green and all her colours tantalize our senses, we are invited outside more to rejoice in her simple pleasures, to bask in the warmth of the sun, to be soothed by the sound of her waters and to relish sweet moments of being. Here at AEVA the summer brings a new chapter, a chapter that is both an ending and a new beginning. We will be taking a break from publishing AEVA over the coming six months to a year to allow space for reconfiguration of the business. Cheryl and I have worked for free on this project to date and this is no longer viable.

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With this current letting go comes relief for us both as we step off the hamster wheel of production and put our passions at the centre of our lives again. It feels certain that AEVA will rebirth in time but she needs first to enter the cocoon of transformation. When we are willing to let go of the security of the known in our lives and rest in the unknown, here, in this place we hold the door open for new possibilities to emerge and, as we align ourselves with deepest soul, then what emerges will serve the greatest good for ourselves and the wider collective. In these times of crisis we welcome this time to refocus our intention and make ourselves more available. Please join with us in celebrating all that we have co-created and shared in these initial years of AEVA’s journey. On July 12 we will gather again at The Glade in Dartington Woods for an evening of soulful song, storytelling, music and community. We are celebrating the beauty, depth and connection that has been woven with our community through AEVA’s pages over the past 5 years. With sumptuous entertainment from Sarah Mooney, Jamie Leeds, Izabella Finch, India Rose, Michelle Hilliard, Isabella Lazlo and Agata Krajewska. There will be a café serving delicious soup, teas and cakes and splendid company as ever. Tickets are now available from our website, be sure to secure yourself a spot. l Find out more about AEVA at www.aevamagazine.co.uk

AEVA’s Summer celebration Marking an end and new beginNing’s...

The Glade, Dartington, 12th July, 7pm

Tickets available from www.aevamagazine.co.uk

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www.dangerousdads.org.uk/dadfest September 13th, 14th & 15th

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

campfire pancakes  archery  water rockets  pig racing spoon carving  bushcraft  star-gazing  mackerel fishing mud kitchen  kids entertainer  live music  kids' tattoos

drumming workshop  dad choir  stroke a lobster  fake wounds  award-winning local food & beers  & more...

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rebellion

Extinction Rebellion - A new ho

Photo: Miriam Klingl - Werde Magazine

FTER two FOUNDER of the Transition movement ROB HOPK extraordinary weeks the concept of climate emergency gives us all opti in which Extinction Rebellion brought London a time of great positive potential. He tells us more to a standstill, kids walked out of school to join the feature written just for Reconnect Magazine. School Strike for Climate, Greta Thunberg dropped in to meet MPs and others, and David Attenborough’s ‘Climate Change: The Facts’ documentary went out on primetime TV, the UK parliament declared, the day before I’m writing this, a national climate emergency. As someone who has spent the last 15 years of my life ceaselessly speaking, blogging, campaigning and writing about climate change, and catalysing and supporting many projects and communities who are modelling innovative responses to it, I feel thrilled and delighted. But now what happens? The point I want to make in this short piece is that the concept of a climate emergency should fill our hearts with great optimism and possibility. We have 11 years now to reverse the direction of travel, to cut our emissions in half, and be well on the path to zero emissions. It is an extraordinarily big ask, but it is possible. Just. And if we manage it, it will be a social, cultural, economic, political transformation which is almost without precedent. It will, by definition, be a local time when anything felt possible, when the imagination feels invited, valued local and empowered. What an amazing time to be 18. It will be a time that future demo generations will sing great songs about, and tell great tales about. Hold onto There your seats for the most exhilarating time when old certainties fade away, and take when anything feels possible. I was I feel certain that what will get us there will be our ability, in our families, in our wher workplaces, in the groups we’re part of, to be the storytellers of what that world, 70% a world of zero emissions, will look like, feel like, taste like, sound like. We need on th to tell the stories that create a deep longing for a future that looks very different in on to the present. A future of cleaner air, children playing in the street, cities with wher food growing everywhere, louder birdsong, thriving local economies, an age of say th connection, conversation and community, schools and hospitals fed by local food, unde a sense of collective purpose. A future of renewable energy, rewilded landscapes, imaginative and playful architecture. It’s going to be amazing. As Elliot Murphy On a wrote in his sleeve notes for ‘Velvet Underground Live 1969’, “I wish it was a and t hundred years from today (I can’t stand the suspense)”. trees, how My sense is that we need to be brave enough to speak up for this, to celebrate clima it in whatever way, or whatever medium we can, rather than lapse back into the fu defeatism and arguing that it’s not possible. After all, Martin Luther King didn’t abso say, “I have a dream. But it’s probably not going to happen, and it might cause a bit of disruption for commuters, and it might be a bit expensive, so perhaps we won’t bother”. Rather, this is a time to be clear and passionate about what happens next, and to weave those stories into whatever conversations we can. The beautiful thing about the government and local authorities declaring a

Smith our Emotional Health columnist explores the Taking action LEIGH positive benefits of making a stand and taking action.

S I write this column we are in the wake of some of the biggest public demonstrations against climate change in this country ever. In April thousands of men, women and children descended on London and staged a 10 day series of protests and acts of civil disobedience against inaction on climate change. I watched the Extinction Rebellion peaceful protestors on Facebook and the news as the days unfolded, following live streams and posts made by people at the protest. I watched as people of all ages and backgrounds were arrested and carried off Waterloo bridge by the police. I saw how these people sang, struggled, chanted, slept, and stood side by side against a force more powerful than any one individual, feeding from each other’s strength, commitment and solidarity. As I watched, I considered the emotional impact upon those involved, and also the impact on those like me, witnessing from afar. We live in times of dramatic change, facing a global crisis, and bearing witness as our planet loses species and habitats at an alarming rate. It might seem easier to bury the facts, shy away from the articles, data and information that leave us feeling powerless, and for good reason; we do not enjoy feeling out of control. We all

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want our children and grandchildren to enjoy the earth the way we have, and the very idea that they will face catastrophic destruction is too terrifying to contemplate. But there comes a tipping point, a point when we can no longer avoid the facts and then we must find ways to manage the emotional impact that these facts have on us. The psychological impact is taking a toll, studies show that people around the world are worried about the way the climate changes will impact upon them, a psychological burden and worry for our future which has been coined ‘pre-traumatic stress disorder’. “For a long time, we were able to hold ourselves in a distance, listening to data and not being affected emotionally, but it’s not just a science abstraction anymore. I’m increasingly seeing people who are in despair, and even panic” Psychiatrist Dr. Lise van Susteren. So how do we manage the powerful impact on our emotional wellbeing of a constant stream of shocking information? I notice that when I hear facts, I initially go into denial. Then I try to rationalise; “surely it cannot be as bad as that”, and then I try to find a solution; “we must be able to do something”, and then the impact moves from cognition to emotion and I feel very sad

and small, fright hopeless. “Usually when pe They just cry over angry, they bring These feelings ca and panic, they our physical wel despair and inac taking action, it Charlotte Fuller t “others who didn the action. They because, “Does is always a hear “Yes, it changes attendance, at th reminded and en to move from de anew, (because status, skin colou on matters of imp Malcom X points emotions that is t It is easy to see t with like minded

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rebellion Help is at hand for reluctant activists

hope

ROB HOPKINS believes s us all optimism and is ls us more in a special zine.

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Rob believes Mouans-Sartoux in France shows us what the climate emergency will look, feel, taste and sound like if we get it right. climate emergency is that very few of them have much of an idea as to what that means. The part of the UK covered by Reconnect has been at the forefront of modelling and experimenting as to what the creativity a climate emergency makes possible. Transition Town Totnes has inspired a movement in 50 countries, modelling bottom-up community-led solutions. Atmos Totnes is showing how the housing sector could be reimagined to provide affordable, ecological homes that meet local need. There is amazing work underway in Exeter and Plymouth around local food and community energy. Buckfastleigh are experimenting with new democratic models. South Brent has led the way on community wind power. There many more stories like this, and many people who should stand up and take a bow. You were right all along! I was recently in France, and visited a town called Mouans-Sartoux, a town where all the food in the schools, primary and secondary, is 100% organic and 70% local, and the vegetables come from a farm created by the municipality on the edge of town. I was especially fascinated to hear, while we ate lunch in one of the schools, how it has changed behaviour in families in the school, where 60% of families say they now eat at least partly organic food, and 13% say they now always do, a big shift from before the scheme began. Never underestimate the power of culture change and bold leadership. On a 7 hectare site the municipality purchased to prevent it being developed and turned into housing, a beautifully biodiverse site features polytunnels, fruit trees, and a school for food education, which teaches kids and adults about how food is grown and how to cook it. It was a delightful taste of what the climate emergency will look, feel, taste and sound like if we get it right. It was the future. It was common sense. And I can tell you, it smelt, tasted and looked absolutely fantastic. l Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes. His new book, ‘From What Is to What If’, is published by Chelsea Green publishing in September. Visit www.robhopkins.net.

small, frightened, insignificant, very angry, and eless. ually when people are sad they don’t do anything. y just cry over their condition. But when they get ry, they bring about social change.” Malcom X. se feelings can lead to a state of anxiety, depression panic, they can also have a debilitating effect on physical wellbeing too. I find myself moving into pair and inaction and asking “what’s the point of ng action, it won’t make a difference” arlotte Fuller tells us after the London demonstration: hers who didn’t attend, have sometimes dismissed action. They don’t believe in demonstrating ause, “Does it really change anything?” My answer lways a hearty “Yes!” s, it changes everything for those who are in ndance, at the very least. We who attend are inded and encouraged to ‘come out and express, move from despair to connection, and discover w, (because we do forget), despite age, lifestyle, us, skin colour differences we can and we do unify matters of importance to us. “ com X points to an important characteristic of otions that is that emotions propel behaviour. easy to see that connecting to others, joining forces h like minded people can have a positive impact.

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A SOUTH Devon writer and change facilitator who was involved in the London Rebellion has written a book for ‘reluctant activists’. Gill Coombs, author of Hearing our Calling and The Game: Life vs The Dark Powers, said, “Climate and society are unravelling, and people deeply concerned about life on Earth feel an urgent call to do something. But some are not natural warriors: they are poets, artists or dreamers; gentle sages, or those on a spiritual path, who don’t relish the idea of battle.” In her new book, The Trembling Warrior, Gill Coombs celebrates and encourages those who feel compelled to step up, despite feeling vulnerable, weaving stories and experience from those on the front line with wisdom from writers, therapists, and politicians. Many sensitive idealists will relate to this exploration of the essential gifts they bring to the world, as well as their challenges. Personal narratives bring several forms of activism to life, offering ideas and information enabling Trembling Warriors to be active and effective in their own way. Gill, a long-term activist, was amongst those arrested on Waterloo Bridge during the first night of Extinction Rebellion action, along with several fellow Totnesians. She gave a talk in Parliament Square about alternative politics and took part in swarmings in the City. She explained, “I actually found speaking to a huge audience far more uncomfortable than being arrested!” She said, “To people just becoming aware of environmental crises, it seems like all bad news at the moment. But those who’ve been active in this area for a long time are seeing a massive shift in public awareness: across all walks

Taking action, whether it is writing a letter to an MP, signing a petition, or joining Extinction Rebellion can create a feeling of moving forward, of making an impact and being heard. We might not all choose to bring London to a standstill and be arrested for civil disobedience, but we all have power to make changes and bring a sense of integrity to how we live our lives. Once we become aware of our situation we have a choice to change; when we all change a little the situation changes a lot. This has a massive impact on our emotional wellbeing too, reminding us we are potent, vital and not alone. We are more likely to be able to face difficult truths if we feel that we are doing so with others rather than alone. Studies show that a sense of helplessness is associated with worse outcomes for PTSD. Research on firefighters in Australia found that 33 percent of the risk of developing PTSD can be attributed to whether or not a person feels like they have the ability to change or take control of the traumatic situation. Taking action gives you a sense of empowerment, a sense of power. We are less likely to be overwhelmed if we have a sense of agency, a capacity to keep going, this is the embodiment of hope. Having a shared identity with the crowd can have numerous positive effects, including creating common goals, social support, increased well-being, and even fewer

Gill Coombs of life, caring for the planet is fast becoming the thing to do. The planet can recover, but we need action, and fast. But crucially, we need the voices which have been marginalised for so long: intuitive, compassionate and creative voices that hold deep wisdom. I wrote this book to encourage all such people to bring their work forward, at a time when the world has much need of it. “There has never been a better time for a book like this to appear. It is a beautifully written and comprehensive guidebook, filled with warmth, understanding, encouragement, reassurance… and lots and lots of good advice.” Marian Van Eyk McCain - Author of Elderwoman: A handbook for the later-life journey, Editor of GreenSpirit magazine. l Find out more at gillcoombs. co.uk, or buy The Trembling Warrior online.

Photos: Chris Smith symptoms of ill-health. Participation in protest, in addition to these benefits, also has the ability to bring about a sense of utility, or empowerment, through participation. After Eliza Kenyon had come away from the 10 days of peaceful protest in London she wrote: “I witnessed in myself and in others, a spirit of alchemy at work that was kind, exacting and unequivocal. And very personal to each. I feel changed. Others I speak to feel changed. Revealed. Undone. In Love. Both humbled and lifted up. This was a week when many divides were bridged, not in theory, but in simple, moment to moment, heart achingly real, words and actions. I felt a visceral pulse of changing mythology. My cells being washed of the story of separation and opened into the story of ‘interbeing’. The taste of this is sweet, is powerful, and feels to me to be a sensory midwife of a new kind of hope. Not a hope that attaches to a particular outcome, but a hope that sings the song of remembered humanity.”

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nature Giving children freedom in the woods

ACEBOOK, Snapchat, Instagram, X Box, Netflixthe list goes on and on, of distractions and reasons kids don’t spend as much time outside as we did when we were young. That connection to nature has been found by numerous studies to be a crucial ingredient in a child’s physical, mental and emotional development. These days there needs to be a strong hook to persuade our 1117 year olds to put their phones and computers down and to spend 5 days in the woods and meadow. Robin Bowman and his team at WildWise have created such a hook with their Hunger Games and Mockingjay camps. Over the past six years WildWise have successfully run 12 Hunger Games and Catching Fire camps and 4 Mockingjay camps, and there is now a beautiful community feel as many kids, volunteers and staff return year after year. This annual returning migration of these kids to a gorgeous secluded woodland near Bristol is testament to the sense of community, connection and downright

outrageous fun they experience on these camps. After all, given the suffocating nature and pressured lives many kids have nowadays, how many of them, given the chance, wouldn’t enjoy being given the freedom of the woods? One of the teens Harry Smith said: “These camps pull you away from the screen and modern society into nature, which is really healthy.” Robin and his team run two 5 day camps for 11-17 year olds based on and inspired entirely by the Hunger Games, giving the kids an authentic deep nature connective experience. They spend the camp practising nature awareness skills such as sneaking and ambushing each other and camouflage as well as wilderness and bushcraft skills such as fire making, shelter building, and edible and medicinal food use. ● WildWise are running two camps this summer holidays, The Hunger Games Camp on Aug 2024, and The Mockingjay Camp on Aug 26-30, and cost £260. See www.wildwisehungergames.co.uk

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Ros Brady’s Nature Diary

ENVIRONMENTAL composer, musician, author and poet Ros Brady is a deep ecologist who spends a lot of time outdoors in the woods and moors - writing, being, meditating, and walking. Here she brings her Nature Diary exclusively to Reconnect.

UMMER is a kaleidoscope of reconfigurating shape and colour. Brown meadow butterflies, knapweed, water dropwort, the great blue sky; I have been in the meadows cupping insects in my hands,laughing with pleasure. After recovering from an illness that affected my eyesight several years ago, nature gives me the wonder that it did when I was a child. Grasshoppers splash up like water from puddles as I ramble into the luscious hills of Beadon Valley on south-east Dartmoor. It is June, purple knapweed bursts out, Buff-tailed bumble bees on white clover flowers, small orange Skipper butterflies, crimson spotted moths. The kaleidoscope clicks round again; I look over the top of my notebook. I’m sitting on the banks of the brook at the valley bottom. A young trout hangs suspended at the mouth of a pool. Fast moving water shakes out its tail. Trout often haunt lowland pools during the day seeking shelter under overhanging stream banks at night. This one remained in this pool for several days before moving on. What is it doing here? Seeking out its place like all young things. Golden-Ringed dragonflies flit over the pool having just emerged out of the water as larvae from the stream bed. This is the hot time of day and they work their hardest. ‘Get outta my pitch!’ they warn, pulsing their wings, hunting insects whilst courting pairs chase each other with delight. The

sun lights their wings like stained glass. Dragonflies can see between up to thirty colour pigments that we can’t. Vision beyond our imagination. Psychedelic carmine, cobalt, lapis-lazuli, moonstone tints on dragonflies give us an insight into the reach of their senses. Visual semaphore from one individual to another to us is just sheer eyeboggling beauty. Knowledge I gain from sitting in nature quietly watching, listening is not a collection of facts but a living entity that lives within us if we allow it, possessing spirit. What interests me is the conversation I have with nature. It is that moment of understanding when invisible connections become clear. For example why at that moment bees suddenly appear from their nests deep in the earth or the beech tree I mentioned in the last issue blossoms on that particular day in Spring. This conversation brings joy. Is it joy? Or reverence, awe and gratitude that at that moment a door swings open, a new world is in front of our eyes and I feel part of the earth. A sort of oneness. The sun falls behind the hazel leaves. The trout swims upstream. The endless fascination of Dartmoor in summertime, up close and infinite. ● For more about Ros see www. rosalindbrady.co.uk - Ros’ book Next To Me A Robin is available from Totnes Book shop and all Dartington outlets.

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LL of us, at sometime or another, find ourselves wishing we had a quiet retreat to get away from the every day in our own wild space. Somewhere we can commune with nature, a place to heal ourselves, perhaps a private retreat by a stream, or simply a place just to camp out on our own. It’s for this reason we find from this time of year onward there seems to be a never-ending stream of holidaymakers on the M5 making their way to South Devon. Each year the moor and the beaches are busier and busier, as they flood into Devon for some wildness, peace and nature, and each year it becomes harder to find our own secluded get aways. To this end a local landowner is offering a beautiful organic field set in a quiet valley. Charlies Field is a 2 acre meadow, bordered by a brook and semi ancient woodland, with no light pollution, an abundance of wildlife where the atmosphere is peaceful and inspiring.

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The whole space is offered to small groups or individuals to hire, there is no electricity and limited or no phone signal, and yet it is less than 15 minutes from a town! Whether it’s for retreat, workshops or just camping, the owners are happy to discuss your needs, contact hedgerow@phonecoop. coop or call 07929 663406. If you can’t get hold of Reconnect for the next few weeks it could because we’ve taken up the offer ourselves!

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Visit us at www.reconnectonline.co.uk before it’s too late!

WIFTS are remarkable! They live almost entirely in the air where they feed, sleep, mate and migrate between the Europe and Africa. They only land on return to the UK when 2 to 3 years old, from May to August, to breed. They nest in small cavities under roof tiles or in/on walls under the eaves or gables of buildings and are tidy, stealthy birds with their nest sites hard to locate. Surveys by the British bird charities have shown a decline in swifts of at least 51% between 1995 and 2015 so they are on the amber list of threatened birds. The decline is probably due to the inadvertent destruction of historical nest sites during building works and no provision of new nest sites in new buildings. How can YOU help swifts? TInstall purpose designed swift nest boxes, that can be made or purchased, and installed on your house! To improve the chances of success there are basic conditions that need to be met: 1. Ideally install boxes by April, but they can be installed while swifts are here from May to August. 2. Swifts need to be in the locality; if not, a homemade attraction call system may help (see point 9 below). 3. Boxes must be at least 5m from the ground. 4. Swifts like to be in colonies, the more boxes the better! 5. A clear flight path to the boxes with no obstructions (e.g. no telephone/electric wires). 6. No vegetation near the boxes (can harbour predators). 7. Sunny walls need adapted boxes (extra roof insulation, painted white or shade from the sun) to keep the insides cool. 8. A nest form with suitable nest material e.g. small feathers. 9. A swift sound system to play calls to make them aware of the boxes (see the swift websites). 10. Patience! It may take a few years

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By Alistair Whybrow

A swift wingspan is 42-48cm (copyright Roger Wyatt)

A swift leaves a box (copyright Simon Richardson) for success, but the boxes are used by other species such as sparrows and blue tits, while in winter insects, roosting birds or even bats may use them. If you can’t install boxes, another way to help is: Surveys The RSPB want to know where swifts are in the UK to protect swift colonies during building development and have an online survey: https:// swiftsurvey.org/Rspb/Home/Index Websites for further information on swifts www.swift-conservation.org http://actionforswifts.blogspot.co.uk https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/ conservation/conservation-andsustainability/safeguarding-species/ help-us-help-swifts

OUNDED in 1988, the Dartmoor Society has each year made an award in the form of a uniquely crafted ceramic plate, intended to recognise those persons who have, in the opinion of the Society, made a special contribution to Dartmoor. This year, at their 21st AGM, the society decided that Doug and Claire King-Smith should receive the award for ‘outstanding work at Hillyfield’. Dr Tom Greeves, retiring Chairman of The Dartmoor Society, said that the Society Claire and Doug with the award were hugely impressed with the and Dr Tom Greeves. dedication and achievements of Doug, Claire and their helpers in revitalising the ecology and potential of the woodland. For six years the couple tried to obtain planning permission for activities and structures associated with traditional woodland management, with Dartmoor National Park Authority claiming that they were potentially harmful to the ‘character and appearance’ of the National Park. Happily, in April 2018, at an appeal hearing, the authority backed down and Doug and Claire’s longterm plans are now in progress. Dr Greeves said: “Hillyfield Woodland is an inspiration for all woodland owners, as it marries traditional, sustainable working practice, generating useful products and income as carried on for centuries within Dartmoor woodland, with modern ideas about community and volunteer connection with the land, enhancing local economic and social wellbeing. It is an outstanding example of what could be replicated many times on Dartmoor and beyond.” Doug told us: “We are deeply touched and honoured to see the hard work of everyone who has contributed to the Hillyfield being recognised in this way. Hundreds of people have helped restore this woodland from neglect, tackle disease, and helped us stand up in court to speak out for the needs and rights of small woodland workers in this special landscape of Dartmoor.”

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Photo Chris Chapman Photography

Reconnect with remarkable swifts Hillyfield couple win award

rebellion Houston, we have a problem!

DECLUTTERER and regular Reconnect advertiser, Jason Burns, who works with people in various circumstances, to change their lives through decluttering, was one of many of our advertisers who were part of Extinction Rebellion’s protests in London. I AM proud to say that I was part of the Extinction Rebellion protests in London in April, a most incredible expression of humanity at its best. On this occasion, I focused on welfare (attending to the wellbeing of arrestables), however, I was involved in stopping traffic and holding Waterloo Bridge on the first day of action.

The experience was exhilarating, emotional, poignant, nervewracking and life-affirming. People of all ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds made a stand, and a demand for the direct existential threat to life on earth to be taken seriously by the government. As I write this today, the UK government has declared an environment and climate change emergency. Those in power have started to respond, but a worldwide journey has only just begun. In my work as a decluterrer, my awareness of the impact of capitalism on people’s lives has been eye-opening, and at times overwhelming. And I get it! I’d like to replace my slightly tatty car, I enjoy clothes that make me look great, and I enjoy gadgets that allow my life to flow more easily. However, as many friends have stated recently, once my eyes were opened, particularly in my work, I couldn’t un-know what I now

Call for a fashion industry boycott

EXTINCTION Rebellion are calling for a year long boycott of new clothing, to economically disrupt the fashion and textiles industry. The motto is “tear, repair, wear, share” through repair, re-use, alteration, upcycling, recycling, clothes-swaps and communal wardrobes. Any essential purhases like underwear should be ethical and ecologicallysound choices, such as sustainably-

sourced biodegradable materials. Rebels should buy or rent only secondhand clothing, choose items locally made from recycled fabrics, waste, or non-virgin materials, or acquire clothing by other disobedient means. Textiles production is one of the most polluting industries in the world, with a carbon footprint matching the whole of Russia, and creating massive amounts of waste and chemical pollution.

know. Capitalism is, it seems, the most appropriate description of Pandora’s Box: a present that seems valuable, but which in reality is a curse…. What to do? Well, my work is multilayered. I am supporting clients’ exploration of how the buying of stuff has served to keep hidden historical emotional difficulties, even trauma and abuse. And I am challenging the use of plastic, and educating about alternatives (though I feel a little un-educated myself at times, as I scan my own home and habits!). Most importantly, as I experience a sudden surge in the growth of Space Works, I am now contemplating that I could play some small part in the clearing up of historically harmful purchasing, as I discover more ways to repurpose and recycle stuff. And I am about to offer more support: for those who are able

to get there, on the third Monday of the month, I am now holding a free support group for people who have issues around clutter, including hoarding. It’s at Eat That Frog, 89 Torquay Rd, Paignton TQ3 2SE – contact me if you’d like to chat about it, or just come along. l Contact Jason for a free, no obligation consultation and find out how to release the trapped energy in your home, office, and inside yourself. Call 07886 353504 or visit: www.space-works.co.uk

The end of addiction and the evolution of self CASPAR WALSH, author, poet, film maker, journalist and Mindful Man, believes that through combating the world’s addictions we can evolve and avoid extinction.

DDICTION is everywhere; to money, oil, plastic, prestige, drugs, sex, food, power. It’s a lens we can view the current world crisis through and with it maybe make some sense out of all the craziness. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. My addictions have been a repetition of a condition that nearly killed me. I wore out the cliché that repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Am I equally crazy to believe that my addiction could be eliminated, that I could evolve into another form? Could any of us? I went to rehab at 21. For the last 30 years my identity has been formed around my recovery from drugs, alcohol, relationships, work, mental health, PTSD. The message we get given in early recovery is stay on track or you could end up dead. Which is a bit heavy. But true. Friends around me did relapse and some did die, including my dad. I got the message that there was a dark part of me that wasn’t to be trusted, what they call in addiction circles, the disease. In others, the shadow. That’s a pretty cracked lens to live life by. But it kept me alive. Slowly, after three decades of therapy, 12 Step meetings, men’s work and more, I began to feel myself emerge from a belief that I would always be an addict, a liability, into feeling a deep sense of freedom. The lens shifted focus. I no longer feel addiction moving beneath my skin

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in the way it did. When we first address addiction, denial is a big factor; that black stuff lurking in the shadows. How would you know if you were denying an aspect of yourself that was ultimately destructive? For me, on the journey through the addicted life and the healing that’s come, I’ve discovered I can trust myself and the world, deeply. There is a solid core of strength and vulnerability in me that has been slowly re-emerging, year after year. Is it possible that addiction can become… extinct? Is it possible that the world could evolve from an addicted, wounded place into a whole, connected one? One person at a time? I’ve come to the end of a particularly gnarly road, and a new one has opened up. Whether on a personal or global level, I put my money on evolution over extinction. Time to rebel. l Caspar will be speaking at Buddhafield this coming July. For a signed/dedicated copy of The Mindful Man – Words from the Earth and upcoming events: www. wordsfromtheearth.co.uk

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rebellion People power GEORGINA Allen is an Independent councillor in Totnes. A couple of months ago, her council declared a climate emergency and now they are looking at what that can mean in practical terms.

NE of our major challenges, as for many other rural towns, is the government’s ruinous housing policy. This, for me, is about road pollution, about the environment, about local democracy, about wildlife and about our health and wellbeing how we deal with this will affect how we deal with long term climate change. The government has cleverly, well George Osbourne cleverly, declared a housing emergency. The obvious emergency was not that of a lack of houses, but the fact that houses are too expensive for people on average local wages to buy. The sensible answer to that would have been to work to bring house prices down, build social housing and protect private renters. The government created a situation where they could declare they were doing all those things, but as it turns out, in name only and in the meantime they were satisfying Tory donors, building company’s lobbyists and the landowning classes who vote for them. Whatever the ins and outs of the new housing policies, they’ve proven incredibly successful for the large developers, who have pocketed record profits, and absolutely ruinous for the green spaces within towns, the environment around them, local people and local wildlife. Housing is a very difficult subject to tackle when it comes to activism. The spectre of nimbyism is always hovering overhead it’s a tricky one in terms of old fashioned, divisive politics based on class. We’ve been cajoled, however, by this government into believing that house ownership is absolutely desirable, that the minor inconvenience of a huge mortgage is worth it. They are not building houses we need though, houses for the future, they are just building because it suits the market. Encouraging giant estates of energy inefficient houses to be built on important green lungs is insane. We concrete over wildlife corridors, pour housing into flood plains, ignore local materials, ignore locals, but the bullying mantra

Climate and society are unravelling, and people deeply concerned about life on Earth feel an urgent call to do something. For those who are not natural warriors Gill Coombs celebrates and encourages ‘reluctant activists’, the poets, artists and dreamers; gentle sages, and those on a spiritual path, who don’t relish the idea of battle. of growth is good, supersedes all. For whatever it’s worth and whatever personal preference might be, the government’s propaganda campaign has meant that the market has been let loose to service it. The situation at the moment is not a happy one. Instead of a council being able to make planning decisions based on its own research of local need, housing figures are handed down by central government in accordance with what the markets want. Developers get the pick of local places, which are normally the areas on green fields or on protected land. If councils object, then they can be taken to appeal and will be fined heavily if they lose. They have no funding for enforcement officers, or planning staff or anything else very much. Developers are running circles around them, promising S106 monies (money to offset a development by paying for footpaths, or affordable housing etc) and then finding reasons to not pay it, building higher, more densely, more expensively. Small villages and towns are finding traffic increasing, school fields disappearing, giant housing estates growing and none of it seems to be for the people who need it, but very much for the people who profit from it. There are endless loopholes - you can clear a field or wood and then later send in the ecologist, who will state that there are no more trees and no more wildlife, so no reason not to build. Councils are brow beaten, bullied, threatened and paid off – it’s all very destructive and as it’s endlessly stated, once a wood has been cut down and built on, it will never come back. I’d like to see us being able to fight properly for a sustainable future in house building. I’d like to see my own council do this - we have to really. We must take the reins up ourselves and build proper, decent, climate-friendly, social housing and fend off the giant housebuilders, who decimate our land and fleece local people.

Plastic clean up breaks records

URFERS Against Sewage Big Spring Beach Clean was the biggest ever. A record-breaking 45,771 people showed up on beaches, river banks and mountain tops with bags, good humour and determination. That’s enough people to fill more than 500 double decker

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buses! And together they filled 17,700 full bin bags of plastic pollution. SAS analyed the plastic pollution worst companies for packaging pollution on our beaches and sent a detailed report to the government who’re considering action. See www.sas.org.uk for more details.

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WELLBEING

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Finding Active Hope

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Painting light, breathing colour

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IMBABWE-born intuitive artist, mystic and colour-therapist, Fiona Almeleh is bringing her unique brand of inspirational painting to Totnes this August in what promises to be another extraordinary exhibition. Painting Light, Breathing Colour runs from August 11 to 17 at Birdwood House. It is the culmination of a soul journey that began when Fiona, now 65, lost her sister Ruthie more than 40 years ago. Her loss was the catalyst for Fiona to begin searching for answers to the bigger questions and, in the early 1980s, she gave up a successful career as an artist and illustrator to begin working intuitively with colour. At the time, Fiona was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and felt drawn to use colour to heal her illness. She began painting “from her soul”, often using the whole of her hand to paint for a more visceral, spontaneous experience, allowing the colours to “choose her” rather than actively choosing them. Fiona said: “When you work in this way, the mind begins to empty and something joyful takes hold of you. Colour brings to the surface that which is held within and often unavailable to the conscious mind. It allows the life force to flow

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unimpeded again.” Rather than trying to form anything figurative or symbolic, she allows symbols and universal patterns to surface gradually. Fiona uses hundreds of washes of paint, producing swirling rainbow hues that morph from one to another. She never knows how the final painting will look when she begins and says that being “fully in the moment” allows her to make it through the minefield of doubts, frustrations, and other emotional obstacles without any attachment to an outcome. Everyone is welcome to the exhibition launch on Sunday August 11 from 11am to 3pm. l For more information visit www.fionaalmeleh.com or email f.almeleh@gmail.com.

NEW DAY - acrylic on canvas

Kate Philbin

The home of natural wellbeing WELLBEING is the home of natural health and personal development in South Devon - the perfect place to find your perfect therapy, retreat or workshop. And if you work in natural health, it’s the perfect place to get your message out there. A 1/8-page advertisement, like those below, can be yours for just £41.85 a month. A 1/4-page is only £66.60 a month. And you can tell the story behind what you offer in our free editorial - with help from our Wellbeing editor, Kate Philbin. Our designers will even put the artwork together for you at very affordable prices. The Wellbeing deadline for the next (August/September) issue is July 5 so get in touch today and let’s get the ball rolling. Call Scott on 01392 346342 or email editor@ reconnectonline. co.uk

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WELLBEING

Explore Sharpham at their open day!

HERE’S a rare chance to see inside Sharpham House set in a landscape designed by Capability Brown at Ashprington, just 3 miles from Totnes. The annual open day on Sunday June 30 will offer a chance to enjoy a packed day of family activities and a chance to enjoy the splendour of the house and gardens. The free entry event is organised by The Sharpham Trust, the charity which conserves and cares for Sharpham House and estate. The historic Garde 1 listed house is not normally not open to the public as it is a retreat centre. The Georgian Palladian villa has a rare, stunning, oval staircase, plus Sharpham Heritage experts will be on hand giving talks and tours. People interested in hosting their wedding at Sharpham are also invited to see inside the House, and there’ll be people there able to answer any questions they may have around hiring the House and grounds. The Open Day from 10.30am to 4pm on the day will also offer workshops, music, food, crafts as well as the House and garden tours. The swimming pool will be open, with lifeguards in attendance.

A chance to try mindfulness The Sharpham Estate is well-known for its vineyard, wine and cheese, and the Trust has also got a national and international reputation for hosting mindfulness retreats. Those interested in learning about how mindfulness and meditation can help towards better well-being and improved mental health can sign up for free mindfulness taster sessions on the day. Hedgespoken Theatre Company, a travelling off-grid storytelling theatre company, will also be in attendance with their 1966 Bedford lorry, converted to a stage, parked up at Sharpham for an afternoon performance by storyteller, maskmaker and writer Tom Hirons and internationally-respected artist, puppeteer and musician Rima Staines. They specialise in retelling East European and British folktales, as well as stories from the wide world of the Traveller and Gypsy communities (see below). There will be a café within Sharpham House offering teas, coffees, cakes and biscuits, ensuring visitors are fully refreshed after their explorations. There will be a beer tent in a tipi, offering locally-brewed ales and Sharpham Wines (naturally). Or book a table at the Sharpham Cellar Door restaurant, enjoying fresh, locallysourced produce and award-winning Sharpham Wines and cheese. The Open Day is free entry, but there is a £4 charge for parking. Bob The Bus will provide free shuttles between Totnes and Sharpham all day. Or you could walk or cycle along the path that follows the route of the River Dart. Sorry, no dogs apart from guide dogs. l For more information visit www. sharphamtrust.org or call 01803 732542 or email bookings@ sharphamtrust.org

Breathing - learn how to breathe eﬀectively Laughter – get your powerful endorphins ﬂowing Movement – stretch gently or dance wildly (your choice!) Meditation – simple techniques to de-stress any situation Weekly classes at Totnes Natural Health Centre, Wed. 6.45-8pm. Special introductory price of £5. See website for details or just turn up on the night.

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IN the afternoon Hedgespoken Travelling Storytelling Theatre will present Iron-Brow and Thorn-Coat, their retelling of the classic Lithuanian folk-tale. Steeped in old magic and half-familiar memories, this is an astonishing tale of transformation, love and talented hedgehogs. In the forest, strange changes can take place. There may be kings and queens and princesses and witches, and common folk going about their business, not to mention all the animals. A lot is going on. Love can be found, and lost, and found again. There’s talk of the farthest sea, of a desert of fire beyond the forest, but these are probably just rumours...

Suitable for all story-lovers age 5+

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Juliette Medder

EMOTIONAL HEALTH WELCOME back to our exploration into all things emotional. In this edition our Emotional Health columnist Leigh Smith tackles talking about climate change and other environmental issues to our children without terrifying them!

“We proved that it does matter what you do and that no one is too small to make a difference.” Greta Thunberg

T’S undeniable, our children are facing a warming world. Climate change is a reality, and one which our children will battle in their lifetimes. For many parents talking to their children about the climate emergency is a difficult challenge, one with very little guidance available. Finding the correct balance between giving the facts and leaving your children feeling frightened and helpless, can be a real struggle. Messages about the climate and environmental issues are everywhere and children can be so easily exposed to very disturbing messages, scenes and reports about terrifying global disasters. So how do we protect our children from the anxiety and fear these messages can contain, and answer their questions without terrifying them? Start where your child is I am of the opinion that if a child is asking the question then they deserve to be given an answer. Avoiding giving answers will leave children feeling unheard, uninformed and uncertain. Using simple unemotive language and reassurance that it is natural and normal for them to have questions and to have concerns. There is no specific age to begin the climate conversation, as children are innately curious about their environment from a very young age. Growing up with an understanding of their natural world and knowing what part they play in it is a great way to foster connectivity and agency from an early age. Facts not fears As parents we have a duty to be informed in order to be able to answer the questions that our children will ask us about climate change. So, to begin with it’s a good idea to arm yourself with evidence-based scientific facts, rather than opinions. Be careful not to make catastrophising statements like “we are all doomed” around children, as these can lead to feelings of hopelessness and build anxiety. Remember that children of certain ages haven’t yet grasped the concept of time, and would be just as frightened to hear that the animals will all be extinct in 200 years as in 2 years. Bite sized pieces Start small, by introducing simple concepts about energy, natural resources, growing. Avoid complicated concepts that leave your child feeling bewildered and confused. It helps us to feel in control if we tangibly understand how things work, what we can expect, and how to get involved. Start with what is right under their noses with explorations into where does our electricity come from? How can I save energy? Helping your children to connect to the idea that the ‘environment’ is not some far off place but that it is here all around us and that we play a big part in it. Make it fun The internet is full of activities for all ages that educate children about

the climate, National Geographic Kids is a great resource, find some fun stuff for your children to get involved in and join in with them. Planting trees, saying ‘no’ to plastic, and recycling an old pair of jeans into a school bag, can all be great ways to introduce important environmental concepts. Emotional responses are allowed, adults have them too There is no way to avoid the emotional impact that talk of ‘mass extinctions’ will have on our children. Hearing about species becoming extinct and global tragedies is sad. Let your child know that it is ok to feel sad, and it is ok to cry; you might share your feelings of sadness too. When your children share their fears and concerns with you, listen to them, allow them to be angry, to be worried, try not to shut them down. Giving children a space to be heard, validated and comforted is so important, and we sometimes jump too soon to denying them their true emotions. A gentle, non-patronising conversation can help them to feel that what they are experiencing is important, and that you are there to support them. Let us not underestimate the change that our children can make on the world - just look at the effect of the school climate strikes for instance. Experiencing these difficult emotions is an important factor in motivating change, building resilience, and taking action. Do something When faced with things we are not happy about, things that make us sad, it is a natural response for children to ‘make it better’ and ‘fix it’. Taking action is not only a force for change in the world but also a huge factor in building hope, positivity and feeling that we are in control. Letting your children know that ‘we can all make a difference’ is a powerful affirming message, showing them how to ‘do something about it’ is a fantastic life skill which will serve them in life in so many ways. And of course including them in your efforts to fight global warming will help them feel secure and positive for the future too. Reach out You shouldn’t need to do this alone, tackling such huge issues is something we need to be doing together, as a community. How are other members of your family feeling about environmental issues, what are their thoughts and how are they talking to your children about the changes. Reach out to your children’s teachers; is climate on the curriculum? Find out what your school is doing to address the issue and also what emotional support they have in place for children who are worried or anxious. It is important that our children are receiving a positive and hopeful message from their teachers, one which fosters a solid foundation to build from. Look around your local community for groups involved in tree planting, conservation, or join your local extinction rebellion group.

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.

Breathe, dance and be inspired

reathwork and conscious movement have the power to reconnect us to the innate intelligence of our body. Ben Clark is a Rebirthing Breathwork and Movement Medicine practitioner who offers sessions and classes in Exeter, Totnes and Dartington. Ben describes his work as being about “restoring the connection to nature, both inside and outside of ourselves.” He explained: “As we heal our relationship with our bodies we are also healing our relationship to the Earth, as we are part of nature. His work has grown out of a deep awareness of this time we’re living in and the challenges we face as a species. There is huge potential, and also responsibility, that comes with waking up to the importance of our relationship with ourselves, each other and all life that we share this beautiful planet with. Restoring this connection, both individually and collectively, has the capacity to bring about a re-evolution, seeding possibilities for our shared future.” Ben offers one-to-one and group Earth Light Breathing sessions, and ReEvolution Dance classes. Earth Light Breathing connects you with the intelligence of the breath, releasing whatever is ready to move, creating space inside you for more joy, aliveness and a sense of wellbeing. Sessions are for 2 hours and cost £60, the first session is half price. Re-Evolution Dance is a conscious movement meditation where you awaken the intelligence of your body and heart through movement and dance. The practice deeply supports you building a positive relationship with your body and with your own inner wisdom. Class costs are on a sliding scale of £5-10 and are for 2 hours. l To find out more, to book a session and for class information please call Ben on 07969 042396 and visit www.breathedancebe.com

Are you being called?

RE you being called to be something more than you are now? Life coach and Resonance Repatterning practitioner, Katheryn Hope said: “I meet many wonderful people who know they have some innate gift to offer the world, yet they often feel hampered and held back. “Unconscious patterns of thought may be causing them to feel it’s impossible to take the leap. They name financial constriction, lack of confidence, being too tired, having no time, not being good enough…. Sound familiar? Wayne Dyer explained that we can always find ways to argue for our limitations. Sometimes, even selfdevelopment becomes a pattern of never being ready.” Katheryn believes it is important to break this pattern of limitation now. “We have entered a unique time in the evolution of our magnificent planet, and that of humankind. We are fortunate to be a part of it. It is no longer a time to live our lives unconsciously. We are all part of the Earth on which we live. We are destined to transform, even if it does push us beyond our comfort zone. Each one of us has a vital role to play. “This is your time. Some inner strength wishes to come out of

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retirement and emerge into the world. You cannot ignore what life is telling you, and neither can you avoid transformation. It’s time, as never before, to acknowledge and clear old patterns, to move beyond the inheritance of both previous generations, and previous lifetimes, to clear the clutter that prevents your true light from shining through.” She added: “For those who do know there’s more to this life, it will never be possible to accept less. Sometimes you just need to give yourself permission and ask the way.” l Contact Katheryn for a free discovery call on 07971 416630 or email coach@katherynehope.plus.com

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WELLBEING Learning how to read your period

UR current world system isn’t set up to support menstruating women. We are encouraged to push forward as though nothing was happening. Advertising leads us to believe that we can ignore our bodily functions and continue to be superwomen and have everything. But, is having everything really that good for us as women? Catherine Hale believes not. She said: “If there was one thing I would like to tell my younger self it would be “Your period lets you know the state of your health every month. Learn how to read your period and you’ll be much healthier and happier in your life.” Like many women, I’ve struggled with my menstrual cycle, the peak of which was a four-year stretch with a cycle of anything from 16 - 64 days. This left me tired, anaemic and feeling at the mercy of some inner force that I didn’t understand. I now know that this irregularity was born from a lifetime of menstrual misunderstanding. “From my training as a vaginal steam facilitator and my on-going training in peristeam hydrotherapy I’ve recognised just how important it is for a menstruating woman to rest. Put it this way if you had an injury and were bleeding EVERYONE would be telling you to rest, so your body could replenish the blood you lost. You wouldn’t be carrying on as business as usual!” Catherine describes the four phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle as being linked to the archetypes of: maiden, mother, queen and crone and said we need to respect the qualities of each. “The crone phase, the time just before and during our period, is synonymous with winter, it’s time to be quiet, still and go inside,” she said. “This isn’t the time to be putting in the hours at work, rushing

to the gym and eating on the go. If we ignore our body wisdom over time we’ll pay the price as we’ll go into imbalance.” Catherine believes that learning to read our period is probably one of the most effective ways a woman can be in control of the state of her health. “Each month we are given clear signs that we are either in or out of balance. For example, the brown spotting after the fresh blood of a period has stopped is your body’s way to tell you you’ve not had enough rest during the period. You may have been told your eight-day long bleed, or your 21-day cycle, or erratic bleeding in your 40s is normal. And sadly, yes it is normal as so many women have these symptoms, but it’s not an indicator of health. Most women don’t know this, they believe it to be normal because it always happens, and with few reference points to compare it to we have little idea of what a healthy cycle can look like.” She explains that reading our period goes deeper than just tracking our cycle, although cycle tracking is an important first step. It supports us to see where we are going off track and how to bring ourselves back into balance. Every month, Catherine offers menstruating women a download on the state of their health, for free and without the need for a doctor’s visit. “I offer period reading or menstrual analysis as part of my vaginal steaming sessions to tailor a wellbeing protocol that serves the changing needs of each woman. With a little support and guidance I believe every woman can read their period and claim back their health and vitality to live loving empowered lives,” said Catherine.

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Access your own healing capacity

MENOPAUSE and its challenges is an area of particular interest to Sharon Barker, who is a practitioner of Matrix Re-imprinting, EFT and nutrition. A former coach of business startups, Sharon has spent the last 10 years expanding her knowledge of different therapeutic approaches to issues such as eating difficulties, lack of self love, lack of confidence, trauma and life transitions. She is currently writing a book on the challenges of the menopause. Sharon works intuitively, believing each of us has the ability to access our own healing capacities. “I practice a newer version of EFT that works on similar principles to acupuncture but without needles,” she explained. “There have been cases where conditions like high blood

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pressure have been reduced using this technique and, with the doctor’s consent, a person has been able to reduce or stop taking their medication.” She combines this with Matrix Re-imprinting, which helps to bring about energetic changes in a person’s life, and also brings into her sessions a knowledge of nutrition and the relationship between food, health and mood. “A person who does not like himself may eat more junk food and hormone imbalances can be linked to emotional issues and/or poor nutrition.” Sharon practices in various locations across South Devon, as well as over telephone, skype and zoom. For more information call: 07429 776794.

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

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31 31

WELLBEING Kate does… Bodykind Festival

YOUR wellbeing editor Kate Philbin gets out and about this issue. After speaking at the inaugural event in Totnes in 2017, this time Kate went along to Bodykind Festival to give us the lowdown on the world’s first festival of body acceptance.

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Tara Lou @fatandfab88 humour rather at odds with the kindness message of the festival. More to my taste was the Saturday daytime line-up, which included a beautiful and moving talk by identical twins Max and Maya, founders of Proud2Be, with their frank and funny observations on confronting shame and stigma in the LGBTQ+ community. I watched this with my 14-year old daughter who was captivated and visibly moved. It’s impossible not to warm to body positivity guru Megan Jayne Crabbe, aka Bodyposipanda, a beacon of kindness in a frequently unkind world. The interview between creator of the BodyKind festival Dinah Gibbons and Megan was a joyful and inspiring experience, culminating in a spontaneous shimmy session.

Two of the discussion panelists Feeding Of The Fox (Imogen Fox) with journalist, blogger and disability advocate, Amputee Kat (Kat Hawkins) One of the highlights for me was the Radical Self-compassion Panel, which included Tara Lou whose fabulous expletive-strewn exhortations to “come and join me you bitches” in her lonely place of total body acceptance (she was the only one in the room) was one of the festival’s most memorable moments. The festival concluded with Zoe McNulty, “headmistress” of the School for Strut, teaching the whole room to “dance like Beyonce”, followed by an 80s and 90s music dance fest hosted by Guilty Pleasures. Even the fire alarm being set off by the dry ice machines and the arrival (to loud cheers) of the Totnes Fire Crew failed to dampen the

‘Bodyposipanda’ Megan Jayne Crabbe with the Festival’s founder Dinah Gibbons, rocking it to Missy Mix on stage. enthusiasm of the hard core dancers who – myself included – only stopped when the lights came on at the end of the night. Dinah summed it up: “The kinder we can be to ourselves, the kinder we are to those around us. The world needs a whole lot of love, and this is our way of encouraging it.” Thanks Dinah for pioneering this beautiful, thought-provoking and much-needed event. We hope the event returns, and we will bring you more details once it’s confirmed. Watch the website www. bodykindfestival.com for details.

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Photos by Rob Pedersen

OW do you feel about your body? I’m guessing that a lot of your responses err towards the negative… and you are not alone. The Bodykind Festival made a welcome return to Totnes in May with its powerful messages of body acceptance and self-love. The two-day event began with a Friday night cabaret hosted by Miss Glory Pearl, The Naked Stand-up who was joined by Totnes singer-songwriter Mae Karthauser, members of the Exeter Pole Fitness Club and Florence Schechter, director of the world’s first Vagina Museum. For me the lack of men on stage was rather disappointing and Glory Pearl’s acerbic anti-male

WELLBEING Coping with life’s changes

Lessons on Jean-Paul Sartre’s

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OPING with change is one of the biggest challenges we all face and it’s one of the main reasons that people seek help from life coach Kate Tiltson. Whether or not it is a big change is largely irrelevant as change often feels big to the individual concerned. Kate said: “Most people look at the bigger picture and have a tendency to overwhelm themselves. A lot of my clients come from a generation that was encouraged to have a five-year plan, so when a curved ball comes along and changes that plan it can throw them completely off kilter.” She suggests that rather than look at the bigger picture, we should break things down into manageable chunks. “Start by looking at the change you want or need to make and firstly ask yourself what difference it will make to your life. List the positive differences that you will enjoy by making this change. What are the things that worry you about the change? Are they real worries or, when they’re written down, do they seem less frightening?” After thinking about the change you want to make the next step is to break it down into smaller action points. Kate explained: “Think about what small changes you could make right now. Is there something you could do to start the process without feeling overwhelming? For example, if you need to de-clutter and create space in your home, rather than

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Books Eating (payment noblog later than 20th September) Healthyplans recipe Free resources Onlineonline, courses 1-2-1, phone/Skype Classes Targeted adviceblog Dartington Healthy recipe ME, gut disorders, mental health nutrition, Eating plans cancer recovery & weightBooks management. 1-2-1, online, phone/Skype Free resources Online courses ME, gut disorders, mental health nutrition, Jane Hutton email: enquiries@trinityholistics.co.uk Healthy recipe blog cancer recovery & weight management. The Functional Foodie 1-2-1, online, phone/Skype more info: www.trinityholistics.co.uk T: 07841Jane 344934 Hutton email: enquiries@trinityholistics.co.uk ME, gut disorders, mental health nutrition, The Functional Foodie cancer recovery & weight management. more info: www.trinityholistics.co.uk

Register at sartreinoctober@outlook.com look at your whole house and feeling daunted, start with a drawer, a cupboard… something that you know needs clearing but won’t take forever. When you have achieved that one thing, look at the next small space. Work from room to room, clearing methodically. How does that feel? Is it less overwhelming?” She reassures clients that change doesn’t have to be scary if you break it down into chunks. “Taking small steps makes it more manageable. If in doubt, a life coach can help to guide and support you.” Kate works from a variety of locations including The Fountain therapy rooms in Teignmouth and Exeter’s Natural Health Centre in Queen Street. She offers a free 30-minute chat on the phone to see if coaching would work for you. ● To arrange a call, email: Kate@ katetilston.co.uk or visit: www. katetilston.co.uk

T: 07841 344934

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

Jane Hutton The Functional Foodie

T: 07841 344934

Move forward with confidence WHAT IF… How many times do we say that to ourselves? And often what follows is a negative or fearful statement. What if it doesn’t work, what if I make a mistake, what if it happens again… Gwen Channer, Modern Psychology, Hypnotherapy and Quantum Touch practitioner, hears these words often in her consulting room. “One of my jobs is to help people change their habitual and unhelpful mindset. Instead of seeing fearful or negative events taking place, I guide them towards a mindset that is able to evaluate and take in the risks while at the same time moving forward with confidence and trust. It is about: coming to a peaceful sense that things will go as they are supposed to; feeling that life is welcoming us to evolve and enjoy being who we are; and discovering that love deep inside ourselves which is independent of external happenings. This is essential for a life lived well. “Helping my clients to get in touch with that core inside themselves, that well of loving fullness and oneness, is an amazing experience. Some get there quite quickly, others need more sessions but it is those people who keep at it, who are not fooled by excuses that the established, habitual

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mind patterns may come up with and who are willing to open their minds to other ideas, who succeed. These are the ones who get excellent and long-lasting results that lift them up and over their problems into a wonderful new life experience. “Whatever it is that is challenging you and however it first started, help yourself by seeing it as a call to step up to a bigger, better, happier life and taking positive action to help yourself.” Gwen sees clients privately, in groups or as part of a class. Or she can work with groups of friends or colleagues. ● For more information visit inherentwellbeing.co.uk, email welcome@inherentwellbeing.co.uk, or phone 07394 889 383

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WELLBEING Tree whispering

The Feldenkrais Method® with Lifeworks Somatics

• Reduce pain • Relieve stress • Improve performance • Move with ease

Functional Integration© individual lessons for those with chronic pain and injury, muscle pain and tension, RSI, chronic stress, physical and emotional trauma, degenerative and neurological disorders. Awareness Through Movement© group lessons: Somatic movement explorations to help with posture & poor movement habits, to increase body awareness, help relaxation, & improve balance and coordination. Suitable for those wishing to maintain/improve mobility. Learn naturally & organically. The way of “less is more” to being more flexible, strong & agile.

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HAT does the voice of trees sound like? This was the question put to participants at Bell Bartlett’s new Tree Whispering workshop. “Like an echo in my head”, said one person, “A high-pitched whisper”, said another. One described it as ‘Like a thrill running up and down my spine”. The aim of the workshop, which takes place in private woodland near Totnes, is to become attuned to receive the voices of trees. Bell, who describes herself as having been “brought up by trees” said: “Many of us truly love trees and feel a deep sense of kinship with them, so it makes sense that we would seek to find ways of communicating that love. I feel I was raised by the hedgerows, woods and streams, that this was my true family and place of belonging.” This feeling of belonging is echoed by people everywhere, not just those who grew up in rural areas. So, the question, according to Bell, is not why would we try and listen to trees but why wouldn’t we? “They have interesting information for us which we can learn to receive. There is an urgency for humans to develop meaningful relationships with all aspects of nature so we can learn to co-exist to our mutual benefit.” Bell is a professional psychic reader who teaches psychic development as part of her work. The tree whispering workshop includes meditations and exercises to clarify people’s intuitive knowing. “My experience is that intuitive, open-hearted people can link in to the vibration of trees and receive visions, words, sensations and strong dreams,” said Bell. As well as working as a professional psychic, Bell is a trained Shamanic practitioner with 30 years experience leading workshops. You can expect to be gently guided, safely held, and receive a deeply nourishing experience. Contact Bell on 07796 900509 or visit www.conscioustarot.co.uk

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COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY IN PLYMOUTH OUR EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS WORK WITH A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFICULTIES INCLUDING:ALCOHOL PROBLEMS, ANGER MANAGEMENT , ANXIETY & STRESS, BEREAVEMENT, LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS, COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES, EATING DISORDERS, RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS, LOSS OF CONFIDENCE/SELF ESTEEM, LOSS OF DIRECTION AND WORK RELATED DIFFICULTIES.

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DIY stress release anyone?

Carmella RE you carrying explained that anxiety and TRE is a self-help grief in response to tool for life and the shocking facts not a form of that have been therapy that you emerging about need to keep climate change? If so, paying for. Once you are not alone. learned, you can use it whenever Carmella B’Hahn and wherever teaches TRE, an you need to. increasingly popular form of bodywork Carmella added: that uses shaking “A series of Asher B’Hahn with and tremoring to four sessions Extinction Rebellion release stress, physical is usually tension and trauma. She admits enough to teach you this way to having waves of anxiety about of releasing anxiety using your the climate emergency and is body’s intelligent innate shaking finding TRE beneficial in helping mechanism. However, if you her to stay calm. have intense trauma in your background, you may need to be Carmella said: “I often use TRE guided and safely held by a TRE by myself as a release valve practitioner for longer. for accumulated stress. Having immersed myself in following Alongside teaching TRE, Carmella Extinction Rebellion of late, I have is a grief counsellor, helping been carrying anxiety and grief people to consciously work that urgently needed an outlet. through or live with grief, no My son, Asher, also uses TRE matter what the cause. She works in this way. He was on the XR from her home at the Bowden frontline, which came to be called House Community, Totnes. ‘the heartline’, and was glued to l For more information visit: the pink boat in Oxford Circus. www.heartofrelating.com, email He told me ‘I need this deep rest carmella@heartofrelating.com or in my life, especially right now’ call 01803 867005. and said the deep relaxation it There is a special deal for all 1.5 produces is ‘more like meditation hour trial sessions. than meditation itself’.”

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The alchemy of colour

AN you imagine a world without colour? Colour is everywhere, and in all things. Our lives are rich with a rainbow of different hues, yet colour is often overlooked and taken for granted, and its deeper significance and healing effects may simply pass us by. Helen Stott grew up in Bermuda, surrounded by the beauty and colours of the island, and said that her love affair with colour and its relationship to healing started there. For the last twenty five years, she has worked as a holistic therapist/ healer, using vibration and colour to bring about lasting change in people’s lives and health. Helen said: “For thousands of years people have used colour for healing, entertainment, to create beauty and to feel more radiant and alive. The healing ability of colour has long been used in places of transformation and sacred centres.” Colour is a form of energy vibration. Helen explained that it is this vibrational frequency that can promote healing, whether you go to see a healer or simply use colour in your home and everyday world. “Different vibrational frequencies can be associated with different emotions – for example the vibration of green is linked to healing, while the vibration of

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Helen Stott yellow is associated with with joy and clarity.” Helen uses colour, light and vibration in every aspect of her healing work, whether it is working with the aura and the chakras, or with Angels and healing rays. “Working with colour can transform our life, whether we choose to use it for healing or merely bring it into our everyday lives more consciously. I call this colour alchemy as it can bring about transformation.” Helen runs a healing practice in Exmouth and Exeter. She facilitates workshops and courses and is giving a talk in Exeter in August on the gifts and healing properties of colour. l For more information visit: www. livingyourdivinespark.co.uk or call 07720 782532.

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WELLBEING Dispelling the myths about yoga

Take a deep BREATH...

Learn how to use your breath to overcome stress and re-energise your body. Improve your health and help clear emotional blockages. Workshops and 1:1 sessions available. Intro workshops 10.30am-1pm £25pp in Dawlish Sat 29 June and Rock ( Cornwall ) Sat 20 July (See the website for details of these and other events)

Transformational Breathing Les Elms • les@breathsouthwest.com www.breathsouthwest.com

07828 566553

One class will RACTISING yoga regularly not be enough to can have an give you a broad amazing impact experience of on both body and yoga. Try a few mind. It boosts different styles your flexibility and teachers and and strength find a class that whilst toning your really resonates physique and with you. You will helping you relax, know when this all at the same time. happens! However, there Yoga myth: Yoga are a few myths is only for skinny surrounding this and/or fit people. Natalie Austin ancient practice Yoga fact: that can often put people off. Yoga is for every body, no matter Natalie Austin, who teaches what size, shape or ability. I yoga in Totnes, is keen to try and understand attending a yoga separate the fiction from the facts. class (especially for the first Here is her quick myth-busting time) can be intimidating. I tell guide: my students that everyone feels Yoga myth: You need to be self-conscious; everyone thinks flexible to do yoga. every other student can do it better than them. The essence of Yoga fact: Yoga will help increase yoga is about self-acceptance. your flexibility slowly and The more yoga you do, the more gradually. The physicality of yoga comfortable and grounded you (known as “asana”) is actually will feel in your body. only one aspect of it. In fact, if you think you are too inflexible to do Natalie holds Yin and Vinyasa yoga, you probably have more yoga classes Monday, Tuesday, reason to do it than to avoid it! Wednesday and Thursday at Chapel House Studios. Yoga myth: There is only one approach to yoga and if you l Contact natalie@loveyogatree. have tried one class and didn’t co.uk or call 07516720246 or enjoy it, you don’t like yoga. check out class times at www. loveyogatree.co.uk or find Love Yoga fact: As well as many Yoga Tree on Facebook or follow different styles of yoga, there are Love Yoga Tree on Instagram. many different ways to teach it.

Powerful transformational events

Well-Being Wisdom & Wealth Coach

Coaching for Women

ALLING all energy healers and people on a spiritual quest, two powerful transformational events are coming to the South West this summer but you might have to act quickly if you want to attend as spaces are limited as both are selling fast. The venues are near Glastonbury and Tintagel and the facilitator is international spiritual healer Kelly Hampton, who has written multiple books channeled from Archangel Michael and who describes herself as a “second wave Pleiadian, here to anchor the Christ Grid.” This is Kelly’s second visit to the UK and takes place from July 14 to 22 at two powerful spiritual sites, with the support of a local guide. Kelly said: “This is largely a walking tour of sacred sites. There will be exercises, led by me through Archangel Michael and other Ascended Masters, to work with the energy lines of Michael and Mary. It is open to pilgrims looking to undertake personal transformational work at the same time as helping to restore our planet.” Experienced healers are also invited to enroll on the second of Kelly’s UK events, an intensive two-day workshop.

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Kelly explained: “You will receive certification in Archangel Michael’s Ascension healing modality from the Pleiadians he has named Star Healing Intergalactic Energy TM. This 5thD magnified healing system has been on the planet since 2010 when it was first shared with me. It will allow you to access higher dimensions than many other healing modalities and is supported by thousands of documented testimonials, as well as the work from trained practitioners in six countries. “This workshop is certified to level 1, conducting healing for individuals. I also provide practitioner training in this revolutionary and advanced modality for small animals and equines. Space is limited and the training will be conducted in a private home. All students will receive related course materials when they register and practice outside the workshop will be required. “ For more information email: kelly@ kelly-hampton.com. Registration with payment in full is due by July 1 or once the events are filled.

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WELLBEING Finding balance in our lives NO pain, more gain is the ethos that underpins Nikhila Ludlow’s Feldenkrais Method® classes, which are running from May to July in Dartington Village Hall and again from mid-August. These Awareness Through Movement© classes offer gentle time with oneself and an opportunity to rest and rebalance, which is all too necessary in our fast-paced modern lives. Nikhila explained: “Feldenkrais movement work is unlike most other modalities. The emphasis is on quality versus quantity, and ‘less is more’ as opposed to ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’. In our achievement-based society, we are often encouraged to push ourselves to the max, but this comes at a price. Many people suffer from poor quality sleep, stress disorders and an inability to relax completely. As much as we need to be able to function and perform well, we also need to know how to find our inner ‘off-switch’ and this is where Feldenkrais Somatic exercise can help by enabling us to find

balance in our lives. ” Feldenkrais helps us understand that overworked muscles remain tense and contracted whereas healthy muscles return to a neutral and resilient elastic ready state after they are worked, and our bones are there to support us. Nikhila is offering a workshop on July 19 and 20 called ‘Inner and Outer Balance’ which will cover these issues, and explore how they relate to the dynamics of physical balance. The aim is to help participants to find better mental and emotional balance, too. Earlier, in June, she is holding a ‘Neck and Shoulder Comfort’ workshop and in September Nikhila is excited to be hosting a public workshop delivered by the respected international Feldenkrais trainer, David Zemach-Bersin, called ‘The Feldenkrais Method: Discover the Language of your Brain’. l For more information about these workshops or The Feldenkrais Method in general, visit www.lifeworks4.me.uk

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The joys of laughter workshops

LLOW us to reveal a shocking truth: not all therapists enjoy complete wellbeing all the time. They are, of course, people just like the rest of us; and, just like the rest of us, they have to deal with life’s highs and lows, with varying levels of success. In fact, most practitioners got into their therapy of choice because they found it helpful for their own situation. And Kes Netchemu, who created and runs classes in BLAMM!! in Totnes, is no exception. “I was going through a particularly tough time when I discovered the joys of laughter workshops,” she explained. “It seemed a natural development of the breath-work I was already engaged in, and had the added benefit of releasing nature’s feel-good endorphins. “The power of the breath also linked naturally to meditation, the benefits of which I had found so useful at times of stress and anxiety. “It was then that I realised that the addition of movement brought together a complete toolkit of practical techniques, all based on the body’s natural ways to feel better about life – even at the toughest times.”

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Leading-Edge, International Trainings in Somatic Sexology Breathing, Laughter, Meditation, Movement – BLAMM!! was born! Consensual Touch: The Wheel of Certifcate in Sexological And while Kes, like all therapists, Bodywork Consent® Trainings and all of us, still experiences life’s not-quite-so-wonderful days, the & 8-9 July, Glastonbury combined powers of BLAMM!! help Certifcate in Somatic Sex 15-16 July, Leicester smooth out the bumps on the journey. Education 26-29 October, Glastonbury She says every effort is made to 17 June 2019 – 25 January 2020 make every class accessible and with Katie Sarra & Kian de la Cour beneficial to all ages and all abilities Dr. Betty Martin's Wheel of with Kian de la Cour & Katie Sarra – particularly when it comes to Consent® is a revolutionary movement: “some might just tap a method for understanding This is the sixth UK training in foot, others might dance wildly – it’s embodied, enthusiastic consent. this amazing and comprehensive very flexible and never judged.” "This was life-changing and modality. And she ensures the benefits don’t powerful for me" end when the class does - participants This 6-month professional You will learn the neurobiology of leave with techniques they can training involves detailed selfyour body's responses to stress use every day to relieve stress and practices, online study, working and how to increase your improve the quality of their lives. with others, a 2 week receptivity to presence. She currently runs BLAMM!! classes Embodiment Intensive and 4 "I loved it! There was a good every Wednesday evening, 6.45months of supervised practice. balance of practice and 8.15pm, at Totnes Natural Health refection/integration" Centre. And there’s a special The U.K & Ireland training introductory price of just £5 a session. The workshop is for the public, uniquely includes 2 full days of practitioners and those who Wheel of Consent® practice Kes can also tailor groups for would like to repeat. which provides the context for all specific groups (children, elderly, hen of our work as well as a focus on parties, etc) and offers one-to-one "The integrity and embodied neurobiology and being a consultations. understanding of the subject by trauma-informed practitioner. the facilitators shone through" Get in touch or just turn up on the night. Call 07485 170718, email info@blamm.co.uk and visit www. www.SeaSchoolofEmbodiment.com blamm.co.uk.

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

The Bowen Technique 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

THE INSTITUTE OF COMPLEMENTARY ANIMAL THERAPIES www.theicat.co.uk

Located within the magical Dartmoor National Park

Offers the following popular certificated workshops (worth 6 CPD points each): ANIMAL HEALING & DOWSING FOR BEGINNERS Sat 22 June/ Sat 17 August/5 October 2019 Cost £65p.p.

CONVERSATIONS WITH ANIMALS

Sun 23 June/ Sun 18 August/6 October 2019 Cost £65p.p. To find out more about the above workshops or to book a place, please email: info@theicat.co.uk or call 07977 359347

The Alchemy of Colour

HEALING. CHAKRAS. ANGELS. RAYS Helen Stott M 07720 782532 ł E hstott57@gmail.com

How grief affects children

UR instinct to protect children from the hardness of life is an overwhelming if impossible drive. We tread a fine line between wanting them to experience the world in all its glory, and shielding them from its brutality, and this dissonance is never more apparent than when someone in the family dies. The understanding of how grief affects children has changed dramatically since my own early bereavement in the 1970’s when in fact their very presence at a funeral was considered potentially disruptive for all involved. Back then, children below 8 were deemed unable to fully comprehend death, which is partly true, and that they would be badly traumatised by seeing the raw grief of their parents, again not without some validity. I didn’t attend my own father’s funeral when I was seven for these very reasons. My mother was deeply distraught and followed the advice of the well meaning but paternalistic funeral director. I was offered the chance to go, but I was also offered the chance to go fishing; I love fishing. It was with the same protective instinct that the full extent of my father’s failing health was kept from me. But children know things on a deep level. I knew my father was ill, I had stood outside closed doors and listened to the adults discussing it. I felt it in the fabric of everyday family life, understood that not all was well. When he did die, I was overwhelmed with a sense of anger that I had been lied to. Of course my anger would have probably come in from another direction, it is the default emotion when confronted by death, particularly for a child who of course finds it all a bewildering outrage, but it came with the fury of having been right about the worst fear I had, a thing I was assured would not happen. We see parents wrestling with these complex issues in our work. Luckily these days it is hardly ever with the death of a parent, but often with the death of a grandparent. The motives on the part of the parents always come from a good place; they don’t want their children to see them upset, they don’t want them frightened by the concept of dying, but as gently as we can, we try to show them that the best

CLAIRE and Rupert Callender offer a radical ecological alternative to traditional funerals at The Green Funeral Company. This issue Ru reflects upon how grief affecting children has changed for the better over the decades. thing they can do for their children is to share with them their grief, show them that it is okay and healthy, a vital part of loving and not something shameful that takes place away from them. Children are remarkably resilient, what damages is ambiguity and contradiction. They just need to know they are still loved, and that all of this disruption and emotion is not their fault. Psychologists agree that up to the age of seven, children cannot grasp the finality of death, but it is this lack of understanding which makes their presence at a funeral so important. What we try to do for children who are too young to properly remember and understand the significance of the day, particularly if it is one of their parents who has died, is to try create a memory landscape that they can revisit as an adult. It’s like placing flags in a snow trail, visual clues including participatory moments, photographs, physical keepsakes, that they can use to retrace their steps back into the moment. Grief can wait, tightly folded, like a hibernating animal until the time is right for it to resurface, but its reemergence needn’t be a disaster. To feel your way back to these moments, these huge events in family history, is to arrive at the open door of home, to find the fire in the grate burning brightly, just as you imagined it, and to discover that you do belong there, even in the hurting.

Save the date for a wellbeing weekend

ETWORK of Wellbeing (NOW) and the Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking will bring together leading thinkers and activists in the happiness and wellbeing movement at Building Wellbeing Together 2019. Their aim is to map how we can build a future of wellbeing for individuals, communities and society as a whole.

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Key note speakers include peace and environmental activist Satish Kumar; Jennifer Wallace from the Carnegie UK Trust and Action for Happiness’ Director Mark Williamson, and attendees can an packed programme with speakers from across the UK’s wellbeing movement. Building Wellbeing Together will take place September 13-15.

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WELLBEING Understanding chakras - The Sixth Chakra

THERE are seven primary chakras in the Human Energy field. Helen Stott, graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, and founder of Helen Stott – Transformation and Training, introduces the Sixth Chakra in this series of articles… S has been discussed in the five previous explorations of the chakra system our relationship with others and the outside world is exchanged through our chakras. Our chakras and the degree with which they are functioning are a clear map to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. Each chakra has an individual function within these aspects of health. While exploring or working with the chakra system it is important to remember that there is a strong link between emotional issues and physical manifestation. The sixth chakra, or Ajna, is in the area of the third eye, which is found in the space between the eyebrows. It encompasses the pituitary gland, left eye, ears, nose, lower brain and nervous system. An invisible yet powerful third eye, this is your centre of intuition. On a practical level an open and functioning sixth chakra assists in clear thinking and the vision to create and carry out new ideas and concepts. In the previous issues we explored the understanding that our chakras have a developmental path and

the brow chakra begins to fully function at about the age of 16/18 when we begin to connect more fully to our own ideas, thoughts and concepts. If during our earlier years we have not been taught, shown or encouraged how to use our mind and embrace new thoughts and ideas this chakra may be undeveloped and lead to difficulty in developing our own ideas and concepts. It can be a struggle to have a clear mind, or to know one’s own mind. This is not about a high intelligence factor, but to be clear in one’s own thoughts and vision. Often referred to as a spiritual chakra, which means “beyond wisdom,” the Ajna leads you to an inner knowledge that will guide you if you let it. An open sixth chakra can enable clear intuition, clairvoyance, telepathy, lucid dreaming, expanded imagination, and visualization. One of the ways the sixth chakra can be developed on this spiritual level is through meditation. Meditation can connect us to the spiritual levels of awareness, and also connects us to the reality of Divine Love, another aspect of this chakra. The sixth chakra invites us to see and understand higher universal ideas and concepts and to join with others in a collective vision for a new earth joining together for planetary and evolutionary expansion. If we cannot first see our vision we cannot embrace and open to these new possibilities, whether on a personal or collective level. Healing in its many forms can help to clear our chakras and with the sixth chakra bring clarity, inspiration and the ability to carry out our thoughts and visions. Helen runs a healing practice in Exmouth and Exeter. l For more information visit www. livingyourdivinespark.co.uk.

Out of alarm and into connection

NXIETY and alarm about the state of the world is a pervasive theme right now. Caroline Lang, founder of The Yoga House in Harberton, feels that the way we meet ourselves and those around us needs to have an even deeper openness and honesty in the face of so much uncertainty about how to care for the world. “Anchoring and honouring ourselves in the body, in the reality of our lives, allows us to discover responses that are born of love and receptivity, not reactivity,” she said. “In a world that is troubled it becomes more challenging but even more necessary to do this and emerge out of alarm and into connection. “Our deepest wisdom does not flourish in the kind of control we attempt to maintain through willpower but in letting go and opening ourselves to the unpredictability and spontaneity at the heart of life. It takes a lot of patience, kindness and commitment

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Yoga with Natalie @ Chapel House Studios - Totnes Yin Mondays 6.30pm & Wednesday 10.45am Vinyasa Tuesday 9.30am & Thursday 6.30pm Massage Clinic Wednesdays & Friday

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to pause and listen, so we can be moved beyond our programming and beyond our sense of lack by that which is fresh, creative, alive.” The Yoga House offers a quiet, simple and beautiful place where people gather for yoga, meditation and deep rest. Caroline also offers retreats at Bala Brook on the edge of Dartmoor and in the French Alps. l For more information visit: www.carolinelangyoga.com or call 01803 865252

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WELLBEING Couples therapy at Waterloo Wellbeing Centre

Four days of Advanced Therapist Training in East Devon 3rd ~ 6th October 2019 For your clients: • • • •

Create clear energetic boundaries. Learn to handle and balance skeletal energy. New approaches to physical conditions. Provide clients with the opportunity to release old trauma. • Take your clients into a deep still place.

For you:

• Feel embodied and energised in your work. • Receive in depth energy bodywork. • Become centered in your Self as you work. For full details call Richard Walters 07811845862 Read more at richardwalters.org/workshops

MAKING the decision to go for couples’ therapy can feel like a big step as it means owning that things are not perfect in your partnership, which is often scary to admit. Emotionally Focused Therapy is a caring and supportive way of getting couples out of those ‘stuck places’ we are all familiar with and into secure loving relationships – with ourselves, our partner and our family. An EFT therapist will help you understand and change the repetitive patterns in your relationship that are not working and help you develop a deeper understanding of your own, and each other’s emotions, wants, needs and behaviours, helping you reconnect in a deep and loving way. It is a collaborative and structured, usually short-term, therapy approach to working with couples, families and individuals that fosters the creation of secure relationship bonds. EFT is a change process that facilitates movement from distress by transforming negative patterns of interaction into safe emotional connection between intimate partners and family members. Based on the science of emotions and attachment theory as well as humanistic and systemic theories, EFT has a high success rate in achieving secure, resilient relationships in couples and families, and in helping people to flexibly manage their

emotional experience. Here are some of the reasons come for couples’ therapy. 1. Trust has been broken. 2. Arguments are getting more frequent. 3. Communication is poor, 4. Something definitely feels wrong, but you’re not sure what or why. 5. There is something you want your partner to know, but you’ve been unable to tell them. 6. One or both of you becomes dysfunctional during a conflict. 7. You have gone through something devastating that is changing the way you connect with each other. 8. You feel stuck in bad patterns. 9. Emotional intimacy is gone or deeply diminished. 10. Physical intimacy is a problem. Whether you come for couples’ therapy to explore problems in their early stages, or difficulties that feel entrenched and insurmountable, our experienced couples therapists at Psychotherapy Plymouth will work with you as a couple towards creating lasting change, which will support you when facing future challenges together. l To book an appointment please call 01752 560002 or visit www. psychotherapyplymouth.com

Know your boundaries in the treatment room

O be a good Zero Balancing practitioner it is necessary to let go of the urge to heal and cure. Instead we need to learn simply to “be with”, listening with our hands and providing a still point around which the client’s energy can re-orientate and rebalance itself. This is the view of Richard Walters who teaches a four-day workshop in Zero Balancing to aspiring practitioners. He said: “We constantly need to self-reflect and pull back into ourselves, to interface on all levels, not just the physical. This is the path that Zero Balancing has held me to over the last 32 years.” The key to becoming a successful practitioner and enabling transformation is “knowing where you end and the client begins, what is yours and what belongs to the client” explained Richard. “Studying Zero Balancing provides a clear understanding of where Western anatomy meets Eastern energy concepts, where

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our physical structure interacts with our energetic self, where the body and soul interact.” Zero Balancing is a gentle form of bone energy bodywork. Its founder Dr Fritz Smith celebrated his 90th birthday in May and one of his achievements has been to create a community of like-minded individuals who have developed a common language to talk about energy and structure. Richard said: “Being able to discuss how the principles of energy and structure in bodywork apply to relationships, parenting, internal ethics and behaviour, has been one of the greatest gifts for me in my years of studying Zero Balancing.” Richard is teaching his next workshop from 3 to 6 October in East Devon. l For more information contact Richard on 07811845862, email: richardwalters600@gmail.com or visit www.richardwalters.org/ workshops

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WELLBEING Biofield sound balancing

Conversations with animals

T’S not only Dr Doolittle who can talk to the animals, a new workshop from the Institute of Complementary Animal Therapies will help you to develop your intuitive skills and learn how animals communicate so you can understand them better. Conversations with Animals is for anyone who has ever wondered what their pet is thinking or what an animal is trying to tell them without words. It is taught be Angela Bexson who has run programmes of this type for many years. Angela said: “I will guide you and before you know it you will be channelling the answers to the questions you have about your beloved animals.” The day will begin with a short meditation before asking participants to share the questions they’d like answers to. Maybe you’re keen to know your dog’s favourite food, for example, or why your cat always chooses to sleep in the same place. Participants are invited to bring their burning questions to the workshop. Conversations with Animals is just one of the workshops from the Institute of Complementary Animal Therapies. Another is Dowsing, which is designed to help you develop your natural dowsing

AN electromagnetic field, referred to as the biofield, exists around the human body. Some call it the aura. It is within this biofield that we store past trauma, explains Chrissy MorganGrant who practices Biofield Sound Balancing. Trauma that is stuck within the biofield presents as pockets of static or blockages. Biofield Sound Balancing offers an effective, non-invasive way of clearing it using weighted and unweighted tuning forks. “These blockages are picked up by listening to the overtones of the tuning fork. They occur as dissonance or a sense of mass,” said Chrissy. “Everything in the Universe vibrates at an atomic level including our bodies. We are electrical beings as well as chemical, so it makes sense that any discord within the human biofield can be cleared and re-tuned with vibration. This helps calibrate the biofield, enabling our energy system to go back to its “factory settings”. Blockages need to be dissipated, as they can manifest as physical dis-ease or pain in corresponding parts of the body.” Chrissy points out that having a clearer biofield usually makes people feel lighter and brighter. It can help with aches and pains, stiffness and inflammation, PTSD, stress and anxiety. Usually, the emotional charge that is attached to these pockets of static will lessen in the process. A better sense of emotional balance can result. She said: “When dealing with subtle energy, the frequencies are higher or lower than we can detect audibly or visually. They could be said to be “off our radar”. The results can be gentle or sometimes dynamic, depending on the person. Some feel an immediate “shift” or sense of lightness, while for others it occurs a day or so later. “Everyone can benefit by Biofield Sound Balancing as it can free you up from old emotional stuck patterns, lighten your load and give you a sense of greater clarity, physically and emotionally.” l For more information contact Chrissy: on 07966 218482 or email: carmicbalance@gmail.com or visit www.carmicbalance.com

skills and revive an ancient craft that was routinely used by our forefathers. A second more advanced workshop, Dowsing for Health, is coming soon. Also in the pipeline is An Introduction to Healing and Animal Healing. Angela said: “In this workshop we will show you how to tap into Universal energy for the benefits of others. It will help you to develop your intuitive skills and understand where and when to offer healing to humans and animals.” All Institute of Complementary Animal Therapies workshops take place on Dartmoor and are fully certificated (worth six CPD points each). Coming soon: l Animal Healing & Dowsing For Beginners - Sat 22 June/ Sat 17 August/5 October 2019 l Conversations With Animals Sun 23 June/ Sun 18 August/6 October 2019 To find out more or to book a place, email: info@theicat.co.uk or call 07977 359347 or see www.theicat.co.uk

Tibetan master and scholar returns

HE renowned master and scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, Chamtrul Rinpoche, returns from the Himalayas to Totnes this June for the seventh year in a row. He will give two teachings at The Civic Hall, High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5SF, on June 26, from 7pm to 9pm. Booking is not required, and the teachings are by donation, please feel welcome to go along. The teachings will cover The Art Of Meditation. The organisers say: “Chamtrul Rinpoche is from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet. He is the eleventh in a line of recognised

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reincarnations, and having trained under the some of most eminent teachers of the 20th century he is a highly renowned master and scholar of Buddhism. Through his invaluable knowledge and practical advice, he compassionately guides people towards inner peace and happiness.” In Chamtrul Rinpoche’s own words: “Your Buddha nature is beyond the differences of culture and gender. It does not matter where you come from. It does not matter whether you are a woman or a man. You must always understand this. You must have confidence in the fact that in this life that you have now, you can become a great practitioner.” l Visit: www.Bodhicitta.org

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A VERY relaxing FOOT therapy. REFLEX points on feet for all body systems. Cleanse, balance, release inner energetic tension. £30 hour treatment (£5 discount first treatment), 07522344291, nicolasuzanne@hotmail. co.uk based Totnes Natural Health Centre.

SINGING teacher Professional singer/ coach with industry experience now serving the Totnes area, covering technique and performance in contemporary styles. Contact: www. rosekimberley.com rkvoxstudio@gmail. com

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And Deep Rest Meditation

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

HUMANISTIC Counsellor, Gestalt, Person-Centred, CBT. Become more of who you have the potential to be. Utilising creative techniques including sandplay and experiments. Newton Abbot. Jason, 07886 353504 / www.space- DAVID OXLEY MA: Fully works.co.uk qualified Accredited BACP counsellor and psychotherapist. Psychosynthesis and Core Process. Working with Relationship, Depth, Integrity and Soul. Meetings are held at the Central Exeter, Totnes Seven Stars The Plains and Plymouth. www. Totnes at 7pm on last davidoxleycounselling. Sunday of the month. co.uk, 07876051093

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

MBACP Accredited Integrative Counsellor, offering Counselling, Supervision & Food Coaching (Plant based V & VG). Central Totnes and Exeter. www. tracygrovescounselling. com, 07599882741.

CREATIVE counsellor. Heartful, Supportive Counselling. Creative Exercises with Art, Sandplay etc. Adults, Couples and Young People. Ruth Jenni MBACP. 07974097787 www.oakflower.co.uk - Dartington, Newton Abbot and on Skype

ONLINE counselling can be just as effective as face-to-face. What do you want to change? Work with me if you are confident using computers and online devices, can’t travel easily, or need to fit counselling into a busy schedule. I’m a BACP registered, integrative counsellor with 20 years’ experience. See www.counselmeonline. co.uk or email john@ counselmeonline.co.uk

REFLEXOLOGY

KATE Coombs DipShi MRSS TRANSFORMATIONAL SHIATSU Offers support for your nervous system to relax, ease for your aches and pains and welcome for the deepest level of your being. Ashburton and Exeter www.katecoombs. co.uk 07928731246

With Caroline Lang at The Yoga House, Harberton, near Totnes Classes, one-to-one, days, retreats that are profoundly nourishing and transformative.

http://www.carolinelangyoga.com 01803 865252

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T HE NAUTILUS R OOMS

Fabulously located in the centre of Totnes yet tucked away in a quiet alley with easy access to parking. The Nautilus Rooms specialises in mind-based therapies beautifully supported by carefully selected massage therapists and those who specialise in mind/body treatments. Our therapists are carefully chosen for their range of experience, qualifications and simply the quality of who they are. Everyone is insured and belongs to a professional body. Therapists are trained in a range of modalities including: Byron Katie, CBT, Core Process, Couples Work, EMDR, EFT,

Family Therapy, Gestalt, Integrative, Mindfulness, Psychodynamic, Psychosynthesis, Sandplay and other creative therapies. Short and long-term coaching, counselling and psychotherapy for all age groups, children, individuals, couples and families. Groupwork, workshops, supervision, counselling and mentoring. Check our website for details of each therapist and their approach and for details of groups and workshops.

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Sandplay Therapists Courses

Foundation in Integrative Sandplay Therapy (2 day course): 6th and 7th July 26th and 27th October 9th and 10th November Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapy (4 3-day weekends): This course will start in either Autumn 2019 or early in 2020. Please inquire for details. Advanced Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapy to follow on from Diploma course

Mindfulness Courses

A Day of Mindfulness Please inquire for dates

Continuing Professional Development Courses:

Introduction to the Archetypes in the Sand 2-day course 14th and 15th September 2019 Introduction to Integrative Therapeutic Art 2-day course Introduction to the Enneagram 3-day course The Lady and the Unicorn Symbols of the Souls Journey 2-day course Introduction to Alchemy: The work of Edward Edinger 3-day course Return of the Goddess 4-day course for those who have completed the Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapies. The Meaning of the Shell: Symbolism, Hand Images and Sand Sculpture in Sandplay 3-day course for those who have completed the Diploma in Integrative Sandplay Therapies. Foundation in Therapeutic Art: Please enquire for 2019 dates Advanced Diploma in Int Sandplay: Starting Autumn 2019 /early 2020 For more information email: ruthbaker1@gmail.com

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