Ready steady, go zero

Chew Magna's Go Zero campaign stages its first major public event on October 8 with an awareness and activity day to further its aim of creating a waste-free and sustainable community. The Chew Magna activity day will offer a public debate, talks and lectures, stalls of local produce and a demonstration of pollution-busting bio-diesel or 'how to run your car on chip fat'.

The event should attract interest from around the valley, and it will also see the launch of an impressive new directory of local food resources (see above, the front cover) The Go Zero Local Food Guide.

Local Food Debate The Big Local Food Debate is just one of the activities taking place at The Old Mill, Chew Magna on October 8. The aim of the debate is to raise awareness about food miles and the impact on the environment of transporting our food across the world and around the UK. The open debate will bring together local people, farmers, food manufacturers and retailers to explore ways of working together to increase the availability of local produce, reduce waste and encourage recycling.

The Go Zero Local Food Guide, sponsored by Bristol's renowned organic restaurateur Barney Haughton, will be launched at the debate and there will be plenty of opportunities to taste some excellent local food. Denise Perrin, the co-ordinator of the event said: "Our aim was to produce a simple guide to what is on offer within a 10 mile radius of our village. We have the beginnings of a partnership which brings consumers and providers closer together. It benefits us all if we can support our local farmers and growers while offering more choice for customers."

Back to the Future with BBC2 presenters BBC2 Tales from the Green Valley has given its audience a terrific insight into rural life in the 1600s and four of the programme's presenters are coming to Chew Magna on 8 October to share their experiences. The concepts of re-use, recycle and reduce are far from new according to Alex Langlands, Ruth Goodman, Peter Fonz Ginn and Keith Payne, and history can teach us a great deal about achieving a zero waste community. Archeologist Alex Langlands explains: "During the course of the series we learnt to thatch, hedge, build a dry stone wall, sow, reap, thresh, winnow, coppice, plough, harrow....the list is endless. Practising all these skills on a day to day basis gave us a real insight into rural life in the seventeenth century and how our ancestors worked to sustain their communities."

Has the petrol engine had its chips? Eating fish and chips has a different meaning in Chew Magna now that Modified Waste Vegetable Oil (MWVO) is being used to fuel car engines. You can sample some fish & chips from Peter and Teresa Barnford's takeway while finding out how the used vegetable oils can be recycled to power diesel cars. Richard Osborne of Bio-Power is also providing bio-fuel generators for the day and will be on hand to explain just how easy and cost-effective it is to convert a diesel engined car. This is just one of the schemes that Go Zero and the people of Chew Magna are investigating in their search for ways to reduce carbon emissions and has already attracted interest from a group of Bristol based Taxi drivers.

Talking Fair Trade There will be a programme of talks including 'Giving Fair Trade a Chance' with help from supporters of locally based Fair Trade projects. In 'Zero Food Yards - From Garden to Plate'. Bill Blyth will be encouraging you to grow your own food and explain how easy it is to compost your waste. To celebrate Apple Day there will be a display of old English varieties with a chance to have a go at apple crushing and pressing for juice.

The Big Food Debate 2-4pm Speakers and Discussions for Saturday 8th October will include: Barney Haughton- QV and Guide sponsor. Steve Downey- 'Taste' & Chef Direct. Maria or Kelvin Jenkin- Beach's. Malcolm ( CS Garage). Robert Harding- Spring Farm. Anthony Lyman Dixon- Arne Herbs. Keith Goverd - KG Consultants. Neil Jeffries - JP Perrys. Tony Baker- Baker & Baker. Anton Mann- Fungamentals. Clifford Pearce- Pearce's. Martin Weaver- Portbridge Farm There are too many other activities and debates going on for us to list everything here. If you're interested, just turn up, and you won¹t be disappointed.

Chew Stoke Harvest Home

Morris on - at Harvest Home

A glorious sunny day created a marvellous day's entertainment for everyone. Entries have increased in all sections of the Harvest Home, flowers, dogs and horses, children's entries were a delight in themselves.

The Jubilee field was packed with activities and events all well supported by not only the valley but far and wide. The barbecue seemed never to be without a queue, the Punch & Judy had the children spell bound, the bouncy castle bounced all afternoon. Mrs Thompson, secretary of the flower show said "Entries were considerably up, wonderful standard and some new names amongst the winners. All in all a very successful show".

The walk to the Ogborne fields was a slow one in the heat but there the standard of competition and the variety of horses and ponies was a delight. One could find almost any description of horse and pony with the gymkhana games speed and skill no less considerable than the show jumping. Carey Wyatt, secretary of the horse section said: "It was a great day, entries increased and some wonderful competition. We look forward to next year. Thank you to all of our helpers, supporters and sponsors and the landowner for the continued use of his fields."

Words and photo by Rosie Sage

World Champion Bog Snorkeller

Heidi French, a 27 year-old veterinary student from Clutton, is the new 2005 Women's World Bog Snorkelling Champion. In fact she was only 2 seconds from beating the fastest male Bog Snorkeller at the recent World Championships, held in Wales. She was placed 4th overall with three men ahead of her, from a total field of140 competitors.

The winning time was 1.46, and Heidi's time was time 1.48. Heidi, who is in her second year of vet school at Bristol, is attempting to raise funds towards the £72,000 course fees through the charity Veterinary Vouchers. She grew up in Clutton, went to Chew Valley School and then went on to study Zoology at Cardiff university. She says: "I have always wanted to become a vet and after a short career in teaching, I finally decided to follow my dream and apply for the most expensive degree in the country (£15,000 a year for 5 years!). I am now raising money for a charity called Veterinary Vouchers, who donate bursaries to help with the tuition fees for second degree veterinary students.

They also help pay the vet bills for people who can't afford emergency treatment. "Students who receive bursaries work for veterinary vouchers free of charge upon qualification in their free time. Bog snorkelling was my first fundraising event, raising a total of £150. To my surprise, I ended up being quite a natural bog snorkeller and won the women¹s title." You can sponsor Heidi via: www.makeheidiavet.co.uk e-mail: Heidi.French.04@bristol.ac.uk

Sarah to climb Ben Nevis for charity

Sarah Griffiths will be taking part in a trek up Ben Nevis to raise money for Breast Cancer Care and at the end of October. Sarah says: "My Aunt Helen has recently been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and I wanted to do something to help. She lives in the Lake District but despite the distance we've always been close.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of June, had the lump removed and is soon about to start the Chemo radiotherapy." Sarah has lived in the area all her life, going to Chew Valley School and City of Bristol College before going on to Salford University to study performing arts. The trek takes place between the 21st and 23rd of October, organised by Breast Cancer Care, and I need to raise £400.

"I am looking for ways to promote this event as obviously I need to raise some money! I have a website with an organisation called JustGiving, which allows people to donate money online (see below)." Sarah grew up in Temple Cloud until last Christmas when she moved with her family to Hallatrow, although in term time she is at uni in Salford studying performing arts. Sarah says: "The trek will be particularly challenging for me as I'm not the most athletic of people - I'd much rather get in the car and drive somewhere than walk. "But I thought that doing something that went against what I would usually do was a good thing, as it would prove how important the cause was to me. Breast Cancer is something we all need to be aware of, both men and women alike. People should check themsleves regularly, know what is normal for them and have any changes looked into. Breast Cancer can be treated and cured, especially if caught in its early stages."

Two possible sites for Felton school
Around 80 people met in the Village Hall at Felton on the evening of Tuesday 13 September to hear about North Somerset's progress on the new 105 place Primary school for Felton. Walter Lewis, from North Somerset, spoke for about an hour on the work that North Somerset had undertaken over the last couple of years before arriving at the two possible sites for the new school, both located off West Lane, either side of the George and Dragon pub.

At the end of the meeting he took questions from the audience before some concluding words in support from Mark Hunter, Chair of Governors of St Katharine's Primary School in Felton, and Mr Zak Willis, the headmaster. Mark Hunter, Chairman of the school governors said: "We appreciate and acknowledge that the new school will still be in the proximity of Bristol International airport. However parents, teachers, children and governors consider it extremely important that the new school is located in the village of Felton, and the whole village of Felton is near the airport. In all honesty it is the closeness of the increasingly busy A38 which causes the main disturbance at the school currently rather than the noise from the planes.

The current school buildings are way beyond the end of their useful life and we owe it to our children and teachers to ensure that the new school is built and operating by 1 September 2007, a timescale indicated by Walter Lewis at the meeting as very achievable. "I hope very much all the people in the locality will support the teachers, children, parents and governors in making this a reality." The school governors have not indicated a preference for either site, believing either to be acceptable, given the inescapability of some degree of proximity to flightpaths and airport noise. North Somerset Council has said it will start negotiations with landowners of both sites next month.

Riding for the Disabled
Every year in August the Gatcombe Park Horse Trials are held at the home of Princess Anne in Gloucestershire. This year, on August 6, horsemen and women from all over the world competing in the three day event competition were joined by two local young riders who took part in a display by Riding for the Disabled (RDA). Winnie Wilkins from Winford aged seven and a pupil at Winford Primary School and Terri Patch aged 13 from Wrington who attends Churchill Community School both ride regularly at the Little Grange Riding School in Cleeve run by Mrs Lewis, where the Claverham and Winford branch of RDA is based.

Terri has taken part in the display at Gatcombe Park before and so was an old hand at it this year, but it was a new experience for Winnie who suffers from cerebral palsy and who has been riding at Little Grange since June 2004. The two girls, Terri riding Lady and Winnie on Martini whom she had only ridden once before, joined riders from other local RDA groups in a display in the main ring watched by Princess Anne, the RDA's patron. Princess Anne then chatted to each rider before presented them with a rosette and baseball cap.

Winnie said: "It was a fantastic day. The best bit was meeting Princess Anne and riding in the ring. When I grow up I want to work at Mrs Lewis's stables." The RDA is made up of over 500 groups throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland al of which dispense a unique therapy. Each week well over 25,000 children and adults enjoy the experience of riding or carriage driving with opportunities to join in social activities, competitions or to take a holiday which combine to bring a new dimension to necessarily restricted lives, encouraged independence and do much to improve a wide range of medical conditions. All this is made possible thanks to the commitment of more than 14,000 volunteers who regularly and cheerfully give up their free time - and energy.

Mrs Lewis at Little Grange Riding School would be very keen to hear from anybody who might be interested in helping out at the school on Thursday afternoons as volunteers are always needed. Please contact Winnie's mum, Mrs Eve Wilkins in the first instance on (01275) 472107.