Hooray for 2011!  Hello to 2012!

Happy New Year to you from the Coordinating Group of North Howe Transition Toun!

Now that the gales have blown the cobwebs from our minds and a return to work distracts us from playing with the children’s toys, we look back on the last year and forward to the next.

2011 was certainly action packed for NHTT-

• In completing the energy saving CaRB Project, the Energy Group showed they’d really helped many homes keep warm and many households save money
• NHTT helped build the Letham Park Shelter – which was an inspiring example of what NHTT is able to achieve by working in partnership with other groups and with all ages in our community. The wonderful opening event was a joyous celebration of this.
• The Food Group established a new community bakery. This is a seed that shows the potential for NHTT to foster new local businesses that create employment and benefit the environment.
• the Transport Group began the Paths Project, helping connect our communities and promote sustainable transport

All of these projects were developed by members of the community using NHTT as a vehicle to make our place a better place. In this way we achieve much more by working together than any of us can individually. A really important fact that is often overlooked is that we only achieve these things because we also have fun doing them, along the way making new and deeper friendships with our neighbours.

The quality and diversity of the work of NHTT was recognised in October at the prestigious Scottish Green Awards 2011, where we were taken aback to win the award for Best Green Community Initiative. Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland and chair of the judging panel said: “the judges were particularly impressed with the comprehensive approach taken by NHTT to making their area more sustainable. From energy use to transport and food the group have had great ideas and followed them through over the last 2 years. North Howe Transition Toun provide a superb example of how even a small community can get to grips with what climate change and high oil prices will bring.”

So what will 2012 look like? Really that largely depends on you. NHTT is a member-led organisation and we only do things  that local people are bothered or inspired enough to make happen. This is why our focus is always shifting, with and new ideas always coming along.

The fantastic Paths project will complete in the spring and we will oragnise an fun event to mark that – expect an invitation to come on foot or bike on sunny day! If the paths are popular, maybe we could try and do more? Where would you like a new path?

The Doorstep Bakery will grow and may get bigger premises. They are looking for new customers, so do give them a try if you aren’t already receiving your weekly delivery of fresh bread. Contact doorstepbakery@gmail.com

The new Wood Group will take forward the plans for community ownership of Letham Wood – lots of intersting things could flow from that. This is a new group  that would welcome anyone interested in woods in the area.

We are planning to support work with Letham Primary School on some eco landscape projects – again led by a new group of local parents. This builds on the partnerships with the school fostered through a number of projects last year.

Everyone is very welcome to get involved in any of these existing projects to help make them happen by adding you own energy and wisdom. Equally, there are opportunities to develop new ideas if you have a good one and want to make it happen. Come along to the individual groups next meetings – everyone is always welcome. We will be announcing the next meetings for all the groups over the coming weeks, so why not come along and give your bit.

First try the Bakery Group who are meeting on Wednesday 20th January at Collessie Village Hall, for a nibble and a chat. Come and try a range of tasty titbits and find out what’s going on.

The core group of directors is also developing, as old members move on and new ones come in. We are always looking for people who can contribute by helping with admin, or things like running the apple press or just posting newsletters through letterboxes- so if you have a bit of spare time and what to contribute, do let us know. It’d be especially great to have someone from Collessie or Giffordtown!

Well that’s how it looks from the Chair at the start of the New Year. Another year of friends and fun to look forward to.

Best wishes, Tom

Chair, NHTT

Once upon a time, a long time ago- well 3 ½ years ago, in a land quite near here, ok here then, there was a sad, tired old park. Although the park was a nice space to have, only a few boys and girls used it’s rusting old swing, ageing chute and faded roundabout. But what really represented the park was its, ugly and rotting shelter.

Then one day two princesses were in the park Princess Cathy Bache and Princess Louise Barron, They felt oh so sad for the tired old park and asked it what they could do to make it a happier place to be.

The park explained how all its friends had shiny new equipment and how many children wouldn’t go and play in it because there wasn’t much to do. The park also said it was embarrassed by the rotten old shelter that many of the Secret Garden Children had to use.

The two princesses spoke with the master wizard John Vaughan and together the 3 made a plan to make the park happy.

This needed magic and so they sought out the fairy godmother Colin Gilbert. Colin wanted to help but explained that even he didn’t have all the magic required and asked the two princesses to seek, wizards, witches- and the National Lottery to help conjure a great spell.

And so our three heroes set off on a magical quest to find magic from all over the Kingdom -of Fife.

First call was to the elfs of FET, (Fife Environmental Trust) Ashley Birrell and  Maria Scott

And then on to Wise old man of the Secret Garden- Tom Hedley.  He contacted his LEADERs in Fife- Lady Barbara Solway and Lady Helen Rorrison. They were enchanted with the idea and want to add their own magic

 

Next was a visit to the splendid and lavish palace of Fife House where Lord of the Swings  Alan Bissett, and his dashing knights  Peter Howden and John McVicar agreed to summon a huge spell between them.

But still they didn’t have a enough magic and the Fairy Godmothers Colin Gilbert, Frances Arbuckle and Fiona Mitchell were approached. They saw great merit in this multi –agency magic and pledged some spells themselves.

 

And last but not least was the Green Giant – NHTT, his directors Tom Morton, Neil Stoddart and Crispin Hays were keen to get Awards for All – despite it being a lottery.

 

Armed with all this magic they asked the Park how it would like to be  transformed. The park wasn’t sure and said it just wanted to be loved.  Ask my friends it wailed.

 

And so our heroes started asking questions of the children in the Village, adults in the village, the Secret Garden, the Community Council , the primary school and those at Bell Baxter School of Magic. We wanted a new shelter, we wanted new equipment, we wanted a skate park and we wanted adult exercise equipment.

 

The good Director Tom Morton designed a shelter and the group rallied together with builder fairies Becky Little and Alison Davie and set to work building the shelter.

 

But as in all fairy tales, nothing runs smoothly. The evil dark Lord Transco swooped down from the sky and stopped the project dead in its tracks, pointing out that work was about to be started over their pipeline!

 

But were the group put off- no, “Lord Transco is full of gas”, cried Princess Louise and the shelter was moved and improved. Then the planning warlock got involved and cried that planning permission was needed… andit was got. As long as it doesn’t have a satellite dish, shouted the community, and it didn’t!

 

Soon the Park began to take shape- new equipment, swings, a chute, a climbing frame, skate park, adult exercise machines, a climbing wall and lots of posts that stick out the ground that I don’t quite know what you are meant to do with !

 

But the snow and ice and snow and more snow of the long dark winter had set in and the shelter couldn’t get built.

 

And then one  Spring day the building fairies Beckie and Alison cast such a spell that they needed all the help of the children in the village and the primary school to build the clay walls and mix their potion.

 

And so now the transformation is complete. The Park became loved again and children travelled from miles around to play in it, the Secret Gardeners could keep dry and the community had a resource to help them get and stay fit.

 

The Park was delighted and beamed with happiness and they all lived happily ever after.

For our next event, Slow Food Fife will be taking part in the
Autumn Harvest Programme at Falkland Estate.

The ‘Wild Food Feast’ will be held on
Saturday 20th August from 7pm
at the Stables on Falkland Estate, Fife KY15 7AF

Join us for an evening feasting on wild foods including wild mushrooms, rabbit and Newburgh plums.  The menu has been prepared by Stella Colleluori (Hatters Catering) and Tony Wilson (Fife Coast and Countryside Trust) and will be followed by an illustrated talk by
Emma Chapman of the Scottish Wild Harvest Association (SWHA).
Price:  £15 for Slow Food Members, £17 non-members

Other Autumn Harvest events taking place that weekend include:

Wild Harvesting Day at Falkland Estate
Date:  Saturday 20th August 1-4pm
Price:  £7.50 per person. Age16+
Starting with a wild soup lunch and an introduction by Scottish Wild Harvest Association’s Emma Chapman. Then, a walk, talk and pick around Falkland Estate returning for some wild tea drinking!

(Note:  You can book both events on Saturday 20th August for £20!)

Juice, Jam and Jelly
Date:  Sunday 21st August, 10am-1pm or 2 -5pm
Price:  £7.50 per person. Age 16+
Learn to make juice, jam and jelly from the fruits in season.

Book your place:

Booking is required for all these events.
To book, call 01337 858838 or
Email info@centreforstewardship.org.uk .

More information about these events can be found on the website:
www.centreforstewardship.org.uk

We hope that the walls will be up in the first week in June (weather permitting!)

Some volunteers enjoying an afternoon clay building at last Saturdays Open Day

Some of the P6 girls working on the walls

community. The pupils from Letham Primary School all attended workshops on Wednesday 4^th May and had great fun getting mucky and experiencing this ancient building technique with the help of Becky Little.

Primary 3 get busy at one of Becky's workshop

There will be a presentation by Becky on Wednesday 11 May at 7.30pm in Letham Village Hall. On Saturday 14^th May there will also be an Open Day where members of the community are invited to come along and get some hands on experience from 1-4pm. Old clothes will be essential for this event. For more information email parkshelter@letham.org.uk

Recent Activity:

• It has allowed a group of locals to organise a group purchase of woodfuel.
• A trampoline exchanged for reflexology
• Currently on offer is a compost bin if anyone is on the look out
• A local resident who has had unexpected surgery is looking for help with her garden, this one is still live so if you would like to provide help in exchange for a share of the produce then sign onto the forum and find out more.

Check out NHTT exchange:

Any problems logging in get in touch with Louise