I Grew This ...

Together we grow this!  A big thank you to all the donors of lovely fruit and veg at today's Foodival.  Don't miss the cooked up dishes tomorrow at Tooting Market.

Transition Network Conference 2012

Between the 13th and 17th September, the Transition Network Conference ran on Tooting's doorstep at Battersea Arts Centre. The network links together more than a thousand Transition Town initiatives worldwide. 

Designing a city with the enterprises we want

As you would expect it was extremely full - with the different days focusing on different themes from early until late in the evening, and over 250 people coming along from all over the world for the parts of the conference they chose.

 
For me, the surprises were valuable - for example in one 2-hour period 60 self-selected small groups met for an hour each, having identified common topics of interest on the spot through 'open space'.

Tooting Foodival Poster and Flyer

Hot of the press - here is the Poster and Flyer for the Tooting Foodival on the weekend of September 22nd and 23rd.
To download a .pdf version of the Foodival poster, click here

The Flyer: To download a .pdf version of the Foodival flyer, click here

Community Garden

The TTT Community Garden looked a hive of industry when I dropped by this lunchtime.  As a result of our intrepid garden volunteers' efforts lots of lovely-looking vegetables are ripening or already ready to harvest.  Here we have potatoes, tomatoes, radishes and even wheat; could a Tooting loaf soon be a possibility?

There should be loads ready for September's Foodival in only 4 weeks time.  What amazing local dishes await us I wonder?  Can't wait.

Foodival 2012

This year's Foodival takes place over the weekend of the 22nd & 23rd September.  As in previous years we hope all you local gardeners and food growers have been as busy as this bee and will be able to donate any surplus produce you can spare.  Local chefs and restaurants will use your hard won local produce to cook up delicious local food. Watch the  Foodival site for full details over the coming weeks.

Saturday 22nd - Food collection & Pop-up cookery demo at Mushkil Aasaan 11-4pm

Sunday 23rd - Local food from local restaurants, exciting stalls, live music & competitions at Tooting Market 12-4pm

Sunday Lunch in 3 steps

Much too hot this weekend for a complex posting from us!
So...
Just in case anyone doubts the pleasure to be found in growing urban food: here's three easy steps from the ground to the bowl today:


One...lifting

These Desiree maincrop potatoes were planted during Treasuring Tooting in May, and this weekend they were calling out to be tested.
Come along the Tooting Foodival on 22 & 23 September to try them!


Two...ready to cook

Three... add nasturtium: enjoy

Plus: all welcome to come and join in at the Community Garden on Sundays 11:00-1:00. It's behind the large house at 5 North Drive, on the south side of Tooting Common.
Email Adrian at adifalconer@hotmail.com for any more info.
- Charles

Sustainable Making and the Arts - on the map!

Following the success of the Trashcatchers' Carnival in 2010, and a strong arts and making presence at the yearly Foodival and in this year's Treasuring Tooting wellbeing walk, Tooting is gearing up to discover and acknowledge just how important arts and making is to Tooting's transition steps.

Smart stands for Sustainable Making and Arts Tooting.

We're a branch group of Transition Town Tooting, and had our first meeting last week.

Mapping making and the arts in Tooting

We shared some of our work, and then mapped out what we have happening in the arts in Tooting (which as you can see in the picture is rather a lot), and finished by imagining what we could do in the future and how we might achieve it.

We will need to get making for this year's Foodival which is on the 22nd & 23rd September.

Smart are meeting again on the 16th August (venue to be announced), and if you think you would be interested to join us for the Foodival or beyond please drop an email to me: jeniannewalker@yahoo.co.uk

- Jeni

Eight days, six meetings

If good meetings take practice, then in the past week we've been rehearsing for a team yellow jersey with six meetings in eight days -sometimes an uphill climb, sometimes a sprint!

There was the last workshop of our sixth series of Carbon Conversations; our monthly TTT co-ordination get together; inaugurating the new 'SMART' artists' group; streamlining our web presence and communications; Community Garden planning; prep for the fifth annual Foodival (22 & 23 Sept).

Our last TTT email out said 'come and help us plan'...we will share more on the content later (& do come along next time to find out more).

For now, I'm simply sharing some images of people engaging, listening, challenging, laughing, connecting.

Sitting around tables may not sound like a priority when you think of the challenges we're all facing - but while planning isn't a goal in its own right, it's so important to do it as well as we can, and enjoy it together!   - Charles

TTT Community Garden Activity 15th July!

The weather gods were kind and Sunday blessed us with a break in the endless grey skies and rain. Warm, sunny (at least some of the time) and gorgeous blue skies reminded us all what a summer day should be!

Ten of us met at the Community Garden to make the best of the sunshine. It was my first visit to the site and I'm very enthusiastic about the size, scope for doing lots of interesting things and what the group has already achieved in a little over a year. Lots of bodies and hands available so we got plenty done:

• Michael and his friend got busy doing the heavy work to dig a hole to install the pond - if the weather continues it should fill naturally with all the rain!

• Charlotte and Jenny planted seedlings including sprouting broccoli, squash and tomatoes - now all we need is the slugs to hold off and the sun to shine
• Adrian tackled the compost heap - bravely withstanding a flagstone and foot interaction!
• I sowed a few rows of radish, leeks, beetroot, carrots and dwarf beans in the hope we might get a quick catch crop before winter sets in

• We got creative and cut some spare plastic tubing down to enable to us drape netting over the freshly sown seeds while the local pigeons watched with interest
• We discussed sitting down and planning a herb garden in the quiet months over winter and whether we should have a go at growing over winter crops under some form of protection (Rocket, pak choi and komatsuna at christmas? Yes, please)!

Added excitement was provided by the small kitten who had scaled a nearby tree and refused to be tempted down by either the RSPCA or Fire brigade though I'm fairly sure he's scampered down now and is settled back in a warm and cosy flat.

Then there was a picnic to celebrate the hard work. It was delightful!  Astonishing how a little sunshine and working with people who have similar interests can suddenly make you feel so much better about life, the universe and everything. I came home full of energy and tackled some slightly neglected bits of my own small garden.

Tooting Community Garden...persistence in action!

Sharing some pictures from the Community Garden - & we're having a Garden working picnic on Sunday 15th July
The gardeners (and plants) are persisting through the mixed weather  -



Loads of broad beans
in June



Fertile conditions for all

Great Willowherb

Anti-slug mini greenhouses



Water capture - and it supports the shed

Beetle's-eye view today of the potatoes
planted two months ago during the
Treasuring Tooting wellbeing walk
Have a look again at the video which includes planting them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RXo7G655SM&feature=player_embedded#!

We're having a Garden working picnic this weekend on Sunday 15th July, from 11:00 to 2:00 - all welcome. The garden is at the rear of the large house at 5 North Drive, on the south side of Tooting Common.

There's plenty of growing time left - and the 5th Tooting Foodival to look forward to on September 23rd. Do come and join us in the garden; for more info email Adrian at adifalconer@hotmail.com

Smartphone video reporting - taster training next Tuesday 3rd July 2012

Ever fancied bypassing conventional media to talk directly to your own community and others all over the world? 
Here's your chance to learn how!
This practical workshop has been developed by Mark Barto from visionOntv, and Patrick Chalmers, authour of Fraudcast News.


Participants will learn to make short video reports for instant uploading to the web.

Please come along - and bring a friend plus their smartphone if you don't have your own phone!

The workshop will be held at Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Road, SW17, from 7-9pm. For details on booking, and on the types of phone that can be used, click here

For details of other news highlighted in our latest 'TTT email', please click here
And if you would like to receive this regular TTT email yourself, please contact us on transitiontowntooting@gmail.com

Two recent local low-carbon living events

Carbon Conversations
On Monday evening 25th June, we started our latest series of Carbon Conversations workshops with a talkative and diverse group. We will cover a lot - in particular focusing on what can be achieved at the individual, family and community levels.

What are some of the participants' reasons for joining? Responses included: 'we've just moved - would like guidance on reducing carbon & energy use in our new home'; 'I feel guilty that my footprint is too big'; 'I'm concerned about the carbon impact of computer network servers'; 'I'd like to know more about the financial aspects of reducing carbon'; 'What grass-roots actions we can take?'

Last evening we explored some of language & jargon of talking about 'carbon' as a shorthand for the impact of greenhouse gases, linked with energy use, cost saving, health, happiness, quality of life, and nature. Secondly we looked specifically at the numbers and relationships in measuring one's carbon footprint: a valuable place to start.
More to come!
PS: thanks to Sophie at WBC for the Carbon Conversations shout-out at http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/blog/recyclingblog/post/39

Furzedown Low Carbon Zone (the 'FLCZ')
At the Furzedown Festival's Big Day Out on 23rd June, the FLCZ celebrated our first year of activities by having a pop-up AGM that ran through the afternoon, with any one who came to our stand. We had some great conversations with local people who would like to be involved - thank you. Please click here to read our short Annual Report, and please comment on our plans.

We ran some games too - including the food chain game, in which players rank foods from high to low carbon impact, by lining up large-scale painted boxes from the market.
Have a look below at some of the ways it was played....and come and try it sometime.

Rio+20: What if we got the future we want?

On the evening of Wednesday 20th June a group in Tooting met to join in with the UK-wide Festival of Transition's 24 Hours of Possibility. See http://www.festivaloftransition.net/experiments/67
Why go to Rio when you can come to Tooting?

For half the time we were catching up with the past and present.
We had a lot of discussion, clarification and questioning based on hearing a BBC World Service programme on the run-up to Rio+20. 
( http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00stn02/One_Planet_Rio20_The_future_we_want/ )
We explored the roles and representation at these summits - leaders, negotiators, lobbyists and NGOs, and 'the people': what is the quality of the exchanges and contacts?

Then we did travel to our desired future, in groups, choosing a future role and an issue that we envisioned and then acted out to the rest of the group. A future family talked about new habits in purchasing and consumption... the local council proudly described to a journalist their achievements with energy (yes, the wool from the sheep on Tooting Common is being used as insulation in 2032)...a local shopkeeper showed off seasonal and local stock, and a customer went away with potatoes when they were looking for mangoes...

It was great to see how much was covered and shared in a short time - when you are involved and listening.

Thanks to all who came along to explore Tooting's future now!

Carbon Conversations this June & July

We're starting a new series of fun and participative Carbon Conversations workshops on Monday June 25th at The Selkirk, Selkirk Rd, Tooting Broadway, from 630-830 pm, and continuing on the following three Mondays. Please click here for the detailed flyer.

We'll explore values, behaviours and feelings, and we will 'count the carbon' in our daily lives, so we can reduce our impact in 4 main areas: home energy, food, travel and transport, and consumption.

You don't need to be an expert: all welcome to join the workshops! 
To join or ask any questions, please email us at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com

Transition Town Tooting hold regular planning meetings - all are welcome. Here are the pictorial notes from our last meeting on the 15th May. 
Notes drawn by Jeni Walker - inspired by Alice Maggs. Click to enlarge.

We Have A Shop

which sells nothing but offers much. Photos below and read Lucy's Shop Diary to find out more.  Better still come down and discover for yourself at 68 Upper Tooting Rd, 10am-6pm till Sunday only! This link has full details of all the events.

Pictures and video of the Treasuring Tooting wellbeing walk

Video of the day

3 dozen photos from the Treasuring Tooting walk in slideshow format - enjoy!

The Treasuring Tooting walk was a success - and now the Transition Shop is open for another week

On Saturday the 12th May we led our local wellbeing walk through Tooting and found a huge range of Treasure - the people we met (walkers who did some or all of the route, and the hosts at the venues), the surprising places we went, the conversations we shared, the stories we heard, the food and drink we were offered. The bee flew in the sun...

We finished the walk at the Tooting Transition Shop, which is now open all day and every day through until Sunday 20th May (at 68 Upper Tooting Road, between The King's Head and Tooting Bec tube station). At the celebration we did smash the bee piñata as promised - led by the Mayor of Wandsworth, Jane Cooper. Sadiq Khan MP had a bash too...then a group of children, and the artists who made the bee....until all the honeycomb treasure inside was found.

Much more to share about the Walk and about everyone's experiences in the Shop - on Monday a primary school class visited....maybe when you come and explore, you may have it to yourself, or maybe you will meet some new Tooting friends....

The Walk & The Shop

There is such a lot of Transition in Tooting over the next 10 days!

On Saturday (12th May) we hope as many as possible will be "Treasuring Tooting" by joining our wellbeing walk which will visit 12 different places in Tooting.  There will be a wide variety of activities and experiences across locations as diverse as the Bingo Hall, the Islamic Centre and the Community Garden.  Click here for the full plan for the day to see how you can join in!  And here for the Map.

The final destination for the Walk will be the very exciting Tooting Transition Shop at 68 Upper Tooting Rd (formerly Xclusive Tiles & Bathrooms).  The Shop will be open every day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Saturday until Sunday 20th May as part of the Wandsworth Arts Festival.

Come and find out why this Shop has nothing for sale.  Come not to buy but to meet people, exchange stories, ideas, skills and food.

The bee piñata is taking shape

Preparing for her role in Saturday's Treasuring Tooting wellbeing walk, the bee piñata is....

stretching her legs

sharpening her sting

looking for pollen

On Saturday May 12th the bee will be fully decorated, and fly through Tooting - come and join the piñata at any of the twelve locations linked together in the Treasuring Tooting walk.