Lampeter Grapevine Issue 7 March 2013

G R A P E V I N E

cysylltwch â ni / contact us: [email protected] Mawrth / March 2013

digwyddiadau, newyddion a barn Llambed bob mis/ Lampeter’s events, news and views

In this issue...

listings

events

reviews

papur bro CLONC

kids in action

seasonal snippets

cookie’s corner

from the bottom

creative ideas

also this month:

so hungry you could eat

a horse ?

the hungry gap myth

the return of the pickle

FREE

AM DDIM

STOP PRESS:

Victoria Hall secures

Ceredigion Social

Enterprise

Growth Fund to

continue

refurbishments

2

G R A P E V I N E no. 7, March 2013

Post: c/o Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7EE Email: [email protected]

Published by: Transition Llambed Development Trust, Victoria Hall, Bryn Road, Lampeter, SA48 7EE

Printed by: TSD Reprographics, Lampeter, on paper from sustainable resources

To list your event, submit an article, ad or letter or to make an enquiry, email: [email protected] or post to address above

Please include the reason you are contacting us in the subject box of your email (Ad, Listing, Article, Letter, Enquiry)

Full guidelines for advertisers & contributors: see grapevine page on www.transitionllambed.co.uk

Listings (events & courses) FREE

Display advertising rates: ¼ column £10; ¼ page £25; ½ page £40; full page £70 (back page £80) Discount on ads for public events held in Victoria Hall: £25 off ad Classified ads: £2 / 20 wds (min. £2) Therapists' section (max 35 wds): £10 for 6 editions in advance

Copy date for April issue: Fri 8 March. Theme: ‘Spring Watch’

Circulation: 1,500 copies distributed free in the Lampeter area

We reserve the right to edit all contributions for reasons of space & clarity. The views expressed in letters and articles are not necessarily those of Transition Llambed Development Trust or the newsletter group.

Other contact details:

Transition Llambed: www.transitionllambed.co.uk

email: [email protected]

Victoria Hall: www.vichall.org.uk To make bookings for Victoria Hall contact: [email protected] or phone/text 07891 632614

People's Market: To book a stall contact: [email protected] or ring 01570 471432

Croeso / Welcome to the Hungry gap!

A time to reflect on food ... how we grow it, transport it,

package it, sell it, use it, eat it, save it, waste it!

We start with So Hungry you could eat a horse? on p3

which focuses on food habits, and gives lots of ‘food for

thought’. For gardeners the ’Hungry Gap’ will be a famil-

iar term, but if you haven’t yet ventured into the world

of growing your own food, then it may mean nothing at

all. Some folk see it as the period when the productivity

of the vegetable plot is in transition, from winter to

spring (see Seasonal Snippets p9 ); some folk take this op-

portunity to forage for goodies instead, because if you

know what to look for there is always something out

there. Check out The Hungry Gap Myth, p4 or try finding

recipes for seasonal veg. Cookies Corner, p19 is using some

of the veg you might find at the next People’s Market,

and for anyone who has been good at planning ahead,

there will be the abundance of preserves & pickles from

last year’s harvest gluts to fall back on. So perhaps now is

the time to start planning ahead for the planting of next

Winter’s store cupboard treats!

Ever tried Lacto-fermentation? There’s an introduction

on p7 but do you have any family recipes you can share?

We hope you’ll find lots to get you fired up for the start

of Spring. It’s not all doom & gloom. Go on, delve in and

see what you can dig up!

To finish on a really positive note - If you are hungry for

more articles presented bilingually, now is the time to

celebrate. We are delighted to welcome Papur Bro CLONC

to the Grapevine, offering links to more local activities,

vocabulary tips for learners, and the chance to improve

Welsh-language reading skills.

Darllen Hapus / Happy Reading

Angie Martin

3

The theme of this month’s newsletter is the “Hungry

Gap”. Unless you grow your own food this probably

won’t mean much to you. Food choices in supermar-

kets are much the same as they were in the summer,

with out-of-season food shipped or flown from far

away - blueberries from Chile, strawberries from

Spain, peas from Kenya – but if you were to try to

buy only fruit and veg from the UK, you’d probably

struggle for choice right now.

However, with the cost of food soaring, a worldwide

recession and the pennies being tight after the festive

season, you may be feeling like you’ve hit a hungry

gap anyway. But did you know that up to one-third of

food purchased in the UK is thrown away? And that,

by throwing less away, the average household could

reduce their food bill by about £40 per month?

According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action

Programme, www.wrap.org.uk), we throw away

about 7 million tonnes of food from our homes in the

UK. This would fill Wembley Stadium seven times

over! And about half of this food could have been

eaten. Most of it ends up in landfill sites where it rots

down producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas,

which contributes to global warming. If we were to

stop sending all this food to landfill, the reduced

emissions would be equivalent to taking 1 in 5 cars

off the road.

On a global scale, a recent report from the Institution

of Mechanical Engineers (www.imeche.org) suggest

that up to half of all food produced in the world is

wasted - that’s up to 2 billion tonnes! With a growing

population (expected to reach around 9 billion by

2050) the world is trying to increase food production.

However, evidence from a United Nations Environ-

ment Programme report, The Environmental Food

Crisis, suggests that we could feed this projected

population simply by reducing waste, thus without

having to put more pressure on our natural re-

sources. If we do not take measures to reduce food

waste, then the pressures of increased population,

climate change and eating habits that are changing

to a more meat-rich and processed-food diet may

see food prices soaring by 30-50% over coming dec-

ades.

On the plus side, as a nation, the UK did reduce food

waste by about 1 million tonnes (one Wembley Stadi-

um’s worth) between 2006 and 2010.

So what can you do? The two main reasons given for throwing away the

food we buy in the UK are that we cook meals that

are too big or don’t use food we’ve bought in time.

The most wasted foods are fresh fruit and veg, bread

and cakes, and drinks.

Some ways to avoid this wastage are similar to ways

in which you can make your home-grown food last

longer, e.g. freezing and preserving excess fruit and

veg.

Planning meals to make sure you cook just enough

for your family, or cooking extra to save in the freezer

for another day, could help.

Use your own judgement when it comes to "best be-

fore" labels - if your carrots look OK they probably

are. If your eggs don’t float in water they’re safe to

use…

If you do have to throw away food, try to compost it

or put it in the green kitchen-waste bin for collection

so it doesn’t end up in landfill.

Take control of your eating habits: buy just enough,

buy local & organic where possible, grow your own if

you can, be prepared to live with less choice - and

help to change the world’s food waste into the world’s

food.

There are several websites devoted to ways you can

reduce food waste - check out Love Food Hate

Waste (www.lovefoodhatewaste.com) for further ide-

as about how you can save food and money.

Other organisations, such as Fare Share, are work-

ing to redistribute unwanted food to vulnerable peo-

ple in the UK. They have two depots in Wales

(Cardiff & Llandudno - www.faresharecymru.org.uk).

Now, if you haven’t been inspired to cook up some-

thing tasty with all your food that is fast approaching

its sell-by date, and you are feeling hungry enough to

eat a horse, it seems there is an increasing supply of

horse-meat "ready meals" available somewhere near

you! Sarah Watson-Jones

So hungry you could eat a horse?

Photo: Totally Green

4

The Hungry Gap Myth - a tale of wisdom

Cutting down the last of her Brussels sprouts for

lunch, Sarah realised that the polytunnel was finally

empty. Initially this pleased her - now she could get

stuck in to cleaning it. But then it occurred to her that

she had completely run out of food from the vegeta-

ble garden. As she made her way back to the house,

Sarah’s expensive car taunted her from the muddy

driveway. Once upon a time she had jumped aboard

and, like a magic carpet, it had taken her wherever

she wanted to go. But now with petrol prices the way

they were, she might as well think of it as a sunny

place to start off her seedlings.

Sarah’s mother had been very clear when she was

bringing her up. Food wasn’t a proper meal if it didn’t

have green on the plate. She remembered her twen-

ties and the rebellion of toast and cereal, but after

she lost some of her adult front teeth Sarah had got

back on track. Now that they had run out, she found

herself craving leafy greens like some kind of crazy

sheep. Walking around the cleared beds of her gar-

den, all ready for the next crop of brassica and leg-

ume spring seedlings, Sarah questioned her ap-

proach. Surely it wasn’t natural for her to run out of

fresh food from January until April? Although she

could do with losing a little of her middle-aged

spread, she would rather cut down on carbohydrates

than vegetables.

As she stood there unhappily contemplating having

to spend a fortune at the supermarket, she saw her

poor neighbour carrying an armful of sticks back to

her caravan to put on her fire. Suddenly Sarah was

inspired. That old neighbour of hers never seemed to

go past with armfuls of plastic bags from the super-

market. Maybe the old woman would share some of

her sage advice now. Pulling on an extra layer and

grabbing the last bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream from

her store-cupboard, she set off over the field.

The brightly-painted caravan sat facing the sun, with

a wall of oak trees shielding it from the north wind

behind. The old woman’s garden was set out in front,

inside a laid hedge to keep the sheep well away.

Sarah came to a halt at the gate, her jaw slack. This

garden was lush with green, a riotous profusion of

leaves and vigorous dense foliage emerging from

heaps of straw.

The big toothy smile of the old woman caught Sa-

rah’s attention. “Come in,” she beckoned, taking a

steaming kettle from an outdoor fire as she did so.

“My garden seems so dead compared to yours”,

Sarah blurted out as she proffered the bottle.

“I wouldn’t mind this without that muck in it, the screw

tops come in handy", the old woman chuckled, look-

ing somewhat dubiously at the label on the bottle

Sarah had given her and thrusting the bottle back at

her. "You need to start eating what other people call

weeds.” Walking Sarah around the garden, she point-

ed at a bushy low-growing plant. “Land cress”, she

said, “that goes all year… dandelion…and that’s my

favourite - Japanese knotweed, like asparagus ex-

cept I can hardly keep it from taking over. Plantain -

enough of it and you will never go without greens

again and the seeds can be roasted, and mizuna...”

Sarah saw how, instead of harvesting the whole

thing, the old woman had picked the lower leaves,

allowing the plant to continue to put out new vitamin-

rich crinkly shoots. “These are chard”, she said

proudly, pointing to what looked like fantastic young

spinach, "they seem to love the cold weather.” Sarah

photographed the shiny spears of chard to google

them when she got home. “Then you’ve got your pig-

nuts” the old woman continued, but she could see

Sarah was starting to look confused.

“Best thing would be for you to come over and give

me a hand for a few weeks, to make up for stealing

all my good ideas”, the old woman said, still smiling.

Sarah realised her neighbour was, far from being a

pauper, rich beyond any dreams of greed.

Maj Ikle

Chard, ‘Verte a Carde Blanche’ Photo: Laura Hudson

5

www.clonc.co.uk

Papur bro ardal plwyfi: Cellan, Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Llanbedr

Wledig, Llanfair Clydogau, Llangybi, Llanllwni, Llanwenog,

Llanwnnen, Llanybydder, Llanycrwys ac Uwch Gaeo a Phencarreg.

- The Welsh language community newspaper for Lampeter and

the neighbouring parishes above.

Papur bro - Welsh Language Community Paper

hybu - to promote

gweithgareddau - activities

tanysgrifio - to subscribe

uchafbwyntiau - highlights

ysgrifennu - to write

Ariannin - Argentina

Urdd Gobaith Cymru - The Welsh League of Youth

ymfudo - to emigrate

Cymry - Welsh people

disgynyddion - descendants

cannoedd - hundreds

Eisteddfod - a Welsh festival of literature, music

and performance

Gymanfa Ganu - a Welsh festival of sacred hymns

Cawl - a traditional Welsh broth

Twmpath - a Welsh version of the céilidh

Geirfa ~ Vocabulary

Dylan Lewis

Digwyddiadau Gŵyl Dewi mis Mawrth a restrir yn Clonc ~ Local St Davids events in March as listed in Clonc

Bingo a Chawl, Clwb Rygbi Llanybydder - 1 - Bingo and Cawl, Llanybydder Rugby Club

Cawl a Thwmpath, Neuadd Sant Iago Cwmann - 2 - Cawl and Folk Dancing, St James’ Hall Cwmann

Cawl a Chân, Neuadd yr Eglwys Maesycrugiau - 8 - Cawl and Singing, Maesycrugiau Church Hall

Sefydlwyd Papur Bro Clonc yn 1982.

Amcanion Clonc yw: - Hybu Cymreictod

a sicrhau twf yn y nifer o bobl sy’n

darllen Cymraeg; - Sicrhau bod y papur

yn gyfrwng i’n cael i adnabod ein bro

a’n pobl yn well; - A bod y papur yn

sbardun i hybu gweithgareddau

cymdeithasol o bob math.

Mae Clonc ar werth am 60c y copi yn

Llanbed yn y siopau canlynol: Lomax,

J H Williams a’i Feibion, Yswiriant

Eryl Jones, Spar a Co-op. Gellir

tanysgrifio am flwyddyn am £17.50.

Mae Clonc nawr am ddod ag uchafbwyntiau pob

rhifyn i ddarllenwyr Grapevine a chyflwyno geirfa fyddai

o gymorth wrth ddarllen y papur bro.

Yn y rhifyn cyfredol mae Sian Elin o Bencarreg yn

ysgrifennu am ei thaith i Batagonia

Yr Ariannin gyda’r Urdd.

Yn 1865 ymfudodd 150 o Gymry i

sefydlu bywydau newydd ym

Mhatagonia. Dilynwyd hwy gan

gannoedd eraill. Mae tua 150,000 o

bobl yn byw yn yr ardal heddiw a

thua 72,685 ohonynt yn

ddisgynyddion i’r Cymry. Mae tua

5,000 ohonynt yn siarad Cymraeg a

channoedd yn dysgu’r iaith.

Mae Sian yn sôn am ei phrofiadau wrth ymweld ag

ysgolion Cymraeg, cystadlu yn yr eisteddfod a

mynychu Gymanfa Ganu.

Yn y rhifyn hwn o Clonc hefyd, ceir manylion cyswllt

ynglŷn â gwyliau ym Mhatagonia.

Papur Bro Clonc was established in

1982. Clonc’s objectives are: - To

promote Welshness and growth in the

number of people who read Welsh; - To

ensure that the paper is a means of

getting to know our community and our

people better; - To trigger and promote

social activities of all kinds.

Clonc is on sale for 60p a copy in the

following Lampeter shops: Lomax, J H

Williams & Sons, Eryl Jones Insurance,

Spar and Co-op or you can subscribe for a

year for £17.50.

Clonc now brings highlights of each issue to

Grapevine readers and introduce vocabulary

that would be helpful when reading in Welsh.

In the current issue Sian Elin from Pencarreg writes

about her trip to Patagonia Argentina

with Urdd Gobaith Cymru.

In 1865, 150 Welsh people emigrated in

order to establish new lives in

Patagonia. They were followed by

hundreds of others. Approximately

150,000 people live in the area today

and approximately 72,685 of them are

descendants of those Welsh people.

About 5,000 of them speak Welsh and

hundreds are learning the language.

Sian writes about her experiences visiting Welsh

schools, competing in the eisteddfod and attending a

Gymanfa Ganu.

Also in this edition of Clonc, contact details are

provided regarding holidays in Patagonia.

6

April issue Copy date:

Fri 8 March Theme:

‘Spring Watch’

LETTERS

grapevine, victoria hall, bryn road, lampeter SA48 7EE

email: [email protected]

corrections & clarifications Apologies are expressed for an error in last month’s issue relating to Jo Camlin’s listing in the complemen-

tary & alternative therapists section. An incorrect ad-

dress was recorded. We therefore apologise, to both Jo and Llanfair Clinic, for this misrepresentation and any problems it may have caused.

Sadly there are no letters

this month. Please keep in touch.

This is your space to let us know what

you think.

Do you have a burning issue to share, or

perhaps some ideas or comments about

local events, services or activities?

This is your newsletter, please help us by

sending in your contributions

Diolch / Thanks

The Newsletter Team

Victoria Hall Refurbishment Update

Regular users of the hall may have noticed we

are proceeding with the refurbishment of the

toilets. The Ceredigion Community Fund, Lam-

peter Town Council and the not-so-deep coffers

of Transition Llambed Development Trust have

funded this work. We expect this phase of work

to be completed by the end of February, when

we hope to have a loo-roll cutting ceremony to

celebrate this major improvement.

In addition, we are delighted to announce that in

the last few days we have been awarded con-

siderable funding from the Ceredigion Social

Enterprise Growth Fund to continue work on the

kitchen, upstairs conference room, offices and

a host of energy efficiency initiatives. The ink is

not yet on the contracts, let alone dry, but suf-

fice it to say we expect by the second half of the

year to have a significantly different look and

feel to the interior.

We will publish a more detailed description of

the projects in the next edition of the Grapevine

and will display some plans in the hall. For the

time being, we would like to express our thanks

to the funders and to our long-suffering users of

the hall.

The Directors,

Transition Llambed Development Trust

“Food security is not in the supermarket. It's not

in the government. It's not at the emergency ser-

vices division. True food security is the historical

normalcy of packing it in during the abundant

times, building that in-house larder, and resting

easy knowing that our little ones are not depend-

ent on next week's farmers' market or the elec-

tronic cashiers at the supermarket.”

Joel Salatin, Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's

Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a

Better World

6

7

In the times before freezers and all-year-

round food availability from the far corners of

the planet, many cultures throughout the

world ‘pickled’ their vegetables in times of

plenty. When it got to their period of short-

age, 'the hungry gap’, healthy preserved foods

were available to replace fresh produce. For

those looking to be more self-reliant, energy-

efficient and less dependent on supermarkets,

consider this:

Lacto-fermentation is the process that pro-

duces traditional gherkins and real sauerkraut.

It takes nothing more than salt, vegetables

and water - no canning, no fancy equipment.

This simple process works because of the

lucky fact that bacteria that could be harmful

to us can't tolerate much salt, but there are

healthy bacteria (think: yogurt) that can.

Think of them as the bad guys versus the good

guys. Lacto-fermentation wipes out the bad

guys in its first stage, and then lets the good

guys get to work during stage two.

The good guys on the salt-tolerant team are

called Lactobacillus. Several different species

within this genus are used to produce fer-

mented foods.

The list of benefits of eating food with live

Lactobacillus bacteria seems to be growing,

but include a healthier digestive system and

speedy recovery from yeast infections. They

are also supposed to have anti-inflammatory

properties and be useful in preventing certain

kinds of cancer.

In stage one of lacto-fermentation, vegetables

are submerged in brine that is salty enough to

kill off harmful bacteria. The Lactobacillus

good guys survive this stage and begin stage

two.

In stage two of lacto-fermentation, the Lacto-

bacillus organisms begin converting lactose and

other sugars present in the food into lactic

acid. This creates an acidic environment that

safely preserves the vegetables - and gives

lacto-fermented foods their classic tangy fla-

vour.

Several books, websites and courses are out

there to help you on your way. If you would be

interested in a course being arranged in Lam-

peter, contact [email protected]

(mark your email "Lacto course") and we can

see if numbers justify it.

Gary Thorogood

with considerable help from Leda Meredith

The Return of the Pickle

Sauerkraut Photo: Debbie Plaistowe

http://easynaturalfood.com/

Do you have a favourite Pickle?

Send your recipes to

[email protected]

8

The making of A Christmas Carol

The auditions for A Christmas Carol were quite different

to your typical auditions. For a start we didn’t have to

learn our lines – we were just supposed to try and get

into our character and do things like answer questions

from their point of view. We were given a list of typical

stage criteria that we were to be assessed on, which

included: voice projection, stage presence, use of

space, expressiveness, interpretation of the character

and our ability to recover when lines are forgotten. After-

wards we were offered certain parts that we might or

might not have auditioned for. I was lucky enough to get

the character that I wanted, and also an added-on small

part - result!

The rehearsals were fun but extremely tiring for every-

one. They were after school on Friday, which usually

meant that most of us were already tired, but it couldn’t

be helped unless we were willing to sacrifice our pre-

cious weekends - uh, no way! I found it quite easy learn-

ing my lines, and everyone else seemed to as well.

The first performance went well. I could hear the people

on before me loud and clear. I’m not sure how everyone

else felt, but honestly I wasn’t that nervous, that is until I

stepped out onto that balcony in front of everyone, but it

was nothing to worry about. Soon I was relaxed and in

character.

Besides some missed cues and awkward silences,

everyone acted brilliantly and put a lot of effort into that

first performance. The second performance on Friday

could not have gone better - I thought it was amazing!

No missed cues or awkward silences, and the dancers

did a good job. An outstanding performance from every-

one. The last performance on Saturday was packed. My

parents and best friends were in the audience, and the

mayor of Lampeter. This time I really was nervous and

was praying that I didn’t do anything embarrassing.

The show had started and everything was going really

well. I was just finishing my scene with Scrooge and was

trying to walk quietly off into the dressing room, when I

tripped over my dress and landed on the floor with a

thump and an “Ow!” At least it was in the dark so they

couldn’t see me that well. My friends laughed at me, but

that’s what they’re for, isn’t it?

Overall the show went really well and we finished to

massive applause and did a little “We wish you a merry

Christmas...”

Acting in front of an audience is an amazing feeling, be-

ing a completely different person up there in front of

everyone. It’s so much fun and I would recommend it to

anyone.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone back-

stage, and of course to Annie May our director for put-

ting up with us and being there! We couldn’t have done

without you guys. Well done to everyone who took part,

y’all did amazing!

Remember – there’s no business like show business!

Sophie Soutter-Reynolds, aged 12

(A member of LYTss )______________________________

Doing something

funny for money? Send your photos in for next issue:

[email protected]

Kids in ActionKids in Action

NATIONAL CLOWN THEATRE

Victoria Hall, Lampeter

Fri 5 April Special Matinée 1.30pm

All the fun of the circus -

slapstick, magic, quick-change,

balancing, human slinky acrobat,

prizes and surprises.

Limited seating - BOOK NOW Ring 01384 423496

9

the hungry gap filled in the garden… March is a time of year to either kick yourself, be-

cause you didn’t grow any over-winter brassicas, or

feel very smug because you did. Back in April/May

2012 I thankfully sowed a good selection: Brussels

sprouts for Christmas, a variety of tasty kales for

right through from autumn to early spring, and my

favourite - purple sprouting broccoli (PSB).

PSB provides repeat pickings of succulent greens

during March and April, whilst waiting for most early-

season crops to harvest.

On the other hand I’m not as pleased with this

year’s leeks, as they look more like enthusiastic

spring onions. I’m now making a note to sow these

from April this year and let them grow to a decent

size before the winter. Every growing year is

different, and I win some and lose some for a

multitude of reasons. My best strategy seems to be

growing a very wide variety of crops, which are all

pretty safe in our hard climate and also give good

returns. March is set to be one of the busiest sowing

months. The list is a very long one: broad beans (I’m

late with these), lots of different types of tomatoes

and chilli peppers (for the greenhouse), salads,

carrots, beets and a lot more. Not sure if there will

be time for the day job though!

bird watching and listening in March… March is an excellent time of year to learn some of

the calls and songs of our most familiar birds. On

fine days they can be very vocal, establishing their

territories. With no leaves on the trees, this is a

good opportunity to watch a bird you know well and

to learn and remember the call or song that it is

making. Listen out too for the ‘drumming’ of the

Great Spotted Woodpecker when out on a walk in

the countryside. Just open your eyes and ears and

enjoy!

Seasonal snippets - more garden & wildlife goodies

by Mara, Ian and Tomos Morris who live in Llangybi

march drawing by Tomos (now aged 7 2/3 !)

WWF’s Earth Hour

A unique annual

phenomenon that focuses

the world’s attention on our

amazing planet, and how

we need to protect it.

At 8.30pm on Sat 23 March hundreds of millions of

people will turn off their lights for one hour, on the

same night, all across the world in a huge, symbolic

show of support.

This event is not about sitting in the dark, but about

celebrating the things that we all love about the plan-

et, and this is your chance to take some action to pro-

tect it - not just for one hour, but every day.

Earth Hour 2013 is focusing on the kind of energy we

use. To create a better future for our planet we need

to move away from dirty fossil fuels and onto clean

green renewable energy which works with the awe-

some power of nature, not against it.

In the UK, we consume three times our fair share of

the planet’s natural resources. Our reliance on high-

carbon fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas is over-

heating the atmosphere and affecting the climate.

Crucial decisions are being made that will shape our

energy system and climate for decades to come.

Why not show your support for the planet & switch off

for Earth Hour! For more info & to sign up to join in:

www.earthhour.org Check out the video.

10

Send in photos of your crafty makes to

[email protected]

Have you used up all those old Christmas cards yet?

If not, here’s a few ideas for more ways of recycling them …

You will need: Old Christmas or birthday cards or coloured paper

Scissors

Glue stick or PVA

Card/Paper

First cut up all your old cards into small pieces, different sizes & shapes are ok

Sort into colour groups (these are now your mosaics)

Draw a design onto a larger piece of card/paper

Stick mosaics inside the design

Leave to dry

Admire your artwork

Think of another design!

Try out other materials for making the mosaics - fabric, junk mail, leaves, old CD’s

(always get permission first before starting to cut anything up! & get someone to help)

Why not try something for Mother’s Day too

11

Victoria Hall: regular activities and classes

Bryn Road, Lampeter SA48 7EE

To book the Victoria Hall phone: 07891 632614 Email: [email protected] www.vichall.org.uk

Day

Weekly (W) Fortnightly (F)

Monthly (M) Time Activity / Class

Contact

Name Number

Monday W 7-9pm Wing Chun Kungfu Flo Hunt 07796 796259

Tuesday W 7.30-

8.30pm

Zumba

keep fit session Julie Lancaster 01570 470542

Wednesday

F

6 & 20 March

1.30-4.30pm

Young at Heart Tea, sandwiches & social for the wiser

folk of Lampeter

W 7-8pm Zumba

keep fit session Louise Evans 07584 199372

Thursday W

10am-12 noon

& 1-3pm

Welsh classes Meryl Evans 01545 572715

M 3rd Thur each

month 7-9pm

Transition Llambed

‘Big Gathering’

A chance for all those interested in/involved with Transition Llambed to plan

and co-ordinate activities Everyone welcome!

Friday W 4.30-

6.30pm

LYTSS: Lampeter Youth Theatre &

Stage School Annie May 01570 423080

Saturday

2nd & 4th Sat each month

10am-1pm

People’s Market Local food, produce and crafts. Plus café, occasional live music and other attractions

M 2nd Sat each

month 2-4pm

Sing Out, Harmony Song Workshop

Clara Clay 07929 018928

Sunday W 10am-7pm

Lampeter Evangelical

Church

Gareth Jones at the Mustard Seed café

01570 423344

W 7-9pm Brazilian Jujitsu Mike A. Banica 07783 582081

Remember

Copy date

April issue

Friday 8 March

2013

Send your listings to

[email protected]

for full guidelines & more

information for advertisers

& contributors:

see grapevine page on

www.transitionllambed.co.uk

12

what’s going on listings are free. send details of your event to [email protected]

music________________

Lampeter Music Club at the Arts Hall, University of Wales Trinity St David. Sun 10 March, 2.30pm: Inner City Brass, brass quintet. Tickets on the door, £9/£7.50 concs. Students free with a Union Card. Two children free with a paying adult. Contact: David Cockburn, 01570 422436 Lampeter World Sacred Music Festival, 22-24 March. Karl Jenkins conducts, The Armed Man. Plus much more. See advert on page 15

courses_______________

Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Betws Bledrws Sat 9 Mar: Sustainable Beekeeping Sat 30 Mar: Chocolate Egg Crea-tions/Great Easter Bunny Egg Hunt & Nature Trail Wed 3 Apr: Natural Gardening (4-part course contd 10 & 24 Apr, 8 May) Thur 4 April: Kitchen Garden Herbs for Health & Taste Thur 11 April: Wild Spring Greens Sat 13-Mon 15 April: Bird Identifica-tion Further details: 01570 493358, www.denmarkfarm.org.uk

Introduction to Sociocracy work-shop. 10am-5pm, Sat 16-Sun 17 March, Denmark Farm. Cost: £100. Sociocracy (or Dynamic Self -Governance) is a form of organising by consent - a structured way of working collaboratively. For anyone who seeks inclusive alternatives to top-down management or unstruc-tured consensus. Accommodation available on-site. Contact: Linda Winn 01570 471717, [email protected]

health & well-being

courses & classes______

Gentle Yoga classes suitable for all: Mon 10-11.30am Pontrhydfendigaid Village Hall Tues 10-11.30am Cellan Hall Tues 1.45-3.15pm Llangeitho Hall Weds 5.30-7pm Tregaron Chapel Vestry Contact: Cathy Crick Stanton, 01570 421144 / 07748 031614, [email protected]

Meditation, Qi Gong and Breathing exercises class to deal with stress of modern living. Self-help practices for health, awareness and insight. Thurs 7-8.30pm (except 3rd Thurs of month), Argoed Hall, Tregaron. £5. Before attending please contact: Iain Cameron Watson, 07852 626001, [email protected]

move your body________

Belly dance & Belly fit classes Belly Dance: Mon. 1.30-2.45pm (all ages). Belly Fit: 3-4.00pm (over 50s) Shiloh Church Hall, Lampeter (next to the police station on the High Street). All fitness levels welcome. Contact: Rose Barter, 01239 851737

Belly Dance & Yoga classes Belly Dance: Tues 7.30-8.30pm. £3.00. Beginner Yoga: Thur 7-8.30pm, £5.00. Crugybar Village Hall. Contact: 01558 685321, [email protected]

Folk dancing Every Wed, 8-10 pm. Talsarn Village Hall. Everybody wel-come (including musicians). No part-ner or experience needed. £1.50 including refreshments. Contact: 01974 272098

Cerddwyr Ramblers, Lampeter, organise a variety of weekly walks throughout the year. Anyone interest-ed in walking with the group is warm-ly welcomed to join. A walking pro-gramme is available from the Town Library or James, 01570 480743.

Flamenco Dance classes weekly in Lampeter and Aberystwyth with Dixey Ruscelli. Tues 6-7.15pm, Sally Saunders Dance Studio, Lampeter Industrial Estate, Tregaron Rd, Lampeter (next to Organic Fresh Food Co) Wed 6-7.30pm, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with live flamenco guitarist. Men and women welcome. Please bring strong chunky-heeled shoes. Contact: 01570 493138, [email protected]

women’s workshop_____ Wed 10.30am-3pm, St James’ Hall, Cwmann. Every Weds: 11am Qi Gong - gentle exercise. 12noon lunch. 1pm work-shop. 6 March: Storytelling to celebrate World Book Day 13 March: A Celebration of Interna-tional Women’s Day

20 March: Creative writing

27 March: Card making

Wheelchair access to hall & toilet. Free car park. Only £2.50 a session (includes vegetarian lunch and all activities). Pay on the day, no mem-bership fee or advance fee - drop in when you please. Come and see if you like our group. New members always welcome. Contact: 01570 423167 / 01545 590391

markets______________

People’s Market, Victoria Hall, Lampeter, 10am-1pm Sat 9 & Sat 23 March

Lampeter Farmers' Market Market Street, Lampeter, 9am-2pm alternate Fridays Next market: Friday 8 March

Ffarmers Market Neuadd Bro Fana/Village Hall, Ffarmers, 10am-12.30pm 1st Sat in the month Next market: Saturday 2 March

Llansawel Market Llansawel Village Hall, 10am-12.30pm 3rd Sat of the month Next market: Saturday 16 March

Lunar Market. Saturday 2 March, Llanfair Clydogau Village Hall, 10am-3pm. Local produce and crafts and refreshments. Contact: 07920 063773.

storytelling & books_____

S t o r y t e l l i n g G r o u p / N o s o n Storiau—Change of venue to Denmark Farm, Betws Bledrws. Friendly, informal storytelling evening 7-9pm every 3rd Mon in the month. Croeso i bawb, Cymru, Saeson a Thylwyth Teg, dynion a merched, oedolyn a phlant. Everyone welcome,from complete beginners to talented bards. Come to listen, come to tell. Please bring a small donation to cover room hire & refreshments. Ffoniwch: Rachel 01570 493222 [email protected]

Llangeitho Book Group meets eve-ry second Weds of the month, 2pm in Llangeitho Village Café. We choose a book to read and chat over a paned/cuppa. Contact: 01974 821213 (or just turn up!) [email protected],

13

theatre_______________

Lampeter Youth Theatre and Stage School (LYTss) Every Fri, 4.30-6.30pm, Victoria Hall. Contact: Annie May, 01570 423080, [email protected]

writing ________________

Teifi Writers. meet on 2nd Sat of the month in Llandysul, and have work-shops with professional writers. Contact: Kelly, 01267 235336.

events ________________

Alister Hardy Society for the Study of Spiritual Experience. Speaker: Jennifer Jones, NFSH. “Healing with the Feminine Principle - Relation-ships”. Sat 2 March 10.30am, Found-er's Library, UWLTSD, Lampeter. Re-scheduled from 16 February. Contact: Er ic Frank l in, 01570 471367, [email protected]

People's Kitchen, Sun 3 Mar (& every 1st Sun of the month) from 2pm, Llan-fair Clydogau Village Hall. Delicious vegan meal - Magic Hat rule (pay what you can afford). Jam (not the kind that comes in a jar!) with local musicians. Contact Mandi, 07976 536983

Coedwig Gymunedol Long Wood Community Woodland, Next meeting: 4 March, 7.30pm. St Thomas’ Church, Lampeter. This will be the last meeting in this current for-mat. Come along to hear about the changes. All welcome. Contact: Philip or Carolyn Swain, 01570 493284 Why not join our regular volunteer days? Contact: [email protected]

The Welsh Quilt Centre's 2013 exhi-bition, Kaffe Fassett Comes to Wales. The exhibition will be open from March 9 to November 2 at the Welsh Quilt Centre, Lampeter. Admis-sion: £5, £4 concs, £2.50 students.

Animal Relief event, fundraising for animal sanctuaries. Sat 16 March, 10am-4pm, Aberystwyth bandstand on sea front. Free, donations welcome. Stalls, live band, animal themed face painting, talks, sand castle competi-tion. Facebook: “Animal Relief” or email [email protected]

Poets & Peasants. Thur 17 March, 8pm, Castle Green pub, Bryn Rd, Lampeter. Bring your poetry, songs, stories, music, yourselves and your friends. Entertain or be entertained, all for £1 donation

Hanes Llambed / Lampeter History Society Talks are at 7.30pm, Old Hall, Univer-sity of Wales Trinity St David. All wel-come. Tues 19 Mar: Jen Cairns: 'Miss Saun-ders fach, Undergrove: our link with Senghenydd 1913' Tues 16 April Margaret Bide: 'Woollen textiles in modern Romania: a parallel with pre-industrial Wales'. Contact: Penny David, 01570 422041

Llanybydder Outdoor Activities Committee, Easter Fun Day. Mon 1 April, from 12 noon, Black Lion Hotel car park, Llanybydder. Egg hunt, East-er bonnet competition, children’s craft tent. Plus car boot sale (indoors if wet) & light refreshments. Contact: 01570 480209

Lampeter Permaculture Group is a collective of like-minded people, inter-ested in the practice and principles of permaculture and sustainability. More info: www.lampeterpermaculture.org

photography ___________

Lampeter Photography meet on 1st and 3 Friday of every month, 7.30 pm at the Kings Head, Lampeter. Monthly competitions, exhibitions & workshops. All welcome. FREE. Contact: Stef, 07958 772035, [email protected]

religious services &

groups ________________

Lampeter Parish St Peter’s Church, Lampeter. Main Sun Service: 11am (bilingual), Other services: 8am Holy Communion (English), 9.30am Cymun Bendigaid (trydydd Sul yn y mis yn unig, Cym-raeg).

St Peter’s Church Hall in Lampeter is available for hire at £8.50 per hour. Includes use of kitchen facilities. For enquiries or bookings contact: Beryl, 01570 422324. For more information visit: www.lampeterparish.org

St Cybi’s Church, Llangybi. Main Sun Service: 9am (bilingual).

St Bledrws’ Church, Betws Bledrws. Main Sun Service: 10.45am (English or bilingual).

St Sulien’s Church, Silian. Main Sun Service: 2pm (bilingual /Cymraeg).

St Mary’s Church, Maestir. Main Sun Service: 2.30pm (2nd Sun in month only, English).

Times apply to the first four Sundays in each month. For the few fifth Sundays there will be a single United Parish Service at 10am: location will be

published in the local newspapers.

Seventh Day Adventists meet fort-nightly on Sat at Cellan Millennium Hall, 10.15am-3.15pm. For more details: www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk

Lampeter Evangelical Church meets every Sunday at Victoria Hall, 10am– 7pm. Contact: Gareth Jones at The Mustard Seed café, 01570 423344

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, Lampeter Sunday Mass is 10am. For other ser-vices see church notice board.

Lampeter Quakers. Every Sunday at Canolfan Steffan, Peterwell Terrace at 10.45am. All welcome. Crynwyr Llambed. Cwrdd bob ddydd Sul, Canolfan Steffan, Rhodfa Peter-well, 10.45 yb. Croeso i bawb. Contact / Cysylltwch: Deborah Rowlands, 01570 480083, [email protected]

St Thomas' Methodist Church Sunday service 10.30am with creche and youth activity. Tuesday coffee morning 9.30-12noon with Beacon of Hope drop-in. All wel-come. Details on chapel notice board. Everyone welcome.

Interested in Buddhism? A Study Group for Women. Exploring the underlying principle of Buddhist Practice and how we can apply this in our daily lives. Meets one day a month near Aberystwyth. Meditation, shared lunch. Contact: Lesley 01970 617129 or Noel 07988 745364

social _________________

Lampeter Friends is a new Self-Advocacy group for people with learn-ing disabilities, set up by Eich Dewis Chi (soon to become Ceredigion Advo-cacy). Every Wed, 2-4pm, CAMFA building, Lampeter. A welcoming and supportive space for people with learn-ing disabilities to meet and talk about issues important to them. Free, all wel-come. Meet new friends, find support, take part in activities, build confidence, learn new skills and hobbies and have fun! Contact: Rebecca, Project Co-ordinator, 07976 023486

kids __________________

Ray Ceredigion offers free, open-access outdoor play sessions. Starting at Maes Y Felin play area, Lampeter, every Mon (term time), 4-6pm. Also at Rhydlanfair play area, Llangybi, Mon, 3.30-5.30pm. Contact: Helen Lewis, 01545 570686

14

Fri Mar 8 “Skyfall” (12) Daniel Craig

Fri Mar 22 “Hope Springs” (15) Meryl Streep

Fri April 5 “The Sweeney” (15) Ray Winstone

... and to follow ...

“Life of Pi”

“Great Expectations” (Helena Bonham Carter)

“Les Miserables” (Russell Crowe)

“Quartet” (Maggie Smith)

“The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey”

DOORS OPEN 7.15pm PROGRAMME BEGINS

7.45pm

Admission by Donation £2.00

BIG SCREEN & DIGITAL THEATRE SOUND

WWW.CELLANMILLENNIUMHALL.CO.UK

CELLAN MILLENNIUM HALL

CLASSES AND GROUPS

Classes subject to change:

please check www.cellanmillenniumhall.co.uk

for updates & contact details.

See our website film page for movies &

What’s On page for one-off events

MONDAY

Line Dancing 7-10pm

TUESDAY

Healing Yoga 10-11.30am

Lampeter Home Education Group 12-5pm

Qi Gong 6-7pm

Tai Chi 7-8pm

Beekeepers 2nd Tues of month, 8pm

WEDNESDAY

Table Tennis 10-11.30am

Quilting Club 12 noon-4pm

Yoga 5.30-7pm

THURSDAY

Five Rhythms Dance 1st Thurs of Month 7pm

Village Improvement Society Cttee1st Thurs of

month 7pm

W.I. 2nd Thurs of month 7.30pm

FRIDAY

Art Group 10am–1pm

Film Night fortnightly 7.15pm (see ad)

SATURDAY

Seventh Day Adventists

fortnightly 10.15am-3.15pm

SUNDAY

Beekeepers 2-4pm, 17 March only

15

15

16

International Women's Day 2013 Originally called International Working Women's Day, IWD is marked on 8 March every

year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from a general celebra-

tion of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's

economic, political and social achievements. Started as a socialist political event, the

holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and

the former Soviet bloc. In some regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became

simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar

to a mixture of Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the origi-

nal political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social aware-

ness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. (Info from Wikipedia…)

What are women in this area doing on IWD this year? Some are going to:

* MILLION WOMEN RISE: National demo in London, Sat 9 March

The biggest women's march in Europe against male violence in all its forms.

Tickets are now on sale for the bus from Lampeter to the Million Women Rise March.

Event is free. Pickup locations: Lampeter/Carmarthen/Llanelli/ Swansea/Cardiff M4

J33 Services/Cardiff Castle/Newport J29. Sliding scale: £28 medium to high income /

£17.50 Low income / £13 No income/students/benefits /£13 children. Tickets are al-

ready selling fast. To book a seat on the bus please contact us as soon as possible:

07708 851413, [email protected]

For details of the march: www.millionwomenrise.com

* Reclaim the Night Wales Evening, Fri 8 March, in Cardiff

NUS Wales and Welsh Women's Aid will co-host a march for women and men

through central Cardiff. 7.30pm march assembles at Park Place, Cardiff SU. Rally at

8.30pm, Temple of Peace, King Edward VII Avenue

Does anyone want to organise anything more local?

17

from the bottom

continuing annie may’s narrative of surviving losing everything in the late 1980s crash

PART 7 Chickens and Gardening

We came to Panteg in August. We established veg-

etable gardens and animal accommodation. Hens to

start with.

The Dodo walked alone. None of the other birds

seemed to recognise her as a chicken. She stalked

through puddles stooping to sip some horrible oily

water with the sapient air of a wine connoisseur. I

bought her as an egg and she turned into a vast,

mottled, awkward bird that lurched about the farm-

yard squawking and bumping into equipment. We

thought she wouldn’t survive for long; either a dog or

a fox would pounce on her, if only to shut her up. So

we called her the Dodo. But she lived on, and on

and . . .

The chickens had their houses in the pond field. It

was choked with reeds and brambles and had no

pond. But once the pond and the vegetable garden

had been dug and soft fruit beds established it was a

lovely place to work. Some fifty hens lived at one

end of the field. By the pond there were five geese;

a crowd of Khaki Campbells and some snooty white

Muscovies. The ducks lived in brand new houses

and the geese under cover of an Isuzu pickup nailed

to an old door to make it fox proof. Geoff built Poul-

try Metropolis, I gardened.

We had two dozen rescue birds from the nearby bat-

tery farm. We penned them over some fifty by fifteen

feet of cattle muck. By the time they had finished it

cut like the best chocolate cake; dark, moist and of

an even consistency all the way through. It became

the base for my vegetable garden. I spent every

summer evening barrowing it.

The Warrens reminded me of us with their settling in

problems. They huddled into a tiny space in the cor-

ner of their house. When we got them they didn’t

know how to scratch or use the space they found

themselves in. They huddled in a corner of their

house until one day I shooed them out where gradu-

ally they began to enjoy the sun, the green grass, the

bugs, and were making an attempt at dust baths.

Actually, from a human point of view chickens aren’t

very nice people. If they find one of their numbers

tangled in a bramble or hurt they’ll peck it to death.

Look a chicken in the eye. You know that there is no

meeting of minds here. Ducks are sweet and quite

cuddly when you pick them up; but the look in the

eye is no different. There is nothing in a duck’s eye

that speaks to you; heart to heart I mean. If these

creatures are truly descended form Dinosaurs I, for

one, am relieved to find that only the small ones are

left. There is no compassion there to speak of. But I

wonder what it would be like if the boot was on the

other foot. I don’t suppose they’d they keep us in bat-

tery cages.

Annie May

Ceredigion Citizens' Panel

As a citizen of Ceredigion, do you have strong

views about the service you receive from the

Council, Police or Health Service?

Do you want to share those views?

The Citizens' Panel aims to find out what local

people think about the services provided by the

Panel Partners: Ceredigion County Council, Dyfed

-Powys Police and Hywel Dda Health Board.

These partners will ask the panel (groups of

residents - including County Council employees if

they live in Ceredigion) for their views and

opinions on areas and subjects that the partners

need feedback on.

If you are interested in joining the

Ceredigion Citizens’ Panel,

please contact Hannah Hyde on 01267 226262 or

[email protected]

For further information: www.dyfed-

powys.police.uk/en/ceredigion/citizenspanel

18

Poetry Corner

A CELTIC FESTIVAL SONG

Sing to the Gods a song:

Sacrifice given in love:

Hear the trees sing us a song:

Glorious sacred grove

Three doves signal Rebirth;

The Eagle, a God of Light;

Wild Boar we bury for Death;

Lamb, the Symbol of Life

Oak fans out to the sky;

The Ash is tall, straight and true;

The Beech it pleases the eye;

Most precious is the Yew

Water creates and will take;

Rivers such secrets we tell;

Chariots placed in the Lake;

Sacred the Holy Well

Sing to the Gods a song:

Glory at the sacred grove:

Listen the trees tell a song:

Truth is the path to love

by Daisy Ching

Can you help us to make the

‘Poetry Corner’ a

regular feature of the

Grapevine?

Send your musings to

[email protected]

Some of you may be wondering what’s going on

behind the sari-draped screen in the People’s Mar-

ket. Nothing sinister, I assure you.

What is happening is that I am channelling the Uni-

versal Energy through my own energy field into the

energy field of the person who is sitting receiving it.

I do not even have to touch the receiver. I firmly

believe that this energy is an intelligent force and

knows what our body needs and how much it

needs at any one time. Almost everyone can feel

that something is happening, although each one

experiences it differently.

Back in the 1980s I worked with the Masters in a

spiritual community in America, learning techniques

of healing energy transmission. Two and a half

years ago I was attuned by the Light of Love Foun-

dation to intensify my ability to channel this energy.

The Light of Love is transmitted into this frequency

by a Hungarian named Tibor, who had a nine-

minute near-death experience and came back to

life able to sense and transmit energy of a very

high vibration. He is also able to attune other peo-

ple to carry on this work. There is a large Light of

Love community in Hungary, and Tibor visited

Wales three years ago to bring his gift; he feels a

strong connection with the Celts due to the same

racial origins of both countries. He is coming again

to Wales in March.

Here in Wales there are 39 people attuned to give

Energy Treatments. We do not claim to heal, alt-

hough the energy is undoubtedly a healing force.

However, the results are different for everyone.

Most people feel very relaxed after the treatment

and it is generally accepted by holistic therapists

that relaxation is the first step to physical healing.

For those of us on a conscious spiritual pathway,

regular treatments and, especially, being attuned to

give the energy, speeds up that process. We are

holding a preparation group near Lampeter, at the

end of February and beginning of March, in readi-

ness for the next Attunement on the weekend 15 -

17 March, when we stay in a wonderful retreat cen-

tre near Llandrindod Wells.

Interested in exploring this further? or would like

free Energy Treatment outside People's Market

hours? Contact me: Ceredwin, 01570 421476.

LIGHT OF LOVE FOUNDATION

19

Cookie’s Corner

Copy Dates & Themes

April issue

Copy: Fri 8 March Theme: ‘Spring Watch’ - x -

May issue

Copy: Fri 12 April Theme: ‘Come Outside’ - x -

June issue

Copy: Fri 10 May Theme: ‘Festival Fever’

Mind the Gap I thought the ‘hungry gap’ occurred every afternoon

around half past four. I’ve already had too much cof-

fee, I need a shot of something because the thought

of working for the good of my employer is not suffi-

cient to keep me awake, and I’m not going to make it

till teatime without either nodding off or losing the will

to work. I know I should eat an orange or banana but

I also know the biscuit barrel contains a few broken

bourbons or, if in the office, the vending machine

beckons - both hold the added attraction of 5

minutes away from the laptop. Chocolate and ‘work

avoidance’ - who could say no?

Anyway, to my surprise, I discover the hungry gap is

nothing to do with my lack of moral fibre and lots to

do with the dearth of colours hanging around in the

bottom of my fridge. What to do? All the pretty shiny

stuff is long gone, or long-haul, so we have to deal

with the few seasonal veg either still hanging on or

just coming through.

Do not despair. At this time of year there is nothing

more suited to the weather than a bowl of soup - and

I think there is nothing better suited to soup than the

humble potato. A bit of colour is easily added, using

some of the greens still strong at this time of year,

and a touch of spice adds a bit of a bite to combat

the cold.

Potato and Savoy Cabbage Soup with Indian

Spices (serves 5 as a main)

In a big pan (about 6 pints) heat a couple of table-

spoons of oil and gently sweat 2 coarsely-chopped

onions. Whilst this is going on you have time to pre-

pare the other ingredients. When the onions are soft,

add 6 cloves of chopped garlic, a 1-inch piece of gin-

ger finely chopped, 2 tablespoons of ground cumin, 2

tablespoons of ground coriander, 2 tablespoons of

tomato puree, and a finely-chopped red chilli. Cook

this mixture for a couple of minutes, keep it moving

in the pan to prevent it burning.

To this mixture add 1lb of potato chopped into ½ inch

cubes, along with some salt and 1 pint of veg stock.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or

until the potatoes are almost cooked.

Shed 1lb of savoy cabbage. Add to the pan and re-

place the lid - don’t stir it in just yet, give it 5 minutes

to cook in the steam before stirring it in. Another 5

minutes should do it - depends how you like your

greens.

Puree half of the mixture - it is best to divide the con-

tents of the pan and totally whizz one half whilst

leaving the other half intact. That way you retain

some bite-size bits rather than ending up with a half-

whizzed mush.

You can serve the soup now, but you may want to

add a large tin of coconut milk and the juice of half a

lemon - remembering to re-heat. Check for season-

ing and sprinkle lots of chopped coriander leaves on

top if you fancy it.

Variations:

Feel free to replace the savoy cabbage with any

greens you can find. Kale may still be lurking in the

polytunnel, or early spinach may have made an ap-

pearance. If using spinach don’t bother to shred it - it

will wilt down.

The spice mixture can be replaced with garam masa-

la - but don’t forget the tomato puree. The amount of

chilli is, as always a matter of taste. Increase or de-

crease depending upon your preference.

Tim Martin

Cabbage ‘Tourmaline’ (Winter Savoy) Photo: Thompson & Morgan

20

21

Recent Reviews

Moving Music at the Mulberry Bush

A wet and windy Saturday evening

in January was warmed up nicely by

a good meal at the Mulberry Bush

followed by music from local singer

and guitarist, Georgia Owen.

Georgia has recently returned to her

roots in West Wales, and is fast be-

coming established on the music scene with several

well-received performances under her belt.

But, before the music, we had a menu "inspired by

Indian cuisine". For starters I opted for the tasty vegan

potato and pea patties, while my husband chose the

vegetable pakoras.

The main course was a vegan Thali. The rich auber-

gine and tomato curry was complemented perfectly by

the delicately spiced rice with almonds and the cute

little bowl of red pepper and coconut soup. However,

the potato and cauliflower in cashew and sesame

sauce met mixed reviews on our table - some loved it

and some were unsure about the smoky taste.

The dessert choice was a tough one - banoffee cream

pie, which lived up to its billing as “not Indian at all,

just yummy!”, or the juicy and comforting pistachio

and pear crumble.

After the meal, Georgia grabbed our attention with a

soulful version of John Lennon’s Imagine followed by

several of her own wry compositions about relation-

ship woes.

Following a Beatles medley came the evening’s high-

light - a powerful and heartfelt performance of Mary J

Blige’s No More Drama. She then lifted the mood with

a couple of her own upbeat numbers - including the

Rolling Stones-inspired Let’s spend the night together.

After a break, Georgia returned with Steeleye Span’s

All Around My Hat and the audience sang along en-

thusiastically. By now, any first-half nerves were gone

and she gave an impromptu a capella performance of

a sea shanty to loud applause.

Georgia quotes Joni Mitchell as one of her influences,

and the set included Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi and

Night Ride Home as well as more of Georgia’s own

songs. These included the hauntingly beautiful Glen-

coe, written when she lived in Scotland, and the fun

rap Wannabe.

The encore was Elton John and Kiki Dee’s Don’t Go

Breaking My Heart, and her young daughter (and big-

gest fan!) Lauren presented her with a bunch of roses.

Check out future events at the Mulberry Bush on

www.mulberrywholefoods.co.uk or Facebook, and you

can look forward to fantastic good-value food and

great music in a friendly atmosphere. But, when they

invite Georgia back, make sure you book your place

early! Mary Galliers

Beautiful Banners The Year 7 Religious Studies class

at Ysgol Bro Pedr were surprised to

find the tables set with colourful art

materials and some religious symbols, when they came to class on 9 January. Their teacher, Sian Thomas,

introduced artist Lynne Denman and explained that today they would have the opportunity to collaborate on

some designs for six banners to decorate the streets of Lampeter for the Sacred Music Festival in March.

The pupils worked in six groups, one for each of the major world religions: Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism,

Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. One for each of the six banners.

To begin with, everyone chose a sheet of coloured paper and drew, with one coloured pastel, their own ver-

sion of the symbol. Everyone noticed something different and finally there were five unique versions of the

same symbol. Next, one person from each group was chosen to be the artist, while everyone else chose their

best bits from all the drawings and told the artist what to draw. The artist re-drew all of the favourite bits into

one colourful picture and then each one explained to the class what they had done. By the end of the class

there were 25 beautiful individual drawings and 6 colourful collaborative pictures.

The pupils' work has been given to the artists of Lampeter Artworks, who are making a great job of painting

the designs onto six large banners. Thanks are also due to Shirley's friend who has provided materials,

Glangwili Laundry, and Helena of Pwythau in Lampeter. Shop owners will be invited to hang a banner above

their shops during the Festival. L Denman

22

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complementary & alternative therapists

Very able self-employed woman

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April issue

Copy: Fri 8 March Theme: ‘Spring Watch’

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May issue

Copy: Fri 12 April Theme: ‘Come Outside’

- x - June issue

Copy: Fri 10 May Theme: ‘Festival Fever’

Diolch / Thanks

to all who have completed the Readers’ Survey so far.

The results are being collated &

will be available next month.

There’s still time to make your comments,

so please complete the online survey by 8 March

on the Grapevine page of www.transitionllambed.co.uk

at a glance

1 St David’s Day 16 Wales vs England - RBS 6 Nations Rugby

2 17 St Patrick’s Day

3 18

4 Climate Week 19

5 20 Spring Equinox

6 World Maths Day 21

7 World Book Day 22 World Day of Water

8 International Women’s Day 23 WWF Earth Hour - 8.30pm

9 Scotland vs Wales - RBS 6 Nations

Rugby

24

10 Mothers’ Day 25

11 26

12 27

13 28

14 29

15 Red Nose Day 30

31 Clocks go forward

British Summer Time (BST) begins

Planning ahead:

Don’t forget to send us your

thoughts, ideas, tips & photos

for Spring activities.

We would really like to hear

from you.

The Newsletter Team

24