Held every year in September, the Nottingham Green Festival is a unique event, free to enter, and well worth a visit - check out their website at http://nottmgreenfest.org.uk/.
Here are a few images from previous recent years:
And below are some images from the 2016 Festival...
Dr Bike, from not-for-profit Nottingham Bikeworks, were present and offering free bike checks. BFTF took advantage of this and was told that the BFTF bike was in good nick apart from the chain, which was worn and needed replacing (and was what was causing BFTF's gears to slip occasionally).
Incidentally, some very nice signs had been installed around the Arboretum, provding information on the history of the park.
Lots of food options with most (if not all) being vegan. BFTF bought some very nice vegan cakes but could easily have been persuaded to part with some cash at the following two food locations.
Nice stall from Nottingham Hackspace, who were demonstrating how rope can be made, amongst other things...
The "Bee Cause" campaign, a Friends of the Earth project also being championed locally. The group comments that :
They have also engaged with the Nottingham City Council (in 2012), and received a positive response showing the many ways the council is making its parks and green spaces more bee friendy.
The chap on the stall explained to BFTF that it would be helpful to bees if gardens etc had flowers in them all year round (as far as possible) - and gave a list of suitable plants (see here)
Nottingham FOE were also campaigning on the issue of air quality, pointing out that Nottingham (and other areas) were still not meeting air quality standards that they should have reached in 2010, and that poor air quality kills thousands of people a year in the UK. The key measure required to reduce air pollution is to implement a "Clean Air Zone" by restricting or charging heavily polluting vehicles (e.g. trucks) from the city centre (for example).
Interesting stuff at the Frack Free Notts stall. Their literature claimed to bust a number of fracking myths, not least the one that the UK is dependent on Russian gas supplies (it isn't). An it was interesting to see how a typcial fracking field would look when superimposed on some English countryside.
In terms of the local situation, Frack Free Notts will be challenging IGAS Energy's planning application to explore for shale gas in the north of Nottinghamshire at Mission Springs in Bassetlaw. In particular they are asking people to turn up at County Hall at 9am on Wednesday 5th October to urge the planning committee to reject the planning application.
IGAS has a website for this project which includes notes from meetings of a community liason group.
At AVID (Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees), BFTF learnt how they provide support, training and information to volunteer befrienders, and to help visitors around the country learn from each other. And also about the Morton Hall Detainee Visitor Support Group
The "Keep Our NHS Public" stall were unsure how to respond when asked about ensuring that Nottingham City CCG does not implement polices that discriminate against those who smoke or who are obese (except in cases of clinical need). Eventually they said BFTF should email Peter Homa, chief executive of the NUH. BFTF has done that via the NUH contact page
Both Five Leaves and ExLibris booksellers were present, with the inevitable result that BFTF bought a book...
BFTF also visited a number of other stalls, but this post is probably long enough already, so if you would like to get the full experience, make sure you visit the Nottingham Green Festival in 2017.
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2015 Green Festival
BFTF had a great time at this years Nottingham Green Festival, an event that has a unique vibe and ambiance!
Thanks are indeed due to funders, such as the Veggies Catering Campaign, who were key to making the event happen. A few notes and pictures below....
Great selection of food, and the BFTF crew were certainly impressed with the vege burgers from the Veggies van. It was interesting to see how many of the food vendors were clearly very passionate about the ingredients they were using, and keen to demonstrate their committment to vegan and vegetarian principles by showcasing the brands available. BFTF had no idea there were so many alternatives to cows milk, for example.
As might be expected, many campaigning groups had stalls at the event and BFTF had some interesting conversations, although the marine conservation group who had never heard of the MSC label might want to do a bit more research for next time...
BFTF finds it really hard to walk buy a second hand book shop, and inevitably ended up making some purchases at the winningly named "Masked booksellers" stall.
Lots of dynamic activities and displays too, including Capoeira.
Here are a few images from previous recent years:
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| BFTF signed petitions and donated at Amnesty International |
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| Lovely prints by Anne and Alice |
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| THERE. WERE. CROWDS |
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| Greenwood Community Forum - championing green spaces |
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| BFTF cannot pass by Ex-Libris without buying a book or, in this case, two. |
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| Mocky-D ! |
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| Cloth nappies. A technology from the past, helping secure a future, and here today |
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| ScrapStores |
And below are some images from the 2016 Festival...
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| Busy! |
Dr Bike, from not-for-profit Nottingham Bikeworks, were present and offering free bike checks. BFTF took advantage of this and was told that the BFTF bike was in good nick apart from the chain, which was worn and needed replacing (and was what was causing BFTF's gears to slip occasionally).
 |
| Dr Bike |
Incidentally, some very nice signs had been installed around the Arboretum, provding information on the history of the park.
 |
| Informative Signs at the Arboretum |
Lots of food options with most (if not all) being vegan. BFTF bought some very nice vegan cakes but could easily have been persuaded to part with some cash at the following two food locations.
 |
| Nice looking doughnuts at Vegan Junk |
 |
| The Veggie Catering Campaign |
Nice stall from Nottingham Hackspace, who were demonstrating how rope can be made, amongst other things...
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| Hackspace |
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| Nice things at Hackspace |
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| A Lemonade Shisha thing at Hackspace |
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| The three hooks are spinning at about 3prm |
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| At the other end, gently tapping the rope to settle the twist |
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| End result is rope like this! |
The "Bee Cause" campaign, a Friends of the Earth project also being championed locally. The group comments that :
"The main reasons for decline of bees are: habitat loss, farming practices, pesticides, loss of flower-rich hay meadows, hedge removal (hedges attract small mammals whose burrows can be used by bumblebees), unsympathetic management of verges and green areas. Gardens are the best remaining habitat (if pesticide free)."
They have also engaged with the Nottingham City Council (in 2012), and received a positive response showing the many ways the council is making its parks and green spaces more bee friendy.
The chap on the stall explained to BFTF that it would be helpful to bees if gardens etc had flowers in them all year round (as far as possible) - and gave a list of suitable plants (see here)
Nottingham FOE were also campaigning on the issue of air quality, pointing out that Nottingham (and other areas) were still not meeting air quality standards that they should have reached in 2010, and that poor air quality kills thousands of people a year in the UK. The key measure required to reduce air pollution is to implement a "Clean Air Zone" by restricting or charging heavily polluting vehicles (e.g. trucks) from the city centre (for example).
 |
| Air pollution in Nottingham |
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| Bee Cause |
Interesting stuff at the Frack Free Notts stall. Their literature claimed to bust a number of fracking myths, not least the one that the UK is dependent on Russian gas supplies (it isn't). An it was interesting to see how a typcial fracking field would look when superimposed on some English countryside.
In terms of the local situation, Frack Free Notts will be challenging IGAS Energy's planning application to explore for shale gas in the north of Nottinghamshire at Mission Springs in Bassetlaw. In particular they are asking people to turn up at County Hall at 9am on Wednesday 5th October to urge the planning committee to reject the planning application.
IGAS has a website for this project which includes notes from meetings of a community liason group.
 |
| Frack Free Notts |
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| Mission Decision - Wed 5th Oct |
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| What a Fracking site looks like |
At AVID (Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees), BFTF learnt how they provide support, training and information to volunteer befrienders, and to help visitors around the country learn from each other. And also about the Morton Hall Detainee Visitor Support Group
 |
| Morton Hall Detainee Visitor Group |
The "Keep Our NHS Public" stall were unsure how to respond when asked about ensuring that Nottingham City CCG does not implement polices that discriminate against those who smoke or who are obese (except in cases of clinical need). Eventually they said BFTF should email Peter Homa, chief executive of the NUH. BFTF has done that via the NUH contact page
 |
| Keep Our NHS Public |
Both Five Leaves and ExLibris booksellers were present, with the inevitable result that BFTF bought a book...
 |
| Seriously, it was rather busy! |
BFTF also visited a number of other stalls, but this post is probably long enough already, so if you would like to get the full experience, make sure you visit the Nottingham Green Festival in 2017.
 |
| The weather was kind. |
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| They walk among us! |
***********************************
2015 Green Festival
BFTF had a great time at this years Nottingham Green Festival, an event that has a unique vibe and ambiance!
Thanks are indeed due to funders, such as the Veggies Catering Campaign, who were key to making the event happen. A few notes and pictures below....
 |
| It was a busy event |
Great selection of food, and the BFTF crew were certainly impressed with the vege burgers from the Veggies van. It was interesting to see how many of the food vendors were clearly very passionate about the ingredients they were using, and keen to demonstrate their committment to vegan and vegetarian principles by showcasing the brands available. BFTF had no idea there were so many alternatives to cows milk, for example.
 |
| Very busy at the Veggies Catering Campaign van |
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| Interesting stuff from the Veggies Catering Campaign |
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| Nice drink by Whole Earth |
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| Short list of ingredients, apple juice in second place, not sugar. |
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| Delicious dessert from Food Heaven |
As might be expected, many campaigning groups had stalls at the event and BFTF had some interesting conversations, although the marine conservation group who had never heard of the MSC label might want to do a bit more research for next time...
 |
| Cuban Solidarity Stall - who'd have thunk Notts had such a group? |
BFTF finds it really hard to walk buy a second hand book shop, and inevitably ended up making some purchases at the winningly named "Masked booksellers" stall.
 |
| Loved the Masked Booksellers! |
Lots of dynamic activities and displays too, including Capoeira.
 |
| Capoeira, like martial arts, but at 33rpm |
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| Bands were popular... |