Reconnect 25 june 2013

www.reconnectonline.co.uk JUNE/JULY 2013 ISSUE 25

Frame and fortuneThe value of traditional building

Growing kidsPlanting ideas for the future

FREE plEasE takE onE and pass it on

the green living magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and South Devon

l WIN, WIN, WIN! Quest festival tickets + new forest garden cook book l

Visit your makersEnjoying a crafty day out

FREE plEasE takE onE and pass it on

Seeding a revolutionWhat’s Transition ever done for us?

All together now...Community events diary

ALSO INSIDE : Festivals guide l Renewable energy l Seasonal eating l Natural wellbeing

local people local events local food local health local environment

Advertising: 01392 346342 [email protected] www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Explore the new Reconnect archive at www.reconnectonline.co.uk...

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MO MORRISH RSHomHomoeopathic medicinewww.thehomoeopathicpractice.co.ukANNA PARIS Ac.M.MBACTraditional acupuncture, Toyohari 5 element & Manaka styles.email: [email protected] TATERemedial, pregnancy and therapeutic massage, Myofascial release.www.lisatatetherapies.co.ukKATHERINE JENKINS BSc(Hons)Psych, MNCH(Acc), CNHC.Counselling Hypnotherapist, www.hypnosisexeter.comKATHERINE UKLEJA DO RCSTCraniosacral therapywww.katherineukleja.co.ukLESLEY HARPERNutritional Therapywww.lesleyharper.co.ukSUSAN QUAYLEMaternity refl exologist, fertility, ante natal, labour, post natal & baby, aromatherapy, massageTel: 01626 862469KARIN AND PATRICIAPregnancy yoga & active birthwww.birthwise.netSAMANTHA GODDARDReiki Rascals & The Reiki Institute. Training and sessions in Reiki, Baby Massage, Baby Yoga & Stress Management. www.reikirascals.comLOUISA SHORNEY MBSCHClinical Hypnotherapy & life [email protected] DEVON SCHOOL OF REFLEXOLOGY Level 3 Diploma Spring/Autumn courses 2013www.devonrefl exology.comHARRIET HOLLINGWORTHSports Massage, Emotional Freedom Technique, Reiki Attunements.www.the-Hollingworth-touch.co.ukGEOFF GREENEnergy healing and Person-Centred Counsellingwww.innerknowing.co.ukSUE VAUGHAN DHHKinesiology, Allergy Testing, Clinical Nutrition, Hypnotherapy, NLP.www.svaughan.co.ukMARION BEAUREGARDSophrology Practitioner07929 056 [email protected] www.vie-tality.comRUTH BAKER BSC HONS PSYCHOLOGY,MA, Dip SW, Adv Dip Couns, Psychotherapist,Counsellor, Coach, Facilitator & Supervisor.www.ruthbaker-pschotherapy.co.ukHANNAH MAKIN MSc, MBPsS, NLP Prac. GQHPHypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner & Psychologist. www.hmakin.com.DAVID R COTTERILLDip Hyp Psych MSNLP, Integrative Therapist, Hypnotic Practitioner and NLP Life and Business Coach. 07841 437951.LIZZIE WOOLRYCH ABNLP ABHPTSD and Severe Trauma Specialist. Trainer and Master Practitioner of NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis. email: lizziewoolrych@hotmail. co.ukDEIRDRE RICHARDSMassage and ReikiTel: 075400 47482

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THE DEADLINEThe deadline for the Aug/Sept issue is Friday, July 5 - but get in touch now and let’s talk!

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Local produce 6Food and beer festivals and more

Organic gardening 11Joa’s got a few jobs for you to do...

Could you go off-grid? 12Storing PV power to use later

Energy Q&A 14What makes a meter smart?

Pretty good food 15Making a meal of flowers

Hillyfield Hens 16Otters are wonderful but...

Eco homes are go! 18Project finally agrees land deal

State of Transition 22A reminder of the story so far

Events diary 24Just no excuse for staying in

Festivals preview 26Free Quest tickets to be won

Win a cook book 28The forest garden cook book

WELLBEING PAGES 29The natural way to good health

Living on Less 42Work’s not just for making money

PUBLISHED BYReconnect Publishing, 2 Withall’s Gardens, Lympstone, EX8 5JHPRINTED BYKingfisher Print, Wills Rd, Totnes www.kingfisherprint.co.ukWEBSITEVisit our website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk. And visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/reconnectmagazine

ECO ETHOSReconnect is written, designed, printed and distributed locally, using materials from sustainable sources. It is printed using vegetable-based inks and biodegradable fount solution. The paper is 75 per cent post-consumer waste and 25 per cent virgin fibre (from a sustainable source), chlorine-free and FSC-accredited (www.fsc-uk.org). All by-products of the production and printing processes are recycled. Please recycle this magazine by passing it on to someone else after you’ve read it

COPYRIGHT© Reconnect Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of Reconnect can be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. But do ask – if you’re genuinely spreading the word, we’ll try to help. The publishers, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services advertised or referred to in this issue, or any errors, omissions, mis-statements or mistakes in any advertisements or references

The small print

Cover images:Anti-clockwise from the main image: The Contemporary Craft Festival (page 4); Rise Up And Sing (page 34; Transition Town Totnes (p22-23); Embercombe’s Linhay learning centre (page 20); Book-cycle’s tree planting project (page 5).

Quest festival - page 26 & 31

Taiko - page 15

Craft exhibition- page 4

Healing horses - page 11

I KNOW we always go on about how this is a really great issue, blah, blah, blah, but... well, we think this one really is special. It only actually matters what you think, of course, so we’ll let you be the judge.One thing you will notice is a generous helping of Transition coverage and, while we make absolutely no apology for that (the Transition ethos has everything in common with our own), we did want to say something about the emphasis on Transition Town Totnes (TTT).We’ve focused on TTT generally, and the Transition Homes Community Land Trust in particular, for the reasons we’ve explained in the features. But, as we’ve said so many times, we are ALWAYS up for hearing from all Transition groups, whether in Exeter, Crediton, Exmouth, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Ivybridge, Plymouth...Our plan is to reintroduce the Transition Noticeboard, so tell us about future events (we’ll add those to our events diary too), events that have taken place, and anything else you think will interest Reconnect readers.

Martin

www.chapelhousestudios.comStation Road Totnes TQ9 5HW 01803 866 461

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Have you got news for us?


THE tenth annual Contemporary Craft Festival will open its doors (well, ok, its flaps – it’s in marquees) from June 7-9 at Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey, 10am-5pm.The event attracts makers from across the UK and includes stands, demonstrations and workshops. Find out more at www.craftsatboveytracey.co.uk.The decade of festivals is also being marked by The Devon Guild of Craftsmen with Ten out of Ten, an exhibition at their Bovey Tracey gallery until June 16. Visit www.crafts.org.uk

Craft show brings together the region’s top makers Tour de DevonA PARTY of French journalists has visited Devon to explore local sections of the new cross-channel cycle route, the Tour de Manche, before it opens on June 22.The group began in Exmouth, passed the new cycle and pedestrian crossing, Clyst Bridge, and headed to Exeter Quay for lunch before meeting a BBC film crew in Okehampton.The route planning website is www.tourdemanche.com.

Unique marketTHE Unique Boutique indoor market is back in Exeter for the fourth year running with a mix of one-off ceramics, locally-spun wool, up-cycled furniture, handmade cards and accessories.The market is at Exeter Phoenix from 11am-3.30pm on June 11. Visit www. exeterphoenix.org.uk, or call 01392 667080.

Owl spottingTHE Ashburton-based Barn Owl Trust has launched a nationwide survey to estimate just how many barn owls have survived the Winter snow and low Spring temperatures.Anyone who spots a barn owl is asked to report it at a new website, www.barnowlsurvey.org.uk.

Craft coursesGROWERS Organics, the friendly and informed team who write our regular organic gardening column, also host a huge range of craft and rural skills courses at their nursery in Yealmpton.Check the full list at www.growersorganics.com or call 01752 881180.

Eco film festivalTHE Exploring Our World film festival looks at ecology, adventure, landscapes, cultures and communities and runs at The Barn Cinema, at Dartington, until June 2. Find out more at www.dartington.org/barn-cinema.

PL:21 AGMTHE Ivybridge Transition group PL:21 will hold its AGM at the town’s Chapel Place Community Centre from 7pm on Friday, June 14.

Get in touchIF you have a story for Reconnect readers, email it to [email protected].

Big names at small festivalTHE South Brent Folk Festival might not be the biggest on the calendar but it has certainly attracted some big names this year over the weekend of July 12-14.Things are still being finalised as we go to press, but the organisers tell us the Saturday night concert in the village hall will feature: singer/songwriter/ex-Albion Band member Steve Ashley, O’Hooley & Tidow (Belinda O’Hooley of Unthanks and Heidi Tidow – “beautiful harmonies and striking songs”); plus Issy and David Emeney with Kate Riaz (melodeon, guitar, vocals and cello).The festival will also include a Friday night family ceilidh with Blue Jewel Ceilidh Band (7.30pm in the village hall) and singing, music, dancing and workshops throughout Saturday in various village venues.On Sunday, there’s Breakfast Café in the Old School in the morning, harmony singing workshops in the afternoon with Craig Morgan Robson, followed by their concert. To find out more, visit www.southbrentfolk.org, email [email protected] or call 01364 73699.

IT sometimes seems there are very few taboo subjects in today’s society, so it is ironic that we often find death, the one thing we can all be certain of having to face, tricky to handle.As we and our family members get older, we realise there are issues around death that we want to talk through, to ask questions about, to state our opinions on.And yet it can be very difficult to have these tender conversations – and especially so when the relationship is outside of a family setting.Totnes-based funeral directors Green Fuse offer a full range of funerals, from traditional to contemporary, and pride themselves on paying attention to the details that make each funeral unique to the individual.So it is crucial they develop a good relationship with the client - and a vital part of that is the ability to listen.

They are now offering to give free talks to retirement home staff to pass on tips and make it easier to discuss the subject of death and funeral arrangement when residents raise the subject.“We are offering free, engaging and informative 90 minute talks, including a question and answer session,” said Green Fuse’s Simon Smith.“The idea is to give retirement home staff valuable information about bridging the gap between the care of the dying and the care of the dead, funerals, the work of funeral directors and what happens when someone dies.”Green Fuse is not looking for any payment, or any commitment to further training. Any retirement home manager wanting to know more should call Simon on 01803 840779 or email [email protected].

Free talk on how to handle questions about death

City’s Ignite fires the imaginationEXETER is hosting a six-day festival of live performance in early June, with more than 50 performances at venues across the city.Ignite will celebrate work from the South West’s top performers and companies at venues including Exeter Phoenix, The Bike Shed Theatre and The Cygnet Theatre as well as pub venues like The Hourglass, The Globe and The Rusty Bike.One of Exeter Phoenix’s highlights includes an inventive and quirky play, The Last Post, in which 17 audience members watch a nostalgic love story about the wonderful art of letter writing - in the back of a mobile sorting office in the Phoenix carpark.At the Bikeshed Theatre, Fellswoop Theatre are back with a dark and intriguing drama, Ablutions. Hourglass hosts an adaptation of

Dickins’s Great Expectations by a founder member of Cornwall’s Kneehigh Theatre, David Mynne, and an eccentric, vintage comedy about a cross-channel swimming champion, Swimmers.And at the Cygnet Theatre, dance fans can enjoy a performance with live music in Buttercup and contemporary dance from performers trained at Rambert and the Royal Ballet in Piano Moves.

David Lockwood, director of The Bike Shed Theatre, said: “Exeter Ignite is a wonderful opportunity for artists to try out new work, often before they go up to the Edinburgh Festival. It is also a chance for people in the city to have some fun, try something new and take part in something a little different.”

Visit www.igniteexeter.org.uk

l For more festival news, turn to page 26.

Kilter Pigeons at Exeter’s Ignite festival.

...email details to us now at


green fuse funeral directorsgreen fuse supports you to create a moving and memorable

funeral reflecting the life & values of the person who has died.Joint Funeral Director of the Year 2012

Good Funeral GuideWe have just opened our new Bereavement Centre where you can hold funeral ceremonies, vigils and

wakes, with the most modern facilities to look after your loved person by the river at BuckfastleighVisit our funeral centre at 7 High Street, Totnes

or visit our highly informative website www.greenfuse.co.uk

To find out all about funerals and bereavementCall us on 01803 840779 (24 hour service).

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For more information please phone Kate on 01275 877083 or visit www.conhom.com

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Planting is child’s play

Steiner open for September term

BOOK-Cycle, a volunteer-run charity based in Exeter, has started a new tree planting project in partnership with primary schools.The Tree-Cycle scheme encourages the reforestation of England through various tree planting and green fingered activities and volunteers from the charity have already planted 30 fruit trees at eight primary schools in Exeter with the help of pupils from each school.Book Cycle’s Sakeenah said: “The idea is to give the children information about trees and their importance in our environment. It also serves as a lovely thank you for the books we have received from numerous schools in Exeter, assisting us with building libraries overseas for communities that do not have access to educational resources”. Book-Cycle runs a bookshop in West Street, Exeter, where customers choose up to three books a day in exchange for a donation. The donations are used to keep the bookshop running, send books overseas and provide local community projects. Find out more at www.book-cycle.org.

THE latest Steiner Academy is set to open on a temporary site in Exeter for the start of the new term in September this year.The site is at Foxhayes in Gloucester Road, Exeter, where the academy is expected to spend between one and a half and two years while its permanent site is converted or built.Alan Swindell, the academy’s Principal, said: “The permanent site, subject to final agreement, will be accessible to the whole of Exeter and will be a truly stunning location.”The academy completed its consultation exercise in March which suggests there is significant

support for a new school of this nature in Exeter.The report of the consultation said that a number of responses were from local residents who were concerned about one of the proposed temporary sites which has since been dropped.The report states: “The school has a projected 267 applicants for a class place in September and strong support across the community.”The academy will be at the Exeter Respect Festival on Belmont Park on Saturday and Sunday June 1 and 2 where you can meet the team and see taster lessons in action.

How to make new media work for youTHE growth of social media by individuals is scary but its increasing use by business is even more amazing.But having signed up to Facebook or Twitter, how do you make best use of them for you and your business or organisation?So What? Social Media can offer social media construction and advice for new businesses, and refinement and audience building for established enterprisesSo What? is already helping some major local brands and smaller organisations, including Salty Dog, Avon Mill, Tai Chi Nation and WildWise. Said director Matthew Rochford: “It’s easy to dismiss Twitter or Facebook as superficial and not worth investigating. But like all social media tools, whether it works or not is down to how we use it. For millions of enterprises they are an indispensable platform. “But some big well known businesses and organisations still don’t have much presence in the world of Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Most of this is a simple matter of confidence and perception.”Call Matthew on 07717 172 691 0r 01803 864 160 for a chat.www.facebook.com/sowhatsocialmedia or @sowhatsmedia.

Pupils from St Sidwell’s Primary, dressed as their favourite book characters, planting trees on World Book Day.

Advertising: 01392 346342 [email protected]

OUR regular round-up of local food news this time includes markets, cafes, a beer festival and a forest garden community project. If you have a story for Reconnect readers, email us at [email protected]

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Local food

Subtle transition in the market place

Town festival celebrates all that’s local

IT’S always interesting to discover what provides the spark for a new business.For Bill Smith it was a phone call. “I had been working at the Real Food Store in Exeter since it opened,” explained Bill. “Then one afternoon I received a phone call to say Market Health Foods in Newton Abbot’s market food hall would shortly be closing down. “I decided a business that had been established for 32 years deserved better than to close down just because the owner was retiring, so I spoke to the owner and then the landlord, Teignbridge District Council.“Finally, in March last year, Market Wholefoods Plus came into being.Bill obviously wanted to make some changes but he soon discovered which existing lines he should retain.“Customers told me they had been worried they wouldn’t be able to buy their favourite cereal, jam or the quality of dried fruit they had become used to,” said Bill. “There certainly seemed to be a collective sigh of relief when they knew the store would not be closing after all.”Pricing was the other big issue, but Bill is confident he’s got it right.

He said: “Check our prices against one of the national health food chain stores that is fairly close by - especially our own label products, such as oats, muesli, seeds, nuts, grains, flour and dried fruit. You will be pleasantly surprised!” “We pride ourselves on our service,” said Bill. “If you cannot see what you are looking for, please ask. If we don’t have it in stock we will do our best to get it for you – usually within a week, and if you leave your phone number we will call you when it comes in,” he added.Market Wholefoods is on the right hand side of the food hall as you pass into the main part of the market, and is best accessed using the doors nearest to the barber shop kiosk. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 8:30am-4:15pm.

Set like a jewel in the heart of The English Riviera, away from the hustle

and bustle of the town centre is One World Cafe & Bistro.

A licensed Cafe with great coffee, award winning gardens and the perfect destination for drinks, dining and live

music with an emphasis on honest, home-cooked food, a fantastic range of

meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.

An independent, family friendly destination for something different in the Bay.

Abbey Park, Belgrave Road, Torquay, TQ2 5HP

Telephone: 01803 297797Email: [email protected]

www.oneworldcafe.org.uk

A stunning place to eat!

THE Crediton Food and Drink Festival is back, celebrating all that’s delicious, healthy and local.On Saturday, June 15, 10.30am-3pm, local producers will have stalls around the town square, in the centre of which a demonstration kitchen will host Oliver’s Bake-off competition.On Sunday 16, 12 noon-3pm, the Big Sunday Lunch will feature a range of stalls selling hot and cold food that can be eaten there at tables provided by the organisers. There will also be music and a raffle.The food and drink festivities (www.creditonfoodfestival.co.uk) are part

of Crediton Festival 2013, which runs from Saturday June 1 to Saturday July 13 (www.credfest.co.uk) - find out more in our local festivals preview on page 26.

Bill Smith at Market Wholefoods Plus

7www.reconnectonline.co.uk

SackS SackS Too 80 High Street The Plains Shopping Centre Totnes TQ9 5SN Totnes TQ9 5DR 01803 863263 [email protected]

SackS wholefoods

• Organic fruit and vegetables• Large range of herbs and spices• Green Lane herbal tinctures

• Bulk and case discounts• Special orders catered for• Established in Totnes 35 years

Editorial: 01392 346204 [email protected]

[email protected]... email us your local food stories at

New organic cafe with healthy twistIN the last issue of Reconnect we talked about the long-established Totnes bookshop Arcturus moving to new premises across the road. This time we can look at what has taken its place – welcome to Thrive café.Thrive, an organic café and deli that also sells supplements and books on health, is the brainchild of Steve Hopwood, who for 15 years has run the Arcturus Clinic complementary health centre, which occupies the two floors above it.Says Steve: “The idea was to create an organic cafe and deli that specialises in delicious healthy food and sells a range of exceptionally high quality supplements from independent companies, rather than the big conglomerates, together with a range of books on health. “Combined with the Arcturus Clinic, we believe we have created a centre to nourish the mind, body and soul.”At first glance, Thrive is a beautifully detailed café, with oak floors, slate worktops, an open fireplace and seating inside and out, with tables and chairs also on a terrace at the back and in front on the pavement.Behind the scenes too it has been carefully thought through and executed, with large ceramic Butler sinks either end of the stainless steel food preparation area, and high quality equipment including both an

original art deco coffee maker and a hi-tech bean to cup machine.“It was important that the design and fittings should also embody the ethos of Thrive,” said Steve.The same attention to detail is going into the menu and all-important coffee, which uses freshly ground Devon-roasted beans, triple-filtered water and organic milk.“The food will always be fresh, organic and almost all made on the premises,” says Steve. “The chief cook is Carrie Allcott, who has worked as head chef at the Karuna Institute, Riverford Field Kitchen and Willow.“We offer a wide range of contemporary wholefood dishes, so anyone on a special health diet can dine out here and feel they’ve had something really special. And we also offer take-away food that school students can afford.”But look a little deeper and Thrive offers more, encouraging customers to eat the same healthy diet at home, and to get advice on natural supplements which are also on sale.And for those who want to take it a step further, and explore integrated health care, including for serious illness like cancer, there is a wealth of literature available to read and buy.Thrive is at 47 Fore Street in Totnes, or visit www.thrivecafe.co.uk.

We stock seeds, grains, flakes, beans, lentilsdried fruits, oats, nuts, muesli, jams, pickles

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The seating area at the front of the new Thrive cafe in Totnes, left, and taking pride of place inside, the art deco coffee machine, above


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Honest Local Food at a Fair PriceNow well established, Ashburton’s premiere, undercover, local produce market goes from strength to strength ... an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ of goodies, our product range isexpanding all the time. Come along and meet the people who rear it, cook it and sell it.

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Last orders for beer festival ticketsIT’S good news and bad news as we approach the annual charity beer festival at Occombe.Good news because the event, sponsored by Bays Brewery, showcases more than 70 ales from across the area – but bad because it often sells out and if you don’t have a ticket you won’t get in. No matter how thirsty you are.As well as the beers (and local ciders and perrys too), there’s a great music line-up featuring bands including These Reigning Days, Triple Threat, Land of the Giants and Duke Johnson & the Scorchers. There will also be a Pimms & wine

bar and plenty of hot food including a hog roast and BBQ.Event organiser Julian Carnell said: “The festival has grown hugely and we’ve been receiving enquiries about tickets for this year’s event since the end of last year – Torbay definitely has a thirst for real ale!”Proceeds from the festival go to the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, an independent charity dedicated to looking after Torbay’s most important wildlife and heritage sites.Visit www.occombe.org.uk, or call 01803 520022 to see if there are any tickets left.

Live music on menu at One World CafeIF you’re searching for somewhere different to go for food and entertainment this Summer you should try the One World Cafe and Bistro set in the heart of Torquay’s Abbey Gardens.June sees the start of live entertainment to accompany your refreshments at the cafe on Saturdays from 7.30pm and this year they are hoping to bring back some of last year’s hit entertainers such as Hoarse, below - known as the Intrepid bunch of music makers from Torquay.Booked for July will be the five-piece African Reggae band Makiwa playing its own brand of upbeat and inspirational dance beats.Also set to appear at the cafe is the 80s cover band The Lost Boys, playing the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode and David Bowie.Check out the cafe website and Facebook to see some of the new names appearing.You can also download the new 2013 menu.Visit www.oneworldcafe.org.uk

Sacks stays open into the eveningLONG opening hours is often cited as one of the reasons for shopping at supermarkets, but smaller, independent stores are starting to extend their opening hours too.Sacks, the traditional wholefood store in the Narrows at Totnes, is now opening until 7pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.And if you need a little extra incentive, it is also offering a 10% discount after 5pm on those nights.Said Sacks owner David Saunderson: “When we stay open for stock-taking or deliveries, people always want to come in and shop, so we thought we’d trial longer hours through the Summer.”Sacks stocks herbal tinctures and teas grown and prepared locally by another Reconnect regular, Frances Wright of Green Lane Herbs.Call Sacks on 01803 863263.

Ale enthusiasts enjoying last year’s Occombe Beer Festival and, inset, These Reigning Days, just one of the bands playing this year.



More local food stories online at... [email protected]

Volunteers grow togetherFOREST gardening, the sustainable, low-maintenance food growing method based on woodland ecosystems, is increasing in popularity – particularly in the South West.And one corner of the South Hams is a perfect living example, with the help and support of the local community.Situated in Follaton Arboretum, the public space behind the South Hams District Council HQ Follaton House, it is the result of work by a number of local projects.Over the last few years, volunteers from Transition Town Totnes (TTT)’s Fruit and Nut Tree project, led by Wendy Stayte, have established a community orchard with a wide range of fruit trees, as well as nut groves with almond, walnut, sweet chestnut and hazels.And volunteers from Trees for Health (www.treesforhealth.org), led by Liz Turner, have also planted a large number of useful trees, some edible, some medicinal, all native.It all began in February 2012 when community growing activist Larch Maxey ran a tree grafting skillshare workshop through TTT in conjunction with the Karuna Permaculture Project.That resulted in 65 newly grafted trees needing a home and the council approved the creation of a tree nursery in a sheltered spot of the arboretum. Establishing a forest garden there seemed the obvious next step – with a little inspiration from

the fact that world-renowned forest gardening expert Martin Crawford is based just a few miles away in Dartington (www.agroforestry.co.uk).With the help of other enthusiasts, Larch leads volunteer/skillshare sessions there on the first Sunday of every month, 10 am-1 pm, and everyone is welcome, whatever their level of skills.Volunteers and friends often share a picnic on site after a session and on June 2, the site will host a Big Picnic, as part of the national Big Lunch event. The organisers say a warm invitation goes to anyone who wants to enjoy the great view and good company, with shared food, friendship and fun. This event is co-hosted by the Network of Wellbeing (NOW –www.networkofwellbeing.org ), which Larch coordinates.The nursery is sited just behind the wall of the grounds at the back of Follaton House and the newly-planted forest garden is higher on the slope, next to the gazebo.To receive updates on forest garden activities, email Annie at [email protected]. For other activities of the Fruit and Nut Tree project, contact Wendy on [email protected], and for Trees for Health info contact Liz on [email protected] WIN one of three forest garden cook books - see page 10!

Everyone is welcome to get involved at the Follaton forest garden project, which is led by Larch Maxey, pictured above, front right.

Do you have a story for Reconnect readers?


When recycling is no longer necessary...

Meet Joy, the doulaJOY may be a fictional doula, but as you read A Doula’s Journey by Totnes author Hazel Tree, you’ll get to know her – and learn a great deal about her profession.Hazel says she wrote the book as a way to bring together the practical, scientific, intuitive and the art of being a doula and also used the platform “as a way to express the power of transformation through healing.”“Doula is a word that comes from Greek meaning a woman who works with other women before, during and after childbirth,” said Hazel. “This profession fills a gap left by the increasingly common separation of the modern family.“It would once have been the grandmother, aunt, cousin or sister to accompany a birthing woman during her transition into motherhood. Now if women do not have family close by, or for other reasons, they can choose to employ a doula to support them.”Visit www.ADoulasJourney.co.uk or email [email protected].

INVOLVING people in a playful way of finding solutions to today’s challenges has become something of an adventure for storyteller Steph Bradley.Their involvement with facilitating Transition Tales workshops at KEVICC led Steph and fellow collaborator Sky Chapman to develop an interactive game for teenagers which they called The Quest to 2030.And this Quest has kept Steph permanently enthusiastic ever since. Through many different phases and with many different collaborators of all ages, the game has grown from a simple activity designed to activate the imagination as part of a bigger project, to a stand-alone giant interactive community game that has been played all over the UK from East Anglia to Glasgow, and internationally too. Californian Transitioners tried it out and it was taken to Spain by Sky and later to South Africa. Steph even took it all the way to Hungary by train.The Quest is now at a very exciting stage; it is about to become a fully locally-produced card game and available for all to buy. For the past few months a dedicated collective of craft workers, part of Transition Plymouth, have been designing the unique pattern for

the reversible upcycled cloth bag in which the Quest can now be bought. Steph has also teamed up with playground designer Mike Jones to create an exciting indoor/outdoor version of the Quest especially for older children and teenagers. There will be a celebratory day-long family workshop at Exeter Forest School - the first group to buy the game - on Sunday August 18 from 11-4pm. Bring a picnic lunch. £10 per adult, children £5. Contact Chris White [email protected] to book your place - and please car share to the event, says Chris.The game is available on storyweaving.co.uk.

Steph’s Quest to spread the word

ALTHOUGH Nicky Scott, co-ordinator of the Devon Community Composting Network, is something of a recycling activist he dreams of the day we recycle nothing at all – because everyone would make ‘cradle-to-grave’ purchases and there would be zero waste.He explains: “To make all our purchases as thoughtful, we need to look for good designs, products that can be disassembled for instance, so that different material can be recycled in some way - rather than composite materials which cannot be recycled.”He says we’re lucky in Devon because the local authorities fund three recycling networks, Devon Community Recycling Network, Devon Community

Composting Network and Refurnish.

But he adds that “materials and stuff that often cannot be recycled or reused locally are more likely to be accepted by community projects than the council.”

And, while council recycling centres are getting better, “it is frustrating that the crucial reuse element of many sites is either just a table in the open with lovely stuff ruined by the elements, or tucked away at the end of all the recycling bays.”

So make your first port of call your local community project, he says - “and if you haven’t got one why not set one up?”

Find out more at www.dcrn.org.uk, www.dccn.org.uk and www.dff.org.uk.

The Exeter Forest School, top, will host a Quest family workshop. Above, the upcycled cloth bag in which the game can now be bought.

AS well as providing a valuable rescue service for ponies, the Dartmoor Pony Training Centre is hoping a new project will enable us all to learn something from horses.The centre is looking to register as a Community Interest Company to expand its work and to look more at the horse/human relationship and what we can learn from horses.There are workshops planned for this year and next which will look at how we can deepen our connection with nature, our imaginations, creativity and instinctive selves through our relationship with horses.The DPTC has a 20-strong mixed herd of Dartmoor Hill Ponies and horses with differing ages, sex, temperament and exposure to humans. This offers a diverse learning opportunity for people who want to explore their relationship with horses.The centre also wants to promote the benefits of keeping horses and ponies in a natural way.It is looking for people to support and sponsor the work it does both the rehoming of the at-risk Dartmoor Hill Ponies and the courses it runs.

Centre helpers want to purchase a secondhand yurt and need to raise £636 for next year’s insurance and around £1,000 to cover volunteer expenses.For more information about the DPTC, the courses or to offer your support in any way, call Natalie on 07802 218169, email [email protected] , look at the DPTC’s blogs: dptcevents.blogspot.co.uk / dptcrehoming.blogspot.com, or follow them on Facebook.


... email us your news at [email protected]

Organic gardening

FRUITING plants such as tomatoes, aubergines and peppers may not produce the biggest crops this year because they need a longer sunny season. But who knows - by the time this goes to press we might be in the middle of a heat wave, in which case do keep up with the watering! Use recycled water when and where possible. If, on the other hand, it’s raining (like today!)… well, at least the watering is done!So, assuming the weather stays in the realms of normal, it’s time to think about tending potatoes, brassicas and tomatoes. In these Summer months, all your vegetable plants will benefit from an extra feed to give them more strength to produce their crops. You can buy a decent organic feed from Growers Organics or make up your own from comfrey or nettle. In particular, your fruit-bearing crops will need extra feed, so that of course means the tomatoes too.Always water tomatoes before feeding them (so the feed doesn’t run straight through the pot), and tie them up to stakes so they don’t keel over with all that lovely fruit. Keep taking out those side shoots too. Potatoes need to be earthed up to increase the crop. If they’ve got blight you must take off all the affected leaves and burn them, or get rid of them - but don’t put them in your compost heap.Brassicas (Summer cabbages, kohl

rabi, cauliflower and calabrese) are most in danger from Cabbage Whites, so look for caterpillars or, even better, their small bright yellow eggs. You could also start thinking ahead to your Winter brassicas, (Winter cabbages, kale and purple sprouting). and clear beds in preparation. They can be planted as early as July onwards, so get them in as soon as you’ve got the space. If you’re buying your plants from us at the market or from the nursery, don’t worry we’ll have them ready for you in time! And don’t forget brassicas need plenty of space between them (about 30-45cm) because they’ll grow quite big. You can always plant some quicker growing crops in between them - plants such as lettuces and kohl rabi, which will be harvested long before your brassicas are ready.

Reconnect’s Organic Gardening column is written by Joa and Charlie Grower of Growers Organics. Meet them in person at Totnes market on Fridays and Saturdays. Visit www.growersorganics.com, or call 01752 881180.

YOUR garden should be really growing for it now. Joa and Charlie say it’s time to tend to your potatoes, brassicas and tomatoes...

Feed 'em good...

Squashes and courgettesEARLY June is still fine for sowing or planting courgettes, cucumbers and squash seeds – or, even better, get a head start by purchasing ready-grown plants (we have quite a few different varieties at Growers). Take care not to over water them at this stage and always water around the plants rather than directly onto the foliage. Start to apply an organic foliar feed when flowers and small fruits begin to appear.With courgettes and Summer squashes, try not to let the fruits get too big and pick regularly or the courgettes will turn to marrows - which is fine if marrows are what you want! Winter squashes are a bit different. If you want to produce just a few large fruits, pinch the growing tip out when your plants have set about six small fruits - otherwise just let them do their own thing and you should end up with an abundance of smaller squashes, just right for baking whole in the oven. After harvesting in the Autumn, leave them out in the sunshine to dry properly before storing.If you want to know more about growing your own vegetables, we are running two courses at our nursery, Growers Organics, in Yealmpton on Sunday June 2 and Wednesday July 10.

Why horses can teach us a lesson

Transition group passes on skillsKNITTING, needlework and crochet are just some of the skills that appear to be dying out among our youngsters. But members of Transition Town Exmouth (TTE) believe that by reskilling our young mums and dads we can become more self-sufficient and improve sustainability in our community.With this in mind members of the Exmouth LETS group (Local Exchange Trading), part of TTE, staged a reskilling event as part of the Exmouth Festival which took place in the Manor Gardens at the end of May.Other skills included pricking out and planting seedlings for the green-fingered and making cedar mothballs and garden bug houses for those interested in insect organisation.LETS member Deirdre Ryan said: “Our skilling activities encourage creative interaction with our environment. We ask how things work and we ask what we can do

for ourselves, how we can create something new from old? How can we encourage wildlife into the garden? How do we reduce our impact on the planet? “By working together, exploring these questions, we become more self-sufficient and confident in our ability to make a positive change in our world.“Reskilling is important for local sustainability as we all need to conserve our resources by making do and mending instead of throwing things away.”

One of the Exmouth LETS reskilling events.



Local energyPower to the people...

Our Local Energy section is all about renewables and this time we have the latest thinking on storing energy generated by PV solar, an update (well, latest excuses) on RHI payments, the story behind YouGen and our new regular energy Q&A from the South Devon Energy Centre

New technology keeps the solar power flowingWHEN the sun shines, solar PVs pump out the power - but come nightfall, it’s back to the national grid. However, with battery technology moving on fast, there are now systems available which are taking more and more homes off-grid and at a reasonable cost.These new battery-backed systems mean some homes in the UK have not had to import any grid power for weeks at a time. With the prospect of rising electricity costs this has to be the way forward for households.Chris Rudge of Rudge Renewables says that off-grid systems have been available for some time for those who live in outlying places where the only source of power is from oil or bottled gas, but now the newer battery era has introduced systems that enable you to store your excess solar PV power generated during the day to supply your home at night as well.Said Chris: “These systems mean you will not only have the facility of continuous mains power during a power cut, but as these intelligent systems charge the batteries using your excess generated solar PV power during the day, the intelligent inverter unit switches in to supply the house with power from battery at night! “So you can still be using solar generated power after the sun has gone down!”

Rudge Renewables can provide units made by a number of different manufacturers, with battery options that can be matched to your requirements - from the established Power Router, for example, with its online management, to the new Victron Hub, which is a basic retro-fit suitable for most existing solar inverters.Rudge Renewables is now operating from new headquarters at The Old School in Clyst Honiton, close to Exeter Airport, and can provide solar PV, biomass, solar thermal, wind and heat pumps for customers around the South West.For further information on the Victron Hub, Power Router and others, email Rudge Renewables at [email protected] or call 01392 368724.

The Victron Hub which links the PV panels to the batteries.

The Power Router, which connects power sources to your home system.



... send renewable energy news to [email protected]

NEWS of the long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive payment has been delayed yet again.The scheme is now expected to be up and running by the Spring of next year - 2014.The tariff levels and an explanation of how the scheme will work is to be announced this Summer, the Department for Energy and Climate Change has announced.The system of payments for people investing in renewable heat installations - known as The Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) launched in July 2011 - is being extended until the end of March next year ahead of the launch of the RHI for domestic premises. The scheme had been due to close at the end of March this year, mainly because that was the date the RHI tariffs were originally

due to be announced.Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:“The Renewable Heat Incentive, which has been available for non-domestic investors for over a year, is a key part of our approach to cutting carbon and

driving forward the move to more sustainable low carbon heating alternatives.“So far over 1,000 groups have got on board, and today we have outlined details of our tariff review to help encourage even more organisations to invest.“We remain committed to introducing an incentive scheme for householders too, and have today set out an updated timetable for its launch alongside plans to extend our renewable heat voucher scheme in the meantime.”

RHI payments postponed (again) until Spring 2014

We take our business seriously…

We are Kingfisher Print & Design.No matter what the job, big or small, we’ll work closely with you, understanding and treating each project with individual care and attention. Working in an environmentally responsible way, we are FSC certified and this drives everything we do. Combined with our wealth of knowledge and experience, this allows us to deliver whatwe do best - beautiful print of the highest standard…

If you would like to speak to us about a project please feel free to drop us a line 01803 867087.

Wills Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5XN01803 [email protected]

Meet Stevie from production

RENEWABLE energy information and directory business YouGen, based in Sidbury, has made it into the top 50 of the country’s ethical SMEs (small and medium enterprises) - but with your vote they could climb into the top 10.Voting doesn’t close until June 18 so a visit to www.mygreendirectory.info/voting/pea-ples-favourite.php could be just the ticket for proprietor Cathy Debenham.The award, which is part of the PEA Awards, is for the highest voted for eco/ethical SME that delivers the best environmental practice and products. Rather than being judged by a panel of experts, the organisers are asking the public to vote their favourite eco company into the Top 10.Cathy Debenham, who founded YouGen four years ago, said: “Our goal is to help people save energy at home and at work. This may be by stopping the heat escaping, generating their own solar energy or doing things differently. “We are really pleased that this work has chimed with enough

people that they have taken the time to vote for us. It’s an honour to be in the top 50 among such illustrious company. We hope they will vote again, so we make it to the top 10.”To contact YouGen call 01395 597879, email [email protected], or visit www.yougen.co.uk.

Eco energy firm in bid for ethical business award

YouGen’s founder Cathy Debenham Pic: James Millar

All quiet at the DECC offices...


Revisit all the Reconnect back issues and read our online diary...

Local energy Q&A

AS part of the Government’s carbon reduction strategy, energy companies have

agreed to fit gas and electricity smart meters to all properties in the UK. This will allow consumers to monitor their energy and identify ways of saving money. The Energy Saving Trust has estimated that by simply monitoring energy usage, consumers will cut their annual energy bills by up to 25%.It is estimated that 54 million meters will be fitted nationally. The project completion date is now 2020. l Smart meters give you near real time information on energy use – expressed in pounds and pence.l They allow you to better manage your energy use, save money and reduce emissions.l Smart meters bring an end to estimated billing - you will only be billed for the energy you actually use, helping you budget better.l It will be smoother and faster to switch suppliers to get the best dealsYou will not be charged separately for a smart meter or for the in-home display. Under current arrangements you pay for the cost of your meter and its maintenance through your energy bills, and this will continue.If anyone requires any more information about smart meters or want to train to be a smart meter installer, email me at [email protected] or call the South West Energy Centre 01803540725.

I’ve read about the UK’s Smart Meter project. Can you tell me what a smart

meter will do?

I’m hoping to build my own home - how does Passivhaus differ from

standard building practices?

IF you have a question for the experts at the South West Energy Centre, email it (with your

name and phone number) to [email protected]. They will answer you personally and the pick of the questions will feature in Reconnect.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Q QA

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[email protected] . Serving the South West . www.cooksenergy.co.uk

01803 862718Newton Abbot and Totnes Offices

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SWEC director Patrick McNevin answers your energy questions

PASSIVHAUS is an energy efficient construction concept that delivers a high level

of comfort, with little energy use for heating or cooling.

This is achieved by cutting down on draughts, giving high levels of air tightness and a high level of insulation. The control of solar gains (the heating of the building from sunlight, usually through windows) and internal heat sources, including the body heat of the inhabitants, are vital to the operation of a Passivhaus. As the building is airtight, it is important to provide good quality indoor air using a whole-house

mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery. The heating requirement in a Passivhaus is reduced to the point where a traditional heating system is no longer considered essential.Passivhaus is the fastest growing energy performance standard in the world with 30,000 buildings built to date, including Exeter’s Montgomery Primary School in St Thomas, the first carbon neutral school in the UK.The Passivhaus standard was developed in Germany in the early 1990s and the first dwellings to be completed to the Passivhaus Standard were constructed in 1991.To see a demonstration of Passivhaus techniques, contact the South West Energy Centre to arrange a tour of the Passivhaus at the new Energy Centre building.

A

T 01392 811342 M 07929 613284 www.atouchofthewild .co .uk

> Holiday Club> Birthday Parties> School Visits

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...on the Reconnect website at www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Seasonal eating

SUMMER is a wonderful time of blossoming and flourishing, with plenty of fresh food to tempt us in our gardens, hedgerows and window boxes. The fire element in Traditional Chinese medicine is associated with this time of year and it is all about passion, socialising, joy and laughter - sounds the perfect Summer recipe doesn’t it?It conjures up images of lounging around in the garden sipping long cool drinks, family picnics in the shade and that delicious feeling of relaxation that we can only really get when we can feel the sun on our face and bodies.The energy of Summer is light and bright and our diets should match that. This is the time to get most of our energy from fruit and vegetables and keep heavy carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes) to a minimum. If you like making fresh juices and smoothies, this is the time of year when we can most indulge and feel the benefit of having a high percentage of raw foods and get our fix of liquid sunshine. Salad ingredients too are plentiful and varied. For an extra seasonal twist try adding some edible flowers to your mixed salad leaves and herbs. Try the delicate blue borage flowers (remove thorny backside), which has a light flavour a bit like cucumber; the beautiful orange and red nasturtiums, which are deliciously spicy and pungent; marigold petals, which are spicy and add a wonderful golden colour to food (also known as poor man’s saffron); and finally aromatic rose petals which get tastier the

darker the colour. What a wonderful colourful celebration of the season.If you feel like experimenting, edible flowers can also be used in other ways. These include infused vinegars, sorbets, candies, syrups and jellies, teas, wines, meads, fritters, flower butters, dips and spreads, as well as just adding a wonderful garnish and colour to a meal. Just make sure the flowers are edible and have not been sprayed or treated before you experiment.To carry on the flower theme I found the wonderful recipe below, which is an unusual twist on the Devon favourite cream tea, piled high with yummy local cream and homemade jam - so is it the jam first, or the cream? If you are interested in blossoming with the Summer energy, check out my website for the Summer Reboot workshop happening in early June. See Workshops and Courses on page 41 for details.

Reconnect’s Seasonal Eating is written by Carol Lee, who runs workshops and courses in nutrition, health and wellbeing. Call her on 01363 82794 or visit www.naturalfoodschool.co.uk . You can also join her on Facebook for seasonal tips, recipes and nutritional information www.facebook.co/naturalfoodschool

Floral feast...

IT’S Summer (no, really, it is), so it’s time to take in some of that sunny energy. CAROL LEE says we could all benefit from a little extra flower power, including a recipe for some very special (and colourful) scones...

Lavender sconesIngredients: 8 oz/225gms self raising flour; 2 level teaspoons baking power; pinch of salt; 2 oz/60gms butter; 2 oz/60gms caster sugar; 2 rounded teaspoons of dried lavender flowers; 5 fluid ozs/150mls milk.Method: Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a pestle and mortar crush the lavender flowers and add them into your mixing bowl along with the sugar. Add the milk using as much as you need to form the dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly with fingertips until the dough is smooth. Roll out to about 2cms thick and using a circular cutter cut into rounds. Place the rounds onto a baking tray and brush with milk. Bake in a hot oven gas 7-8, 220-230C for 10 minutes. Ideally serve warm; split them in half, pile on the cream and jam (any order you fancy) …and then have a snooze in the deckchair. Mmm… perfect.

World’s top taiko performers beat a path to city for UK festTHE UK Taiko Festival is coming to town!Hosted by Kagemusha Taiko, it will take over Exeter Phoenix for the weekend of July 5-7 and promises to be “the biggest gathering of taiko players in Europe”.The festival organisers say it offers taiko players of all ages and abilities “the opportunity to perform, learn, and share experiences. “Groups come from all over the UK and abroad to inspire and be inspired by the energy, joy, and talent of the UK taiko community.”Headlining the festival are Amanojaku, one of Japan’s finest professional taiko groups who have played in more than 45 countries.The weekend will also include exhibitions, performances, film showings, workshops and food and drink.On Friday, July 5, the Northcott Theatre in Exeter plays host to A Feast of Taiko National Youth Taiko Concert, 7.30-10pm.For the full programme of festival

events at the Phoenix, visit www.kagemusha.com/uk-taiko-festival/about.YOU can try taiko for yourself at the Taste of Taiko Workshop, at The Taiko Centre, Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot. It’s perfect for beginners, say the organisers: “The only thing you need is a spirit of adventure and plenty of energy!” Find out more at www.kagemusha.coml More festivals - page 26.

Amanojaku, who haven’t been to the UK for 10 years, will perform at Exeter Northcott on Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7.

The Devon Guild of CraftsmenRiverside Mill, Bovey Tracey

Devon TQ13 9AFOpen 7 days a week

10am to 5.30pm Free Admission 01626 832223

www.crafts.org.uk

The largest contemporary crafts centre in the South West● free entry to fully accessible attraction● exciting programme of exhibitions and events ● extensive craft shop featuring the best South West makers● riverside café which includes a rooftop terrace

Image: Philippa de Burlet

Devon Guild Reconnect ad 080513_Devon Guild Reconnect ad 080513 08/05/2


Do you have a story for Reconnect readers?

THE countryside might look soft and beautiful but it’s one tough place to live. Especially if you’re a chicken.It had all been going so well. Our new partners in poultry Doug and Claire had made us very welcome at their organic woodland farm, The Hillyfield, and together we’d established our three main pens: one for the layers, who produce the eggs we sell, and two for the specialist rare breed varieties, the Light Sussex and Blue Orpingtons, who produce our fertile eggs, chicks and point-of-lay hens.But then Mother Nature thought she’d remind us just how things work in the wild. “Nature, red in tooth and claw,” as Tennyson said.So it was that one day we discovered a large pile of feathers next to the Orpington pen – and one less chicken inside it. After much sleuthing, we’re pretty sure our amazing cockerel Oliver had fallen prey to an otter (that’s right, large cute eyes, cheeky whiskers - voracious appetite) who the previous day had helped itself to a fish course, in the shape of 70 carp from a neighbour’s pond.Clearly we needed to add an extra line of defence and our friends at the Totnes-based badger vaccination group TBVAC, who have visited The

Hillyfield for training sessions and who we hope will vaccinate the local badgers, recommended two strands of electrified wire roughly three and five inches above the ground.So that’s what we’ve done – in addition to the electrified poultry netting that Mr Otter had somehow managed to get past. We drew the line at machine gun posts and hourly sentry patrols.It is, of course, the price we pay for keeping poultry among glorious, unspoilt Dartmoor woodland. What else can we expect if we bring plump little feathery meals into a wild environment? And now we’ve hiked up security, they really do have a wonderful life there.Their food is organic, their water comes from The HIllyfield’s own tested spring and they wander around on fresh organic pasture.The layers are living up to their job description admirably and we’re

selling beautiful, mixed colour organic eggs at Claire’s Ola Chiropractic Clinic in Totnes.And the breeding groups are… well, breeding. As I write this I can hear newly hatched chicks cheeping away in the incubator.. In a few weeks they too will be moving into their country residence at The Hillyfield.The one thing we’re asked about most is what makes a good chicken house, so we might talk a little about that in the next issue.In the meantime, if you’re thinking of keeping hens, or you’re looking to add to your existing flock (we have Light Sussex ready to go), call us on 01803 868455, or visit www.thehillyfield.co.uk to find out more.

Oliver discovers just how wild wildlife can be...

EDITOR Martin Foster puts on his wellies and reports from the newly-hatched home of Hillyfield Hens

The Hillyfield Orpingtons, top, featuring the new cockerel, Oscar, and the young Light Sussex, above.


... email us your news at [email protected]

A local charity working to help you move forward following treatment.

We provide three-day residential breaks in the beautiful surroundings of Sharpham.

Our breaks are designed to help you reflect on where you are now and how you want to move forward.

With the support of Sharpham Trust, breaks are provided at no charge.For information about our August and November

breaks call Jane on 01392 432984 or email: [email protected]

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Career coaching, courses and events to set you free For details please ring 01392 811168 / 07977 272174

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Crafts pop-up in DartmouthFOLLOWING the success of its pop-up crafts shop in Totnes in the run-up to Christmas, Tanner Bates Leatherwork Studio has again teamed up with The Devon Guild Craft Centre to open a temporary outlet – this time in Dartmouth.Contra Dartmouth will showcase the work of contemporary makers from across the South West in the former Julian Graves store at 11 Duke Street.It will be open right through Dartmouth’s busy summer season until the end of September.

Birth Hub parents’ supportPARENTS-to-be in Totnes need never feel helpless and alone with the Totnes Holistic Birth Hub on their doorstep.The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation set up to prepare parents-to-be for the many challenges they will face as they cross the threshold of parenthood. After half-term from June 4 the Hub is introducing new pregnancy and parenting support groups. These include non-violent communication and Steiner-inspired family matters.If you want a taster of the Hub’s work there will be a chance to share activities at the Steiner School Fair on June 15 in their cozy yurt. Inside will be massage and yoga.The Hub is currently fundraising and offering bargains in its Treats and Treasures auction from June 16-22.For more information, check the Hub’s new Facebook page, The Totnes Holistic birth and Family hub, and visit www.birthingwisdom.co.uk or call Deb on 07921516918.

Ishvara tells tale of TieraALTHOUGH Ishvara D’Angelo is well known in South Devon, and far beyond, for her book and paintings of angels, she adopted the pen-name Kate Crozier for her latest book.“Dawndancer is fiction,” explained Ishvara, “and I wanted to use a different name for writing fiction because I actually feel like a different person when I’m writing stories.”Dawndancer tells the story of 12-year-old Tiera who runs away from home and joins up with a group of dancers in the Sacred Forest.Here she discovers she has unusual powers she can use to outwit the evil couple who are destroying the forest through dangerous mining.Find out more at www.dawndancer.co.uk.

Robin’s workFORMER Reconnect publisher Robin Currie is these days turning his very talented hands to the creation of weird and wonderful ceramics.And there’s a chance to get up close with his latest creations at a new exhibition in September.The venue will be Seal Hayne, near Newton Abbot, and we’ll have more details in the next issue.In the meantime, you can see Robin’s work at www.robincurrie.co.uk.

Meet the authors at Ways With WordsTHE Telegraph Ways With Words festival is a 10-day event which offers those who read books a chance to meet those who write them.This year’s festival runs between July 5 and 15 at Dartington Hall and the speakers include: Paddy Ashdown, Melvyn Bragg, Marcus Brigstocke, Darcey

Bussell, Jonathan Dimbleby, Carol Ann Duffy, Antonia Fraser, A.C.Grayling, Matt Harvey, Tony Hawks, Gavin Hewitt, Kate Humble, Douglas Hurd, Andy Kershaw, Don Paterson, Jack Straw, Sandi Toksvig and Ann Widdecombe.The full programme is online at www.wayswithwords.co.uk.

Tel. 01803 762598 [email protected]

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Eco homes & buildingAT last! The Transition Homes Community Land Trust has finally purchased a site for its ground-breaking, low-cost, low-energy homes project.The seven-acre field, Clay Park, is on the main road between Dartington and Totnes and was purchased with £250,000

loaned by local supporters.They can now get on with the task of designing the homes, energy systems and the site layout, a process which they say will be an example of real collaboration with the community, with a minimum of two consultation events

and plenty of opportunities for potential residents and local people to get involved.The trust will share its ideas for the development on Saturday June 15, from 2-6pm, at Dartington Village Hall. Displays will outline the project’s history so far and the underlying principles of the development. Said project spokesperson Chris Bird: “We want to hear what people think at the earliest stage when our ideas and plans can benefit from local input.”Initials plans for the development, aimed at local people in housing need, include food production and wildlife areas, renewable energy and waste recycling, and a community hub building. The Transition Homes team of volunteers includes experienced professionals in construction and design, sustainability, affordable housing and community engagement.

“The team has been working on this project for nearly five years and already has clear ideas for the development,” said Chris.“Our commitment to low-cost homes and sustainability won’t be negotiable but within these constraints we are open to change.”People will be asked for their opinions on:l The design brief behind the homes, community hub and site layout;l Renewable energy options;l Green travel plan;l A fair allocations policy;l A residents’ charter that commits residents to living on the site sustainably;l How best to fund the development.Pam Macdonald, chair of Transition Homes CLT, said: “We are so pleased to have a site at last. This project is unique in bringing together

Project finally puts down roots on site

WHEN you enter Green’s, an antique furniture shop in South Brent, you know immediately it’s run by someone who’s truly ‘got the eye’.These are antiques that people actually want – not the stuffy, dark wood that used to grace the sitting rooms of the privileged; this is good, honest rustic furniture, made by craftsmen who really cared about their work.And when you speak to Tom Green, the shop’s owner, you soon realise the same joy lives on in him.“I could talk for hours about why people should buy this sort of antique furniture,” he says. “It doesn’t involve any new trees being felled and there’s no MDF, plastic or other poisons in it, so it’s environmentally friendly.“It will also last better than anything mass produced that you can buy today. Some of the furniture has already been around for over a hundred years – and it’s lived through the toughest of times with no damp-proofing, damp floors and little heating.”But ‘antique’ doesn’t have to mean expensive.“I probably break all sort of rules of antique ettiquette by selling

it for what I do. I just think we should be proud of all this great traditional furniture we have in this country - and that it should be enjoyed by as many people as possible.“Everything I sell has been worked on to some degree - most items are bought locally and are recycled and repaired. They are often painted too, which is quite popular right now.“I earn my money from that added value.”But it’s obvious too that Tom’s rewards aren’t only financial.“Most of the items in the shop will have been made in this region by one person, who would have been responsible for the whole process. They were what today we call artisans – people who truly care about and love what they do.”And that’s as good a way as any of describing Tom.Tom and his partner Catharine say they sell “affordable antiques and reclaimed furniture, homeware and gifts, vintage tableware, handmade chopping boards, cushions and shaker peg rails made to order.”Green’s, at 15 Station Road in South Brent, is open 10-3, Tuesday-Saturday.

Shop celebrates honesty of craft

Eco homes and building this time includes news of another local eco homes project, the new face of antique shops, the latest from Embercombe on their learning centre, and more


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Waste group plan marketTHE Waste Group of Sustainable Crediton is overseeing the town’s Community Market on June 8 and will provide the centrepiece, an eight-feet tall waste sculpture called A Summer Garden, made from plastic bottles and “other bits and bobs”.The Waste Group’s stand will be based on plastics recycling - what Crediton residents can recycle via their council box, through Sustainable Crediton collections and at the nearby Punchbowl recycling centre – and what is currently not recyclable and why. All Crediton community markets are open to local gardeners and smallholders to sell or swap their surplus home-grown produce, preserves, cakes, etc, and home-produced crafts and local organisations are also welcome. Markets will also be held on June 1 and July 13, when they will be combined with an art market.Find out more at www.sustainablecrediton.org.uk.

Bigger scope for eco fairTHE Totnes Eco Fair will this year be more diverse, with stands and presentations on a range of practical green issues.Mary Popham, of Transition Town Totnes who organise the event, said: “The focus has always been on renewables but we plan to extend this to look at other areas such as rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling, compost loos, re-used and recycled materials for furnishings and interiors and sustainable gardens. There will also be more from builders, designers and architects.”The date has been set for Friday, October 5, at the Totnes Civic Hall, and potential exhibitors, advertisers and presenters are invited to get in touch – call Mary on 01803 867358 or email [email protected].

...but it’s bad newts for these eco self-buildersIT’S always good to hear about rare species of wildlife being discovered but for those involved in the Broadhempston Land Trust eco self-build project a recent find was a little too close to home.As it stands, the discovery of a rare great crested newt on neighbouring land means the planning permission process has come to a halt on their site on the edge of the village.“We had hoped planning permission would have been granted by now, so this is a little frustrating for everyone,” admits Erica Lewis of the Land Society, who are working with the trust and the local council to get permission for the new development.“We are currently talking to ecology experts who are running further surveys to determine what newt mitigation measures need to be put into place before we can go any further.”Meanwhile, there have been “expressions of interest” from more parish and town councils, including Brixham, where a public meeting is planned for around the time you read this.And the Land Society is also working with the North East Dartmoor Community Land Trust, based in Moretonhampstead, which had already been set up to find ways of creating homes for local people.Participants in the scheme will receive building skills training at South Devon College in Paignton.To find out more, email Erica Lewis at The Land Society (a Community Interest Company) at [email protected], visit www.teignbridge.gov.uk/selfbuild, or read articles in Reconnect back issues at www.reconnectonline.co.uk.l IF you are interested in a self-build eco homes project in the Exeter area, Rebecca Collett would love to hear from you. Call her on 01364 643193 or email [email protected].

A tree is planted to mark the purchase of Clay Park by Transition Homes Community Land Trust, above, and a plan of the site, opposite page

low-cost and sustainable homes on a site with integrated food growing, renewable energy and waste management. “It is a project that is already attracting national attention and we are confident Transition Homes can become a model for how communities can be developed for local people by local people.”To find out more, visit www.transitionhomes.org.uk, or call 01803 867358.


Eco homes & building

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WE had made a secret vow not to moan on about the weather in this issue – hopefully Summer really will have arrived by the time you read this and we’d rather just enjoy and celebrate whatever nature can throw at us.But if you’re building something, and particularly if you’re using slower, more weather dependent traditional methods and materials, you’ve not had it easy over the past few months.And our friends at Embercombe have made enormous progress with the build of their new land-based learning centre – despite having worked through the wettest 11 months since records began.All credit to the Embercombe Building Company team, and all the volunteers who have worked with them, that it really is looking like a building now.A rare two-week dry spell allowed them to make good progress on the outer walls and the internal layout.

The PV solar installation was due to start as we went to press, and the bases are laid for the thermodynamic underfloor heating system. The build also features hemp and Thinsulux Silver state-of-the-art insulation to reduce heat loss and create a near-airtight seal.Plumbing and electrical contractors are also on site and work will soon begin on reed beds (to process the centre’s sewage), landscaping and hedgebanks.The Embercombe build team are still really keen to hear from volunteer joiners and carpenters to help make the kitchen and other furniture. Day or residential opportunities available. Call 01647 252 983.

Interior features underfloor heating - and that wonderful green oak frame.

The learning centre’s traditional design uses timber frame construction and reclaimed clay tiles and bricks.


All Reconnect back issues can be read at... www.reconnectonline.co.uk

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THIRTEEN years ago, after watching natural funeral campaigner Nicholas Albery on television, Rupert Callender stood up and announced, “I’m going to become a funeral director!”Inspired by Albery’s Natural Death Centre, Rupert and his wife Claire started the Green Funeral Company, now based in Dartington.And now Rupert, himself a leading light at The Natural Death Centre, has edited the latest edition of the charity’s Natural Death Handbook.“I feel enormously proud of it,” said Rupert. “By editing and co-authoring the handbook it feels I have taken up the batten from Nicholas, the man who inspired me in the first place.”The Natural Death Handbook, now in

its fifth edition, is no less radical than in those early years. In fact, a new three-volume format means it can explore wider and deeper areas around the subject of dying.

The main handbook covers all aspects of the subject in a hugely readable, practical and down-to-earth way, with chapter headings like ‘Practical aspects of preparing for dying’, ‘Natural burial grounds’ and ‘Loss, grief and bereavement’.

The second volume, The Natural Death Directory, lists natural burial grounds, funeral directors and coffins and urns, and includes the Association of Natural Burial Grounds code of conduct.

Finally there’s Writing on Death, a collection of essays on “new perspectives

on dying” by a wide and eclectic range of authors, and it’s here that Rupert holds the batten of radical debate proudly aloft.As well as Rupert himself, who writes about his campaign to re-legalise what he calls “natural cremations”, authors include academic Graham Harvey on Animisim; Newcastle-born witch doctor Stephen Grasso on the debt we owe our forebears; and Californian writer David Jay Brown on the use of psychedelic drugs up to the point of death.And in one final anarchic gesture, Rupert and his colleagues have decided not to make The Natural Death Handbook available on Amazon – or in many bookshops (because Amazon also own the major book trade distributor). You can buy it for £24 from Arcturus Bookshop in Totnes or at www.naturaldeath.org.uk.

Writers take a radical look at the subject of death

More top shows at HarbourhouseTHE work of acrylics artist Diane Hemingway and figure sculptor Jean Lock starts another amazing two months of exhibitions at the Harbourhouse Gallery in Kingsbridge.Their work can be seen from June 4-16.Ten members of artists’ collective SHAF (South Hams Arts Forum) take over the walls from June 18-30 – expect a strong collection of painting, printmaking, pastels,

sculpture and ceramics.The Summer exhibition of the Salcombe Printmakers, Press Gang, follows on, from July 2-14. And 3 Media Mix, July 16-28, combines oil paintings by Diana Booth, creative textiles by Jill Cooper and printmaking and handmade pop-up books by Caroline BarkerAll exhibitions are open 10am-5pm. Find out more at www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

Agapanthus Lily by Jill Cooper and, opposite, The Skaters by Jean Lock.

The Natural Death Handbook - not available from Amazon or many bookshops...

WE’D just like to say up front (and this won’t come as any surprise to anyone who knows Reconnect) that we believe the Transition movement to be A Force For Good. And here at Reconnect we don’t capitalise things lightly.The ‘transition’ tag comes from the concept of moving from global oil dependency to local community resilience but the implications of that are far-reaching, inclusive and truly holistic - and include everything that Reconnect is about. Literally and philosophically.But over recent months, Transition Town Totnes (and by extension the whole Transition movement) has come in for some serious criticism.It all came to a head over the battle to keep Costa Coffee out of Totnes – TTT nailed its pro-independent trader colours to the mast and some people saw that as anti-progress. Even anti-democracy.We were concerned that all this anti-TTT noise stirred up around it might just be drowning out their positive pro-community message.So here’s our response: a simple reminder of what TTT has done for Totnes community as a whole – and, given the inspirational part it plays in the worldwide transition movement, for the cause of resilient community living generally.

LOOKING around at current TTT projects, it’s hard to know where to start: Transition Streets, The Food Link, REconomy, Skillshares, Gardenshare, the Seedy Sisters’ seed, seedling and harvest swaps, Dr Bike repairs…All of these are up and running right now and they all contribute in small ways to strengthening local food production, the community’s skills-base, independent businesses, energy-conservation and improved housing.

Transition StreetsThis is a Reconnect favourite. Transition Streets was designed to bring neighbours together to save energy and money - and, perhaps more importantly, to talk and share and build community.A total of 63 groups have been set up across Totnes and surrounding areas, involving more than 550 households – and feedback shows that it chopped an average of £570 off their annual household bills.By bringing neighbours together Transition Streets groups have also acted as a catalyst for many other local initiatives, including sharing e-bikes, a community orchard and a community cinema (of which

a certain magazine editor is the chairman). And Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) funding secured by Transition Streets enabled 140 Transition Streets households (62 on low incomes) to get grants towards PV systems – plus another £50,000 towards a large PV array on the Totnes Civic Hall. Transition Streets has also provided a springboard for other energy projects, including:l Draughtbusting - free, practical workshops on draftproofing, funded through TTT’s share of the income from solar panels on Totnes’ Civic Hall;l A successful bid to DECC’s LEAF fund for £60k for a full energy-efficient refurbishment of Dartington Village Hall;l Free Green Deal assessments for Transition Streets households through Enact Energy. And Transition Streets is still available free to anyone who’d like to start a group in their neighbourhood.

Eco homes and eco fairThe open eco-homes events allow people interested in renewable energy and insulation to see how it works in real homes. And the Eco Homes Fairs bring together local suppliers, advisers and groups – the perfect place for information gathering.

Food Link The TTT Food Link project, now in its second year, helps food producers expand their local markets by linking them up with retailers and restaurants. The project is now working with producers who want to develop the range of crops grown locally for human consumption, including grains, nuts, legumes and edible oils. Exeter University is on board too, researching what’s been grown and processed in the area in the past.

100% Totnes The TTT Food-Link project worked with independent cafes, restaurants and pubs in the town to produce a map showing the area’s diversity of food and drink establishments - available from the Totnes Information Centre, all participating cafes, restaurants and pubs as well as other tourist outlets.

Local Entrepreneur ForumThis annual forum is one of several REconomy projects initiated by TTT to support efforts to regenerate the local economy. The highlight of the day, and something TTT is looking to do more

of, was the Dragon’s Den where the whole audience were potential investors.Totnes Arts Hub, School Farm CSA, Transition Homes and Mosaic Totnes all pitched their business plans and were offered cash, land, professional expertise, pieces of art to auction and even a massage each! Transition Homes won a short film offered by Emilio Mula from Nuproject.

Economic Blueprint for TotnesLaunched at The Forum, this has been produced under the agreed statement that: “The purpose of our local economy is to maximise the wellbeing of our entire community, and to do this in a way that uses and distributes resources fairly and respects natural limits.” The partners are Totnes Town Council, Totnes Development Trust, South Devon College, KEVICC, Totnes Chamber of Commerce and Transition Town Totnes with input from South Hams District Council.Working with local partners, TTT have identified activities and projects that will take this work forward – the full story can be seen in a plan on the TTT website and regular open meetings are being held.

Other projectsTransition Homes is a Community Land Trust that has just bought a seven-acre site and is planning to build around 25 low-impact low-cost homes for local people.Smaller projects like Gardenshare also play their part, getting more local food growing by matching gardeners with used plots and gardens. And in the last three years the Skillshare project has held over 200 free, hands-on training sessions, including gardening, sewing, making skin creams, clothes swaps, cooking, scything, weaving, and wild food foraging workshops. Dr Bike is on the Totnes market each week mending people’s bikes for exchange or skillshare. And don’t miss the Seedy Sister’s events across the growing year, providing low-cost / swapped seeds, plants and harvested food produce. For information about any of these projects and more contact Frances or Lou [email protected] or call 01803 867358.


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Pioneers paved way to ethical finance choiceBy Rob Blackshaw, advisor at Barchester Green Investments - the longest established ethical IFA in the UK, managing £130 million of client money

SOCIALLY responsible investing is a term that encompasses words such as environment, green, ethical and sustainable - but where did it all begin?In 1758 in Philadelphia the Quakers were addressing their flocks about the evils of the slave trade. It was the first signal that the trade was on its way out.Around the same time John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was preaching about “sinful” industries such as gun, alcohol and tobacco producers. But the sense of what is right and wrong in society goes back even further to the days of Socrates in 399BC. Even then he was pondering the world of ethics. Moving forward in time the essence of right and wrong is gradually enshrined in law.It wasn’t until the 60s when the essence of right and wrong really kicked off again with campaigns for human rights and equality. Forward a few years to the decade of flared trousers and the oil crisis. People began to take an interest in their planet. CO2 emissions and fossil fuels were on the agenda.This is where socially responsible investments raised their heads. In 1982 a US pioneer called Joan Bavaria decided to match her clients’ values to their money. This developed into investments in companies that were managing resources and people in a positive way.Many businesses have now followed suit and made corporate social responsibility a core theme of their business and supply chain. The recent horsemeat scandal has highlighted the issue of provenance and the need to know where are clothes and food come from.Back to the present day and we all now have a choice. There are over 130 funds offering socially-responsible investments and $3.7 trillion is invested in these funds in the US accounting for 11% of the US financial market. In the UK the figure now stands at £11 billion.Be like those early pioneers and challenge complacency. We all know the issues that face our world so now is the time to make your mark.

Transition projects: Mary Fish, above, is one of the farmers with whom the Food Hub aims to provide a link; a Transition Streets group meets, left, over a shared meal; and the garden share scheme, below, has successfully put people who need growing space in touch with those who have gardens they no longer have the time or ability to cultivate. RISE UP SINGING! VOICE CAMP

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There’s more Reconnect news on Facebook... JUNE

SATURDAY 1

Until June 16Ten Out Of Ten - exhibition of work by 10 makers who have won awards at the Contemporary Craft Festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (see June 7-9), Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey, 01626 832223, www.crafts.org.uk. Until July 13Crediton Festival - huge range of events involving all the town’s groups plus visitors - see www.credfest.co.uk for the full programme. See page 26.Lemonfest - music festival with Lucy Rose, The Skints, Tallships, Mad Dog McRae and more, www.lemonfest.co.uk.Cob Building Day, Devon Rural Skills Trust workshop, Burrow Farm, Drewsteignton, 01548 821156, www.devonruralskillstrust.co.uk.Exploring Our World, film festival covering ecology, adventure, landscapes, cultures and communities, The Barn Cinema, Dartington, www.dartington.org/barn-cinema.

MONDAY 3

Until June 9 Ignite - Exeter’s Festival of Theatre, at various venues across the city, www.igniteexeter.org.uk.

TUESDAY 4

Until Jun 16 Exhibition by Diane Hemingway & Jean Lock, acrylic paintings and figure sculpture in clay, bronze resin and papier maché, Harbour House,

The Promenade, Kingsbridge, 01548 854708, www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

FRIDAY 7

Contemporary Craft Festival - stands, demonstrations and workshops, Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey, 10am-5pm, www.craftsatboveytracey.co.uk.

SATURDAY 8

Until September 15 Design for Living, exhibition of South West crafts, co-curated by the Devon Guild of Craftsmen and National Trust, High Cross House, Dartington, www.crafts.org.uk. Pole Lathing, Devon Rural Skills Trust workshop, Rudolf Steiner School, Dartington, 01548 821156, www.devonruralskillstrust.co.uk.Ruarri Joseph, singer/songwriter in concert, Barrel House, Totnes, 01803 849290 www.barrelhousetotnes.co.uk.Celtic Fiddle Festival, The Watermark, Ivybridge, 01752 892220, www.ivybridgewatermark.co.uk.

SUNDAY 9

Open Farm Sunday, discover Forest Foods, Underwood Discover

Centre, Higher Farm, Beeson, free/donation, bring lunch, www.treesforhealth.org.

MONDAY 10

Until July 7Dawlish Arts Festival - wide range of events at venues across Dawlish, www.dawlish.com, 01626 862773.

WEDNESDAY 12

John de Ruiter - Quest Events presents the Canadian philosopher and author, Totnes Civic Hall, two sessions - 4pm and 8pm, www.questuk.co.uk/quest-events.

THURSDAY 13

South Devon Can Sing - group set up to support those affected by cancer, South Wing, Sharpham House, led by Helen Yeomans, 01803 862028.

FRIDAY 14

PL:21 AGM - Ivybridge Transition group meeting, Chapel Place Community Centre, 7pm, pl21.weebly.com.

SATURDAY 15

Crediton Food and Drink Festival - stalls, entertainment, refreshments and more, Crediton town square, 10-30am-3pm, www.creditonfoodfestival.co.uk.

SUNDAY 16

Crediton Food and Drink Festival - stalls

selling hot and cold food to be eaten there, Crediton town square, 12noon-3pm, www.creditonfoodfestival.co.uk.Totnes Good Food Sunday, monthly food market, Totnes market square, from 10am, www.totnesgoodfood.co.uk.Embercombe Summer Fete - all the usual fete goodies plus the wonder of Embercombe (and free entry and parking), Embercombe, Higher Ashton, Exeter, www.embercombe.co.uk.

TUESDAY 18

Until Jun 30 SHAF (South Hams Arts Forum) exhibition - work of 10 local artists, Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, 01548 854708, www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

WEDNESDAY 19

The Barn Owl Trust Midsummer Walk around the Lennon Legacy Project, refreshments, 7.30pm, 01364 653026, [email protected]

THURSDAY 20

Edinburgh Fringe Preview - comedians Luke Benson and Carly Smallman, The Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth, 01803 839530.

FRIDAY 21

Teignmouth Folk Festival - big-name headliners plus local acts, Carlton Theatre, 01803 290427, www.teignmouthfolk.co.uk. See page 26.

SATURDAY 22

Hedgerow Chairs - Devon Rural Skills Trust workshop, Woodah Farm,

Even

ts d

iary Come on in...

RIGHT, tough talk time. If you know about an event but it’s not in the diary - you should have told us about it! Likewise, if there’s not much for your area, tell groups in your area to get in touch. Email [email protected] also can’t give free diary entries to therapists’ courses and workshops - but we can sell you an incredibly cheap (minimum £18) lineage ad in our Workshops & Courses Diary. See page 41.

Despicable Me- June 29

John

de

Ruite

rJu

ne 1

2Bi

lly B

ragg

- Jul

y 19

/20

Sandi Toksvig- July 5

The weird and the wonderful...

Take a journey through the strange and magical ceramic world of Robin Currie.

Through until December 20 10am - 9pm

Check out the details online at: www.robincurrie.co.uk

Don’t Miss his exhibition in September at Dame Hannah’s,

Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot - Held in conjunction with Unearth Studio, Exeter.



...follow us at www.facebook.com/ReconnectMagazine

l Turn to page 41 in Wellbeing to check out our workshops and events listings l

Doddiscombesleigh, 01548 821156, www.devonruralskillstrust.co.uk.

THURSDAY 27

South Devon Can Sing, group set up to support those affected by cancer, South Wing, Sharpham House, led by Helen Yeomans, 01803 862028.

FRIDAY 28

Until June 30Tagore Festival - arts, education and ecology events inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, Dartington, www.dartington.org.

SATURDAY 29

Despicable Me - family-friendly film, Follaton Community Cinema, Whitely Avenue, Follaton, Totnes, 01803 868455, watch the trailer at www.follatoncommunity cinema.co.uk. Germaine Greer - The Disappearing Woman, The Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth, 01803 839530.

JULY

MONDAY 1

Until end of AugustSummer of Art - Urban Takeover - art exhibition including street art on loan from V&A, including works by Banksy and Blek le Rat, Seale-Hayne, Newton Abbot, www.discoverhannahs.org The Consortium of South Hams Artists - exhibition of work by local artists in Kingsbridge market hall, including oils, watercolours, print and mixed media, fused glass, raku and handmade cards.

TUESDAY 2

Until July 14Press Gang - exhibition by Salcombe Printmakers, Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, 01548 854708, www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

FRIDAY 5

Until July 7UK Taiko Festival, hosted by Kagemusha

Taiko, exhibitions, performances, film showings and workshops, Exeter Phoenix, www.kagemusha.com. Until July 15 Ways with Words - literary festival at Dartington Hall. Impressive big-name programme - check it out at www.wayswithwords.co.uk.

SATURDAY 6

South Devon Sea Shanty Festival, Dartmouth - Royal Avenue Gardens, The Royal Castle Hotel and on river cruises run by The Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company.Seed Festival - music, poetry, speakers, art, lifeskills, dance and more, Hawkwood, near Stroud, from 11am, 01453 759034, www.seedfestival.co.uk.

SUNDAY 7

South Devon Sea Shanty Festival, Teignmouth - The Triangle, The Ship Inn,

Oystercatcher Cafe and the Riviera Cafe Bar.

THURSDAY 11

South Devon Can Sing - group set up to support those affected by cancer, South Wing, Sharpham House, led by Helen Yeomans, 01803 862028.

FRIDAY 12

South Brent Folk Festival - ceilidh, concerts and workshops at venues throughout village, www.southbrentfolk.org, 01364 73699. See page 26.Glas-Denbury ‘13 - music festival, Fairfield Far, Denbury, 7pm-midnight on Friday, 12noon-midnight on Saturday, www.glas-denbury.co.uk.

TUESDAY 16

Until July 28 3 Media Mix - exhibition of work by Diana Booth, Jill Cooper and Caroline Barker, Harbour House, The Promenade, Kingsbridge, 01548 854708,

www.harbourhouse.org.uk.

WEDNESDAY 17

Buddhafield Festival - music, dance, meditation and all forms of bodywork, Culmhead, Taunton, www.buddhafield.com/festival.

FRIDAY 19

And Saturday 20Chagstock festival, with The Boomtown Rats, Billy Bragg, Whidden Down, www.chagstock.info

SATURDAY 20

Rise Up and Sing - voice camp with Daverick Leggett, Helen Yeomans, Gavin Frank and more, Dartmoor, www.riseupsinging.co.uk.Exeter LETS (Local Exchange Trading System), table top trading, entertainment, bring and share lunch, 11am-2pm, Palace Gate Centre, off South Street, Exeter, www.exeterlets.org.uk.

SUNDAY 21

Totnes Good Food

Sunday, food market, Totnes market square, from 10am, www.totnesgoodfood.co.uk.

THURSDAY 25

QUEST 2013 - natural health, mind/body/spirit and music festival, Newton Abbot racecourse, www.questuk.co.uk, Facebook and Twitter. See page 26 and 31.

SATURDAY 27

Brunch Cafe, in aid of Transition Homes, local produce, local musicians, Methodist Hall, Totnes, 10am-2pm, [email protected] in the Park, dance and music festival, organised by Attik Dance with Plymouth Music Zone, Devonport Park bandstand, Plymouth, 10am-4pm, 01752 395134.

SUNDAY 28

Totnes and District Agricultural Show, Berry Pomeroy - animals, stands, displays, music, www.totnesshow.com.

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Festivals & shows

Quest adds big dance gigNEW to Quest this year is Dance Quest, a first for the South West - three days of dance and movement with many different styles.Organiser Adam Griffin, from Deep Dive Dance, said: “We have 5 Rhythms, Movement Medicine, Biodanza, Soul Motion, Contact Improvisation, Shakti Dance, Feldenkrais movement, Argentinian Tango, African dance and bellydance - all with recognised international teachers. “There’s plenty for beginners to dip their toe into and lots for dancers who’ve been moving for a while.“We aim to introduce a few new forms to dancers, and have a lot fun on the way in our dedicated dance space,” said Adam.Check out the full programme at www.questuk.co.uk/dancequest.Deep Dive Dance works with teachers and practitioners in creating classes, workshops and events. Find them on Facebook.

DEVOTED fans of Quest (and there are many who come from across the UK every year) will still recognise the 2013 event as the festival they know and love.But there are plenty of new features too – including a new greener, more creative flavour.Victoria Whelan, who has put together this year’s event with Quest’s new owner Julia Wright, said: “The single most obvious new green feature is the creation of The Village Green - a place to hang out and reconnect and drink in the festival atmosphere!”As well as the usual healing and personal growth workshops, there’s also a huge range of creative and eco workshops, including:

l Mythteller Dr Martin Shaw exploring folklore and oral culture;

l Virtuoso kora player Sura Susso teaching songs from Africa;

l Sound Journeys with Sika, accompanied by didgeridoo, drum and flutes;

l BBC award-winning poet Ben Mellor running creative and performance skills workshops;

l Grammy award-winning Jamie Catto offering two workshops, What about You and Transforming Shadows Unleash Your Creative Genius;

l ‘Destiny mentor’ and poet, Chris Paradox with Hero School and You are the Meaning of Life!l Chloe Goodchild helping people to explore their Naked Voice.Other creative workshops include: The Artist’s Way with Theresa Sansome, Gathering of drums with Heike, Sacred Sounds Meditation with Kevin Goulding, Circus Skills with Duncan, Introduction to Henna with Gwen Davies, Hula hooping with Hoopy-Go-Lucky, Spirit of the Drum with Barbara Meicklejohn Free, Inspirational Voice with Gavin Frank, Music Workshop with Ombiviolum Orkestra.

FREE TICKETS!WE have TWO Happy Camper tickets to give away - that’s a full weekend pass with up to four nights camping (worth £59 each). All you have to do is visit the Quest website (www.questuk.co.uk), download the show programme (which you’ll want anyway) and then find out when the Life Cairn is taking place. Email the date to [email protected], with your name, address and phone number and you’re in with a chance!

Greener, artistic flavour - and free tickets to be won!

Detail from the Crediton Festival flag, created with and for Crediton Food Bank, the festival’s charity.

Town links events for festivalCHECK out the programme for the Crediton Festival (June 1 - July 13) and you can’t fail to be impressed by its ambitious scope.As well as a huge range of arts events, including music, drama, visual arts, and literature, it also incorporates the Crediton Food Festival and the Crediton Community Markets (see elsewhere in this issue), plus sports events, a flower festival, youth events and a chance to get stuck in with Try It Out.And just so you can’t pass through the town without knowing something

very special is happening there, the High Street is festooned with specially-made flags, made by and representing businesses and organisations within the town.The flags are created in workshops supervised by Crediton community artists Charlotte Turner and Bridget Arnold and the project is run by The Crediton Arts Centre. Anyone in the Crediton area really should check out the festival website (www.credfest.co.uk) and even if you live further afield there’s stuff there that’s well worth the trip.

QUEST 2013Newton Abbot racecourseJuly 25-28

l More Quest news on page 31

Show RespectIF you were quick to pick up your copy of Reconnect, you can catch Exeter Respect in the city’s Belmont Park over the weekend of June 1 (12noon-7pm) and 2 (11am-6pm).Celebrate diversity and say no to all forms of racism. Visit www.exeter-respect.org.

Tagore ‘13THE Tagore Festival, inspired by the Nobel Prize-winning Rabindranath Tagore, returns to Dartington on June 28-30.Performances will include Soumik Datta and Flux and speakers to include Satish Kumar plus many more artists, workshops and events.Visit www.dartington.org.

Glas-DenburyEXPECT all manner of musical wonder at Glas-Denbury Festival on July 12-13.It’s on Fairfield Farm (yes, at Denbury) and features a main stage (Joey The Lips headlining) and an acoustic stage (Owen Penrise & The Kingsticks, We Three Kings and loads more). Visit www.glas-denbury.co.uk.

Circus themeTHE small but perfectly formed Chagstock is back on July 19-20, with Friday headliners Mystery Jets and Yes Sir Boss.

The serious excitement comes on Saturday, though, when The Boomtown Rats and Billy Bragg take to the stage. The 2013 festival theme is ‘circus’.

Visit www.chagstock.info

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Now you know which side your bread is buttered!



Tell us about YOUR events - email... [email protected]




Do you have a story for Wellbeing readers?

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Modernist architect inspires exhibitionTHE recently re-opened High Cross House, in the grounds of Dartington Estate, is the venue for Design for Living, an exhibition of South West crafts co-curated by the Devon Guild of Craftsmen and National Trust.The exhibition will display specially-designed functional objects by Guild members including Matthew

Burt (furniture), Janine Partington (enamel) and Carol Ballenger (photography), responding to the modernist ideals of High Cross House architect William Lescaze.The exhibition runs from June 8-September 15.Visit www.crafts.org.uk.

Award hopeBOHOHEMP, the organic, fair-trade and sustainable hemp clothing supplier, has been nominated for an award in the best fashion and clothing section of the VegFest Awards 2013.It’s the 10th anniversary of the awards which will be held at London Olympia on October 5 and 6.Emma Parkinson, who runs Bohohemp, said: “I was pretty amazed when I heard.”She will be in competition with the likes of Stella McCartney and Fashion Conscience.To see the nominations and to vote go to http://london.vegfest.co.uk/vote

Open at lastAN artist has finally opened her new gallery and working space in Axminster – after it was postponed due to her cottage flooding.“I opened BirchUK at Milton’s Yard in Axminster last April,” explained artist Dawn Brimicombe.“Unfortunately, due to the floods I had to abandon my new venture and deal with our cottage which flooded like so many in the area. But I am up and running now.”Dawn works in beeswax and resin on wood, known as encaustic wax painting, and also runs workshops to introduce people to the medium. Find out more at www.bluebirdsatdawn.com, or call Dawn on 07979 576 851.

How to make a meal of forest gardeningFOREST gardening, which borrows principles found in the ecosystem of natural woodland, is gaining in popularity as a way of growing your own food.It also encourages the growing of more unusual crops. But when you harvest your Autumn olives or buffalo berries, how do you turn them into a meal?We are fortunate to have forest garden expert Martin Crawford, director of the Agroforesty Research Trust, based in Dartington - just round the corner from Green Books, in fact, who published his book, Creating A Forest Garden.And now they have published his sequel, written with Caroline Aitken, a permaculture teacher and cook on Patrick Whitefield’s permaculture courses.With additional contributions from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, it includes over 70 recipes for more than 60 species.With 256 pages and full colour throughout, it costs £20.

Win your own copy!AND once again the lovely people at Green Books have given us three copies to give away to Reconnect readers.So to be in with a chance of winning one, simply email your name, address and phone number to [email protected] put ‘Forest garden’ in the subject box.

| inspiring committed action for a truly sustainable world People and Organisational Developmentembercombe

To find out more and to book your place:

01647 252 983

Action for all ages this Summer

01647 252 983

embercombeinspiring committed action for a truly sustainable world

To find out more and to book your place:

Summer Fete: Sunday June 16th Food, music, fun. Free entry, free parking

www.embercombe.co.uk

[email protected] [email protected]

Teens: Wildcraft “Meet yourself in the Wild”August 12th - 16th

18-25: Catalyst “Shape your Future”July 28th - August 2nd

Adults: The Journey “Finding Earth, Finding Soul” August 4th - 9th

Families: Summer Camp “Growing the Grown Ups”. August 12th - 16th

High Cross House, on Dartington Estate, will host Design for LIving.



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Take a deep BREATH...Learn how to use the power of your own breath to overcome stress and re-energise your body. Improve your health and help clear emotional blockages.Workshops and 1:12 sessions available.Introductory workshop - Bideford - 20 June.

Transformational BreathingLes Elms • [email protected]

07828 566553

WELCOME to Wellbeing, the one big truly local guide to natural therapies and personal development across South Devon.If you’re a practitioner and want to spread the word, get in touch.An 1/8-page in the Wellbeing section, like those at the bottom of this page, can cost just £41.85 a month when you book six issues and pay by direct debit.And there’s free editorial too to ensure you get the full message out there.We’ve got a small but perfectly formed team of journalists and designers who will help you every step of the way.Reconnect does NOT do the hard sell - we simply believe in helping you to do what you WANT to do.Call Pete on 01392 346342 or Martin on 01803 868455.

WELCOME to Wellbeing.

Yet another exciting event to add to your diary...THERE’S a real feast of events and activities across the region over the coming months - you can read about them through this issue.The picture on the right is from last year’s Rise Up Singing Voice Camp - this year it’s again on Dartmoor, from July 20-28. Read more on page 34.

Macmillan help for singing groupSOUTH Devon Can Sing, the group set up to support those affected by cancer, has for some time been receiving the thanks and appreciation of those it has been helping.Now it’s received the official stamp of approval in the shape of financial support from the MacMillan charity.“We are thrilled,” said Rosalind, who initiated the choir and has been fundraising for it since last Autumn, following the TV programme Sing for your Life.“Macmillan liked the application and this enables the group to cover its start up costs.”The group is led by professional choir leader Helen Yeomans and meets on alternate Thursdays at Sharpham South Wing, including June 13, 27 and July 11. No previous experience of singing is required. Call Helen on 01803 862028.

EARLIER this year, a 12-year-old dog called Spencer suddenly became very ill.His owners (who wish to remain anonymous – we’ll call her Suzy) said: “He was extremely distressed and could barely walk. The vet told us he had aggressive cancer, there was nothing they could do and that we would probably need to have him put to sleep within a few days. “We were devastated - our lovely, gentle, wise, dependable old friend who has been on so many happy adventures with us, who our children have grown up with. “We of course did not want him to suffer but also could not believe our time with him could so suddenly be over. We brought him home but he found it really difficult to move about and could not eat - he was so sad and withdrawn.”Suzy got in touch with Rachel, who saw them immediately. “After his first healing session, Spencer improved markedly,” said Suzy.“He was much more comfortable and so peaceful. He could move around

much more easily. It was amazing for us too and helped us move from a negative space of anxiety, guilt and fear to a positive one of hope and love for Spencer.”Rachel continued to work with Spencer.“She was so reassuring and helped us to remain positive, even though Spencer did not eat for nearly two weeks and lost a lot of weight,” said Suzy. “Rachel had so much compassion and respect for Spencer. He gradually got his appetite back and Rachel’s advice about his diet has been invaluable - he is thriving! “Spencer is now doing so well, it’s miraculous. He is happy and healthy and glowing with a new vitality. “We feel so lucky to still have Spencer with us. We appreciate every day and every walk is special. Seeing him sleeping in the sun, dashing about in the woods at night, hanging out with the kids - it’s all so wonderful!”Call Rachel Bolton on 01364 653788/07957 597 618, email [email protected] or visit www.touchthespirit.co.uk.

Rachel gives Spencer a new lease of life

Spencer - “glowing with a new vitality”



Check out the Wellbeing stories in past Reconnects...

SATURDAY JUNE 8, 11-5

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BRITISH Summers being what they are, it’s a pretty safe bet you will be reading this between summery showers.But as any hay fever sufferer will tell you, wet Summers offer no protection to the effects of blossoms - tree, grass or flower.If you are certain of your wildflower and plant identification, herbalist Dawn Ireland has the recipe for a simple tea blend which will help reduce the irritating symptoms considerably.“These herbs can be gathered and dried for continual use through the Summer, or used fresh,” says Dawn. “Mix equal parts of the following and use a tablespoon of the dried, or two

of the fresh to make a pint of herb tea by steeping the herbs for at least ten minutes. Drink it three times a day when suffering.”

l Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) leaves;

l Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) blossoms;

l Herb Robert (Geranium robertanium) leaves or stalks (flowers are ok too);

Nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves.

As always, consult a herbalist if you are on any medication or pregnant before taking any remedy.

Call 01803 315012 or email [email protected].

A tea blend to keep hay fever at bay

THERE’S a chance to find out more about Non-duality, Advaita and Liberation when Richard Sylvester gives a talk in Totnes.Richard, who has written three books on non-duality and holds regular meetings in London, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, will be in conversation at Totnes Natural Health Centre on June 23, 11am-5pm

(£15/£10 unwaged).He will answer questions about “the nature of reality, liberation and enlightenment with clarity and humour,” say the organisers.To find out more about Richard and duality, visit www.richardsylvester.com; for details of the event, call Anne on 07896 968 518, or email [email protected].

PRACTISING Buddhism requires a deep understanding of Buddhist teachings. And when Chamtrul Rinpoche (right), an eminent teacher born and trained in Tibet, visits Totnes he will speak about the foundations of Tibetan Buddhism, which will be presented in the form of a short course.Travelling from Dharamsala in India, his visit will provide the opportunity for newcomers, and those who wish to be reacquainted with these teachings, to be inspired, supported and compassionately guided towards progress on this path, say the organisers.The course spans four days, July 1-4, and is open to everyone, free of charge, although donations would

be gratefully received and will go towards humanitarian and animal welfare projects in Tibet and India. There is no need to book the sessions which will run at St Mary’s Church Hall, Totnes; 10am-12noon and 2-4pm on Monday; 2-4pm on Tuesday; 10am-12noon and 2-4pm on Wednesday and 2-5.30pm on Thursday.It is best to attend the entire course, as the teachings are interconnected and will

be presented in a graded order, but attendees are welcome to any session, as their schedule permits.Some chairs are provided but the able bodied are asked to bring a blanket or cushion to sit on.For directions to the venue and a brief biography, visit www.bodhichitta.co.uk.

Buddhist teacher’s free four-day course

Non-duality author to give Totnes talk

Elderflower - a vital ingredient of a herbal tea to help reduce hayfever symptoms.

... all our back issues are online at www.reconnectonline.co.uk

Dartmoor Centre CIC Counselling & Psychotherapy

In Newton Abbot Not for Profit - Community Interest

September Courses

Advanced Diploma in Counselling Professional qualification to be a counsellor

Diploma Supervision - career enhancing

Diploma Children Young People Therapist super-hero training camp

Diploma Creative CBT Compassion Focused Skills

For details of all courses and the full programme of CPD to include Sandplay and first courses

www.safespaceforcounselling.com Email : [email protected]

or speak to Ken Rabone Director of Training tel 01803 867744


The Butterfly ModelThe Ultimate Gift to yourself

Set yourself free, be the best you can be, get away, let go, relax, revitalise and enjoy

A Wonderful, Weekend, WorkshopYou will be taught:Transformational Personal Development Skillsthat can change your life utilising the art of NLPTotnes 27th & 28th April 2013Glastonbury 13th & 14th July 2013

Deborah de.Mornay PennyBA (Hons), PGCE, NLP Master Practitioner (INLPTA) IFL member01458 835946 www.rapportaccord.co.uk

Buckyette Farm, Totnes TQ9 6ND Tel 01803 762593

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Shiatsu Discovery Weekend

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for friends and family.It is also a great taster for a new career!

Next Course: 31st August - 1st September

THE organisers of this year’s Quest natural health festival promise a smorgasbord of food for the soul and body.Take the meditation workshops, for example – from silence, moving, angelic, guided, shamanic, sound journeys, past lives and visualizations to yoga and tai chi. “There’s even the dynamic and the awesome AUM - releasing core emotions!” says one of the organisers, Victoria Whelan. Personal development workshops include Inner Mystic, Future Now, Shamanic practices, Family Constellations, Amazing You, Embodying Change, Body Focusing, Happiness, Sacred Sexuality, Taste of Transformation - plus Finding the Radiant You with Jason Chan, Life Changing Conversations with Neale Donald Walsh-trained Sarah Rozenthule and Tim Freke’s I see U.A huge range of body workers will be there, from Zero balancing to Trager, but the organisers recommend you book your individual sessions early because they fill up quickly.“Also at Quest this year, we have workshops and exhibitors offering nutrition, healing oils, raw food, alkaline diets, ionised water, herb walks, Bioresonance therapies, Kabbalah, Celtic circles, audio essences, Heart Intelligence and Theta Healing,” says Victoria.“And we are so pleased to have Karen Kingston, a world expert in Feng Shui and space clearing. She’s running two extended workshops.”Visit www.questuk.co.uk.

Wellbeing at Quest talks

Just some of the people running workshops at Quest: Jason Chan, above, Noel Perkins, below, Tim Freke, bottom, and Sarah Rozenthuler, bottom left.

Meditation teacher training courseIF you enjoy meditation and would like to take it further, a new course from Srimati Edgecombe offers certified training to become a Thrivecraft Meditation Teacher. The Meditation Practitioner Certificate (a prerequisite for the teacher training course unless you have substantial meditation experience) runs over four Friday afternoons starting June 28 at the Totnes Natural Health Centre. The Meditation Teacher Certificate runs there over four Friday afternoons starting September 20. Srimati is also currently recruiting for her new Thrivecraft Coach

and Associate one year training programme. The monthly weekend workshops are held at the Glazebrook Country House Hotel, near South Brent. The workshops are also open for anyone to attend as a one-off. The June workshop is on The Art of Love - Create & Deepen Fulfilling Relationships. And in July the theme is Wake Up Your Wisdom - Intuition & Channeling for Life Love & Business. Details of meditation courses and Thrivecraft workshops are in the workshop diary on page 41 and at www.srimati.com.


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Strength through gentleness

Mark Edlund PlaterTotnes area

01803 86280307506 17980801803 86280307506 179808

Mark Edlund PlaterTotnes area

TIMES are hard, as we are constantly being reminded, but the financial crisis through which we are currently living doesn’t just hit people’s pockets.

Struggling to stay afloat, living in fear of losing a job or facing the effects of unemployment or redundancy is also a massive drain on people’s emotional wellbeing.

As a result, more and more people are turning to counsellors for help with stress and anxiety and searching for solutions.

But counselling costs money – and at a time when it is in shortest supply. So what is the answer?

The Heartwood Centre on the Dartington Hall Estate trains students to become fully accredited counsellors, but during their training they work as volunteers and there are currently 60 based in various agencies all over Devon, offering counselling to people who might not otherwise afford it.

Heartwood urges anyone suffering from the effects of anxiety or stress to seek out some support.

Said Heartwood’s Leigh Smith: “Many counsellors offer concessions and they can be accessed through GPs and other local agencies.

“Heartwood itself offers a free

counselling service for people who are struggling and ask only that they pay a donation they can afford.

“Talking to someone about your worries can really help release the pressure that may be building up inside and causing knock-on effects in your relationships and health. There is no need to battle on alone.”

And for some, counselling is also a way of improving the finances.

Leigh explained: “Many of the current students at Heartwood are training to add an extra string to their career bows; to be able to diversify in the future and bring in a much-needed additional income.

“A counselling qualification can open so many career doors. It provides communication skills which are transferable to a variety of jobs, including HR, sales, customer service and management – increasing your chances of finding employment.”

If you would like to find out more about the courses offered at Heartwood, the payment options and loans available, or if you would like to speak to a counsellor about something that is troubling you, call 01803 865464, or visit www.heartwoodcounselling.org.

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For futher details or to arrange a viewing please contact the Clinic

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Dartington, [email protected]

01803 868655

A collaboration in which your experience is honoured and explored, allowing you to relax into a sense of safety and wholeness beyond any struggles or challenges.Issues may include: depression, bereavement, trauma, anxiety, self-esteem, parenting, relationships, illness, purpose and life direction.I also off er supervision to both trainees and experienced therapists.

THE GENTLE BUT POWERFUL METAMORPHIC TECHNIQUE IS ALSO AVAILABLE.

“ Hélène’s sensitivity, kindness, and calm, combined with her non-judgemental insight have enabled me to make immensely signifi cant and positive personal changes.”

STARTING Summer in good health is something we all desire so ensuring our nervous system is in balance is essential.At Align, Chiropractic doctors are tackling numerous ailments that are all affected by the body’s nervous system. Realignment means relief for all the body’s parts - from the eyes and ears down through the lungs, liver and bladder. And that means relief of stomach ailments as well as aches and pains.Now Align are welcoming the Summer by running a competition to win a FREE initial consultation and report of findings worth £95. Simply log on to www.alignyourhealth.co.uk and follow the Facebook link and once you ‘like’ them your entry is in and may be chosen in the draw at the end of June and July. You can also take along the voucher in Reconnect.

Align also offers other therapies, including Creative Kinesiology with Biddy Mayo who uses a system of muscle testing which gives feedback to the body’s energy flaws.Kate Coombs is passionate about supporting the body to heal naturally and her shiatsu massage stimulates the body’s natural healing ability by applying gentle pressure, movement and stretches.Clinical hypnosis with Bill Hard can unlock the power of your own mind. Bill specialises in dealing with smoking cessation, weight loss, anxiety, fears and phobias.Adrian Antrum is an experienced Trager practitioner who uses gentle rhythmical movements to facilitate the release of stressful physical and mental patterns.Visit www.alignyourhealth.co.uk or call 01803 814329.

Win a free treatment at Align

Course helps EU visitors in crisisTHE turmoil in various parts of Europe is posing many challenges for many people. Earlier this year 14 people from diverse backgrounds travelled to Devon for a course designed to give them the answer to the question “How can I help - whoever I am?”They are all people living at the sharp end of the EU crisis who want to respond constructively in their communities.Among the visitors were three people from Athens, Greece. One of them wrote: “I feel this workshop will... indicate some new ways for helping my own country. People here are in shock. They don’t move at all or they react through violence, which is extremely dangerous. New ways are required and I came to get some glimpses of these.” Other participants had their own stories. One worked as an interpreter in Hungary and experienced degrading treatment of prisoners during investigations.Another had been an activist during the break-up of Yugoslavia and as an ex-offender wanted to find ways to contribute to the common causes.Those participating ranged in age from 18-65 from Greece, Spain, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Their work was equally as varied and included an engineer, a translator, a student, an ex-offender and one who was unemployed.

Martin Cooper fundraised and organised for the group to come to Devon. He is the founder and director of a social enterprise called Landed, which exists to work with people who want to contribute their talents to solving the crises we face by connecting them with experiences and individuals that will assist. Martin recently took The Journey programme at Embercombe and was inspired to seek EU ‘Grundtvig’ funding to enable other people to have a taste of it for themselves by partnering with Embercombe.Martin is confident the programme has made a difference in the lives of everybody who came and that the effort he put into recruiting and organising the group was worth it. “The feedback has been incredible,” he said.“It’s a privilege to have secured EU funding and I wanted to spend it well. From my experience at Embercombe, I knew that they had the ability to run a potentially life changing workshop for people and I wasn’t disappointed.”Go to www.landedhq.com and www.embercombe.co.uk/journey

34 Advertising: 01392 346342 [email protected]

Read past Wellbeing stories in our back issues...

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FOR anyone who loves to sing, the annual Rise Up Singing Voice Camp at the end of July is a must.The gathering on Dartmoor, between July 20 and 28, has three threads uniting the event - singing, camping and wanting to be part of a community.But you don’t have to be a singer to enjoy it - just the desire to sing is enough. You will be guided and supported to find your voice by a team of skilled teachers.Said organiser Daverick Leggett: “The joy of singing is infectious and irresistible, heart-opening and wonder-filled.“No one leaves the camp without having been profoundly moved and everyone leaves with a bundle of new songs.”This year’s teachers include Helen

Yeomans, leader of Devon’s Glorious Chorus choir; Gavin Frank from the band Madrum and Roxanne Smith.The camp is held in a beautiful Dartmoor meadow bisected by the Holy Brook stream which provides a focus for children’s play and brings constant energetic movement through the heart of the camp. The meadow is populated with carpeted yurts, marquees and domes providing comfortable communal spaces for workshops and gatherings, as well as a sauna. The camp has one central fire and a strong focus on low impact ecological living with locally-sourced and organic food, full recycling and firewood from sustainably-managed local woodland.Visit www.riseupsinging.co.uk.

All you need is the desire to sing

HERBS are some of the hardiest of plants and some of the first to start their regeneration after the cold winter days.But according to medical herbalist Dr Anita Clay, they are some of the easiest to grow and the most useful.Choosing the five top herbs in the easy and most useful category is straightforward for Dr Clay.Her first selection would be lavender, which provides nectar for the bees, a heavenly perfume and flowers that can be used to make a relaxing tea.Thyme has become a favourite of hers over the years. Its dense little mat of tiny leaves with Summer profusion of flowers set the border of her garden. A cup of those delicate leaves has helped her through winter coughs.Chives are easy to grow. They are useful to chop into salads giving a gentle oniony flavour. This will also be protective against coughs and colds and their purple flowers

“gladden the heart”.Said Dr Clay: “I could not imagine any herb garden without the sunshine of the pot marigold. Sprinkle the seeds direct onto the garden and they will continue to be with you for years self seeding faithfully. The flower heads are great healers. So useful for garden cuts and grazes - and, if we should get enough sun, also for sunburns!“Lastly I am torn between practicality and love. To plant garlic to use as a protector of winter ailments or to grow chamomille? To drink freshly infused chamomile flowers is one of Summer’s delights. I will leave the decision to you.“Such an easy garden to maintain and one of such gems.”An appointment with Dr Clay can be made at The Herbal Clinic at Heavitree Osteopathic Clinic - visit www.heavitreeosteopaticclinic.co.uk or call 01392 273243.

Anita picks her top five herbs

“No-one leaves the camp without having been profoundly moved.”

35

Trinity Holistics offers a wide range of mind body & spirit therapies & classes. Consultations in person, online, or by email/phone: 07841 344934

Nutritional Medicine & Therapy - natural ways to treat health and well-being problems including:

Weight Management • Allergies • Mental Health Issues • Digestive Disorders • Hormonal Health • Auto-immune Conditions • Children’s Health • Skin Conditions and much more

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t r in i t y hol ist icstake control of your health & happiness

www.reconnectonline.co.uk...all on our website us at


Psychotherapy Counselling

& Supervision with Lucia Capaldi (UKCP) BA Hons

Experienced and qualifi ed psychotherapist currently offering:

Confi dential sessions for individuals and couples experiencing:

• Relationship diffi culties • Anxiety • Depression • Low self-esteem • Addictions • Bereavement • Stress

Supervision at reduced ratesfor counsellors and psychotherapists

Building A Successful Practice Workshops for psychotherapists, counsellors and complimentary therapists

Book now for the next workshop on July 13th

“Mindfulness In Relationship” A two-day introductory workshop to Core Process Psychotherapy

Please get in touch to arrange a free initial meeting or for dates of upcoming workshops and groups

Bridge Farm Offi ces, Harberton, Totnes. Tel: 07809 441 519 or 01803 [email protected] www.luciacapaldi-psychotherapy-devon.co.uk

Terri’s cancer inspires business

Healing in the mountainsA GROUP of local therapists and artists are heading for sunny Southern Spain to hold what they are calling “a retreat extravaganza”.Kiki Kellali, Liolah Boysen, Jeffrey Gale and Karen Tompson have all been working together in Totnes and in September and October will offer “a medley of irresistible retreats” at the Land of Light Retreat Centre, which sits in 1.5 acres in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada National Park.Kiki and Liolah will be running a gentle seven-day Healing Retreat with massage, Reiki, Indian Champissage, EFT, Creative Healing and one-to-one spiritual guidance/counseling.Kiki will also be facilitating a seven-day Being There Retreat, which will offer the chance to “be in your own space with your own energy - with the option of connecting with others in meditation, walking and creativity.” Kiki’s Creativity Retreat will give visitors the chance to work on their own creative projects on the land and in and around the house. Says Kiki: “Immerse yourself in landscaping/landsculpting, glass painting, mosaic making and any other creative expression you feel inspired to do.”

Jeffrey is offering a gentle seven-day Intuitive Painting and Poetry Retreat, which he describes as “very healing and relaxing”.Karen’s From Ego to Essence Retreat will “lovingly and gently guide you from your egoic nature to living more fully in your essence where you can learn ways to heal” using individual guidance and meditation.Kiki said: “The Land Of Light group of therapists and artists is an ongoing, evolving community group, based in Totnes, which supports practitioners who want to develop their skills further by running their own retreats - and welcomes those who want to go out and participate. Volunteers to support this project are also welcome and asked to get in touch.”The retreats will be between Sept 14-Oct 28. Visit www.landoflightspain.com, email [email protected] or call 07878 479 402.

AFTER finding a small lump in her breast at the age of 39, a mammogram and biopsy confirmed that Terri Bainbridge had cancer. Rather than just have the lump removed Terri decided to have her whole breast removed and doctors discovered that beneath the small lump was a very large tumour. It hadn’t shown up on the mammogram and her doctor said it had probably started growing 10-15 years earlier.Due to the size of the tumour, and the late stage it was found, Terri had to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and further surgery to remove her lymph nodes. Her long-term survival prognosis has been dramatically compromised by the tumour not being discovered years earlier.But what could Terri have done differently? She checked her breasts regularly and even if mammograms were routinely offered to younger women, her tumour would not have shown up.Forty to fifty percent of women have dense breasts. These women tend to be younger (between 30 and 50 years of age) and healthier, and dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram, just like cancer, so tumours can easily evade detection.There is a diagnostic high-tech tool called Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, or Thermography. This screening tool indicates abnormal

heat patterns very early in the disease process, and could indicate the presence of a potential cancer 8-10 years before it might show on a mammogram or an ultrasound. Annual thermograms can alert you and your doctor to any changes in your breast health before the condition develops further.Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, or DITI, detects heat to measure the physiological activity in your body.Terri and her best friend and business partner Lisa Portman have set up a clinic together based in Exeter and in several other clinics throughout the South West to make DITI available to people who want access to the earliest, safest and most comfortable screening that technology offers without sacrificing effectiveness.Visit www.thermalogica.co.uk or call 0844 332 7711.

The Land of Light Group (left to right) - Liolah Boysen, Karen Tompson, Kiki Kellali and Jeffrey Gale.


Singing WildSaturday 15th June, Sunday 21st July - £65

Find Your LoveSongSunday 30th June - £65

Medicine Singing Weekend23rd-24th August - £130Venue South Dartmoor

Visit www.thesingingpath.comor call 01364 621227

Natural healthcare for all the familyEffective in the treatment of a variety of conditions including:

• Anxiety, depression and stress• Digestive problems such as IBS, heartburn and colitis

• Menopausal & prostate problems• Blood pressure & circulation issues

The Herbal Clinic at Heavitree Osteopathic Clinic5 North Street, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 2RH

www.dranitaclay.co.uk Phone to see if Herbal Medicine could help you 01647 25 33 22

MBBS MNIMH


ICANCounselling and Psychotherapy

You don’t need to suffer aloneAndrea Nemcova Dip.PC MNCS(acc). Dip.Hyp.Cs. MHS

Qualified counsellor and psychotherapist

The choice is yourscall on 01392 430115 or visit www.ican-counselling.org.uk

07738 228 654 - 01626 368 216

With over 25 years of experience in healthcare provides compassionate and confidential

counselling for individuals and couples• stress • anxiety • anger • self-sabotage • low self-esteem • loss and bereavement

• relationship issues

Sue Vaughan GQHP, DHH, DCN, RMANM

Kinesiology, Allergy Testing, Clinical Nutrition, Hypnotherapy, NLP.

Ring 07980 903733 for appointments and enquiries or contact me through my website.

Treatments for:Allergies, Eczema, Panic Attacks, Depression, Candida,

Hay fever, IBS, Chronic Fatigue, Blushing, Phobias, Anxiety, Menopause,

Weight Loss and much more…Sue Vaughan, DHH, DCN, SQHP, RMANM clinics in Exeter and Kingsbridge

www.svaughan.co.uk

MANY people find it difficult to decide whether or not to visit their loved person who has died - and if they do, whether or not to have the coffin open or closed.Will they look like the person they knew? Is it better to keep your last memory of them intact? Will the experience be comforting or traumatic?Simon Smith, of Totnes funeral company Green Fuse, said: “Certainly when the last contact has been in intensive care, to see someone looking peaceful can be comforting. For some looking natural is enough, others would prefer for the person to be embalmed and look more as though they are asleep.”Research has shown that even after a traumatic death it is usually better to see the person if you feel drawn to, as long as the funeral director prepares you well for what you are going to see.Said Simon: “Families coming

together to sit with someone in a pleasant environment and drink tea, swap stories, look at photographs and to take their time find this a healing experience and an important part of the bereavement process. “At Green Fuse we have a beautiful room by the river with space and light and comfortable chairs to allow this to happen and for you to take your time. You can make it yours for that time with objects, music, flowers, candles – whatever you would like to bring.”Visit www.greenfuse.co.uk or call 01803 840779.

Old wool law inspired ‘soft coffin’

A space to share with lost loved ones

WOOL worker Yuli Somme’s interest in natural burial was first inspired by a 350-year-old law brought in to boost the woollen industry.Back in 1666 the woollen trade was a vital part of English life and particularly in the South West.In order to give the trade a boost the Government of the day passed the Act for Burying in Woollen where the dead could only be wearing wool when they were laid to rest. Those breaking the law could be fined as much as £5. It was this law that first drew the attention of Yuli Somme to the subject of natural burial.Yuli runs a business from Chagford called Bellacouche which straddles her two interests - wool and natural burial.Yuli is a promoter of wool as a sustainable and versatile fibre and she locally sources and develops felt wool products which are useful, beautiful

and ecological. One of her products is the Leafcocoon - her answer to the challenge of updating the concept of burial in wool.Said Yuli: “It is a ‘soft coffin’ with integrated wood frame, six handles and many layers of soft comforting felt. The outline to the Leafcocoon is smooth and leaf-shaped, evoking the passing seasons of Life.”Bellacouche is a well established sustainable business, offering hand-crafted domestic products such as tea cosies, hot-water-bottle covers, woollen insoles, bags and tuffets as well as the Leafcocoons. Visits are welcomed to the workshop by appointment, and you can see Yuli’s products at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen at Bovey Tracey or at Contra, Dartmouth. Visit www.bellacouche.com, or call 01647 432155.

A peaceful place to view your loved one.



THE grounds of Sharpham estate offer what must be one of the most spectacular views in the area, looking over the snaking River Dart towards the sea.Now one of the finest spots on the estate has been set aside as a natural burial ground.The four-acre site is a large field with a small wood and planning permission has been granted for the burial ground itself and for a small oval building that will mirror the shape of Sharpham House’s inner hallway and provide shelter for ceremonies.The site will be managed by Rupert and Claire Callender of The Green Funeral Company at Dartington.“It is such a beautiful location for a burial site,” said Claire. “We are

planning to create a fire pit, which will form the centrepiece of ceremonies there, and we will celebrate all the big ancient festivals.”There are also plans to host visiting sculpture shows in the grounds.The site will be open to all funerals, through any local funeral director, and for families and friends organising funerals themselves.An open day will be held on Saturday, June 22, when everyone is welcome to visit and find out more.A spokesperson for Sharpham Estate said: “We hope mourners will consider the natural burial ground a special place to visit and spend time.”Ask your funeral director for more information, or call The Green Funeral Company on 01803 863923.

Land of Light Retreat Centre

Retreats - Spiritual enquiry, personal growth, creativity, walking, meditation, dancing and community in the beautiful Alpujarras mountains, Southern Spain. Various accommodation available. Private rental of house and yurt at various times of the year.www.landoflightspain.com07878479402

New natural burial ground opens

“

Rupert and Claire Callender admire the view from the burial

ground at Sharpham.


You can still read Wellbeing stories in past Reconnects...

Perfect Music for Relaxation,Holistic Therapies& Healing from...

For a free catalogue contact:SymbioSiS muSic, P.o. box 536, Torquay,

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Lorraine Wright Author of the Biodynamic

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Biodynamic Quantum Healing and Crystal Light UK

Intuitive Diagnosticians & Vibrational Healers

ONE of the great things about the Quest festival is that while it features a diverse range of activities, products and services, they are all linked by a common thread – as is, of course, all Reconnect content.At this year’s event (July 25-28 – see pages 26 and 31), intuitive diagnosticians and vibrational healers Mary Whyte and Lorraine Wright have invited Symbiosis Music, who make music for healing, onto their stand.Mary and Lorraine say their channelled healing “transcends the physical, auric and dimensional bodies, to address situations, beliefs or emotions which may be blocking health using numerical healing codes and other techniques, such as clearing karmic and ancestral patterns from the soul level and DNA.” They also recommend Crystal Light UK essences, a combination of gem/flower essences, homeopathy and “channelled energies from the higher realms”, which were developed by Mary to support self-healing and transformation. The essence range includes: Into The Light – clears negative energies/

entities; recommended for therapists, clients, space clearing (perfect for hospitals and therapy rooms); Emotional Balance – burnout, on-going stress; Mental Balance – strengthens the mental faculty; eases examination nerves; Radiation Block and Radiation Reverse – support radiation sensitivity and damage; Transformation – aids in the release of addictive/negative behaviour patterns; Tiger Lily – rage, children’s tantrums, hormonal balance in post-menopausal women; Focus on Now – for grounding; protection; easing hyperactivity in children; Grief – provides hope while releasing deep buried pain; and Courage for Challenges – helpful on entering new cycles, new job; returning to school.Mary and Lorraine will be on stand 75 at Quest with Clive Williamson from Symbiosis, whose music (Touching the Clouds and Amber & Jade) acts as a backdrop during their workshops and meditations.Visit www.biodynamicquantumhealing.com, or call 07584 785127 (Crystal Light) or 01803 293030 (Symbiosis Music).

Healers welcome music maker

Herbalists see clients at doctors’ surgery

Intuitive diagnosticians and healers Mary Whyte (left) and Lorraine Wright with space clearer and Feng Shui practitioner Williams Wright.

TRADITIONAL whole plant medicine is back at the doctors, thanks to a group of South Devon herbalists.“You can take a plant, strip out all the important bits, put a few of its chemicals in a white tablet - and darn if it doesn’t just sprout right up at the gates again!” said one of the herbalists, Frances Wright.“You can’t keep a good weed down!”An initial 50-minute consultation at Leatside costs £45 and subsequent follow-ups are £25 with herbal medicines supplied at £8 per 100ml – “which lasts around a week,” says

Frances. The group also offers concessionary rates.A leaflet including individual contact details is available from the surgery, or call 07772 726 758 any time to book an appointment on Mondays, 10-11am or 4-6pm.

The herbalists outside Leatside Sugery.


... all our back issues are online at www.reconnectonline.co.uk

New home for yoga centreTORQUAY’S first yoga centre, Yoga Torbay, has a new home – a “spacious, airy and peaceful space” on the first floor of 45 Fleet Street in the town centre.The centre continues to host daytime, evening and weekend classes, from beginners to advanced, including holistic yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Kundalini and Iyengar, as well as a meditation group every Friday evening. All the teachers are fully qualified and insured.The centre also accepts referrals from the NHS through the Fitbay scheme and offers a specialist course for people with low back pain. Children’s and pregnancy classes are planned for the near future and a membership scheme has just been launched.Visit www.yogatorbay.com and call Virginia on 07875217970 or email [email protected] to go on the mailing list and keep updated with what’s happening.

A week of adventure for teens

Life experiences help counsellor in her workTODAY’S counsellor has a number of tools at his or her disposal to deal with the differing conditions they encounter.However, the counsellor’s own life experiences will help with understanding their client’s situations.Counsellor and psychotherapist Andrea Nemcova is also a qualified hypnotherapist and before going into practice worked in healthcare for over 25 years as a nurse and manager.She also has experience as a volunteer with domestic violence and abuse services, a substance misuse service and a relationship helpline.She said: “My experiences have brought me into contact with a broad range of people, lifestyles and outlooks.“I believe we are all individuals with our own needs, but sometimes these needs become unclear as we try to fit in and be accepted by others, or we simply become lost in the hectic nature of our lives.”Andrea says more and more people are suffering with differing forms of psychological issues - experiencing loss and trauma that are too much to cope with alone. Given the right conditions we have the potential, not only to survive these, but to learn from them and to grow stronger as human beings.Andrea is a member of the National Counselling Society and her preferred counselling approach is person centred developed by Carl Rogers. She also uses CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and the psychodynamic approach.Call Andrea on 01392 430115 or 07738 228 654 and visit www.ican-counselling.co.uk.

FINDING ways to make sense of the changes that take place in your teens is now more important than ever and experiences in nature can be extremely helpful.

Embercombe is offering a Wildcraft week especially for teenagers with a remit which goes beyond the learning of practical skills.

Local ‘Man of the Wild’ Mark Lane, who is co-designing the course, said: “The week will be ideal for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to go on an adventure - with everything they

need coming from themselves, their pack, the natural world around them and the people they are with.

“We’ll follow the natural rhythm of the day set by the sun and sleep under the stars by night.”

The programme will run concurrently with Embercombe’s Summer Camp for Families and so is ideal for people with older and younger children.

Wildcraft runs from August 11 to 16. To find out more, visit www.embercombe.co.uk/wildcraft.

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Accredited CPD Workshops & ITEC Diploma Courses

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Devon Academy, Basepoint Business Centre Yeoford Way, Marsh Barton, Exeter, EX2 8LB

www.devonacademy.co.uk Tel: 01392 826033 Email: [email protected]

“The Dartmoor Pony Training Centre will be running the following courses this year through Moor Pony Resources:

• Mindfulness Meditation with Horses,

• Wild Pony Training & Pony Play on Dartmoor.Dartmoor Pony Training Centrenatalie: 07802 218169; [email protected]

Full details of events:dptcevents.blogspot.co.uk

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Past Life Workshops

T: 01566 781 836 M:07973 779486 [email protected] www.renregress.com

Sat. June 29th, Sat. July 21st, Sat. August 31st

In beautiful converted farmhouse in NW Devon

Max. 6 participants per workshop

Full Day,10-5, inc. shared lunch £45

PAST LIFE REGRESSION RETREAT

MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SHOWS29th & 30th June, Seaton Town Hall, 10am-5pm19th October, Axminster Guildhall, 10am-5pm

22nd February 2014, Torquay Town Hall, 10am-5pm

Phone Sandi Clark 07900 824089 for details, to book a retreat or to take part in the shows.

Rainbow’s End is a pretty cottage near the sea in Branscombe. Individual/group retreats are on the

basis of a suggested donation of £25 p.p www.rainbowsendcottage.co.uk

Rainbow’s End is a pretty cottage near the sea in Branscombe. Individual/group retreats are on the

RETREATS

LIVE BLOOD ANALYSIS

Changing your life is just a pinprick away...Let me show you how images of your blood magnified 1000 times can help you: F understand why you are feeling tiredF lose weightLive and dried blood microscopyConsultations in Exeter and in your own home.Beverley Bird SAC dip Clinical nutrition. www.liveblooduk.co.uk www.therawretreat.co.uk

COUNSELLING

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Let’s Talkreally

Counselling, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy

•Anxiety/Panic •Feeling Down •Anger

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01803 665604

David Lloyd-Hoare Bsc(Hons)BACP Accredited Counsellor18 Years Experience

Individuals & CouplesAlso Counselling Supervision

www.counsellinghelp.co.uk

Waycotts Orchard Forest SchoolWaycotts Orchard Forest School welcomes you to experience exciting and inspiring classes for

children, families and adults. Encouraging you to learn about the natural

world, through playing games, craft activities and exploration. See workshops for dates.Call Neil on 07974 414323

www.waycotts.org.uk

FOREST SCHOOL

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ART THERAPY

Courses in Exeter 2013ART IN HEALTH:

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A Foundation Course in Art � erapyShort courses in Sandtray � erapy - Practical

Applications; Art, Con� ict & Anger Management.Also supervision/mentoring for arts and health

practitioners.For information see www.insiderart.org.uk

or e-mail [email protected]

INSIDER ART

ORGANIC POULTRY

Hillyfield HensWe currently have for sale:l Young laying hens (18 months) £10l Traditional Light Sussex (4-5 months) £20-£25l Light Sussex and Blue and Black Orpington chicks (off-heat) From £9l Fertile Light Sussex and Blue Orpington hatching eggs £1.50 and £2 each (+p&p)

www.thehillyfield.co.uk

Organically kept, free-range poultry

Call Jenny on 01803 868455 or Doug on 07976 589 927

Therapeutic CounsellingSupervisionHypnotherapy and Stress Management

Pat H

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24a Gandy StreetExeter

EX4 3LSTel: 01392 410090

Email: [email protected]: www.caseconfidential.com

24a Gandy StreetExeter

EX4 3LSTel: 01392 410090

Email: [email protected]: www.caseconfidential.com

Over 32 years’experience - offers confidentialtherapeutic counsellingfor individuals and couples.PAT HOARE. DIP. COUNS.B.A.C.P. ACCREDITED

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Yoga in your homeOne-to-One & Two-to-One Sessions

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Website www.heartwoodyoga.co.uk

TIBETAN BUDDHISM

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Yoga, Meditation, RelaxationClasses, workshops

Daytimes, evenings and weekendsSuitable for all levels of ability

Everyone welcome!

Yoga Torbay, Second Floor, 45 Fleet Street, Torquay, TQ2 5DWContact Virginia 07875217970www.yogatorbay.com

TIBETAN BUDDHISM

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche July 1st – 7.30 pm Buddhist Teaching The Nature of Mind Steiner School - Totnes

July 2nd – 7.30 pm Public Talk Change Starts in Our Hearts

Civic Hall – Totnes www.bodhicharyasouthwest.org.uk



OUR single and double column advertisements on these pages are £55 and £98. Lineage ads, like those below, are 90p a word, with a minimum of 20 words. Plus a FREE photo!Just email your ad to [email protected] (with a phone number) and we’ll contact you about payment. The next deadline is Friday, July 5.

JUNE

EVERY FRIDAY

QIGONG at St Johns Church Hall, Totnes with Brad Richecoeur, 10-11.30am. Suitable for all levels.01364 644040 www.qigong-southwest.co.uk.

WEDNESDAY 5

SUMMER Reboot - Embrace the power of the season using the Chinese Medicine five-element map, Natural Nutrition and Kinesiology muscle testing. Crediton Well Being Centre, 10.30am-1.30pm, 01363 877581, www.sjholistic.weebly.com.

SATURDAY 8

TRADITIONAL Chinese painting course, Growers Organics, Yealmpton, 10am-4.30pm, www.growersorganics.com or 01752 881180.

SUNDAY 9

EXPERIMENTAL Chinese painting course, Growers Organics, Yealmpton, 10am-4.30pm www.growersorganics.com or 01752 881180.

WEDNESDAY 12

CHICKEN keeping course, Growers Organics, Yealmpton, 10am-4.30pm, www.growersorganics.com or 01752 881180.

FRIDAY 14

SUMMER Reboot - Embrace the power of the season using the Chinese Medicine five-element map, Natural Nutrition and Kinesiology muscle testing. Crediton Well Being Centre, 9.30am-12.30pm, 01363 877581, www.sjholistic.weebly.com.JEWELLERY making for beginners, Growers Organics, Yealmpton,10am-4.30pm, www.growersorganics.com, 01752 881180 (also July 13/14).INTRODUCTION to Mindfulness-based counselling skills. 10am-3pm Waterloo Wellbeing Centre, Plymouth. 01752 560002. [email protected], www.psychotherapy plymouth.co.uk.

SATURDAY 15

THE Singing Path with Sarah Patterson. Singing Wild. £65. Visit www.thesingingpath.com or call 01364 621227.

SAT/SUN JUNE 15/16

THE Art of Love: How to Create & Deepen Fulfilling Relationships, Thrivecraft workshop with Srimati,10am-5pm, Glazebrook Country House Hotel, £149 (inc lunch), www.srimati.com/thrivecraft.

MON-THURS 17-20

LOOKING After Your Health workshop. Learning how to transform your health, emotions, diet and life. £445 including lunch and supper. International Macrobiotic School. Tel 01803 762598 [email protected].

THURSDAY 20

TAKE A Deep Breath. Introductory workshop in Transformational Breathing, Bideford. Learn how to use the power of your own breath to overcome stress and re-energise your body. Les Elms 07828 566553. [email protected] www.breathsouthwest.com.

THURS-SUN 20-23

GREEN woodwork ing course, Growers Organics, Yealmpton, learn to make a child’s chair to take home, 10am-4.30pm, www.growersorganics.com, 01752 881180.

SUNDAY JUNE 23

MIDSUMMER Open Studio at Walled Garden Craft Studios, Bowden House, Totnes, 10.30am-4.30pm, local crafts, plants and herbal products, refreshments “and many

more treasures”. Call Geraldine on 01803 863069/07594 065148 or email [email protected].

MONDAY 24

ARE You a Therapist? Free open session at Exeter Mind and Body Clinic. 6pm – 7.30pm. Pre-registration required. Tel: 07989 564660. www.exetermindandbody.com/for-therapists.

JUN 28-JUL 26

THRIVECRAFT Meditation Practitioner & Teacher training. Practitioner training (or equivalent) is a prerequisite of Teacher training. With Srimati, Fridays 2.30-5.30pm, Totnes Natural Health Centre, £75 – Teacher Certificate, Sept 20 – Oct 11, £75. www.srimati.com/meditation

SAT 29 & SUN 30

FIVE ANIMAL QIGONG with Master Zhixing Wang at Dartington Hall, South Devon.01364 6440406 www.qigong-southwest.co.uk.

SATURDAY 29

PAST life workshop in converted farmhouse nr. Holsworthy, Devon. Max. 6 participants. Full day inc. shared lunch, £45. Contact Chris on 01566 781 836 [email protected], www.renregress.com.HERBAL body care course, Growers Organics, Yealmpton, learn to make natural body products, 10am-1pm, www.growersorganics.com, 01752 881180 (also July 9).

SUNDAY 30

THE Singing Path with Sarah Patterson. Find your love song. £65. Visit www.

thesingingpath.com or call 01364 621227.

JULY

EVERY FRIDAY

QIGONG at St Johns Church Hall, Totnes with Brad Richecoeur, 10-11.30am. Suitable for all levels.01364 644040 www.qigong-southwest.co.uk.

FRIDAY 5

A NEW look at Anatomy: Fight, Flight, Fat & Fascia. A brief history of Western Medicine takes us to the Cutting Edge of Human Dissection, Tensegrity, Fascial Continuity & Bodywork Concepts. £135 per delegate. 01392 409131 [email protected].

SAT/SUN 13/14 JULY

WAKE Up Your Wisdom: Intuition & Channelling for Life, Love & Business, Thrivecraft workshop with Srimati, 10am-5pm, Glazebrook Country House Hotel, £149 (inc lunch), www.srimati.com/thrivecraft.

SATURDAY 21

PAST life workshop in converted farmhouse nr. Holsworthy, Devon. Max. 6 participants. Full day inc. shared lunch, £45. Contact Chris on 01566 781 836 [email protected], www.renregress.com.THE Singing Path with Sarah Patterson. Singing Wild. £65. Visit www.thesingingpath.com or call 01364 621227.

SUNDAY 28

THE JOURNEY for adults. Finding Earth, finding Soul. Embercombe tel: 01647 252983. www.embercombe.co.uk

AUGUST

FRI 2 - SUN 11

QIGONG summer camp on Dartmoor, with Daverick Leggett, Brad Richecoeur and friends. A profound life-changing experience that nourishes the heart, revitalises the body and refreshes the spirit.01364 644040 www.qigong-southwest.co.uk.

COUNSELLING

DAVID OXLEY MA Fully qualified Accredited BACP Counsellor and Psychotherapist. Psychosynthesis and Core Process. Working with relationship, depth, integrity and soul. Central Exeter, Totnes and Plymouth. www.davidoxleycounselling.co.uk 07876051093.DAVID AGASEE BA(Hons), BACP Member, Diploma in Counselling and CBT. Experienced Person Centred Counsellor, practising in Crediton and Exeter. Call 07964714172, email [email protected].

AFFORDABLE Creative Counselling: Depressed or Anxious? Reconnect with your life force. First session free, thereafter £25-40. Totnes & Newton Abbot. Ruth Jenni 079740977877. email: [email protected].

RETREATS

PRETTY two-bedroom semi-detached stone cottage in rural Brittany plus attached stone building for possible conversion and large barn set in 2 acres. £52,000 contact 07896123473 or [email protected]

WORKSHOPS& COURSESDIARYTo advertise your workshops or courses here, simply email us the words, along with your name, address and phone number and we will invoice you. The cost is just 90p a word, with a minimum of 20 words. Email [email protected], or call Pete on 01392 346342.

You can read past Living on Less columns in our online archive...


Living on less...GENERALLY on this page we look at ways of living a less material, less consumerist life, but however much we shift our emphasis away from measuring things in financial terms and focus instead on the quality of life, we still need to live on something.And that means money. And, unless you have a private income or you’re particularly adept at some form of criminal activity, that usually means work.But I would like to suggest that work, all work, is actually a good thing. A deeply wonderful thing.And that’s because I believe we’re making a big mistake by seeing work merely as a source of income, a way of paying the bills. It’s all too easy to categorise our various roles: the job we HAVE to do in order to get paid; the stuff we WANT to do for recreation; the things we NEED to do but for which we receive no remuneration – like home maintenance.What I’m suggesting is that we break down the areas between all these things. And, as is often the case, things become a lot more interesting if we break down a few barriers.So, just for a moment at least, consider ‘work’ in its broadest sense. The dictionary definition is: Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.But we can then take things a little deeper, for while work is obviously a means of getting things done, it can be so much more besides, with benefits to be enjoyed on many different levels.The physical exertion involved, for example, exercises the body, playing a crucial part in keeping us well. And personally I would rather get stuck in

and do some good physical work than spend time at a gym under artificial lights, surrounded by lots of other people, watching videos or listening to music. Saves gym fees too.Physical work also leaves you with a sense of achievement for a job well done – an important contribution to our peace of mind and mental wellbeing. And we are feeding another deeper part of our being, particularly if we can complete the job with mindfulness, perhaps even entering a meditative state. Zen and the art of almost anything…So let’s try out a few specific ‘jobs’ and see how they can enrich our lives. And to keep things firmly rooted in the fundamental, core practices of life, I’m going to concentrate on the primal areas I wrote about in the last issue (you can still read that online at www.reconnectonline.co.uk).

Food seems a good place to start and the most obvious way to benefit from working around it is to grow your own. That cultivating fruit and veg saves you dosh is obvious and the health benefits have also been much discussed and accepted – homegrown, less tampered with produce is better for you, and the sort of physical movement that gardening requires is generally good for you too (just be careful of your back).But then there are the less obvious benefits like connecting to nature and the elements . We might complain about the weather, but there is a simple joy to getting on the waterproofs and working on the land, no matter what the climate throws at you.And if you want to make more of a connection, try working barefoot.But maybe working in the garden is a little too obvious. What if you just shop for your food? The route of least work here is to buy at a supermarket: get everything you need in one place; dump it all in a trolley; wheel it to your car. Job done.But what if you were to put a little more work into it? We’ve talked many times in Reconnect about the benefits of shopping in local, independent, specialist stores – benefits to the local economy but also to your health and your sense of wellbeing. Spending a few hours choosing what you want from local stores can be a wonderful social experience too, particularly if you shop in local markets. If you don’t bump into people you already know, you’ll soon make new friends among shoppers and traders too.It’s the perfect example of the

community coming together to share something that is important to the individual. Sure it takes more time but isn’t it worth it? And shopping more consciously also connects us to the true importance of food, reminding us that it’s not just another consumer product to be chosen by price and logo.If we turn to another primal activity, we find a perfect example of how work can give us far more than just the end product of the job.The least work way of heating our homes is some form of central heating – turn a control, it gets warmer. No work – but no soul either.I mentioned the heart-warming effect of an open fire in my last Living On Less piece and although clearing out the ashes and getting the fuel in can be a hassle at times, it’s reward comes immediately you put a flame to the kindling and it brings your room to life.And while sawing and chopping logs will provide you with the obvious benefit of a pile of logs for burning, it will also give you exercise – and a more subtle feeling of satisfaction from seeing the job completed and the reassuring knowledge that it’s all there ready for when the colder weather comes. It really is all about making (or re-establishing) those connections.What we’re also doing here is de-monetising (sorry for the Americanism – at least I took out the ‘z’ my spellcheck insisted on using) work. Instead of thinking of work as a way of earning money to pay for the rest of your life, see it as an integral part of living.You could just end up with a richer, more rewarding way of life – and you will be living on less.

Rake's progress...

Why work is so much more than a job...

are you a therapist?

If so, you are invited to a FREE Open session at Exeter Mind and Body Clinic includes:

• Mini - meditation with Jacqueline Kareh

• Talk on heart-centred business - by Venus Award nominee Cathy Towers

• Networking, room viewing, refreshments

“An oasis of calm in the centre of the city”Pre-registration required 07989 564660

http://www.exetermindandbody.com/for-therapists

Monday 24th June 6pm to 7.30pm Sunday 4th August 5pm to 6.30pm

Cathy Towers BACP Senior

Accredited Practitioner

01395 278437 07989 564660

Exeter Mind & Body Clinic, Choristers House,

Chapel Street, Exeter EX1 1AJ

ClInIC: www.exetermindandbody.com

ThErAPy: www.cathytowers.com

CPD TrAInIng: www.pppsouthwest.co.uk

Kate Harris Life Coaching & Self Esteem Specialist

Using cognitive behavioural therapy and life coaching to help you release your inner confidence

‘Kate’s compassion and empathy, and her ability to share and support, made a huge difference to my progress and my continued success’

Paula, Devon By phone (including Skype) or in person

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t: 01803 847674 m: 0777 949 6240www.kateharris-lifecoaching.co.uk

THERE’S work involved in everything we do, argues MARTIN FOSTER - but if we see it as more than just a way of earning money, we will enjoy all sorts of extra benefits...

Editorial: 01392 346204 [email protected] www.reconnectonline.co.uk

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Documents

Reconnect 25 june 2013