Big Green Gathering Ish Meetup

[arun]

Hiya Fee
We tried to find you at BGG but couldnt find you anywhere, hope the meet went well
Arun and Ginny

[Martin]

just got home!
Passed a very pleasant afternoon taking tea and cakes with the gorgeous "Fee Fairy Sisters", and the Circlecross posse, and had great fun wrestling with the Kelly kettle............a few photos etc to come - got to drink LOTS of tea! - more later...........

[Sharon]

Hi there

Really sorry not to find you at BGG. So looking forward to meeting up. We wandered around looking for the flag but couldn't see it anywhere. And I made a fruit cake!

Hope everybody had a really good time. Wasn't it fantastic weather yesterday? More than made up for the torrential rain. When was that? I seem to have lost track of time a bit. Anyway, unpacking now, but still trying to hang on to the festival spirit for a little while longer.

If there are some photos of you lot round that kettle, I'd love to see them.

Sharon

[the.fee.fairy]

I'm back too!

Its a shame you couldn't find us - we wetre in Longman Camping ( i think) -0 next to the GAMA field.

I will post the pics when i get some time.

Wasn't 8it a great weekend in the end! The rain looked a bit set for a while ohn Thursday, adn the mud was fun for a while, but the last two days were absolutely lovely! We're both brown as berries here!

[Thomzo]

Glad you guys had a good time. Do post some photies for those of us who couldn't go.

Cheers
Zoe

[Sharon]

It was our first BGG and very enjoyable it was too! Even more enjoyable in that we won tickets to go through a competition in Permaculture magazine.

I was confused (durr) about your location. I thought you were in the green crafts area as a trader or demonstrator and that's where your tent was. Silly me. Still, in trying to find you I bought a peg loom and now have every good intention (THE word of the gathering) of making a stair runner. Nine years we've been here and nine years I've been promising to make something to put on the stairs ...

What was your favourite bit/thing at the Gathering this year?

Sharon

[Martin]

that lovely feeling that there are kindred spirits out there, and to have a vision of an alternative way of living that is not only far kinder to the planet, but in so many ways infinitely superior
So many things were great that it's hard to choose........probably just "going walkabout" yesterday - lovely sun, with a breeze making it really pleasant - nattering to fellow renewables geeks, getting my last apricot flapjack and chai "on the house" in the Chai Chapel...........having the freedom to go and wallow in the mud, and then potter about starkers if the spirit moves you (was sorely tempted!)

[Martin]

ps, was very impressed to see kids being taught REAL skills - with splendidly dangerous implements - drawknives, chisels, thundering great hammers, and chunks of red-hot metal! There's hope for us yet!

[Millymollymandy]

Glad you all had a nice time - but what is this chai you keep talking about?

[Martin]

spiced Indian tea like you'd get at an Indian railway station!
My recipe - pestle and mortar - add 4 black peppercorns and four cloves - grind - add a good handful of green cardamoms - grind - one broken up cinnamon stick, several slices of fresh ginger, two teabags, and seven heaped teaspoons sugar (necessary to bring out the spices) - add to around a litre or two pints of water - bring to very slow simmer, and keep it simmering for at least 20 minutes, then add half a tin of evaporated milk (gives the authentic Indian taste), stir and serve in small glass tumblers - fairly authentic chai!

[Sharon]

Sod work! I'm off to make chai.

[Martin]

and you're wondering where the nearest mudhole is too?

[Martin]

that BGG moment...............

[Sharon]

Well, until recently, we had water running through the back garden (courtesy of an undetected leak in next door's supply), so we had plenty of mud to play with even before we got to the BGG. Was thinking fondly of a little cob house for a while.

Feel at a bit of a loss today, working by myself at home. No nice, friendly, relaxed people about. Ticehurst is its usual sleepy self. Hurumph. I am waving in the Heathfield direction, Martin.

[Martin]

and another...........