Big and Small

• Today, some young people around the UK are gathering to protest the risks of humankind not doing enough to stem unalterable climate change. So it's worth letting you know that individuals and organisations are meeting in Derby next Tuesday evening, February 19th, to consider what can be done to get Derbyshire County Council to declare a 'climate emergency' and commit to greater efforts to achieve zero carbon status in the medium term, as other councils have already done. A group of folk are going from Hayfield, via a minibus organised by Graham Hirst. It leaves The Royal car park at 5.45p.m. and costs £7. There are still some seats left. If you'd like to be involved, please contact Graham at hirst34@icloud.com.
• A reminder that Village Greens and Grains will be outside The Pack Horse as usual, tomorrow, Saturday, 10-12.00p.m., with their delicious foods. This week, each V Green vegetable box will also contain a dessert recipe this week (roasted pineapple with chilli syrup). And there's the healthy, multicoloured fruits and veg we know!
  Grains will bring an exotic range of breads, rolls and cakes, as well as their delicious staples. Look out for flavourful cheddar & cumin, olive & rosemary, walnut, focaccia, and Danish pastries as well. Can you afford not to be there? Can you please bring your own shopper bags (about half of you do), since Grains want to cut down on the bags they have to issue – and we know that makes all-round sense! As ever, to be sure, order in advance (V Greens 01457 852456, Grains 01457 862346), and then just collect!
• And we in Sustainable Hayfield need someone to help our established team source, cultivate and support an appropriately varied range of stallholders and activities, to help ensure our Apple Day offers a vibrant and appealing range of attractions. Could this be you? Do you have (some) time to give? To begin with, you’d be shadowing someone experienced in this field, so you'd find out about what’s needed, before taking on more responsibility. If you’re interested, and want to become part of our ‘team’, please contact me in the first instance for a chat. I'm on 01663 745940 or 07867 578326 and at lauriejamesis@btinternet.com. Thanks very much for considering this!

One Gone and Two To Come

Thanks to those 20 or so supporters and friends who attended the presentation on home automation we arranged on Tuesday. Though turnout was less than we'd hoped for, those present made up for it in the range of questions and issues raised, and we hope you found John Blain's presentation informative and thought-provoking. We've also received a number of requests, from people unable to attend, for copies of the information presented. You can download that here. We hope it's of interest but recognise that some of the context (linking comments, elaboration and nuance) is lost by not being able to be present.

Two other things coming up:

• ever thought of baking your bread, but not sure how? What's the right mix of ingredients, how can we ensure it 'rises' in the right way, what is sourdough? Our Food group is hoping to answer these questions and many more and give you hands-on experience via a breadmaking skills course it's arranging at the Village Hall, provisionally for Saturday 23rd Feb, 2-5.00p.m. Utensils, ingredients and tea/coffee are provided, but a small charge (around £5) would be levied per person. If you'd like to attend such a course, whether or not you can make 23rd February, please let Ellen Bennett know at ellenkbennett@yahoo.co.uk by next Monday, 11th February. That will help Ellen and team determine whether they're in a position, numbers-wise, to proceed on Feb 23rd or seek alternative date(s). Thanks!
• we can confirm that this year's Village Spring Clean is going to be held 10-2.00p.m. on Saturday 6th April, again using the Village Hall as its operational base. Last year, around 70 villagers turned out for an hour or more to 'do their bit' to help rid the village of unsightly litter, a great effort leading to around 60 bin bags of rubbish - and larger items too - being collected, a good part of which was separated out, so it could be recycled. If we can achieve the same this year, we'd be delighted! We'll supply much more information in due course about this event, held jointly with Hayfield Civic Trust and the Parish Council, but we thought we'd confirm the date now - so, hopefully, you can put it in your diary! It's a grand day, with a really good community spirit underpinning it.

Coming Up Fast...

• Tomorrow, (Saturday) Grains and Village Greens will be doing their 'usual' outside the Pack Horse, 10-12.00p.m. Grains Bakehouse will be bringing, in addition to their usual offerings, seeded sourdough and wholemeal sourdough rolls, olive and rosemary fruit loaves, and Danish pastries for 'treats'. Village Greens, who were delighted how quickly their very early season rhubarb went last week, will be bringing some more, plus cheeses and, of course, their £5 veg bags and £5 fruit bags too. Delicious! See you there...!

• Tempted, confused or just wanting to know more about Nest, Hive, remote control service and security systems for your home? Come along to our free illustrated talk next Tuesday (Feb 5th) at the Royal Hotel, 7.30p.m., when John Blain will be introducing us to the potential of home automation for saving hundreds of pounds a year in energy costs, having heating, lighting, laundry and other services on only when you want/need them and having control of these when you're away from home. Increasingly, we're being encouraged to make our homes 'smart', and there are real financial gains in doing so. But what's the overall picture, what should we look out for, what downsides might there be? John Blain, an energy specialist, will be sharing his personal and professional experience with us in a quirkily titled talk 'Home Automation - Just Big Boys' Toys or The Future of Domestic Energy Efficiency?' It should be an informative and interesting evening. You've maybe seen posters around the village - here's your own, as a reminder!

Winter Newsletter & Home Automation

The winter newsletter from Sustainable Hayfield is now available to download. It's packed, we hope, with items which may interest you. We hope you enjoy! As ever, any feedback is much appreciated.

It's profiled in the newsletter but we'd like to draw to your attention the illustrated talk on 'Home Automation - Just Big Boys' Toys or The Future of Domestic Energy Efficiency?' we've arranged for Tuesday February 5th at The Royal Hotel, starting at 7.30p.m., featuring John Blain, an energy specialist and admitted 'smarthome' enthusiast, who'll be addressing some of the key issues associated with the changing nature of technology in and around the home. It should be an interesting evening with, we suspect, a range of views shared! We hope you can join us.

More Treats On Offer...

Further to recent posts, here's few other things to look out for:

1. A reminder that Grains Bakehouse (01457 862346) and Village Greens (01457 852456) will be outside the Pack Horse again this Saturday, 10-12.00p.m. with their delicious produce. Village Greens advise they've had a great response of orders for their £10 veg box and a good number of orders for their £5 'veg essentials' bags. They're also bringing along some select cheeses, fresh cranberries and a selection of natural Xmas wreaths for sale on the day. If you want to be sure you get what you want, why not order direct from either supplier, and collect on the day?
2. News that should appeal: a new zero waste shop has just opened in Buxton - Day Zero! Based at 30 High Street in Higher Buxton, it was opened by Ruth George MP on Saturday and is open through the day pretty much every day (save the obvious) this month and even 12-4.00p.m. Sundays. They have a full range of wholefoods, liquid refills and gifts on offer. Being zero waste, they hope you'll bring containers for your purchases but they also have free recycled paper bags and they can sell jars, made from recycled glass. They've a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/dayzeroshop) and will have a website They've apparently got off to a great start and would be delighted to see Sustainable Hayfield supporters at their premises. Why not pop in on one of your trips to Buxton? This, we hope, could be a truly sustainable addition to the retail arena, which puts the environment at its heart;
3. For lovers of wildlife and the outdoors, a reminder that, on Tuesday, 11th December, the local branch of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have got their pre-Xmas shindig at Bradbury House, Glossop, 7.30p.m. Entitled 'Wildlife and Wild Places', the evening features short, informal, illustrated talks on Derbyshire, the UK and abroad. And there's a light-hearted quiz, complete with mulled wine and mince pies. £3 to all;
4. Closer to home, and exactly a week after the switch on Hayfield's own Xmas lights, Little Hayfield is hosting its own Xmas Tree Light Switch On and get-together, on Friday 14th December, at 7.00p.m., in the park area down Slack Lane. This will be accompanied by Chapel Band and traditional carols followed by mince pies and mulled wine in the Lantern Pike. So, wet weather or dry, there's an evening to be made of it as the local community comes together.

It's That Time of The Year...

Events come thick and fast at this time of the year. Here's a few closish to home which may interest you:

• Friday 30/11, Hayfield Primary School (or rather, its PTA) has organised its 'Christmas Cracker', from 3.20-5.30p.m. in the school hall. There's lots going on at what is always an exuberant event: gift and produce stalls, Xmas crafts, an 'elf trail', tombola, free Xmas cinema, pupil enterprise stalls, and chiilis and nachos for adults. Entrance is £2, and it's an event worth supporting;
• After another very successful outing last Saturday (queues at 10.15a.m.!) this Saturday, 1st December, it's worth reminding you that Grains Bakehouse and Village Greens will again be outside the Pack Horse 10.00-12.00p.m., selling their delicious produce. There's rumours of a gazebo this time, but the weather may frustrate that...but don't be frustrated yourself in finding they've sold out of what you want before you get there. You can place orders on 01457 862346 (Grains) or 01457 852456 (Village Greens), and collect;
• the following day, Sunday 2nd December, Birch Vale Café, Station Road, Birch Vale, is having its Christmas Cheer event, from 10.00-4.00p.m., featuring local arts and craftspeople Jenny Rothwell, The Thread Mill, Elin Price, Scruffy Dogs, Sweet Charity Cookies, Nell’s Designs, The Textile House and Steve Hogarth selling their wares outside the café, as well as tempting you with their own culinary delights inside. A poster's attached to whet you appetite...
• on Thursday, 6th December, there's the familiar indoor Farmers' Market at Buxton Pavilion Gardens, 9.30-2.30p.m., featuring much locally-grown fresh produce and some interesting crafts, perhaps with some interesting Xmas twists, and
• on Sunday, 9th December, Hayfield Singers are delivering their 'Xmas Concert' at St Matthews Church from 7.30p.m., featuring serious works by the renowned Leonard Bernstein, a delightful contemplative piece by Gerald Finzi, and other Christmas music, with the chance to join in with some traditional carols. Tickets are £10 (unrestricted view) or £8 (restricted view), available from choir members of Hayfield Pharmacy.

Treats to Come...

1. Thanks to everyone who made last Saturday's initial 'mini market' with Grains bakers and Village Greens outside The Pack Horse the success it was. Both exhibitors declared themselves well satisfied with proceedings … and have learned for the future.

   James from Grains Bakehouse all-but sold out which meant some folk missed out on his delicious croissants, baguettes and some breads...…..so he's bringing more tomorrow! But to be absolutely sure you get what you want, why not place an order via 01457 862346.....then pick up on the day!

   Village Greens were delighted with the interest shown in their veg boxes, but know they're not for everyone, and, listening to customer feedback, will now bring some smaller, and cheaper (at £5) 'veg and fruit essentials bags' for tomorrow....good news for many of us, especially in smaller households. Again, if you want to order in advance, contact them on 01457 852456.

   So... here's to a further 'mini market tomorrow, outside The Pack Horse, 10-12.00p.m.. And we've all been reassured, for the future, that in the event of bad weather (heavy rain etc), The Packhorse will welcome stallholders and customers alike inside its doors. Yet more good news! Why not make this convenient Saturday event a regular part of your shopping?

2. A reminder that Hayfield Artists' winter exhibition (and sale) is also taking place at The Packhorse on both Saturday - just as the market finishes - and Sunday from 12-6.00p.m. I understand that around a dozen artists' work will be on display, so there should be plenty to cast your eye over, with a view to gracing your house or that of someone close to you.

3. And also on Saturday and Sunday, Home Made Hayfield is holding its Xmas spectacular, featuring around 50 exhibitors displaying and selling uniquely crafted goods, of a wide variety, to tickle your palate or again adorn you or your home, or of those dear to you. It's all at the Royal Hotel, inside and out, and runs from 11-5.00p.m.

It's a good weekend to venture out in Hayfield!