What's Your Car Choice?

When a year or so ago the first major car manufacturer announced it would no longer produce any pure petrol or diesel cars from 2019, it sent shock waves through the motor industry. Now almost all car makers have their own plans – soon – to phase out production of such vehicles, which cause of so much greenhouse gas emissions and life-shortening pollution. And sales of electric and electric/hybrid vehicles are growing steadily: latest industry data suggests almost 6% of all cars sold in the current year are purely electric or are hybrid models, and that’s up a good deal on 2017.

The times they-are-a-changing. Electric cars are starting to appear in Hayfield. But many of us know little about such vehicles. Recognising this, Sustainable Hayfield is hosting a presentation by Graham Hirst, entitled ‘Electric Cars – All You Need to Know’ at Hayfield Cricket Club on Thursday September 6th at 7.30p.m. Graham has no vested interest in the sector but has researched the core information and, with testimonials from one or two local electric car owners, will aim to address the most commonly asked questions about ‘going electric’ – with help too from some government-sponsored video material.

All of us who own a car need increasingly to think what we’ll do when it’s time to consider any new vehicle we might buy. But what’s the fuller story, and where’s the information about this new – and rapidly growing – range of vehicles? Most of us feel pretty uninformed about the costs, benefits and practical implications of ’going electric’. This is a chance to find out some of the basic facts....and ask your questions. The event should be of wide interest and we invite you to join us. It's all free, and there's a bar available (but you have to pay for your drinks!)

Posters are going up around the village. We hope we might see you there. Do make a note in your diary.

AGM Minutes

Minutes for the 2018 Sustainable Hayfield AGM can be downloaded here.

Summer Newsletter

You can now download your copy of the Summer Newsletter, bringing you up to date with our doings, and of relevant developments from further afield. We hope you enjoy your read.

As you'd expect, we profile our own (very brief) AGM and talks on combatting the scourge of plastic, taking place TONIGHT at The Royal, from 7.30p.m.. And we hope we might see you there! But more widely, we hope you'll find there is material of interest to you in the newsletter's pages.

Thanks for your continuing support.

What a week!

What a week! Resignations, reshuffles, prospects of a cup (but without a cabinet?), and more...…….all due to culminate on:

• Thursday, 12th July, 7.30p.m., The Royal Hotel, Hayfield, for Sustainable Hayfield's 20 minute AGM followed by presentations and discussion around what we can do to reduce our use of that damned plastic.

Amidst dramas elsewhere, we'll get sensible top tips and good practice advice on things we can do, and how we can persuade others to do what needs to be done. We'll be helped by brief talks by:

• Liz Longden from Rethink Plastic High Peak;
• Esther Morrison from the Food Assembly, and;
• our own Lesley German talking about Terracycle in Hayfield.

There'll be chance to find out about the Plastic Free July initiative and we'll end with an inspirational message from David Attenborough, no less, on the response received to the Blue Planet series and its messages about plastic waste.
It will all happen in a convivial atmosphere (no walk outs or red cards anticipated), in some contrast to events elsewhere. We hope you can and will join us. We look forward to seeing you!

Coming Up...

Here's a few things coming up, to whet your appetite, prompt concern and the like:

• next Tuesday, 26th June, 7.00p.m. at The Royal Hotel is a public meeting to consider the County Council's proposals for Hayfield library (amongst many others). Briefly, you probably already know the Council wants to progressively withdraw funding from Hayfield library, and withdraw its staff, in the hope of handing over management of the service provided there to a community-led group of volunteers who will come to have no money for running the operation. The Parish Council, Sustainable Hayfield, and many other groups are opposed to this idea, and the meeting is being called to consider what points and what representations should be made to the County Council in this matter. This is your chance to listen to the arguments and, if you want, say your piece. We know the landscape for libraries has changed, but they still remain a valued public asset, professionally run, with older people, young families and those without computers reliant on the services they provide. Do attend if you can. You can complete the consultation questionnaire on the Council's proposals by visiting www.derbyshire.gov.uk/librariesforderbyshire;
• next Saturday, 30th June is Hayfield Pro Loco Day where artists from near and far are exhorted to 'create a picture within the parish that captures the essence of Hayfield as seen on the day'. Artists of all ages need to register at St. Matthew's Church Hall between 8.30-11.00a.m. and return their completed works by 3.45p.m. Public viewing and voting takes place 4-5.00p.m., which is followed by the prize-giving. This is a great local institution, admirably run by Hayfield Civic Trust, and we hope you'll support it if you can;
• Hayfield's well dressings are being erected Saturday 30th June, reflecting much hard work, with the Blessing of the Wells due the following day, Sunday July 1st, starting at 2.00p.m. on Bank Street. Again, another great local institution whose products never fail to inspire...….enjoy, and support!
• last, this is early notice of Sustainable Hayfield's (very brief) Annual General Meeting, Thursday July 12th, 7.3op.m. followed by some talks on how we can all reduce our reliance on plastic, which is threatening our ecosystems, our planet and even our own - and new-born babies' - bodily functions. Collectively entitled 'How Not to Drown in Plastic (and be kind to ourselves and the planet)', we'll have contributions by representatives from Rethink Plastic High Peak, The Food Assembly, Sustainable Hayfield.....and maybe more! There's almost nothing more topical than this subject at present, and we hope to pick up some practical suggestions for how we can manage better without many plastics. please make a note in your diaries now: we hope to see you there!

Your last chance...

A reminder that tomorrow evening, Wednesday, at 7.30p.m., at the Royal Hotel, may be your last chance to see the newly-re-edited film account of the Hayfield to New Mills railway, using contemporary footage and featuring live interviews with local people, as the centrepiece of the illustrated lecture by Colin Divall and Dave Postlethwaite, entitled 'From Rail to Trail'.

Colin and Dave's previous presentations were 'sell outs', and had to be foreshortened to accommodate all those people who turned up to the 'world premier' of this filmic account . We've stepped in, with Colin and Dave's generous help, to give all those who missed out first time around the chance - free - to see this unique material and learn about the success and demise of this local line. We can't guarantee there'll be another such local opportunity.

Will you be there? There's plenty of space at The Royal.

Two Invitations

1. This Saturday is, of course, May Queen Day. Sustainable Hayfield is to have a 'walking procession' in the parade, which really just consists of a number of us walking in Sustainable Hayfield's bright green (of course!) T shirts, with several people carrying one of our banners. We've already got a few people signed up but would welcome more. Have you a little time to spare, and quite fancy being part of the parade? If so, please contact Laurie James, so we know how many T shirts we'll need. We'll meet at the bus station at 1.00p.m., and the parade moves off at 1.30p.m.. It's about 45 minutes' slow walking, and then off - to home or to the crowning ceremony or the Fair. We want to support the oldest continuous procession of its kind in England and this year, the more so, since the May Queen Committee is making a particular effort to encourage people to separate out their waste, promoting recycling.

2. You may know the Civic Trust some weeks back organised a presentation by Colin Divall and Dave Postlethwaite, both Sustainable Hayfield supporters, which was in effect a world premier of some filmic representation of the Hayfield to New Mills branch railway line, edited from original footage shot by Ken Rangeley, and featuring live eye witness accounts of the railway. Entitled 'From Rail to Trail', reflecting the line's eventual closure and incorporation into the Sett Valley Trail, it was a great success. More folk turned up than could be seated, and so two shorter sessions were organised, with many people asked to return an hour or so later. And still others didn't know or couldn't make the event, a unique representation of Hayfield's history! So we've stepped into the breach and, with Colin and Dave's generous agreement, we're hosting 'From Rail to Trail' next Wednesday evening, May 16th, free of charge, at The Royal Hotel, 7.30p.m. This may be your last chance to see this unique account of the railway line, and the stories behind its success and demise. You - and your children - are very welcome to join us. We hope for a good turnout, but there's good capacity at The Royal, so we hope will be able to view in some comfort. See you there?