Attractions Galore - and some more quality news

APPLE DAY 2018 – SHORT TALKS PROGRAMME

1.30 – 1.45	James Ellson	‘Ten Things to Know about Apples’
1.50 – 2.05	Lesley German	‘Ten Ways to Recycle ‘Unrecyclable Plastic Wrappers’
2.10 - 2.25	Graham Hirst	‘Ten Reasons to Buy an Electric Car (and some cautions)
2.30 – 2.45	Pete Webb	‘Ten Top Tips for the Best Fruit and Veg Growing’
2.50 – 3.05	Andy Barker	‘Ten Things You Need to Know to Start Beekeeping’
3.10 - 3.25	Tony Moss	‘Bumblebees – Why They’re Important and their Ten Favourite Food Plants’
3.30 – 3.45	James Ellson	‘Ten Steps to Self Sufficiency’
3.50 – 4.05	Graham Hirst	‘Ten Reasons to Buy an Electric Car (and some cautions)

All talks will be held in Year 4 classroom.

And, at Apple Day, we're delighted to announce that there will be formal notice of a launch of a new greengrocery and artisan bakery service for Hayfield! Some time ago, Sustainable Hayfield approached Village Greens, a high quality fruit and veg outlet in Charlesworth with a growing Hayfield customer base, and Grains artisan bakers in Glossop (who are often sold out by midday!), about the prospect of them staffing, jointly, a pop up shop in Hayfield. We even suggested some possible premises. For understandable reasons, this came to nothing...but Kim and James (V. Greens and Grains respectively) have now confirmed they will be staffing a stall, outside the Packhorse, from Friday November 16th, initially 10-12.00 noon, every Friday, putting the best quality foods they prepare/serve in front of Hayfield folk. This is exciting news, and may be the beginning of the restoration of viable greengrocery and bakery presences in Hayfield. We hope you'll support the new initiative: it's what many have been calling for for some time. Village Greens are present at Apple Day, indoors, and should be able to give you more details if you wish.

We hope to see you at Apple Day, and that you'll be able to support this new venture.

Upcoming Events

The next two weekends see some notable events in Hayfield, nigh-on guaranteed to attract the interest of Sustainable Hayfield's supporters.

First, on Sunday, October 7th, the DCC Countryside Service is hosting its annual Hayfield Woodland Festival around the Ranger Station at the end of the Sett Valley Trail from 10-4.00p.m. This offers a good opportunity to find out about woodland crafts, such as pole lathe turning, hedgelaying and bushcraft skills, though watching exhibitors at work and, maybe, trying your own hand at some. There's tasty, campfire-cooked food too, and children's activities. A poster for the event is attached.

Second, Sustainable Hayfield hosts its own Apple Day the following weekend, Saturday October 13th, indoors and out at the primary school, from 1-4.30p.m. We hope you already have this is in your diary. Some posters have already gone up around the village to remind you, and more will do so soon. The event has broadened its appeal in recent years and this year is no exception. We have a veritable A-Z of attractions on offer, as the attached poster confirms. Of particular note this year are:

• a series of brief, 15 minute, talks we've arranged throughout the afternoon on a range of subjects of wide appeal and relevance, including 10 steps to self sufficiency, 10 things would-be beekeepers should know, 10 amazing things to know about apples, 10 ways to recycle 'unrecycleable' plastic wrappers, the importance of bumblebees and how we can help them and, fresh from the highly successful talk given at the Cricket Club last month, a summary version of 10 reasons to buy an electric car;
• a great Creative Kids' Show, featuring classes in lego, art, junk modelling, fruit and veg modelling, and word art, suitable for children of all ages to enter, organised by the school's PTA;
• a poultry show and some live turkeys, reared locally, and displays of 'green living';
• more focus on outdoor activities, with 'art in the woods' and campfire cooking, bird feeder making and the like, 'hunt the leprechauns' in the school grounds, and a special orienteering course for both children and adults to try around the school grounds, alongside a rich array of indoors stalls, and;
• the presence of the 'Bogtastic' mobile display unit, 8 metres long, commemorating the mysterious and compelling world of blanket bog, such as is being restored on the fells around Hayfield, where drinking water is cleaned, water is stored to reduce flooding, carbon builds up to tackle climate change and bizarre plants and unique animals live.

There's a lot more we could - and no doubt will - highlight, but the attached poster, and a picture of the Bogtastic display unit, will help whet your appetite, we hope. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks for your continuing support.

Apple Day - Saturday October 13th

Looking Long Term...

We hope you'll be coming to the talk tomorrow (Thursday) night on 'Electric Cars: All You Need To Know'. It's free, at the cricket club, starting at 7.30p.m., and there's a bar available. To add some spice, we can confirm we'll have a Nissan Leaf, probably the best-selling electric family car in the UK, available for perusal and also a very swish BMW i8 electric promotional car, retailing at over £100k, to show what ' the toffs' might be dreaming about......…. The future's increasingly electric - might you get on board?

Altogether different, the Hayfield Library Campaign Group has put together a position paper arguing for a more imaginative and sustainable approach for use of Hayfield library and questioning some of the assumptions underpinning Derbyshire County Council's current proposals for the library. The position paper can be downloaded here. At the request of the Campaign Group, Hayfield Parish Council has submitted an application form to High Peak Borough Council, seeking to register the library as a 'community asset'. More information about options and actions being considered by the Campaign Group will be circulated when these have been firmed up. Meantime, if you've any thoughts about the library's - and the library building's - future use as a community hub, please contact the Group's Chair, Roy Lyon, at roylyon@icloud.com.

This weekend... and beyond

Two things with a focus this weekend:

1. Our Food group has scheduled a regular series of events, working at the library garden. So, if you’re interested in helping out and getting acquainted with what the garden has to offer, and what it could in future, why not make a note now? Sessions are being organised on:

• the first Saturday of each month (starting this weekend, Saturday 1st September), 11.00-1.00p.m., and;
• the third Thursday of each month, starting 20th September, 7-8.00p.m. and recommencing when light evenings resume.

The focus will be on general maintenance and development of the site, to make it attractive and productive for all. If you’re interested, just turn up! If you’ve some questions, ask Jo Hanney at jo@dchanney.plus.com or on 01663 749795. Or go along to the next Food Group meeting (very informal, in the back room at The Royal) at 7.00p.m., Thursday September 13th.

And if you, or someone you know well, have a particular skill with food products (making, cooking, growing), and would be prepared to share this with keen Food Group members, please contact Jo (details above). The group is planning to hold some skills sharing workshops (preserving/bread making/cider making) and Jo would be delighted to hear from potential ‘sharers’!

2. Continuing the food theme, don't forget the Hayfield Allotment Society/Parish Council Summer Show being held at the Village Hall, Saturday 1st September. It's been a very strange, almost extreme, growing season, so it will be interesting to see what entrants have managed to achieve. There's a huge array of classes for fruit and veg, flowers, home produce and cakes, and a good range of children's classes too. And there's a vibrant craft section too (not dependent on the weather!). Schedules are available at major outlets in the village (so there's still a chance!) Entries need to be brought to the Village Hall no later than 11.00a.m., and entry forms can be completed on the day. Judging takes place 11-2.00p.m., and all exhibits are open to view from 2-4.00p.m., so there's opportunity to pop along to the library garden in between and contribute to the 'growing group' there!

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.