Langcliffe Singers sing the Messiah

Langcliffe Singers practise in the Hall on Tuesdays and are making a collection for the Rainforest Fund. Listen to them sing "Glory" above.

Teddy Bears Picnic Dancing at Hall

Scottish Country Dancing this Thursday evening at the Church Hall provided an opportunity to
1) Support Children in Need - the dancing teacher, Robert this week is making a collection at all his classes for Children in Need and having a special dance to "The Teddy Bears Picnic Tune"
2) By contributing, to say "Thank you" to our teachers Robert and Alan - we are SO lucky and privileged to have them come to Settle.
3) To have a good evening - It's good music, it's exercise, it's fun.
4) To find some friends who will proof read a booklet I am making to sell/give at Christmas for Craven Speakers Club in aid of the Rainforest Fund.

Watch us dancing - Why not come and join us? - 7.30pm on Thursdays.



Above: Dancing to "The Teddy Bears Picnic"




Above: "The Highland Rambler"

How to set up the Owl meter electricity monitor

The Owl energy Monitor consists of a (1) magnet sensor which fits round a wire in coming out of your main electricity meter, (2) transmitter which is attached to the magnetic sensor;
And (3) a completely separate little meter which you carry round the house and note the change in reading as you turn individual items

Normally the magnet sensor clips onto one of the leads coming out below your electricity meter in the fusebox cupboard.

However a friend, Arthur Lupton, has made a gadget allowing the Owl to be used on individual appliances. This useful for demonstration purposes. The gadget consists of plug, socket and two thick insulated separate wires connecting them. Watch!

Coffee - Rainforest Alliance - Fair-Trade - Bird Friendly - Shade grown - Utz Kapeh

Coffee - It's not just a matter of is it fair trade or not - O,... no, no, no, no, no. There are several certification schemes, and other decisions to be made.

Rainforest Alliance Certification (McDonalds now use this, provided by Kenco)

Fair Trade

Shade Grown/Bird Friendly

Utz Kapeh (has some sustainable features)

Then there are two types of coffee:
Arabica - usually grown in shade and so more wildlife friendly
Robusta- usually grown in the open so bad for wildlife. It needs more fertilizer and pesticides.

Shade-grown Coffee: Environmental conservation: Birding Fair Trade and much more

See Ethical corp for a good comparison

Trehugger for good info.

Bird Friendly Coffee

More
Is global business hijacking the Fairtrade bandwagon? Guardian article
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Songs of Praise Settle Church Hall

On going to set up the Fairtrade talk last night I discover that Langcliffe Singers who meet in the main room in the hall are to have a singer in their group to be filmed for Songs of Praise in November...

Our church hall used for a Songs of Praise Scene -- will they feature our Rainforest Fund Display in the background??? (Judith's one track mind).

They are going to be making a themed Songs of Praise programme on older people - and concentrate on the activities in one day of this one lady - which just happens to include Langclffe Singers this evening. I film the filmers filming the Langcliffe Singers leader introducing the session- which includes doing stretching exercises, then retreat to our Fairtrade meeting.

Afterwards, as the Langcliffe Singers are disbanding, I pick up nerve and ask the lady if I can take her photo...

to be continued....

--continued
The lady's name is Daphne Wallace - - in fact I later discover, Dr Daphne Wallace. She explains they have already today filmed her playing golf and playing the cello and the other things she has being doing. I ask "How did they chose you?"

She explains that she used to be a psychiatrist, helping people with dementia and, she has recognised that she now she has dementia herself.

I prick up my ears. I have a relative with "memory" problems.

"How do you know?" I ask - Daphne certainly is leading an active life..
"I can't do arithmetic like I used to, and forget words." she says.
"As well as arithmetic and words I have lost much of a previously exceptionally good visual memory, also multitasking (such as used in participating in a discussion) is much more difficult."

Later I discover she has been interviewed on women's hour about this., and she gave a lecture in Harrogate in November 2007 on the topic.

"The programme is titled 'Third Age Spirituality' - The interviews with me will not be the only one and the activities will, I presume, form a background to parts of the interview. There will be hymns and a soloist (Willard White) and much of the usual format but the theme is on faith as it affects the life of older people - I am one of those to illustrate the theme by giving an outline of how faith affects my life and its challenges. There will be other contributors so my bit will be drastically reduced from the interview I recorded over nearly 1 & half hours!

Well roll on November 23rd for the Songs of Praise programme.

And if you would like to see and hear Langcliffe Singers They will be performing Handel's Messiah on Sunday 7 December at 7.30pm on Settle Parish Church. Book your tickets now!!

Below you see the group before they started singing.

Fair Trade: becoming a Fair Trade Community

A special speaker had asked me to arrange a meeting at the Church Hall this evening - John Anderson, formerly chair of Fairtrade Bradford - to talk on "Becoming a Fair Trade Community."

I circulate emails to people to tell them about the meeting. I come down early. Perhaps while here I can invite one or two of the other groups using the hall to contribute to the Rainforest Fund.

I discover that "Langcliffe Singers" who meet in the main room in the hall are to have a singer in their group to be filmed for Songs of Praise in November...

but more of that in my next blog. Our meeting takes place to the accompaniment of their magnificent singing in the background.

Fairtrade:

Producers of "Fairtrade" goods get a guaranteed price and a better deal. Often they get a good price because middle dealers are cut out.

Settle Methodist Church is not a Fair Trade Church.
The West Yorkshire Methodist District, of which Settle church is part would like to become a "Fairtrade District" - just as it is possible to become a "Fairtrade School" or other Fairtrade community..

So John has arranged to come and give a talk at our church hall this evening 14th October.

He explains that to become a Fairtrade District we would have to get half the churches in the District to be Fairtrade churches and also do some other things to promote Fairtrade- such as have an event in Fairtrade fortnight. All the churches in his circuit at Shipley are Fairtrade churches. But in the Settle and Bentham Circuit none of them are. He wonders why.

We have representatives from High Bentham and Settle. The High Bentham people tell us they are going to have a meeting about Fairtrade in Bentham, and does John have a video? He recommends the Fairtrade website.
We try samples of the Divine chocolate. The cocoa is grown in Ghana and a cooperative was set up for this, but the chocolate is made in Europe as it would melt in Ghana.. He explains that Anita Roddick had had shares in the company that made the chocolate. When she sold her firm the Body Shop, she gave the shares in Divine chocolate to the African Cooperative.

He explains how at Bradford they had been able to get funds from the Cooperative Society (the Coop) for some of their Fairtrade Activities, including producing a book showing where Fairtrade goods can be bought, and he recommends doing the same.

He starts commending "Shared Interest" - a scheme where you can invest money, which is then used to loan to small producers, and that had been useful for some Fairtrade cooperatives.
Then he finds that four out the five of us already have invested some money in this. (Now seen to be a better option than shares...).

He leaves us leaflets and samples. We put the box of coffee and tea samples in the kitchen next door with some of the leaflets, for kitchen users to take or try.

World Species Loss hits the news

The BBC website at says the global economy is
losing much more money from the disappearance of forests than through the
current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study.

Also see BBC - "Brown's plan to save rainforests"
which will be announced on Tuesday. Mr Elias who wrote the plan, is the Founder of
Cool Earth one of the charities we are supporting.

Five points that made our visit to Thorpe Perrow Arboretum a Success

Digressing slightly from tropical forests - today I visited Thorpe Perrow Arboretum near Bedale in North Yorkshire. Five top points were:

1. The electric buggy. My Mother currently has a bandage on her leg and cannot walk far.. but with this vehicle she was able to steam off at 4 mph with me running after to keep up. Normally one has to book these. .. If you have an elderly relative or someone with bad legs -book one. Great fun.

2. It's autumn and the colours are just beginning to change.. and they have special Acers (maples) that are just starting to turn lovely colours.

3. They have a falconry centre and also few animals there including meercats - The meercats are like some I saw on TV once. there is a family - One male, two females and four young (born in July). One of the adults stands on the log to keep watch..

4. We hit lucky in that on the 12th there was a fungus foray. We arrived back at the same time as the fungi foray people were spreading out their finds - including earthstars (see right), fly agaric, honey fungus, wood mushrooms,

5. Its nice walking amongst the trees and glades.

Cycle Jump at Settle

After our service on Sunday 29 September I went into Settle to enjoyed the "Settle Community and Cycle Festival.." and took videos of my friend's son at a cycle jump.

Rev Peter Whitaker, Chairman of the West Yorkshire District

I was so busy whizzing round taking photographs for a new Churches Together in Settle leaflet, passing the start of the Three Peaks Cycle event en route, that I nearly missed the morning service at St John's Church Settle, today. But am I glad I made it!

It was Revd Peter Whitaker, Chairman of our West Yorkshire District to preach. (A Chairman of the District is equivalent to an Anglican Bishop) - we were privileged to have him.

As I slithered into my pew near the front, only 1 minute late, he was saying "This time of year is Creation Season.. "

(I nearly slithered onto the floor. "Wow!" I thought "The people at ECEN would be proud..")

"....And as I wrote some prayers specially on this topic on "morning Service" on the Radio 4 this week, I am going to ecologically recycle some of the prayers." See Tue 23 September Radio podcast


..so later in a prayer (and this is a true quote) he said "Forgive us our arrogance and dominance , inspire fresh understanding of our place alongside other creatures.."

Great.. But he did not go on to specifically say "help us look after the world"

Actually his sermon was on Tax - and the story where Jesus is asked about taxes - and he shows a coin and says "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". Then in his sermon he pointed out that we should be doing everything for God. (So I am not sure where that left Caesar) and we had to think carefully what was God's and What was Caesar's.

He also pointed out that the West Yorkshire District for which he is responsible contains both Halifax - with HBOS, and Bingley with the Bradford and Bingley Building Society. (The news this weekend, remember, is that the Bradford and Bingley is going to be nationalised)

After the service three of us on our rainforest team showed him our sponsor form.

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Earth Overshoot Day - today -

Today is Earth Overshoot Day:
The day our demand surpasses nature’s budget according to Global Footprint Network

In 2007 it was October 6th, now in 2008 it's today, September 23rd, so for the rest of the year more resources will be consumed globally than can be provided for on a sustainable basis by the Earth’s ecosystems.


Today R.C. gave me a £5-00 donation for the Rainforest fund for borrowing an Owl meter! Thanks RC.

ECEN

Tomorrow several of my friends will be setting off for Milan, in Italy, to the European Christian Environment Network (ECEN) Assembly 24-28 September. I am not going. I went to the last one in Sweden two years ago - by bus, and have been to several others.

The organisation is a loose Network of Church officers with responsibility for environment issues and other people with environment interests, and this year it celebrates its tenth birthday

I have just written a letter (email) translated into French and German by my friend D. and I have emailed it to several of the people who will be going and to some who went to Sweden.

I have mentioned this Rainforest Fund Project. I hope there will be a "Biodiversity working group" at ECEN - and that we can encourage more churches to do more for saving wildlife and habitats -whilst they are still there to be saved.

The Fruits of the Spirit

The text for both this week and last week at St John's Church Settle was "The Fruits of the Spirit"

This week the Worship Group ran the service - the children's talk was very biological (smiles) - lots of visual aids showing what is needed to help grow fruit from seed.

(And ecological - with good reference to peat-free compost)

It reminded us of two of the fruits some of us find harder- patience and self-control. It finished with a humorous sketch with two characters, one who was lacking these two "fruit" - and aware of it - and the importance of "A quiet time with God" each day.

Fungus Foray above Settle

Waxcaps, Puffballs, Blushers, Mottle-gills and Stinkhorns!

20th of September might be the "penultimate day of summer" but it was one of the warmest. Twenty five of us plus dog set off on a Craven Conservation Group walk up out of Settle in sun hats and shirtsleeves to walk the round tour of four miles to Cleatop Park Wood.

Archie, our knowledgeable leader was able to name not only the bright coloured fungi such as red waxcaps and yellow Russula but also the little brown jobs as well.

Scarlet Caterpillar Club (Cordyceps militaris) was the first good find - It parasitises caterpillars, - so if you find one and dig it up you will find it is growing out of a (now dead) chrysalis.

.. a Fungus Foray in A Rainforest blog/church motivated. site?

1. Fungi are fun and it is good to walk in the countryside.
2. Archie was actually collecting some specimens to use in the Children's Talk at the Harvest Service he would be giving at Malham Methodist Chapel the following day.
3. If we value our wild habitats in the UK - perhaps people in countries with more important habitats will value their wildlife too.

Norway joins fight to save Amazon

"Norway has pledged $1bn (£500m) to a new international fund to help Brazil protect the Amazon rainforest. The donation is the first to the fund which Brazil hopes will raise $21bn to protect Amazon nature reserves." See BBC website

This is good news - Good for Norway! I wish Britain and other countries would give some.

Cattle ranching is blamed for up to 70% of current Amazon deforestation.

For comparison -

The UK Education Budget is £82 billion.
Between Opening Mon 15 Sep and close of Thur 18 Sept £121 billion was lost from the FTSE100 - Though a lot has been gained today.

An Article for your Parish Magazine

On Christian Ecology Link's Website, short articles suitable for Parish Magazines are written by Ruth Jarman: the topic for October is "Trees". Ruth urges people to support Cool Earth.

you can do it here: www.justgiving.com/settle-cool-earth

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Auf Deutsch -

In meiner Kirche hier in Settle haben wir einen Fond für drei Wohlfarten: zwei kaufen Land und Wälder um sie besser zu beschützen. Die dritte unterstüzt Dörfer in der Nähe des Mole Nationalparks in Ghana.

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Cool Earth - Amazon programme on BBC

On Monday 15 September Cool Earth sent its supporters the following email:

"On BBC 2 tonight (Mon 15th) at 9pm, Bruce Parry begins a trek through the Amazon (http://www.bbc.co.uk/amazon/index.shtml). In the first of six programmes, Bruce travels to the Ashaninka Tribe. The Ashaninka are supported by Cool Earth, in one of our most successful projects to date.

Cool Earth's project with the Ashaninka tribe at Cutivireni prevents loggers from entering the community's forests and the neighbouring Ashaninka Communal Reserve which form a buffer zone for Otishi National Park. In collaboration with our local partners Ecotribal, the Ashaninka chiefs at Cutivireni have offered their land for sponsorship through Cool Earth, allowing them to keep their forests intact and continue to live sustainably from their own land.
Don't miss the next five episodes as Bruce continues his journey through the Amazon.
Read the blog entries from when Sky News Environment Correspondent Catherine Jacobs travelled with Cool Earth to meet the Ashaninka.

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If you go to the link above you can still watch the programme on the internet for another 20 days.

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En français

Ici, à Settle, un groupe de l’église Méthodiste – nous avons créé un fond, en vue de protèger les forêts vierges et nous subventionons trois oeuvres de charité (deux en vue d’acheter des terres et des forêts, et une troisième pour aider certaines villages à proximité du Mole Parc National du Ghana, et de les encourager à protéger d’environnement.

More Langcliffe Teas and French Translation

Sunday 14 September -
Today I went to Langcliffe Teas again, following last Sundays effort. Three sets of friends kindly donated (to a total of £4-50) , two sets expressed interest in borrowing the Owl meter, and I had quiche and sponge cake. It was useful to catch up with local news.

French translation. I had asked a friend to translate a letter into French and German for me including material about the rainforest. He has completed the french part. Now I must type it out