Transition Culture has moved
I no longer blog on this site. You can now find me, my general blog, and details of my books, on my new website.
Come find me at robhopkins.net
Monthly archive for March 2010
Showing results 26 - 30 of 31 for the month of March, 2010.
9 Mar 2010

One of Totnes’s best kept secrets is cartoonist Simon French (who, trivia fans, is the son of the head of Sixth Form from when I was at school). Every week his column ‘Two Knights in the Castle’, based around two knights sitting on the walls of Totnes Castle, grows more surreal and ploughs its own furrow. I love it. Here is the latest one, which you might enjoy (click on it to see it in its full glory). You can check out his work at his blog, although I think it might be temporarily down.
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8 Mar 2010

Mara, Jeff, and Steph – the 2009 core group
The Story of Transition Tales by Simon Robinson (MSc student at Schumacher College).
This is the story of Transition Tales, a small group within Transition Town Totnes. One of the aims of this project is to raise awareness within Primary and Secondary School children of the transition solution of community led response to the twin challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change by creating positive stories. This is done in partnership with local schools in the Totnes area, either as part of class time, or in after-school clubs. In writing up their story, I hope to highlight many successes, challenges and issues that will be of interest to those who wish to set up a Transition Tales initiative within their own Transition Town or Transition Network project.
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8 Mar 2010

Dick Strawbridge and Julia Hailes discussing green living with 'Eco Schools' participants
Last Friday I travelled to Dorset on a beautiful clear day which turned from a hard frost to glorious sunshine over the time I was journeying. I was going to Bryanston School which was hosting the Dorset Schools Green Summit, drawing together kids from 40 schools across the county. There were various displays, including the new strawbale building the school is putting up, a plastic bottle greenhouse, some PV panels, a thermal imaging camera and electric bikes.
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4 Mar 2010
There have been critiques of Transition in the past, such as the Trapese Collective’s one, or other more ranty online versions, usually from the very deep green Left, who argue that unless it can get rid of capitalism/economic growth [insert personal pet political issue here] first then it is unforgivably naive. It was interesting therefore, at EcoBuild 2010 at Earl’s Court on Tuesday, as part of a session called ‘Sustaining Transition Initiatives’, to hear a talk by Alastair Brown of mantownhuman give a talk attempting to put the intellectual boot into Transition. It was coherent, articulate, well illustrated … and utterly mistaken.
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4 Mar 2010
A while ago we published here a draft guide for Transition initiatives wanting to hold Transition hustings with their local election candidates, in particular to explore themes around resilience. Thanks to everyone who sent in comments and changes, and I am delighted to announce that the final document is available now to download here. It runs over 8 pages, so in theory it should be able to print out as a rather nice A5 booklet. The first such husting to have reached our ears was held on 25th February by Transition Luton. You can read a detailed report of the event here, including their reflections on how to do it better if they did it again and a rather ropey film that gives a flavour of the event. Do let me know (rob (at) transitionculture.org) any stories of hustings you hold, and we’ll report them here.
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