BIG GREEN WEEKEND

Photos from Saturday, 24 May 2008 at the Big Green Market

Chris McCafferty MP opens the Big Green Weekend

BGW organiser Jason Elliott with Chris McCafferty MP

Tuesday, 20 May 2008

This weekend, Hebden Bridge will host the Big Green Weekend 2008. Organiser, Jason Elliot has told the Hebden Bridge Web that "We have a variety of activities planned for you this year as well as bringing you the truly unique Big Green Market, with their blend of ethical, eco-friendly, Fairtrade and just plain wacky goods on offer in the Hebden Bridge Marina."

Jason adds, "The Calder Valley has long been known as a cradle of innovation and this represents an incredible opportunity for us to show off our green credentials to the outside world. Living in a place where business and pleasure, work and play, have always gone hand in hand with consideration and care for both people and the planet we live in, this is an opportunity to make the most of it."

Below is a samplel of the event around Hebden Bridge for the Big Green Weekend. See programme for comprehensive details

Cleaner, Greener Hebden Royd

The Big Green Weekend brings together many subjects close to the ethos of Hebden Royd Town Council. Working to make Hebden Royd a cleaner, greener and consequently safer place, for residents and visitors alike a programme called Environmental Renaissance has been running for the last 3 years.
Now starting to bear fruit the parks, especially Calder Holmes Park, have received their first real investment for many years. Lighting, planting and the lottery funded playground is already improving the feel of this important area of public realm.

Desperately Seeking Veronica

Speaking of Big and Green... be sure to meet "Veronica" a big, green mythical creature who is somewhere between a giraffe, a llama and a feather duster. She is 10 feet tall and very keen to play with you. She is brought to you by Thingumajig Theatre, the local visual theatre company who, along with HEADS, is producing the Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade on 19 July (see events)

Free Architectural Consultations

On Monday 26th May between 10am and 4pm Jacquie Milham director of Hebden Bridge based Architectural Practice, Architectonic will be at the Alternative Technology Centre giving free consultations relating to sustainable building design.

Sustainable design relates to a whole range of issues which affect our homes, places of work and the wider environment which we live in. These issues may be to do with the use of ecological building materials, conserving energy or harvesting existing resources such a water, light or wind power. They may concern the broader realms of urban planning and land use. If you would like to get some advice on how a building can be made more sustainable, then please come along for a chat. Feel free to bring photographs or plans if you have them, and if you wish to book a time slot just sign up at the ATC any time over the Green Weekend.

Green Bookworm Heaven

The Book Case on Market Street in Hebden Bridge will be supporting the Big Green Weekend, with a large display of green titles for sale, ranging from books on straw bale building and organic gardening to peak oil and global warming. They also stock a wide range of  permaculture and ethical living magazines.

Kate Claughan from the Book Case is hoping that people inspired by what they have seen over the Weekend will be encouraged to find out more.
“Whether you want to know how to live completely “off-grid”, or are just looking for everyday advice on how to make more environmental consumer choices, we will find you a book to help.”

The Book case will also have a suggestions board where people can recommend books they have found helpful, and customers who spend over £10  will be receive  a free cotton shopping bag.

Hole in the Wall gets a Green Refurb

After several years in the doldrums, a Hebden Bridge landmark is being restored to its former glory. New owners, Justin Pringle and Lee Chapman, decided that what the building needed was a combination of history and eco friendliness so, in conjunction with Green Refurb Ltd, they set about doing just that.

Aware construction work of any kind can create a large carbon footprint, Justin and Lee have been at great pains to keep theirs to an absolute minimum. The accommodation is being super-insulated to avoid unnecessary energy wastage and, wherever possible, materials that have been removed have then been re-used in the building elsewhere. They have also tried to source as much material and labour as locally as possible to keep the CO2 produced by transportation down.

One of the more innovative additions to the building is a grey water recycling system that will see water from showers in the accommodation above the pub being used to flush the toilets downstairs. “We're really pleased that we're able to re-use the grey water in this way and we're looking forward to having a rainwater harvesting system in place later in the year” said Justin.

Calderdale Markets Manager Champions Sustainability

Calderdale Markets Manager, John Walker, has thrown the Council's Markets Services weight behind The Big Green Weekend by assisting in the publicity of the event and working in conjunction with the Big Green Market. "We are pleased to be part of an event of this nature being undertaken in Calderdale and are happy to give it our utmost support" said Mr. Walker.

"We are introducing a range of measures across the markets, one step at a time, to make them more sustainable whilst stimulating growth of outlets for local producers and are currently working in conjunction with a new local farmers' co-operative to utilise markets as a distribution point for local produce and the generation of local employment.   Any local producers can contact the markets service for further details" he added.

New building firm lays event foundations

Despite being a brand new company, eco-building contractors Green Refurb Ltd have been instrumental in co-ordinating the Big Green Weekend having seconded director Jason Elliott. to do the job.

"Obviously, we've had a hectic few months just getting our business off the ground", said co-director Chris Griffiths, "but even so, we felt it was really important to make time support this event. Quite apart from the great things the weekend will do for the town, it's been a great way for us to meet up with like minded businesses."

"That said," he added, "it'll be a relief to have Jason back in the office full time - we've got some big projects lined up for the second half of the year!".

Organic Beer Tasting
To coincide with the Big Green Weekend, the Little Valley Brewery will be throwing open it's doors to beer lovers in our area on the 24th and 26th May.

Along with a stall on the main market in Hebden Bridge, Wim van der Spek, the Dutch born Master Brewer and owner (now living in Hebden Bridge with his English partner Sue Cooper), will be brewing beer on both these days for members of the public to watch and sample some of their Organic Real Ales free of charge. You may even be able to sample our upcoming (June 2008) Fairtrade Organic Ginger Pale Ale, which has so far received exceptional reviews as a monthly special in many public houses.

Little Valley Brewery, which is usually open to the public 9-5 Mon-Fri, produce Organic Real Ales in the idyllic setting high on the moors in Cragg vale above Hebden Bridge.

Central role for the Alternative Technology Centre

The Alternative Technology Centre (ATC), a not-for-profit organisation established in 1999 on the banks of the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge, will be the hub of many of the activities at the Big Green Weekend.

As part of the festivities, they will be hosting demonstrations, talks, exhibitions and workshops which are all listed in the programme. There will also be an array of exhibits through out the weekend by some of the many local groups from the Calder Valley, including Walkers are Welcome, amazonails who designed the house which won the recent Grand Designs Live competition, Hourcar, the Valley's own car share scheme, Slow Food West Yorkshire, Ecoheat, Architectonic, Suschool, the ATC's sustainable schools project, DOT-COMmunications who supply refurbished computers, Tan My Hide and Full Shilling.

As an educational resource centre, the ATC aim to make sustainability achievable and simply irresistible by working from a strong base within the local community to provide inspiration, accessible information and advice to improve the quality of life using sustainable means – economic, environmental and social. At the ATC people can get information about all aspects of sustainability including energy - waste, water, transport, biodiversity, food and much more. 

Open and closing times over the Big Green Weekend are from 10am until 5pm.

See also

Programme

Planning for the Big Green Weekend

Previous coverage, of the Big Green Weekend on the Hebden Bridge Web