Monthly Archives: December 2011

Guinness Book of Record Attempt – Fairtrade Washing Line – Will we get permission?

Well we have a plan.

Quite a big one – or should I say long one?

The Cotton Roots team have applied have applied to the Guinness Book of Records organisation for permission to try and set a record – for the worlds longest washing line filled up with exclusively Fairtrade clothing.  It takes around four to five weeks for us to get a reply and it’s been about two weeks so far.  If we get permission we will start planning and I have some ideas brewing.  As we are based on the beautiful Rose Lane Farm, surrounded by gorgeous open fields it could be the perfect place.

OR……..we could try something more flamboyant like trying to surround ……….?  We are looking for ideas that are especially appropriate.  Please if you have any ideas just add it to the comment section below. It’s a thrilling plan – I am am gleeful – and you may have the final idea for the perfect place.  We hope to work closely with Stony Stratford people – the town has a very active, go get spirit and is also a Fairtrade town. It is very near and we could hopefully involve some of the pupils form local schools we supply.  In addition we also have some well know brands we work with for example Ecover, River Cottage, Dorset cereals, The Holocaust Trust, Christian Aid, Burts Bees the list goes on and on and perhaps we can all get involved together.  It would look absolutely fantastic wouldn’t it?  Their Fairtrade garments on the washing line along with all the others.

Well that’s our plan. We wait for the reply and keep our fingers crossed.

Go on help us with some suggestions!

Frog Rescue on Kilver Beach (or how I was very brave)!

It sounds a bit nerdy but I love hunting for things.  So last weekend when I was told by my B & B host  Lynn at The Old Cider House in Nether Stowey that there were lots of fossils to be found on Kilver beach I was excited.  I know, I know not your average person’s excitement.  It took a little bit of persuading to encourage/bribe Vicky that it was a good idea but a bit of negotiating i.e. she would come for a short walk with Daisie and then read the newspaper in the car off  – we went.

By the way The Old Cider House had scrummy local organic food, wild chickens which might be because they could get in the micro brewery, and a handsome black Labrador called Osborne or Ozy for short.  We now follow @ozythelabrador on twitter. He is quite a good writer really!

A windy chilly perfect Autumn day.  I was in bliss.  Fossils, fossils where are you……. Vicky allocated half an hour on my own to search for fossils.  After five minutes what did I find?  A real live frog in the pebbles.  Not hopping but stretching out those long back legs and walking slowly along the beach.

Big dilemma.  Not keen at all to pick it up, want to look for fossils really but thinking the frog had two very probable outcomes – it would get washed away by the tide or a seagull would have frog legs for tea.  I asked for help in picking it up and was told it was a “sea frog” and to leave  it. Mmmmm.  I was not convinced – a sea frog. Not seen that on Nature Watch or in my guide to British Wildlife.  Asked another person who apologised but not willing to pick it up.

Frog looking at me!

By now the frog had gone on about another three meters across the pebbles and took me to a fossil!  Yes the little blighter helped me out and now I felt morally obliged to rescue it.  In the end with my half hour up and lots of hopping from one foot to the other (me not the frog), I managed to pluck up the courage to pick it up in my scarf.  I clambered over rocks, up a bit off a cliff and along the cliff top to a suitable bit of greenery.  It does not sound very brave now I am writing it down but it was quite a long way and the frog, tweeting all the time and  managed to get out twice.

Today though I feel very proud and pleased with myself.  I found a fossil,  rescued a frog, and confirmed that the UK at least does not have sea frogs.

Isn’t it beautiful?  How the heck did it get there?

Challoner Pupils Lead their School to Fairtrade Status

Students from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School

I am quite new to “tweeting” but lots of young people are red hot.  I was really pleased today when a tweet came along from a group of pupils from  Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate school (Wow – what a name) about their efforts for Fairtrade and I saw it!

A local charity called the  Otesha Project had worked together with a group of pupils with a passion to fight for Fairtrade within their school.  Together they  presented a proposal to staff and school governors to make their school a recognised Fairtrade school- and it was accepted.  A fabulous committed effort.

Wonderful news and it just shows how individuals and  groups of determined people (human beings) can really make a difference.  When I visited India I met some of the cotton farmers who grow the Fairtrade certified cotton we use.  They showed me first hand the difference Fairtrade can make.

Just like the ripple in the pond theory.  A small stone dropped in a pond causes ever increasing ripples.  The Challoner pupils have dropped quite a large stone and the ripples will be quite a force.  I really love it when students move things along and actually lead their school or university to change.

Read the full article here with quotes from the pupils and the full story of how they went about it and were successful.

Our effect on the world – the ripples go on and on………..