Up early as had to get a train at 9.30am. So by 9 I was on my bike and heading towards the station and I managed to get the 9.27 which allowed me to get a train which delivered me to Conisbrough soon after 10am. The meeting was due to start at 11am.
I wandered over the bridge over the River Don towards the main site and when I was coming back there was another chap wandering across, he turned out to be another John from York, a Union man, and involved at one time with Remploy. We chatted and waited for others to turn up, which they did. Also the 3 core members of We Love The Earth Centre arrived... they hadn't managed to get the required information into the facilitating organisation, the Rapid Technology Transfer Group or RTTG, so unfortunately none of them were in the visiting group.
At about 11.15 we all had our visitor badges and the selected group went across the bridge again and entered the site. We first went to the Conference Centre. This is a building based on cages of rocks called gabions, and is based on nice curves... it's a more or less circular structure, with a large stainless steel woodstove in the lobby area, a circular main room and a series of other side rooms. The gabion walls were perhaps a little difficult on the eye... I would try to soften them with hangings. I liked the re-used radiators mounted on the walls, it was a nice feature. This building seems perfectly usable and seemed in good condition.
Then to the main open area between the galleries and the restaurant, much of which is covered by a huge area of photovoltaic panels, which I learned are still generating but aren't connected to the national grid, which seems like madness as they must generate thousands of pounds worth each year. We had a quick look around the deserted restaurant, last used by the war-gamers who hire the site from time to time.
Then into the huge building which is The Gallery, which was once an exhibition centre showcasing information and ideas about our planet, animals and plants, ecosystems, energy, all sorts of things, but looking very dated and one comment was that some of the arty exhibits are a bit pretentious. This building has a huge gas heating system and a really good kiddies play area, lots of climbing and crawling through wooden structures... what a waste!
One of the visitors, John O'Callaghan (another John!!!) was very excited to find the remains of the Mongolian Yurt and some Mongolian horse bridles.
My favourite area was next; the water/sewage treatment plant called 'The Living Machine'. This has been kept working and the fish and aquatic plants are still alive, although the exterior of the building is in poor condition, as it has been damaged by birds pecking, and water sitting on the plastic membrane. Near this were the gardens, with lots of fruit trees and obviously reasonably fertile ground. But all very overgrown, with hawthorns and birch seeded into it, ivy and brambles.. reverting to scrub and if left, woodland.
Then we walked down to the river, which is canalised and is navigable from the Humber to Sheffield. The Earth Centre site has a landing, although the regular floods have given it a deep layer of silt (and vegetation, of course), and alongside the river are stands of willow which really need to be coppiced.
So we made our way out and in a convoy of cars (and I was in John H's van) we managed to find our way to our hosts for the afternoon, Senior Architectural Systems, based in Denaby.
We had a good lunch... filled rolls, quiche, orange juice, and Mike Marchant was introduced by his RTTG partner, Bill Robertson.
SAS make aluminium and wood windows, as far as I can work out. I'm not sure if Mike works for them too, and my question about the relationship between SAS and RTTG wasn't clearly answered. But it was clear that both Bill and Mike care deeply about environmental and social issues, and have started a venture called MiUni, where (I think) a company suggests areas where they could improve on sustainability issues and then a 2 or 3 days syllabus is created and then a mobile classroom is taken to the business park or company premises to act as a space for
learning. (I think this is the set-up!) The third member of RTTG is a younger chap, Mark Ducker, who is involved in promoting recycling and might be connected to a company called Sustainable Energy Connections, though I can't find any mention of this...and, music to my ears, he's interested in fuel poverty and I chatted with him about woodstoves afterwards.
So Mike told us about RTTG, and that they had already had some success when a company they were connected with (probably JCB) had developed a cab for their diggers which was so safe for the operative, so soundproof and break-proof, that the door was difficult to close. (maybe the cab was airtight?) So the RTTG put the company in touch with another company which was able to present a solution immediately. Now digger drivers can have a quiet and safe working environment AND close the door on their cab easily!
The RTTG do not yet have a plan for what they could offer to The Earth Centre site. This meeting was the first of a collective plan, which would need to be
1) productive, in terms of revenue, learning, the economy and jobs;
2) inclusive, with different technologies, occupations and communities all considered and involved;
3) open to different ideas, expertise, interests and ways of communication;
and 4) highly regarded in it's activities, research and development.
Then the 20 or so attendees introduced themselves, and were asked to say what they thought they could bring to the table, what they could offer, or what their vision was for the site.
John Wilson from Remploy was a bit new to this sort of thing but he anted the needs of disabled people to be taken into account, and employment opportunities for disabled and older people.
Ben from CO2 Sense, involved in promoting glass recycling said he had no particular vision but that obviously CO2 Sense and Yorkshire Forward were happy to contribute ideas, expertise and possibly funding to any appropriate development.
David Wilde from Groundwork Dearne Valley, whom I met a few years ago when he was presenting a day's course on Education for Sustainable Development wondered about a new headquarters for the organisation.
Bernd Hoermann, from the sustainable development department of Sheffield City Council was generally enthusiastic about what the Earth Centre was and what it could be.
John O'Callaghan disclosed his ecoactivist roots and his passion for sustainable solutions, and offered the services of his company Techead.
Joanne Wehrle from Dearne Valley Eco Vision was representing a key partner.
Phil Walker and his nameless friend wanted to use the site for American car displays... and although the process is supposed to be inclusive, this is one of the things which wouldn't fit with the vision I have of The Earth Centre site!
Jayne Evans from Beta Technology has connections with DEFRA and European links too.
Lee Brooks has had the bright idea of showing schools and other groups how to recycle aluminium drinks cans using a small scale smelter and die-casting system, and this relatively new project is called 'Casting Innovations'.
Mike Reid was one of the original Earth Centre team, before the second stage was built with the many millions of pounds of Millennium money. He seems to be a proponent of the low tech and person-centred approach, and is, like me, a big fan of what the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth have done. He is involved in Pedal Ready which looks like a good project.
Sue Crockford is a film-maker and champion of the underdog, and has had a long career of working with and documenting community struggles.
Faye Leo is with MET UK who provide training, and she has a special interest in renewable and repair technologies.
Marcus O'Hagan was a volunteer with the Earth Centre in it's first format, before the Millennium funding 'destroyed it'. He is responsible for the wharf on the River Don which would enable boats to be used as a transport option to and from the site.
Sally Walker from Native Architects, specialist in sustainable buildings (and friend of Imelda from BlueFish Regeneration who brought me down for the last We Love The Earth Centre meeting, who was unable to be here today)
Tracey Fairfax of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, who run training and first aid courses, would be interested in using the existing facilities.
Kirsty Chamberlain, a teacher at Abbey special school which has sustainability at the heart of everything it does.
Hannah Booth from Natural England, Liz Reeve from the Don Gorge Community Group and Dan Hall from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, all interested in the woodlands and SSSis which are in the Don Valley.
Steve Hinton from QED Consulting.
These introductions served to start several interesting conversations and will help the people who wish to help the RTTG write their business plan get it broad enough to be considered by the Council when they decide who is to have the job of co-ordinating the redevelopment.
I was one of the last to go as I wanted to chat with several delegates, and then walked back to the station with John Wilson. Good conversations on the train all the way home...
I got home just after 6pm and knew I'd been invited to attend a Fishergate Ward Committee meeting to 'speak to' a couple of funding bids that Anna had put in for York in Transition events.
So 40 mins after I got in, I went out again!
But soon after I arrived, I was told that Ivana was also there to do just that, so I cycled home again.
Simon was visiting when I got back home, he'd found some Oyster mushrooms and had brought me some, and was collecting the Suma Order which arrived today.
A late evening typing up most of today's stuff. Didn't finish it though... will be finished tomorrow!
Showing posts with label Conisbrough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conisbrough. Show all posts
A good day because the two plumbers came back and got the solar hot water system's tank, which has an integral immersion heater, up to 60 Celsius with the electric immersion, which they had to wire up specially as it is not actually needed for our system... and after a couple of hours, one of them came back and sorted out the valves below the boiler, so that it all works correctly.
I asked to be shown how it works. The water comes in from the 120 litre tank in the loft, which is fed by the solar panel on the roof (south-facing) at anywhere between ambient temperature and 70 or more Celsius. If it is above 60, the valve senses this and sends the water to the mixing valve (and onto the taps) which is set to about 47 degrees, which is nice and hot for baths and washing up the dishes. So, it would blend the 60 or more degree water with cold to get 47. However, this incoming water can be below 60, in which case it is sent to another mixing valve which if it is above 24 Celsius, mixes it with cold so it enters the boiler at no more than 24 degrees, which is the official maximum temperature the boiler can take it at. The boiler is then set to warm the water up to 47 degrees and it goes to the taps. If we'd have had the money and the boiler that was newly installed when we bought the house in 2001 was older and less efficient, we'd have put in a boiler which could cope with warmer incoming water, so whatever the temperature the panel got the water to, there would be no diluting it to reduce the temperature before heating it up again. Despite this being a bit of a fudge, the solar system will save us gas and logs, as putting water into the boiler at 20 degrees is better than at 10 (as it uses less gas to get it up to the preferred shower temperature) and in the summer, there will be ample hot water for evening washing up, and I won't have to light the stove just to get some dish washing water.
The most important thing, though, is that he signed the Commissioning Certificate! So we now have a fully functional Solartwin hot water system, which uses the energy in daylight to warm water so that less gas or no gas is used to give us hot water. Fantastic!
A good day too because at 10am, I had a visitor, Barry, who had advertised on Freecycle for some composting worms. I'd replied saying yes of course. He came round with his prototype wormery container, and told me his life story, and I then showed him all of my compost bins, tumblers and wormeries. He went away very happy, having taken in a lot of composting information and a tub full of worms.
In the evening I got the 5.30 train to Doncaster and then the next train to Conisbrough, where The Earth Centre is, and attended the first meeting of 'We Love The Earth Centre', a community group which aims to get this fantastic resource used, after all, it has been mostly unused for five years. I was able to contribute positively to this meeting, and there's another meeting in January.
The Earth Centre was once a coal mine, but when it closed it was just left as wasteland, but in the late 1980s, following a UN meeting which exhorted people to follow sustainable development, a group of local people had the idea of developing the site as a community resource, and John Letts and Jonathan Smales worked up the idea to have it as a demonstration of lots of sustainable design and technologies. It then got a massive amount of funding, many tens of millions, and the architects had a ball. (some photos and info here) However, the locals felt excluded, and the entry fees were set too high for the locals to be able to use it much.
By 2004 it had closed, and it's not been used for it's intended purpose of education, or by local people since then. It has been used by a war-games company, and for training soldiers and the police, and the locals generally don't like this. A couple of TV programmes have used it as a set.
So, We Love The Earth Centre started, as a reaction to the place being left to rot and be vandalised for 5 years. The site is owned by Doncaster Council who have been approached by at least one group already but their plans for a cycling theme park were not deemed good enough. About 30 people came to this first meeting, a wide range from under 30s with dreadlocks wanting to use it as a live-in eco-village, through to three of the original staff, a current caretaker, a local councillor, some assorted greens and local political activists. One person suggested it could be an open air art gallery, another wanted the adventure playground to be made accessible for local children, and another suggestion was to make some of the area between the site and Conisbrough station into a skate and BMX ramp-park. A vineyard was suggested a few years ago but rejected as it didn't create enough jobs. The cafe is apparently still in working order, and that is seen as a source of income. One person suggested building an Earthship. Someone else liked the idea of fishponds, for recreation (angling) and I mentioned the Able Project where horse bedding is put in worm-beds and the resultant worms are fed to farmed fish for human consumption, which I see as slightly more valuable than fishing and throwing them back with damaged mouths. One person reminded us that the canalised River Don is navigable, and a marina could be built. So no lack of ideas or enthusiasm!
When the meeting wound down, I walked back to Conisbrough station to get the train to Sheffield. At one of the stations near Sheffield, a young woman tried to get off the train but was pressing the button on the wrong side of the train, the door away from the platform. As the door wouldn't open, she panicked a bit and shouted into the carriage 'How do I get the door open?' I told her to try the door on the platform side, but the train had already got ready to go, and the door wouldn't open. As the train started to move off, she ran down the carriage to the drivers cab and banged on the door and shouted for the train to stop, which it did. She was able to get off after a minute... very lucky. This caused a bit of a ripple within the carriage and one chap said that there would be an enquiry as every minute's delay cost the network £1000.. he worked for Network Rail and knew these things. We got chatting and I told him about my taking my circus show around the country by train, and he was intrigued. Turns out he has a son who's got a birthday party soon, and he made a provisional booking with me to come to Doncaster and do the party. I'll be amazed if this happens, but I hope so!
I got to Sheffield without a hitch, and the tram, and got to Ali's at about 11pm. I'd agreed to go over on Wednesday some while ago, and the co-incidental nearby meeting on the Tuesday night fitted well with this plan.
I asked to be shown how it works. The water comes in from the 120 litre tank in the loft, which is fed by the solar panel on the roof (south-facing) at anywhere between ambient temperature and 70 or more Celsius. If it is above 60, the valve senses this and sends the water to the mixing valve (and onto the taps) which is set to about 47 degrees, which is nice and hot for baths and washing up the dishes. So, it would blend the 60 or more degree water with cold to get 47. However, this incoming water can be below 60, in which case it is sent to another mixing valve which if it is above 24 Celsius, mixes it with cold so it enters the boiler at no more than 24 degrees, which is the official maximum temperature the boiler can take it at. The boiler is then set to warm the water up to 47 degrees and it goes to the taps. If we'd have had the money and the boiler that was newly installed when we bought the house in 2001 was older and less efficient, we'd have put in a boiler which could cope with warmer incoming water, so whatever the temperature the panel got the water to, there would be no diluting it to reduce the temperature before heating it up again. Despite this being a bit of a fudge, the solar system will save us gas and logs, as putting water into the boiler at 20 degrees is better than at 10 (as it uses less gas to get it up to the preferred shower temperature) and in the summer, there will be ample hot water for evening washing up, and I won't have to light the stove just to get some dish washing water.
The most important thing, though, is that he signed the Commissioning Certificate! So we now have a fully functional Solartwin hot water system, which uses the energy in daylight to warm water so that less gas or no gas is used to give us hot water. Fantastic!
A good day too because at 10am, I had a visitor, Barry, who had advertised on Freecycle for some composting worms. I'd replied saying yes of course. He came round with his prototype wormery container, and told me his life story, and I then showed him all of my compost bins, tumblers and wormeries. He went away very happy, having taken in a lot of composting information and a tub full of worms.
In the evening I got the 5.30 train to Doncaster and then the next train to Conisbrough, where The Earth Centre is, and attended the first meeting of 'We Love The Earth Centre', a community group which aims to get this fantastic resource used, after all, it has been mostly unused for five years. I was able to contribute positively to this meeting, and there's another meeting in January.
The Earth Centre was once a coal mine, but when it closed it was just left as wasteland, but in the late 1980s, following a UN meeting which exhorted people to follow sustainable development, a group of local people had the idea of developing the site as a community resource, and John Letts and Jonathan Smales worked up the idea to have it as a demonstration of lots of sustainable design and technologies. It then got a massive amount of funding, many tens of millions, and the architects had a ball. (some photos and info here) However, the locals felt excluded, and the entry fees were set too high for the locals to be able to use it much.
By 2004 it had closed, and it's not been used for it's intended purpose of education, or by local people since then. It has been used by a war-games company, and for training soldiers and the police, and the locals generally don't like this. A couple of TV programmes have used it as a set.
So, We Love The Earth Centre started, as a reaction to the place being left to rot and be vandalised for 5 years. The site is owned by Doncaster Council who have been approached by at least one group already but their plans for a cycling theme park were not deemed good enough. About 30 people came to this first meeting, a wide range from under 30s with dreadlocks wanting to use it as a live-in eco-village, through to three of the original staff, a current caretaker, a local councillor, some assorted greens and local political activists. One person suggested it could be an open air art gallery, another wanted the adventure playground to be made accessible for local children, and another suggestion was to make some of the area between the site and Conisbrough station into a skate and BMX ramp-park. A vineyard was suggested a few years ago but rejected as it didn't create enough jobs. The cafe is apparently still in working order, and that is seen as a source of income. One person suggested building an Earthship. Someone else liked the idea of fishponds, for recreation (angling) and I mentioned the Able Project where horse bedding is put in worm-beds and the resultant worms are fed to farmed fish for human consumption, which I see as slightly more valuable than fishing and throwing them back with damaged mouths. One person reminded us that the canalised River Don is navigable, and a marina could be built. So no lack of ideas or enthusiasm!
When the meeting wound down, I walked back to Conisbrough station to get the train to Sheffield. At one of the stations near Sheffield, a young woman tried to get off the train but was pressing the button on the wrong side of the train, the door away from the platform. As the door wouldn't open, she panicked a bit and shouted into the carriage 'How do I get the door open?' I told her to try the door on the platform side, but the train had already got ready to go, and the door wouldn't open. As the train started to move off, she ran down the carriage to the drivers cab and banged on the door and shouted for the train to stop, which it did. She was able to get off after a minute... very lucky. This caused a bit of a ripple within the carriage and one chap said that there would be an enquiry as every minute's delay cost the network £1000.. he worked for Network Rail and knew these things. We got chatting and I told him about my taking my circus show around the country by train, and he was intrigued. Turns out he has a son who's got a birthday party soon, and he made a provisional booking with me to come to Doncaster and do the party. I'll be amazed if this happens, but I hope so!
I got to Sheffield without a hitch, and the tram, and got to Ali's at about 11pm. I'd agreed to go over on Wednesday some while ago, and the co-incidental nearby meeting on the Tuesday night fitted well with this plan.
