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Here we are at the hearth of Hartwood Community Land Trusts third newsletter. How time flies. We have achieved a great deal in the past months and we intend to continue forging ahead with our ambitious plans to create a better and more sustainable future for ourselves and anybody who cares to join us. We hope that this newsletter will inform and inspire.
Hartwood website: www.hartwoodcommunity.coop
Hartwood Forum: www.hartwoodcommunity.coop/forum
Hartwood news (contents):
Spread the word
Hartwood News
 On Sunday, the 19th December we gathered to celebrate the inception of our first land-based co-operative venture.
The event took place at the Gatehouse and sadly brings to a close an episode in the life of this beautiful space as we know it. At of the close of 2010 the building fell into the hands of the land owner. See Fate of the Gatehouse for more information.
A new beginning. On the previous evening, when Steve and Eilidh were just about to retire for the night, having traveled there through whirling snow showers in order to get the house warm, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Piotr and FreeSpirit whom they had not expected, arrived. There was a warm welcome for them, but unfortunately they had to leave early the next morning for work.
Next, Keith arrived, having just finished work, he had a burst tyre en route via the hazardous roads, but he eventually made it safely with a quart of the local spirits to lace our morning coffee. mmmm. By late afternoon we had received notification from almost all other interested parties that they were on the way, but would be running late……..
Finally gathering in a circle we spoke of our hopes and aspirations, and considered what name the project should have. A few nice ideas were put forward, but didn’t stir our hearts with a definite yes. We put our bank notes into a basket, and blessed the money for the good we hoped it would bring into the world, and decided to leave the naming until later.
So… we had dinner, prepared by Steve (and Keith, who made the salt and garlic paste), with lots of nice extras brought by others.
Afterwards, just before some of us had to get back on the road, we had another brief brainstorming session, and Suzie came up with the name Solas, which is Gaelic for light, beacon, solace, and other beautiful associated meanings.
 The name is inspired. We hope it will indeed bring lots of light into Hartwood. Ben lead a simple ritual for the celebration of the solstice involving candles and silence with a gentle shower of words and we concluded the day with optimism and a big basket of money. Our next meeting for the Solas project is scheduled for the first weekend in February.
The fate of the Gatehouse
As many of you know, Steve’s five year tenure of the corner of a field in Loch Doon comes to an end at the turn of the year. He must walk away from his first home, never to return. It will of course be a sad occasion, a hard lesson in detachment. No longer under threat from the planners due to the fact is has stood for more than four years, nor the elements, having withstood the recent hard winters with aplomb, it seems the house will be allowed to stand and be used by arrangement with the landlord, which is as much as he could hope for.
This beautiful building could be a home, a holiday cottage, retreat centre, venue, research project – any of a multitude of possibilities. If you would like to see the Gatehouse put to some practical and inspiring use, and have any such proposals yourself, why not contact the landlord to let him know? Write to: Geoff Forrest, Lamdoughty Farm, Loch Doon. KA6 7QE. Or phone: 01292 550935 or email: enquiries@sustainabledesigncrafts.co.uk.
Fala meeting and its outcome
When we arrived at Fala, there was a blanket of snow.
 Fortunately our hosts were very hospitable and had provided a cosy Yurt with a log-burner to be our venue.
To begin, the whole event was not finalised until the week before it took place, so that some people had expectations other than that we were offering an eco-village visioning workshop, taking place over the weekend of the 27th and 28th of November.
This wasn’t to be a talking gathering, except with regard to the workshop.
Then, as all the particulars were being finalised during the preceding week, we kept a close eye on the weather-forecast – our beleaguered met-office still couldn’t see anything more serious than a light snowfall in the region until the day we set out!
And so it was a wonder that when there fell almost a foot of snow in Lothian, so many took their chances and joined us for a workshop weekend.
Naturally, everything started a bit later than planned, but on the first day we covered the visualisations, which were guided by Christine, a friend with some experience in such exercises.
Those who came too late for lunch had to eat snow. Just kidding but Pol didn’t realise it until he had already cleared the table..
 After a nice dinner the evening brought on some lively musical sessions after which most of us retired to the Yurt, where we slept slightly cramped but were well warm enough.
On the second day we met to hear some further talks abut the eco-village situation and the new TAN6 legislation in Wales, though many had by then left or had to go early.
It was after only half a dozen were still there to meet in the afternoon to evaluate our experiences, that we looked again at where Hartwood was at that point in time, and formulated a definite plan of action, which resulted in the founding of our new project, Sòlas. Founding of 5K Solas project
Summer visit to Lammas and Permaculture Convergence
Ecovillage conference at Lammas – August 2010
Two members took part in the first TAN6 ecovillage introductory held at Lammas, August 28th. About fifty folk from all over with varied backgrounds came to hear how Lammas had managed to succeed where so many others had failed with the planners, as well as be introduced to the new TAN6 legislation permitting ecovillage development (under strict ecological & carbon footprints) which could potentially transform sustainable development in Wales out of all recognition. Of particular value was the visioning session on the Sunday.
  A framework for exploring one’s own needs and desires within the possibilities offered by ecovillage development – going some way to eliminating the undesirables and the impossibilities before ever committing time and money on the ground, is a valuable tool indeed. We extended and refined this as the basis for our own recent Visioning event in November. Some Hartwood members have since taken a particular interest in pursuing TAN6 possibilities in Wales (see forum).
Permaculture Convergence 2010
Hartwood attended this biannual event in the beginning of September at Lambourne End near London, to explore the current Permie scene and give a presentation about obstacles to land access for ecovillage projects across the UK. We were assigned a slot early on the Friday afternoon, long before the majority of attendees had arrived. Nevertheless the small group of around twenty curious folk increasingly warmed to the topic once the rarely aired facts and figures concerning land in the UK exposed the true scale of the deceptions practiced upon the general public, and began to join the dots regarding their own experiences and musings about the vagaries of the property market, the planning system and the ersatz phenomena of landlessness. One enthused young man approached us after the presentation and offered us £50,000 he had just inherited, but was asked to come back after he’d had time to really think about it (which he didn’t!). Overall we met a lot of excellent and interesting people, especially at the fringe and impromptu gatherings, as well as enjoyed drumming with the kids, making a rocket stove out of old tin cans and learning how corporations predict the future!
Work detail to Lammas
In October eight of us piled into a well-loved van and struggled up the many, many, many steep Welsh hills to spend a week at Lammas in sunny Pembrokeshire, to give a hand wherever we were needed. We all got the chance to try a range of low-impact skills from digging up old bricks to turf roofing, clay plastering to building a storm porch, with unblocking a mill lade, drystane dyking and building the bendiest staircase in the world all thrown in too!
Working in small groups of two or three with the individual households gave us a chance to get to know the residents better, as well as gain an insight into the dynamics of the place. We were made very welcome, lavishly fed, and enjoyed some hugely stimulating debates, sometimes with excellent music too, round the fire of an evening. Everyone who went felt they had learnt some important lessons, and would definitely be up for repeating the experience in the warmer weather!
Nameste Festival, Edinburgh
On the 24th July we attended the Namaste festival in Edinburgh where Steve was going to give a talk on ‘Sacred Rebellion’.
The message was one of integrating divine justice into daily life in a system designed to control and exploit everything from soil to soul.
 This raised a few uncomfortable questions for some who are more accustomed to being offered balm and protection at these events, but a lively, if inconclusive discussion soon ensued; thanks to the help of a sign-language interpreter several people with speech and /or impediments were able to take part.
It was interesting to experience the unique ambience of the famous Salisbury centre, and a great place to make new friends. The weather had been uncertain and rainy but it was dry enough for a bonfire in their lovely garden. There were stalls selling food, crafts, clothes and even second-hand-books, and the kitchens produced delicious food throughout the day. In the evening sessions of live-music took place in a beautiful large room upstairs.
Book reviews
Woodlanders: “The book is filled with articles about people working or playing with woodlands, wood or woodland products in Britain. It covers wooden buildings, harvesting wild products, art and crafts, working with groups and the community woodland movement. In over forty personal stories we learn of the lives of people who are part of the resurgence of interest in woodland matters that marks the 21st century. Woodlanders contains both inspiring stories and a generous supply of gorgeous photographs.”
Worcestershire Woodin’ : Hazel Woods in a Nutshell. Edited by Ron Smart and Richard Wellings, Lynniel, Arts & Illustration. Published by the Small Woods Association
There is a review on the site.
Some links to other eco projects
http://www.evnuk.org.uk — Eco~Village Network UK, lots of publications listed http://www.lammas.org.uk — the well-known spear-heading project in Wales http://www.landmatters.org.uk — Landmatters Permaculture Project http://www.lilac.coop — LILAC means Low Impact Living Affordable Community http://www.growingheart.co.uk — Growing Heart workers co-operative ltd. Good examples about getting started
http://www.simondale.net/house/involve.htm — a low-impact woodland home – for those irrepressible self-builders
http://www.tribal-living.co.uk/forums/index.php — be a digger not just a dreamer! http://www.eco-hamlets.org.uk/vision.php — a parallel vision http://www.ecologicalland.coop/investing — Ecological Land Cooperative, a way to finance
http://www.ibiblio.org/permaculture-online/index.html — permaculture online http://www.living-organically.com/community.html — The Village Forest, as yet virtual? http://www.konsk.co.uk/index.htm — permaculture design at TIR PENRHOS ISAF, some info.
http://oneplanetdevelopment.pbworks.com — the new planning and sustainability legislation and abroad:
http://www.permalot.org — in Czechoslovakia – lots happening
http://matavenero.es/en/Welcome — a village in North-Western Spain
http://www.wilderland.org.nz/index.html — a community in New Zealand
http://crystalwaters.org.au — the Crystal Waters Eco-Village in Australia
Spread the word
Bring along your family and friends
Hartwood Community Land Trust is still evolving and has now got a large number of subscribers and people participating in our online forum. We hope that folks will continue to invite family and friends to join us. May the new year bring us together.
A heart felt thanks from Hartwood.
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