Oswestry21

There’ll be a fuller piece on how this went in the next day.  But briefly, Oswestry Transition Town’s Green Fair filled the Memorial Hall with colour, light, music, magic, information, people, children and was busy and alive for the full four hours. Footfall’s first short term lease of an empty shop, between Argos & O2 on Festival Square, made the shop bright and inhabited presenting an exhibition of environmentally themed Art by local school children and made one realise how such simple interventions improve the town and raise spirits.

The Question Time event in the evening bought an audience of 120, beyond expectations, and represented the wide range of opinion possible from even within a panel of people who are all involved with emvironmental and ecological concerns whether in  political, business, campaign or individual contexts. Many thanks indeed to Ian Lucas MP, Peter Harper, Felicity Norman, and Paul Mobbs, and to Jim Hawkins for chairing. And not least to everyone who attended and made the evening the success it was.  We will be looking to promote and host another before too long.

It says a lot for Oswestry that this day was the only 350 event in Shropshire, and that it became the full and rounded day that everyone enjoyed and hopefully took some thought and deeds home from. There’s a hell of a lot going on here for a town it’s size; action, thought, talk, music, writing, Art - the best of it bubbling under the surface fermenting nicely. People making the lives they wish to live in the place they wish to live them. Thanks to all who made the day possible - these things make life memorable and fun.

Do try and get along to this, pass the information on to friends, family, organisations who may be interested. It’s taken some putting together! And no other towns the size of Oswestry will be hosting such and event for 350 day Oct 24th. 

We have a really high quality panel: Ian Lucas MP, Felicity Norman, Green Party MEP Candidate, Paul Mobbs, Environmental Consultant, and Peter Harper, Head of Research and Innovation at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth. And we are fortunate enough to have Jim Hawkins of BBC Radio Shropshire to chair the discussion. We saw him chair an event with Paul Kingsnorth in Church Stretton earlier in the year and were impressed enough to ask him to be here on the 24th.

Anyone who has concerns about climate change, who is interested in how national,, regional and local responses can be formulated, wants to hear a range of opinion being discussed, even if you disagree that climate change is happening - come to this event. It affects all our lives and will do so increasingly, whether in urban or rural areas, and whatever we do for a living.

Have a question ready, and if there’s time, you can ask it - or come to listen, be informed, or just be part of the day and the event . You may e mail your question with your name, to os21group@yahoo.com at the contact link on the heading of this page. Or bring it with you on the evening.

Spread the word, come along, be part of it!