‘World First RHI’ Launch Over-shadowed by FITs Debacle

The long-awaited Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) formally ‘opened for business’ today. With £864 million available for the cashback scheme to support biomass boilers, solar water heating systems, ground source heat pumps and bio-methane projects, it should be a day of great celebration and popping champagne bottles. In truth the renewable heat (RH) sector is actually breathing a huge sigh of relief over a strong cup of tea that the scheme has actually started at all. It is also apprehensive about the future beyond the next few years.

The past 6 months has seen the RHI increasingly affected by the collateral damage of rolling cuts to the solar PV FITs scheme. RH companies have ended up spending precious time simply shoring up client confidence that the RHI will actually happen and that the tariffs won’t face sudden cuts.

With DECC officials and Energy Ministers running scared about over-spending on renewable support schemes, it was no surprise to see recent swingeing cuts to ‘big biomass’ heating tariffs by DECC. Paul Thompson of the REA rightly described these: “as a drastic reduction” which undermined the advanced plans of a number of companies.  They came on the back of an embarrassing screw-up in signing off the scheme with EU State-Aid officials, a growing lack of commitment to domestic biomass boilers, and low tariff rates for solar thermal. It’s all a far cry from the near euphoric announcement by Chris Huhne in March this year, when he proudly highlighted “the worlds first Renewable Heat Incentive” and talked about saving 44 million tonnes of carbon by 2020.

So what has actually happened to the RHI, what are its prospects and where should domestic and commercial investors be looking at to make sensible decisions?

As a tariff led cashback scheme, the RHI has a lot going for it. Incentivising well run heat schemes and with 20 years of guaranteed support should help build a sustainable industry. Companies will finally be able to plan and invest long-term, avoiding the ‘stop-start’ nature of the previous grant support schemes.  

What we have ended up with is an increasingly proscribed RHI, with tight budget levels in each year and the likelihood that any under-spend will simply go back to the Treasury. Table 1 shows the budget limits. With £56 million available for this financial year, and £16 million of this earmarked for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme, it’s a poorly kept secret within DECC and the industry that the RHPP money will be significantly under-spent – perhaps by as much as £8 to £10 million.

The RHI shoulod allow these ancient and polluting oil boilers to be replaced by ......

 Of the £16 million earmarked for the RHPP scheme, £4 million of this has recently been allocated to social housing under a competition scheme. In addition we now have some numbers as to the RHPP voucher uptake and allocations to date. Between August 11^th and late October the voucher allocations were:

This modern Wood Pellet Boiler

Not all of the voucher allocations will be used in the end but if assume a 75% uptake and a continuation of uptake at similar levels until the end of March 2012, then we could assume a further £3 to £4 million uptake. From the £16 million allocated therefore even a fair wind might see more than £8 million under-spent, heading back to the Treasury. Whether £40 million can be spent under the main commercial scheme is also debateable – a simple function of time. Most companies in the sector assume it will be at least £5 to £10 million under-spent – making a total under-spend of up to £18 million or one-third of the whole Year 1 allocation. The rate of growth after that might allow us to get back on the curve but having the ability to switch funds between Year’s would make more sense.

On the domestic front, Oliver Duckworth, MD of Windhager UK, a wood pellet and log boiler company, puts the sales problem simply as: “it’s a tough sell to say to clients – we have £950 on the table and we hope there is more but we can’t guarantee it and we have no idea of the conditions that might exist”. One of these conditions might be to only get RHI tariffs with a really energy efficient home. What is appropriate for relatively modern homes would be a non-starter for much older buildings where you can’t use cavity wall insulation or double-glazing.

For domestic solar thermal, with a £300 RHPP – around 6-8% of an average domestic scheme costs – and a tariff providing maybe £85 a year, it’s an even harder sell. For this and other reasons Windhager UK and other companies have re-orientated their business to small commercial biomass and solar heating including social housing and residential care homes. With continued ambivalence from DECC to supporting domestic systems, it is a sensible business move.

Rich Promise for RHI lies in the middle heat ground

With domestic renewable heating unlikely to boom short term, and now big biomass above 1MW effectively scaled back due to cutting tariffs by 2/3rds, the real RHI promise lies in the middle ground. From 50kW to 999kW, and particularly at just under 200kW, good investments are still possible. Schools, hotels, residential care homes, hospitals, small-scale district heating projects, country estates with woodland, social housing and leisure facilities can all do well under the scheme. My own analysis of 30 plus projects over the past six months has suggested an 8-17% IRR for such projects, with an average level of 12.5%. All of the main biomass heating companies I have canvassed recently are doing quite well, with many recruiting staff. One long-established company reported their “best month ever” in October

Bigger district heating (DH) schemes may struggle, as there is no uplift in tariffs to reflect the much higher costs of the heating infrastructure. Under the rules of the scheme the heat losses between separate buildings will also be excluded from payment – a double whammy which may prove hard to overcome.

Every kWh generated under the RHI will save carbon

The Future for Domestic RH Projects?

While domestic RH Projects have suffered in the back-wash of the domestic solar PV tariff climb-down, there is still some life in the sector. If the industry manages to get practical proposals agreed by DECC which make the Green Deal workable, and the tariffs are reasonable, the lift-off may yet happen after October 2012. A growing awareness within DECC that they will be heavily under-spent on the RHPP scheme may start to tip the balance towards a more attractive tariff approach. Until then, don’t expect significant growth.

Cheers – the RHI Adventure Begins!

Waiting for the RHI has at times been a surreal and painful experience for the RH Sector. While we are looking forward to a buoyant period – notwithstanding that the UK is about to go into a double-dip recession – our belief in the Government’s green credentials has been badly dented. The mood music from Government that renewables are expensive is not helpful. Many companies who have made significant investments are nervously wondering if these can now be justified. The wood pellet sector alone has for example invested more than £85 million in the past few years on new production and delivery capacity. It is ready to service a massively expanded industry – but will this become reality?

At this stage I guess we just have to take a deep breath, raise our glasses (or cups of tea) and say ‘Cheers’ as we finally welcome the RHI. We now have to get on and show the Government what we can do. As one of the most cost-effective parts of the renewable market, it’s up to us to demonstrate our value and worth and start saving some serious carbon. We also need to start fighting our political corner and make sure our message is getting out there.

 Stewart Boyle

BENDING THE WILLOW – REDEMPTION AND MAGIC THROUGH FIRE

Have you ever stared into a fire and began to notice the magical shapes and spaces in the flames? Let the mind still, cease the endless chatter in your head and the experience and feeling can be as good as a week on the beach or an hour of meditation.

Willow is a man who took his love of the woods and the magic of the fire to another level, added a liberal dash of music, and ended up as a sacred Fire-keeper. His story is one of surviving a fatherless and sometimes turbulent youth and his difficult entry into manhood. A story of entering and closing two very intensive relationships which produced a daughter and son, but no traditional family unit or home. A man whose passion for music produced a CD in extraordinary circumstances, but who then had to cope with a near major emotional collapse.

At his lowest ebb, the magic of the fire found him. Guided by some wise elders from North and South America over the past 12 years, he began to learn the ancient craft of fire-keeping and ceremony. Today he is part of a sacred circle of fire-keepers entrusted with the fires at power spots around Planet Earth. He is also now much in demand as a fire-keeper for camps, festivals, rituals, circles and ceremonies.

Having watched Willow at work for 12 hours solid at a Medicine ceremony in East Sussex, he is nothing short of an alchemist. Through enormous care, patience, service and attention to the details of the Fire ritual, he creates a huge potential for change. An opportunity for the past to be consumed by the fire, and transformed into new possibilities for powerful change in ourselves.

I recently talked about his life and his lessons so far as the sun came down on the Sussex coast.

Q – From aggressive teenager to respected Fire-keeper honoured by tribal elders – that is quite a journey. What have been the key moments?

A – Wow – it’s quite a journey as you say. For much of the time I thought I was destined to be a professional musician. Though I still love my music, another path emerged. I was born into, I guess, quite a bohemian family in the North of England, with one elder brother. My Dad left home when I was seven and increasingly dropped out of my life. I started playing drums shortly after this. Before I reached 21 my Dad essentially cut off all contact and to all intents disappeared.

I guess I was a wild teenager, pretty hedonistic, out of control and into experiences, a bit of drug taking and so on. Even at this stage of my life however, I felt an urge to travel and seemed to know that a big part of my journey was to find my real Elders, Fathers and family.

Q – What do you mean by that?

A – We don’t always get the blood brothers, sisters or parents we want and need. Part of the journey for all of us is to find our true brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers – our Tribe. That has been a big search for me. When I eventually started to find my Tribe it was a revelation.

Q – You went in the direction of Art and Music and to Art College?

A – Yeah – it was a strong presence in my family home and I enjoyed it so that was a natural choice. I dropped out in the first year having got what I needed, and then went to do my own music and art. I did go back to Art School later, in the evenings, but I left two weeks before I sat A-levels. I then did a bit of travelling and stayed with a friend at an organic farm in Somerset before ending up squatting a Church in Kentish Town. Living in the Lady Chapel, I used my one and only Dole payment to buy (frankly) a bit of hash and some wool, and started crocheting and making hats. I’ve since made more than 2,500 hats in the past 20 years and never signed on the Dole again. The hats provide me with an income stream when I need it wherever I am in the world.

Q – When did you attend your first Fire Ceremony?

A – In 1994 I met my first Tribal Elder – Grandfather Peyote – in Spain. I took part in a Prayer Ceremony which baffled me, as I had to listen to a very poor translation of the Spanish sitting in the corridor. Something stirred but I wasn’t sure what it was. A month later the same guy held a ceremony on the land at Full Moon and we sat all night until the sun came up. Something in me woke up – something powerful happened. I had to tell myself “this is real – not just weird stuff.” I tended the fire all night and experienced the drum and the rattle being handed round the circle and people’s songs being sung from the heart. The Elder brought really ancient wisdom to me and I realised these guys were not mucking about.

Shortly after this I was inspired to go on a 4-day and nights Vision Quest to see if I could get a better sense of my path. With four friends I built a stone circle and anchored the feelings in the earth. I made a prayer in my Vision Quest and asked “I wish to receive the teachings of the Sacred Fire”. Shortly after I saw in a dream a giant slice of water melon with 23 seeds in it.

Q – What was happening in your life at the time?

I travelled quite a bit, always searching – Spain again, Scotland and Glastonbury kept calling me. On one of my trips I met a beautiful American lady and fell in love. My lover went back to the States three weeks after our meeting and I flew out on Valentines Day 1997 to be with her. That night we produced my first child, a son. I travelled later to New Mexico, took part in Sweat Lodge ceremonies, had incredible dreams about my music and put a band together. This led to a great period where I had a place to live, a PA system, a van and regular music gigs giving me a good income. Every 6 months I had to leave the USA to renew my visa. The second time I did this, after spending a bit of time in Vancouver when things on the music front went amazingly well, I was refused entry to the USA. I had to return to England.

Three weeks later I got a call from my friend Juan. We had made a short music video together and he had shown this to a TV producer in Mexico. The message from the producer was enthusiastic: “I’ll record your music and I want to make a record deal”. So I went to Mexico to do just that.

Unfortunately after several weeks I realised that the musicians brought together for the project were all heavily into dope, and nothing real was going to happen anytime soon. I was desperately disappointed as I really thought this was my entry into the big time of being a pro musician.

I baled out. Despite having no money, a friend I had met at a Sacred Fire ceremony got me a bed on the 8^th floor of a tower block in Mexico City, looking out over the busiest freeway in the city.  This was also the rehearsal room of a reggae band called Terra Moto (Earthquake!). I slept behind the drum kit of the band for nine weeks with a poster above me of Sai Baba. I also noticed after a few weeks with a jolt that a painting by my friend’s mother had a water melon in it with – yeah – 23 seeds again! I guess I knew I was taking the right actions and path. With the help of these musicians I got the master of my CD done.

Q – You came back to the UK after that?

A – Yeah – I ended up doing work with community building in the Brighton area and Kent. Out of a chance encounter in the streets of Brighton a guy selflessly just gave me £300 out of his cash-point card and I was able to get 250 copies of the CD made. That was 12 years ago – not a big seller but it was an important completion for me.

I also met up with a new partner. We spent around 3 years together and conceived my daughter. The relationship was very tricky after that – my partner got very depressed and I had to leave. I turned to woodland management work in Stanmer Park, Brighton. We also made yurts and ran training events. I created a great woodworking space and also helped run permaculture courses. It was a really enjoyable part of my life – I love wood and the woodland space and I thrived.

Q – An important thing happened at that point?

A – Yes. A number of distinguished delegates came over from the States for a ‘Creativety and Cultural Diversity’ conference organised by University of Sussex. Three were Cherokee Elders. One of the organisers who knew me well asked me if I could run some kind of a welcome for the guests at Stanmer Park. Fire was what I knew and I felt that this would be consistent with both of our traditions. I was told by my friend to quite smoking and drinking before and after the event. I gave up drugs completely at that point.

At the fire, one of the Elders – Grandfather Warren – simply said to all of us “I look forward to what you’ve got to say” and sat back and listened. Another of the Elders, Grandmother Feather watched me quite closely but for hours I just tended the fire. That evening I got a call out of the blue from Mother Feather, who asked me to come to the University to speak with her.

What I was told is to some extent secret but essentially it was that: “you need to know who you are and your relationship with the Fire is special. You have my blessing to take care of that Fire and people will come. Your work will facilitate their healing.”

My life fundamentally changed at that point and I did not question that I was a fire-keeper. Since then I have kept fire all over the world for Elders, sweat lodges, marriages, deaths, ceremonies and other events.

Q – So what happens with the ceremonial fire and what have you learned from this latter part of your life?

A – One thing I have learned is that despite the dream-like space that fire can induce,  you have to be really present otherwise the fire can be a dangerous place. Evolution has taken billions of years to take us where we are now. ‘To find yourself‘ – that goal on which people spend time and money on lots of courses to discover – you actually have to get lost first; to truly admit that: “I don’t know, I haven’t a clue”. At that stage the alchemy of the Fire and the Universe steps in to help.

Q – Is the Sacred Fire a Religion?

A – No. According to my friend Ken Littlefish, a native Elder and Medicine Man who has been a great teacher to me, “it is not a religion or dogma but a way of life”. Many people have a life but no ‘Way of Life’. It is belief that turns life into a Way of Life and gives it direction. There are four aspects of that ‘Way of Life’ I believe. Firstly you need to know where you come from – your ancestors.  You then need to know ‘Where am I right now? Thirdly you need to work out ‘Where do I want to get to’ and finally, the ‘Strategy of how to get there’. Faith is really needed at the fourth stage. With hindsight I realise for much of my life I was literally flying blind and full of ego – no wonder I have made so many mistakes. I have also had to learn forgiveness in order to find my own humility.

Q – What is the role of Fire in our Community and are you hopeful for the Future?

A – Hmm – a couple of big questions. Without the sun we get no wood and hence no fire. Fire is a direct connection to the Source.  I hold wood in my hands that is 1000 years old and know that I am experiencing the Sun from 1000 years ago that my ancestors warmed to. That’s an amazing connection if we want to make it. The fire really provides a way to communicate with the ancestors, the people who came before and did the work and made the sacrifices so we could be here today. It is where real conversations can take place.

The Fire is a practical thing – it warms us and provides us with cooking fuel. It also awakens in the shapes we see in the fire old feelings and thoughts. We can get the same emotions from the mighty rivers and oceans and big trees. Putting cedar on the fire clears any negative energies and allows us to ask for forgiveness. That is the route towards healing the environmental madness we have created.

As for me being hopeful about healing that madness….. look the planet has been around a long while before we came along, and it will be after we go. I think a more important question here is: “are you prepared to show up and participate?” Most people are not even prepared to show up for their own lives so asking them to have a care for the planet, to reduce energy use and so forth is a bit futile if the person isn’t really present and engaged with themselves. And that means taking a good look over the cliff we are heading in order to see, to feel and to take action. It means moving away from the abject denial of responsibility many of our brothers and sisters are currently in. At that point change is really possible and very quickly and we have hope.

I learned something about the Western way of life from a Tibetan monk who has been walking around the USA for peace for more than 20 years. At a pipe ceremony he stated: “you know the best thing you white Westerners could do? Just do nothing”. I think he really meant stop ‘doing’ and start ‘being’. There is a real choice here which won’t help the conventional economy but will help the planet.

Q – You stated at the Fire Circle I attended that “Friends Show Up”. What did you mean by that?

A – Well actually the full essence of this is that: “Friends Turn up but only if you turn up first”. If we turn up for life and show ourselves and are prepared to step out, then real friends will see that and turn up too. Even if they have no idea what is really going to happen, they know something will happen and they will be there for us. Acquaintances generally don’t turn up at this point – they are not committed to you and your life.  It’s not a ‘Facebook’ kind of thing but boy these friends go deep and really are there for you!

Q – Ken Littlefish the Native American Elder talked about himself as the Road Man. What does that mean?

A – Ken invited me to ‘poke fire’ at one of his medicine Ceremonies a few years back. He quickly explained that the two most important people in the Ceremony are the Fire-keeper and the person ‘holding’ the prayer and ceremonial energy – the Road Man. These two people have to be totally attuned in the Prayers and work as a team.

Ken handed me the ceremonial staff from this ceremony and talked to me. He told me he had been watching me and explained to me that if I wanted to truly ‘poke fires’ and work with ‘Road men’ like him, I needed to embrace the fact that I could get called all over the world and be always on the move. At the end of each ceremony the fire-keeper rolls up the musical instruments (rattle, drum etc) and this signifies the true ending, until the next time. And that’s the path that I have chosen.

Q – You talk a lot about slowing down and just ‘being’. What does that mean for humans?

A – Life isn’t about ‘doing this and doing that and achieving, achieving, achieving.’ If we stop ‘doing’ all the time, the pace of everything slows. And we all need to slow down to let the good catch up. There is a lot of goodness and forgiveness in the world but it is swamped out by too much speed and ‘doing’ energy. When we allow that goodness to be present and to be in step with our lives then the environmental crisis can get solved very quickly.

Q- Do you have any remaining ambitions?

A – Heaps – but most of all I need to slow down myself. I get called as a Fire-keeper all the time from people asking me to turn up. I’m on the Festival and major events ‘circuit’ I guess. I do my best but I can’t do it all. So I aim to let the good catch me up too. That includes me giving time and attention to my ‘family’ situation where healing is really needed.  My own blood children need my focus if they are to have trees and fresh water, and to truly know my love. It’s a tough area for me but I pray for the healing all the time and do what I need to do.

On a bigger scale, we all have to create the opportunity for the next 7 generations to know about the joy of being alive on Earth. I’ll do my bit in that. I’ll try and keep the best fires that I can and allow the healing to continue.   Oh, and I’d like to make another CD.

My deep ambition and hope is that my work encourages others to really take care of the Fire, to really take care of our human family, our brothers, sisters, our grandfathers and grandmothers. Then we have hope.

Stewart Boyle

June 2011

A Silver-washed Fritillary just a few hours after emerging in Rowlands Wood

Amongst the economic and environmental gloom and doom, here’s a good news story. It’s a story of how a dedicated band of volunteers, all members of the Sussex Branch of the Butterfly Conservation Trust, have managed to not only save several very rare species in Sussex but have recently seen an upsurge in species numbers. From a tiny 9-acre pocket of Trust-owned woodland in East Sussex, the Trust recently opened their new acquisition of 80 acres in Rowlands Wood. It promises to really give a boost to butterfly and moth numbers throughout the wider 300 acres of woodland nearby.

Since Victorian times Vert Wood, which lies in a quiet part of East Sussex, 7 miles from Lewes, has been famous amongst lepidopterists as a haven for a wide variety of butterflies and moths. This was helped by the variety of habitats available, including woodland glades, open spaces due to coppicing, grazed bracken and heathland. After the Second World War however, that all changed as the entire wood was sold off in plots. Most was clear-felled and replanted with conifers – the Forestry Commission’s big idea to make us more self-sufficient in wood. The decline in rich insect fauna started almost immediately andmany populations began to crash. The private reserve at Park Corner Heath which is on the edge of Vert Wood, was acquired by the Trust in 1989. It became a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its flora and fauna, including the Lewes Wave moth which is sadly now extinct.

The Reserve became a refuge for declining butterfly species, and in particular it became a rich breeding ground for the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary (PB) and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (SPB). Despite a surge in numbers of many species after the big 1987 storm knocked out many trees and let light in, numbers started steadily declining again across the wider Vert Wood area. A dedicated band of volunteers worked hard at maintaining coppicing patterns and the removal of bracken that allows the violet flowers to grow that the Pearl-Bordered Fritillary need to feed on. While the Pearl-Bordered disappeared from Vert Wood several years ago (it’s been successfully re-introduced into nearby Abbotts Wood), the SPB stabilised and began to thrive. In the adjoining Vert Wood, owners like myself have been opening up areas for breeding and feeding under the guidance of the Trust, with some help via small grants from the Forestry Commission. This year we recorded the highest level of SPB that we have seen in five years – a combination of helpful weather and more open areas.

I’ve visited the new Rowlands Wood Reserve several times recently to advise on options for using the wood felled to open up spaces and glades for local wood fuelled boilers. It’s a delightful wood, with a large beautiful lake and varying landscapes. With dark rides being opened up to let light pour in and allow flowers to grow, the impact of the Reserve has been significant already. Small Pearl-bordered populations made their way into the reserve last year and have thrived since. Seventeen other species have been sighted. We were lucky at the open day, despite the showery weather, to see a newly emerged Silver-washed Fritillary emerge and dry itself on some bracken.

Michael Blencowe, Graham Parris, Neil Hulme, Andrew Burns and 'Jack' the horse officially open the new Rowland Wood Reserve

The opening of the new reserve has been a real success for the Trust’s Honorary President Graham Parris, who has championed the work to save the PB and SPB for two decades now. He rightly took some heartfelt applause from the 50 odd people who attended the launch. The new sign for the Reserve was opened by ‘Jack’, a horse trained to carry out logging duties to move the cut timber. Outgoing Reserve Warden Michael Blencowe had the vision and foresight to spot that the land was coming up for sale and worked with Trust Officers to make the purchase against stiff competition. I spoke with Bob Foreman who has now taken over duties as Reserve Warden. “This is a really exciting development and allows us to really expand what we have achieved at our tiny Park Corner Heath Reserve” said Bob. “The combined 89 acres of land we can now manage appropriately, plus the cooperation from owners nearby in Vert Wood, means that we are beginning to see butterfly and moth populations move from one site to another and expand. We are keen to see the further development of open corridors that facilitates that”. Did he expect to see the return of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary? “Oh yes”, said Bob, “that’s our real hope and when it comes we will know that our efforts can turn the clock back and allow nature to recover”.

As the Reserve enters a new arena, a lot of work is required to really bring the benefits of the larger reserve through. Volunteers are always welcome – see contacts below.

Reserve Warden Bob Foreman – bob@littlesnails.com

http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/

Show me the Money!

With the UKs Coalition Government now supporting the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) next year, and Feed in Tariffs (FITs) for smaller scale electricity technologies, things are looking positive for renewable energy. Linked to the long-running Renewables Obligation (RO) for larger-scale renewable electricity, we now have three market based policy instruments in play. With a mandatory European Union target of 15% renewable energy by 2020 (the UK usage is currently under 2%), the market is surely set to boom. It was timely therefore for the Rural Research and Strategy Partnership (RRSP) to organise a ‘Financing Renewables’ seminar recently, sponsored by RBS.

Jae Mather from the Carbon Free Group (www.carbonfreegroup.com) provided some context for the discussions, by spelling out the pace of transition into low carbon energy technologies that is needed. He stressed the imperative for a massive re-direction of finance to upgrade the grid infrastructure to accept a wide range of renewable technologies as well as build replacement fossil fuel and nuclear plant. “We are facing brown-outs within 20 years” he told us, “unless we see a step-change in funding levels for energy”. That figure is estimated to be at least £200 billion over the next decade. Even at its peak prior to the economic crisis, the actual figure never got over £7.5 billion a year and is currently much less than this,

At this stage, appetites whetted to the scale of the challenge, up popped our sponsors RBS (nice lunch and thanks for that) to give a standard stump speech for RBS’s approach to funding renewables. With an emphasis on project finance, Andrew Buglass, Head of Energy Structured Finance, spelled out some realities. With project due diligence taking a minimum of 6 months and costing at least £300,000, any projects with a value less than £15-20 million were unlikely to be supported. Only very large solar PV, wind and biomass power projects will get funded through this route. With the bulk of our audience looking at projects of less than £2-3 million, some degree of puzzlement and resignation rippled through the room.

New Game for Bankers?

Well what’s new here I thought? I heard this kind of speech nearly 20 years ago when the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development were trying to fund ‘bankable’ energy efficiency projects in Eastern Europe, many with paybacks of between a few months and five years. The answer then was a Revolving Loan fund at slightly less than commercial loan rates, and run by local staff with good local knowledge of projects and clients. It worked really well and distributed millions of Euros to good projects.

In passing Mr Buglass noted that the £1 billion Government funding of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) was “unlikely to position them as a major player”, and would only be available from 2013. ‘A bit of green tokenism’ was how one member of the audience described it.

Thankfully, follow up speakers did give some optimism that smaller scale projects could be funded and the market was taking off. Susannah Wood of Solar Century (www.solarcentury.co.uk) demonstrated the impact of FITs on their market. Renowned for their extremely slick marketing and PR savvy, they now offer a range of financial deals for clients looking to use solar PV systems. These range from a client owning the solar kit through to simply allowing their roofs to be used and receiving rent and some electricity in return. With GE Capital as a partner, Solar Century are taking on projects ranging from domestic through to massive commercial installations, and are able to offer 9-12% Internal Rates of Return (IRR). Of course if money is borrowed at 6.5-11% the actual return may be a lot less. Ownergy are another company offering ‘Solar Park’ deals for PV focussed at a larger scale and in future. (www.ownergy.co.uk).

Solar Farms Sprouting Fast due to FITs

Right down at the mini-lending level, Jeff Dober, Senior Fund Manager for Finance South East, described their small-scale funds for ‘greentech’, SMEs and community orientated renewable projects. They are a non-profit operation with a strong private sector ethos: “taking educated risks where the private sector is unable or unwilling to do so”. They currently have £40 million under management at both a national and regional level and have had a successful £10m revolving Accelerator Fund operating since 2004 (www.financesoutheast.com).

Two new funds are of particular interest to smaller scale renewable entrepreneurs. The Community Generation Fund will, as it suggests, have a strong emphasis on land-based renewable which enhance community participation and economic well-being. With a March 2011 launch date, a target fund of £10m in loans of £20,000 to £500,000, it also packages up critical pre-planning funding. The ‘South-East Sustainability Loan Fund’ has an initial £2m, and is focussed on “green-tech” opportunities. All good stuff and for SMEs much more accessible than the RBS money, but look again at the numbers. Assuming an average loan of £100,000, the Community Generation Fund has the capacity to support at most 100 projects – or 10 per region over the next 4 years. The reality is that we need thousands of projects to go ahead over the next decade.

A short presentation by Louise Simmonds of Thames Valley Energy (TVE) on the potential role of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) (www.tvenergy.org) was interesting, but tantalisingly short on details of actual projects. The ESCO approach, where a client gets some or all of the up-front Capital costs of the project funded in return for signing a long-term heat or power purchase deal, is already quite common in larger projects such as hospitals and large process heating sites. Until now it has not been financially viable for medium-smaller scale projects. That is likely to change as a result of guaranteed cash flows under FITs and the RHI.  Jon Miles, Director of Sustainable Energy Finance for RBS, confirmed during questions that they are working very closely with public and private sector clients in ESCO type deals and are already funding these. As long as the technology and related risks can be taken by another body – boiler owner, commercial ESCO, fuel supplier – they regard FITs and shortly RHI as providing the cash-flow guarantees and confidence they need.

The day was interesting in highlighting several things. Firstly, the massive gulf between what we need to do at a national and global level to avert catastrophic climate change, and real action on the ground with renewable energy projects and finance. There is an order of magnitude gap here, particularly in upgrading the grid infrastructure to take very large contributions of renewable electricity.

Secondly, the mis-match between conventional project finance approaches focussed on big projects and the many thousands of smaller-scale renewable projects they will never fund, is stark. Innovation is clearly needed. As Jae Mather of the Carbon Free Group noted: “the primary banking world will never get us out of the problems because they don’t understand the difference between value and cost. The £300-400K due dillegence costs are way too high and as such they are killing off the majority of the community projects.”

Perhaps the greatest innovation on the finance front is coming about due to FITs and soon , the RHI, where renewables can now be pitched as an ‘investment’ offering higher rates of return than sticking cash in banks and building societies. The RHI will likely stimulate the same trend. ‘Make Energy – Make Money’ and ‘Cash from CO2’ are just a couple of the slogans being utilised out there. You should expect a huge amount of activity in this area, with green leasing becoming common, and one-stop company offerings – project evaluation, technology selection, project management and finance – the new norm. To back that all up, technology installation companies will have to get really efficient, learn from some of the ‘turkey’ projects we all know are out there, and manage rapid growth while maintaining quality. Where are all the installation engineers who will be needed over the next few years?

It’s going to be an interesting ride.

Emily Pearce - Musician and Poet

To get to the core

Of human experience,

That’s what I want

The beating heart

Flesh, blood and bone

All the grit

And all the grace

Of what it means to be living

In one of these glorious and fragile bodies.

To live from the centre

Of this

To drink deep

Tasting all the flavours

Fearlessly opening

To my fiercest pain

My most sacred longing.

To breath in the fullest breath.

Draw the world and its sufferings into my own heart.

To breath out

And in voice, in song, in word, in poem;

Cry of agony,

Shout of victory,

Whisper of tenderness;

Let fly all that must be heard.

Without thought, without holding back.

To send these honest prayers

Like birds, up on the wind.

Where the breath of God

Will draw them in

And God will weep

And rain down tears of mercy

On the children of the earth

Who stumble

Under the weight of Love

They must carry

After a great 10.10.10 party at Zu Studios the previous night, I confess I was feeling mildly pickled myself when I turned up at the ‘Get Pickled’ event at Lewes Market Tower.  This was the final event in a week long set of events organised by Common Cause (www.commoncause.org.uk ) and Lewes October Feast (www.lewesoctoberfeast.com) to highlight local food and cooking. Events ranged from mushroom foraging to live cooking demos and from special meal events to practical use of vegetables and fruit.

So that's how you pickle gherkins Iza!

‘Get Pickled’ was essentially a small market with a set of speakers talking about preserving and storing food to use out of season. A lot of the information was in common use by our parents and grand-parents but has been lost as part of the Supermarket led move towards a ‘strawberries all year round’ attitude. Well, despite my slightly dehydrated body I managed to absorb plenty of titbits from speakers on pickling, the use of vinegars, picking and drying mushrooms (TIP – take your time over a few days and make sure the dried mushrooms and the jar are cooled off before you seal to prevent condensation), using oil (TIP – you must make sure the food is perfectly dry otherwise it will grow mouldy), and storing wild herbs for tonics and other uses.

Animated pickling and swopping

A great idea was the ‘Crop Swap’ stall, manned by Topse Jewell. Topse has been the inspiration for the Farmers Market campaign across the UK as well as a range of local food initiatives. The ‘Swap’ stall was a way of allowing people to swop excess crops (not just courgettes folks but beetroot, kale and even pickles were on offer). Some hard bargaining for the relative value of Pine Bolette mushrooms and beetroot was in evidence when I visited.

OK - two bunches of kale for a big beetroot then

Topse was delighted with the week. For the first year of the events, attendance was great and with many events sold out. “The whole idea was to get people engaged with growing food, getting to know local growers and finding out about great things to cook from the produce” says Topse. “That way more people can see that with a little bit of planning and effort, good quality and decently priced food can be yours”. Judging by some of the tasting and purchasing going on with stallholders, this event was a hit.

I bumped into Haskel Adamson at the event, a herbalist who has recently come back to Lewes to practice after a long time away. He treats people at 7 St Annes Crescent (haskeladamson@gmail.com). He showed us how to dry herbs, as well as turn them into syrups and tinctures. Tinctures use alcohol at different strengths – organic vodka seems a favourite – which are great at getting the essential oils preserved and available to use.

Haskel is a big advocate of teaching people to heal themselves and understand how local herbs can heal many problems, ranging from tummy upsets to serious chronic problems. Over a coffee he explained a bit about his own journey and how he views herbalism within the healing options available.

His first encounter with herbal remedies was in Southern France while living in a tepee. His neighbour (who owned the tepee) showed him a range of medicinal herbs growing all around him. His interest stimulated he began to collect and use herbs. On return to the UK he started a 5 year degree course in Chinese Herbal medicine at Middlesex University. After 2 years he transferred to Westminster to complete a Western Herbal medicine degree course. His mentor was the legendary herbalist Chris Hedley. His training included giving general herbal advice at Neals Yard in Brighton. After a short period of treating patients in Lewes he took an extended break for family reasons before returning to Lewes in late 2009.

Haskel Adamson - Lewes Herbalist

Haskel uses tinctures mainly due to their being more concentrated and able to absorb the essential oils in herbs easier. For colds and fevers and kidney infections for example, using dried herbs in tea infusions are better.  Haskel stresses that herbal treatments are ‘energetic medicines’ in that “the tinctures are essentially using plants that were fresh a few hours before and we know the genesis of the plants”. This is completely different from “most pill based medicines where the chemical part of the plant is all the companies using them are interested in”. According to Haskel, preserving something of the “liveness of the plant is an important part of the potency and effectiveness of herbs”.

Haskel  has had good results with patients. He recently treated a family of Mum plus three children who were all struggling at various levels and not thriving. Though there were some common problems and issues, each had a different set of remedies and within two weeks quite dramatic improvements were shown by all.  Chronic conditions can take longer. “We sometimes get people coming to us after all other medicines or treatments are not working” says Haskel. “They are unlikely to get a quick miracle cure in this situation but if they have patience, big changes can occur.”

Conditions that respond really well to herbs are respiratory problems (eg asthma), allergies, hay fever, stomach and bowel problems. He is a big fan of Valerian for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) along with other remedies. He also points out that for digestive problems, the use of ‘bitters’ such as Gentian can really help, along with a good look at a person’s diet.

Haskel has held five local walks in Lewes introducing people to herbs, collecting them and preparing them for use. His last for 2010 is taking place on Monday 18^th October from 2-5pm. The focus will be on Hawthorn which is a brilliant herb for heart conditions and issues. The herb will be collected in the Landport area near Lewes Prison. Email Haskel on haskeladamson@gmail.com or call him on 078421 92614 for the meeting point. Cost? A bargain £5 and chance to really get to know an important medicinal herb.

Busy Busy

Spiders get busy at the start of Autumn. As the fingers of the season creep in – leaves turning brown and falling, the cold and damp mornings seeping in – our friends the Spiders just get busy.

These photos were taken from a single small Yew Bush outside my front door the other day. Fantastic shapes and intricate 3-D patterns as well as more traditional webs. Even a ghostly spiders web ship heading off into a portal that we can’t see.

They are a sure sign that Autumn is on its way as the spiders feed up. Though many spiders only last a year, some can over-winter and live a second year. They often come into houses for greater warmth.

There are some good web sites if yu want to find out more about the life of spiders and their habits. Try -

http://naturenet.net/blogs/where_do_spiders_go_in_autumn

and also http://www.wildchicken.com/nature

Bushcraft is a good all round web site for all things wild. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum

Remember – they do a great job our spiders in keeping the fly population manageable so look after them and if you take them out of the house do it carefully with a jar and card underneath to avoid hurting them.

Set the sails and let's be off

Climate Change – Does Anyone Care?

The problem about a crisis like climate change is that if you talk about it long enough, after a while it doesn’t actually seem so bad. If you run endless conferences on it, listen to Al Gore enough, watch politicians make big ‘save the planet’ speeches, and allow it to slip into your general vocabulary, it’s no longer the scary one to wake you up in the wee small hours.

It’s a bit like living next door to the neighbour who you know to be a Mafia boss. Through time, and unless his activities affect your life, he slips into the background. Dimly aware that dodgy guys in dark glasses, leather jackets and fast limos drive up next door at all hours, rather strange muffled thumping noises are occasionally heard in the night, and that deals are being done that will end up hurting other people, you just get on with your life. I mean your neighbour drops a nice Christmas present by and even loaned you his mower when your machine broke down. Seems a pleasant enough chap, even if you can’t see anything when you look into his eyes.

Climate change is like living next door to the Mafia. It has been with us as a serious political and scientific issue since 1988. The Toronto Conference of that same year set the first target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to be agreed at an international conference. Since then the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has carried out exhaustive scientific reviews. The Kyoto Protocol has come and, by 2012, it will lapse. The reality that the catastrophic failure at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December last year has derailed the political process is now becoming all too clear. George Monbiot’s biting analysis in the Guardian recently summed up the extent of that failure. www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/

USA politics is set to drop further back in even acknowledging the science of man-made climate change, aided by the so-called grassroots Tea Party phenomena ripping through the Republican Party washingtonpost.com/tea_party. By not even admitting the existence of the (Climate Change) Mafia next door, many Americans have slipped into infantile-like denial and a naïve belief that it is all a conspiracy by scientists/left-wingers/the UN/the Europeans (circle your particular hate group). Australia has slipped back from its carbon tax and resources tax commitment last after the Labour Party’s self-inflicted own-goal forced a General Election and a razor thin majority. China meanwhile asserted herself as the new No 1 Kid on the block in the final small hours at Copenhagen and called the shots when it really mattered. Having bought up a lot of Western nations debt in the past few years, everyone listens when China talks these days.

It’s the economic crisis that has now taken centre stage in the media and political process. Banks, recession, budget cuts and jobs. Climate change warrants an obligatory place in a politician’s speech but is no longer the centre-piece. Scientists publishing evidence of dire deterioration in the trends of warming or extreme weather events is not front page news. When you allow the most serious issue affecting human beings on this Planet to slip to page 5 or a short paragraph on page 2, you know we are in big trouble.

For a Hollywood script-writer, the scenario as we lurch towards 2012 is a gold-mine. The film: ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ was criticised by some as alarmist and scientifically unrealistic when it came out a few years ago. Watching it again recently I was struck by how prescient some of it felt. Political inertia, climate denial by the US, and scientists being ignored by politicians who found their conclusions far too inconvenient.

So where do we go from here? And does anyone actually care about resolving the pollution, energy, deforestation and agricultural crises that is the cause of climatic change?

Politically, it seems that any international Climate agreement worth the paper it is written on is about as likely as the new head of Barclays Bank donating all his salary and bonus’s to charity. China will ensure that is the case, even if the Europeans still have the stomach for tough cuts in emissions. Which leaves Europe in a dilemma, as the EU industrial lobbies will argue strongly that for the EU to go it alone will add extra costs and make them uncompetitive against the developing world and the US. Our nascent clean energy lobbies are as yet probably too small to swing the debate decisively.

Even though the European wind industry supported an estimated 192,000 jobs in early 2010 and estimated this was likely to grow to 450,000 by 2020, this is still small compared to oil, gas and the conventional power sector.  It could however be massive within a few years. A recent report by Greenpeace indicated that 6.5 million jobs in the global renewable energy sector alone (3 times the current level) could exist by 2020. Many more in the energy efficiency and alternative transport sectors would also be created in the ‘Energy Revolution’ scenario they explore. www.greenpeace.org/

Potentially however, any momentum on a major transition to a clean energy and lower-carbon food system could get significantly delayed by political inertia. Take a sector that I know well – biomass (wood) heating. After the ‘Feed-in Tariffs’ (FIT) for small-scale renewable electricity technologies was introduced to the UK this April, the renewable heat sector was promised a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) to kick off next April. Since the Coalition came into power there has been no clear statement on support for this and all the signals are that it will be ditched for another watered down measure. The Green Alliance have recently shown that with sensible modifications to the initial RHI proposal the actual costs of the measure would be very modest www.green-alliance. .   The net effect of the grpwing hiatus has been to put huge uncertainty into a sector that was gearing up for significant growth. Biomass also offers a set of mature heating technologies that offer pretty cost-effective heating (usually cheaper than oil and cheaper than gas in larger installations). It also provides employment for the hard-pressed forestry sector. At present biomass heating is facing a major hiatus as potential clients delay making orders until the political direction is clear. Flat-lining order books and 3-day weeks are no way to prepare for growth and a major technological transition.

For the public who are facing big uncertainty over employment and massive cuts in services, they are likely to be more susceptible to arguments that push for moderating emissions cuts and longer timelines.

The net result of all this? Uncertainty. Delays. Inaction. Faltering growth. Cynicism.

If you live next door to the Mafia, denial is not a long-term option. Do you wait for shots in the night? A dead body in the woods nearby? Local services including your pub taken over by them? A corrupted local council and MP? Or do you act now when you can? Climate change needs action now, not when the fourth extreme tornado rips through London or Birmingham or repeated floods turn your community into an insurance red-line area.

Thank God at least that many local communities are going full out to reduce their carbon footprints and are not swayed by international political chaos. People are taking action because it is the right thing to do and this is what can give us some hope. Banning the ubiquitous plastic bag often leads to many other actions on transport, energy, farmers markets and local food awareness. Small funds available for local renewable businesses help seed projects and change at a grassroots level. Transition Town initiatives are spreading rapidly throughout the UK as people are increasingly planning for resilience, using local resources and reducing reliance on imports.

On its own, not enough to solve the big climate crisis. But it’s a start and people do care.

Stewart Boyle – 22^nd September 2010 (I’ll be writing more on local initiatives in future)

A Basket Full of Autumn Pleasure

This year has already been one of the best Autumn season’s for mushrooms in the past six years. The abundance of Ceps (or Porcini) mushrooms, as well as Bolettes and Slippery Jacks has been outstanding. It’s the combination of moisture – rain every 3-5 days – and reasonably high temperatures that seems to have done the trick. And it looks as though it will continue for a few more weeks. Yahoo!

The standard question I always get asked – what is safe to eat and what is not? Walking through a wood at the moment and you can see scores of different varieties of funghi. The trick is to stick to a few types you know are safe to eat and just ignore the rest. A good book with colourful pictures is handy. I have never been disappointed with any of Roger Phillips books on wild plants so try his Mushroom book – full of photos and good descriptions -(www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-Roger-Phillips/dp/0330442376). There are also lots of photos and descriptions on the internet.

I’d always recommend you go with an experienced funghi friend to actually show you how to know what’s safe and what to leave alone. I tend to stick to mushrooms with a spongy surface underneath rather than the ribbed variety. Field mushrooms and parasols are all great edible mushrooms but they can get confused with other less tasty options so guidance is needed. Around Sussex and elsewhere in the UK there are also plenty of organised mushroom walks on the go through to mid-October so get on the web and sign up. Just put in ‘mushroom walks’ and your county in your search engine and you’ll get some options. For example – www.sosussex.co.uk/mushroomwalks.aspx and for Hants/London –  www.fungitobewith.org/

A simple tip – quite a few of the mushrooms that can give you a bad tummy or much worse often have pretty strong colours or just look a bit weird so trust your instincts on these. Some will also give you a serious ‘trip’ (eg the bright red and spotted  Fly Agaric) so leave well alone.

Saute'd Ceps

OK – you have chosen well and now have a basket (better than a bag as this allows the spores to drop through and create new growing opportunities in future) of edible mushrooms. What now? Essentially you have three main choices – eat them freshly fried, dry them or saute them and store in oil. Fresh – fried slowly in a tiny bit of oil, garlic and a pinch of salt is all you need to do. Delicious on a slice of fresh bread or toast. Or add them to a stew.

Drying mushrooms takes time. Clean the mushrooms – you don’t want dried slugs or maggots if you can help it, slice them thinly and then place on a metal tray in an oven at 50oC with the oven door slightly open. Turn a couple of times to make sure the slices are really dry. This can easily take 3-4 hours. Once dry, place in clean, dry glass containers and then place with open lids once again into the open oven for a further 30-40 minutes to drive out any residual moisture. Close the jars, label up and enjoy over the next 12 months.

Slow drying Bolette Mushrooms

Storing in oil means you fry them slowly in garlic and a bit of olive oil, then submerge them in a jar of good oil. I tend to use these over the next four months as later than that the mushrooms get a bit sloppy.

For those who want more details, my friend Iza is giving a talk on storing mushrooms on Sunday 10^th October in Lewes. She has been a real guide for me over the above. Organised by Common Cause, the event: ‘Pickled’ www.pickledlewes.co.uk, will form part of the Lewes October Feast, and will celebrate the art of food preservation with fascinating talks and presentations, from storing and bottling to pickling and drying, and feature the towns first official ‘Crop Swap’. Try http://www.commoncause.org.uk/ for details.

Either way, a few slices of the stored mushrooms can really pep up a soup or stew with a delicious taste of Autumn.  And you sometimes get lucky and find a rare species. What a pleasure last week when I found two clumps of hedgehog mushrooms – the first I’d found for two years. They were delicious, and friend Geoff, whose birthday it was when we did the walk on that day, was the very lucky boy to be eating them with me. I told him he had just had a £12 starter at a posh restaurant  London.

Happy Foraging!

PS. Still trying to identify this one – I figured it’s non-edible……anyone out there who knows it?

One for the Book

Giants Chair (the normal size one is on the right)

What a magic day it was yesterday! From end to end it was a day of beautiful synchronicity, wonderful meetings with old and new friends, gorgeous autumnal weather, evidence of hopeful creativity everywhere, and a real sense of closure on the old and lots of new beginnings. Oh and the Pope’s visit. More of that later.

An early start as I have a 3-way conference call to finalise my departure from my current job. Yes, after 19 months working in the wood pellet industry I am moving on. I am stepping out into the world of consultancy again, using my skills and experience in the wonderful world of biomass energy to anyone needing guidance, advice and hand-holding. The call goes well and it seems that everything will be completed by close of play today. It’s really my last day.

A quick meeting on the way back home to talk to my financial advisors Chris and Karen, who as usual provide honest, pragmatic and direct advice. They are real gurus at the unusual end of finance and are invaluable in what is a somewhat crazy world we live in right now.

Shortly after breakfast my friend Iza arrives. Iza has been a real mate and a stalwart for me through good times and bad. We bought some woods together with a few other friends some years ago and we share a love of mushrooms, butterflies, dragonflies and all things wood. Today we are off to Woody Heaven – the annual Weald Wood Fair over at Bentley Wildlife Park. Several thousand ‘woodies’ all hanging out and showing off their wares, their skills and generally catching up. The car park is filling up fast as we arrive and the weather is great. We pay for our tickets and immediately spot Matt, a confirmed food forager and woodie from Firle Village talking to a wooden boat builder with two beautiful clinker boats. We tag up and immediately bump into Ben Law. Ben, as some will know, achieved some fame through his appearance on Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’. He built, for very little money, but with huge amounts of love and hard work, a beautiful chestnut cruck framed house in the woods. Ben and I first bumped into each other at the Earth Spirit Festival more than 12 years ago. We were both going through very difficult times with former partners and our children and supported each other.

Ben Law in action

Since then Ben has become a national figure and in great demand to talk about managing woodland, building sustainable houses and as an author. He was there to sign copies of his latest book ‘Roundwood Timber Framing’ (via publishers Permanent Publications – http://www.permaculture.co.uk). We caught up on families – he now has three children, work (busy, busy) and life in general (really good). I promised to come back later and get a book signed from him.

And the day just went on like that. Bumped into James Little, an old friend whom I have done pellet boiler and pellet fuel business with. It’s a really honest relationship and we are able to talk frankly about life, wood fuel business prospects and his pellet making project. After a few false starts due to pellet equipment not performing to spec., he is now on course to produce quality pellets (see http://www.harvestwoodfuels.co.uk)

Right after saying farewell to James, run into Max Brownrigg who runs a business called Tree Spirits. He takes kids into a magic space where they see pieces of wood and turn them into Sprites, Elves and other magical creatures. He has a huge sprawling stand with scores of his ‘friends’. Max is slacking off lying down on the job but just about raises himself up to pass the time. He’s a great character. (http://partywithtreespirits.com/index.htm)

Into the wooded area at Bentley where lots of active wood things are going on, ranging from horse logging to firing clay pots in the way they were 1000 years ago. Iza and I buy a nice thick enamel pot for camping as well as a great copper kettle. A bargain at £15. I spy a simple wood stove that might be suitable for our tool shed in the woods. This will allow us to work the land in winter and give us some warmth in inclement weather. Steve the Romany who runs the stand and owns a classic horse-drawn caravan, is helpful and can deliver another time when we are ready.

Great carvings and practical skills are on show all over the woods, ranging from flint knapping and wood turning, to metal smelting, wooden shingle making and iron forging. We bump into Ruby who works for East Sussex Archaeology and Museums Partnership (www.esamp.com ). An artist and all-round craft lady, she is slow firing some clay pots via a simple wooden fire, covered by bracken and earth. She explains to us with real care how the system works and that it is due to complete the following day. What a great teacher this lady is – really enthusiastic and with attention to detail.

Hello Friend

We are really taken with a magnificent timber framed structure in the woods brought by Frankie Woodgate and her partner from Kent. It was erected and designed by Ben Law. Frankie offers horse-drawn timber extraction and woodland management (www.sylvanenvironmental.co.uk – 07929202 963). Where access is limited for big vehicles, horses really do the business. For keeping on top of the ubiquitous bracken they also offer a more cost-effective system than standard diesel vehicles. The timber frame is made from softwood pine. That’s very interesting for us as we have a lot of quite mature pine in our woods and much less oak and chestnut. A knowing look between us at this point – one for the future.

A quick purchasing run of two wicker baskets (Iza), two chopping boards courtesy of Dave West (W. L. West the timber mill near Midhurst in West Sussex), a big kettle, rope, some balm for furniture and kindling sticks, and then a late lunch. Saw some beautiful modern tipis offered by Mark from Green Outdoor (www.greenoutdoor.co.uk). Mark’s an IT guy who loves camping and canoeing and with his partner has made a business out of his true passion. Tipis are great tents but in winter the traditional ones take a lot of work and effort to erect and keep dry. These modern ones are really quick to set up and dry easily. The two guys have also designed a neat portable stove in stainless steel that is light and small enough to be carried in a canoe but can heat a tent in winter.  I have to keep my credit card firmly in my pocket at this point.

There is a really good vibe all round at the Fair. Money seems tight according to some of the stall-holders, with as many people coming as in previous years but not so many people spending cash.  We end off with Ben Law signing his book for my friend Chris, who is going to spend more time in France at his second home.

What’s really inspiring about many of the woodies here today is that if the proverbial really does hit the fan, there are a lot of people who have kept key knowledge alive that we all might need. While it’s great to go on courses to discover how to flint knap and fire pots, the fact that we really can do all kinds of practical living even if the power is off and supermarket shelves empty is re-assuring.

Over at 4pm to Rottingdean village by the sea to meet up with my friend Willow. Willow is a master fire-keeper who travels across the UK and internationally, keeping fire for ceremony and ritual purposes. Having seen him at work in a tepee over 12 hours his fire work is quite magical and incredibly focussed. He believes that through the fire and the re-connection this gives us to the Sun and Nature, we can really make big changes in our own lives and life on this planet. He has some great insights. “Slow down and let the good catch up” is one that resonates. We talk about doing a piece on him for my ‘Extra-Ordinary People’ series. Over a long drink and then a meal we travel through our various life stories. Quite an awe-inspiring the journey he has made to be here now. We agree to meet at the Wood Fair the following day.

Home now, quite tired but peaceful. The late radio and TV news is full of the Pope’s visit. This is the first irritation in a great day. Jeez – why are we giving this guy a State visit? He heads up a medieval organisation with enormous power and influence, but with a terrible track record on women, paedophilia and the cover-up which is still going on, birth control and education. When it really counted in the War they buried their heads to survive but left the Jews to the tender mercies of the Nazis. Lots of apologies to all and sundry since then, but whenever it really counts the church and the hierarchy this guy represents have never been brave.

Sorry for what might seem a bit of an anti-Catholic rant. Lots of individual Catholics are wonderful people and do amazing work, but the senior people, including the MD who run their Church, should collectively hang their heads in shame. A lot of healing is needed here. I guess it’s a reminder that not all people and organisations want change. Still a lot of prayers and work to be done.