Issue 142: November 2018

CamLETTERNews for members of CamLETS,

Cambridge’s Local Exchange & Trading Scheme

www.camlets.org.uk

DOES YOUR CHAIR ROCK?By Peter Pope

At our recent AGM (4th November) your Core Group was re-elected with only a change of

Secretary from Meg (0018) to Sabine (0712). Eileen (0743) was also elected for the first

time, having taken over the role of Mailing Manager from Jo (0478) some months ago.

So you are stuck with me as your Chair for another year, ranting on about Utopian

possibilities. Last time I focused on the subject of Localism as a grass roots response to

global destruction. Since then a new report on global warming of one point five degrees

has spelled out the extent of lifestyle changes that are needed in developed societies to

avoid a degraded and uncertain future for the children of the world.

The high profile examples of flying and road transport have not gone away. Thank

goodness no-one in CamLETS offers lifts by helicopter! But an area where I am weak

personally is in continuing to eat meat. CamLETS has many vegetarian members, some

offering ready prepared meals, and I aim to use these to introduce myself to a wider range

of culinary experience. Food has always been a strong sector in trading and now is a time

to celebrate the contribution it can make not just to personal health and vigour but to

ecological stability too. I must still watch out for food miles in the ingredients, but first to

re-educate the palate.

Many of you know that Dave Fox (0394) is a champion producer of local veg and a model

for real food. Is there an opportunity here to build a theme within CamLETS of taking food

from the soil to the table, along with an exchange of all the related skills? In the Spring we

have a singular plant sale on the calendar but running a veg plot calls for constant

dedication and awareness. Is there anyone out there who would write a gardening column

to inspire those of us who are couch potatoes? New lifestyles call for new mindsets: we

have a Trading Activator, should we have a Horticulture Advocate?

CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR By Mairead Tindall

Saturday 24th November 12 – 3pm

(setup 11.30 – 12.00, trading 12-3pm)

This will be held at the excellent venue of St Andrews Hall in Church Street, Chesterton and is taking place on a Saturday this time.

This is always a popular event with lots of lovely home-made goods and gifts - being able to get such good quality gifts for cams is always satisfying I find!

There will be lots of space if you would like to come and bring your gift-quality products to trade. It is the usual cost of 10 cams for a table and tables can be shared.

Please let our Trading Activator, Mairead, know if you would like a table ASAP as they are going fast! You can contact Mairead on 07903 589744.

CORE GROUP MEETINGS

These are the bi-monthly meetings where we discuss the running of CamLETS. All members welcome to attend. Every two months at Peter and Meg’s house, 7 for 7:15 start.

Hosts: Meg (0018) and Peter (0002). Street parking. Contact one of them for the address.

Next core group meeting is:

Tuesday 11th December 2018, 7-9pm

ADVANCE NOTICE: NEW YEARS PARTYBy Mairead Tindall

Saturday 12th January 2019, 6-9pm.

Address: Trumpington Pavilion, Paget Rd, CB2 9JT

Please save this date for your diary!

We had a great time at the last party. The live folk band will be back to entertain us. Clara is hoping to get her funny party game on the go too if people want to play - it was a big hit the last time she did it. Peter is providing some tasty curry and there will be home-made mulled wine and a non-alcoholic variety.

IN REVIEW: CAMLETS AGM By Judith Rattenbury

We had a very lively AGM during a busy social/trading event at Kate Grillet’s house onSunday 4th November, with 25 members present.

Peter, our chair, introduced the AGM saying that CamLETS 25th anniversary was celebrated this year. During this time we havemoved from paper cheques to a sophisticated online system. What will the next 25 years bring?

Each Core Group member: Judith (treasurer),Mairead (trading activator), Jane (membership secretary), Clara (website czar),Hannah (newsletter editor) and Eileen (mailing manager) then gave a brief report of activities during the year. These reports and minutes from the AGM will be available under the information tab of the website in due course.

Link to page with minutes: http://www.cam.letslink.org/members/pages.php?id=10

Meg Clarke, meeting secretary, has resigned and Sabine Buchholz was nominated to take her place.

Peter Pope (chair) and Judith Rattenbury (treasurer) have indicated they would like to step down but were prepared to continue until replacements are found.

All other members were happy to continue. The Core Group thus formed was proposed and agreed by the meeting.

TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS By Clara Todd

Confession: I find giving and receiving gifts quite stressful. As mum of two small boys, I am often overwhelmed by toys and novelty and temporary gifts, tiny bits of plastic, blinking lights and packaging. It's a constant flow in and out of the house, high tide at birthdays and Christmas. No sooner having cleaned and bagged up things for charity shopor gifting, or deconstructed packaging for recycling, another load rolls into the house. We used to write 'no gifts please' on party invites to stem the tide, yet still they come.

Guardian journalist George Monbiot says thatpathological consumerism is often invisible tous. He points out in his rather gloomy articlesthat 'we aren't going to save the world by inventing a better kind of disposable coffee cup'. Our four-planet lifestyle is just not sustainable, we can't save the planet by buying more stuff. In 'The Story of Stuff,' a short film by Annie Leonard, we discover thatonly 1% of materials flowing though our consumer economy remain in use six months after sale. I don't know about you, I find that terrifying.

So this Christmas, like most years, I'll make jams, pickles and sweets in reused jars with home decorated labels, and see what I can pass on. Realistically I can't home-source everything, I'm just not that flawless or inclined. I look forward to the CamLETS Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 24th November, and will benefit from the ingenuity and creativity of our small resilient community of makers and menders.

Part of the gift is thought and presentation, soI'll be wrapping presents in pretty cloth (reclaimed from curtains) and ribbon that canbe reused by friends/family and the idea will spread.

Let's all be mindful of what we are doing in and with this world of ours this Christmas. Perhaps you'll join me to aim to give good feelings, experiences, home-made and second-hand items, instead of new things destined for the landfill. Let's push up that percentage of materials used beyond 1%, and be more sustainable for gifts and life. Have a fabulous Christmas and New year, and look forward to more ahead.

TRADING SPOTLIGHT

I’ve had lots of things done for me which havebeen so useful. My last trade was getting some jewellery fixed including having some earrings altered & a new clasp put on a necklace. This was done by Hannah Gordon-Smith who’s mended lots of earrings for me. I’ve also had jewellery mended by Chris Reedyk.

Jane Howorth (0563)

I've had a very comfortable needlecord dress for years, and wear it often. Now it's old the green is fading in patches and the material is very thin, but I could never find a replacement in a shop. Cathy Dunbar (0116) offers dressmaking and is also an expert pattern cutter. Without taking the dress to bits (very important as I wanted to wear it again as soon as possible), she has made me an beautiful brown paper pattern with seam allowance and even pocket placement, so I can sew a replacement. Thanks Cathy!

Meg Clarke (0018)

HOST AN EVENT, EARN CAMS!

If you are prepared to host a trading event at your house and receive Cams in exchange, getin touch with Mairead Tindall, our Trading Activator.

NEW OR RETURNING MEMBERSBy Jane Howorth

We would like to welcome the following new members to CamLETS. Do come and introduce yourself at one of the trading meets if you can.

#0760 Gillian Greenwood

01223 666442 / 07897 273046 / gillian_greenwood@yahoo.com

#0761 Natalie Garbolino-Riva

01223 572261 / n.garbolino-riva@ntlworld.com

Offers: French tuition & translation, cooking & sewing.

CORE GROUP FOR 2018/2019

Chair Peter Pope #0002 01223 424357

Meeting Secretary Sabine Buchholz #0712 01223 740571

Newsletter Editor Hannah Gordon-Smith #0715 07709 352991

Mailing Manager Eileen Skeffington #0743 01223 360272

Trading Activator Mairead Tindall #0709 07903 589744

Membership Jane Howorth #0563 01223 575109

Website Manager Clara Todd #0685 07709 588384

Treasurer Judith Rattenbury #0367 01223 314771