| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Barefoot Andrew |
More on the Downsizer food weekend 2009Further to Jonnyboy's post, the Downsizer food weekend 2009 will be a series of workshops and demonstrations centred around things like bread making, cake baking, butchery, fish & shellfish, game, Christmas puddings, medieval food, curing, Indian snacks and so forth. We're discussing the possibilities now, and hope to announce a firmed up programme in the autumn.We're also encouraging Downsizer's varied traders to come and take part in our little market area, with food and craft goodies to tempt you. When and where is it? The festivities will be held over the weekend of 18-19th April 2009, at Mullacott Farm in Devon. How much will it cost? There will be four parts to the cost:-
and then
The accommodation prices are as follows:- Accommodation only in the B&B (breakfast will be taken with the group): £20/night for adults, £10/night for children. The camping barn - sleeps 20: £5/person - please bring your own roll mat, sleeping bag etc! The camping field - £3/night for adults, £1/night for children. These prices are confirmed now and include Mullacott's discount for Downsizers. Please PM Alison directly for bookings and enquiries. The Downsizer subscription:- We need to properly insure these events, and Downsizer subscriptions were conceived to help cover this. If you're a subscriber then all members of your family will enjoy the discounted event fee below. If you're not, the standard event fee will apply to all members of your family, so it makes sense to subscribe! If you attended the Skills Sharing weekend last May, don't worry, you're already subscribed until June 1st 2009  .
The event fee is as follows:- This will be £28 for the weekend for adults, and £21 for the weekend for under 16s. Under 5s are free! These are the standard prices, but you're a Downsizer subscriber you'll pay £18 for the weekend for adults, and £11 for the weekend for under 16s. Please PM Jamanda for bookings and enquiries. The additional activities:- Wine tasting and appreciation - £4/person. Sea fishing trip from Ilfracombe - £ TBA. Quad biking - £ TBA. Horse riding - £ TBA. (We'll firm up the prices to be announced as soon as we can). These activities have limited places, so please book places when you book for the weekend. A. |
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| dpack |
ace .
well done lovely venue can i book a discrete bush please ? 
would anyone like to share a "cooking without a kitchen on the move "workshop ? tea ,dinner and travel snack in 30 mins ,a few different ways done simultaneously could be fun |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
count us in!
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| vegplot |
Sorry 
Sounds ideal, am looking forward to it. |
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| cab |
Looking for PT options... Wheres the nearest train station, Barnstaple? | ||||||
| bagpuss |
Yes |
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| alison |
Barnstaple is the nearest train station, then there is a bus that stops 300 yards away. | ||||||
| cab |
And national express goes to Ilfracombe... How would one get to the site from either the railway station or the national express in Ilfracombe? |
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| cab |
Excellent, thanks 
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| alison |
National Express in Ilfracombe, is the main bus station, and the local bus goes to the same stop near us. | ||||||
| mochyn |
I'll have to look into livestock logistics but in theory I'm up for it!
ETA can we arrange for the rain to have stopped by then, please? 
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| sally_in_wales |
that request has already been filed, in triplicate, using the correct colour ink.
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
is that why there is biblical rain in Oxfordshire right now - someone just moved the problem east a bit |
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| jema |
Cab, if all else fails you'd be heading past us. | ||||||
| Barefoot Andrew |
I forgot to mention in my opening post how to enquire about the event fee. Just to clarify:-
A. |
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| cab |
I would, but I figured that sorting out how to get ther by PT and getting that info here would be a good thing in general. |
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| Fee |
Count us in, will sort out the payment type things when we get home from Anglesey.
Hamster/drunk_nik, happy to give you a lift if you want to come
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| Chez |
Us too, please! For camping, I think ... . Will have to sort out money a bit later on, though. | ||||||
| Fee |
Yes, camping for us too I think, will bring extra duvets though as it's April and we're wusses
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| Barefoot Andrew |
I shall be camping too. After party party then 
A. |
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| Chez |
You'll be getting up to make us all coffee first thing, though? 
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Only after I've delivered Mochyn hers
A. |
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| Fee |
Hell, yeah!
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Except we'll have to be quiet due to small ones. *whispers* "Would you mind awfully parsing the R&S?"
A. |
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| Chez |
Not our small ones, you won't. They are being trained to sleep in the middle of a brass band performance and the like .
And don't you mean 'passing' rather than 'parsing'?
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| Fee |
We'll have to have a late-night camping area and an early morning camping area
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| sean |
I'm sure that BA benefited from a classical education. Not that parsing 'rich and spicy' is much of a challenge. |
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| Chez |
I was thinking more along the lines of His Sublime Geekhood
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| Barefoot Andrew |
I suddenly feel the need to burst into a spot of Pink Floyd
A. |
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Pah. Says she who understands Quite A Lot of this techie talk
A. |
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| Chez |
I'm just very well read. *haughty sniff*
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| jocorless |
We will be there - All four of us - Camping and will be there probably a few days early - Having been to Ali's last week and seen her set-up its going to be a great weekend - The piggies were so cute and we got to choose our Goose for the Midwinter wotsit
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| sally_in_wales |
expect we'll be there friday night and will stay til monday, really looking forward to it, just need to work out precisely what to cook now
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| Erikht |
I would like to come too, though I can't confirm at this point in the narrative. Maybe I can work with some of the butchers and show you all how to make traditional Scandinavian mutton charcuterie? | ||||||
| sean |
'Twould be excellent if you could make it. |
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| Cathryn |
Fantastic!
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| Barefoot Andrew |
It certainly would. That sounds rather good. A. |
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| ros |
Sounds like a great weekend. Hope to be able to persuade family to join me (quads and horses should do it!)
Having driven past Mullacott in foul weather several times last week am hoping the weather has improved by then! |
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| lettucewoman |
hoping to make it (if archie is OK  )...so camping for us - no idea if we will have sprog with us - if so he'll be in a pup tent!
Horseriding sounds brill....
Is there a way to reserve and confirm a bit closer in (say january?) |
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| Jamanda |
Yes, tell me that's what you want to do, and tell Alison what you want to do about accommodation.
I'll put you on the list shall I? |
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| lettucewoman |
Yes PLEEESE Mandy!!
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| alison |
Why didn't you come in then?
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| wildfoodie |
Sorry,
been out of the loop for a while, is this the same event where there was a good sprinkling of people wanting to know about wild food cookery skills? |
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| Mary-Jane |
We're going!
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| Jamanda |
No, that's the foodie weekend in April. This is just a pre Chrimbo social event. But if you wanted to turn up and cook some wild food, I'm sure it would be appreciated.
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| Cathryn |
Ignore her  Yes it is Wildfoodie, will you be able to come?
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| woodsprite |
We'd love to come too but we can't confirm until the new year.
If we can come we'd be in the Campervan, would that be okay? |
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| ros |
because my OH's mood was at least as foul as the weather and I didn't want to impose that on you
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| alison |
We could have all moaned together! I totally understand, my OH has cheered up now the sun is out. |
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| lettucewoman |
Us too..providing we can get Archie fixed...dont need hardstanding but ground needs to be sort of level for preference....although we have camped on the side of a hill and got the fridge working fine...
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| hamster |
Have totally missed this... Sounds fun, we're definitely interested but will need to sort out practicalities. Will talk to drunk_nik and let you know. | ||||||
| Jamanda |
It would be great.
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| Fee |
I was going to PM you about it, there's room if you want a lift? Likewise for this one
There's been talk of a roof rack, so even more room available
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| wildfoodie |
I've put it in my diary!
haha ha woodsprite you almost got me panicking.... I'll slip you some of my best yew leaf tea if you're gonna be there too...
and yes dates are in the diary I'M IN!!! 
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| Minamoo |
Helloes! I am definitely up for this one. Was gutted I missed the last meet so will definitely make sure I make it to this one! If anyone is interested I could do a class on making Swahili/Kenyan food? | ||||||
| judith |
With video link for those who can't make it please.
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| Jamanda |
Definitely interested
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| jema |
Yep, would be very different and interesting. |
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| gil |
Yes please ! The recipes/descriptions you posted before sounded great, but I must find the thread again to give them a try. |
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| shadiya |
We're coming, with campervan if that's ok? Have made a resolution never to put up a tent ever again.... Can I put in a plea for someone to demonstrate snaring? LOTS of rabbits round here.... 
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| shadiya |
Ps. I could do a Nigerian thing if anyone is interested? A good way to use up lots of chillies!
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| Jamanda |
Yup - we're interested. Don't forget to PM me with details of who's coming, and Alison with accommodation requirements. |
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| Fee |
Have I done that?? |
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| Jamanda |
Not me. I assume you have booked with Ali? (We need to do a bit of cross referencing)...... Wanders off to do a Google notebook. |
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| Fee |
Yep, sorted with Ali, I'll PM you for your records...
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| alison |
Oh no, something else for me to learn!
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| Jamanda |
It should be with you. Check your email. Nothing to learn really - just open it up. |
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| alison |
I know
I will have a look later, just about to pick up youngest from residential with the school. |
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| Minamoo |
Ooh can I second the request for snaring lessons please? I'm sure the OH would be interested too.
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| Jamanda |
I mentioned this to Brownbear, and he said it wasn't a method he used, but he might be able to do something else. I'll give him a nudge. | ||||||
| Brownbear |
I'm afraid I don't use snares, for several reasons. I don't think they're particularly humane, as even if they don't strangle, they keep the animal tethered by the neck for anything up to 12 hours before they are killed. Also, the risk of trapping a non-target species (domestic cats come to mind) is not insignificant, with the many potential consequences - legal as well as personal - that that would result in. Also, your friendly local fox can get into the habit of enptying the snares for you - a lot of work feeding vermin to vermin.
If you want rabbits for the table, I'd suggest the more expensive but superior method of a cage trap, or the far more effective use of fencing combined with pitfall traps, or just shoot them. |
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| dpack |
kill traps like fenns dont always kill instantly but are pretty good
,snares are for survival situations imho |
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| Silas |
Crikey Brownbear, that's two wild animal welfare issues that I have agreed with you on in one day, this is truly remarkable. |