Here I am (left in red scarf) protesting about the proposed library closures last year with Honiton residents

I met Liz from WRVS (Women’s Royal Voluntary Service) who told me all about the 15 WRVS volunteers in Honiton who take books to housebound people who cannot make it into the library. Isn’t it wonderful that we have people like this here in our town who help others in this way. I’ve found out about so many people like this since becoming a councillor last May and it amazes me really – what goes on behind the scenes so to speak.

Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson has written this poem specially for National Libraries Day 2012:

Everyone is welcome to walk through the door.
It really doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor.
There are books in boxes and books on shelves.
They’re free for you to borrow, so help yourselves.

Come and meet your heroes, old and new,
From William the Conqueror to Winnie the Pooh.
You can look into the Mirror or read The Times,
Or bring along a toddler to chant some rhymes.

The librarian’s a friend who loves to lend,
So see if there’s a book that she can recommend.
Read that book, and if you’re bitten
You can borrow all the other ones the author’s written.

Are you into battles or biography?
Are you keen on gerbils or geography?
Gardening or ghosts? Sharks or science fiction?
There’s something here for everyone, whatever your addiction.

There are students revising, deep in concentration,
And school kids doing projects, finding inspiration.
Over in the corner there’s a table with seating,
So come along and join in the Book Club meeting.

Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow,
And help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow.

]]> http://www.sharonpavey.org/loving-our-library-in-honiton/feed/ 0 http://www.sharonpavey.org/the-crochet-virgin-ive-never-done-it-before/ http://www.sharonpavey.org/the-crochet-virgin-ive-never-done-it-before/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:57:12 +0000 sharon http://www.sharonpavey.org/?p=1774 Just had a lovely morning at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton where I often take the kids for holiday arts & crafts sessions. But today was for me – I joined the Woolly Wednesdays knitting & crochet group and I’m glad I did. Apparently this week was a ‘quiet one’ with about 8 ladies mostly knitting. Three of us were crocheting – I can say ‘us’ because I have  actually strung together a few stitches today and it was very satisfying & relaxing and reconnected me with my creative side – something I really do not allow enough time in my life.

My crochet creation!

I’m also into colours at the moment – colour links and spiritual synchronicity with colours. The wool I was given today is cream/ivory. This colour also came up in the spiritual circle I sit in yesterday and I bought a load of cream flowers for the garden on Monday. Quick google search shows that these colours mean elegance, calmness and purity – how lovely!

Thanks to Mandy & Hesta for helping me crochet today. The next session (open to all) is Wednesday 29th February – click here for more details. Mandy recommended the attic24 crocheting blog too which is fabulous. See you again ladies.

Just found some carrier bags full of rubbish in my bin which are not mine – dig a bit of digging and found a letter – belonging to a neighbour of mine a few doors along! Why are they putting their rubbish in my bin? Quite outraged actually especially as these bags are full of plastic & cardboard which I recycle & don’t put in landfill. Have they filled up their own landfill bin with loads of stuff that can be recycled and then started filling up their neighbours bins with the rest of their rubbish?

According to my council contacts – this is considered fly-tipping and if it happens again, they need reporting and may be fined!

There’s a public meeting on Wed January 18th about The Beehive – the NEW Community Complex being built in Honiton. What better occasion to kick-start our fundraising with a raffle! If you run a business in town and would like to contribute a little something to the food/drink hampers we’re putting together – please get in touch. Call me on 07740973990 or email me.

We are hoping to be running a stall selling tickets on the High Street during the day (18th Jan) then drawing the lucky winners after the public meeting at the town council offices in the evening.

Sharon Pavey – Honiton Town Councillor & Chair of Fundraising for The Beehive

UPDATE – a HUGE thank you to these local businesses for donating items for our raffle on 18th Jan.

Bay 12 Design – www.bay12design.co.uk

The Railway www.therailwayhoniton.co.uk

Odle Farm Holiday cottages & B&B www.odlefarm.co.uk

Honiton Tesco www.tesco.com

P&J Butchers on New St

Coastline Jewellery www.coastlinejewellery.com

Boston Tea Party www.bostonteaparty.co.uk

Ganesha Wholefoods www.honiton.com

Thyme Cafe

Songbird Tattoo www.songbirdtattoo.com

Liquid Assets www.honiton.com

BEL-AMI www.bel-ami.co.uk

Residents will be aware that for the past few years Honiton Town Council has been moving ahead with its plans to build a new community facility for the town. This is now particularly urgent in the light of the closure of several local halls and the fact that the Mackarness Hall is now operating at near full capacity.

Planning permission has now been applied for with regard to the site on Dowell Street and it is intended that the building will be completed early in 2013. Plans can be viewed on the EDDC website or in the Senior Citizens Centre New Street Honiton between 9am and 1pm from Monday to Friday

A PUBLIC MEETING

WILL BE HELD

AT THE TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES IN NEW STREET HONITION

ON WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY FROM 7 PM

This will be an opportunity for you to shape the future of the complex and ensure that the building meets the needs of the whole community. The complex includes a number of rooms for use by the community – from a 300 seater main hall to small meeting rooms.

We have confirmation from the Registrar that they would like to move into the centre – this will not only secure funding to contribute to running costs but will also make the registration of marriages, births and deaths more accessible.

We also have confirmation from ROC (a national charity working with people with learning disabilities) that they would like to assist in the running of the centre.

Please come along to join us to plan what you want from your new community facility. What is important to you? How would you want to use this new opportunity? If you are unable to make that date – please add your comments on here and I will pass them all over to the council.

Buzzard on telegraph pole colours; ‘winter-solstice’ grey skies.
Walking dogs on; raincoat, walking-boot, beaches,
all wrapped against nature -
which is asleep and simply waiting for the season of rebirth,
of hope,
renewal,

and beginning.

From this point onwards feel more life from the sun,
Feel more life in your heart and more life in your soul!

Members of East Devon Greens and the Torbay Greens together at the Exeter Animal Aid Christmas Without Cruelty Festival Dec 2011

January 2012 marks two years since the East Devon Green Party (EDGP) was formed. Previously part of the Exeter Green Party, the decision was made to set up a more local group in January 2010 in order to be more effective in this large rural area. We broke away with the blessing of the Exeter Green Party and some funds to get us started which enabled the EDGP to put me up as a candidate for East Devon for the 2010 General Election. We still work with the Exeter Greens and will be supporting them in their campaign to get a Green Councillor elected onto Exeter City Council this spring. We also have good links with the South Devon Green Party, the Torbay Green Party, the Mid Devon Greens and the West Devon Greens.

Members of East Devon Green Party with West Devon & Exeter Greens protesting against Devon County Council cutting £30 million from their annual budget Oct 2011

2011 saw our first two Green Councillors elected here in East Devon – myself onto Honiton Town Council and Emily McIvor onto Axmouth Parish Council. We also fought the East Devon District Council Elections – with Green candidates standing in several wards giving people the opportunity to vote Green. We had a large team of dedicated Green Party members working very hard in Honiton St Michael’s, where I was the candidate, and we came SECOND to the Tories. Greens beat all the other candidates including the libdems, labour and several independents and we are working even harder towards a breakthrough next time.

Me & Aleck voting GREEN at the General Election 2010 where I stood as a Green Parliamentary candidate for East Devon

The next elections in our area are the County Council elections in May 2013 where we are confident we can get our first Green County Councillor elected here in East Devon. Greens are real contenders, being elected to all levels of government all over the country. There is no reason why it can’t be done here!

Happy Birthday East Devon Green Party!

Sharon Pavey – Coordinator East Devon Green Party & Fundraiser for the South West Green Party

Follow me on twitter @sharonpavey

]]> http://www.sharonpavey.org/east-devon-green-party-happy-2nd-birthday/feed/ 2 http://www.sharonpavey.org/honiton-swap-share/ http://www.sharonpavey.org/honiton-swap-share/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:46:22 +0000 sharon http://www.sharonpavey.org/?p=1724 Just letting you know about an event coming up in East Devon in February 2012. As ‘recycling champion’ for Honiton, my role on the town council is to support events like this and this brings a smile to my face as I’ve wanted to do one of these myself for a little while. So I’m incredibly glad that Honiton resident Karen Berger has put this idea together and I hope she gets a huge amount of support to make it successful. The new Transition Town Honiton group will also have a stall there on the day.

Welcome to Swap and Share, another step towards a sustainable future.

Many people already use Freecycle, via the internet, on a regular basis to pass on their unwanted items to others nearby, and to get things that they need. Now, for those who don’t have access to the internet, or have not heard of Freecycle, we are running a Swap and Share event in Honiton, so that everyone has access to quality goods at no cost.

How does it work?

Simply bring any unwanted goods to Mackarness Hall next to St Paul’s church on the High Street on Saturday 25^th February, pay £1 entrance fee, (towards the hire of the hall) and leave them with us, to be shared among anyone who comes along on the day. Even those who don’t have any goods to donate can choose items for themselves: as long as it’s kept out of landfill, it’s a win-win situation!

Thank you for your time

Look forward to seeing you there!

I’ll be taking the kids and the dog and we’ll be making winter solstice mandala’s like this one (below) we made on Dawlish beach in the summer – before we even knew what a mandala was…..! Maybe we can all make a huge one together?

What is a mandala I hear you say…..the Mandala Project website says “The word “mandala” is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean “circle,” a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself – a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.”

A mandala is a geometrical figure with a centre, such as a circle, or polygon, or a square, often in the form of a labyrinth or maze with symbolic meanings.

I must give credit to the idea of making mandala’s tomorrow to my twitter-friend Brigit Strawbridge who posted this video about her beautiful autumn equinox nature mandala on twitter this morning bit.ly/vqBr9V and Brigit has set up a Facebook page called Nature Mandala’s which has amazing photos of lots of other people’s mandalas. I think I may have caught the mandala bug you know – I love concentric, mathematical arty things – and any excuse for a get-together with friends!

Nature Mandala for Peace, community-built mandala at Sierra Azul Nursery as part of the "Sculpture Is" exhibit.

Don’t forget to add a comment on here if you’re coming to the beach tomorrow. See you at one. Bring dogs, children, friends and smiles! Wrap up warm.

A conker spiral by Suzanne Thomas

Diana Heyne's nature mandala's on a foggy beach on the Isle of Noirmoutier off the Atlantic coast of France