Dear Transitioners

Summer seems to be here, and along with it a host of community activities to tempt you out into the fresh air and sunshine – starting with …..

Beictown – an ACE Monmouth event this Sunday 26 June, 10 till 2 – starting with the Vintage Ride at 11am from the Old Monnow Bridge – get out your old tweeds, hats and dresses! – tickets from Honeysuckle Wood on Church Street or online http://bit.ly/Beic22 or on the day.   But also bring along your bikes for repairs, maintenance and security labelling, and bring along the family for there will surely be fun to be had as well as delicious pork baps, real ale, ice cream and then you can make your own smoothie on the Smoothie Bike.  The Monmouth Carnival is on the same day on Chippenham Field – more fun!

ACE Monmouth Meeting:  Tuesday 28 June, 7.30 – zoom details on the ACE Monmouth Facebook page nearer the time – to discuss plans for the coming months including a Sustainable Living Festival on 25 September.  We hope that some of the newly elected Town Councillors will attend

Bee Festival:  Saturday 2 July, 10 till 4:  We will have Open Garden at the Community Kitchen Garden and wildflower meadow outside Monmouth Comprehensive School, The Burgage, NP25 3DP.  The garden is No Dig – digging reduces soil health – and who wants to dig anyway?.  It is dominated by soft fruit together with herbs, seasonal veggies and edible flowers with members providing the seeds and seedlings.  The idea is to have a large variety of produce to demonstrate where our food comes from 

The adjacent wildflower meadow was sown just two years ago.  It is still very young and in a state of development as various species find their niche, other species are removed, and we learn how to manage the meadow during this developmental stage – but it is coming along nicely.  You will see it just before its first cut of the year with a wide variety of wildflowers attracting an even increasing number of insects

There will be an information stall together with plants, books and beautifully refurbished tools from Tools for Self Reliance Cymru for sale

Bee Festival:  Sunday 3 July, 10 till 4:  A huge range of activities – food and drinks too – on Chippy and in the Nelson Garden.  It was brilliant last year and the plan is for an even better event in 2022.  We will be there with our plants, books and tools from Tools for Self Reliance Cymru

Orchard Pruning of the stone fruit trees:  Saturday 9 July, 10 till 12, under the guidance of Helena Ronicle.  Wear appropriate clothing and bring pruners if you have them – but no ladders!

Wye July:  Sunday 10 July, 11 till 3:We will be joining Friends of the Lower Wye with a stand at their event on the green near the Old Monnow Bridge.  Come and celebrate, support the River back to health, meet other Wye based groups and clubs, try citizen science water testing and other activities for the children.  The Samba band procession will start at Agincourt Square at 10.45am

Transition Monmouth Members’ Meeting:  Tuesday 12 July, 7.30pm under the stars at the front of Monmouth Comprehensive School, NP25 3DP – the last before we take a break for the summer to reconvene on Tuesday, 6 September when we will be joined by Mark Hand, MCC Head of Placemaking, Regeneration, Highways and Flooding, to talk to us about the Local Development Plan and the various submissions that have been made, including our own.  Bring something to sit on;  we might provide some sustenance …..

In the meantime – Monmouth Town Council is seeking members of the community to put themselves forward as Town Councillors.  There are five vacancies (but you don’t have to live in the Ward you represent).  Applications by 1 July to the Town Clerk – details on the Town Council website (see Elections 2022) and on our Facebook pages.  Please consider standing and in this way influencing decisions in an environmentally caring way

And a last plea – we need help for Beictown, the Bee Festival and Wye July – please contact mail@transitionmonmouth.org if you are available – and also please bring along any plants you can spare for our plant stall at the Bee Festival

We look forward to seeing you all soon and hope you have a lovely summer break!

Vivien Mitchell