Crafternoons

Transition Heathrow invite you to our free Arts and Crafts workshop running every Tuesday afternoon from 2-5pm at the Grow Heathrow community site – Vineries Close, Sipson, UB7 0JG

The next 3 weeks see:

Tuesday 15th – Kite Making – creating our own home-made kites that we can then go out and fly together

Tuesday 22nd – Fence weaving – with a fence as our canvas, we will use recycled materials such as plastic bags, fabric and wool, to create a patchwork fence.

Tuesday 29th – Clay modelling – using clay we have dug from the ground ourselves, we will explore this medium to make whatever we want.

Come and join the fun – kids and adults welcome – please spread the word.

Happy Birthday Grow Heathrow!

On Saturday 4th March, Grow Heathrow celebrated two years of community food growing, bike maintenance and resistance to BAA’s plans for a third runway. Local residents and friends of the project gathered in the formerly abandoned greenhouses in Sipson for a day of live music, mural painting and a birthday cake competition.

Visitors were greeted by improvised tunes in the sunshine. The ad hoc band included a double bass, accordion and junk-yard drum kit. Around sixty people gathered in the main space as the cakes were being judged. Sipson resident Tracy said, “It’s great to see so many new faces here. Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard in making this project what it is today. It really shows what a community can do”.

The partially completed mural is taking shape nicely and is already brightening up the side of our donated construction site cabin. Conceived of by a friend of the project and street artist Barney, the design is centred around a train of leaves along the length of the building. Moving from left to right, the leaves change colour, to represent the transition from Autumn into Spring and Summer. Alongside this, the mural will display images from the world as it is today on one side, to the world that we’d like to see on the other.

Why not come down to Grow Heathrow as we’re finishing the painting to colour in a leaf or draw a wind turbine? Drop us a line at info@transitionheathrow.com for more details.

More photos from the day can be found on our Flickr

Residents Association support ‘Grow Heathrow’ in eviction threat

PRESS RELEASE: Days before ‘Grow Heathrow’ go to court, which could lead to eviction of the Sipson community garden, residents’ group Harmondsworth and Sipson Residents Association (HASRA) have come out strongly in support of the project.

‘Grow Heathrow’ first took over the former-market garden site on Vineries Close, Sipson, in March 2010 after years of neglect causing social problems in the area. Residents and the Transition Heathrow group cleared up the land removing 30 tonnes of rubbish and began running the space as a community-hub and garden.

The landowner Imran Malik has now decided to take ‘Grow Heathrow’ to court and try to remove the community project. The project is due in court this Thursday. Supporters are being encouraged to show their support outside court at 9.30am.

Harmondsworth and Sipson Residents Association has published a letter defending the Sipson gardeners stating:

“We would strenuously encourage Mr Imran Malik to sell the land to members of Grow Heathrow” and “any attempts to use the site for improper business ventures, as has been done in the past, will receive strong opposition from the residents of the villages.”

The letter added:

“The people involved with this project (Grow Heathrow) have transformed the site. In the process they have created a much-needed community hub for local people who have spent years living under threat of destruction due to proposals for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Their tireless efforts and support have regenerated enthusiasm for community working that inspires the many people who visit.

Grow Heathrow campaigner Alex Goldsman said:

“We really don’t want to see the land go back to causing the problems it did before. It’s brilliant to get support from HASRA who we’ve been working with the last few years- as well as John McDonnell MP, members of Hillingdon Council and the .ComCafé in West Drayton. We put in an offer to buy the land last year as we really want to make Grow Heathrow a long-term community project.”

ENDS

For more information and interviews please contact: 07890751568 or press@transitionheathrow.com

Notes to editors

•  Grow Heathrow are in court this Thursday 17th November 2011, at Uxbridge County Court, 501 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, UB4 8HL. The hearing starts at 10.30am but supporters and journalists are being encouraged to get down to the court for around 9.30am for a show of support and photo opportunity.

•  The full HASRA letter can be downloaded from HERE.

• Link to photo campaign: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47991844@N06/sets/72157628011759448/

• All photos can be used from our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47991844@N06

Defend Grow Heathrow Video

Defend Grow Heathrow! by Joshua Bregman on Vimeo.

Working with the Com.Cafe

On 3rd August Grow Heathrow was visited by local community cafe – the ‘Com.Cafe’. Parents and Children from West Drayton joined us for a lovely day in the sun planting lettuces, chasing chickens and learning about our project for the first time.

The day marked the start of a growing partnership between our community project in Sipson and the amazing work that the ‘Com.Cafe’ does in West Drayton. As Transition Heathrow members, we think it is vitally important to engage at all levels with people from across the community so the visit was really important to us and it was really nice to bring new people into this space.

On 10th September we will be linking up again with the ‘Com.Cafe’ when will be hosting some of our regular events at their fun day in West Drayton.

Here’s the photos of their visit on FLICKR and if you are looking for a good place to eat breakfast while your in the area – make sure you take a visit to the ‘Com.Cafe’.

Residents day @ Grow Heathrow

Come to Grow Heathrow for a fun, friendly lunchtime event that is all about the future of the Heathrow Villages. We’ll be laying on a summer banquet for the community, made using fresh, locally grown ingredients. This is a chance to get together with your neighbours, and catch up with the latest developments at our Sipson site.

But as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. We’re looking for your thoughts and ideas about how Transition Heathrow can move forward in the months and years ahead. If we’re going to build community resilience in the villages, we need to hear as many of your voices as we can. So please come along and help us develop a plan for the future. From Noon on Saturday 16th July.

Ken Livingstone promises to compulsory purchase homes off BAA – Keith’s Blog

Despite the cancellation of Heathrow’s third runway, BAA are continuing to buy up houses in the village of Sipson. 145 so far with another 100 possible purchases. This is having an adverse affect on village life. Local people feel that whatever their wishes about airport expansion BAA will keep on with their war of attrition against local people until all resistance is eliminated.

Hope in the form of a promise from Ken Livingstone arrived in Sipson a few days ago. At a question and answer session in the King William public house Ken told residents that if voted in as Mayor of London “if there was support from local people” he would “compulsory purchase all homes owned by BAA in Sipson village”. These homes would then be sold to people who actually wanted to live in Sipson.

Ken, who doesn’t support plans for a third runway, also said the Labour Party would no longer be giving it’s support. This leaves us guessing what Boris Johnson’s plans might be for the people of Sipson whose lives have been blighted by the continuing fear of this airports local community and climate wrecking plans.

The Grow Heathrow banquet – Dai’s blog

June the 18^th 2010 will remain in my memory for quite some time, as that morning I attended my Uncle Arthur’s funeral in the foot hills of the Pressely mountains in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. He had died peacefully in his sleep a few days earlier at the age of 87. Standing around the grave in the sunshine within a silence that exists only within this context of collective familial grief there is a bond which is rare and precious. At the wake this rare atmosphere continued but now with lots of hugs and smiles, catching up and fond memories.

Leaving then to catch the train in Cardiff, then to Paddington, onwards to West Drayton then the 222 to Sipson Lane where I met a couple of mates who were also coming to the Grow Heathrow Banquet. We arrived late, and were told that the first course was ending, so we crunched across the gravel yard to greenhouse No. 2 where a long row of tables and chairs had been sumptuously decorated and laid out, seating around 80 people and the banqueting was in full flow.

The rare feeling of family returned, yet this time a gathering of disparate fellows of differing ages, classes, nationality, races, sexuality, ability, locality, religion, politics and philosophies gathering to celebrate in this common union, collective achievements, not least amongst these, this union in itself.

The atmosphere was buzzing a bit like a very exciting wedding, panache Paddy and beautiful Becky were our hosts, our celebratory chefs were outrageous Oscar and lush Lily who had prepared a three course meal of mixed vegetable tempura with chilli and ginger dipping sauce to start, followed by bean pea and broccoli risotto with fresh home grown salad and for desert elderflower ice cream with chocolate chip shortbread finger. We drank elderflower champagne and cordial hand picked and made on the site.

During the meal we were invited to discuss the future of Grow Heathrow and Transition Heathrow with our fellow guests, share ideas with each other and to write our conclusions on the back of the menu. As the feast was coming to an end Becky and Paddy asked some of the guests to give a short speech on there contribution to this project. Linda McCutcheon, member of local protest group NOTRAG, spoke of the energy that Grow Heathrow had brought to the community and the campaign. James Clarke told of how through his work he was able to bring wood and building materials to the site. Emily James talked about her experiences filming the site take which will be included in her film ‘Just Do It’. Rachel Taylor talked about how having found that she had a brain tumour and through her contacts with Plane Stupid she discovered Grow Heathrow and how she felt that this has become her retreat. Keith Robin talked of his experience finding Grow Heathrow and how he enjoyed living with such gorgeous house mates. May Mackeith talked about how she enjoys working hard at the site but also just likes to come and chill out with her mates.

The England match was screened on a large screen, a fire was lit and general merriment went on into the small hours, as for me it all got a bit hazy from that point on and as I retired to the sofa where I like to sleep, only to find someone was cleaning up chunder where I usually lay my head! I slept well, in a chunder stain, but on this day, somehow this didn’t matter.

Rambling thoughts from the garden…

I’ve just finished my first cup of tea of the day as a robin flew around the greenhouses greeting me. Our routine at the garden has started settling into place, albeit with many interesting turns of events along the way.

One such event occurred a few nights ago. A police helicopter was circling overhead and we presumed that it was simply passing. However, as the nuisance persisted, 3 police cars pulled up at the site explaining that the helicopter was initially passing over until it noticed ‘a commotion – possibly protesters or terrorists’. This ‘commotion’ was in fact some friends from the Kew Eco Village joining us for dinner! Several neighbours and friends including Tracy, Linda, Geraldine and John McDonnell, our local MP, turned up to see what was happening. In the end the police left with their tails between their legs and we even got an apologetic visit from them the next day.

Other aspects of the garden adventure have been more productive. Our kitchen at the back of the first greenhouse is rapidly becoming the social hub of the site, complete with a hammock for lounging. It’s looking very beautiful with our collective artwork sprucing it up. There’s still lots more to do all over the site, but hopefully this weekend, the 27th – 28th March, will be fruitful in terms of numbers of visitors. We hope to build a compost toilet, glaze and repair some of the panes of glass in the greenhouses, and pot lots of fruit and veg. The front area is now clear and raked, ready for us to sow a meadow on Sunday. In the summer it will hopefully be glorious and flourishing.

A couple of pigeons are perching on the top of the greenhouse as I write; it’s nice to share quiet times with birds and bees. We couldn’t have got this far without the help, support and donations of countless people. The further we progress, the further our aspirations for the site grow. Who knows, maybe one day soon we’ll even get rid of the mound of rubbish that we’ve cleared out!

Swoop on abandoned market garden

Today , community activists from the group Transition Heathrow [1] moved into an abandoned market garden in Sipson. [2] Around lunchtime, about 20 people “swooped” [3] on the land in Sipson, one of the villages due for demolition if the third runway at Heathrow goes ahead. [4] After securing the site, the group immediately informed their new neighbours and local residents of their intention to reopen the old market garden for the benefit of the local community.

The ‘Grow Heathrow’ project aims to encourage and support locally grown produce in an area that once had some of the most fertile soils in Britain. Transition Heathrow has launched the project to highlight the need for a community controlled food supply in order to remain resilient to the impacts of peak oil and climate change. It intends to use the old market garden not only for growing, but also for activities such as bike workshops, clothes making, solidarity support for local workers and direct action workshops for people trying to stop the third runway.

Transition Heathrow member and local resident Joe Rake, described the events of the day. “Around lunchtime, a group of us walked onto the site. Once we had secured the gate, we set about telling local residents why we were there and inviting them to join in. We also had to start tidying up as it appeared to have been used for scrapping cars. Since the last tenants were evicted, the site has attracted unsavoury characters, so we wanted to restart the market garden for the good of the local community.”

Many of those involved in the ‘swoop’ see today’s action as a positive way of resisting the third runway whilst building an alternative community solution in its place.

Heathrow resident Amy Summer said “We’ve been fighting the threat of the third runway for years, and its blighted our community. This kind of action not only helps stop expansion but also helps regenerate the area, providing local skills, green jobs and organic produce instead.”

She added, “This form of direct action is just as important as sitting on a runway, blockading the bulldozers or striking for more green jobs. There’s no point in growing your own veg if it’s going to be covered in tarmac by BAA. At the same time there’s no point in community resistance if there’s no community left to defend. We have to do both.”

Notes:

[1] Transition Heathrow is a grassroots action group aiming to draw out the juxtaposition of sustainability and airport expansion, as part of the Transition Towns Network. It was established in October 2009 by Plane Stupid activists and Climate Campers who have been working with local residents. For more info see www.transitionheathrow.com

[2] Berkeley Nursery in Sipson has been derelict since the last tenants were evicted by the council. Local residents say they were using the site to scrap cars. Previously, the site had been used to grow fruit and vegetables as one of the many local market gardens.

[3] The ‘swoop’ is a term recently used by climate activists to refer to the sudden arrival of people on a site, often linked to land occupation or sites of protest.

[4] The third runway at Heathrow will demolish more than 700 homes around Sipson, Harmondsworth and Harlington, and will leave many more homes uninhabitable as they find themselves at the end of a runway.

Site phone number: 07890751568