Monday 8 March 2010

International Women's Day, Chester. Organic Fruit and Veg growing workshop

Thanks to everyone who came to the International Women's Day Organic Fruit and Veg growing workshop I led in Chester on Saturday.

Joan Meredith - a Trident Ploughshares Activist (pictured) and I united under the banner 'Make Gardens Not War'. At the Peace Stall there was an appeal for solidarity with the Yarl's Wood Hunger Strikers for women to sign along with information about why the women are on strike.

The organic fruit and veg growing workshop went quite well. I asked women to draw a picture of their growing space, be it window box, balcony pots, containers, courtyard or allotment. I then asked them how much sun, shade and knowledge they had before sharing some suggestions about what they could grow. I think most people went away happy and some went away with Lady Christl new potatoes to plant.

We were sharing a room with two other groups - Garden Organic's Master Composters and the Northgate Locks Art Project. This was great partly because I could end the advice sessions with: "If you want any more advice about composting - go to the Master Composter's Stall".

On the walls of the room were paintings from the Northgate Locks Art Project. People wanted to look at these too. Local subjects included the canal and 'women's work'.

For more updates on Yarl's Wood see my news blog: http://www.franceslaing.co.uk/ and scroll
down.

Here are two of the Northgate Locks Arts Project pictures:
This one spoke to me because the canal is so much part of our everyday lives and I recognise the scene. I also liked the colours very much.

The second picture on the left appealed to me too - because - well it shows how hard women work in their lives.















No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments here. Thanks.