Our major activities to date

Mayfield Unplugged, St Dunstan's Church, 5 February 2011

Transition Mayfield in association with Music on the Meadow Mayfield proudly presented an evening of acoustic music to celebrate local musical talent. The line-up comprised eleven different acts including John Marco (piper), St Leonards-Mayfield School String Quartet, Martin Lindsay (MC and singer/guitarist), Ruth Francis (singer), Portcullis (medieval minstrals), Jade Almond (singer), Ellie Sanderson-Nash (singer), Ella Strudley (harpist), The Dream Team (saxophone quartet), Mark Chase (singer/songwriter) and The Mayfield Band. The concert sold-out to a very appreciative audience who greatly enjoyed the eclectic mix of very high standard musicianship.
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From the Transition Network Newsletter...

"Transition Mayfield is one of the earliest transition initiatives… the fourteenth. So for three years we have put on talks, films, sustainable fairs, garden shares, launchings, lunchings, wildlife walks etc. etc.

But nothing has had quite the impact as ‘Mayfield Unplugged’, a concert held on the 5th of February to celebrate our local musicians. Silver haired gentlemen from the Silver Band, young chicks bound for RADA, undiscovered singer/songwriters, a medieval band, a harpist, guitarists, a bagpipe player, saxophonists…

All ages and types jammed into the local ancient Anglican Church, candles twinkling in the dark (this was after all unplugged). This venue was fitting, as the church used to be the major nucleus of any community in the olden days.

‘Inclusion’ and how to achieve it has been a topic in Transition Circles of late, and I can only paraphrase the words of one of the older musicians who had to say, ‘that never had he played in such an event, and it was the most worthwhile event he could ever remember participating in.’

We can envision ‘Andover Unplugged’, ‘Edinburgh Unplugged’, and ‘Oxford Unplugged’…. every community except possibly Bath!"


Gardening skills advice sessions


Transition Mayfield has teamed up with the Mayfield Horticultural Society to arrange a number of occasions on which those interested in learning more about growing their own fruit and vegetables can talk to the village's expert gardeners. On 5 June 2010 John Logan and Ed Du Cann let a small group round new and established allotments. On Saturday 17 July and Saturday 25 September they will be available for help and advice at the Horticultural Society's Annual and Autumn shows in the Memorial Hall.

Mayfield Mayfair, 8 May 2010

Transition Mayfield had a stand at the Mayfair celebrations, held in the village High Street and organised by the Chamber of Commerce. We displayed several posters describing our projects and handed out leaflets and cards giving information on how to keep in touch with our activities through the website and village newsletter.

Sustainable Living Fair, 25 April 2009


 

Speakers:
  • Susan Buckingham - Professor and Director of the Centre for Human Geography (an expert on sustainable development)
  • Derek O'Connor - Wildlife Splash, Government adviser for Sustainable Goods & Services Sector
  • Herb Hill - Beekeeper, Member of Sussex Beekeepers
  • Peter May - Action in Rural Sussex, Coordinator of Community Orchards Program
  • Brian Pike - Master Miller
  • Lesley Medlock - Environmentalist
Workshop Sign Ups:
  • Chicken and Pig Rearing – Cathy Hearne
  • Garden Share Program – Lesley Medlock
  • Beekeeping – Herb Hill
  • Community Orchards – Peter May
  • Grow and Forage Your Own – Angela Busutil
  • Transition Table – Katie Treherne
  • Producer List – Patrick Treherne
Representatives for:
  • Energy Savings Trust
  • Primary and Pre Schools
  • British Gas
  • Mayfield Artisans

Project activities

  • Creation of Mayfield CE Primary School vegetable garden [>more ...]
  • Start up of a Garden-share scheme [>more ...]
  • Compilation of list of local producers [>more ...]
  • A survey of the current energy consumption of Mayfield and Five Ashes with a view to applying for funding for a major project on supplying renewable energy to the village  [>more ...]

Awareness raising programme

  • 2nd May 2008: ‘Energy for the Future: what can we do’, a talk and discussion with Charles Hendry MP (Shadow Minister for Energy) and Benet Northcote of Greenpeace.
  • 14th March 2008: ‘Drive for Change, Transportation for the Future; what can this mean for Mayfield’, a talk and discusstion with Dr. Stella Shackel (ecologist) and Mr. Martin Dunschen (environmentalist) who shared their knowledge of sustainable transport issues.
  • 16th November 2007: Screening of ‘The Power of Community’. How Cuba coped with its own Peak Oil.
  • 5th October 2007: Screening of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. Al Gore's film on the environment.
  • 7th September 2007: Screening of ‘Crude Impact’. A powerful exposition of the Peak Oil problem.
  • 8th June 2007: An Invitiation to Transition Mayfield, a talk and discusstion with Ben Brangwyn, a co-founder of the Transition Project and Mike Grenville, the founder of Transition Forest Row.