Sapphire Groove’s Tania Pieri
September 28th was a day of celebrations at the Herne Hill Market. Our video gives a flavour of the energy and excitement of the event.
Home Cooking SE24 photo Clara Washburn
Local Italian cook Giuseppina Calcara and Toto from Home Cooking SE24 got us off to a delicious start with their cookery workshop ‘Gnocchi your socks off’ entertaining and educating mini cooks, complete with chefs hats. Their next pop up feast ‘Do you speak Eatalian?’ at Rosendale Allotments is Friday 28th November.
Alex Bishop Guitars photo Kevin Tunnah
The Herne Hill Forum gave us the community stalls to fill with Blue Patch goodies: you could buy a hand crafted bee hotel or bird box from Robin Dean made from FSC timber, ethical fashion brands Cock & Bull, MULTEMYR, Natty Peeps and Luva Huva, Cally’s Country Cat Litter for eco-cats, Ohyo sustainable drinking bottles and Do Books, printed in Wales.
Josh and a Crafty Pony photo: In the Right Light
The pop up photo booth by In the Right Light (booth kindly made by members Jason and Julia) generated lovely photos – including Josh with a Crafty Pony a co-designed sewing kit by Josh and his talented family in Hebden Bridge – we’re planning a trip there to see how their Earth Covered Eco House plans are shaping up!
Dancing to Sapphire Groove photo Kevin Tunnah
The afternoon was electrifying. Dancers Sapphire Groove – led by Tania Pieri, who trained with the Rambert Ballet and Contemporary Dance School, and has leapt and spun her way through the Olympics opening ceremony, the musical Bombay Dreams and even performed for Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace – took Herne Hill by storm. Tania danced with Claude Currie and Melissa Hunte to Indian Dance mix by Kuljit Bhamra.
Sapphire Groove’s Melissa Hunte and Claude Currie
Sapphire Groove provide performances at events, along with dance workshops – I reckon the entire community in Herne Hill would recommend them. You can contact Tania through Blue Patch.
Kids Play Kit Country Kitchen
The Wonderful World of Blue Patch was our chance to show off our sustainable pet products, ethical British fashion brands, green-gifts and fabulous eco-toys like Kids Play Kit (the little girl in the photo above won the Country Kitchen for her film ‘Chocolate Brownies’!). Handmade instruments were played, tailors stitched, carpenters sanded and an elegant recycled brass necklace, donated as a prize by LA jewellery glinted in the sunshine. Bruce from Abundance Generation explained how ethical investments (debentures) fund the clean energy ……..you can start small with £5 – what a great gift to give someone.
Ethical British Fashion on Blue Patch
The Wonderful World of Blue Patch was hosted by friends (and our Executive board members) Michael Davies from StartUK.org and John Condon, sustainability and business experts that make being green enormously entertaining.
Michael Davies, John Condon and Jane Langley
Michael explained that our Blue Patch directory was an online dating service for people hoping to meet sustainable British businesses, full of lovely looking, ethical and high quality things – with the added pleasure in knowing your ‘date’ is a member of a social enterprise that’s investing 100% of it’s post UK tax surplus profits in to renewable energy, community, education and conservation – so what’s not to love?
Emma Kirby Co – Founder of Blue Patch
Natty Peeps, one of our founder members, busy at work during the Wonderful World of Blue Patch show, her recycled wool, hand knitted Christmas tree keeping her company – a must have for a sustainable Christmas, and it folds neatly away for next year. Natty Peeps will have a colourful range of upcycled, handmade rugs, tea-cosies, hats, scarves, gloves and clothes made in good time to keep everyone warm and cheery as the weather changes.
Natty Peeps ‘never with idle hands’, her knitted sustainable Christmas tree and a Crafty Pony
The results of our twitter competition, the winners of the Herne Hill Forum baking prizes and finally the presentation of the Herne Hill Walnut Tree, the symbolic first gift to the community from team Blue Patch, marked Herne Hill Market‘s 2nd birthday. We rounded up the celebrations with a glowing performance by the young students from ‘Cause you Can singing ‘Let it Go’ from the film Frozen – a beautiful end to a glorious day.
‘Cause you Can
Blue Patch members, in a generous spirit of support and solidarity, donated the things they make, provided workshops and performances to help us celebrate the launch. We feel like a community who’ve planted a very special seed and will continue to grow green and resourceful business practices, promoted by people power.
Blue Patch would like to thank everyone who helped us, including members, teamsters and friends, the forum, the market and neighbours: Sujesh, Rachael, Alberto, Julia, Holly, Bethany, Phoebe, Jim, Clara, Josh, Mare, Giles, Rachel, Lucy, Oscar, Michael, Johnny, Sally & Brian, Jo-an (aka The London Cook) Adrian, Sunita, Dilly, Chantelle, Cayden, Alo, Jason Shuttleworth, Jason Evers aka Mr Wisteria aka DJ Strimmer, Kevin and Elaine.
