Miri Mieri Update

Miri Mieri Update Chilly, rain-soaked Miri Mieri has transformed overnight to parched, baked clay, but astonishingly, most of our plants are thriving, including potatoes, beetroot, broad beans, oca, Calendulas, and all the herbs.

This summer, Transition Llantwit’s family garden project aims to have a regular session every Saturday from 11 till 1. If you can’t manage this, get a few friends together and we’ll arrange a gardening session for you.

Recently, we sowed Birds’ Egg French beans and peas from last year’s pods: “Shucking the dried peas out of their pods seems to be genuinely thrilling to small boys. Everyone joined in really well with planting the peas and birdsegg beans. One boy exclaimed ‘oh they look like eggs’ before I could tell them what they were and then went on to explain confidently to his mother that they were going to grow into beanstalks. Well done that boy!”

Miri Mieri is near Llantonian Hall, adjoining the small children’s play area. All ages are welcome, as long as children are accompanied by a responsible adult. Old clothes recommended. Enquiries 01446 796849 / 07804 624795.

Transition Llantwit Joins Sunflower Experiment

Come to Miri Mieri garden this Saturday to take part in the Great Turing Sunflower Experiment to grow 3000 sunflowers.

Transition Llantwit’s family garden has registered with the mass experiment, and will sow the seeds on Saturday 12th May (11 – 1). You can grow the seeds at Miri Mieri or take them home.

If you want to sign up separately for the project see http://www.turingsunflowers.com/getinvolved - great if local schools and groups can join in. 

“Why Turing’s Sunflowers?

Sunflowers are not only beautiful. They are fascinating. The spirals of seeds in sunflower heads often follow a special pattern of numbers called the Fibonacci sequence. Mathematical patterns can be found in other plants and animals too – everything from pine cones to a tiger’s stripes can be linked to mathematics. 
Alan Turing, perhaps best known for helping crack the Enigma Code during WW2, was fascinated by how maths works in nature. Turing noticed that the Fibonacci sequence often occurred in sunflower seed heads. He hoped that by studying the plant it might help us understand how plants grow, but died before he could finish his work. Our tribute to Turing is a mass experiment to grow 3,000 sunflowers. If enough people grow, we can collect sufficient data to put Turing’s and other scientists’ theories to the test. What better way to mark the mathematician’s centenary than to complete his final research project?
Taking part is easy. All participants need to do is grow a sunflower, keep the seed head and take part in the head count in September and October. For that, participants will be able to take their seed head to one of our special counting locations, or post their ‘spiral counts’ online. Researchers at The University of Manchester will then collate the data, and the results will be announced during Manchester Science Festival.”(http://www.turingsunflowers.com/about/why)

We are also planning to put a bucketful of living things into the new water feature (as it was too wet last weekend).

All ages are welcome at Miri Mieri, as long as children are accompanied by a responsible adult. Old clothes recomended. For more information contact 796849 / 07804 624795. In case of bad weather, this will happen on Sunday instead – phone to confirm time.

Litter Pick and Rockpool Ramble a huge success!

 

Transition Llantwit were in action again this weekend and held a very successful litter pick and rockpool ramble on Saturday 21st April.

Regardless of the inclement weather, around a dozen people turned up for the morning litter pick of which we found all sorts of various wierd and wonderful items including a lorry tyre, a car tyre, 2 golf balls and a part of a sofa!

Following the litter pick we moved the lorry tyre to our Miri Mieri community garden where it will be used as a veg bed in the coming months.

Following lunch at

the beach cafe, Helen from Glamorgan Heritage Coast joined us for a rockpool ramble! By now the rain was about to lash down but around 2 dozen people, young and old alike, joined in with enthusiasm and a determination to find something interesting!

Helen was on hand to offer her knowledge on what we found which included one edible crab, one shore crab, and other species of crab. In addition to this we found a butterfish!

We would like to offer a big thanks to Helen for attending our event, and also to all those who came rain or shine to both events. We
hope to organise similiar events over the coming summer!

We have added all the photos we took of the event to our Transition Llantwit Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.10150875957638646&type=1

Mark Gabb

Transition Llantwit

Beach Litter Pick and Rockpool Ramble Thanks!

Transition Llantwit would like to thank everyone who took part in the litter pick and rockpool ramble yesterday at Llantwit Major beach! A full report including pictures will be published later today so keep a look out!

Mark Gabb

Transition Llantwit

Green Drinks: Cancelled

Due to many of the Transition Llantwit members not being able to make it to Green Drinks this Friday 27th April, we have decided to postpone it until next month at a date yet to be arranged.

Mark Gabb

Transition Llantwit

Thingumijigs’ Twmpath: Saturday 28th April, 7pm

Put on your dancing shoes and join caller Ceri Platts and Thingumijigs Ceildeh Band for an evening of Welsh jigs, reels, polkas, waltzes and more! Bar and raffle.

For more information see the poster on the left or reply to the Facebook event above at this link: http://on.fb.me/HRh7Ja

Having trouble planning your commute or just having trouble planning a leisurely route?

I have recently come across a great website for planning cycle routes, which gives indications of likely busy routes and also indications about how long it will take at different cycle speeds.

It will also give you a choice between choosing a balanced route, fastest route or quietest route between two points.

http://www.cyclestreets.net/

I have found this site particularly useful at looking at Cardiff based cycle routes where there are lots of different side streets and routes.

Mark Gabb

Transition Llantwit

Transition Llantwit Beach Litter Pick and Rockpool Ramble, this Saturday!

Following the big success of recent litter picks and the rockpool ramble last year, Transition Llantwit in association with the Glamorgan Heritage Coast have organised an April litter pick and rockpool ramble event which is taking place this Saturday 21st April 2012 from 10am to 3.30pm.

The current timetable is the following:

• 10am-12pm – Litter Pick
• 12pm-1.30pm – Lunch at Beach Cafe
• 1.30pm-3.30pm- Rockpool Ramble

More details will be posted closer to the time!

Miri Mieri, Sowing and Growing!

There will be a session at Miri Mieri on Friday 20^th April, 10.30 till 12.30. 

 We will be planting onion sets and lettuce seedlings, and sowing plenty of seeds. You are welcome to take some home to grow on your window sill or garden.

 If it’s a sunny day we hope to see the slow-worms, which bask under the square of roofing-felt that we provide as a refuge. Last time there was a chunky male and two tiny golden and black youngsters.

Miri Mieri has a range of small tree seedlings that are looking for homes, including oak, hazel, and elder. If you have space to grow one, just come along to collect or ring number below.

 Everyone is welcome to join in these free sessions, though children must be accompanied at all times by a responsible adult. We recommend old clothes.

 Miri Mieri is a Transition Llantwit project. For more info see transitionllantwit.wordpress.com or call 796849 / 07804 624795.

Epic Orchard Work Day!

Epic is the only way to describe the day Transition Llantwit members have had at their Orchard today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main job today was laying a new bark path to improve access around the site. The only issue being we had to move tonnes of bark from the top of the path down to the orchard… However, although daunted, we were not lacking in endeavour and enthusiasm. Luckily, as we began to flag we were joined by Atlantic College students who kindly gave up their time to help us which we are massively thankful for! We will look forward to returning the favour in the very near future!  After a very long day, (beginning at 10am and finishing at 5.30pm!) we managed to move it all in the end and lay the path successfully.

Other smaller jobs but no less important were also undertaken during the day. Including installing a new water butt which was won in a raffle by one of our members Karen, who then kindly donated to the orchard. The trees were also mulched ready for the approaching warmer weather (we can all hope!!!) as well as lots of weeding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have made an enthusiastic start to the gardening season but there is much work to do over the coming months so we hope to be joined by many more people!

Mark Gabb

Transition Llantwit