Do you have a local Transition Towns group?

What’s it all about?

It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?

It involves creating ways of engaging people in thinking about their relationship with the environment. The Transition Town scheme aims to make communities more self-sufficient and raise awreness of the steps that can be taken as fossil fuel technology becomes unsustainable. It’s about encouraging people to transform their lifestyles and rebuild relationships to help create communities that have the mechanisms to determine their own destinies.

For more information visit the Transition Towns web site:
http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionNetwork

Or visit your local towns web site for more information on how to join in locally.
Weymouth has it’s own Transition Towns group. Visit their website: http://weymouth-and-portland-transitiontown.co.uk/

December marks the beginning of the Christmas season and, to celebrate, we’re offering our daily specials for under £10.

Happy Mondays

Delicious Autumn free range chicken & wild mushroom fricassee, served with sautéed green vegetables & French Fries. £9.95

Mid Week Wednesday Treat

Dorset Longhorn beef bourguignon, served with winter vegetables, mushrooms & roasted new potatoes.    £9.95

Sunday Lunch

Succulent roast sirloin of Dorset Longhorn beef, served with yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes & a rich beef red wine jus.    £9.95

Or you can choose from our festive menu available throughout December – perfect for your Christmas party!

Waiting for a bus to Portland last summer.

BY SARA BROWN FOR THE PATRIOT LEDGER

BRAINTREE – As some students listened and other fidgeted in anticipation of football practice, state Treasurer Tim Cahill told an Archbishop Williams High School audience why he chose to leave the Democratic Party and run for governor as an independent.

“It will be better to govern as an independent,” Cahill said in response to a question from Spanish teacher Joanne Adams.

He said he would take the best ideas from both sides and avoid the fighting between the two parties. The solutions lie more “in the middle,” he said.

The Quincy native, whose wife, Tina, works at Archbishop Williams, spoke for about 45 minutes to a classroom filled with about 30 students and teachers, before some of the audience had to leave for football practice.

After briefly recounting his path from local coffee shop owner to city councilor to state treasurer, Cahill fielded questions from students, and a lot more from teachers.

One teacher asked about Cahill’s plans to generate revenue for the state.

The Lottery is a good source of revenue; tax increases are not, Cahill said.

A student asked about potentially splitting the gubernatorial vote with Charlie Baker, a Republican. Cahill said it could happen and that he has to convince voters that he has the most experience for the job.

Another student asked Cahill if he knew his uncle, Plymouth County Treasurer Thomas O’Brien. (He did.)

As the school bustled with after-school activity, Cahill thanked the students in the room for staying late.

“You are either very dedicated or you are all in detention,” Cahill joked.

The attendees were rewarded with cookies and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee – and extra-credit points.

Peter Sayers, a senior from Weymouth who munched on a stack of chocolate chip cookies during Cahill’s talk, said he attended to earn extra credit in his history class.

Sayers will be eligible to vote next year, and he said he will be voting for Cahill.

The talk was sponsored by the school’s Democrat and Republican clubs.

(link to original article)

BY SARA BROWN FOR THE PATRIOT LEDGER

BOSTON – When state Sen. Robert Hedlund heard about the movement to regulate treatment of circus elephants earlier in the decade, he thought it was “kind of crazy … liberal animal-rights type stuff.”

The Weymouth Republican, who said he is neither a pet owner nor an animal lover, is no longer skeptical. More information, including graphic videos of elephant mistreatment, turned him into a passionate sponsor of a bill that would prohibit using chains and bull hooks to restrain elephants. Violators would face fines of up to $5,000 and a year in jail.

During a hearing held Monday by the Legislature’s Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, opponents of the bill said existing animal abuse laws are enough to allow a crackdown on mistreatment of animals. They also said the ban would prevent circus employees from properly training elephants.

Janice Aria, director of animal stewardship at Feld Entertainment, owner of the Ringling Bros. Circus, said tools the circus uses on its 54 elephants, such as guides and tethers, are time-tested and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies and organizations.

The animals receive the best care because they are well-trained, which enables veterinarians to inspect them closely, Aria said. She added that the legislation would prevent the circus from visiting Massachusetts.

Katherine Meyer, an attorney representing the animal rights group Born Free USA in a case against the Ringling Bros. Circus, said the trial revealed that handlers regularly strike elephants with bull hooks, causing puncture wounds and “hook boils” on the elephants’ skin.

A number of Massachusetts cities and towns – Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth among them – already prohibit acts that use wild cats, bears, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and hippos. And zoos around the world have stopped using the hooks in favor of bamboo sticks, Hedlund said.

“Theoretically, circuses can do what zoos have done and change their 19th-century mindset in how they guide and train animals,” he said.

Hedlund said he is hopeful that the legislation will pass this year. In 2008, the bill failed by one vote, which he attributed to an amendment that would have banned circus elephants completely.

Hedlund said a YouTube video of elephant mistreatment provides proof that legislation is needed.

“The stuff that goes on behind the scenes at the circus is heinous and barbaric,” he said.”

(link to original article)

… according to Zeppelin, anyway.  

I’ve not travelled much aside from through the miracle of fibre-optics, but we have added some great new pieces to our inventory.  I mailed out letters to our artists asking them to notify me if they have anything new that we might be interested in, and the response has been greater than I’d expected.  

Some great animals have arrived from Cape Breton and didn’t even need air perforations to make the trip successfully.  Other paintings are on the way, and still others need to be picked up and repeat visits made to artists in Weymouth and Italy Cross.  I’m excited to be picking up an order from Ransford Naugler, and a very tongue-in-cheek piece from his brother, Bradford.  

So, new stories, and photos to come!  For now, here are a few of the more recent acquisitions for your viewing pleasure…

Due to the venue pulling out at the last minute (ie the day before) this had to be quickly rearranged to Finns, the old venue we used in Weymouth. It was also meant to be the unofficial release show for the Silent Front / Shield Your Eyes split 7″. Boo. Initially I was worried about it, but it made a pleasant change to be honest. First up were Battle For Paris, who have a bright future ahead of them. Next were Shield Your Eyes who were totally amazing and then Silent Front, who just keep getting better. I only had a few frames on my Lomo so, only the one photo.

Kasa returned to Weymouth, and this time armed with a fuller sound courtesy of a new bassist. The were exciting and I enjoyed them immensely!

The Crocovsky weekender was totally mental. Too many photos/stories to show/tell. Massive thanks to Cam and the Cambulance, Bill Bollins for driving skills and to Huss, Ben and Kelly for having us!

A really odd night overall. On the one hand, it was amazing to finally see Mildred Pierce and to meet the dudes in Lavotchkin, then on the other it was rubbish having to tell Lavotchkin that they had to turn down otherwise the venue would pull the plug on the show. I hated it. Other than that embarrassing and horrible incident it was a good show.

This was the release show for the debut Crocus ep “The Worst Kind Of Joy Is Hope” and it was an amazing show and amazing night. Everyone had fun, and alot of people had marker pen moustaches.

Photographed by PhotosNormandie

Ce cliché du LCA-1377 britannique nous permet de détailler son blindage frontal. L’insigne des Rangers est visible à l’épaule d’un homme au moins, ce qui indique que le cliché fait partie du reportage consacré à l’embarquement des Rangers à Weymouth. On remarque aussi des casques d’infirmiers ornés des marques de neutralité conventionnelles, ce qui établit qu’elles sont arborées par certains le jour J.
LCA du LSI (H) HMS Prince Baudouin, les C, D, E, & F, 5th Ranger (TF A).
Le 6 juin 44 les 8 LCA transporteront la HQ, A, C, F Cos 5th Rangers, et 4 FO du 58th AFA Bn. prévue pour H+65 sur Dog Green. Ils arriveront à 08h00 sur Dog White
A lire livre : Jour J à l’aube de Jonathan Gawne chez Histoire & Coillections, 1998

– License

Weymouth and Portland has always been a popular destination for walkers, with a stunning variety of coastal and countryside scenery and rich in history, heritage and geology, there are a wealth of locations to discover.

Sitting close to the beach and town centre, between Weymouth’s two nature reserves,  Chandlers is a great base from which to explore.

To get you started, a selection of walking routes are available on the Visit Weymouth and Portland website for you to download and print. The distances of these walks vary from 2 to 9 miles, so they cater for any age or ability and all feature some points of interest along the way.

• Railway Walk Featured on BBC TV’s ‘Railway Walks’ with Julia Bradbury. This 6 mile walk follows the route of the disused railways between Weymouth & Portland.
• Ferrybridge – Sandsfoot – Rodwell Trail – Weymouth.  A 2.5 mile walk along the Rodwell Trail to Weymouth with views across Portland Harbour and visiting Sandsfoot Castle along the route.
• Sutton Poyntz – Osmington – Bowleaze – Weymouth. At just over 7 miles, this walk takes you through some pretty countryside and villages and then leads you to the coast overlooking Weymouth Bay, don’t miss the ‘White Horse’ chalk carving on the way.
• Portland Bill – The 3 Lighthouses Circular Walk. Approximately 2 miles, this short walk around Portland Bill offers some great coastal scenery, passing all 3 lighthouses which have offered safe passage for ships around Portland.
• Abbotsbury – Langton Herring – Littlesea – Ferrybridge – Weymouth. Options for an 11 or 14 mile route along part of the South West Coast path from the village of Abbotsbury. This walk is alongside the famous Chesil Beach and Fleet Lagoon, which form part of the World Heritage ‘Jurassic’ coastline.
• Portland Heights – Church Ope – Portland Bill – Tout Quarry – Weymouth. A 9 mile walk around the coast path of Portland, taking in some of the main points of interest and excellent coastal views all along the route.

Another fun Weymouth show!

Note to self: Alldayers are hard work! A crazy day for me… loads of stressing and running around, then playing sets with Wild Stallions and Serena joy. Photo’s were pretty much the last thing I was thinking about, but here’s what I got. Flyer by Cheryl We Heart.