Fancy helping us paint our bike shed this Sunday?!

Your handiwork here?

When we were trying to balance the project budget, we took a few things out that we thought, hey, we can do that ourselves later. One of them was painting the bike shed... it really ought to look like the lovely bin store just further down the street, but at the moment, well, it doesn't. It's one of the original buildings that we retained, and it's not the best view for the residents of Terrace A.

So we're going to get started on it this Sunday, March 24th, which is also a site Open Day -- all friends and interested observers are welcome to visit our Forgebank site.

We will be serving a simple brunch from 11am followed at 1.30pm by a site tour, including a tour of one of our homes to find out more about the technology that makes a Passivhaus.

You are welcome to pick a brush and join the painting team, there will be other tasks underway too, or you can retire to our common house and sample some tea and cake. We have a children's room to entertain any little people who don't want the full details of Passivhaus technology, and we have guest rooms where any of you who might be travelling some distance could book in for the night. 

With many of us now moved in, we are proud of what we have achieved and keen to show it off to all those who have followed us on our journey but for varying reasons haven't joined us in permanent residency on the street. Come and have a nose around, a chat, and of course, there are the last couple of homes still available to tell your friends about.

Please let us know on info@lancastercohousing.org.uk if you are coming, to give an idea of numbers (we need to make sure we have enough cake!) or give Lucy a call on 01524 812843 if you would like to know more details.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Working on the land

Although I moved into Lancaster Cohousing last year I work away at least half the week, which usually means setting off back to Glasgow on a Sunday. A few weeks ago, instead of our usual monthly meeting, we had a day of work-groups, and this novice gardener was very pleased to get a chance to help in a tree-planting session - the 'land group' events usually happen on Sundays so it's been months since I was able to take part in one. Here are three of us helping to prepare the orchard for our new little trees.

Catriona is in charge and showed me what I needed to do to make our beautiful big rowan tree happy in a new pot in the pedestrian street. And this is a small sample of what you get when 30 or 40 households pool their garden tools!


While we were planting trees in the rain, another group looking at the wellbeing of the community and its members was meeting in Pam's house.

Fiona


 That Sunday we planted more trees in their new home on Butterfly Bank, a piece of meadow land by the river where we are encouraging a diversity of native flowers, grasses and trees. 





The Land group was out in force and with willing helpers we planted six oak and six alder saplings that we had saved and now are transplanting into this site.

We are also cutting back invasive non-native buddlleias and rooting out the masses of himalayan balsam that has invaded the meadows.








Despite the rain, we kept ouselves warm digging, planting and staking then repaired to the cosy Common house for tea and had a fabulous cake made specially for us by Pam.

Another busy weekend in the Lancaster Cohousing project. Come and join us - we still have one flat and 2 houses available to buy!

Rosemary

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Cohousing Christmas

It’s just turned 2013 and we have just celebrated our first Cohousing Christmas, in fact we seem to have been celebrating for weeks.

Some people hate Christmas...all that family, materialism, jollity. Me I love it, but I live with someone who is not so keen (a bit bah humbug even), so it was great to have people around who love the build up as much as I do.

Everything became an opportunity to have fun and to do stuff ourselves - the talents that emerged were phenomenal. There was the evening spent decorating the Common House Christmas tree - we all got to bring our favourite decorations and watch the children have a ball (while having one ourselves).

Kate, our resident artist, got us making things. She created some wreath bases out of willow, into which we twisted holly, ivy and pine cones. We used old magazines to make origami paper chains and decorations - birds and stars - to hang on an entire alder tree that miraculously appeared (Chris having cut it down during his path clearing endeavours, potted it and transported it into the Common House to complement the more traditional Christmas tree). It looked stunning.

Then there was Pink Elephant, a sophisticated version of Secret Santa. We all brought along presents and had the chance to swap them for the presents other people had brought, so for once we could get the one we really wanted. I ended up with the promise of a loaf of freshly baked bread delivered to my door on the morning of my choice, but it could have been a mini bee hive, an outdoor thermometer or black salt.

Sadly I was away from Lancaster for Christmas, heading off to London to be with my sons. But Kevin, my bah humbug partner, stayed at Forgebank and was joined by his son. Now you might think that, not liking Christmas, he would find all the cohousing celebrations too much: they seemed to spread over several days culminating with a “bring a dish” Christmas lunch for 30. The delicious Danish Christmas Pudding has already entered cohousing mythology, alongside Marinated Oranges and Mushrooms Wellington.

Kevin, a vegan who usually feels a resented afterthought at Christmas dinner (which may be part of the reason for his bah humbug tendencies) said it was the best one he had ever eaten - and he really, really cares about his food. He may even be coming round to the joys of Christmas.

I managed to get back to Lancaster for New Year’s Eve. When someone suggested a cohousing revue, some cringed, but enough of us were brave/foolhardy enough to give it a go. In the end it was an extraordinary show of talents: verbal, musical and comical. We have saved some of the rhymes and lyrics for posterity...

So the year ended with more good food, wine, company and entertainment. Hmmm...can we really keep this up in 2013? With another 15 households still to move in this year, I think perhaps we can.

Alison

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Busman's holiday? A cohousing weekend away

One of the Lancaster Cohousing highlights of 2011 was when we came together at Arnside YHA for a weekend in December , to celebrate signing our formal agreements to lease. We took advantage of the YHA Winter Warmer offer, which is a great deal... those of us who weren't members already took out a group membership, and we pretty much took the place over for two nights.

A year on, many of us have moved in and we see each other all the time... but in October Lucy sent a message round saying that she and Huw and their family were going to spend a weekend at Arnside again in December, if anyone fancied joining them. And quite a few of us did!

Eight of us set off by bike together to the train station, leaving plenty of time, which is advisable when you have chariots to detach and convert from bike mode to push mode, and a big bundle of bikes to lock up together on the station. There was also a last minute platform change, just to add to the fun.

It's well known that train journeys make you hungry, even short ones, so when we arrived in Arnside it seemed only right to head for the (excellent) fish and chip shop. Some had peas, some had beans, some had coffee, some had tea, some had juice, but we all enjoyed it very much indeed.

We were meandering rather slowly down the main street feeling a bit disappointed that the tide was so high that there was no beachcombing possible, when Kathy arrived -- with Polly & Isla in *their* chariot -- having cycled all the way from Forgebank. Clearly, this called for cake and hot chocolate, so we attended to that next.

This was all in preparation for walking up Arnside Knott, of course, which we did in two parties: the advance group, with the smaller walkers and their pie-carriers went first, while the others took our bags to the YHA then caught us up. We made it to the top before they reached us, which was very pleasing.

We admired the view, ate the pie (and some chocolate, and some Tic Tacs) and headed back down... some of us were getting a little tired now, and it was raining, so we did feel a bit gloomy when we reached the YHA to discover it was another hour till reception opened and there was no one around.

There was nothing else for it, we had to go to the pub. On the way there, we met Jon cycling up the hill, coming to join us after a run further up the coast. He didn't take much persuading to turn round and come with us to the Albion, where ale, mulled wine and more hot chocolate were enjoyed.

We did make it back up the hill to the hostel in the end... to find our various rooms and then head down for dinner. Arnside YHA has its own chef and everything is cooked to order on site. Apparently this is quite unusual... I say apparently because I am relatively new to youth hostelling as a grown up, in fact if you'd told me three years ago that I'd be a YHA member by now I'd have laughed you out of town... but I can report that the food was splendid. As was the sleep -- if you'd told me three years ago that I'd be going to bed at 9.30pm on a Saturday night I'd have laughed you out of town again, but it's tiring, all this eating and walking up hills and beer drinking.

One thing that was interesting though was how aware I was of the draughty old building, and though I was perfectly warm enough in bed under my YHA duvet and blanket, how hard it was getting undressed in a chilly bedroom, so used am I to my nice warm eco-home.

There was more eating and wandering on Sunday morning, where again we were lucky with the weather, and we did get a bit of beach action this time. We all got the train back together, which was quite hilarious -- two bikes, two chariots, five children, seven adults, more bags than we came with... but somehow we managed it, and found the rest of the bikes in Lancaster, and made our stately progress home. As a non-parent I had the luxury of an afternoon nap when we got back, it was definitely more hanging out with small children and less reading the paper than I normally do on a weekend, and I don't have the stamina! But I had a great time, and I look forward to more hostelly fun in 2013.

jo

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Serious about cohousing? A chance to look inside a PassivHaus

Site Tour Day: Sunday 22nd April, 10am – 3pm

Join us for a one off chance to look around the inside of the almost completed houses (all current prospective members and new prospective purchasers welcome). We will be taking people on guided tours at pre-arranged time slots followed by refreshments at 'The Forge'.
If you are interested please contact us at marketing@forgebank.org.uk to arrange a time. Pre-booking is essential.

Brunch: Sunday 22 April 2012 (4th Sunday every month)

Our monthly opportunity for newcomers to meet with members.
11am Brunch at Whale Tail Café, 78a Penny Street, Lancaster, LA1 1XN.

We also regularly offer a tour of the site (though with restricted access as building is now underway) at 1.30 pm on brunch Sundays, including this special Site Visit Sunday. These are by request, and start from the Mill building, Mill Lane, Halton – follow the Whittle's signs (our building contractor) to get to the site. The following one will be Sunday 27 May. Please let us know if you are planning to attend: marketing@forgebank.org.uk or 01524 65808.

 
www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Its all about the roofs - and the orchard

Here are some photos of the Terrace A roof going on... first the blue liner, then the tiles are placed in handy piles, and finally on Wednesday 29th Feb it looked like the final tiles were being put in place.

Meanwhile the solar panels are going on to the mill roof...

... and Terrace F is rising above the ground at the upper carpark level, with one storey completed at ground level on the other side.

See the St Valentine's Day and St David's Day updates for much more detail on the build.

But while the contractors struggled with the weather, and walking about on site required boots against the deep mud, cohousers took the opportunity on a Sunday in February to work and socialise on site.

This area is a former piece of field that we are going to turn into a small orchard. The trees will not be planted until next autumn, but putting a weed suppressing barrier down now will make planting easier and give the trees a better chance. Our apple trees have been grafted locally at Middlewood Farm, and most are northern varieties.

We used reclaimed bricks to hold the barrier down, but pushing a laden wheelbarrow of bricks up a steep plank is an acquired art, and some did not acquire it....

We also had to clear a few hawthorn bushes. Shifting the trunk of the largest took 2 people, but the smaller branches were cut up and used to create a windrow - a temporary shelter for small birds and animals, but which will gradually rot down and produce a mulch to be used around trees or hedges.

But in fact, although we do like to contribute towards our long term goals, these work sessions are also a great opportunity to get to know each other better, and having a break and a chat now and again is a very good idea.

Kate

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Arnside YHA 3 years on...

Three years ago (was it really that long ago!?) 11 households met at Arnside YHA to discuss a new potential site for our project - "Halton Mills"; we discussed the opportunities, the risks, how we could afford it, our negotiation strategy, etc.

This weekend 22 households met en-masse to sign our Agreement to Lease for their homes on that very site. Others not able to attend the meeting have signed their agreements in advance, making a total of 34.

We have traveled a long, long way in that time! Negotiations for the purchase, designs for the site and our homes, planning permission, tenders for the construction, grant applications, bank loan searches and subsequent negotiations, and now to the build.

The end is in sight. Hurrah!!

Fiona and Patrice started off the proceedings with a some uplifting music to get us in the mood, followed by careful thinking to make sure we had the numerous dates and signatures in the right places. Note: Taking videos is NOT one of my skills ;o)

In the meantime the children were either occupied by balloons or by... zzzzz....

Luke.

http://www.lancastercohousing.org.uk/

Volleyball weekend

Laurieston Hall

Last weekend 10 intrepid Forge Bank cohousers went along to the annual intentional community volleyball competition. Your Forge Bank team included: Chris, Mac, Maria Angeles, Fiona, Gill, Mark, Jon, Pete, Frances and Steve. The venue this year was Laurieston Hall, a long standing community dating back to 1974. If you want to know more about this fascinating community you could always quiz one of its early members seen here in a very fetching pair of designer glasses.

Laurieston Hall turned out to be a fantastic setting for a very chilled out weekend. The weather was stunning, the camp site idyllic and the company second to none. On Friday evening we were all welcomed with a communal meal, camp fire and a barrel of the local real ale. Team Forge Bank can be seen here keeping a close watch over the camp fire, an essential feature of any Scottish camping trip used to keep the midges at bay.

Our hosts laid on a superb array of meals and showed us all how easy it is to cater for 80 people at one sitting. Not only did the provide excellent main courses but we were also treated to home made bread, flapjack, biscuits and even ice cream using milk from their own cows. All this with such ease and efficiency, and at a cost of just £10 per head for the whole weekend. 

As well as eating visitors had the opportunity to wander around the grounds which included a small loch side beach used for swimming, boating and fishing, a two-acre walled kitchen garden, lots of wacky straw bale insulated caravans, fantastic oak woodland, pigs, cows and, the piece de resistance, a wood fuelled sauna (insulated with straw bales) The later feature came complete with a small lake used as a plunge pool and saw heavy use from the Forge Sauna team of Pete, Mac, Chris, Maria Angeles and Steve.

On the Sunday a few of us got involved in some hay baling, helping the community gather in hay from one of their fields. This turned out to be a great way to end the weekend. It was very satisfying collecting the bales and moving them into the barn, and a nice way to help to the Laurieston community.

Oh I almost forgot - we did play some volleyball! Team Forge Bank managed to win two out of our four matches on Saturday. We did not make the semi finals on Sunday but came a credible 6th out of nine teams overall. Canon Frome snatched the trophy form the Brambles team in what was a very close final. However our team, some of whom had never played before, would have won the prize for the smartest team kit had there been one. Yes, it was very pink and yes, that is Mac dressed as a Wookie.

So if you think a volleyball weekend is all about playing volleyball, think again and sign up for next year's event. Finally I will leave you with an image of our top cheer-leading team doing what comes naturally...CHILLING OUT!

Steve


www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Picnic on site on Saturday 21st May: all welcome!

Lancaster Cohousing is getting under way! Come and celebrate Intentional Communities Day 2011 with us at Forge Bank, Halton, on Saturday 21 May.

We will be having a picnic, games and balsam-bashing* event from 1.30-4 pm on the land upstream of Forge Bank Weir** (or, if it's really wet, in the Centre @ Halton...)

All welcome! Bring any / all of the following: a picnic, a blanket, a ball, your gardening gloves!

More info from 07778 737681 or email info@lancastercohousing.org.uk

Fiona

* We have a lot of Himalayan Balsam on site, an invasive weed which can be a major problem as it smothers other vegetation. Our main method of control is pulling or cutting the plants before they flower and set seed -- known as balsam bashing.

** From the metal bridge in Halton, follow Mill Lane past the new houses along to Halton Mill, follow the path alongside the river past Lancaster Cohousing building site, keep going past the weir, up the steps, along the path, and you’ll find us! There will be a trail of balloons to keep you on the right path.

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Seeing how it's done at Springhill

It's a bit all work and no play for us at the moment, so to give ourselves a reminder of what it's all about, last weekend a group of us went by train (from Oxford) and car (from Lancaster) to visit Springhill Cohousing in Stroud, where 35 households have been living together since 2003. Some of our members had already seen Springhill, and David from Stroud has visited our site too (you can see him talking about Springhill and cohousing generally on one of our YouTube videos), but for the people who visited this time it was our first experience of cohousing in action. 

It's a beautiful site... we followed the most direct route from the station and this took us up through a park to a gate which led straight onto Springhill's pedestrian street. In intimacy and security it reminded me of a university campus, though it was clearly a place where people of all ages were living together. It also has a lovely 'lived in' feel - there was garden furniture out on the street, and lots of pots and planting. I was really impressed with how well the houses blended in with their surroundings, and I hope ours will do the same. 

We were very impressed with the three-storey co-house, especially the top floor where the community eats together 3-4 times a week. We talked about recipes and local sourcing and fridge organisation, how they manage signing up and paying, and what they've learnt as they've gone along. Then we went to look at various of their houses and flats, and saw the different things people have done with their space. Most of their houses are bigger than ours will be, but share an open-plan design and focus on energy-efficiency. 

Pete spent a lot of time investigating their composting facilities, and we were all impressed with their SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System). We talked about cohousing challenges too of course -- how to develop menus that work for everyone, and managing the 'four Ps' -- parking, parenting, painting and pets... 

We learnt a lot but we also really enjoyed ourselves and came away feeling inspired. Maria Angeles said that she wished we could fast-forward to when we have moved in ourselves, and I know just what she meant... Many thanks to David, Natalie, Sarah and everyone else we met who took time our of their weekend to talk to us, it was inspiring, interesting and useful, and we look forward to inviting you back one day soon! 

jo

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk

Glasgow get-together: Weds 6 April - all welcome!

I have been away from the project for six months, 'exiled' in Glasgow where I've been getting a full draft of my PhD completed. I can't wait to move back to Lancaster and get involved in the project again. 

But in the meantime, I'm not the only Lancaster Cohouser in Glasgow - Pam lives here too, and we have decided to have a Lancaster Cohousing get-together in Glasgow's sexy West End. We'll be meeting at my favourite cafe, the Bay Tree, by Kelvinbridge on the Great Western Road, at 7 pm on Wednesday 6th April, and we'd be very pleased to meet anyone with even the slightest interest in our project.  

We will talk about what excited us about Lancaster Cohousing, and answer any questions that you may have before you take the trip south to look into buying one of our very few last houses....  All welcome, email info@lancastercohousing.org.uk or just turn up and look out for us - we'll have some Cohousing leaflets on the table! 

Fiona

www.lancastercohousing.org.uk