Search found 139 matches

by John Walker
Thu Jul 07, 2011 11:05 pm
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused
Replies: 32
Views: 37054

Re: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused

For anyone interested, here is a round-up of links to news stories following the Chat Moss decision: Salford Council finally sees sense after 50 years! The Salford Star with a piece giving some historical background on the long-running campaign to end peat extraction at Chat Moss. m Salford Chat Mos...
by John Walker
Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:18 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused
Replies: 32
Views: 37054

Re: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused

By way of clarification on what Salford City Council’s Planning and Transport Regulatory Panel actually said about site restoration in their press release (given in full in the first post on this thread): 4. The applicant has failed to demonstrate that the site can be successfully restored to a lowl...
by John Walker
Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:12 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused
Replies: 32
Views: 37054

Re: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused

On a constructive note, I've experimented with and grown many fantastic crops using many of the no-dig/mulching techniques that Nature's Babe frequently and enthusiastically describes. For those who treasure their back issues of KG, I wrote an extensive article on my no-dig allotment in the April 19...
by John Walker
Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:58 am
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused
Replies: 32
Views: 37054

Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused

Salford City Council's Press Release: Continuation of peat extraction at Chat Moss refused Salford City Council’s Planning and Transport Regulatory Panel refused the grant of permission to allow the extraction of peat at Chat Moss at its meeting today (30 June 2011). The Panel considered three appl...
by John Walker
Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:50 pm
Forum: News and Views
Topic: Garden Organic launches 'I don't dig peat' campaign
Replies: 16
Views: 18739

Garden Organic launches 'I don't dig peat' campaign

Garden Organic's new campaign 'I don't dig peat', in which gardeners are being encouraged to sign the 'peat-free promise', and which is being backed by TV gardener Alys Fowler, was launched today (23 June 2011).

Full details: http://www.idontdigpeat.org.uk/
by John Walker
Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:56 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Happy Birthday.
Replies: 1
Views: 1048

Re: Happy Birthday.

Thanks oldherbaceous, much appreciated. Yes, a good day was had by all.
by John Walker
Wed May 11, 2011 11:07 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

Garden Organic's Chief Horticultural Officer and KG magazine contributor Bob Sherman, has written to BBC Gardeners' World magazine in response to Alan Titchmarsh's comments on using peat and weedkillers:

http://www.organicinthegarden.com/forum ... html#msg87
by John Walker
Mon May 02, 2011 11:13 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Contents of commercial composts
Replies: 32
Views: 8602

Re: Contents of commercial composts

m ... e-13252340 In the bulletin they say that the circumstances are suspicious! Fundamentalists who cannot get their own way do the most awful things to achieve their aim. This is generally when a minority group are trying to win the day over the majority. JB. What the BBC news report at the link ...
by John Walker
Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:25 am
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Facts? Who needs facts?
Replies: 11
Views: 3339

Re: Facts? Who needs facts?

A polite request: would those who have made it clear they are not interested in contributing further and/or constructively to the peat conversation, kindly to stick to their word and keep their miserable unpleasantness to themselves.
by John Walker
Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:24 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

@Cider Boys Thanks for your post, I agree entirely with its sentiments. Discussions like this are much more fruitful and thought-provoking when those joining in, whatever their viewpoint, show a genuine interest in healthy debate as opposed to cheap point-scoring and a constant need to undermine ot...
by John Walker
Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:37 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

Nurserywoman Sue Beesley, who runs Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Lodge Lane Nursery, in Cheshire, has written an 'open letter' to Alan Titchmarsh following his 'defence' of peat use. It makes some excellent points and hits the nail on the head with passages such as: But I really mind very much that, ...
by John Walker
Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:35 am
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

@Colin Miles I admire your persistance as a propagandist... I'm afraid that ongoing attempts to smear my contributions to this forum - here by wrongly accusing me of 'propaganda' - are lame at best. Propaganda is defined as 'derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used ...
by John Walker
Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:20 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: HDRA (Garden Organic) dumbing down a step too far?
Replies: 5
Views: 2225

Re: HDRA (Garden Organic) dumbing down a step too far?

I'm sure Garden Organic would welcome input from anyone who thinks they might be 'dumbing down' at their AGM/Conference on May 14th: A growing appetite for green gardening presents opportunities for building a nation of sustainable gardeners. Join Garden Organic as it debates how to best turn the UK...
by John Walker
Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:14 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

Emma Cooper , author of The Alternative Kitchen Garden , has recorded an excellent 10-minute podcast following Alan Titchmarsh's recent 'defence' of peat use. She starts by explaining when peat first came to be used for compost, why we use it, and why ending it's use is a matter of urgency. The pod...
by John Walker
Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:12 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use
Replies: 65
Views: 16318

Re: Alan Titchmarsh on peat use

"Gaps in our evidence base" and "treated with caution" are a world away from: To quote DEFRA, who openly admit that that their published statistics are incorrect... So I ask the question again, please provide some credible information to back this statement up i.e. where do DEFRA...