Permaculture Manchester . . . lets put some green on the urban scene

I recently obtained a copy of this seven minute archive film about Treesponsibility, made by Ruth Strange and Christina Hooley. Shot on Treesponsibility's 5th birthday, in March 2003, on a windy day (aren't they all) on the moors at Dyke Green Farm, Sourhall, Todmorden.

The film features an interview with Manchester's old favourite roaming guru, Tomas Remiarz, Who came with partner Jed and gave a talk to Manchester Permaculture earlier this year. Tomas used to live in Hebden and worked for Treesponsibility until a few years ago when he and Jed redesigned their lives using permaculture design principles, got rid of their rents, and hit the road. Now they have zero rent, and many homes (.. they are polyhomeogenous??)

There is also an interview with Penny 'the Superglue' Eastwood from Treesponsibility, along with other faces that will be familiar to those active in the Northern permaculture scene. Treesponsibility is a member of the Permaculture Association, and is a Hebden Bridge based community group working on a long term strategy to reaforest the Calder Valley. They organise excellent weekend budget tree planting holidays throughout the tree planting season. Definitely a recommended way to blow away those stuffy winter cobwebs. In addition to planting trees, Treesponsibility campaigns against climate change. Penny has gained her nickname, by super-glueing herself to targets, such as the indomitable Drax Power Station in Yorkshire, in daring political actions.

Ruth Strange, who shot the film, was a community activist living in the Redbricks, in Hulme, until a few years back, when she moved to rural Derbyshire, where she now works at Sound Bites wholefood store. She made a big impression whilst living in the Redbricks, being the creator of the 26 minute long Leaf Street movie for one thing. In addition, she was one of the founders of the People's Kitchen, a weekly community meal, which still runs to this day (albeit somewhat occasionally). Her and her partner at the time, Paddy, also ran an infamous underground cinema, in a basement under the Redbricks, showing films that one would not get to see at the Odeon .. if you get my drift. The photo shows Ruth on the left, at the Birley Tree protest camp in 1999.

Whilst growing up in London, Ruth’s ambition was to become a permaculture designer. She did her permaculture design course in 2001, with Jungle Jen and Rod Everett, at Bridge 5 Mill and the Middlewood Trust. I bumped into Ruth a few weeks ago, at the Radical Routes and Rootstock conference in London - Radical Alternatives to a Failed Economic System. Here Ruth was handing out free copies of Money as Debt, a vital film that shows how the Fractional Reserve banking system (used by banks all round the world), is being used as a mechanism to expropriate land and resources from the hands of the poor, and into the rich. Having given away all her free video's, Ruth said "See you, I'm off to Palestine now .. ", and away she went. Thanks for all your films Ruth. I hope things went well in Palestine, keep up all the good work, and don't be a 'Stranger' ..