Netherlands Baglady Evelien Boskma visits the small Frisian town of Workum, for the annual Dungrace, from Workum to Warmond.
Evelien writes: Yes, dung! Let me explain.
Before the Industrial Revolution, ships would sail from Workum to Warmond with manure (cow-dung) for the bulb-fields in the West of the Netherlands. Later lorries took over the job.
But in the seventies oil became really scarce. A Frisian named Reid de Jong then came up with the idea of re-introducing fuel-free transport. He wanted to use the Workum-Warmond trade route as an exercise. The first exercise took place in 1974.
Although Reid’s suggestion didn’t catch on at the time, the exercise is now repeated every year and is hugely popular, as I witnessed today.
What happens is this:
Because the ships are not allowed to use their engines, people will have to pull them out of the harbour into the lake (see picture). Very hard work, especially if there’s head wind, like today! The ships set sail and use wind power to reach their destination. So, totally eco!
Fortunately Reid de Jong is still able to watch the races. He lives in the Workum lighthouse and is entirely self-sufficient. Very eco.
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November 2nd, 2008
in Film.
November 2nd, 2008
in Film.
Do we just make monuments? or do we learn the lessons? Baglady at the Women of World War II monument in central London.
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You’re not supposed to laugh about the environment, are you? We did.
People from ages 8-75 got together at storyteller Liz Weir’s Ballyeamon Barn at the head of Glenariff. The craic started with the first cup of tea.
We also talked very seriously about the local-global problems we all face at present. And on the Saturday night, we sang, danced, told stories and poems at Liz’s regular ceili session.
Everybody conspired to help us: the BBC with a live piece on Your Place and Mine, Mother Earth with a big storm overnight, Jacky Ingram with her laughter workshop, Darren from the Ballymena Guardian taking our photo. Furthermore, there was a centrefold on Baglady in Sunday Life (our thanks to reporter Clare and photographer Liam).
A brilliant workshop, the first of many, we hope. The next is already planned for 29-30 November in Omagh. Details later.
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September 23rd, 2008
in Film.
Jacky Ingram’s 5-minute laughter Workshop at Castle Espie.
Hollybank Healing
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Baglady to Gordon Brown: ‘Give us some decent leadership - we’ll follow’
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‘You can still have what you need - but it’s just - with less waste’ - Karen Cannard www.therubbishdiet.co.uk
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