Ecocabin Newsletter  March 2007

Hello, I have just deleted Happy New Year from the draft of this newsletter and changed January to March.  I feel as if I haven’t caught my breath since Christmas!  I do hope 2007 is going well for you.  Just look at this wonderful picture by Darlene, who stayed at the Ecocabin a couple of weeks ago.

Press interest in Ecocabin continues and subsequent enquiries far outstrip availability.  I mentioned in the last newsletter that I was a finalist in the Best New Business competition in Country Living Magazine.  Well, I won!  Here I am collecting my award from editor Suzie Smith at Hampton Court Flower Show.  As a result of this publicity I was invited to a reception for women in business at Buckingham Palace.  After a bad start to the day (I overslept and missed the early train) I finally shook the hands of The Queen, Princess Anne, Camilla and Sophie and they all asked me about Ecocabin.  A kindly tourist took this picture of me at the gates – Linda, it’s your green bag!

Ecocabin has had a shedlet!  In September, a section of the veranda (to the left of the front steps) was glazed in to protect from the predominantly wet south westerly winds.  It has proved a very useful area over the winter and it will be interesting to hear comments from returning guests over the summer.  Other improvements include a new bamboo toilet seat, more robust taps for the kitchen and, in response to a few complaints about the bed being too soft (I do listen!), brand new slats in the twin bedroom.  For those of you who expressed concern about prowlers at the kitchen window (in Obley?!), I have just purchased a blind that hopefully will go up next week – if it fits!

My friend Carol is now letting her straw bale cabin in East Yorkshire.  This picture was taken on a dank January day.  Isn’t it going to look stunning in the spring?  You can get in touch with Carol by visiting her website www.homegrownhome.co.uk.  Locally, Trevor Wheeler continues to run Buckshead Cottage www.clunvalleyorganics and Sue Lee has built a timber lodge with efficient underfloor heating and other very sensible ecological measures.  Sue can be contacted on her organic smallholding in the heart of the Stiperstones by email suelee5@btinternet.com.

Our car-less holiday in Cornwall last November was a real eye opener.  This is a picture of our bedroom window, with wind turbine behind, at Wooda Farm.  It is a leap of faith to take a rural holiday without independent transport.  Should you consider travelling to Ecocabin by public transport I will offer all the support I can.  In addition, for those who travel alone and without a car, I offer a more flexible shopping service as I appreciate the majority of quantities on the list are based on 2-4 sharing.  So, if you want to make that leap of faith – I will be here to help!

Availabilty for 2007 is minimal.  Due to a late rearrangement a week has now become vacant from Friday 27th April.  As I write this, there are still some spaces in September.  Those of you who are regular visitors will know that I never have a break when the Ecocabin is occupied.  This is becomingly increasingly difficult and I think it is time to let my baby go a little.  So, for previous visitors only (and I regret you will need to have your own transport) there is one week on offer from Friday 20th July.  I will be having a summer holiday in Wales (Borth or Abereidy) and my friend Anna will be on the end of the phone should you have any concerns.  Please get in touch if you are interested in booking.

Green-Works is a creative eco writing course to be hosted by Helen Moore www.natures-words.co.uk at Ecocabin from 16th – 20th June.  If you love nature and enjoy writing you can find more details on the website www.ecocabin.co.uk .  Should you have any questions please contact Helen or myself. 

STAN is the Sustainable Tourism Advisory Network.  Although Ecocabin has principally been promoted to potential holiday makers, it receives many visits from other eco-entrepreneurs.  This is taking up more and more of my time.  So, grant permitting, I will be co-ordinating a friendly and informal advisory service for projects similar to Ecocabin.  It is my hope that these new projects will then come on board as advisors and so the green ball will keep on rolling.

New Year Resolutions are a little late – but better late than never.  I have switched the cabin phone to the Phone Co-op www.phonecoop.co.uk .  I am looking into solar powered hosting for the Ecocabin website.  The problem of disposing of the plastic sacks in which the wood pellets are delivered has been solved.  They are now collected by  a local recyling company that prides itself on supplying only UK based projects with the waste they collect.

Despite my endeavours to reduce plastic packaging in the cabin by persuading an extension to the local milkman’s round, I continue to recycle many plastic milk bottles.  Can I ask why, please?  All types of milk can be ordered for your stay in returnable glass bottles at a very reasonable price.  There is a lot on the news about supermarkets causing the downfall of British dairy farmers - and milkmen too are valuable members of the community.  So please … LESS PLASTIC MILK BOTTLES!
 
I will say goodbye for now and leave you with this photograph of the front of my house after the incredibly heavy snow of Friday 9th February.  Luckily, no-one was snowed in at the Ecocabin this year!

Thank you for reading this newsletter and  enjoy the spring and summer! 

Kate