'Stroud Life' hits the news stands

'Stroud Life', the new paper from The Citizen, mentioned in the previous blog entry had an item by Green party Euro candidate looking at where are the decent knickers - well that was largely what it was about - see Molly's full version here. There were several other features of interest - and it had a refreshing feel to the paper and covered a fair few positive stories - lots about why folk are proud of Stroud including the Farmers Market (see photos) - the editor even wrote:

"I would say that Stroud is arguably the proudest town in Britain with its unique sense of community. Its people, of course, are at the very heart of that pride. They are proud of their town, the surrounding countryside and the music, art and culture which are its lifeblood."
Ian Mean, Editor

One comment I tried to leave on the website was regarding the question "Is Stroud the Greenest?" - for some reason it wouldn't register so here is what I tried to leave:

Stroud can claim to be green in many areas but we do have a very long way to go. Many other Districts are doing better than us in for example recycling rates, public transport, home insulation or putting renewable energy on new developments. Nevertheless there is a whole host of exciting local projects like the co-housing, the country's best Farmer's Market, Bisley's Community Composting project, the Coffee House Discussions, Transition Stroud initiative, the Community Supported Agriculture project, the award winning Green Shop, Fairtrade status, demonstrations against war, the energy company, Ecotricity, Community Land Trusts and so much more.

Indeed the whole area has a history of radicalism like Paganhill's anti-slavery arch (1833), the Tolstoyan anarchists who burnt the property deeds at Whiteway Colony (1898), the Stratford Park Trees saved from Tesco and in the 1980s electing one of the countrys' first Green party councillors. All this is an excellent basis for becoming the greenest town and leading the way for a better future for all of us. Let's work together, let's do it! Cllr. Philip Booth