Amelia’s Magazine | Jessica Simmons’ Vintage Cake Diet!

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, pharmacy participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.

Essential details:
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost range from £175 – £350 depending on income

 For more information about Trapese or to download a chapter of the book see www.trapese.org
Who:  Trapese Popular Education Collective
When:  27th March 2010  to 3rd April 2010
Where:  Ragman’s Lane Farm, pilule Forest of Dean, viagra near Gloucester.
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Cost:  Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost of course ranges from £175 – £350, hospital depending on income.

——————————————————————–

Trapese is a not-for-profit UK-based popular education collective.  Through workshops, film nights and training they aim to enable people of all ages to explore social and climate issues and develop practical alternatives and solutions. 
trapeseeimage2

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.
Good-housekeeping-biscuitsAll photographs courtesy of Camilla Blackie except where otherwise stated

I’ve just spent a snowy weekend in my friend’s country kitchen, page elbow deep in flour, cost spice and all things nice. It’s for my vintage cake-spot. Here, I bake and blog, throwing some of the best and most well-loved cake recipes of the last century into the mixing bowl.

Lemon-Buns-in-spotty-case

I mixed my ingredients for a classic marmalade pudding (sourced from The Constance Spry Cookery Book,1956) in a small, glass basin. After wrapping this in a clean tea-towel, I left it to gently steam on top of the Aga. Three hours later the pud was a picture of dome-shaped perfection; all steaming suet and glinting orange rind. This was going to be a good baking day.

Lemon-Buns

Constance Spry, described as the ‘Martha Stewart of mid-century Britain’ joins a long list of bakers, homemakers and celebrated authors who’ve left a lasting legacy in the culinary world. As a girl who’s partial to the sweeter side of life, I became fascinated by one legacy in particular – the cake.

Small-jess

As writer for the Women’s Institute membership magazine, WI Life,  my research began in earnest. Lunch breaks were spent in the national archives, dusting off leather-bound periodicals dating back to 1919. Economy cake, plum pudding, and gingerbread were just some of the suggestions listed in the H.H.H. (handy household hints); a modest few lines of recipes printed in the then WI membership magazine Home and Country.

Flapjacks

By the time I’d test-baked a batch of spiced buns, my mind was made up. My good friend Camilla came on board as cake-spot photographer and we haven’t looked back. If I’ve got the nose for burning crumbs, she’s got the eyes to weigh up a perfect cake shot.

Valentines-Biscuits-2

Baking, and blogging about it, is fast becoming my number one past-time – not forgetting the odd ‘tweet’ as part of the global PR cruise. Yes, I was inspired by Julie and Julia – who wouldn’t be charmed by a French-talking Meryl Streep? – but the vintage cake-spot is more than show and tell. These are real cakes using classic, trusted recipes. And they’re tasty, too.

Tiled

Jessica-6

The good news is, everyone loves cake. But while the red-velvet iced delights of Portobello Road still cause a stir for hungry Londoners, I must stay true to my recipe books. If a slice of dripping cake’s not to your fancy, look away now. This is no time for counting calories.

Small-Yorkshire-teacakes

The blog has opened my eyes up to a new London. East-end antique stores and charity shops have taken on a whole new dimension, many harbouring the battered old cook-books held so precious for women now and during the last century.

Small-baking-equipment

Cake is one of life’s pleasures and I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to celebrate the fact. If my blog can inspire anyone to grab an apron, some pantry essentials and get baking, I’m a happy girl.

Coffe-cake

JessicaJessica Simmons photographs courtesy of Peter Schiazza

What Jessica likes:

Places: Whitby in North Yorkshire. It’s got high cliffs, a beautiful old abbey and probably the best fish and chips you’ll ever taste (www.magpiecafe.co.uk). There’s also a fun caravan site called La Rosa and you can get your fortune told in a little shack on the pier

Food: A nice fish pie (see above)

Drink: Chambord and lemonade, whisky macs

Website: Find delicate hand-picked teas and a very inspiring lady

Music: Blondie, Moloko, Pink Floyd, Jay-Z, the Doors

Books: Shadow of the Wind’ by Carols Ruiz Zafon. I’m currently reading ‘The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton’ by Kathryn Hughes for inspiration

Film: Far from the Madding Crowd

Shop: Hemswell Market in Lincolnshire. It’s an antiques wonderland. I also can’t resist cos on Regent Street for a bit of office-glam.

Small-dripping-cake

Categories ,Antiques, ,cakes, ,charity shop, ,Cooking, ,craft, ,Creative Review, ,Creativity, ,Culture, ,cupcakes, ,Entrepreneurship, ,film, ,handicraft, ,handy household hints, ,Home and Country, ,Jessica Simmons, ,Meryl Streep, ,photography, ,vintage cake-spot, ,women

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