God created woman - quickly followed by chocolate

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 10, 2008 9:26 PM

Not that I need any excuse to indulge, but I am super excited that my favourite week of the year is almost upon us; National Chocolate Week and it arrives in Newcastle with a mouth watering chocolate sculpting session on Monday.

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Ecoiffeurs

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 30, 2008 8:46 PM

My new word of the week and I coined it after a fantastic trip to LEAF in Heaton, a hairdressing salon who are trying their best to tame our tresses in a planet friendly fashion.

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In town without my car day

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 18, 2008 3:39 PM

Commuters and visitors to Newcastle are being asked to leave the car at home on Monday 22nd September for In town without my car Day.

To help this along, a whole host of activities, from lectures to walking buses, have been laid on by the City Council.

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Mollusc morals

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2008 6:45 PM

Slug and snails in the compost bin - is it ethical?

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Toothbrushes - wherefore art thou?

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 11, 2008 2:13 PM

The sad closure of Out of this World has left readers wondering where they can buy re-useable toothbrushes, but don't worry because I've travelled the length and breadth of the North East on a mission to track some down.

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Eggs and oil

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 9, 2008 10:42 AM

The credit crunch is bringing both good and bad news for the environment.
As consumers start to tighten their belts, even Posh Spice has been seen shopping in Oxfam.

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City gardening goes green

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 4, 2008 1:13 PM

A chance to learn how to 'green' your city garden or 'Tyneside Yards' as they are affectionately known here; is being offered through a ten session course.

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I don't want to look like a hippy!

Posted by Anna Heywood on July 10, 2008 10:42 PM

One reader, off to Venice, wants to know if she can be green and still look and smell sophisticated and refined.

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Watch your dinner grow

Posted by Anna Heywood on July 8, 2008 4:28 PM

When Bob Fountain, owner of the Black horse pub in Beamish, asked me to come and check out his vegetable patch, I had no idea he meant all 33 acres of it!

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Seasonal food for July

Posted by Anna Heywood on July 6, 2008 10:17 AM

Wimbledon and picnics spring to mind for July with all the lovely soft fruit and new potatoes that are available.
Fresh crispy leaves, potato salad and mackerel are perfect for barbeques and soft fruit is excellent in a smoothie or dipped in chocolate for an extra special treat.

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How much are you using?

Posted by Anna Heywood on June 17, 2008 12:15 PM

With utility prices going through the roof and many more of us trying to reduce our carbon footprint, there are now a number of clever methods and gadgets to help us work out exactly how much energy we are using in the home.

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June seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on June 13, 2008 12:37 PM

I still refuse to buy organic apples that have been shipped all the way over from New Zealand or South Africa, but hurrah, at last there are a few more fruits available other than Rhubarb.

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Message to Colin Firth

Posted by Anna Heywood on June 10, 2008 10:54 PM

My Dad wants a word with you!

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Eco-cleaning doesn’t get results?

Posted by Anna Heywood on May 18, 2008 3:37 PM

Complaints about the effectiveness of eco-cleaners put people off using them, however as always the magic is in the method.

I received two emails this week about cleaning products, both with different views; however the answer to both was really about the different methods of cleaning that are necessary when using natural products.

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Fill her up

Posted by Anna Heywood on May 12, 2008 7:16 PM

Re-fills for cleaning products are now available after pressure from Journallive readers.

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Get on your bike

Posted by Anna Heywood on May 8, 2008 4:15 PM

Parents are being urged to halt a generational decline in cycling.

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May seasonal food - the true season of love

Posted by Anna Heywood on May 2, 2008 10:20 PM

Asparagus, long regarded as one of the foods of love is back!

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Sting – eco-hypocrite

Posted by Anna Heywood on April 28, 2008 1:25 PM

His wife finally put her hands up and admitted what we knew all along.

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Famine in Heaton

Posted by Anna Heywood on April 21, 2008 11:36 PM

It’s a good job that I wasn’t relying on my seed crop to feed us all this year.

According to reports in a number of newspapers today, vegetable seed sales have increased by 60 per cent as Britons attempt to save money while credit crunch hits and apparently vegetable seed sales are outstripping flower seeds for the first time since we were told to Dig for Victory in the Second World War

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April seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on April 11, 2008 7:32 PM

Enough with the rhubarb!

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R-egg-volting

Posted by Anna Heywood on April 9, 2008 5:52 PM

Last month Channel 5 asked to interview me about my opinion on Easter Eggs.

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Clothes swap

Posted by Anna Heywood on March 10, 2008 1:08 PM

A fantastic opportunity to clear out the clothes that you no longer wear and exchange them for something you will.

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March seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on March 2, 2008 3:45 PM

The garden is beginning to wake up for the year and a few early spring vegetable varieties and herbs are starting to burst through.

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Stuff the flowers and stuff with love instead

Posted by Anna Heywood on February 9, 2008 9:13 PM

Valentine’s Day, a day the planet could do without; but don’t worry I have a number of tried and tested alternatives to the planet degrading usual suspects.

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February seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on February 3, 2008 5:15 PM

Brrr, it’s time for lots of warming soups and stews.

It was husband’s birthday last week and my mother got him his much wished for slow-cooker.

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Free eco-day out for the kids

Posted by Anna Heywood on February 1, 2008 8:58 AM

If you’re looking for something to do with the children this weekend then take a trip to Washington Wetlands Centre.

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Are celebs jumping on the green bandwagon?

Posted by Anna Heywood on January 29, 2008 10:07 PM

Absolutely, and most of us can see through it.

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Ecoballs part two

Posted by Anna Heywood on January 20, 2008 11:17 AM

The results of my Ecoballs trial are in. So after 8 weeks of use do they work or not?

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January seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on January 8, 2008 8:47 AM

Locally-produced fresh fruit is difficult to find at this time of year.
There are still a few late pear varieties around and although not strictly a fruit, forced rhubarb is available in many outlets.

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Too late for ethical christmas shopping?

Posted by Anna Heywood on December 23, 2007 1:17 PM

Is it too late to get ethical Christmas gifts that don’t look so ‘ethical’?

Dear Anna,
One day to go till Christmas and I fear that I may have left it too late to get any decent ethical Christmas gifts.

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No I'm not Mary Poppins

Posted by Anna Heywood on December 12, 2007 12:07 PM

Do I send Christmas cards?
It’s a question I get asked a lot, perhaps in some way to check how ‘eco’ I really am.

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December seasonal food

Posted by Anna Heywood on December 11, 2007 4:36 PM

It's difficult not to mention turkeys at this time of year.

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Ecoballs

Posted by Anna Heywood on November 29, 2007 4:25 PM

Balls that claim to wash clothes without detergent – its time for me to get my eco-detective hat on.

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The 50 things that will save the planet

Posted by Anna Heywood on November 16, 2007 4:42 PM

What will it take?
The environment agency put this question to 25 experts who came back with a list from the profound to the practical to the downright peculiar.
Interestingly, not one of them said it’s too late...

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Green business support

Posted by Anna Heywood on November 15, 2007 2:53 PM

Dear Anna,
I check your blog daily and really like the fact that you don’t lecture and make me feel guilty. My only criticism is that I wish you blogged each day as your entries make me chuckle.

I have a query, which although isn’t about ethical living, I thought that you could help me with.

I've just started a job at an events company and as the only person in the office with a 'green' lifestyle in any sense of the word I've been charged with making a presentation to the management about how we can reduce our environmental impact.

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ECOnned!

Posted by Anna Heywood on November 9, 2007 11:28 AM

Hmmm I am not a happy bunny today.
I was brought up on this ethical lark and have been taught well in being able to see through even the thickest of greenwash.

But sometimes it happens that we are caught out and today I feel like I have been well and truly ECO-conned!

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November seasonal food - eat up your greens

Posted by Anna Heywood on November 2, 2007 9:14 PM

Now is the time of year to start eating all those iron rich leafy greens such as kale, cabbages, brussels.
Roots are also lovely just now and make a lovely broth for winter time.

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Ash and the big ask

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 29, 2007 2:55 PM

Who says students don't care?
Last week a group of students from Newcastle University kindly came to the rescue at the Ash concert which was held at the Carling Academy.

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Winter worms

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 18, 2007 11:28 AM

Half term is just around the corner and I have just the job to keep the little rascals busy.

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Get a handle on your waste

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 15, 2007 8:46 PM

How often do you wear your toothbrush handle out?

Well if you are like most people, you’ve never had your toothbrush long enough to find out.
Changing your toothbrush 4 times a year, as recommended by dentists, means that on average most people will get through around 280 toothbrushes in their life time.

About 95% of the toothbrush is made up of a perfectly reusable handle and yet we throw this away – madness.

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Safia so fair

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 13, 2007 11:28 AM

I was really pleased to see the interview with People Tree founder, the inspirational Safia Minney, in this morning's edition of the Journal.

People Tree was one of the original fair trade fashion houses and Safia has done for fashion what the late great Anita Roddick did for beauty.

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Ice Angel

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 10, 2007 1:40 PM

Word is getting out about Blog Central and I have started to become something of a green agony aunt as my inbox takes in more and more queries from Journal readers.

Jean Oliver from Ilford Road has written in about her freezer and to be honest with you this lady deserves my green halo of the week award.

Dear Anna
I wanted to say that I really enjoy reading your blog and am writing to you as I need some advice about freezer usage.

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Seasonal food for October

Posted by Anna Heywood on October 9, 2007 1:02 PM

Yey, its apple bobbing time again!
English apples and pears are at their most delicious right now and foragers should also look out for damsons, elderberries and sloes in the hedgerows.
My mother is in her element at the moment as she prepares all that sloe gin for Christmas.

Here is a comprehensive guide to what other local food is in season this month.

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Perks of the job

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 28, 2007 1:14 PM

One of the perks of writing for the Journal is that you get some great invites.
I was invited this week to a Fairtrade event by Business in the Community .
The event was titled 'The business case for Fairtrade in your workplace.

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Surf and save

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 25, 2007 10:07 AM

If every little helps, no matter how small, then even adjusting your search engine page to a black google can help to make a decrease in the amount of climate changing gases released as a result of your internet surfing habits.
Blackle , an all black version of the google search engine page, claims to have so far saved 218,461.638 watt hours of energy.

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Party bags are no fun for the planet

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 17, 2007 9:52 AM

It seems to me that a measurement, amongst peers, of successful parenthood is the party bag.

No matter that your child has weight problems, is stressed and has attention seeking issues because you’re too busy to spend any time with him/her; no, what is really important is a bag full of tat and your social standing in the playground is all dependant on the quality and quantity of that tat.

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Coat hangers- what would Joan Crawford have said!

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2007 2:08 PM

On reading the figures about how many store coat hangers we stash away; a mental image of Joan Crawford sprang to mind, menacingly brandishing the offending items over scores of cowering shoppers.

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Coat hanger amnesty

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2007 2:04 PM

The Northumberland Street M&S has been chosen as one of only 11 UK stores to take part in the retail giant’s ‘Coat hanger Amnesty’.

During the 20th-22nd September, members of the public will be invited to bring in their unwanted coat hangers, not just M&S ones, which will then go for recycling in a bid to divert an estimated 100 million hangers from going in to Landfill.

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Go green in a fortnight!

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2007 12:44 PM

Nobody expects you to change your lifestyle overnight – that just isn’t practical – but we are all going to have to make changes in the next few years.

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Ethical living in the dock

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 7, 2007 9:14 PM

The children and I will be at Spiller’s Wharf on the Quayside tomorrow afternoon, learning how to live more ethically from the crew of a Finnish sailing ship that acts as a floating campaign centre for a fairer world.

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Seasonal food for September

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 6, 2007 11:08 AM

Are you going to the Farmers' Market at Monument tomorrow (9.30-2.30)?

I have put together a comprehensive list of local seasonal produce available in September so that you can look out for it whilst shopping.

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Brits holiday closer to home

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 5, 2007 1:26 PM

Nice to know that I am on-trend for a change. This year we holidayed in Devon and according to three recent surveys, we were not the only ones taking our break a little closer to home.

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Good behaviour pays

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 4, 2007 10:06 PM

I have hit upon a great way to incentivise my children to cycle everywhere – pay them.

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Back to school impact

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 4, 2007 11:57 AM

I tried very hard today to find out how many trees are felled to provide all those pencils and notepads that are bought in the back-to -school madness and I couldn't find a thing!
You don't need to be an Eco-guru to know that it a) must be lots and that b) that can not be a good thing for the planet.

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Grass is greener by train

Posted by Anna Heywood on September 3, 2007 1:30 PM

Travellers going through Newcastle Central Train station today will notice a nice green garden bang smack in the middle of the concourse.

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Last chance for ethical fashion bargains

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 31, 2007 11:31 AM

Those fab people at the ethical fashion superstore Adili are having a final summer clearance, so go on-line and see if you can bag yourself a bargain.

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Dinner Dilemma - Local V Organic

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 31, 2007 10:37 AM

The children are spending their last week of the summer holidays at Grandma’s and I thought that my lovely husband and I could spend our last night of ‘childfreeness’ (I think that I just made up a new word) enjoying a good meal out.
I duly googled ‘Newcastle Organic Restaurant’ and amongst the usual suspects spotted one that I had never considered before: Oldfields.
As it turns out Oldfields do not sell themselves as an organic restaurant, but claim to be one of the first restaurants in Durham and Newcastle to serve a seasonal menu with local ingredients. Preferably I would like organic AND local, but denied that option what should you do? Thus ensued a debate which lasted throughout dinner about ‘local versus organic’.

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Never miss a Farmers' Market again

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 29, 2007 4:56 PM

I love Farmers' Markets. I love pottering around, I love chatting to, in most cases, the actual producer and I really love tucking in to a basketful of goodies that I know hasn’t been airfreighted from thousands of miles away and sprayed with preserving chemicals to within an inch of its life.

With this in mind, I was most grateful when yesterday I was contacted by Nic Best, who amongst doing other green type things, runs the website for the Northumberland Farmers' Markets Association.

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Chilly Billy cools down the kids

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 10, 2007 9:21 PM

On hot days like these, do your children ask you for sticky sugary lollies and ice pops that you'd really rather they didn't have? True eco decision would be to make your own juice lollies or better still deny the little bleeders even that. Didn't you know that freezers use up lots of energy and that's bad!

Today my natural, organic, fair trade, lolly making skills totally deserted even me (somewhere amongst the mountain of washing to do), but I think that I may have found a compromise in 'Chilly Billy'.

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Yellow Pages recycling

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 10, 2007 9:11 PM

Have you recently received your new Yellow Pages? Not sure what to do with the old one?
Today Alice Massey from Newcastle and Gateshead Friends of the Earth sent me this timely email.

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NIMBY-ism may create activism

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 9, 2007 11:50 AM

My first two thoughts upon reading the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) comments in today's Journal (Waste activists take up a burning issue ) about waste incinerators were A) I'm sure I've heard the term 'poses little risk to public health' before and B) I don't actually care, in this case, what advice the HPA come out with; my gut instinct, and indeed I'm sure that of most other people, is that you wouldn't want an incinerator anywhere near you or your children.

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Keep it fair!

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 3, 2007 4:50 PM

We've all heard the terrible stories about the personal cost of mass market fashion: sweatshops, child labour, environmental disasters from dyes and bleaches.
Now my favourite ethical fashion store 'People Tree' has just launched 'Fashion at a Fair Price' and with it a fab new T-shirt.

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Business is not there to save the planet

Posted by Anna Heywood on August 3, 2007 3:17 PM

I read with interest the story in today’s Journal "Discovery could cut all greenhouse gases" about a ceramic tube device, which if inserted in to power stations, can reduce carbon emissions.

Whilst I was impressed with the yet again great technical and engineering capability of our region; I was also left annoyed that for this to be a viable option for business to consider, the scientists involved feel that ‘it will only be taken up if the Government increases its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by putting up financial penalties�?.

Well I’m afraid I won’t be holding my breath for that to happen.

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Seasonal food for August

Posted by Anna Heywood on July 30, 2007 6:31 AM

As summer heads towards its peak (did it ever get going?), fruit and vegetables should be in abundance.
As well as a list of seasonal fruit and vegetables for the month of August, I will post a couple of excellent links to sites which deal with seasonal and veg box recipes.
Happy Eating

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Hello and a big welcome to 'The Green Life' on The Journal’s Blog Central.

Posted by Anna Heywood on July 26, 2007 8:38 PM

These days hardly a day goes by with out there being an environmental story in the news. TV programmes are dedicated to showing us all how to ‘Go Green’. Shops and businesses are falling over themselves to shout about just how ethical they are and Popstars all over the world are jumping on the solar-powered bandwagon calling upon everyone to save planet earth, whilst doing the exact opposite themselves.

Very few people doubt the need to live a more sustainable lifestyle but its not always such an easy or straightforward thing to do.

Continue reading "Hello and a big welcome to 'The Green Life' on The Journal’s Blog Central." »

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