I present the full text here....
I visited Dalston, east London, on the Open House Weekend in September, and I was walking around unable to say anything but the word 'amazing', at the sight of a fish farm pumping water into propogators that heated and grew salad leaves for the in-house cafe (Farm: Shop, Dalston Lane). Also, I was heartened to see chicken coops on the roof of the shop, 7 foot tomato plants growing in a hothouse, mushrooms growing randomly all over the premises, home-made jams and honeys, a volunteer-run cafe serving up all kinds of wonderful sandwiches, also a tiny shop selling little seed kits and books for kids, pamphlets and plants for adults. There were fish and crabs in tanks, all kinds of green leafy edibles growing in every inch of space possible. No wonder it is known as a 'hug' cafe. I felt so ecstatic and inspired beyond all belief.
Next I visited the Dalston Eastern Curve garden, and that just iced my cake of a lifetime! This garden is built on a disused railway line and is surrounded by warehouses and industry, but you wouldn't know. It is a pure haven of greenery. Wooden beams tower over an indoor herb garden, there are home-crafted tables and chairs galore (favourite table: made of a haystack!), books on shelves where tomato plants climb high, and a wonderful garden that spreads down, down, down into a kids' play area.
What a perfect retreat and tonic for kids in the city. Dotted around are raised beds growing green, yellow, orange squash of all weird shapes, nasturtium, and so on. There is even a clay oven installed, and plans to grow a pizza garden! And plans are afoot for a pineapple house. Tables are dotted with activities for kids, like colouring in or making things, and there is an info point full of community info/leaflets for adults. A volunteer can be heard washing up in the makeshift kitchen, and is friendly to us on our way out, we could have stayed and talked, found out all about the place.
There are plenty of places to sit, where you can have tea or food from the volunteer-run cafe. Kids run about carefree and happy, with various carts and toys, and seem almost delirious in the freedom. This is the world I want to live in! I felt like throwing my arms in the air, yelling. This is what every town centre truly needs. No Starbucks or Tesco or JD Sports or Wagamama is ever going to solve social problems – buying things never will. A warm, welcoming garden, a safe haven of space for all to enjoy, one that is absolutely free and chock full of air freshened by growing greenery, surely will.
Now go on the websites of these places, to find out more. And write to your local MP to tell them you want a similar scheme set up. Volunteer or form a group, if you can. And while you are at it, if you are not from London, try and sit there and tell me it is not a green and beautiful place!
http://farmlondon.weebly.com/
http://dalstongarden.org/