Chipping Norton Theatre (above) was created from a 19th Century Salvation Army Citadel building. Its theatrical history dates back to 1975, when the Theatre was opened by Tom Baker, famed for playing Doctor Who on BBC TV.

The Theatre now features an excellent Bar and Gallery Space next door, and anyone who goes there knows that you can expect to find an interesting and original mix of events. Wherever your tastes run in the worlds of cinema, theatre, and music, CNT manages to put on something enjoyable.

Now it’s the turn of The English Eye to have a go, with a one-man show, ‘Visions of Chipping Norton’, to be held September 4-24, 2013.
A three-part event, ‘Visions’ is being created by Chipping Norton author, artist and photographer David Jefferis, aka ‘DJ’, your host at The English Eye. He’s a media veteran with publishers such as the London Observer, Dorling Kindersley, and Usborne under his belt. In New York, David’s futurist concepts have been displayed recently at the Lincoln Center.


These are three elements of the Visions Show:

Visions 1
Son et Lumiere display, projecting an eclectic mix of words, pictures and video clips, featuring Chippy (as residents affectionately call it) ‘Then’ and ‘Now.’ 


Visions 2
David will be signing new titles, including the full-colour hardback book of the show, ‘Visions of Chipping Norton.’


Visions 3
In the Theatre Gallery, DJ will be showing his latest prints of Chippy and the Cotswolds.

More updates as the Show’s content comes together during Spring and Summer, 2013. Meantime, catch up on what’s on at Chipping Norton Theatre here.

I finally had a chance to learn a little about the Transition Network (TN), inspiration for the hard work that went into Chippy’s Autumn Fair on October 6, 2012. The Giant Pumpkins were quite a sight there, as were other activities, shown in the pictures below.

It was interesting to see that TN started in one of my favourite small towns, Totnes in Devon. A friend of mine once lived in a rooftop eyrie next to the town wall, reached via a spiral metal ladder, with thuggish seagulls for company as you neared the top. Of a weekend evening, the aromas of garlic and cooking wafted up from the street below, and very convivial it all was – making us feel like haute cuisine versions of the Bisto Kids!

Back to the Transition Network, my feeling is that it’s an organization with its heart definitely in the right place, even if my science background tells me that terms like ‘peak oil’ are doom-mongering rather than strictly accurate. There’s plenty of black gold still down there, and getting it out depends more on the economics of market demand and technology, rather than any real shortage.

Perhaps ‘peak cheap oil’ is a better way of putting it, though even while there’s still plenty in the ground, we’re already moving toward a post-oil world, harvesting energy from that big ball in the sky to cover our needs into the foreseeable future, and beyond.

Here’s what the Transition Network says: “It’s a place where there’s a community-led process that helps that town/village/city/neighbourhood become stronger and happier.

“It’s happening in well over a thousand highly diverse communities across the world – from towns in Australia to neighbourhoods in Portugal, from cities in Brazil to rural communities in Slovenia, from urban locations in Britain to islands off the coast of Canada.

“These communities have started up projects in areas of food, transport, energy, education, housing, waste, arts etc. as small-scale local responses to the global challenges of climate change, economic hardship and shrinking supplies of cheap energy. Together, these small-scale responses make up something much bigger, and help show the way forward for governments, business and the rest of us.

“Really, it’s the opposite of us sitting in our armchairs complaining about what’s wrong, and instead, it’s about getting up and doing something constructive about it alongside our neighbours and fellow townsfolk. And people tell us that as a result of being involved in their local “transition initiative”, they’re happier, their community feels more robust and they have made a lot of new friends.”

All of which sounds good to me, and if the Autumn Fair was a typical result of local action initiatives, then that’s excellent. I’ve added some extra pictures from the day, and all the info you need on the Transition Network can be found here.

TN reminds me that I haven’t been to Totnes for quite a while, and now there’s an excuse to make the trip – some pix for The English Eye, and hopefully a local recipe or two.

A beautiful Autumn day means it’s time to raid the hedgerows for their berries. Now, this indifferent English summer has meant that 2012 has not been a bumper year for blackberries, though it’s been another story for elderberries, with my ‘secret’ hedge positively groaning with them

However, it’s blackberries that take my fancy today, so Chippy’s water tower field (below) was the target for a berry raid earlier. They are probably among the last of the crop, especially now we’re into times of chilly mornings. Once frosts start in earnest, the berries will be over.

What will I do with the blackberries? Well, there are plenty of recipes in books and online for jam, but most of them suggest too much sugar, so the finished product ends up over-sweet for my taste. As I found on my first jam-making session this year, a too slavish approach to following a recipe may end up with something that, whilst nice enough, may not quite hit the spot on the taste front.

We’re all different of course, both in how we appreciate foods, and in how our bodies react to them, which is why it’s important to regard a recipe as guidance rather than a straitjacket.

So far as the blackberries go, the early crop was mostly rather poor (not so elders, see pic above) with berries that tended to be small and not very sweet. Small berries take an age to pick too, so it’s a double-downer where satisfaction is concerned. However, it’s better late than never, now that we are in mid-October. Which leads me to the decision: should today’s blackberries be made into jam, jelly or compote?

I’m a great believer in groupthink, so after some deliberating here at TEE Towers, multiple tastebud desires gave the nod to a Blackberry and Apple Compote, so here’s my quick and easy recipe. It’s for a hand-picked 500 gr (1.1 lb) or so of berries. Adjust according to the quantity you pick.

BLACKBERRY AND APPLE COMPOTE

You need:
Blackberries
Cooking apple, a Bramley is ideal
Brown sugar
Red wine

I use a wooden spoon to stir, Kilner jar to store.

1: Wash the berries through to remove any creepy-crawlies or other bits and pieces. Place in a saucepan with 1/3 cup of water. Bring to boil, cover and cook until soft – about 10 minutes.
2: Pour softened berries into a container, place on one side. Peel and cut Bramley apple into fingernail-sized cubes. Add 1/3 cup of water, 2-3 level dessertspoons of brown sugar.
3: Cook carefully. Don’t allow to burn, but do allow the sugar to caramelize a little, to add depth and flavour. Should take no more than 10-15 minutes until the sugar is browned and apple done. The apple cubes should be soft, but not mushy.
4: Add the blackberries to the apples (fold, don’t dollop), together with half a glass of good red wine – Claret or Cote du Rhone is ideal.
5: Bring back to the boil for a few minutes, stirring gently to allow the flavours to blend and the alcohol to evaporate. Add some sugar if this is recipe is a little tart for you, then remove from heat and set to one side.
6: Prepare a container – I use standard Kilner jars – and scald well with boiling water. Pour the compote mixture into the jar, close and seal the top. Leave to cool thoroughly before storing in the fridge.

As for eating, blackberry and apple compote goes with most things, especially morning cereal, or eaten with plain yoghurt as a simple but tasty sweet. Enjoy!