Hoping to make the transition

Members of Towards Transition Leominster want to follow the lead of places such as Totnes, in Devon, in becoming a Transition Town.

Tonight (Thursday), they will screen a film about how Cuba coped with an energy crisis when it lost access to Soviet oil, and hope it will kick-start interest in Leominster.

"Hopefully the UK will never face such a sudden oil shock as Cuba, but the writing is on the wall," said spokeswoman Ann Ashley.

"The world now uses more than 1,000 barrels of oil a second. Reserves are diminishing and the price is soaring. Many aspects of our lives are likely to be affected including food production and supply.

"The transition movement aims to encourage a boost in local food production including more 'grow your own'."

Group member Pete Blench said becoming a transition town is about "planning for a post-carbon future."

"This is a grassroots movement which looks at practical ways of reducing energy use and becoming more self-reliant.

"It is a positive thing and, although there is a big mountain to climb, you cannot start too early.

"We are not going to solve the world's problems, but maybe Leominster can play its part with people making little changes day by day.

"Leominster, and indeed Herefordshire, has the potential to be far more self-sufficient.

"We could implement schemes such as community supported agriculture whereby townspeople have a direct link to surrounding farms, giving them control over what is being produced."

The group have also discussed the possibility of extending a successful allotment scheme introduced by Leominster Town Council.

The Power of the Community will be shown tonight at Leominster Community Centre, in School Road, at 7.30pm.

Trish Marsh, who is eating only Herefordshire food for a year, will be giving a talk on July 10 starting at 7.30pm.

Anyone interested in getting involved is asked to call Ann Ashley 01885 410473.