The Big Green Weekend was officially opened by our HB Mayor Paul Monahan, our MP Christine Mccafferty, Lord Shutt and our Mayoress, Di Monahan

The second Big, Green Weekend held by the Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre took place this weekend all around the town.

Opening the weekend’s events Paul Monahan, the Mayor of Hebden Bridge, Lord David Shutt of Greetland a former Mayor of Calderdale and Calder Valley MP Chris McCafferty all paid tribute to the work put in by the volunteers who started up and currently run the Centre. Chris McCafferty spoke of the cynicism which she had encountered about the Centre when it began just over two years ago. Some people had, she said, dismissed it as yet another worthy Hebden Bridge scheme doomed to come to nothing. The fact that it was continuing to grow and looked likely to become a permanent and valuable resource for the town was one more reason she was proud to live in Hebden Bridge.

Street entertainment including a puppet show for children was provided by "The Amazing Cycle Powered Answer to Everything Machine" amusing shoppers as it was pedalled through the streets sporting, amongst other attractions, a windmill structure rising about ten feet from the handlebars.

Advice about energy saving in the home was given in the Ground Floor Centre where all enquirers received a free, 20 watt low energy light bulb. The Derby Alternative Technology Association demonstration truck gave several presentations of wind and solar power systems and an example of the world’s first bio-diesel powered car was available for inspection in St. George’s Square.

At the centre itself visitors went round the attractive well stocked shop which sells a wide range of green products such as the Battery Farm, a recharger for ordinary batteries, clockwork radios, battery free torches and children’s toys with an environmental theme such as making solar chargers.

But the Centre is not just concerned with issues of energy use but also tries to make a more artistic use out of what we usually regard as waste products. Lampshades, striking fruit/salad bowls and place mats have been made by local craftspeople from recycled paper and plastics. Artistic uses have been found for the most unlikely materials such as plastic can holders which had been heated and moulded into an attractive screen.

A popular attraction was the exercise bike which demonstrated the human energy needed to power a radio, a light and an electric fire. Although everyone managed to activate the radio and most the light we did not see anyone fit enough to switch on the 1,000 watt electric fire.

Another interesting draw was the solar powered water feature built from a series of recycled plastic water bottles.

Sunday saw two short, family walks to Latham Farm in Old Town. The longer ten mile hike which had been planned was cancelled because of the Foot and Mouth disease restrictions called for this weekend by the National Farmers’ Union. A farmers’ market selling local produce was held in the St. George’s Square car park.

Overall, this was a successful weekend which bodes well for the future of the Alternative Technology Centre.