Afternoon with Steph Bradley in Godalming

graveyard and bandstand

Yesterday I showed Steph Bradley around Guildford, today Godalming.

We looked in Godalming Parish Church, a candle lit for my friend Cristina, walked through the town, then back along the river, then popped into Café Mila.

I had a zingeer (I think pear, apple and ginger), excellent refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day. I then walked Steph Bradley to the station.

I returned to Café Mila and had lunch.

Long chat with one of the staff in Waterstone’s. He was putting books on display on the shelves I pointed out too many books, to be an effective display. I recommended Feral, The Zero Marginal Cost Society and when it comes out in August Adultery.

I had never bought bread from the local baker. I had bumped into a friend, as it was the end of the day, buy one get one free, so we picked two loaves. But why not simply sell off at half price?

Note: The bread was not very good.

I had looked in the greengrocer earlier, a mouth watering selection of fruit and vegetables.

Note: Next day, the strawberries were all rotten.

Bus to Guildford. I decided in the heat, walk up the High Street to Joint, a new butcher in Jeffries Passage. It was so annoying to find them not open, even though it was not yet five o’clock,

Very refreshing gingeerade in Harris + Hoole. I did not ask what it was made of. Possibly apple or pear or maybe both and ginger.

lost and found Tales of Our Times

Yesterday, I had left Tales of Our Times outside the Old Ford. I thanked them for looking after it for me. The least I could do was haev a drink, and so I sat outside with a drink reading the latest issue of Transition Free Press.

Steph Bradley storytelling at Harris + Hoole

Steph Bradley with Alice

water meadows at St Catherine’s Lock

I would love to be able to report a huge success, as Steph had travelled some distance as part of her Tales of Our Times tour but sadly not, as not a soul turned up.

Why, I do not know. Posters and flyers in Harris + Hoole, but we had not (to my knowledge distributed elsewhere, for example Guildford Library, Guildford Institute, Tourist Information, but they were made aware. Staff at Harris + Hoole, let their customers know. We made use of social media, both I and Harris + Hoole tweeted, though no one re-tweeted. Maybe it was because it was Sunday, maybe because it was outside their usual opening hours.

Join us from 7-8:30pm this evening for storytelling with @WynnAlice from her new book "Tales of Our Times", free snacks will be provided 🙂

— H+H Guildford (@HHGuildford) June 22, 2014

Guildford Book Festival was aware, but failed to pass the word on social media. Do they not like highlighting local book events? Shame on them if they do not.

For those who thought they might have come, this is what you missed.

Following a dream, Steph spent six months walking around England, telling stories, collecting stories. All of which was writ in the great book, Tales of Our Times. Tales of Our Times, is a limited edition, collectors item. Had folk turned up, they could have bought at reduced price, a signed copy. They could also have entered a raffle to win a copy.

Steph is bringing out a new book soon, maybe towards the end of this year, Flip Flop, first as an e-book on leanpub, then as a paperback.

Maybe if the Guildford Fringe Book Festival ever gets off the ground, maybe Steph will return.

Steph had for me, a signed copy of Tales of Our Times. To her great surprise and joy, I gave her a signed copy of a special limited edition 25th anniversary copy of The Alchemist.

Copies of Transition Free Press were left at Harris + Hoole, plus details of her books and how to order. Hopefully, Harris + Hoole will act as distribution for Transition Free Press.

Shock horror, on my way home, I found I no longer had my signed copy of Tales of Our Times. Where had I left it? My initial thoughts were on the train. I thought very very carefully, of all aspects of journey since leaving Harris + Hoole. Maybe, just maybe, I had left it at a pub where I had briefly stopped, sitting at an outside table. I called the pub. they checked, and yes it was sitting there. They said they would safeguard it for me to collect.

Prior to Harris + Hoole, I gave Steph a guided tour of Guildford, a walk along the river, and we were very lucky to catch a lady locking up St Mary’s Church (where Lewis Carroll preached) and we got a quick look inside.

• The Calling
• Tales of Two Times
• Power and Money in Transition

Steph at Harris + Hoole with The Alchemist and Tales of Our Times

Afternoon in Guildford with Steph Bradley

Steph Bradley with Alice

water meadows at St Catherine’s Lock

Sunday is not a day I would usually spend in Guildford, besides it was a hot day, I would rather be relaxing in my garden, as it was a very hot day. But, I had arranged to meet storyteller and author Steph Bradley, who was on her Tales of Our Times tour, act as her guide for the day, then escort her to her venue that evening.

Luckily our trains arrived within minutes of each other.

We walked along the river, and I showed her Alice and her sister, and the rabbit vanishing down a rabbit hole.

I had intended to eat at the Thai restaurant in Jeffries Passage, but not knowing if it would be open, and it was a shame to be indoors, I thought try The Keystone, if not too crowded.

I expected The Keystone to be packed, but it was not, but then neither were the other pubs.

The Keystone has recently changed hands, after it went rapidly downhill. What would it be like? Widescreen TV, definitely a retrograde step, but otherwise much need renovation. And the food? Our fish cakes were excellent, though the salad not as good as used to be.

A lazy day, I was happy to sit there all afternoon, but I had promised to show Steph around.

We went for a walk along the river, as far as St Catherine’s Lock.

We were very lucky, a lady was locking up St Mary’s. She agreed to let us briefly look inside.

Then it was to her venue, Harris + Hoole for story telling. Sadly no one turned up.

Steph had for me a signed copy of her book Tales of Our Times.

Shock horror, I no longer had it. I must have left it on the train. I thought long and hard, maybe, just maybe, I had left it at the Old Ford, where we had briefly stopped. I called the Old Ford, blessed relief, it was there. I thanked them and said I would pop in and pick it up.

Tales of Two Times

Stories from Flip Flop, a preview of a yet to be published new book from Steph Bradley.

We last met Steph Bradley as she narrated the tales of WynnAlice as she walked around England telling tales, collecting tales, all collected together in the great book Tales of Our Times.

We tell stories, but what if those stories no longer match reality? Is it not then time to tell new stories?

Steph has embarked on the Tales of Our Times tour.

My Spring/Summer newsletter has details of my Storytelling Tour which starts tomorrow Monmouth Eco Open Doors weekend http://t.co/BLXcuonmr3

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) May 31, 2014

I 'm off on tour with Tales of Our Times throughout June. Come hear me storytell! https://t.co/kbEMALiJba #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) May 22, 2014

The Matlocks and the Terrible Thing

WynnAlice had a dream, six moons in the planning, six moons in the walking, she was to set off from the town that was not too big, not too small, and walk from town to village, village to town, telling tales, collecting tales, all to be writ in the great book, Tales of Our Times, a book of 13 chapters and 13 copies, there being 13 moons in a year.

A sojourn in Derbyshire. From The Matlocks to Chesterfield.

The Matlock Tree Group rescue trees hanging precariously onto thin limestone soils and replant. Everywhere they can, they plant trees.

The Matlock Tree Group started when local schoolchildren cleared a patch for a vegetable garden and dumped unwanted ash trees in a skip. The tree group rescued the ash trees and replanted them.

The local community support a local farmer, agreeing to buy a few of his lambs paying a better price than he would get if he took the lambs to market. They also hand feed orphaned lambs, rejected by their mothers or pushed out by greedy siblings.

Amazing how local planners can never find grounds to stop unwanted development, and yet local people who they supposedly are paid to serve, can always find many grounds.

In Chesterfield, all the schools have an allotment.

Our narrator is working on a new book, Flip Flop.

Based partly on true stories of the many people today who are already living their lives in a way that makes the world a better place to live in, Flip Flop seeks to give us a glimpse of a very different world; a world where debt is unknown, a world where people’s access to land and a home is their birthright, and where each and every child born is wanted, loved, and knows their purpose.

It was hoped to fund Flip Flop through crowd funding, but unfortunately it failed to reach its crowd funding target on sponsume. One third was raised, 40% if count those who paid direct to the author to avoid charges.

A big question mark on the many transition groups visited. Had they all chipped in, the target would have easily have been met, and they would have all benefited when Flip Flop was published.

Flip Flop will now be published in serial form on leanpub as an e-book. Everyone who pays to download leanpub, will receive Flip Flop chapter by chapter, until they have the complete book through regular updates. This has the advantages for both reader and author, and the author can get feedback and interact with the readers as the books is being written.

This is how all the classics were published. They they were first serialised in magazines, then published as a book.

Once the funds are raised, Flip Flop will be published as a paperback.

Contrast the vision of the future envisaged in Flip Flop with The Country Formerly Known as London.

With 100 advance orders, there is the possibility of Tales of Our Times being published as a paperback.

Our narrator will soon be touring the country. Dates have been fixed, but should you wish to host a story teller, please get in touch.

• The calling –> <—
• A Little Bit of Paradise <—

Schumacher storytelling

ideas that come to us in the middle of the night are always the best

In a half sleep, he dreams of better worlds,
And dreaming hears thee still.

— Coleridge

Following a dream, six moons in the planning, six moons in the walking, WynnAlice set off from the town that was not too big, not too small, collecting tales, telling tales, writ in the great book, Tales of Our Times, a book of 13 chapters and 13 copies, there being 13 moons in a year.

But how did it all begin?

Invited to Schumacher College to tell a few tales, our narrator tells of how it all began …

Sound quality is unfortunately very poor.

• The calling
• Following Dreams
• Sharing, Stories and Gifting
• Tales of Our Times newsletter March 2014

Flip Flop is a new book in the offing. Unfortunately it failed to reach its crowd funding target on sponsume. One third was raised, 40% if count those who paid direct to the author to avoid charges.

Flip Flop will now be published in serial form on leanpub as an e-book. Everyone who pays to download leanpub, will receive Flip Flop chapter by chapter, until they have the complete book through regular updates. This has the advantages for both reader and author, and the author can get feedback and interact with the readers as the books is being written.

This is how all the classics were published. They they were first serialised in magazines, then published as a book.

Once the funds are raised, Flip Flop will be published as a paperback.

Contrast the vision of the future envisaged in Flip Flop with The Country Formerly Known as London.

With 100 advance orders, there is the possibility of Tales of Our Times being published as a paperback.

A Little Bit of Paradise

WynnAlice had a dream, she was to walk the length and breadth of England, telling tales, collecting tales, six moons in the planning, six moons in the walking, she set out from the town that was not too big and not too small. The tales she writ in a great book, Tales of Our Times, a book of 13 chapters and 13 copies, there being 13 moons in a year.

We catch up with WynnAlice as she sets off from Nottingham to Derbyshire.

The good folk of Derby brewed their own beers, until Bass the Transport Man found there was more money to be made brewing than transporting beer, and set up his own brewery in Burton-on-Trent, famed for its ideal water for beer making, and put the brewers in Derby out of business.

Derby is too dependent on a few large employers.

Once a market town, Derby needs to reclaim its status as a market town, with a real market.

Creating a forest garden in a school with the help of the children. To be replicated in more schools, not just in Derby, but across the country.

Our narrator is working on a new book, Flip Flop, but she needs your help to make it possible.

Based partly on true stories of the many people today who are already living their lives in a way that makes the world a better place to live in, Flip Flop seeks to give us a glimpse of a very different world; a world where debt is unknown, a world where people’s access to land and a home is their birthright, and where each and every child born is wanted, loved, and knows their purpose.

Please sponsor, please spread the word, tweet on twitter, share on facebook, tell all your friends.

If everyone who follows this blog, contributes something, spreads the word, the deadline will be met and the book published.

If every transition group sponsored and shared, if they asked all their supporters to do the same, we would see the crowd funding for Flip Flop many times oversubscribed.

Our narrator is rapidly running out of time, with less than a day left to raise the money to make publication possible.

"Flip Flop – Tales of Two Times" is coming https://t.co/SaoManSdhD 5 days left to sponsor it! http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 26, 2014

I just backed an author's publishing project, what about you? "Flip Flop – A Tale For Our Times" http://t.co/xI7auE8Lf7

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@keithpp @WynnAlice worthy effort. We can all stick together to make things happen. Never met Alice but she'll be able to "pay it forward"

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@hf @keithpp thanks so much for the support. it helps me to know I am on the right path. I won't forget when it is my turn to offer support

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 27, 2014

Feeling very supported http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa by my latest sponsors. @keithpp @hf #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 28, 2014

Remember your kickstarter & how people backed it @GlennF? Want to pay it fwd? "Flip Flop – A Tale For Our Times" http://t.co/xI7auE8Lf7

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 29, 2014

Check out a storytelling near you… or book me to come See newsletter for latest dates: http://t.co/BdsxN6b29B #transition #utopia @hf

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 30, 2014

Tales of Our Times March Newsletter – http://t.co/mrUkIqvcZP

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 30, 2014

• The calling –> <—
• A Trip in the City of Caves <—
• The Matlocks and the Terrible Thing —>

A Trip in the City of Caves

WynnAlice had a dream, walk from village to town, town to village, collecting tales, telling tales. Six moons in the planning, six moons in the walking. The tales collected in a great book, Tales of Our Times, a book of 13 chapters and 13 copies.

Nottingham, a city of caves and lace, and Robin Hood.

Old Jerusalem, the oldest pub in England?

Need help in the garden? Make use of the local time-share scheme or share the garden, share the produce.

If people hoard money, the system breaks down, money has to flow.

Trust is vital in a Gift Economy.

Too large a group, and people do not know each other. If, a group is too large, spin off and form a new group with a wide range of skills.

Networks. The people in the group have the skills to make the group possible, the group brings together those with the skills. Each group can support each other.

Our narrator is working on a new book, Flip Flop, but she needs your help to make it possible.

Based partly on true stories of the many people today who are already living their lives in a way that makes the world a better place to live in, Flip Flop seeks to give us a glimpse of a very different world; a world where debt is unknown, a world where people’s access to land and a home is their birthright, and where each and every child born is wanted, loved, and knows their purpose.

Please sponsor, please spread the word, tweet on twitter, share on facebook, tell all your friends.

If everyone who follows this blog, contributes something, spreads the word, the deadline will be met and the book published.

If every transition group sponsored and shared, if they asked all their supporters to do the same, we would see the crowd funding for Flip Flop many times oversubscribed.

She is rapidly running out of time, with less than two days left to raise the money to make publication possible.

"Flip Flop – Tales of Two Times" is coming https://t.co/SaoManSdhD 5 days left to sponsor it! http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 26, 2014

I just backed an author's publishing project, what about you? "Flip Flop – A Tale For Our Times" http://t.co/xI7auE8Lf7

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@keithpp @WynnAlice worthy effort. We can all stick together to make things happen. Never met Alice but she'll be able to "pay it forward"

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@hf @keithpp thanks so much for the support. it helps me to know I am on the right path. I won't forget when it is my turn to offer support

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 27, 2014

Feeling very supported http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa by my latest sponsors. @keithpp @hf #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 28, 2014

Remember your kickstarter & how people backed it @GlennF? Want to pay it fwd? "Flip Flop – A Tale For Our Times" http://t.co/xI7auE8Lf7

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 29, 2014

• The calling –> <—
• The City In The Mid Lands <—
• A Little Bit of Paradise —>

The City In The Mid Lands

From Rutland to the Mid Lands.

WynnAlice continues her epic walk, telling tales, collecting tales, as she walks from place to place, to be writ in the great book Tales of Our Times, a book of 13 chapters and 13 copies, because there are 13 moons in a year.

Six moons in the walking, inspired by a dream, inspired by the great Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, who encourages dreamers to take the risk and follow their dreams, and not let naysayers deter them.

Solutions are many, not one, the failure of -isms.

Solutions grow organically, they adapt to their surroundings, as the natural world does.

Why is dance so important? Athena in The Witch of Portobello.

Cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End, we reached I think Edinburgh, we had cycled all day, and yet, to the amazement of the locals, we were able to dance all night and them not.

Tales collected, tales told. All destined for the great book.

Our narrator Steph Bradley, has a new book in the offing, but she needs our help. She is running out of time to raise the money for the book.

Please sponsor, please spread the word, tweet on twitter, share on facebook, tell all your friends.

If everyone who follows this blog, contributes something, spreads the word, the deadline will be met and the book published.

If every transition group sponsored and shared, if they asked all their supporters to do the same, we would see the crowd funding for Flip Flop many times oversubscribed.

"Flip Flop – Tales of Two Times" is coming https://t.co/SaoManSdhD 5 days left to sponsor it! http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 26, 2014

I just backed an author's publishing project, what about you? "Flip Flop – A Tale For Our Times" http://t.co/xI7auE8Lf7

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@keithpp @WynnAlice worthy effort. We can all stick together to make things happen. Never met Alice but she'll be able to "pay it forward"

— H.A. Freeman **** (@hf) March 27, 2014

@hf @keithpp thanks so much for the support. it helps me to know I am on the right path. I won't forget when it is my turn to offer support

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 27, 2014

Feeling very supported http://t.co/2Bwb4BNhZa by my latest sponsors. @keithpp @hf #transition #utopia

— Steph Bradley (@WynnAlice) March 28, 2014

• The calling –> <—
• The Jewel in the Centre of the Land <—
• A Trip in the City of Caves —>

The Place Where Bridges cross the River Cam

WynnAlice had a dream, six moons in the planning, six moons in the walking, WynnAlice set off one spring morn from the town that was not too big and not too small, to walk from town to village, village to town, telling tales, collecting tales, shod on her feet in only a par of red flip flops and wearing only what she could carry on her back, WynnAlice was to write the tales in a great book known as Tales of Our Times, a book of thirteen chapters and thirteen copies, because there are thirteen moons in a year.

WynnAlice has spent many weeks walking through the south of England, has passed through London, has caught a glimpse of Junus, The God of Transition, in the Parish Church, all that remains of the great abbey of Waltham Abbey.

WynnAlice is now on her way to Cambridge, the town where the bridge crosses the crooked river.

• The calling –> <—
• The God of Transition <—
• The Jewel in the Centre of the Land —>