Not just a pretty website
Now we're on local radio- Leighton Buzz radio.. The interview can be found on their catchup.
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Some things can't be unheard.
We like ice cream
Forget the Rio Carnival. Forget the Notting Hill Carnival, or even Luton Carnival. The best Carnival in the world is the Leighton Buzzard Carnival. There must have been dozens of people at it, including this van:
So if you see this van, buy some FT ice cream. What agony it is doing the right thing.
Feeling in need of cake?
Then pop down to Waitrose, buy some of these Fairtrade ingredients, and get baking!
Alternatively, lie on your back and pour the contents of these directly in your mouth. Then you won't need to wait for cake to cool.
Right bright light sight delight
We were so pleased to see our status advertised in bright lights on the sign.
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The one in the foreground, not the blue one. That's simply a reminder that we don't like people trying to leave the town.
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Random picture
Canal Festival 2019
A big thanks to the people at The Print Place who gave up lunch to cut cards for our Wheel of Fortune.
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We were there at the Canal Festival again, giving away everso tiny bars of chocolate. And playing was free! As in actual free, not as in after a month you pay free.
The Wheel of Fortune is kinda dangerous now, so we make people put on high vis jackets to play,
We were also giving away copies of our unbelievable recipe leaflet (read the health and safety warning first. In fact you should probably wear a high vis jacket throughout the preparation process.).
Fancy a jam sandwich?
Then you'll be heading off to the new Marks and Spencers food store and buying their jam or marmalade. Is marmalade really just jam refusing to acknowledge its heritage? Best answer wins a prize. Maybe.
Don't all rush there at once to get the marmalade, or we'll have a traffic jam.
Fairtrade fortnight 2019
We gave away a load of chocolate to the good people of Leighton-Linslade. Waitrose were the very, very kind supermarket who gave us a pile of choc and the space to give it away.
The lady seems totally unfazed by being given a stuffed bee and being asked to pose for the camera.
Fairtrade Fortnite Update
Well, it happened. The Fairtrade Cake and Biscuits Bring and Buy Coffee Morning at Trinity Methodist Church on 9th March.
I mean life doesn't get any more extreme. Asbestos overcoats were the order of the day! If you're going to get involved in this sort of borderline legal behaviour, be aware- don't bring a flan to a cake fight.
Because you can never have too much giant plastic fruit.
Christmas Tree Festival 2019
Our entry.
Wow. Talk about creativity.
Of course, the best thing about this sort of Christmas Tree is that you don't get pine needles falling off it, you get bananas.
Fill your face at our expense
Did you grab a free chocolate square or four at Oxfam on the Saturday of Chocolate Week?
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They did. And loved it so much most of them went and bought whole bars.
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Pop down to Oxfam and buy a bar. Do it before 31st October. No ifs or buts.
House of Coffee, we love you
First up, it's not a house made out of coffee. This isn't a liquid version of Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house.
The House of Coffee in Peacock Mews now does Fairtrade coffee, and it's brilliant. That man knows more about coffee than 1000 high street 'baristas' glued together for some reason.
So if you're a business, stop messing around with some faceless coffee machine corporation from the grim north who bulk out their coffee grindings with wood shavings. Talk to Nick.
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Shoppers can also get his ravishing FT coffee, too. So good. So good.
Cafe in the Park
Want to meet up with someone outside for a coffee, as you can from March 8th, and not have a coffee to make it legal? Go to Cafe in the Park.
The cafe has served Fairtrade coffee from
The House of Coffee from its opening in April 2019. The policy is to buy Fairtrade whenever possible and commercially viable and likewise to promote positive environmental working practices when at all possible.
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So now you know.
It's Chocolate Week!
Well, it was when these were taken. It isn't now, of course. Unless it's Chocolate Week next year, in which case it is.
These fine chocolate lovers are Lesley from Nature's Harvest (with their vegan bar); Katharine from Morrisons; Helen at Waitrose; and Vanessa from Marks and Spencers.
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Here's a practical route map for helping Developing Country people: buy Fairtrade chocolate, unwrap, open mouth, eat. More detailed instructions available on request.
Storybombing
We're doing it. This is not dropping light fiction out of renovated WW2 bombers, but putting little packs for people to read all over Leighton Buzzard.
If you see one, lucky you. Do give it a read.
Trinity Display
We decided on that heading because this is a display at Trinity Methodist Church. Sometimes headlines are really easy to write.
This is linked to the Oxjam live music event on 5th October. Rock and Roll!!
Chocolate giveaway
We give you chocolate. You listen to how great Fairtrade is for 11 seconds. Win-Win.
M&S FT chocolate is excellent. It includes a 100% strength chocolate bar. That would curdle yoghurt 100m away.
A massive thanks to M&S for all their help and chocolate.
Bees Knees
We did a talk at the Bees Knees, who are a group of Leighton Buzzard businesswomen.
Look, someone's got to say it. Bees don't have knees. Just joints.
Not elfy
Because they're gnomes.
This is the project by Cedars school. You get a pretty picture of a gnome and stick it in a prominent place to cheer everyone up. These are all Fairtrade gnomes.
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A big well done to all involved.
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I guess charity begins at gnome.
Did you see us at Rushmere Food Festival?
Surprisingly we had no food. Despite this, we gave away a load of our recipe leaflets (see below), and ran a competition to win beans.
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Someone won. Not one of us, so I don't know who they are.
When genetics goes wrong
Apparently if you splice together human and banana gene, this is what you get:
It's part of Fairtrade fortnight 2020. Playtots were doing Fairtrade craft activities making a bee like Fuzzy Buzzy. Refreshments included delicious banana bread made with Fairtrade ingredients and Fairtrade coffee.
Party Time
Apparently it's 25 years since the Fairtrade mark was introduced. Who knew?
Well this lot, apparently. Because they were in London celebrating.
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That's a big banana. Wouldn't like to get that home on the train.
Chocolate Giveaway part 2
Seconds of chocolate? Apparently, because we also did a giveaway at Morrisons. Have you ever tried their FT chocolate? If not, add that to your bucket list.
And a massive thanks to Morrisons for their help and chocolate.
House of Coffee back in business!
The nicest coffee in the known universe, and loads of Fairtrade choices.
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And their gift set is thing of loveliness
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I believe they deliver.
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STOP PRESS
(I was told to say that)
The House of Coffee are extending their offer – 10% discount on Fairtrade – until 14th March.
We just got renewed!
Now, that heading has been on this page since Tony Blair was Prime Minister. But it just happened again!!
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So we're really happy, and we were celebrating late into the night by consuming lots of Fairtrade products (chocolate, wine good for that, roses less so).
At long last, here is the certificate, if you like that sort of thing:
What? You want to know more? Goodness, that's never happened before. Well, here's the link:
Fairtrade Fortnight 2021
We didn't do any live events this year, for reasons that you'll be aware of unless you've just arrived from another planet. In which case the Fairtrade committee surrender immediately and pledge allegiance to our new alien overlords. Please force humanity to buy Fairtrade.
But the Fairtrade Foundation did have a Carnival of events, a Celebration of all things Fairtrade, a Festival for us all.
Follow the link and enjoy yourselves!
Well done, Morrisons
We got a large pile of FT chocolate from Morrisons to give away to the people of Leighton-Linslade in honour of FT fortnight. A huge thank you to them.
And give it away we did. Here we have two police officers enjoying the choc.
In the past it was the robbers who wore the masks.
Fairtrade Film Feature Frenzy Ffff
If you go down to the Paddock at the right time, you'll see a family favourite film. Also, you get to see a short film on Fairtrade, which would be the main reason for going.
Note that you need a reservation, even if it's raining really badly and there's no-one else there. Buy tickets from the link, or call Monday to Friday 2pm to 4pm. on 01525 631911
This is a picture of a giant cocoa pod eating a Fairtrade cookie.
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These things happen from time to time if you don't do your washing up well enough.
Fifteen years!
We've been hassling the people of Leighton-Linslade to buy Fairtrade for fifteen years now.
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Normally we would do an event in town with cake, but...well, you know.
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So please accept our apologies, a slice of virtual cake, and buy lots of Fairtrade.
Fifteen years ago, we got our certificate. A more innocent time, before Covid and the alien invasion.
A message from Andrew Selous MP
I am very proud that Leighton Buzzard and Linslade put Fairtrade on the map in Bedfordshire by being the first town in the county to get fair trade status. I am very grateful to everyone who made that possible and continues the good work today. As consumers, we have considerable power to change the world for the better.
This happened in 2012
And we've only just got around to putting it up. It's what you call thirst for news.
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Expresso Head coffee is FT and fancy dress isn't mandatory.
This happened in 2012
And we've only just got around to putting it up. It's what you call thirst for news.
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Expresso Head coffee is FT and fancy dress isn't mandatory.
COP 26
The People of Leighton Buzzard are speaking to the world leaders who will be gathering in Glasgow in November. And you have your chance to speak directly to joe Biden, Boris Johnson and the others. Well, nearly directly.
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On page 7 of the Council Newsletter is a template. Print it out, write a message (no swears, please), take a picture on your phone, and upload it to our Facebook. We'll make sure Biden gets it. Probably. Well, we'll have a go.
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Here's the newsletter you need click on it: