Trip to Materials Recycling Facility in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) is a purpose-built state-of-the-art sorting facility based in Old Wolverton. Built in 1993, it is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, processing recycling from Milton Keynes' homes and schools. The recycling arrives mixed together and the MRF uses a range of technologies to sort the recyclable items into their different material types. The sorted recycling is then baled ready for transportation to factories to be made into new products.

On Wednesday 20^th August a group of residents and co-workers from Camphill Milton Keynes had a tour of the MRF which are available to members of the public, school classes and community groups.

The tour we had clarified which materials go into each recycling container, where the recycling goes, what it is turned into and also covered waste issues and environmental impacts. Our visit included a short presentation, a video of the machinery in action and then out into the factory where we viewed the machinery from the safety of a raised viewing gallery.

 

 

www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/mrf

 

Alex Fox

 

 

My divining rods

Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, grave sites, and many other objects and materials without the use of scientific apparatus. Dowsing is also known as divining (especially in reference to interpretation of results), doodlebugging (particularly in the United States, in searching for petroleum) or (when searching specifically for water) water finding, water witching (in the United States) or water dowsing. A Y- or L-shaped twig or rod, called a dowsing rod, divining rod (Latin: virgula divina or baculus divinatorius), a "vining rod" or witching rod is sometimes used during dowsing, although some dowsers use other equipment or no equipment at all.

Alex Fox

A film I have been watching

There is a film called ‘Call of Cthulhu’ I have been watching which was produced in 2005. It is based on a short story written by somebody called Howard Phillips Lovecraft in 1928. H P Lovecraft was born on August 20, 1890 and died March 15, 1937. The film adaptation uses ‘Mythoscope’, a blend of vintage and modern film techniques intended to produce the look of a 1920s-era film, since it was filmed in black and white.

The story - In the story, a dying professor leaves his great-nephew a collection of documents pertaining to the Cthulhu Cult. The nephew begins to learn why the study of the cult so fascinated his grandfather. Bit-by-bit he begins piecing together the dread implications of his grandfather's inquiries, and soon he takes on investigating the Cthulhu cult as a crusade of his own. As he pieces together the dreadful and disturbing reality of the situation, his own sanity begins to crumble. In the end, he passes the torch to his psychiatrist, who in turn hears Cthulhu's call.

Alex Fox

Barbecue

Here are some photographs of residents and co-workers having a barbecue in Camphill Milton Keynes on Sunday 27th July.

Alex Fox

Aladdin (performed by Camphill Allstars)

Many, many years ago, in a land far, far away, there was a Laundry, a Laundry Woman and a Laundry Woman’s Son . . . . .

The Characters, in order of appearance, are:

Widow Twankey, a washerwoman - Amy Prior
Aladdin, Widow Twankey’s son - Susan Melville
The Emperor of China - Anthony Taylor
The Empress of China - Joe Hotten
Princess Jasmine - Anna Dixon
Slave of the Ring/Imperial Assistant - Janne Voss
Abanazer, an evil magician - Robert Plowman
Abanazer’s assistant - Fillia Restuti
Geni of the Lamp/Alladin’s Assistant - Ann-Kathrin Oesterle
Ghost - Alison Bush
Narrator - Luke Wiseman

The piano accompaniment was performed by - Joan Harris.

The lighting and sound was controlled by - Mikey Waddell
The original Script was written by T.L.C Creative; copyright by Lazy Bee Scripts.
The original script was adapted, and some of the songs were written by, L.L.M.T. Theatre Group.
The artwork for the programme is by - Hayley Melville.

A bit about the play which was performed on Monday 14^th July by residents and co-workers from Camphill Milton Keynes in the Chrysalis Theatre.

Hero of a well-known story in The Thousand and One Nights. The son of a poor widow, Aladdin is a lazy, careless boy who meets an African magician claiming to be his uncle. He sends Aladdin into a cave to find a magic lamp, but Aladdin refuses to hand over the lamp until he is safely out of the cave. The angry magician shuts the boy in the cave and departs, but Aladdin discovers that he can summon powerful genies (jinn) by rubbing the lamp. The genies grant his every wish, and Aladdin becomes rich, marries the sultan's beautiful daughter, and reigns for many years.

Alex Fox