Nerve 22 - “Incredible Edible”

Monday 11th February - Study Trip to Todmorden

“Incredible Edible”

The previously powerless people of Todmorden, through Incredible Edible have reclaimed their town. They did this for themselves and their children, in a very social and collective way, using the basic, but common, bond of food; growing it, cooking it and eating it - together. Their central aim is the will to spread kindness!

Photos and article by Redskye

Eleven of us from the WEA/Nerve 'Topical Lunch' course were joined by three community bakers from Anfield on a day trip to Todmorden. The River Calder runs through the town which was previously considered the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire.

On arrival I notice how much Todmorden resembles many a typical Northern English town. One of our group amusingly finger notes "wash me please" in the snow covered bonnet of a car. Then we head up the hill to the imposing church taken over by the Incredible Edible group. We're given a warm welcome and offered refreshments by Estelle Brown, and we sit on the wood church benches while Mary Clear gives us her presentation, with plenty of photographs to illustrate their project and philosophy. Mary's 'just do it' attitude is very admirable; both her and Estelle are the people who've helped make Incredible Edible a very positive social revolution. There are plenty of uplifting phrases like "The rules are rubbish" and "Food, if you eat, you're in!" The most heartening is "Kindness, you never know, it might just work!" and one I particularly liked "All we want is little folk to grow up in a kinder world." These phrases underpin the philosophy of working class socialist ideas of co-operatives and collectively looking after one another. Obviously the re-emergence of such traditional values has been driven by the economic run down of our communities, towns and cities.

After Mary's presentation we ask a few questions and we invite Mary and Estelle to visit Liverpool. Before moving on we hand over our packets of seeds, and I give them my sprouted potato. We're then taken on "The Green Tour" of the town by Estelle, who looks after the Incredible Edible website, and who takes photographs and videos. She tells us how often the town hall officials said to them "You can't do that!" Estelle says how they just got on and did it anyway.

We walk along the canal and enter the Health Centre, where I spot some rhubarb poking through the melting snow. Passing down Todmorden's main street I notice the Working Men's Social Club, a familiar site in many Northern towns and villages. Before going into the town market we walk through Pollination Street, which has a beehive standing quite noticeably by the side of the path. As we continue our tour of the town we spot a large boarded up building, which was where the infamous Doctor Harold Shipman was based. The building though now has inspiring comments painted on the windows "Ask not what your town can do for you, but what I can do for my town!"

In one shop window there's an amusing sign "trespassers will be composted!" Further on and the three community bakers pay close attention to the "Saker" organic bakery, as the rest of us continue the tour. At the police station there is a paper notice on the door: "We're closed for lunch!" While outside in the front are large growing boxes. Across the road is "Todmorden Community College" with more growing boxes, including Brussel Sprouts, cabbages and onions, with a sign on the front saying "food to share". Then we pass by a bat box and butterfly garden.

We end our 'Green Tour' at the "Todmorden Industrial & Co-operative Society Limited" shop and café where Estelle takes a group photograph and we say goodbye. The downstairs is set out like a traditional 19th century Northern Co-op shop and upstairs at the Bear Café we order lunch. After this we depart for Todmorden railway station for the westward bound train.

For more info on Incredible Edible see: www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk

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