Green Fair Celebrates Pedal-Powered Music

Every year, to celebrate World Environment Day, London's famous Regent's Park hosts the London Green Fair. Over the weekend of the 4th and 5th June, thousands of visitors flocked to this huge and very enjoyable Green Fair for its 18th season. The weather on Saturday was particularly sunny, not always guaranteed in Britain!, and everybody could enjoy the day while eating a huge variety of world foods, and drinking everything from organic cider to bicycle-liquidised smoothies. There were many eco-friendly businesses exhibiting their wares, and information on greener transport and car hire.

A general view of the Green Fair with the Post Office Tower on the skyline

The serious sections of the fair included talks, poetry, recycling, and a host of green activities for everyone from children to the older generation. The London Permaculture Network had a continuous programme of workshops covering a huge range of topics from forest gardening, food footprints and even eco-psychology. For those who were just there for an environmental day out, there were several music venues scattered throughout the park. The main stage hosted DJs and a wonderful spectrum of world music, whilst the Bike Music Festival offered visitors the opportunity to power the sound system yourself. Obviously, with no lighting save the sun and amplifiers and speakers powered by pedalling, this was a very low-carbon-emission form of entertainment. Well done to those enthusiastic bikers whose legs made the music possible!

The bicycle powered sound system in action

In conjunction with this was free bike maintenance, courtesy of Camden Council, and cycle workshops, slow bicycle races, and even bicycle polo.

There was a lovely, positive atmosphere and the organisers and volunteers did a splendid job to put together such a wide variety of green-themed activities for all ages and interests, while keeping waste and emissions to a minimum.

An unusual sculpture made of recycled furniture