Environmental Archives - samuelshoesmith.uk

Kidical Mass – April 2024

Yesterday Kidical Mass Nottingham returned! Eager to bring this back this year after a successful 5 rides in 2023, I found out about the Safe Streets Now group. They were organising a campaigning day of action so a series of Kidical Mass rides were set to take place around the country on one particular day. […]

Kidical Mass Nottingham – third ride

The third Kidical Mass Nottingham.

Kidical Mass Nottingham – second ride

On the Sunday 18th June it was the second Kidical Mass Nottingham! The first ride was well attended despite a rainy morning so this time, with word getting out and the weather being on our side, 55 people attended! It was so heartwarming to see so many families being able to cycle around our city. […]

Kidical Mass Nottingham

Yesterday was the very first Kidical Mass cycle ride! I wanted to launch Kidical Mass here in Nottingham after deciding towards the end of last year that we needed a family oriented ride on a weekend day. In collaboration with the North South Active Travelway (NSAT), I pushed the idea of a family ride and […]

Travel and Transport in Wellingborough and North Northants

We now have a new council – the North Northants Unitary and May 6th presents an opportunity to vote in a better solution in Wellingborough and North Northamptonshire.  With services all controlled by one authority, our overall travel and transport strategy can be unified and can be so much better if it becomes Labour controlled. […]

Energy is changing

For the past year and a bit, as with most things, I start and then I pause and then continue and then pause, and then forget.  I have the energy (pun intended) to do and to create but I spread it so thinly that often the results are questionable at best. It makes me feel […]

Stop the chicken mega factory in Higham Ferrers

I received an email a couple of weeks ago from Compassion in World Farming saying about the building of a chicken mega-farm close by. The email was targeted to me. It said “Hello Samuel” and something along the lines of it being proposed to be built “just up the road”. I skimmed over it and […]

Starbucks, you need to change

Dear Starbucks, You need to look at one of your franchised stores. Their behaviour is wasteful and wrong. I went into your coffee shop and asked for a white chocolate mocha, and stated loudly that I wanted to drink in. The barista picked up a takeaway cup and asked for my name. “Ohh no, to […]

Me. How could anyone not see those shorts?

Nearly hit on a zebra

I am not usually a pedestrian. I often leave the house and become a passenger in a motorcar, and maybe later a train, or more probably I mount my bicycle. Today with the rain on and off I thought I would walk the short distance I needed to go. Using a car would be sinful […]

World Naked Bike Ride 2016

I recently took off my clothes and rode a bicycle around London for my third World Naked Bike Ride. It has now become an annual event and one which I would not miss. The event is a series of protests and one of making statements. It calls on society to reduce its reliance on cars […]

World Ocean Day!

Today is World Ocean Day. A huge amount of waste plastic ends up in our oceans with estimates of between “eight and 13 billion tonnes” (Evening Standard 2016). Let’s reduce our consumption of plastic. I used to be terrible and now strive to be better. We grow up in a society where convenience is king, […]

Today is Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day. It is a global recognition of the importance of planet earth.  Today is the day that leaders from countries around earth will sign the Paris Climate Agreement finalised last December. The overarching demands of the Earth Day movement are to plant more trees, more away from fossil fuels and aim to […]

Tesla Model 3

I have never been “into” cars but I have always been able to spot a beauty and this is certainly one.  Today the Tesla Model 3 was announced as an “affordable car”. Not only does it look pretty aesthetically but the concept behind it is beautiful.  A fully electric car.  The idea has been floating […]

Air pollution

It’s killing you. Two of my interests are the protection of our environment and cycling so one particular topic that pops up on my radar time and time again is that of air pollution. A year ago I went on a protest against the wider issue of climate change entitled “Time to Act“.   It […]

Bicycles, Bins, Bombs and no plan B

Lots of B’s. Bicycling, Bins, Bombs and no plan B. I finally got round to creating the following video. I have a tendency to film everything and anything. On the Sunday evening when I arrived back in Wellingborough the idea of beginning the seemingly humungous task of editing it was daunting. With no one to […]

Happy New Year 2016!

Happy New Year 2016. 2015 was a special year. Thank you to everyone who made it so wonderful. Thank you to everyone I met. I won’t tag or mention but you know who you are. Never underestimate how important everyone in my life is. I appreciate you all! Life is short. Life can be taken […]

5p charge for plastic bags – Welcome!

I welcome the 5p charge on plastic bags in English supermarkets.  If only it were more than 5p. From today, shops employing over 250 people, a plastic bag will not be given away freely but a charge of 5p will be enforced as The Single Use Carrier Bags Charges Order 2015 comes in.  If only it […]

Critical Mass, Ride London, and Ben and Jerry’s

On Friday I took part in Critical Mass.  I met Tom at Hyde Park and we cycled to meet his friend, Felix and his friend, Thomas and then onwards to roughly assemble for around 7pm.  At 7.15pm the mass rolled out.  The 1000 odd cyclists that take part in Critical Mass is a spectacle.  Despite […]

World Naked Bike Ride 2015

I took part in the World Naked Bike Ride in central London. Yesterday Tom and I met on Blackfriars Bridge, hired our bicycles and headed to Clapham Junction.  Assembling at 2pm, numbers were scarce, so we headed to a lovely little cafe for about 40 minutes.  Back in plenty of time for applying some body […]

#TimeToAct2015

On Saturday 7th March, Tom and I took part in the #TimeToAct2015 protest.  What wonderful day!  I felt so relaxed and at such ease with myself.  The lovely warm and sunny day may have helped – perhaps ironically I was enjoying a bit of a sign of climate change?!  It felt as if we were on […]