I have taken a little break from talking about community sites lately, but I came across this gem and now I am defiantly back with something to share. Shout Luton is a ‘free thinking independent guide to the town of Luton’ - and it’s pretty damn good one at that. The beauty of the site is it is not affiliated with any other company or newspaper, so is an open project for the community, town and tourists alike.

Shout Luton really is a fantastic community space, it’s bursting with up-to-date content about; special events, Luton news, political parties, local charities and links to churches and other religious websites in the area. Seriously that is only a fraction of info that this hub offers.

Did you know that Faye Tozer of the legendary pop band Steps grew up in Luton? Also the first ever Domino’s Pizza to open in UK, did so in Luton – I didn’t until I checked out the local Luton trivia section. That’s right, this site even has a dedicated ‘local facts and trivia’ section – great for testing how local you think you are!

On a more practical note, this site puts many bigger websites to shame as it has so much info all in one place. It even ramps up some serious green credentials by being a one- stop- shop for recycling. It has a break down all of the places you can recycle in Luton. It also has some super useful links on where to compost in Luton or find a great photographer - local info that is invaluable.

If you want check out more about Luton then take a look at the site – or failing that if you want a more personal look at the town then check out the ‘Luton Bloggers’ section.

Could this be the end for the 108- year- old red bible of gastronomy? That’s right people, Michelin is being hailed as ‘out-dated’ and ‘too commercial’. The recent restaurant guide backlash is lead by world-renowned chef Marco Pierre White. His criticisms stem from the argument that the restaurant reviews are ‘inconsistent’ and ‘overly commercial’ in focus.

It would appear that what people really want is real ‘proper food’, away from the overly fussy food that makes it into the pages of Michelin guides. The idea is that trends are changing and Michelin is simply not keeping pace. People no longer naturally look to the experts for recommendations, as we well know here on welovelocal.com that word of mouth is one of the most trusted resources we have. The growth of online community resources has been massive, and most sites like welovelocal.com which are authored by like- minded people of similar age and interests, are making for a more accurate dining recommendation.

So where does our trust and interest really lie? Are we really over Michelin? Everyone listens to word of mouth when deciding which gastro pub to sample at the weekend, but when it comes to fine dining masses still flock to the latest Michelin stared establishments, wait on table waiting lists that rival those for an NHS dentist in London, and fork out hundreds of pounds for the privilege. Why? Well I think it is something that will struggle to fade away as quickly as popularity for purchasing the Michelin guide. It’s grounded in our culture, we want to say we have been, sampled and conquered something that is converted and considered precious – basically we still want to tell everyone we have been to a Michelin Starred restaurant! Michelin still has its place but, it is a bit of one sided conversation – so for now, we’re just going to have to have our say online - review away!

Thoughts?

Check out the full Times article here

Hope everyone is feeling the Easter vibe this year, I for one am, but that may have something to do with large sugary chunk of Carluccio’s Easter Dove cake I consumed at 9.30 am this morning (thanks Lucy)!

Anyway, Easter weekend seems to bring out some very strange antics in Britain. If you are looking for something a little different to sitting around stuffing chocolate eggs, at home in your dressing gown - well then depending on what part of the country you are located in, you could be in for a real treat. Some of the super cool traditions that take place across the UK make London seem a little tame, with its Easter egg hunts and other such controlled fun!

If you are anywhere near Lancashire then it would be advisable to check out the annual ‘egg rolling’ competition. The tradition sees people rolling hard boiled eggs down a hill, and the winner is the lucky person with enough skill to roll their egg the furthest and with minimal breakage. Or if you can’t get to Lancashire Primrose Hill, London is holding its own ‘Easter Egg Roll’ amongst other egg related activities this year.

In County Durham you could partake in some ‘egg jarping’ – not too sure what that is? Don’t worry I don’t think you’re alone. Basically it is a game similar to conkers but played with hard boiled eggs. The competition covers lots of different round and the winner is the contestant with their egg left unbroken.

Fancy something away from all the eggs? Yorkshire is the place; the annual coal carrying championships take place at this time every year since 1963. The town of Gawthorpe sees contestants competing in the mile race carrying a 50kg bag of coal. It all started when two local men challenged each other to a race and today the record stands at 1min 6 seconds for men and 5mins 5 seconds for women.

And for something a little more grown up, head along to Guanabara in the capital for their ‘Chocolate Shot Ball’. You will get a delicious shot of some seriously strong Sagatiba cachaça chocolate that will keep you buzzing along to the samba- rock all evening.

If you’re not into chocolate (I feel for you) you could always try cheese rolling in Chester and Gloucester?

Have fun!

photo by The G-tastic 7 over on flickr 

I came across this story today and thought it was well worth sharing as it is nice to see the royal family keeping it real – and keeping it local! Price Charles is now the proud owner of one of the poshest greengrocers in Britain. The store that has just opened in Tetbury is named Highgrove and will sell fresh local produce from Charles’ nearby estate, and Camilla’s Wiltshire orchards. The seasonal produce will be amongst an array of other handmade offerings sold in the shop including; jams, chocolates, jellies, biscuits and honeys. There is also a bizarre mix of souvenirs on sale, with celebratory vases and luxury gardening items?

The bit that really interested me about Charles new shop was that, despite the novelty factor that the produce comes from (and often is still covered in) royal soil the prices charged remain competitive, and if anything cheaper than some of the larger retailers in the area. A bunch of Charles’ organic leeks came in at £1.35, only 25p more than the local supermarkets price.

The Tetbury area previously had no dedicated greengrocers; needless to say locals are excited at the chance to snap up some local royal veg! The town is also pretty stoked about all the extra tourists and visitors the shop will hopefully bring to the area.

Keep up the good work guys!

If anyone knows of fruit and veg shop in Britain that can rival the posh-ness of this one I would love to hear about it?

Photo supplied by digiyesica over on flickr

We’re really excited to announce that GCap Media plc, the people behind Capital 95.8, Xfm, Classic FM and load of great local radio stations, has bought a majority stake in welovelocal.com.

What does this mean? welovelocal.com is going to get even better! GCap have the resources available to really push things forward, we’ve had some fantastic success in the short time since we launched, but we always knew that we’d need something extra to really make our mark across the whole of the UK.

GCap’s radio stations have a national audience of millions that should really help to increase our exposure, and grow our community of people looking for the best businesses in their local area.

All in all it’s fantastic news and testament to the support of everyone who has contributed to welovelocal.com and helped make it the vibrant and varied community it is today.

Thank you!

We thought we’d try something new -

We wanted to get to know a bit more about all the fantastic communities out there - find out what really makes them tick! So, we’ve handed over the reigns and let someone else fill our blog space, and our first community has done a fine job of just that. We caught up with the very fabulous crafter, designer and blogger Clare Nicolson, she chairs Glasgow Craft Mafia - the indie community that is stitching up a storm on the Scottish craft scene! Here’s what she had to tell us about her community.

Hi Clare, please could you explain to welovelocal.com who you are and tell us a little bit about your community?

I am the chairperson of the Glasgow Craft Mafia. The Mafia is interesting in that it’s a very local, grassroots organisation that celebrates DIY ethics, but it is also part of a wider international community! A community within a community, within a community if you like! The Craft Mafia is an international collective of independent business owners. It was founded in Austin, Texas in 2003, and now has branches operating across 42 cities and across multiple creative disciplines to promote new-wave craft. The Glasgow branch is the first of its kind to open in Scotland!

What type of things does your community get involved with, both online and offline?

The Glasgow Craft Mafia has a pretty strong online presence. We use our website as a tool to share info such as our market events, our social gatherings and our craft tutorials etc. The site also functions as an introduction to our members and to their respective businesses. The site is developing all the time. During the course of 2008 you’ll see the blog taking on a more prominent role, you’ll see how-to guides appear on there and we’ll be sharing many more stories and snaps of our adventures! We use social networking sites to keep in touch with each other, other crafters, Mafia fans and local people interested in what we’re up to. We have profile pages on Myspace, Bebo, Facebook and indie craft site Indie Public.

Offline we’re equally as active! The members of the GCM are dedicated to spreading the creative word via craft tutorials, sociable craft-alongs, public crafting outings, themed parties and of course, the seasonal Glasgow Craft Mafia Indie Market! Our craft tutorials will kick off this spring with sessions on knitting, cross-stitch and embroidery and we have a couple of exciting outings planned for the coming months too! We’re organising a vintage clothing shopping trip to Edinburgh and we’re off to visit the UKs quirkiest jumble sale in Sheffield once the weather has brightened up! We might even pop in on our extended mafia familia in Leeds and Manchester at some point! A big event in our ‘real world’ diary is our Indie Market. Our Spring event takes place on Saturday 15^th March at Hillhead Library (Byres Road, Glasgow), with another scheduled for 26th April. We’ll also be enjoying social afternoons at crafty country music event, [We Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk on the first Sunday of every month at Macsorleys, Glasgow!

What do you think is the secret to the success of your community?

The Glasgow Craft Mafia is great in that the success of the organisation is in the hands of each and every member. Everyone involved has a role to play in promoting the Mafia and everyone is itching to promote the concept of new-wave craft in our city and beyond! We have over twenty members now. With all those people comes a whole range of talent and expertise that’s crucial to the operation of the collective.

How is Craft Mafia received in Glasgow, does the wider community appreciate your work - does the city have a strong independent scene?

Glasgow already has a vibrant indie music and indie arts scene, so really it was crying out for someone to address the gap for a groovy craft scene! The Glasgow Craft Mafia seems to be fitting into the alternative community here very comfortably and as was our intention, our knitters and sewers and makers are working along side the city’s musicians, photographers and artists and they are operating in the same indie network of venues and businesses.It’s great! There’s set to be a lot of cross-over between disciplines I think.

Do you have a local for any great places in Glasgow?

If you’re looking to shop for the perfect handmade one-off – you must visit the Glasgow Craft Mafia Indie Market (obviously!) If you’re on the look out for some swish vintage clothes, time your visit to co-incide with the very lovely Pop Boutique event. However, if you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped and are really just after some sustenance, you might want to pop by Macsorley’s Music Bar on Jamaica Street for the best fish n chips in town! Mono also does a mean veggie burger and the tastiest hand-cut spicy fries! For a night on the town you might enjoy the country swing of [We Are] Fuzzy Felt Folk (seasonal, @ Nice n Sleazy) or the sizzling hot tunes at monthly club night, El Rancho Picante at the very cool Flying Duck (Renfrew Street).

So, what three tips would you give to other community leaders, or community websites starting out?

1. First of all I think it’s important when getting started to allow some time for ideas, structures and roles to develop organically, allow people the space to find their place within the group. It’s taken us a little time to strike the perfect balance, but now that we have, we’re set to craft up a storm!
2. Develop relationships with other organisations and be open to collaborative ideas. We’ve been lucky in that we’ve made some really wonderful contacts and now have some interesting opportunities to get our message out there in some interesting ways!
3. Bake cookies for group meetings!

Super big thanks to Clare and her awesome Mafia for talking to us, being so enthusiastic and sharing their lovely photos (to see more pics from the group checkout their flickr).

Weekend! 

If you are looking for something a little different to do in the capital this weekend then it is well worth checking out the East festival which is running from 6th-11th of March. The six day festival is all about celebrating the wondrous food, history, film and fashion that East London has to offer. Our friends over at Wedge Card are partnering the event and have some great offers running, including free temporary Wedge cards when you grab a copy of the East festival programme guide (or you can download the PDF version here).

The festival opened last night with some impressive bell ringing from over 20 London churches, including St Paul’s Cathedral. There is so much going on over the six days, I am not sure what to pick to talk about, I will attempt to select some of the most interesting and intriguing. Tonight sees some fine female comedy at Rich Mix, Bethnal Green, however if you fancy some live tunes then head to Fabriclive and catch the awesome line up of DJ’s. Or for something completely different you could chill out and sample an evening of Bengali music at St Ethelburga’s Centre.

Saturday is filled with cultural treats throughout the day catch the much hyped Vortex Tour East when it swings by Wilton’s Music Hall in the afternoon, grab a history lesson at the Museum of London with their ‘Before Eastenders’ guests. Come evening, dine at the Wapping Project (the spectacular converted hydraulic power station), experience Big Martian Night Out at the Barbican Art Gallery (a couple of hours of space hits delivered by selected DJ’s).

Sunday follows a similar round up of excitement with; Skills and Sofas at Creative Spitalfields and Shoreditch or have a listen to a good old London ‘Ukulele Extravaganza’ at The Horse and Groom. There is so much more I haven’t even started to mention - the events fill a whole 30 page booklet!

All I can say is check it out, it all sounds completely unique, and fabulously East!

This post is a little different to my regular community offerings as the place that I found to share, simply had way too many great sites and community related things going on to choose only one. Hebden Bridge a small, yet perfectly formed and extremely cosmopolitan town located outside of Leeds, has seriously got it going on. Not only is the town considered to be one of the most independent places in the UK, but also the residents seem to be partaking a social revolution all on their own.

The town is one of the very few places in UK that is chain free, and the streets are literally littered with a wealth of independent, alternative shops and businesses. The community has come together and taken the initiative to make the area plastic bag free! Not only has Hedben Bridge got a rocking united community in real life, but the quality of its tight knit community is reflected in the amount of great quality community websites it has; Hebden Bridge Web and Hebden Bridge.com both offer great round ups of everything going on in the local area, local news and lots of info for visitors and tourists. To top it all off, it also has its own Hebden Bridge Radio to help facilitate keeping the local community well informed.

This town really has got it all - and its community website offerings are shining examples of how to keep a real life community connected through the web. Hebden Bridge - we salute you!

We have some cracking reviews for the local area too, you can check them out here.

Photo supplied by: Sidelong over on Flickr