Last weekend Amanda and I ran the Mature Zone at the first ever Vegfest in Scotland, held in Glasgow at the SECC. Even though the weather was dreadful, 7,500 people attended the event over the 2 days, and it was great to be a part of it.
It was lovely to see so many people coming to visit our stand and listen to our speakers. Our hot drinks and cakes proved popular and gave people a chance to stop and have a chat with us about what we do.
We had some very interesting talks from our speakers. Amanda’s opening talk highlighted the difficulties faced by older vegetarians and vegans in care, and demonstrated some of the ways in which you can help our work as a Friend.
On both Saturday and Sunday Shona Barr talked about ethical investment and pension planning. And Alec Cameron’s illuminating talk on estate planning highlighted some of the inheritance tax and probate pitfalls, into which more than a few of us may be in danger of falling. He also explained how a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney could protect our dietary choices should we enter care in the future. In his words, leave nothing to chance!
Tina Fox shared her extensive experiences of veggie travel, with some useful tips on how to get the best out of any B&B.
You might think that happy Vegfest-goers wouldn’t want to come to a talk about funeral planning, but Barbara Chalmers’ talk about just this was very well-attended. With some pictures of beautiful flower-filled and woodland natural burial sites, and information on natural materials, the mood was uplifting and positive.
One casualty of Storm Desmond was our Roving Chef, Jane Hughes, who became stranded in Carlisle and was unable to deliver her talks. Fortunately Dr Brian Hoyle jumped in at the last minute and delivered an engaging talk packed with useful tips for making tasty nutritious meals.
My talk on Sunday was designed to demonstrate how Vegetarian for Life can help older vegetarians and vegans in care, as well as highlighting the useful resources available for all older vegetarians and vegans.
Once again Dr Brian Hoyle spoke in place of Jane Hughes, and with the aid this time of a borrowed plantain from the friendly folk at Brownins Afro-Caribbean foods, he shared his experiences of using vegan superfoods to create healthy meals and snacks.
Jason Schroeder spoke for the men in his fascinating talk about what goes on in Men’s Sheds – a free workshop and social area where men can come together to socialise or work on projects or hobbies. Playing an important role in the fight against isolation, particularly for men with time on their hands (whatever the reason), Men’s Sheds are open to men of all ages and backgrounds.
Amanda then delivered an extremely informative talk on nutrition for older vegetarians and vegans, with many useful tips on how to ensure you get the right nutrients in the right amounts, and how to achieve balance in your diet.
The day finished with a relaxing myofascial release yoga workshop led by Daria Wall. With the aid of two tennis balls each the participants learnt about the traditional Chinese medicine Wei Shu points and engaged with myofascial release to balance their organs. The process may have been challenging but the great results were apparent!
It was wonderful to be part of this iconic event and to meet so many people over the course of the weekend, and I’m looking forward to the next one. Next stop Brighton!
