SPECIAL: Brighton & Hove Editor

Yet another Editor for you but this is one gal you already know. I am proud to announce that Katie of EthicalWeddings.com will be representing Brighton & Hove on the South Coast. On top of her popular Ethical Weddings series of posts where she will be exploring the ethical wedding scene and no doubt touching on the green business and ethical event scene in general she will also do her best to keep us all up to date with the green goings on down there in the good ol' B&H. Welcome Katie...say...what would you say if I asked you:

CityHippy: Who are you, where do you come from and live?

Katie: Well... I was born in Yorkshire but moved to the mining town of Bolsover in Derbyshire when I was 2. We moved down south to Dorset when I was 8 – all our Derbyshire relatives said we had gone posh! Back to my roots to Sheffield university (where I met my wonderful husband!), a year in France and Spain studying, a year back in Sheffield, a year in Barcelona, another year in Sheffield, three and a half years in London then – finally, just last month – to the sea! Brighton & Hove – and we're not planning to move for a while!

CityHippy: What inspires you to be green?

Katie: Although I had been heading greenwards for a while, planning our wedding – and witnessing first-hand the wastefulness of the wedding industry – really kick-started me into action – and my husband is coming along for the ride!

CityHippy: What is the one thing you do that you are proud of doing?

Katie: Starting my own business – I'll be even prouder if/when it's a success!

CityHippy: What is the one thing you wish you could do?

Katie: Grow our own veggies! At the moment we're in a first-floor flat and so are a bit limited in the outdoor stuff (composting, space for all our recycling, and even just hanging out washing). We must look into allotments. Next place has to have a garden though!

CityHippy: What is the one thing you wish everyone in the world did differently?

Katie: Supported local businesses and came together to keep out big out-of-town supermarket monopolies where they aren't needed. Tesco has pretty much killed my home town where my parents live. There were already three supermarkets in the town; a massive 24-hr Tesco opened on the bypass and no-one needed to come into the town centre anymore so the little shops that fed off the trade walking to the in-town supermarkets died. And it used to be a market town! * Sorry! Rant over!*

CityHippy: What is your dream job?

Katie: Running my own business while also working for www.responsibletravel.com - I'm doing it! I'm living the dream!

CityHippy: What is your favourite way to relax?

Katie: Lovely long coastal walks with a cosy pub at the end. I still need to do a bit more persuading before my husband agrees to walk the South West Coast Path with me!

CityHippy: Why is the world a mess? What can we do about it?

Katie: I think the whole 'Put number one first' ideology of the Maggie era did a lot of damage – it completely undermined the community spirit that we are desperately trying to recreate now. Probably 'Do as you would be done by' would be a start – imagine if people really did that – everyone would get paid a fair wage, crime would be virtually wiped out – amazing!

And to end...I'll be going on a green journey of discovery through Brighton & Hove and I'm glad you're all coming with me!

CityHippy: and Katie, we are pleased to be on that journey with you. Namaste.

and Namaste to you all of course

Al

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