Needlepoint Poems

Hazel Hammond's collection of poems entitled "Needlepoint" is not inspired by the kind of needles a clothing company is usually associated with, however, she does have a strong affinity with Bishopston Trading Company. Her poems are about tattoos and the significance of what lies beneath the surface of bodyart. On the back cover of the recently published collection, Hazel can be seen admiring a tatooed torsoe whilst herself wearing one of our signature embroidered jackets. Hazel has been a customer of ours for many years.

Hazel will be reading from "Needlepoint" on Friday night at the Halo Bar on Gloucester Road, Bristol, a few doors down from our shop. The show starts at 7:30pm. Copies of "Needlepoint" can be purchased from http://www.citychameleon.co.uk/.

The photos used on the cover of "Needlepoint" shown above were taken by Simon Prentice.

Here's one of the poems featured in Needlepoint

Mapped on the body
Carefully tracing the pattern of Japanese clouds
I move my finger along the swirls
Tattooed lines in black shaded to indigo
Purple and the peach of skin
Hoping to understand the way stations of this map
Or even paths among the heavenly spirals and curves
These mark aspirations for the future
Sweeping across your shoulder
On your arms carp and demons
Swimming against the waters tracklessness
Yellow fins straining against your biceps.
To show ambition creating a ripple in the pool of normal
Pink peonies, my fingers at the paler edge
Wishing these blooms so everlasting on your forearm
Did not represent this transient life
But rather the creativity which blossoms
Under cautious thought in your present
Hidden in the foliage – the blue outfaced demon
His yellow horns alert, that to eager grin
Taking you back to morning spirits and receding resolutions
A fight now past, still intense in colour
No longer internal, inked in
With needles on your map of skin.

25 Years of Fair Trade

Bishopston Trading Company is 25 years old this week! We have been working in partnership with the villagers of K.V.Kuppam to produce organic Fairtrade cotton clothing since 1985.

Here are some photos of the celebrations at our Bishopston - Bristol and Bradford on Avon shops.

Spring has Sprung

Spring is here and our Glastonbury team will be celebrating at the town's Greener Lifestyle Exhibition on April 10th in the Town Hall. Friends such as Green Fibres and the Soil Association will also be at the event, which includes stalls, films and demonstrations. It'll be a great opportunity to find out what else we can all do to get greener in our everyday lives, regardless of how far along the windy road to sustainability we already are!

Spring Window Display at the Glastonbury branch of Bishopston Trading Company

Bishopston Trading on Facebook

Bishopston Trading Company now has a Facebook page, take a look at our photo galleries, become a fan and post any Fairtrade and organic thoughts you may have to our wall. Just search for us from your Facebook account.

FairBags

A month or two ago we were contacted by an interesting project called FairBags. FairBags is an education focused initiative and was enquiring about our unprinted Fairtrade organic cotton shopping bags. Here's what they have to say:

Did you know, an average UK family has 16 plastic bags in their household at any one time? Unfortunately most will end up in landfill. Cotton bags make a great, eco-friendly alternative, especially if they are Fairtrade and organic.

FairBags is a branch of young enterprise that sells uniquely designed Fairtrade and organic cotton bags. The Young Enterprise Company programme aims to teach students across the UK about the world of business through practical experience. Students set up and run their own company for a year, which involves designing their product or service and selling it to the general public.

As the FairBags team shares Bishopston Trading's passion for ethical and fair trading, we chose to make our entire product line Fairtrade, and sourced our bags from Bishopston. At the end of Fairtrade Fortnight, we've been pleased to play a small part in helping UK consumers see that every one of us has the power to make a difference by what we buy day to day.

The FairBags team: from left to right, Verity, Rachel and Frances of Idsall School in Shropshire.

Our Partners in K.V.Kuppam: Meena

Meena has worked in the jewellery and screen printing unit at K.V.Kuppam for about 4 years now and she really enjoys her work. Her son Srivarsan comes to work with her most days and spends the time in the creche with several other children his age.

When she is not making our jewellery or lovely batik scarves, Meena is part of the team that produces our organic cotton tea towels and cloth bags, printed to customers' own designs.

Meena is expecting her second baby this month. She intends to take her three months maternity leave and then return with both children to the job she loves.

Meena's son Srivarsan is a happy cheeky boy who seems to smile all-day everyday. He enjoys playing with the toys and other children. Most of the children in the creche seem to find a strange face a bit scary, but not this little chap!

World's Largest Fairtrade Tablecloth

The world's largest Fairtrade Tablecloth was presented outside the Senedd building in Cardiff this week.

The tablecloth was produced by 85 schools from across Wales using our organic Fairtrade cotton cloth. The unveiling of the giant tablecloth was followed by a speech from Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing. Assembly Members were then asked to swap at least one of their regular shopping items for the Fairtrade alternative as part of Fairtrade Fortnight's Big Swap. These pledges were written on pieces of Fairtrade cotton and added to the tablecloth. So far a third of all Assembly Members have made a Fairtrade swap pledge.

Jane Davidson said: "This event provided an excellent opportunity for promoting the importance of Fairtrade and I was particularly pleased to meet so many Fairtrade enthusiasts from local schools. By switching to Fairtrade we can all play our part in supporting some of the poorest farmers and producers in the world to trade their way out of poverty and it is really encouraging to see so many shoppers of the future supporting the Fairtrade priniciple."

Wales is the world's first Fairtrade country, further information can be found at http://www.fairtradewales.com/.