FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

1

FRIENDS’ GAZETTE

A PIONEERING French chef is determined to single-

handedly bring his country up-to-date with the vegan

and vegetarian world in what could be termed a

culinary revolution.

The country is currently noted for its lack of vegan

and vegetarian fare in restaurants, supermarkets and

even the local epicerie.

Now Christophe Bolis is set on a course to change

all that by serving up scrumptious veggie meals in his

restaurant in the south of France.

And so proud is he of his masterful cuisine that he is

prepared to teach his unique technique to budding

English chefs keen to bring a touch of haute cuisine to

their busy kitchens and tables.

Said Christophe: “I am proud to embrace vegan and

vegetarian cooking and give it a French flavour.

“There are so many French meals which are already

almost vegetarian or vegan and with just a little twist

can be changed without losing any of their original

flavour, colour or attraction.”

For vegetarians and vegans, eating out in France,

apart from one or two Parisian exceptions, can be an

absolute nightmare. There’s the ubiquitous ‘salade de

chevre chaud’ (warm goats cheese salad) or ‘assiette

vegetarien’ (vegetarian dish) but apart from that

vegetarian and vegan meals are ‘nul part etre trouve’.

Instead they are quite often ready-served meals

from which the meat has obviously only just been

removed or where a greasy burger has been hastily

substituted with a lump of cheese.

Yet the country, renowned world-wide for its haute

cuisine, has so much to offer. Vegetables and fruit

grown locally have a taste and succulent texture pretty

much impossible to find in northern Europe and

organic farming, known there as ‘bio’, is supported by

the government and is becoming more and more

common.

Said Christophe: “For me it is a challenge to come

up with delicious and tempting meals or ‘repas’ to suit

the vegetarian or vegan palate. See p 8

Your articles look at moral reasons for beingvegetarian or vegan which is a veryinteresting mix and unique . . .

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 - ISSN 2053-4426 London and Avignon - e-mail: friendsgazette@gmail.com -

Tim Barford - founder VegFestUK

PIONEERINGCHEF STIRS UP2ND FRENCHREVOLUTION

WHATBEING AVEGANMEANSTO ME

VegfestUK founderand dedicated

vegan, Tim Barford,writes exclusively

for Friends’ Gazette

See page 4

Special report by Stephen WardChristophe Bolis

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

1

A RIGHT PAIR

FG BOSSES have accepted an

invitation from VegfestUK to become a

festival media partner.

The surprise invitation came early this

month (August) in an email from

VEGFESTUK organiser and a top

manager, Alan Lee.

FG is a regular attendee at the

festivals in London, Bristol and Brighton.

Editor Steve Ward has even chanced

his arm giving popular cooking demos

at Bristol and London.

Asked why he had invited Friends'

Gazette to attend VegfestUK founder

Tim Barford said: "We wanted to keep

working with some of our grass roots

and national people."

In an email to editor Steve award,

VegfestUK's Alan Lee said: "Would you

like to be our media partner for each of

our upcoming London, Scotland and

Brighton shows?"

The London and Brighton events are

annual attractions drawing tens of

thousands of vegan and vegan friendly

visitors, but the Scottish one, in

Glasgow is a first-ever.

Barford added: "[Glasgow] is a first

year show and we are used to first year

shows."

Editor Ward said: "We're proud to be

a media partner of, what is arguably, the

best vegan and veggie extravaganza of

all time. We make a very good pair.

"I'm not in the least bit surprised that

Tim Barford's pioneering spirit is now

taking him north of the border.

"He's not a man who rests on his

laurels and the veggie and vegan

universe would be much the worse off

without him."

FG will be at stand VA6 on level

three. French chef Christophe Bolis will

be a special guest at the stand and is

set to give a vegan cooking

demonstration on Sunday at 3pm.

Helpful representatives will be on

hand to meet readers old and new for a

chat.

FG agrees to back top veggie event inLondon, Glasgow and next year in Brighton.

Hungry for info - a curious journalist quizes workers about the mag (click to view)

4

DON’T WANNA sniff your friend’s smelly armpit in the

queue for VegFestUK at London Olympia, then

Friends’ Gazette can help. We are offering six, yes

SIX, free entries to one of London’s leading vegan

extravaganzas on October 10 and 11.

After two hugely successful events in the west hall

of Olympia with around 10,000 visitors in each of

2013 and 2014, Europe's premier vegan festivals

VegfestUK return to arguably one of the nation’s best

venues this year in the central hall (levels 1 and 3).

VegfestUK holds masses of appeal not only to

committed vegans, veggies, meat reducers and

health seekers but also people just looking for a top

day out; stuffed with sumptuous cuisines.

There are stacks of cookery demos and living raw

food demos to kick start your vegan journey, as well

as dozens of talks on vegan living, a bodybuilding

contest, comedy hours and music.

To win simply answer this question: What is the

venue for this year’s VegFestUK London? Is it the

O2, the Albert Hall or London Olympia? Send your

answer, saying which day you prefer, to us at

friendsgazette@gmail.com The first six correct

entries out of the hat will win one ticket each. The

editor’s decision is final. Closes: September 14.

Additional reporting by Alan Lee

WIN FREETICKETS TOVEGFESTUK

ADVERTISING BOOST FORFRIENDS’ GAZETTE

FRIENDS’ GAZETTE is on the hunt for

an advertising supremo.

As the magazine’s commercial base

expands a professional is being sought

to take advertising content to the next

level.

Interviews will take place the day

after the VegFestUK London show, on

Monday, 12 October at the nearby

Hilton Olympia hotel in Kensington

High Street.

Said publisher Steve Ward: “We are

looking for the right person and believe

they are out there. A background in ad

sales is essential as well as the ability

to manage a small team.”

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

3

‘SHAMEFUL SILENCE’

OVER MIGRANT CRISISA LONDON parish priest yesterday

challenged the UK government and

British politicians to break their

silence over the refugee crisis

sweeping Europe.

The confrontation came in a

'homily' by Canon Pat Browne at

the Holy Apostles church in Pimlico,

London on Sunday, August 30.

Canon Browne told the

congregation: "This week some

Syrian refugees wrote love letters to

Angela Merkel. Why? Because she

has overturned the Dublin

agreement which says asylum

seekers have to apply for asylum in

the first country at which they

arrive. This is courageous of her

and brave and these Syrian

refugees are grateful.

"Is there any politician in this

country of any party who might be

deserving of such a love letter from

a person fleeing persecution. I

cannot think of even one. There is a

shameful silence in this country."

So far this year approximately

200,000 migrants from Syria, the

Middle East and Africa have

attempted to cross into Europe by

road or across the Mediterranean

many dying in the attempt.

A lorry was recently found

abandoned on an Austrian

motorway containing the bodies of

around 50 refugees who had

perished from suffocation.

According to a report in the

Independent Catholic News the

canon went on to say: "We are the

United Kingdom! All of us

contributing to this society in our

own way - our skills, our values, our

decency and our taxes. And those

who are fleeing persecution and

torture and yes, some poverty also,

are similar."

European Commission officials

told CNN recently. "Migration is not

a popular or pretty topic. It is easy

to cry in front of your TV set when

witnessing these tragedies. It is

harder to stand up and take

responsibility.

“What we need now is the

collective courage to follow through

with concrete action on words that

will otherwise ring empty."

SALES MANAGERw a n t e d

Can you sell?Are you friendly?Can you think out-the-box?Then you may be just the person we are looking for.

Friends’ Gazette is seeking a consummate

professional to build up and manage its advertising

sales department.

Salary negotiable with good commission.

Experience essential, preferably with contacts in

the vegan/vegetarian world. Send CV with covering

letter to friendsgazette@gmail.com

First round interviews will be held on Monday, 12

October at the Olympia Hilton, Kensington High Street,

round the corner from the exhibition centre.

Syrian and Afghan migrants arriving on the Greek island of Kos recently.

PIC

CO

UR

TES

Y R

EU

TER

S

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

4

ON THE CREST OF A WAVEFounded by Tim Barford VegFestUK aims to showcase the very best of a vegan

lifestyle. It first saw the light of day in Bristol in 2003 under the name Bristol

Vegan Fayre. The Brighton event began in 2009, and since 2010 has taken place

annually. The 2013 show attracted an all-time record of 7,200 visitors over two

days. The London show started in October 2013. It takes place annually in

Kensington Olympia and regularly draws 10,000+. In December for the first time

VegFest goes to Glasgow. All food and drinks must be suitable for vegans.

It’s quite heart-warming to see so much positive media coverage about

the vegan lifestyle. Everyone from Miley Cyrus to Beyoncé to J-Lo

seems to have gone vegan and with Ricky Gervais hunting down the

hunters, and with a mass outcry over the

shooting of Cecil the Lion, you would be

forgiven if you thought we were on the crest

of everyone changing their diets.

But it’s not quite like that.

Although it’s a great thing that so many

celebrities are going vegan all of a sudden and standing up for animal

rights, let’s not forget that doing so means a lot more than a simple diet

change. Granted, most of us start our vegan journey by adjusting our

eating to exclude more and more animal product from the dinner table

until we eventually cut out all meat, fish,

milk, eggs and honey.

And it’s true that most of us get to the

vegan stage after going veggie and slowly

making these changes, although there

are some who go straight to the vegan

stage without a vegetarian transition.

But what does vegan actually mean? Is it more than just a diet? Is

it indeed more than just a lifestyle? The answer is a resounding

YES.

Vegan is not just a diet, or a lifestyle, it is a broad reaching

philosophical ethos that came out of the Second World War and

embraced a vision of true lasting and far reaching peace for all living

beings on the planet.

Going vegan means excluding animal products from your diet. And it

means excluding them from what you wear and what you put on your skin,

what you use to wash with, wash your clothes with, indeed it means the

exclusion of ALL animal products from your lifestyle.

But it goes further than that too. It’s about justice. Justice for every

living being – including humans. It’s an ethos that excludes

racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, violence, retribution

and any other injustice of rights, be they human or animal rights. Going

vegan means finding true peace within.

Many of these issues will be debated at our People’s Vegan Activists

Summit this October at VegfestUK London, including debates about

whether so called vegan celebrities are that helpful, whether single issue

campaigns are an effective form of

Tim Barford, VegFestUK founder and manager writes exclusively for Friends’ Gazette

See us atVegFestUK

LondonOct 10/11

See youat LondonVegFest

Most of us get to the veganstage after going veggie

It’s about justice, justicefor every living being

Continued on page 12

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

5

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

6

FRIE

ND

LY F

EED

BACK Dear Stephen,

I thought this article would be of interest - taken

from the book “What Vets Don’t Tell You”, a book

that can be downloaded from “What Doctors

Don’t Tell You.”

All the best,

Lorna

Cats’ nutrition is very different

from dogs - not so much in

what they need, but how they

get what they need. That’s

because cat metabolism and

chemistry are different from

those of dogs - they process

food in a way that is unique

to cats.

Although both dogs and

cats are natural predators - and therefore meat-

eaters - dog digestion has evolved to accept all

types of food. Thus, the dog doesn’t need to kill

to sustain life, and if push comes to shove, a dog

can survive on plants alone.

In contrast, cats will die if they don’t eat meat.

This fact may be uncomfortable for vegetarian

cat owners, but cats are what are called ‘obligate

carnivores’. In order to survive, they must eat the

flesh of other animals.

Although their basic nutritional requirements

are fairly similar to those of dogs (and humans),

cats find it difficult to process plant materials.

This forces them to get their nutrients by stealing

them from other animals that are able to derive

nourishment from plants.

For example, of all the vitamins, the cat can

only make vitamin C, and it must

obtain the rest of its vitamin

intake directly from other

animals.

Equally vital to cat health are

some of the amino acids. Two

amino acids that are especially

important are arginine and

taurine; dogs can make their

own, but not cats.

Both these amino acids are

important in protein metabolism.

Arginine helps eliminate the waste products of

protein - a vital housekeeping task. If arginine is

missing from the diet for just 24 hours, cats can

go into a coma and die. Fortunately, this is a rare

event, as meat contains lots of arginine.

CORRECTION

In the June/July 2015 edition of Friends' Gazette

we reported on page 7 that donations could be

made to the website adoptaveggiedog.com

This site does not accept donations.

We apologise for our error.

Think we’ve got it wrong or just want to sound off about something. Feel free! Write to friendsgazette@gmail.com

A dog can survive on plantsalone . . . WHAT VETS DON’T TELL YOU

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONTop French chef

Christophe Bolis

will be sharing his culinary skills with

you at the VegFestUK 2015 London

on Sunday, 11th August at 3pm

book your seat at stand VA6 (level 3)

places are limited

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

7

‘INSPIRING’ FG WINS PRAISE

“I can’t remember the last thing I won . . . “

That was the reaction from FG reader Rebecca

Hurst who scooped the prize in our exclusive

fashion competition.

Now she’ll be heading off to the Vintage

Fashion Fair in Hammersmith thanks to Friends’

Gazette - and her lucky streak!

She said: “I wouldn’t say I’m naturally lucky. I

can’t remember the last thing I won.

“I signed up for the Friends’ Gazette at

VegFest London last year.

“I had recently cut out

meat at the time, but

have now been a vegan

since January.

“I read it when I can.

I find the stories

interesting and

inspiring.”

Editor Steve Ward

said: “We run regular

competitions for our

readers. We choose

prizes carefully to suit

our readers’ tastes.

“These competitions have proved very

popular and we hope to run more and more in

the future. I would like to congratulate Rebecca

personally. I’m glad she now has a recent

memory of being a winner!”

The Vintage Fashion Fair is the brain child of

Paola Francia-Gardiner and Alberto Ricca.

Paola is the creative force and Alberto the

organisational supremo. An experienced

antique dealer, Paola used to buy, sell and wear

vintage fashion in the late 70s.

At that time, she got to know a lot of people

who were selling vintage clothes. “By the early

90s the market was almost dead - no one was

buying the clothes because the fashion scene

had moved on,” she says.

The dealers were complaining to her that they

had a lot of stock and did not know what to do

with it.

With an innovative approach she decided in

1999 to organise a fair

that incorporated not

just vintage clothes

but also accessories

and textiles.

And it was indeed

Paola who first coined

the term "vintage

fashion" that is now

widely used.

Described by many

as "the Rolls Royce of

the vintage fashion

fairs", this event takes place approximately

every five to six weeks.

For the past 19 years the pair, known as P &

A Antiques, have been organising specialist

events and for the past 12 years have been

based at the magnificent large hall at

Hammersmith town hall, putting together around

nine vintage fashion fairs a year as well as other

fairs dedicated to antique textiles, tribal art and

decorative antiques.

Nigel signs up for

latest adventure

WHAT have the late Beatle, George

Harrison and author and film maker Nigel

Lesmoir-Gordon, once described as ‘one

of the grooviest men in the London of the

late 60s’, got in common?

Answer: the jacket Nigel is wearing

pictured above and in colour on p12.

The garment featured in a documentary

about the music and fashion of the

swingin’ 60s called ‘Oh You Pretty

Things’ screened on BBC 4 last year.

Described as the epitome of early

psychedelic style it uses William Morris’s

Golden Lily print, and was reputedly worn

by Beatle, George Harrison. It is no

stranger to the glare of studio lights.

It appeared on BBC2’s Style Genius

series and has

featured on a Royal

Mail stamp (left) and

as part of the Queen’s

diamond jubilee bash.

cont. p12

I read it when I can. I findthe stories interesting and

inspiring Rebecca Hurst

Splendour in thegrass - NigelLesmoir-Gordon

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

1

“There is one strict vegan customer

who lives not far away who comes in

regularly. I make sure she is not

burdened with a warm salade de chevre

chaud or assiette vegetarien which

frankly are not very inviting, especially

when that’s all you’ve got.

“France is behind the rest of Europe

and the world, I think, because there are

not many vegetarians or vegans living

here. So it’s a bit like the chicken and

the egg. If there is no demand then no

one provides vegetarian meals.”

Vegan members of a nearby yoga

club were treated to Christophe’s

culinary skills recently (see picture)

when they tucked into a starter of slivers

of courgette and carrot delicately

marinated in a vinaigrette, followed by

saffron tofu in an almond cream sauce,

garnished with exotic green shoots all

topped off with a tangy vegan sorbet for

dessert at his restaurant the Cafe de

France in Caderousse in the Vaucluse.

Writing in her blog Rosa Jackson who

lives in Nice and whose young son Sam

recently became veggie, explains what

happened when she tried to explain the

situation at his school: “I went to see

the économe, the woman in charge of

collecting money for the canteen, and

explained the "problem." She gave me a

sympathetic yet puzzled look.

“‘Vegetarianism is not a recognised

diet in France,’ she said. ‘We'll have to

put everything on the plate even if he

doesn't eat it.’ Thus, my son who doesn't

want animals to die for his sake, still gets

served meat or fish every day at school

and has to eat around it.”

Christophe will be giving a demonstra-

tion of his skills at VegFestUK Olympia on

Sunday, October 11 at 3pm. Register to

attend at the Friends’ Gazette stand, VA6

on level three. Places are limited.

PIONEERING CHEF . . . from front page

Yoga club members enjoy their annual dinner al fresco at the Cafe de France

A one-stop bike shop, where you can

get your bike repaired, look over new

models and get professional advice on

the sport, all over a cup of coffee has

opened in Newcastle in the north of

England.

‘The Journey’ on Higham Place was

opened by Robert Goodwill MP under-

secretary of state for transport, recently.

The city held annual cycling Sunday’s

in the ’20s where the whole village,

almost, got on their bikes and rode

through the town centre and on into the

surrounding northern countryside.

ON YER BIKE!

CHICKPEA BURGERSAdapted from a Gillian McKeith recipe

Makes 20 – serves four (they’re small)

Set oven at gas mark 7, or 425F or 220C

Grease a baking tray.

INGREDIENTSone carrot chopped finely

one small onion chopped finely

one tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

one tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed

two peeled, crushed garlic cloves

50g sunflower seeds

Vegetable bouillon powder (Marigold): 1 heaped

tablespoon

gram flour - two heaped dessertspoons

two tablespoons tahini, drained of excess oil,

OR one tablespoon olive oil

herbs: large handful fresh corriander or heaped

teaspoon dried herbs

METHODChop the carrot and onion in a food processor

then add all other ingredients and whizz for 10

seconds, scrape down, whizz again so it is still

'bitty'.

Arrange 20 balls on greased baking tray and

press down lightly with a fork.

Cook shelf above centre for 23 minutes.

Freeze

CRITICISED FOR being shy and retiring Radha

Soami Satsang Beas leader Gurinder Singh

was anything but at a UK meeting recently.

Scotching possible notions of elitism or

exclusivity he told a crowd of thousands from

across the UK, Europe and America that he had

never said that his path was the "only" or "best" way.

And he defended one of the group's tenets, a

lacto-veggie diet, claiming that milk from cows

was a "good source of calcium".

When asked if he had recovered his health

after a recent cancer scare he quickly retorted:

"How do I look?"

The comments came in August at a relaxed

and often jovial question and answer session at

Haynes Park, Bedfordshire, one of the groups

many international centers.

Headquartered in the Punjab in India group

members follow a programme of daily

meditation, a strict lacto-vegetarian diet, a moral

lifestyle and abstain from drugs and alcohol.

Numbering among its adherents mostly

amongst Sikhs in India and the Sikh diaspora are

thousands of westerners and growing numbers of

eastern Europeans.

High profile members include Bollywood star

Shahid Kapoor whose recent glamorous wedding

was reportedly attended by Singh.

An official investigation by health and safety

officials is currently ongoing into the death in April

last year of a volunteer working at the

Bedfordshire centre. See Friendly Comment p12

‘I HAVE NEVER SAID THIS IS THE BEST

OR ONLY PATH’ GURU TELLS CROWD

Showcase your product

in front of hundreds

A HIGH-PROFILE cooking demonstration is set to

take the crowds by storm and you can be part of

the event.

Christophe Bolis will be hotfooting it from the

heart of the south of France to give his vegan

cuisine demonstration at the VegFestUK event in

London’s Olympia on October 10 and 11.

Christophe has not yet finalised his programme

so is open to ideas for ingredients from UK

suppliers.

Anything from fresh produce to pastes and

sauces, all strictly vegan, could be on the menu.

Both sweet and savoury items could be just the

thing he is looking for.

If selected the product will be used and its

producer mentioned during his hour-long

demonstration on Sunday 11.

To find out more simply email Friends’ Gazette

in the first instance. All suggestions will be dealt

with individually and if considered suitable a

sponsorship package will be sent out.

The Bedfordshire centre

9

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

1

THE MAHATMA AND THE

LONDON VEG SOCIETYMahatma Gandhi’s non-violent revolution helped kick the British out of India. Asa law student in London in 1891 aged just 18 he was a committee member of theLVS. He was invited back to speak in 1931. India won her independence in 1947.

OBSERVING ALONG these lines, I saw that a

man should eat sparingly and now and then

fast.

No man or woman really ate sparingly or con-

sumed just that quantity which the body re-

quires and no more.

We easily fall prey to the temptations of the

palate, and therefore when a thing tastes deli-

cious we do not mind taking a morsel or two

more. But you cannot keep health under those

circumstances. Therefore I discovered that in

order to keep health, no matter what you ate, it

was necessary to cut down the quantity of your

food, and reduce the number of meals.

Become moderate; err on the side of less,

rather than on the side of more.

When I invite friends to share their meals with

me I never press them to take anything except

only what they require.

On the contrary, I tell them not to take a thing

if they do not want it.

What I want to bring to your notice is that

vegetarians need to be tolerant if they want to

convert others to vegetarianism.

Adopt a little humility.

We should appeal to the moral sense of the

people who do not see eye to eye with us. The youngGandhi

Final instalmentcontinued fromlast month . . .

Continued on the page immediately following

FG is Charlie - August-September 2015

11

I WOULD GIVE UP MILK IF

I COULD, BUT I CANNOTIf a vegetarian became ill, and a doctor pre-

scribed beef tea, then I would not call him a

vegetarian.

A vegetarian is made of sterner stuff. Why?

Because it is for the building of the spirit and

not of the body. Man is more than meat. It is

the spirit in man for which we are concerned.

Therefore vegetarians should have that mor-

al basis – that a man was not born a carnivo-

rous animal, but born to live on the fruits and

herbs that the earth grows.

I know we must all err. I would give up milk if

I could, but I cannot.

I have made that experiment times without

number. I could not, after a serious illness, re-

gain my strength, unless I went back to milk.

That has been the tragedy of my life. But the

basis of my vegetarianism is not physical, but

moral. If anybody said that I should die if I did

not take beef tea or mutton, even on medical

advice, I would prefer death. That is the basis

of my vegetarianism.

I would love to think that all of us who called

ourselves vegetarians should have that basis.

There were thousands of meat-eaters who

did not stay meat-eaters. There must be a defi-

nite reason for our making that change in our

lives, from our adopting habits and customs

different from society, even though sometimes

that change may offend those nearest and

dearest to us. Not for the world should you sac-

rifice a moral principle.

Therefore the only basis for having a vege-

tarian society and proclaiming a vegetarian

principle is, and must be, a moral one. I am not

to tell you, as I see and wander about the

world, that vegetarians, on the whole, enjoy

much better health than meat-eaters. I belong

to a country which is predominantly vegetarian

by habit or necessity.

Therefore I cannot testify that that shows

much greater endurance, much greater cour-

age, or much greater exemption from disease.

Because it is a peculiar, personal thing.

It requires obedience, and scrupulous obedi-

ence, to all the laws of hygiene.

Therefore, I think that what vegetarians

should do is not to emphasise the physical con-

sequences of vegetarianism, but to explore the

moral consequences.

While we have not yet forgotten that we

share many things in common with the beast,

we do not sufficiently realise there are certain

things which differentiate us from the beast. Of

course, we have vegetarians in the cow and

the bull - which are better vege-

tarians than we are - but there is

something much higher which

calls us to vegetarianism.

Therefore, I thought that, dur-

ing the few minutes which I give

myself the privilege of address-

ing you, I would just emphasise

the moral basis of vegetarian-

ism.

And I would say that I have

found from my own experience,

and the experience of thousands

of friends and companions, that

they find satisfaction, so far as

vegetarianism is concerned,

from the moral basis they have chosen for sus-

taining vegetarianism.

In conclusion, I thank you all for coming here

and allowing me to see vegetarians face to

face.

I cannot say I used to meet you forty or forty-

two years ago. I suppose the faces of the Lon-

don Vegetarian Society has changed.

There are very few members who, like Mr.

Salt, can claim association with the Society ex-

tending over forty years.

MahatmaGandhi

THE MAHATMA . . . from previous pageThe Mahatma asthe world came toknow him

HENRY SALT was a prominent member of the

London Vegetarian Society.

He was also a prodigious author, writing

nearly 40 books of which half consisted of his

critical studies and biographies and the other

half which cogently argued and urged for

some much needed humane reforms in

prisons, schools, in the economic

organisations of society at large and in the

treatment of animals.

His circle of friends included Ernest Bell,

George Bernard Shaw and Edward Carpenter.

He was born in India in 1851, a son of the

British Raj.

He wrote ‘Seventy Years Among Savages’

as part of an autobiography criticising English

life and customs from the humanitarian point

of view. For more on this amazing character

see next month’s FG.

SEVENTY YEARS AMONG SAVAGES

Henry Salt at his writing desk

FRIENDLY COMMENT

BURNING heretics at the stake or a centre for learning,

you pays your money and takes your choice when it

comes to visiting the Palais des Papes, the ancient

seat of Catholicism in Avignon, southern France.

But at a light spectacular, rivalling anything Disney

may have to offer, all versions of the magnificent seat

of western Christianity during the 14th century, come

vividly to life.

Director Bruno Seillier told FG: “I don’t want to erase

the building under artificial lights. On the contrary I

want the power of technology to bring it to life and to

have a dialogue with the audience.”

For just ten euros (kids under ten go free) the

audience is ushered into one of the palace’s inner

sanctums where on gigantic stone walls in full colour,

backed by a surround-sound melange of narration and

music, they experience the fascinating, sometimes

gory, history of the palace.

For more information go to:

http://www.lesluminessences-avignon.com/en/

For Eurostar direct from London St Pancras to

Avignon TGV or Gare Centre go to:

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/eurostar-

deals/eurostar-train-deals/france/trains-avignon

NIGEL SIGNS UP . . . cont. from p7

Nigel, a regular Friends’ Gazette contributor, will

be at a book launch for his novel ‘Life is Just...’ at

Manor Farm, Harston, Cambridge on Sunday 4th

October at 4.30pm. He will be giving a short talk

about the background to the novel, reading extracts

and signing paperback copies. The book, Nigel’s

latest work, is set in Cambridge in 1962 and is the

story of a ‘perfect family’s fall from grace and its

redemption’. It is published by Eventispress. Nigel is

continuing to seek funding for a film based on his

earlier novel ‘Nothing and Everywhere’. To view the

taster and an introduction from Nigel click here.

changing things and many other topics surrounding

the vegan ethos.

Vegan is the most far reaching ethos of the

twenty-first century and it’s important that it is not

thought of as merely a diet. For that is to lose the

very thing that makes veganism so special – it’s a

social justice movement with true liberation for all.

And it’s worth fighting for.

ON THE CREST OF A WAVE . . . cont. from p4

Nothing to fearAFTER TWO cancellations, a surprise

(somewhat eclipsing) visit to the USA

and the shadow of a pending

investigation into the death of a

volunteer, a visit from Radha Soami

Beas leader Gurinder Singh couldn't

have been more welcome.

On top form the leader of millions of

followers world wide showed a caring,

attentive and positively tender approach

to around ten thousand devotees at

Haynes Park, Bedfordshire in August.

Approximately two years ago the

group, arguably a Sikh off-shoot, was

thrown into disarray with the

announcement that Singh had throat

cancer.

Notably it took an announcement from

the man himself to reveal the truth to

tearful and traumatised believers; too

long obfuscated by over-diligent,

paranoid jobsworths.

And this time too it fell to an

undeterred Canadian disciple to enquire

as to his health.

The question was met with a confident

if slightly defensive "How do I look?"

from the guru.

But at least the elephant in the room

was sent firmly back to its cage, or

jungle - or wherever.

Why, then with such a courageous

approach were followers advised against

searching the internet for news of their

beloved leader?

True there are some vicious diatribes

out there!

Everything from doubts about the

belief system itself to bizarre watch

smuggling escapades.

But whether it's questions of

philosophy or playing fast and loose with

the "nothing to declare line" at Delhi

airport, surely these claims should be

treated with the contempt they deserve.

To counsel refraining from Google

searches in an age where 'to google' has

become part of the vernacular is surely

counter-productive.

Indeed such a request risks lending

this on-line drivel a veracity and curiosity

value it just doesn't deserve.

'Not looking' won't make it go away.

That's a forlorn hope.

Surely better give people the freedom

to see for themselves and make up their

own minds.

For, going by the discourse and

discussion under a cavernous tent in a

grassy field in a Bedfordshire village this

summer - complete with simultaneous

English translation - this inspirational

guru has nothing to fear from spurious

internet rantings.

Nothing to wear?

NOT A phrase you’d have heard Nigel

Lesmoir-Gordon utter in the swingin’

60s, nor now!

But don’t underestimate exactly what

it meant in those days to own and wear

the unique jacket pictured above.

Fashion was found in the street,

created by friends, sewn up by mates.

Shop bought items were uncool!

Even yours truly possessed a cream

pure-silk shirt with puff sleeves worn with

high-waisted pink cord bell-bottoms.

So when Nigel speaks or writes about

the 60s he knows what he’s talking

about. Not for him the reference books

galore checked avidly by modern day

know-it-alls.

So if you want a taste of the love

generation when we all wore flowers in

our hair and dug the Rolling Stones in

Hyde Park for free, don’t miss Nigel’s

book signing in Cambridge in October.

See details elsewhere on this page. SW

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