Dreaming of a Green Christmas (From Oxford Mail)

Dreaming of a Green Christmas

3:40pm Friday 10th December 2010 in News By Chris Buratta

FORGET dreams of a white Christmas, Oxford Town Hall will go green tomorrow for a festive event with a distinctly wholesome flavour.

Organised by Oxford Green Party, the Green Fair celebrates its 30th year in style with about 100 stalls run by individuals, charities and organisations sympathetic to the environmental movement, ethical trade, and local and global good causes.

In addition to ethical and Fairtrade gifts, there will be information on everything from renewable energy to local and international environmental groups.

Even Santa will revert to his original green outfit and make an appearance.

The event is the largest indoor fair in Oxford and organisers expect more than 2,000 shoppers to descend on the Town Hall.

Green Party councillor and event organiser Sid Phelps said: “Green consumerism might seem like an oxymoron, but if you consume in the right way it can actually help. We will have people there making bowls out of waste wood, someone highlighting green roofs, which is a way of controlling flash flooding, and there will be home energy experts to talk to and, of course, local produce, arts and crafts.”

This year’s fair has proved so popular with ethical businesses and campaign groups that it was over-subscribed.

Campaign groups taking part include the Oxfordshire branches of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International along with the Friends of Warneford Meadow and Oxford cycling pressure group Cyclox.

Mr Phelps said the event was the Oxford Green Party’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

cburatta@oxfordmail.co.uk

• The Green Fair runs from 10.30am to 4.30pm tomorrow at the town hall, St Aldate’s, entry 50p.