On 27 September, five members of the York Fair Trade Forum – Margot, Pam, Sue, Kathryn and Helen – ventured across the Pennines in response to an invitation from the Lancaster, Morecambe and District Fairtrade group.

We started with a visit to the FIG Tree Fair Trade cafe and exhibition centre in Garstang, the world’s first fair trade town. Here we enjoyed an interesting presentation from Bruce Crowther, founder of Fair Trade Towns, and had some delicious coffee and cake. We also got a chance to look round this super place, which is soon moving into Lancaster. Bruce presented us and the Lancaster group with handmade chocolates in the shape of the White and Red roses – made in Garstang with cocoa beans from Ghana.

 

 

 

 

 

Then on to Lancaster to meet more members of the Lancaster and Morecambe Fairtrade Group. We visited a well-stocked Fairtrade shop based in a church, ate lunch at the Whaletail Restaurant and then had a fascinating walk around some of the Slave Trade and Fair Trade Town Trail, learning about Lancaster’s rich and sometimes shocking history. We were lucky that the weather was dry and occasionally even sunny. We look forward to welcoming our hosts to York in the Spring.