22/07/2025
11 months ago, can we believe it!
It was October 2023 and Henry and Jimmy are chaotically zooming down country lanes in the dying light (sorry again Jimmy..) to scout out a venue for what could be be the Summer 2024 Radical Routes Gathering*.
*(A Radical Routes Gathering is a quarterly gathering of housing co-ops)
In that near-darkness it was hard to imagine what the farm barns would look like crammed with over one hundred cooperators from the length and breadth of the country meeting, eating, even ceilidhing together. Even as tents started to be pitched and large converted trucks arrived, we still had no idea!
And then just like that it was in full swing. The kitchen was sizzling, the walkie-talkies were crackling, the hybrid zoom meetings were whirring, instruments were tuning..
And then it was over! If there is anything I have learnt from that weekend, its to enjoy all the lead up and all the pack down, because the main event is as short as a breath.
So much energy and creativity and generosity was given to the Summer Gathering of 2024 and there are a lot of thank yous due:
Firstly to Sorrel, for being the most fun, optimistic, sexy bunch of doers and dreamers.
We have to thank Humphrey, Rachel, Albert, all of for hosting us/Radical Routes. Without them, Bristolians wouldn't have had a radical housing coop gathering on their doorstep.
Thank you .coop Gatherings team - particularly Anstey, Rooh and Bobby, their Gatherings wisdom is unbeatable!
Thank you to some fellow Bristol coops - for providing us with materials to build our compost toilets, and for lending us tables, crockery, cooking utensil galore including the biggest wooden spoons ever...
Thank you for our bins, reducing waste and recycling more!
Thank you for gifting(!) us two boxes of beer, your thank you is LONG overdue. The bar sales put £455.82 into the piggie bank.
We don't know when we'll host another Gathering (until we're housed with years to play with) but we still love them to bits. Next stop, Wild Peaks Housing Coop, Derbyshire in August for this year's Summer Gathering!
