FORUM 2000: The forum learned about LILAC- Low Impact Living Affordable Community when Joe Atkinson was the speaker on March 26. There were two aspects to his talk: the technique of building ecologically-friendly housing and living in a commune. His PowerPoint showed the technique of building prefabricated walls using straw bales and lime wash instead of concrete. With insulated walls one and a half feet thick and triple glazing, the houses save fuel but even the materials save carbon – the lime plaster needs less fuel to bake it. The heat exchanger deals with ventilation as well as saving on heating. This experiment in building on our doorstep in Bramley is on a site not commercially attractive as a large area has to give access to a sewage point, now used for allotments. Joe provided details of financing the project as well as the building techniques and at every point ethics came into the equation. The ideal estate is home to an ideal community whose members planned it and saw their dreams come true. Living in a sharing community saves on space – one workshop and a common laundry in a community building. They planned a central garden with a pool. It looks a nice place to live; Joe does not strike you as a crank and the cost of living in Lilac Grove is lower than most places in Horsforth. It remains to be seen if the experiment in communal living succeeds, but LILAC looked very attractive to this audience. On April 30, Roger Dedman will talk about ‘The rise of The Post Office’ especially in the Victorian Era. Forum 2000 meets on Wednesdays at 10am in The Grove Centre, New Street, Horsforth. LS18 4BH. Everyone is welcome. Contact (0113) 2583521