FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

FRIENDS GAZETTE
Your articles look at moral reasons for being
vegetarian or vegan which is a very
interesting mix and unique . . .
Tim Barford - founder VegFestUK

JANUARY 2016 - ISSN 2053-4426

I am doing
something
Great Master
wants me to
do - Ishwar
Puri
Ishwar Puri

UK and FRANCE - e-mail: friendsgazette@gmail.com

- Web: scribd.com

TOP VEGGIE
HOTEL
GOES UP
Staff breakdown in tears as owner announces departure
AN ICONIC vegetarian hotel
which has connections with
romantic poets, writers and
artists is up for sale.
The Lancrigg Country House
Hotel, in picturesque Grasmere in

WHEN THE BIG

NAMES SPEAK
THEY SPEAK BIG
- to the Friends Gazette
See Ishwars full
interview with Steve
Ward in next months
edition of your FG.

the

Lake

catering

District
for

has

vegetarians

been
and

vegans for more than 30 years.

Now, owner Robert Whittington,
67, has put the business on the

The Lancrigg Country House Hotel in Grasmere, Lake District.

selling,

Mr

Whittington

told

Friends Gazette.

market as he looks to downsize

And I feel part of that. Its like

and spend more time with his

having a huge extended family of

grandchildren.

like-minded people.

They cried at the reception

desk when they knew I was

I dont know how itll be when I

walk away for the last time.

Id like to see someone who has

the same sort of ethos, ecologically
with a vegetarian/vegan ideology.
They can be what they like,
because at the end of the day Im
selling the business but I would love
Continues on page 3

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

HELLO 2016!
A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

GIS A KISS
WHEN two Muslim terrorists burst into the

democratic liberty to which they themselves

offices of a satirical magazine in Paris on

were oblivious.

January 7 and massacred 12 innocent

journalists they thought they were silencing
free speech, Gerard Egea wrote in January

Freedom of the Press.

First there was Hara-Kiri a magazine which
basked in the monika dumb and nasty.
The cover of the first edition showed a

last year.
Instead they awakened a nation, and
indeed the world, to a fundamental

disembowelled samouri warrior with a big

stomach captioned evil be to evil paunch.
Continued on page 3

SALES MANAGER
w

Can you sell?

book crammed full of veggie/vegan business

contacts and will also be able to manage and help

Are you friendly?

Can you think out-the-box?

recruit a small team of expert salespeople.

Salary is negotiable on a rewards basis with
excellent commission.

Then you may be just the person we are looking

for to bring Friends Gazette to more vegan and

Send CV with covering letter and what youd do

on your first day to friendsgazette@gmail.com

veggie entrepreneurs.
The hunt is on for a consummate professional

Informal interviews will be held in London early

this year (2016).

to continue to build up this on-line publications

FRIENDS GAZETTE

advertising sales department. It is envisaged

that the successful applicant will have a contacts
2

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

Hundreds of defiant Parisians gathered in the

VEG HOTEL FOR SALE . . .

Continued from p1

to see it carry on because we have such a

last spring, said: Fabulous food and service.

hard core of fans or guests, or whatever

I will definitely be going again.

you call it, who have been coming 20 or 30

years.
Asking price is 295,000 for the thriving
business. The house is rented at 31,000 a
year currently.
Its the business Im selling.
I dont own the property. I rent it.
Im selling the goodwill, Mr Whittington
explained.

Place de la Republique in January last year to

show solidarity with murdered journalists,
cartoonists and supermarket staff gunned down

And John Johnson also one of many

guests said: Be sure to stop here for a tea or
coffee if you are walking from Grasmere to

by Islamic terrorists. Little did they know that ten

months later another horrific killing spree would
again take place in the capital carried out by
terrorists linked to Daesh.

Easedale Tarn and back.

This time 130 died.

Amazing views, lovely grounds and

GIS A KISS . . . Cont from page 1

friendly staff.
And Robert continued: Its an historic
house. Wordsworth and the romantic poets

These brilliant satirists knew from the beginning

they were cheating death.
The magazine was banned many times and it was

used to come here.

Charles Dickens came here.

at the end of 1970 that the name was changed to

advertised it and Ive had quite a few

Charles Darwin has associations.

Charlie Hebdo (Weekly Charlie) to avoid the ban.

interested parties.

And then someone called Sir John

Ive put it with an agent and hes

But as yet nothings sealed or delivered.

Richardson who was an explorer in the arctic

Its been on the market about six months.

with John Franklin, he lived here for quite a

I had it on with another agent.

Nothing was sacred or holy for them, nothing

untouchable - except liberty itself.
Neither religion nor politics, nor social conformity
were immune to the magazines cartoonists who

few years.

But Ive been trying to do it through the

So theres a lot of history. It still does

used the weapon of laughter against all forms of

grapevine, really, to get someone to carry it

attract romantic poets and artists and

oppression. This spirit could be called leftist or

on as it is.

musicians.

anarchist but it is really beyond classification.

But at the end of the day when Ive left I

dont know what will happen.
I feel very attached to it.
Its a beautiful place.
The hotel has received great reviews
from guests. Laura Thornton who visited

We get modern day artists and musicians.

This Charlie Hebdo spirit is essentially French.

Its sat on the side of Helm Crag looking

Those who were murdered were irreplaceable.

M Egea is a philosopher, retired school professor

over the valley.

A few weeks ago the whole of Grasmere

and author. He is also an avid reader of Charlie

was flooded but we were all right because

Hebdo ever since it first hit the streets of Paris as

were up a hill.

one of Frances top political satirical publications.

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

ADVERTORIAL - ADVERTORIAL - ADVERTORIAL - ADVERTORIAL - ADVERTORIAL-ADVERTORIAL

New features of the event include:

VegfestUK

enhanced seating areas for VegfestUK's rapidly

expanding crowd, including a mature zone for seniors and the
disabled
a teacher's vegan summit which invites individuals in the
teaching profession to discussions, workshops and keynotes
on how to promote a vegan lifestyle in teaching institutions

all set for

across the country

a vegan activists summit which looks at effective vegan
outreach in communities with more to be confirmed.
These dovetail nicely with the combination of 200 Stalls, 15 Caterers,
talks, cookery demos, kids activities, a vegan comedy festival,

Brighton

performances, a LifeWell SuperHub promoting holistic approaches to

wellbeing, plus more to be confirmed on the event website for 2016
which went live for stall bookings in July 2015.

EUROPES prime vegan festival VegfestUK is back at The Brighton

Centre on Saturday and Sunday, February 27th and 28th, 2016
As organisers of some of Europe's biggest vegan festivals right now,
we are bringing our VegfestUK Brighton event back to the centre on the
last weekend of February 2016, as we look to build upon our awesome
record of 12,000 visitors over two days in 2015.
After a six-year stint at the Hove Centre, we moved VegfestUK
Brighton back to the Brighton Centre in 2015 and it received plenty of
positive feedback survey results indicated that 60% of its visitors were
new and over 90% of its visitors would return in 2016.
With a sharp rise of interest in veganism, healthy living and ethical
lifestyles over the years, stall applications and visitor numbers are set to
soar even further.
We are set to stay at the Brighton Centre arguably among the best
exhibition and conference centres on the South Coast right now for
many years to come, with measures already put in place for an
enhanced experience for its growing number of visitors.

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

UP AND WONDER
Rugby team forms philosophy club
TRYING to find the meaning of life is part of the mix at a London
rugger club these days, it seems, FG reported in February.
For members of Saracens, top north London side, have taken to
thrashing out the meaning of life and all that instead of, or perhaps
as well as, the other team.
And they recently "scrummed down" with members of the
capitals philosophy meet-up group to share their enthusiasm for all
things meaningful.
In a message to members organiser Jules Evans said: "I really
encourage you to go to hear about Saracens' unique approach to
philosophy in the workplace.
Saracens rugby club (one of the top in Europe) is unusual
among companies and professional sports teams in having a
regular philosophy club, where players sit and discuss ideas from
Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, the Buddha and others and how they
relate to their lives on and off the pitch.
The club tries to put values and well-being before profit and
success, and the philosophy club is a part of that."
Chris Wyles who plays full back for the top league team was one
of the guest speakers to make things go with a crunch!
The event happened at the Escape the City school in Frederick
Place in the financial district of London.
David Jones, head of the personal development programme at
Saracens, as well as Wyles, spoke about the role of philosophy in
helping elite sports people, as well as what role it can play in
companies in general. (Pic: Chris Ashton takes flight to slam down a try for Sarries).

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

It was just a dream come true. The Great

I WOULDNT BE

Master, as he was known, stayed

three days.
During his stay the guru asked his
host if he could talk with his son, my

HERE TODAY IF IT

grandfather.
He sat the boy on his lap.The Great
Master covered him with his warm
blanket. Then he said to Mast Ram
Lahol: Leave Lahore with your

WASNT FOR A

family and set up new business in

Punjab or somewhere.
My great-grandfather said: My
hotel business is well established

GREAT MASTER

here so how can I leave and why?

The guru replied: Do what I say.
Then one day a man walked into the
hotel out of the blue and said:

A NEWCASTLE man is convinced he

Mast Ram Lahol was a well-known

Chaudhry Sahib I heard you want to

would not be alive today were it

businessman and owned a hotel in

sell this hotel.

not for the intervention of an

Lahore.

Indian mystic, FG March reported.

Naren Sonkhla has been living
happily in the capital of the north for

The deal was finalized for 2000

His father was famous as a chaudhry

rupees. My family left Lahore in

November 1946.

(landowner) at Lahore.
Mr Balbir Singh told me how on the

In 1947 when they were in Shimla,

20th December, 1942 when he was

across the border, they heard the news on the

just five years old Great Master

radio. [Hindus had to go to India and Muslims went

Lahol, was a resident of Himachal

Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj came to his

to Pakistan. They began killing each other].

Pradesh in Nari, now in Pakistan.

house. He was in his village to visit

three years now.

But his grandfather, Balbir Singh

The town was the scene of a

horrific massacre in 1947 during the

They were calling it the biggest massacre on

earth.

followers and hold meetings.

He said it was a golden period of

Partition of India in which Muslims

time. He was so excited to see the

and Hindus were forced to leave

Great Master at his house.

Then they realised why the Great Master had told

them to leave Lahore.
Without that warning I would not be here today.

their homes and move to their new

Partition of India - 1947

countries in a divided land.

But grandad, then just 10, escaped
certain death when he and his family
moved a year before the carnage on
the advice of his fathers guru.
Naren tells the incredible story.
This is the true story of my
grandfather Mr Balbir Singh Lahol age
78, born on the 11th August 1937.
He was the son of Mast Ram Lahol
who born into a satsangi (followers of
a living guru) family and gave his
whole life to seva (voluntary work) at
Dera Baba Jaimal Singh Amritsar (an
ashram in the Punjab).
His mother was Manso Devi. He
spent his childhood in Pakistan,
Lahore before partition.

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

CRACKDOWN ON
VEGAN TRADEMARK
THE VEGAN Society has renewed its pledge

he would revoke the licences of those who

to crackdown on those who break its

broke the rules and send in the solicitors to

trademark rules and send in the solicitors

halt any infringements.

when necessary, the Friends Gazette

reported in April.
The distinctive trademark is designed to tell
consumers that a product is free of all animal
ingredients and animal tested ingredients and
processes.
But some claim a number of products are
slipping through the net and gaining the

t:

In an exclusive interview with FG Gill, head

of business development, said: Yes, we would,
definitely. Even revoke the licence, when
asked what he would do if a trademarked
product was found to contain milk or dairy.
And he added: Where we are not getting
any joy we would find out what country it is

Some of the products bearing the vegan trademark

And referring to companies who use the symbol

trademark despite containing traces of dairy or

based [in] and then we would get our

without ever having applied for it he said: If we

other non-vegan ingredients.

international solicitors involved.

dont get any joy within, say, seven working days

Speaking in the strongest possible terms the

societys trademark boss, George Gill, told FG

Its an infringement of our trademark so

theyre breaking the licence agreement rules.

then well just involve the solicitors.

Investigative report by Stephen Ward.

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

CHUFFED
TO BITS -

Guru worries
over inmates

Jane Land
DEEP concern for Sikh
political prisoners and the
health of a prominent
supporter of Sikh freedom
were among the reasons for
Radha Soami sect leader
Gurinder Singh Dhillons visit
to a hospital in the Indian city
THOUSANDS of meat eaters chucked their

of Chandigargh the FG

slaughter house diets and joined up to a

reported in June.

campaign which aims to turn the world vegan,

the FG reported in May.
And for its size the UK turned in the largest
number of converts!
Veganuary is an online campaign that
encourages people across the globe to try
veganism for the month of January.
In just two years over 16,000 people have

A poster promotes Khalsas cause

The northwest region of India known as the

Dhillons visit also coincided with the transfer

Punjab (inhabited mostly by Sikhs) has been at

to the same hospital of Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa

the centre of a separatist movement for years.

under police guard. Khalsa has been on hunger

This movement has grown stronger as

strike since January seeking the permanent

Indian Hindu nationalists have swept to power

release of certain Sikh political prisoners who

in Delhi on the back of Sikh votes.

have completed their mandatory jail terms.

Dhillon asked after the health of top Sikh

Radha Soami Satsang Beas, a strictly lacto-

politician, Simran Singh Mann, who is being

veggie group, is one of dozens of Sikh offshoots

taken part, with four times as many

treated for a heart condition and the pair had a

known as deras based in the Punjab.

participating [last] January than in 2014.

totally confidential meeting.

Co-founder Jane Land said: Were chuffed

to bits with the 2015 results.

Mann later told journalists Dhillon had

expressed deep concern over prisoners.

UPDATE: Activists are calling for support for

Khalsa pointing out that December 31, 2015
marked 350 days of his struggle.

FEELING a bit the worse for wear after the

METHOD

all-nighter to welcome in the new year?

In large pan, heat oil and add prepared veg

Did the goodie-goodie non-alcoholic

sparkling wine give way to the real thing as
the night wore on?

mix. Toss around for about five minutes.

Add tinned tomatoes, then the 1.5 cans
water. Now add bouillon powder.
Bring to boil and simmer for 40 minutes,

Worry not . . .
Youll find Rosemarys Recipe set out
below might be just the answer - you could

season with salt and pepper to taste.

Partially blend with a soup stick. Enjoy.

even find most of the ingredients at the

(open-all-hours) local corner shop or, if
not, then maybe stuffed down the back of
your groceries cupboard and/or fridge!

INGREDIENTS
One packet supermarket prepared
vegetable mix (peeled and cut)
One tablespoon olive oil
400g can chopped tomatoes
One-and-a-half cans cold water
Three heaped teaspoons Marigold
Bouillon powder
salt and pepper to taste

Rosemarys

SOUP

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

CHRISTOPHE SERVES
VEGAN REVOLUTION
A PIONEERING French chef is

To find out more contact Friends

determined to bring his country

Gazette in the first instance on:

up-to-date with the vegan and

friendsgazette@gmail.com

veggie world from his busy kitchen

in the south of France.
Despite considerable Gallic
indifference from the public

WANT MAYO WITH

Christophe Bolis serves up haute

cuisine masterpieces using tofu,
fresh veggies, mushrooms and

THAT? AMYS DRIVE

soya (FG September).

After appearing at the
VegFestUK London last autumn
he now runs courses where

THROUGH GAMBLE

dedicated vegan chefs can pick

up some of his ideas first-hand.

VEGETARIAN giant Amys

Foods has this month (August)
opened a drive-thru restaurant
in northern California despite a
ban on new drive-thrus in the
area restricting growth.
The drive-thru on Golf
Course Drive West, Rohnert
Park, California is a pure
vegetarian outlet with around
72 seats inside and another
100-150 outdoors.
But despite initial runaway
success, owner Andy Berliner
(pictured above with wife
Rachel) dampened
speculation on more outlets
saying: Only expect one or
two more in the next year or
so.
Much of Northern California
has bans on new drive-thrus.
Locals fear their impact on
traffic, air quality, walk-ability,
bike safety, land use, adjacent
homes and perpetuation of an
unhealthy and sedentary
lifestyle.

10

Christophe in his kitchen

FG est Charlie et Paris - January 2016

A ROUNDUP OF ARTICLES FROM LAST YEARS FG

FIFTY YEARS OF THE HARES

THE HARE KRISHNA movement celebrates its 50th anniversary

this autumn (2015) with talks, festivals, parades and, of course plenty of food (FG October).
While troupes of dancing saffron clothed devotees stopping
traffic in Oxford Street may have pretty much gone, the movement
itself is going strong. But now, instead of pounding the pavements
barefoot chanting their mantra, three London buses were booked
for the birthday occasion to travel through central London to
spread the holy name.
The movement began in 1965 when an Indian holy man called
Sri Prabhupada sailed to the US on a cargo ship to preach
Krishna Consciousness. Since then the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has built a network of more
than 100 temples, schools, institutes and farm communities.

Top: A group of blissed-out saffron-robed chanters take the streets of London by

storm. Above: Pick up a delicious, strictly lacto-veggie, curry at Govindas, Soho.

PANDA MAKES

NIGEL LAUNCHES

HER GLASGOW

HIS TASTY NEW

PREDICTION

NOVEL IN CAMBS

GLASGOWS set to become a

THERE may not have been any

vegan centre, according to FG

cherries on offer but that didnt stop

reader and prizewinner Panda

Nigel Lesmoir-Gordons latest

Gledhill.

offering going down a treat in

Panda, better known as Spikey for

Cambridge recently. Life is Just

obvious reasons, made her

is the latest submission from the

prediction after scooping a free

well-known author and film-maker

ticket to the VegFest Scotland in

(FG November).
Published by Eventispress you

December thanks to an FG comp.

can find the tale at Amazon.

FG runs regular reader offers.

11

IN MEMORIAM

FRIENDLY COMMENT
Your voice,

THINK YOU CAN

WRITE FOR US?

be ahead of the curve, beating

competitors to the latest info, opinion or
ruling.

not theirs

You won't find disguised advertorials

here or recipes coming out of our
cake'oles.

THE GAZETTE brings you exclusive

In short you'll find stories you can

breaking news stories you'll find

trust, slap bang up-to-date info and

nowhere else.

informed comment.

How do we do it?
At the FG we live the story.

Welcome to the Friends' Gazette your voice, not theirs.

Every article is penned with our

readers in mind.
Sometimes this rubs those in power

Great pity to

up the wrong way, upsets organisations

- even governments, but rest assured it's

lose this gem

Then answer the riddle.

always our readers who come first.

We will NEVER compromise the hard-

EVERY once in a while a gem comes on

won democratic principle of free speech

the market. And the Lancrigg Country

CUB reporter, George, gets sent to cover the launching

come hell or high water.

House Hotel in Grasmere in the beautiful

of a ship. Everyone whos anyone will be there.

Everyone, without exception, has the

right to the truth - to know what vested
interests prefer you didn't.
So we WILL chase down the story; we
WILL go the extra mile; we WILL risk the
opprobrium of power to stand up for the

Lake District is just such a gem.

George puts on his best togs so as not to look out of

My wife, Elaine, and I stayed there

place. His news editor would like that. He arrives well in

some time ago for a night or two.

time and takes his place on the press bench.

We had one of the most pleasant

Clutching his notebook in hand, his shorthand fresh in

experiences of our lives!

his mind, he awaits the unfolding of the event. What an

The hotel is approached up a steep-

assisnment!

man in the street whose voice has been

ish hill (if memory serves) and the

stolen, tricked or seduced out of him.

building itself is worthy of its reputation -

raised platform near the bow of the ship. She releases a

as a centre for artists, musicians and

lever and a massive bottle of champagne swings towards

poets for decades.

the boat. Theres an audible sound of glass on metal.

We're often asked where we get our

stories. The answer is simple - you.
In the year just gone around 90 per

A well-known member of the royal family mounts the

Then an incredible thing happens. Instead of gliding

The garden stretches into the rolling

cent of stories were sourced from

Grasmere countryside with a pergola

majestically down the ramp, theres an almighty crash

readers.

with comfy seats as well as the more

and the massive liner sinks beneath the waves.

We also get informed about things

Minutes later George dutifully tells his copytaker over

traditional metal table and bench variety.

the phone: Sorry, theres no story, the ship sank.

from official outlets. However we are

On a good day you can see for miles

nobody's poodles. Before we print a

and snacks, drinks and even meals (if I

glowing, self-trumpeting press release

recall correctly) can be served outdoors,

1)Gets promotion;

we'll make sure claims are verified, facts

weather permitting.

2)Theres a new reporter sitting at his desk.

Next day back at the office he:

Inside its the same story.

Which is the right answer and why?

Remember we're purveyors of truth.

A personal touch at all times and

Make your choice in no more than 50 words and send

Something the Mahatma said there was

nothing too much trouble. Food is out-of-

'no god greater than'.

this world and strict vegan pallets are

are checked and quotes de-puffed!

We also get information from

watchdogs; government and otherwise.

directly to friendsgazette@gmail.com.
Mark your email: the editor.

routinely catered for.

CLICK THE

Now the price. At 295,000 for the

These will be used in full with all

goodwill this has got to be a snip - a

SCRIBD LOGO

warnings carefully reported.

jewel in any self-respecting vegan or

(left) TO READ

We will also attend public meetings,

court cases and tribunals where

vegetarian entrepreneurs crown.

vegetarian or related matters are at

gem lose its vegetarian identity and

issue in order to keep readers informed.

become one of those faceless

Accuracy, balance and relevance are

our watchwords. We aim at all times to

POSTED ISSUES

It would be such a great pity to let this

OF THE FG ALL
THE WAY BACK

establishments so easily found in any

TO JULY 2013

British resort.

12