READING a book called "Food and Climate Change without the Hot Air" by S L Bridle, making a promise in a climate change workshop and hoping to welcome a new couple into our road inspired me to invite some of our neighbours to our house to a sit down vegan lunch.

We served, aduki bean soup, hummus and bread, both home made, with Stevie B’s chick peas, flour and fresh yeast, and for pudding, apple crumble made from Paul Cleave’s recipe (see the "Courier") and apples from two doors away.  We had a happy time.

“And did you achieve your objective?” asked my husband.

Definitely. This was something we could do now that we feel even more responsible for the world we leave our two-year-old granddaughter and our three-year-old grandson.

Our neighbours won’t all be ditching meat and dairy immediately just as I didn’t when my nephews embarked on being vegan eight years ago, although even then I was impressed.

But last year we went vegan for Lent and we have gone on from there. Now we are almost vegan, with occasional eggs and oily fish. And in France we did eat cheese.

The power in our purse is considerable. If our government won’t lead on caring for the world that our children and young people inherit, then we need to. And they will follow. 

Laura Conyngham

Old Tiverton Road

Crediton