Not even the drizzle could dampen our spirits this afternoon as Helen from Didsbury Life and I visited all the fantastic bars and restaurants on West Didsbury’s Burton Road to ask if they’d join us and take part in Earth Hour 2010 next Saturday, 27th March. Between 8.30 and 9.30pm, individuals, businesses and even whole cities will turn off their lights to show their commitment to addressing the climate change issue. The event started in Sydney in 2007 and this year’s will be the largest yet, with an estimated 1 billion people taking part. I heard about it on Facebook through my NZ buddy Carol, thought it’d be a great thing to do as an event on Burton Road and tweeted it to Helen who organises WestFest and knows everyone in the area! Armed with our most persuasive smiles, we were delighted that no-one refused, we had a super positive response from nearly 20 businesses, whether small independents like Love 2 Eat, Silver Apples and Green Tea, to the larger operations like Piccolinos and the Metropolitan.

Here are a few of images of our travels today:

Helen chats to Emil at Azzurro about Earth Hour 2010

The boys at Frankie's Fish Bar are in!

Even Kate in Reserve Wines will be lighting the candles

Sous Chef, the gourmet takeaway, will be turning off their lights

Silver Apples bar and pudding heaven are joining in too, I may have to pop in next week to check up on them, ok ok, it's just an excuse to get one of those cupcakes....

This is the main Earth Hour web-site: http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/

You can watch the official Earth Hour video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDhLvTb9Pak&feature=PlayList&p=7C4B8D81C4C080B3&index=0

A link to the Didsbury Life blog on the event: http://www.didsburylife.com/news/198/lights-off-candles-on-in-west-didsbury-for-earth-hour-2010.html

I look forward to blogging our part in Earth Hour 2010 next week, so call back to see more of the fabulous Burton Road and the eateries which will be dimming the lights and lighting the candles!