PEOPLE of a certain age will probably remember Noel Edmond's Swap Shop - a popular 1970's TV programme that encouraged viewers to swap good quality items they no longer wanted, for other items they wanted instead.

Members of the Thorncombe Transition Town group will be embracing the nostalgia by hosting a Swap Shop in Thorncombe's Village Hall on Saturday, March 28, helping folks to beat the credit crunch and clear out their loft in one fell swoop.

The concept behind the Transition Town initiative came from Rob Hopkins, of Totnes in Devon, and has quickly grown into a popular worldwide movement.

Essentially, it encourages communities to lighten their eco-footprint by living more sustainably which often saves people money, reduces their carbon emissions and also reduces their dependency on oil.

Sophie Graves and Michael Hancock started the group in Thorncombe, which is near Chard, last year with a view to encouraging sustainable living ideas to flourish in and around the village.

Recently the group organised a simple car share and lift scheme by placing a book in the local shop with details of lifts offered and wanted. This has been positively embraced by the locals and is actively reducing a few of the 10 million empty car seats on the UK's roads every day.

The Swap Shop event is open to all in the surrounding area and there will be a nominal charge of £1 on the door which will raise funds for the group and allow them to put on more sustainable living events in the future.

The doors will be open from 10.30am and you are invited to bring along up to six unused, nearly new or very good quality items ready for the grand opening at 11am.

You will then be able to choose your swaps from a selection of clothes, household goods, books, toys and more.

Mouthwatering refreshments will also be served and there will also be an active demonstration on how to make your own reusable cloth bags from scrap material. The doors will close at 3pm.

Local environmentalist and author of The Book of Rubbish Ideas, Tracey Smith, will also be at the Swap Shop event.

“Swapping your goods is a great way of keeping your money in your pocket and keeping useful goods out of landfill,” she said. “Please come along with a few items to swap, this is going to be a great event!”

For further information on the Swap Shop please telephone Sophie Graves on 01460-30418.