Going vegan for a month - Last Day

Animal Aid Christmas Fair

This morning I went along to Animal Aid's Christmas Fair in Kensington. The Fair has been an annual event like forever. I remember seeing it advertised when I was in my twenties. I always intended to go. It's taken me nearly 40 years to get there!

I was thrown back into my early life surrounded as I was by stalls from so many different animal charities from here and abroad. Familiar names all still collecting names for petitions, still doing their bit to stop animal cruelty, looking for alternative ways to live in a kinder world.

The first stall I came across was the Animal Aid one itself and I was overwhelmed by the goodies on sale - so much chocolate and sweets and a box of vegan mince pies. I was very tempted but decided to do the rounds first. My first purchases were from another stall run by Animal Aid where I bought a small vegan cake baking booklet and some Christmas cards and then I saw all the hot food to buy. I mean talk about spoilt for choice, and no wondering whether there was anything dodgy in it. There was a buffet, hot food cooked to order, food in warming containers, burgers and hot and cold drinks. I saw sandwiches too.

There were four halls, two on the ground floor and one each upstairs and in the basement. It was nice to see Hillside Animal Sanctuary there. I visited the sanctuary some years ago and was so impressed that I adopted a pony called Katy. I bought some cards from their stall.

It was really the animal experimentation issue that got me into everything else. Way back when I was a teenager what I read and saw shocked and horrified me and I chose to change my makeup over to cruelty-free ranges. In some ways things have changed. More cosmetic companies choose not to have their products tested on animals but it still goes on. When you think about anything you use in the house, from kitchen and bathroom cleaners to weedkillers and such, you have to remember that these will have been tested in some way or another. A lot still are tested on animals, yet they don't need to be. There is also the issue of drug and other medical testing including medical research into all sorts of diseases and conditions. There is one company The Dr Hadwen Trust (who had a stall at the Fair) who give grants for non-human research. There is so much that can be done now without using animals. Do go and have a look at their website for more information.

For my lunch I chose mungbean curry which was lovely. I had one last look around to see if there was anything else I wanted to buy. I came home with sweets, cards and a few leaflets. I did not pick up lots of leaflets from animal rights etc., not because I don't agree with what they do but because they are preaching to the converted! I understand the issues and I support where I can my chosen charities both animal welfare and the welfare of people. In the end you have to make your choices. You cannot do everything. When people say to me that when they read all these charities letters that come through their doors and they feel guilty because they don't know who to send money to, I say choose what is close to your heart. That's all you can do.

There were a few stalls offering tasters but mainly they were for alternative cheeses. I have to say that the smell put me off. There was one imitation Stilton. I can't stand the stuff as cheese (smells like old socks to me) so why would I want to eat an alternative! None of it appealed.

I thought this was fitting end to my month as living as a vegan to attend this Christmas Fair. My only question was why the hell had I not got there before?!

Purchases and leaflets

So what now? Well, I'll blog now and then about food and how well I've manged to lead a more vegan life. I can't say more than that. But I wonder whether any of this has urged you to give it a try. If you do but are overwhelmed about where to start, I'd say start slowly. Maybe have one or two days a week of eating only vegan. If you want to make other changes you could gradually replace toiletries, makeup, cleaners and washing powders to cruelty free brands. Most supermarkets do their own now. Some brands for makeup and cleaners that I use are Boots own brand, The Body Shop, Superdrug and Original Source but I've also brought Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op and Waitrose own brand. Look for the little symbol with the rabbit. Animal Aid sell cosmetics and I believe M&S and Avon products are cruelty free. There are books you can buy showing ethical companies or you could just google it! Just these small changes make all the difference.

Dinner tonight was a Waitrose Vegetable Burger, chips and salad with vegan mayo.

I do hope you've enjoyed following me on my journey into veganism throughout the last thirty-one days. I've certainly found it interesting and informative and it has reconnected me with the reasons I first began making conscious choices to change my lifestyle, switching gradually away from meat based food to vegetarian and dabbling more and more in veganism.

Thank you for reading.