Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

Davesnave

lemonjelly wrote: »

Must be getting old...:(

Why does everyone hate HFW?

I'm oldish and I don't get colds. When I was teaching I'd get something horrible every few years or so, when the little dears could find a new strain.... :mad:

I don't really hate HFW, but like all the people who make a good living by being green, he has to be taken with a good helping of scepticism. His shop isn't cheap. It's like that other guy, Strawbridge; just happens to have been in TV, has a very attractive wife, just happened to film his purchase and renovation of a smallholding in Cornwall.....etc etc

Overall, these people do good , but they can lead to others with limited understanding doing inappropriate things, like keeping animals in less than ideal conditions when, maybe, they'd be better sticking to buying organic food from local suppliers.etc etc.

They do wonders for sustaining the value of smallholdings, of course! :)

PasturesNew

Posh people, doing posh stuff with their money and living a lovely life - and making out we all live like that ... what's not to hate about HFW?

tomterm8

Davesnave wrote: »

I'm oldish and I don't get colds. When I was teaching I'd get something horrible every few years or so, when the little dears could find a new strain.... :mad:

I don't really hate HFW, but like all the people who make a good living by being green, he has to be taken with a good helping of scepticism. His shop isn't cheap. It's like that other guy, Strawbridge; just happens to have been in TV, has a very attractive wife, just happened to film his purchase and renovation of a smallholding in Cornwall.....etc etc

Overall, these people do good , but they can lead to others with limited understanding doing inappropriate things, like keeping animals in less than ideal conditions when, maybe, they'd be better sticking to buying organic food from local suppliers.etc etc.

They do wonders for sustaining the value of smallholdings, of course! :)

I quite like HFW, compared to some of them, he is more realistic... but, simply doesn’t show the less pleasant aspects of real life smallholding... like the fact it is practically impossible to make a profit just smallholding... there is a reason for all the shops, restaurants in his program.

Basically, mostly everyone I know smallholding has some other way to earn money, even 200 acre farms barely run at evens without diversifying. So you have all the stresses of a normal job, plus the fact animals need regular care, and will get sick / escape / act up even when the episode of Dr Who you have been waiting for months for is on TV*, or when you are sick or exhausted. And they still need care in the winter, when it is freezing.

* Speaking from bitter experience.

GDB2222

What are the Scillies like in the winter? I imagine pretty wet and windy.

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

What are the Scillies like in the winter? I imagine pretty wet and windy.

Bound to be very wet and very windy.

I've only been once, on a day trip on the boat.

It's very wet and windy where I am now, but they're right out there, in the water .... miles from the mainland. I think the highest point is only 100 metres above sea level ... they're going under some time soon.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

Bound to be very wet and very windy.

I've only been once, on a day trip on the boat.

It's very wet and windy where I am now, but they're right out there, in the water .... miles from the mainland. I think the highest point is only 100 metres above sea level ... they're going under some time soon.

It feels pretty grim here today too, I just cannot get warm at all. I must have had a dozen hot drinks which is making things worse as I keep having to pop outside to the loo...bitterly cold. Laziness doesn't help, I tend to think if I'm cold I'm not working hard enough.

Davesnave

tomterm8 wrote: »

I quite like HFW, compared to some of them, he is more realistic... but, simply doesn’t show the less pleasant aspects of real life smallholding... like the fact it is practically impossible to make a profit just smallholding... there is a reason for all the shops, restaurants in his program.

Agreed, and when this new, similar to 'The Good Life' programme gets going, we'll have another tranche of smallholder wannabees.
At least we started here knowing that, at best, we would have some nice things to eat and, maybe, dodge a bit of tax.

So grim here, I went shopping. :eek: The job I had lined-up involved lots of grovelling in the mud, burying pipes, so I gave myself a holiday. Our four-legged grass cutters arrive at the weekend, and I'm plumbing-in their troughs.

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Agreed, and when this new, similar to 'The Good Life' programme gets going, we'll have another tranche of smallholder wannabees.
At least we started here knowing that, at best, we would have some nice things to eat and, maybe, dodge a bit of tax.

So grim here, I went shopping. :eek: The job I had lined-up involved lots of grovelling in the mud, burying pipes, so I gave myself a holiday. Our four-legged grass cutters arrive at the weekend, and I'm plumbing-in their troughs.

Hurrah for four leggeds...freezer bound?

I've been drooling about tomterm's mutton, we can buy pork from a smallholder here but don't eat that much of it, and have to buy by the half or whole pig. a sheep in the freezer is more useful to me generally, but a half pig will find its way in soon enough I think. I'm thinking about eating one of the Supper's for Christmas in stead of a turkey, and if the weather stays like this the chook in the freezer now might be pie on friday and soup on saturday...she was only little so not much meat on her.

We turned off our third metre at the weekend, now the horses are close to home we don't need water al the way down there. They do NOT want to come in, even in this weather, as there is still so much grass for them. On the train I noted that we are lucky, all the horses I passed were obviously being fed lots of hy already. Typically in the year I have a hay glut we have only needed to feed it when the horses are being kept in on occasion, and we have two who could do with being on a diet, just as it gets to the time people start to worry about keeping weight on them.

Its grim here so I thought of shopping too, but then decided it was to grim even for that, so curled up with the cats (not the feral, she's still upstairs learning about litter trays) on the sofa, clutching the lap top for warmth...the heating's been on too.

I might venture out tomorrow though....see what's on offer at the local nursery. I really want to find some pots for either side of the front door, but feel guilty at a frivolous spend.

treliac

Just had a lovely quorn chilli for dinner. :beer:

PasturesNew

I can be in Exeter for lunch tomorrow if anybody else can. Say 1pm....? Last chance ... option closes in a few hours.