Old Style Inspiration Books

mardatha

I have finished "Hovel in the Hills" and I have to say to the people it inspired --you must be made of sterner stuff than me. It would put me off simple living forever!! - Oooh I am such a wimp
I have lived deep in the country since my youngest was 4 --he's now 30, and I know people who live in very poor housing, and I dont envy them one bit. Maybe I just got too old and ratty & lost my sense of adventure ! LOL I think I'll go back to the The Railway Children to calm down with...

Austin_Allegro

Just started 'Hovel in the Hills' which I bought from Amazon. I'm already hooked!

The sad thing is, though it was only written 43 years ago, you couldn't do today what Mr and Mrs West did - save up for two years then buy a house for cash! You'd have to go outside the UK to a second or third world country to do that now.

Other good reads, more on the poverty/drop out themes are 'Down and Out In Paris and London' by George Orwell, and 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying', also by Orwell.

Another is 'Off Grid' by Nick Rosen, about different ways of living off the mortgage/rental treadmill.

Margaret54

Hi everyone, It is a horribly wet day out there, so have really enjoyed reading this thread. I adore reading too, and have made a list of books from it today and I have ordered them from play.com and one or two I will check out in the library on Monday. I have always enjoyed reading books especially about old style and how people made do with very little money to spare. I read Helen forresters books and she certainly lived in such abject poverty. I mentioned today on another thread about if things get worse about people coping, and about character building, as I have been through living on a very small income, while raising my children alone at the time. I was not without my worries and I think personally it gives you the skills to cope better with tough times, if they come. There would be people who would fold as they wouldn;t have this experience of what to do, and I have met them, over the years. I love all the threads about making do and mending etc and I just love this site. I have learned so much and love the time I spend on it. It is such a lifeline at times, now I no longer am able to work.

Primrose

I'm currently reading "London 1945" by Maureen Waller, a meticulously researched description of how Londoners and the remainder of the country survived during the last year of the Second World War. It describes in detail the economies, rationing, and tactics which people had to adopt to cope with their day-to day existence. Well worth a read by anybody interested how the "Make Do And Mend" culture started.
One intriguing snippet of information included is that marzipan for wedding cakes was non-existent so people adapted by sieving cooked haricot beans and adding almond essence! Is there no end to the ingenuity of the British people when under pressure?

D&DD

:whistle: I'm not looking on Amazon...honest :shhh:

thriftlady_2

Another one for my wish list. Thanks Primrose:T

I've got one to - Round About A Pound a Day has just been republished by the wonderful Persphone Books. Not a practical how-to book but if you're intereseted in how women managed to feed their families on very little it is a really interesting and well written read.

purpleivy

:rotfl: I am!!!:rolleyes:

D&DD

thriftlady wrote: »

Another one for my wish list. Thanks Primrose:T

I've got one to - Round About A Pound a Day has just been republished by the wonderful Persphone Books. Not a practical how-to book but if you're intereseted in how women managed to feed their families on very little it is a really interesting and well written read.

la la la not listening

*runs off to find a pen and paper to make a list...*:o

I should know better than to open threads like these :rotfl:

sistercas

yep there on my birthday wish list now:D

Lalaladybird

Just reserved it on the library website, thank you for the suggestion :D:D