Was it ever thus or is it worse? I just cannot remember a time when there was a decent stretch without famine, war or ecological disaster. In the early 90’s to cope with it all I decided with my partner that ‘permaculture’ was the one true way. It meant looking at you feet, the ground you were standing on, your home, the people around you and designing ecological and responsible systems for the area you lived.
My then man and I set up the ‘Exmouth Earth Bank’ in Devon, a local charity shop and information centre dedicated to the promotion of all things sustainable from worm bins to recycled sanitary towels (don’t ask). We took over an old corner shop and painted it with organic milk based paint. It smelt like a dairy. We set up a Local Trading System and I helped my partner begin a vegetable box scheme involving and supporting local organic farmers. All this we did for free working in dead end jobs to pay the rent. And it felt great..for a while.
The only problem was that what had seemed romantic and worthy soon proved to be a bit of a grinding bore. We became friends with wonderful, innovative people but would also constantly attract the odd balls of the community; raw gallic eating fructivores who had vowed to never wash, teenage travellers with dogs on strings and stripped woolly socks who only wanted enough gardening skills to grow skunk and cider apples and who disappeared off whenever there was digging to be done, the local Marxist with his rather large shoulder chip.
I became disenchanted, especially in the cold, wet, often frozen earth of England with the constant disapproval of much of the local conservative community. I didn’t seem to know anyone who read anything but instruction manuals on compost toilet systems and solar panels made from old radiators. Secretly I wanted to make films, to write, I wanted to travel. I wanted romance, not to spend the rest of my days packing onions, organic or no, into cardboard boxes in a freezing shed with chapped lips and only enough money for a couple of pints at the end of the week. We were saving up to buy land, some mud soaked field we could start our new life on in some freezing caravan.
For me it was never going to work. I chickened out but I have always thought that eventually I’ll return to it all…. just not quite yet!
However, long story short and all that and to cheer us all up I found a couple of absolutely daft photos of me in that life and thought they might make you chuckle
Comments 6
Wow, what a story, I currently live in Exmouth and work on the paper.
I would love to do a piece on your work here if you’re ever settled in one place long enough for me to call you.
Dina
01395276153
I love it!
We’re sustaining ourselves to a certain degree out here in northwest Ireland, but it’s nowhere near what we first dreamed of doing. You’re right; growing vegetables and caring for goats and hens might be fun in South Carolina but it SUCKS in year-round freezing sleet gales.
When we first came out here, the dream was to go completely off-grid eventually. Now, well, we do what we can stand. We do grow vegetables, though we don’t completely feed ourselves. We only buy clothes in charity shops and we return outgrown clothes there too. We compost and recycle, and grow biomass willow for firewood to cut our dependence on the oil radiators. We gave up the goats but the hens remain.
Compromises, I suppose, between the ideals of the heart and the demands of the (aging) body and busy life! Having special-needs kids did make an impact on what we could and couldn’t do.
I love the photographs; they’re wonderful! Great smile, and I like those braids. Thanks for sharing them!
Author
Hi Dina,
It was quite some time ago but sure ..I’d be happy to try and rake up some memories. I’ll call next week.
Hey Susan and WOW! i was already in awe of your phenomenal writing skills and knowing how much you are juggling with family and work and now turns out you have a mighty green heart! I have yet to put in a slug proof veggie patch in my garden which is terrible as been here over three years. hopefully this summer… hmmm. I’d love some hens tho’. More soon and thanks for the lovely comment as per!
T x
Haha! Sweet man. That pic is an antidote to all the news.
Well, I’ve been so happy to land for a while on a wee patch of earth where I can grow mielies next to pre-existing rose bushes, and harvest enough stuff for daily salads. I’m working on a grey water cleaning system, and I don’t yet have the rain tank OR the solar geyser, though I do have worms and compost. But yes, I think that its in the suburbs that it really needs to happen. I wonder if it will move from being something romantic to something purely practical, and we’ll trade our tomatoes for our neighbours strawberries? I agree its a dam hard slog though. I would rather fend off teethbaring baboons than dig frozen ground. urgh.
Screw him!
Thanks good ness you didnt end up as a hippy chick smelling of patruli and eating raw food.
But that picture with the braids….ooohhhh…..its so so good! I love love love it!
heh heh heh!!! HAH HAH HAH! lots love xx janelle