Yesterday Pat wrote about bad behaviour of a couple of people, uncivil you would call it. The taker of daffodil plants and the person who did not clean up after her dog. In the evening my daughter said that their shop had been burgled and a sizable amount of money taken on Tuesday night.
What do you do about bad behaviour? An old lady stealing plants or young lads stealing for drugs. Solomon needs to be called to adjudicate. Watched the CEO Peter Hebblewaite of P&O ferries this morning openly admit to doing wrong it was called criminal behaviour by the chair of the committee judging him, but he won't go to prison of course. Crimes just flitter past all the time now, there is seriously no moral compass in some people.
I watched an Irish man who had given up city life to go and live on one acre of land in the grottiest cottage, not lived in for years, and calmly explain that this was the type of life he was heading for. He was building his own little paradise, mostly in his head of course, but making a dream come true.
Ben Fogle chases round the world looking for similar people. We watched the other night a lady living in cold snowy conditions somewhere in a Scandinavian country. She was living a 'Stone Age' way of life, hunting and killing her food, preparing skins for wearing. Sometime later when Ben had gone back to visit her, she was sporting a mobile and attachment to the internet. There are some things you just can't live without.....
Channel 4 have started a new series - The Simpler Life. Usual tripe, throw a lot of people together, normally ones that won't get on with each other, and then see what happens. The backdrop is they must live an Amish way of life, with stored food, farming the land and not owning personal possessions for the 6 months but they live in perfectly delightful surroundings. One feels sorry for those that have been picked as they face up to plain and simple food, the children are the worst culprits here for pickiness.
Well I remember the first dash into reality television in 1978, 'Living in the Past' an Iron Age experiment with several couples (who may or may not have sneaked off to the pub or for fish and chips now and then ;) It was good watching at the time.
Happy to say the book about it by John Percival is one that I will never get rid of!
ReplyDeleteI might have to grit my teeth and have another look at the Amish programme as several people have said it was interesting
I suppose Sue it is what you leave out or what you put in the programme that is interesting. Everyone seems to be settling down by the end of the first episode.
DeleteInteresting observation on a plant thief. I attempt to make a garden in waste ground in front of our apartments in Piraeus. The locals are very supportive, but all my efforts and all their donated plants are regularly stolen or cut for flowers and everytime we have seen someone doing it, they have all been well-dressed, apparently well-heeled women who drive cars, stop in our (not wealthy) neighbourhood and help themselves to our garden.
ReplyDeleteHi Tigger, do you actually confront the plant stealers? Here in Tod, the whole area is 'gardened' by locals, so you can take the vegetables, not sure how that is done. Fair sharing and all that. But when I walk to Lidl there are gooseberry bushes and strawberry plants along the canal side.
ReplyDeleteSome years ago the farmer and I on one of our many visits to the US spent a couple of days with an Amish community - thy were pleasant, friendly people and we learned a lot. Mainly that it was not and never would be the life for us (that was not the idea of being there. I watched the first episode of the programme you mention - haven't watched any more as it mainly seemed to me to be people falling out all the time.
ReplyDeleteWell I suppose Pat it makes good television watching. I loved the Shaker's furniture at the time, hanging up one's chair seemed such a good way of clearing the room. Simplicity and beautiful wood but the Shakers died out (celibacy could have been the problem), the Amish are still going strong.
DeleteI enjoyed the Simpler Life programme - you just know they are going to put some disparate people together to make it "more interesting" and everyone watching it completely judgemental - I mean, did you SEE her Gucci handbags on display? How shallow - or that's what they expect you to think. Like an Essex programme I came across once (that was enough) where this woman bought bananas every week, just for display, then chucked them away! I shall carry on watching it anyway.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the clip from Living in the Past - poor s*ds had it tough when they were building the village. It aid it was in North Dorset but I'd put money on it that it was Butser Hill. My memory is probably playing me tricks.
I follow the Ben Fogle programme too, but would find it hard to live as some of those people do but I think I am looking at it with an age perspective in place. We did our own running away (to Wales) and "did up a dump" and created a home from scratch.
That large house of yours Jennie was a big undertaking but you all won and created a lovely home. Not sure it was Butser, because they were 'show houses' for people to wander around in and experience the way of life. Only went once to Butser it was quite a long drive down.
DeleteI used to work with one of the Iron Age people in the 1970s programme; they took it very seriously and didn't nip off for fish and chips. He later became a stockbroker. His wife was a teacher. I know them very well and they are still a bit Iron Agey.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, the 'Back to the Land' movement was very strong still at the time I but don't think anyone had thought about living in mud through the winter. Still it was a brave attempt, don't know if they got paid or not for the experience.
DeleteThey did get paid.
DeleteIn fact he and his wife were not at all hippies. A bit weird but not hippies. I haven't watched your film clip here but they are John and Sarah if you want to spot them. I believe one couple dropped out who didn't enter into the spirit of it and were considered trouble makers from what John told me.
DeleteYes Rachel I watched the series of what happened much later to everyone, and your friends appear in the end episode. As the I/A blacksmith, and after stockbroking, he went back to iron work. Probably more as a hobby, but most of them still meet up, and smallholdings and chickens seem to figure.
DeleteHe had been a builder prior to stockbroking. I worked with him in the same room for 20 years. The Iron Age people are all still in touch, yes.
DeleteAfter stockbroking, which he left when I did, he went to work for the YMCA as an advisor but took no money for his work.
DeleteI remember the Iron Age village being torn apart when the elders actually slaughtered the ox (they didn't do it themselves, they got a local butcher in) which they had all been looking after for a year or so. People were in tears, even though they knew that this was the plan from the word go. I was all bloody make-believe. Silly hippies.
ReplyDeleteNow we take 'make believe' and turn it into reality shows just like the Romans did - bread and circus, Tom. Can't remember the slaughter, must have gone out the room not able to face it!
DeleteWe had a similar reality program in the states, except the participants were reenacting 17th century immigrants. I didn't watch much, and I think the whole group eventually fell apart.
ReplyDeleteGroups falling apart is what usually happens Joanne. In the hippy world probably to do with sex and promiscuity, and who does the washing up!
DeleteWe have had some similar TV series here and you are correct in that they like to focus on the people drama more than the historic aspects.
ReplyDelete