As we move closer to our big divorce with the EU, some of us are wondering how our everyday life will be affected with the inevitable increase in food and the cost of living.
The good news is there is a way around this fast moving consumer market – apart from shopping in discounted Superstores like Aldi and Lidl which come with its own challenges like accessibility and the cost of the fuel to drive there.
So if you are willing to make a change you can start in your own back yard by growing your own produce – you will have to put a bit of work in yourself, and prepare yourself for a challenge – but one that is healthy and fun, and will afford you all of the exercise and nutrition that you need.
If you have a family it is a great way to demonstrate to the kids how resourceful you are, and give them a clear understanding of how consumerism is taking over our lives, and that you are doing something about it. You can even get them involved in the process and make it a family activity at weekends.
If you have a garden, then you are home and dry, and all you have to do is prepare the soil and plan what you would like to grow. There are many garden centres near to you who will be happy to help you with the seeds and planting programmes that surround different types of vegetables at specific times of the year, and you can even invest in a smallish greenhouse for the more fragile fruits that you can grow without being affected by the weather.
If you live in an apartment without a garden, and are keen to experiment in ‘the good life’, then put your name down for an allotment or search around for a small piece of ground you can rent cheaply from a neighbour or friend to begin your food growing experiment.
At one time allotments were considered to be for the elderly or gardening fanatics and were definitely not ‘cool’, but it is now hugely fashionable with more and more Celebrities and Business Executives utilising this outdoor activity as a means of staying fit and healthy and as a pure distraction from their life in the fast lane.
So make Brexit work for you and start growing your own, which will save you heaps of money and is the ultimate diet to keep you trim and in shape.
You may want to start with the simpler vegetables, and then gradually add to your portfolio with more exotic yields, and in no time at all you will be self- sufficient and proud to show off your produce and be in charge of your own home grown food garden.
Read the Thompson-Morgan quick overview of their top 10 easy to grow vegetables. This website is informative and will give you a great start to growing your own : 10 Easy to Grow Vegetables
The company has been in business since 1855 and can supply all your gardening needs
Visit Thompson Morgan to see for yourself.
As I glance into the tell-tale car mirror on my way to work, I can clearly see the lines on my face that I fondly call ‘my map of life’ – as the sun streams through the window.
I am a huge fan of heavy rock, which is always a surprise to my friends, as I look like the typical middle-class mum of two teenage kids, but I have studied the exciting life of my favourite rock stars, with their drug and alcohol abuse, from the safety of the suburbs. I have watched their tempestuous lifestyle, followed by rehab and subsequent salvation, or worse, with secret envy.
Deep lines are etched on their faces telling the tale, and I am beginning to look a bit like them – without the back story of course, apart from a few wild nights in my youth. Well I am not going to incriminate myself at this stage.
I am certainly not averse to a nip and a tuck where necessary, or even a boob job or a bit of Botox (although I am yet to venture down that road), but believe it or not, I am embracing the inevitable aging process and beginning to relish the freedom that comes with it.
I was always amazed by the sheer outrageous behaviour of my late mother, as she told people off in the street, used the odd swear word (which was most unusual for her younger self) and generally upset people, especially her neighbours.
So, with the exception of throwing the television out of the bedroom window (à la Keith Moon), I am planning all sorts of revelries in a few years’ time, along with some equally daring and dangerous safari expeditions, which are bound to upset a few people!
Having said that, I am already divorced, so don’t have a partner to shock, although my ex already believes I am a loose cannon, and so nothing to disprove there.
My kids are smart and I feel I have done them proud as they are heading to university; and my sister already knows my capabilities, so no worries there.
I need to take the plunge and head off on my own Rock n Roll adventure, which will probably involve a few bottles of wine (nothing stronger as I want to remember it all) and some brave decisions, for a safe middle-class female; after all, the world is our oyster the older we become, and the less we need to justify our actions.
So rather than plan your innocuous retirement, look upon the inevitable as a chance to explore other options, and live your dream. You definitely won’t regret it, and you will get respect rather than criticism as you embark on your voyage of discovery.
After all, why always take the tried and tested route? If you haven’t done so before, throw caution to the wind for the first time in your life – which is so very rock n roll!!
If you haven’t managed to catch up with the award winning Documentary Drama The Silent Child aired on BBC 1 recently, I suggest you do while still available on Catch Up.
The Silent Child won best short film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August 2017. This made it eligible for entry to the Oscars. In December 2017 the film was selected as one of the final ten films in the category for the 90th Academy Awards. On 23 January 2018, it was announced that The Silent Child was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the 90th Academy Awards, which it then won.
We observe an over-achieving Mother and emotionally detached step-father from a well-heeled British middle class family, who put their children’s education and piano lessons above the needs of their socially challenged daughter Libby who has hearing difficulties.
As we follow the progress of this young girl from her isolation within a large family, to her progress with a ‘one to one’ specialist carer, whose love and commitment gradually brings her into the real world, we feel outraged as the narcissistic parents deprive her of all hope by cutting her off in her prime, through their own refusal to listen to their child or the expert caring for her, even stopping her sign language as they feel it is better for her to lip read.
It is heart wrenching as the carer secretly visits Libby at her new school, and they sign ‘I love you’ to each other – with no one to observe the tragic consequence.
It certainly strikes a chord as we are subtly informed of the lack of care and understanding in the Education system with the need of sign language and awareness in schools, in addition to the loneliness of someone who constantly feels excluded.
We also observe that a classroom can be the most isolating place for someone who cannot engage with other kids, through the school’s inability or refusal to educate their own staff into how to improve the situation with these simple communication skills.
We are brilliantly educated into the silent World of the child, and quickly learn that neglect comes in all forms, and is not necessarily restricted to grimy areas of poverty or bad education, but with the absence of love, and with love comes listening, which as we know, is the most important thing of all.
September 24, 2023 1896 F.Scott Fitzgerald 1931 Anthony Newley 1936 Jim Henson 1941 Linda McCartney 1932 Svetlana Beriosa 1942 Mike Berry 1942 Gerry Marsden 1961 Jack Dee 1963 Ally McCoist
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