Thursday 13th January saw the start of a new 8-part TV documentary series called Human Planet, ostensibly about how the human species has adapted to some of the most challenging habitats on Earth. I would like to think that the idea behind this series is to explore the positive aspects of the only really free [...]
Continue reading about Civilisation:subjugating the many to cossett the few
It’s January and, for many people, this month is tinged with regret as they reflect on the excesses of Christmas and the New Year, wishing they hadn’t indulged quite as much as they did. As ever, there are commercial operations that actually view such distress as an opportunity and, before the year is out, have [...]
I called in to our friendly greengrocer in Ross recently, to pick up some eggs. Colin, the shop owner, knows how particular we are about our eggs. When I ring up for the latest news of current deliveries, he puts some of our favourites by for us for collection later. Colin had been on a [...]
I’ve just come up for air from a recent discussion about the comparative worth of different supermarkets. Everyone has an opinion on supermarkets. Some say that they hate Tesco with a vengeance, but that they are happy to shop at Sainsbury’s. Others say that they will shop only at Waitrose, because Waitrose is ‘different from [...]
Our trip to collect real milk from our favourite little dairy in the Forest of Dean was somewhat subdued last Friday, having heard from Gerald the dairyman that this would be the last time he would be able to supply us. It has been on the cards for some time now that he would retire [...]
I remember watching yet another programme about dieting a year or so ago because I was interested to find out whether someone had at last found the secret to successful weight loss. I wish I could remember who was fronting the programme but I don’t suppose it matters. What I do remember is that a [...]
Continue reading about A calorie is a calorie – I don’t think so!
As we draw near the end of the midwinter festivities, this is perhaps the right time to ponder on how ancient indigenous peoples maintained a symbiotic relationship with their landbase and the environment which supported them. Despite belief systems that have long since been condemned as pagan, it seems that they knew how to live [...]