Selfsufficientish.com

No, elfcurry, we're not making any country wines, at the moment - but we are making "Bachelor's Jam" - which is berries soaking in liquor and sugar (or allulose in our case). The fruit is still edible (if somewhat boozy) and the resulting liquor is refreshing, when diluted with some soda w...

Why did I not get notice. Welcome back DND.

Not sure that's a good idea, Mike. Apparently (according to Mr Google) they're giant slugs which are set to wipeout native species and are impervious to all known poisons. I don't know what use slugs are in the foodchain, other than maybe bird food but it doesn't sound good.

That's good. Mine blew down in the storm of January 2015. Fortunately it was salvageable and is now happily residing with my old neighbours.

There's no reason you can't get some seedlings sprouting ready to transplant in March. Many things can't go out until then anyway - after the last frosts where you are.

Ooh, pretty.

Oh heavens, yes. I stopped buying from one particular manufacturer. With each wash their T shirts got wider and shorter. There's an economic/profit reasoning behind it, of course and, in today's throw away culture it probably doesn't matter to most people. I don't understand it though - the reason I...

In Oz the standard house construction is lightweight pine (pre-fabricated) held together with pressed on nail plates and stuck together with a few thin nail gun pins - roofs are similarly lightweight. Likewise over here, Weedo, with a single skin of bricks. Then they fill the gap in with expanding ...

I’m not sure what the answer is. As a nation we’ve spread out and relied on social services to take care of our elderly etc. Now that lifeline is struggling. The best of it is the 90 year olds probably have the better skills to survive this, but not the means.

I agree, Flo, and it isn't just emergency stuff either. A friend came round for dinner before we moved and we were talking about picking chanterelles. She's German and said everyone around her, growing up, went out mushroom picking at the appropriate season. When I went to Finland to visit family th...

they were wanting to find a casual assistant, for 3 months I doubt anyone will either, ina. It would appear it takes about 8 weeks to start benefits, so coming off them for 12 weeks of work doesn't make sense to anyone. I've just seen a friend detangle her benefits from her (ex) husband's. They par...

I hope all goes well for you, John.

It's all relative, Flo. Where we are now we have a 40 mile round trip to get our click and collect order. Pretty much the only company who deliver to us, without surcharge, is Amazon! A trip to the nearest supermarket is 140 mile round trip (220 to the nearest big supermarket). What used to be a ple...

Just across country, Flo, to Caithness.