the Strawbridge programme

[snapdragon]

Dick and James Strawbridge making a house self sufficient in energy with photovoltaic roof
Wouldnt I just love that - problem is you have to have the cash up front to pay your electricity for the future
Some wonderful - if very pricey ideas so far, even though the programme is a bit flimsy in places
Any one else see it? what did you think?

[Green Aura]

I watched - little bit disappointed.

The ideas are all brilliant, but who are they aiming it at - how many of us have £100k in savings to renovate, while living somewhere else. Or £15k to get the panels - we plan to get them, but it'll have to be one at a time as and when we can afford.

I know the individual parts can be done, but I'd be much happier if they'd picked a family on limited income and showed them how to do these things.

[red]

they should change the name to

its a lot easier being green if you have the cash

[MuddyWitch]

I agree with you all.

The very name of the programme annoyed me! I watched the first series with interest & wanted to copy their idea on heating a greenhouse by circulating air. Hubby bought me the book, but it was just as supperficial!

However; JAMES Strawbridge now writes for Home Farmer mag from time-to-time and is much more informative than his irritating father.

MW

[Annpan]

I don't think it is the Strawbridge's fault that the programme is wishy washy.... It is trying to appeal to the masses but it is obviously made by typical TV editors and producers .

Everything they covered seemed to be exclusive and a bit too green - I am sorry guys, but I don't want to swim in a swimming pool that has snails in it

and Tufnel flying back home after doing his bit on the show what is the carbon footprint of the show????

I was also discusted at Dick Strawbridges shrug of the shoulders over the 'how many planets would it take to support my lifestyle'... 2.4 he got... what was supposed to be the point in that? are we supposed to marvel at that? Is that what we should aim for?

GRRRR!!! I won't watch it again - only watched it on iplayer cause I was waiting for OH to come to bed

[eccentric_emma]

I thought it was pretty funny especially the deodorant advert bit! I loved the swimming pool though, thought it was gorgeous! Shame it was so expensive though. The programme definitely isn't as good as it used to be though :-( but I met James and Charlotte Strawbridge at Glastonbury 2008 and chatted to them quite a bit and they said the new series would be completely different.....

...........and another point to make though was have you noticed that as the series' have progressed the more often you see James with his shirt off!!

I'll definitely keep watching though - as I got to sit in my parents house for the evening with a nice fire as I dont have a telly.

[Green Aura]

I made the heat sink for the greenhouse (out of the first series) - it's fantastic. The temperature in the polytunnel has not got anywhere near zero at any time this winter!

You can find all the info you need on making a natural swimming pool at

http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden_produ ... on_natural
http://www.permaculture-magazine.co.uk/ ... le_26.html

They don't have to cost £100k at all, in fact these are much greener, than the one on the programme.

[rockchick]

I didn't realise it was on until i saw it reviewed in the paper the following day! I did quite enjoy the original series and do occassionally look in on their forum so will look out for it next week. I guess the BBC have to do something pretty spectacular in scale to get general viewers attention, although they obviously didn't plug it very hard. In the first series didn't they also have smaller pieces about specific projects that 'normal' people were doing? I have to say, James is rather lovely and I too enjoy his articles in Home Farmer (I also don't mind how many times he whips his shirt off as a crowd pleaser!).

[Berti]

at first I didn't recognize the strawbridge programme name...........until I started reading.
this week my daughter and me were watching the programme first time and we went...........yeah right, it is EASY being green when you have such a well filled wallet!!! GRMPF........

I find it strange that BBC at first made a completely different programme (watched most of first series) and I liked that much better, it being much more realistic.
And now they come up with THIS.........never mind James, but that is not what I turn the tv on for ;)

that said, what is keeping you Ishers to make a programme yourself and record it? maybe that would be a great next project for andy and dave, just have things recorded by a friend and make dvd's out of them .......

berti

oh and here in netherlands we don't have such a "green" thing as much as you english people do....

[theabsinthefairy]

Ok

I have now watched three episodes of the new series, and I continue to be disappointed by it.

Where is the content and the information - I know the show was introduced as 'magazine' style but it seems to have dropped to Teletubbies level and I was expecting at least a Times supplement level!

I watched it this week and they did a quick skit on soapnuts - so glad I bought mine before seeing it as they almost put me off them!

There seems to be nothing now for the average Joe to learn from this programme, and it does seem geared towards throwing money at a green solution rather than finding alternative means.

And as for the WWF planets thing - what rot.

[Big Al]

I agree with you all.

The very name of the programme annoyed me! I watched the first series with interest & wanted to copy their idea on heating a greenhouse by circulating air. Hubby bought me the book, but it was just as supperficial!

However; JAMES Strawbridge now writes for Home Farmer mag from time-to-time and is much more informative than his irritating father.

MW

If you notice in this months HF James strawbridge does say that the programme is rather sufferficial as it trys to get over too many items in the short time. I guess the programme was done by some yuppie company from the smoke and all is hunky dory. I once got a sales rep on the phone from the Times newspaper trying to flog me space in their sunday lifestyle and wellbeing mag and the splurge went along the lines of the current readership ( and your target audience) enjoys a disposable income of over £104.325 P.A.

If you have that sort of disposable income then it's cool to spend it on "being green" .

Like to ecorenovation house, no holds barred, £100k budget, lets get solar thermal, a water harvesting tank in the floor and insulate with sheepswool. Oh and that necessary london accessory these days... a couple of chickens in a scrap wood... sorry recycled wood hen shack....

The programme has some good bits but nothing we don't know of on here. Maybe it's a programme for the light greens and we are the dark greens....

[theabsinthefairy]

I think you may be right Big Al - I think that the programme is now being geared towards those who may dabble a bit here and there with green issues and the odd eco product because they can't find something to spend their disposable income on, but I do think that it is a shame that this potentially powerful vehicle is being hijacked and wasted.

I'm a very very very very dark green

[Big Al]

I think you may be right Big Al - I think that the programme is now being geared towards those who may dabble a bit here and there with green issues and the odd eco product because they can't find something to spend their disposable income on, but I do think that it is a shame that this potentially powerful vehicle is being hijacked and wasted.

I'm a very very very very dark green

Er Excuse me Monika... I AM right... being a man and all that,lol.

At least that's the inference I took reading between the lines of what Strawbridge junior was saying. But there again, Are we deep greens being selfish? We know what to do, how to do it, where to source the products the only thing we don't ( I assume) have access to is the funding so is the "magazine" type format a good thing to get more folk into a deeper shade of (pale) green??

[Annpan]

I disagree... I think the crappy magazine format only serves to make us all look more wacky and elite.
I have also found many books and websites that try to sell the green lifestyle by telling you to buy organic hessian carpets at £1000 per square foot, or maybe make your own wine from all organic ingredients and store it in very fancy recycled glass clip-top bottles that are handmade in Devonshire.... I hope you get my point.... most of us either don't want or can't afford that brand of 'green' or 'organic' living.

It seems that the general public are now aware of 2 types of greeny - the beardy weirdy hippies, and the organic mung bean eating Guardian readers (those of £100,000 disposable income) How sad it is that there are few accounts of those of us somewhere in between, and I do seem to spend a fair amount of my time informing people that we are neither.... or perhaps a little of both (yes I have organic mung beans on the shelf, but sadly not the £100,000 spare cash, nor a beard )

I like to think that we at 'ish will gladly take in any pale greeny and assist them to reach a darker shade - without the pretentious, condescending tones of certain green media (TV, website, books and magazines)

The wonderful thing I have learned from ish is that being green is accesible to everyone, from every walk of life and I think of myself as a kind of ish ambassador, trying to encourage people to re-use margerine tubs, or grow some herbs. Make being green look like something simple and enjoyable, which it is

[red]

watched the morst recent program last night - I got really annoyed at them putting a couple of disgruntled hens in a poxy small run, saying they would be getting 'free range eggs' and James S calling that flimsy run with no bottom 'fox proof'.....