| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| snowsquonk |
Hello I'm new here, be gentle with me !Hello, I'm Val, also known as Snowsquonk.Was recommended this sight by Jamanda. I live in sunny Essex along with OH and two small girls. Will be posting lots on Grow Your Own as we've just dug up half the garden to create space to grow veg and fruit. OH is currently reading a book about gardening and quite honestly I'm scared.... Anyway- be gentle with me, this is all new ! |
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| Jamanda |
Hello again. I'm sure you'll fit right in round here. How do you feel about home made limoncello? | ||
| Penny |
Hello  welcome to Downsizer. Can you tell us lots of stories about Jamanda at University please 
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| Cathryn |
We are not all like Jamanda I promise. Hello!
And how do you feel about homemade limoncello? (You didn't did you, not Jamanda's?   )
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| Jamanda |
Tsk - I was going to make you some for when you come down in December - I might now now. | ||
| Cathryn |
Double affirmative, so sweet of you.
I was just guiltily thinking that I should make some myself one of these days. 
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| snowsquonk |
I don't think I CAN post stories about Jamanda at uni because...she was there with me...and will simply embarrass me in return !
How do I feel about home-made limoncello....sounds fab ! I made my own sloe gin a couple of years ago although due to my ignorance it is possible it was really sloe + damson gin. Anyway, it was brilliant and I will make it again this year. There's a place called Plotlands near me which is where Eastenders build weekend homes after the war - its now a nature reserve but a lot of things orginally planted in the gardens have run wild and its a good place to forage, unless you can't tell a sloe from a damson ! |
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| Cathryn |
Ah stick em all in the gin and who's counting?
See at the side there,there's this little button for personal messages...  I will not reveal the source, honest. 
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| Jamanda |
We've made mystery fruit gin the last two years running. I think they are actually bullaces, which are some where between sloes and bullaces. But they haven't set this year. Not a one. They make darn good chutney too. | ||
| Cathryn |
Good, I can safely visit then.
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Hi Snowsquonk,
I used to live in sunny Harlow
A. |
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| Fee |
Welcome Snowsquonk
Not everyone will be gentle with you in some threads, Val, but they don't mean offence really 
Garden sounds good, just what we have done, dug it up for fruit and veg, you won't regret it! What are you planning on growing, have you got a list yet? And have you ordered all the seed catalogues from various sites for perusal in autumn?
Damson, sloe, both as good in gin as each other in my opinion
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| Pilsbury |
Welcome, im in Essex as well so if you ever need to tell a story to be posted on here........
good luck with the garden and enjoy it. |
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| snowsquonk |
Hello
The contents of the new garden are as yet undecided, although I need to move the rhubarb from its current location. Its very tempting to spend a small fortune on seed catalogues so I've hidden them from my OH ! Val |
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| sean |
Oooh, I didn't realise it was you originally. Hello.
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| yummersetter |
have a look at this book by Charles Dowding, extraordinary vegetable grower. http://www.greenbooks.co.uk/store/product_info.php?products_id=245
We visited his farm on his open day yesterday and it's totally spectacular, the finest healthiest produce, organically grown using no-dig techniques. |
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| Ginkotree |
hello and welcome, you seem to have got the jist of being a Ds already with talk of sloegin and all that | ||
| Cathryn |
Friend of Jamanda, inevitable.
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| Frewen |
I am in Essex too - hello and welcome
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| snowsquonk |
Hi Sean !
Thanks for all the welcomes - what a nice lot you are ! We're a bit over-excited today because a post on Freecycle has resulted in more than enough recycled timber to build the raised beds we have planned (even if getting it across town was a bit of a dicey drive and the children less than impressed with the slugs and bugs that came with it !) |
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| tahir |
We almost ended up near there, on Lower Dunton Rd, but the place needed far too much work doing to it. Wonder what ever happened to it (it was called Lower Dunton Hall I think, next to the poultry farm) |
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| wellington womble |
So you decided to build a house instead, to cut down on the work?
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| Jamanda |
Sounds like you've got fun in store. Keeps us up to date with progress. |
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| cinders |
Hello
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| tahir |
Err, well, hmmm. At least this place is liveable (just discovered dry rot in the staircase to add to the general mouldiness), that one most definitely wasn't, and it was grade II listed. |
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| Pilsbury |
Just looked that up and you are just down the road from me, probably my nearest Downsizer to date
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| dpack |
more folk
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| snowsquonk |
Hello Mr Pilsbury, potentially nearest neighbour !
Will look out for Lower Dunton Hall next time I'm over that way - it rings a bell but don't know why, might be a wedding venue ? |
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| tahir |
No way. It was a farm (130 acres) with a totally derelict barn and a small red brick house with huge cracks in the walls. Almost directly opposite the nature reserve. |