Woke up this morning. I should write country and western Songs. They call it "Country and Irish" over here. Any way. I thought I would check the blogs, emails and see how the "Nasty Nigel" (The tory SDP) party had done in the by election. The electricity goes off and I begin to curse.
Everything seems to be dependent on electricity on our farm. The pump from the well. The pump from the solid fuel range. The computer and television. The electric cooker. The hair dryer. The microwave...? I have heard years a go that people told the electricity companies that they didn't want electricity because they didn't want a bill. Dairy farmers hand milked cows or they used diesel Lister engines to run their milking machines.
It must have been wonderful years a go with no electricity. Just a paraffin or oil Tilley lamp or candles and a "nice cup of tea" to look forward to. Maybe even a game of "monsters in the dark" with the wife if it was your birthday? Perhaps she could darn some socks and you could chew tobacco and spit in the fire and get told off. There must have been lots of cabin fever in the days without electricity and television. You might have even got somebody calling and hoping you would get the beer and whisky out?
Any road the electricity is back on and I am an happy bunny again. Thanks to electricity and that clever English invention -T'web and t internet. We have communication with the outside world. I wish I had my own wind turbine. Does anybody make their own electricity. No not the static kind. I mean proper electricity.
Remember this song from the Eighties?
Everything seems to be dependent on electricity on our farm. The pump from the well. The pump from the solid fuel range. The computer and television. The electric cooker. The hair dryer. The microwave...? I have heard years a go that people told the electricity companies that they didn't want electricity because they didn't want a bill. Dairy farmers hand milked cows or they used diesel Lister engines to run their milking machines.
It must have been wonderful years a go with no electricity. Just a paraffin or oil Tilley lamp or candles and a "nice cup of tea" to look forward to. Maybe even a game of "monsters in the dark" with the wife if it was your birthday? Perhaps she could darn some socks and you could chew tobacco and spit in the fire and get told off. There must have been lots of cabin fever in the days without electricity and television. You might have even got somebody calling and hoping you would get the beer and whisky out?
Any road the electricity is back on and I am an happy bunny again. Thanks to electricity and that clever English invention -T'web and t internet. We have communication with the outside world. I wish I had my own wind turbine. Does anybody make their own electricity. No not the static kind. I mean proper electricity.
Remember this song from the Eighties?
Oh Dave. thank you for making me laugh on this dreary Friday.
ReplyDeleteHubby thinks that Yule counts as much as a birthday!!!!!! Fun though, enit? And a fab way of keeping warm.
Glad you find my blog funny, Irene. I think television programmes were the first contraceptive invented by the BBC. One of my heroes Mike Harding said that God gave us belly buttons so that we can peel potatoes (for chips) when we are in bed.
ReplyDeleteYes, we all seem to be too dependent on electricity for just about everything.
ReplyDeleteYet it's within living memory when there it wasn't universal, it's only taken 2 generations to become so completely hooked.
Every thing we use seems to be powered by electricity Cumbrian. Wonder if we will ever see electric cars replace the petrol and diesel engines?
ReplyDeleteA lot of European cities like Vienna, Manchester, Warsaw, Krakow, Sheffield and Bratislava use trams. Think it be great if every town had them and most high streets were pedestrianised. In my opinion there are far too many cars on the roads and not enough public transport. Cars must be one of the biggest pollutants in the world.
I wouldn't like to live in the countryside with out electricity or the Internet. Today I have electronically communicated with people in England, Ireland and Eastern Europe. Who would of thought of it twenty years a go?
my friends Brother installs solar panels her mum sells to the grid when at work in the day and all the appliances are low electrical use and she has battery back up. she can draw from the grid if she wants but there are 3 adults living there and other than when they were shut in the house when it was that bad weather in feb 2011 they dont really pay for electric. but when you have a son to look after the set up and install it all it will be the most efficient wont it.
ReplyDeleteI did see that you can now buy solar panels that in the shape and size as a roof tile or shingle. we are really getting clever now. Although what they really need is for the all to tilt and turn and track the sun like a sunflower. all on their own.
My FIL had 2 small turbines. awful. you need just the right wind and just the right wind speed. both had problems and he had them removed. they couldnt stand up to the gusts in his area of scotland.
forgot to say, look at this guys blog I have been reading it for years.
ReplyDeleteThe greening of gavin http://www.greeningofgavin.com/ He has solar.
Hi Sol. Thanks for telling us about solar panels. I know an agricultural machine repair man who installed a dynamo to his river and it produces electricity to run his electric machinery and he sells some to an electricity company. There are so many rivers which could have dynamo's and water wheels fitted to them for hydro electricity.
ReplyDeleteHave looked at: The greening of gavin - Thanks! I follow a blog called: Lackan Cottage Farm. It's based in northern Ireland. They produce their own electricity too.
I try not to depend on electricity and the wood burner keeps us warm The bedrooms are just, well, cold. I haven't got a microwave and have never had one so what you've never had you never miss as they say. When we had the power cuts in the 1960s my father and brothers rigged up lorry batteries to power lights, the good old Lister engine to drive the milking parlour as a back up because we normally milked by electricity, and the Rayburn was always used to cook on. Lots of people around here now have their own wind turbines and produce their own power.
ReplyDeleteWe can't flush the toilet and the cattle can't drink their water when we don't have electricity, Rachel. We usually use the microwave for keeping the bread in. Lister engines are brilliant, aren't they?
DeleteThe phrase 'playing monsters in the dark with the wife if it was your birthday' has stuck in my head, and caused me no end of chuckles.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree about electricity......we absolutely depend on it. We will have a go with solar panels at some point in the future.....when we have time....when I have a 'proper' kitchen..........and the field fencing has been finished.....and the chicken hut made......etc....and etc..... There is long list to work through before we get to the solar panel project. Oh, and then there is the going off grid with water....etc....!
Glad it made you laugh, Vera.
DeleteI would like solar panels. But we do like our range that runs off solid fuel. It's great to have plans for the smallholding isn't it?
When I was a child we lived in Dorset with no electricity, water from a well via a pump in the kitchen, open fires and a range in the kitchen. We had a gas fridge. In the early 60s we moved, we had electricity, hot running water, via a back boiler as well as an immersion heater, an electric cooker. I hated it! But then, I didn't bear the brunt of the work as a child. Many a time we ended up cooking the Yule dinner in a neighbours oven, over the fire, and saucepans on top of paraffin heaters, because of power cuts.
ReplyDeleteNow, I try not to use more than I need. Use tilly lamps and candles and firelight quite a lot.
Would not like to be without the fridge, freezer or washing machine. Interweb very important to me, living in a rural area.
Hi Irene. Apart from having no electric, your Dorset house sounds like our set up. Gas fridge. I went in Selfridges and asked them if they had a gas telly and they said: "No we only selfridges". I am joking.
DeleteI couldn't live with out the old Tweb and Tinternet. Nor satellite television.
I'm too old to remember anything from the 80's Dave! 50's and 60's I remember. I guess it's what you grow up with.
ReplyDeleteMy Mother-in Law didn't have electricity until the early 90's and that was only because Age Concern insisted, she was in her eighties then and had raised her three children without it, she never did see the need, or even get to like it.
The Eighties seems like that another country, Anne. I remember phoning people on a Friday at 6.30 every week.
DeleteYour MIL sounds amazing. My grandparent (here in Ireland) had a 'wireless' that was only turned on for the news!
Even when MIL had electricity she would still use her battery radio just for the news. She did have a DVD player as she was a musician, she taught piano and only gave up teaching when she was 92, she was a remarkable woman, sadly she died just one month before her 100'th birthday. Her brother is equally talented, he is an artist and still does the illustration's for Collins wild life books, he is now 92! coming up to 93 in April.
DeleteGosh! Your MIL and her brother sound amazing people, Anne.
ReplyDeleteYou may be eligible for a new government sponsored solar energy program.
ReplyDeleteFind out if you are qualified now!
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬/ 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐬 / 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐫. Kham. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐒) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐢 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧-𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐫. Kham 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐒𝐕-𝟐 𝐬𝐨 𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫. Kham 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲! 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐚 (UPS 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞)𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬! 𝐢 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 (𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝! 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰! 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞! 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐨𝐧 dr.khamcaregiver@𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬-𝐚𝐩𝐩 +𝟐𝟑𝟒8159922297 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 him on his website: drkhamherbalhealingcenter.wordpress.com/
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