A friend at work has given me some old Practical Self Sufficiency and Home Farm magazines from the late 70's/early 80's to have a look through.
There are some really interesting articles in there and I've been surprised by the the range of methods used all those years ago, some that we think are quite new now. I'm going to pick out a few interesting ones and show them on here at some point in the future.
In the meantime I'll leave you with this back page advert from Home Farmer June 1983.
Considering the advert must have cost quite a bit to print it's very poorly worded but it did make me chuckle, I like the bit where it says "someday most people will live in communes - why are you waiting?".
I've often jokingly said to my wife about living in a commune, but she knows there's no way I could be around people all the time, it would drive me mad, especially if there was any lazy ones!
What do you think to the advert?
Does it make you want to live in a commune?
I think it would be good to live with other people Kev on a smallholding. Smallholding life is very isolated and you get tired of struggling on your own. It would allow people who can't afford to buy a farm the opportunity to live in the countryside. There would be the problem of housing them and what would they do for paid work. I find the countryside empty of humans in the day time and most of the young emigrate or move to the towns and cities for work. Perhaps that's just my experience of living in rural Ireland.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a rural area but we're a mile from a thriving village so not short on company if I want it. I personally wouldn't want anyone living with me here, I live my strong little family unit, it suites me and we make sure everyone pulls their wieght.
DeleteDon't think I have time(nor your blog space!) for me to answer this one! I have PSS and Home Farm mags from the late 70s and when we moved here in 1981 we moved with friends. I think people thought that Armageddon in the shape of a Nuclear war might be a possibility and those of us left WOULD be living in small communities to survive. . The scenarios are now different, (Climate change, natural disasters, civil unrest etc) but the outcomes for living could be the same. As for privacy mmmmm be careful what you wish for!
ReplyDeleteGill
Amazing that you moved with friends, a very nosy part of me wants to know more on that story! We've joked about ti with friends of ours before now but they'd never keep up!
DeleteI've always thought communes sound like a good idea, but isn't it funny how they NEVER last?? There's a reason for that and one of those is that, given the chance, a LOT of people turn lazy and let others carry their load. But in a perfect world, parts of it have appeal.
ReplyDeleteI could not live in one because I NEED my space....but I still think the concept is neat.
Nothing worse than having to carry someone else, I worked on a job for 18 months and had to carry another carpenter because he wasn't very good or fast and it used to drive me mad. The worst was I don;t think he even realised I was doing it.
DeleteI believe communes are doomed from the start. Human nature dictates people who work, people who don't, people that like company, people who are loners. People who are transient, enjoying lots of change and challenges to their lives, while others enjoy repetition, same old, same old. Then you have people who's perspective on life is different when faced with the same problems(glass half full/half empty). At work we have 8 teams of 12 people (supposedly!!) the dynamics of the team change all the time and sh@t happens. People are complicated, put them together and the probability is DISASTER. I didn't need my two years of studying psychology to tell me that! HEY HO 5 weeks Monday to retirement.
ReplyDeleteI think that some people are always trying to get more than others and this greed is generally why a commune won't work.
DeleteIn every job I've had the people are always what either make or break it.
Yea and all those fruitcakes from the 70s and 80s that those adverts were targeting are now running our government today. Be very afraid.
ReplyDeleteI don;t know, in this country there is a fair few from the other side as well!
DeleteSorry I'm not good at being told what to do, and for a commune to work you have to have rules. My garden is organic, it grows and changes each year.
ReplyDeleteI'd be fine in a commune if I was in charge, or at least in charge of my bit. I think a small family unit works much better for us!
DeleteNo doubt about the fact that more can be accomplished by individuals working together. Of course, there are sacrifices that go right along with the whole concept. We had what looked to be a very successful, large "commune" in our area that prospered for many years. Then the head honcho died (seems you MUST have a strong leader), his wife couldn't hold it together and the crumbling began. For all the years it existed, members working out in the community seemed the nicest people. Hard working, friendly and kind. After people started leaving, it became known there had been much brain-washing and terrible abuse. Needless to say, the children raised there have suffered for it in adult life. So, no, even commune situations that appear to prosper are not, to my mind, sustainable nor healthy.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds an interesting story and I've read about places like that. the other day I was going to buy a market gardening book until I discovered that it was written by a lady living in a commune. I thought what good is that information to me if she has hundreds of hours of free labour a week!
DeleteI have been reading a lot about the Amish lately. They seem to have it about right. Everyone is farming, everyone lives frugally. need a barn raising? Ok lets get everyone over. Many hands make light work. All the people not helping with the raising make the food. See you on friday night for community dinner, Church is in my Barn this weekend, we will provide pies after the service.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we need to be a bit more neighbourly. In my case as I am a bit shy sometimes it would help me to be more out there if it was on a more scheduled basis.
I wonder if Kibbutz run different from a commune?
I've just had to google kibbutz and I'll have to read up on them later they sound interesting. I think the Amish have a good outlook on it all, but then I wonder whats going on under the surface. I'd be interested to read more about them if you have any good links?
DeleteI do live in a 'commune', but it's just a French word meaning 'small community'. In England it would probably be called a hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI live in a hamlet but I think that this term tends to mean a collective that works to the same goal.
DeleteI think I'm with you on this one!
ReplyDeleteKevin, you say you prefer your small family unit and there is a reason for this. Humans developed with that as it's core building block over many millennia. We are not a selfless species and whilst capable of incredible acts of kindness commune living is not our natural state. The advancement and preservation of one's own family is. Early society involved tribes with a hierarchy of mainly related members. Equality was not part of the Mix!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sol, we should be more neighbourly and then we have help when required, support from others and space and peace when we need it.
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