Welcome to the world of middle-aged downshifting and self-sufficiency

It all began in the August of 2004 when we decided to take on an allotment so that we could grow some of our own fruit and vegetables.

We had been vegetarian for three years or so, as we had become disgusted with the way animals are raised for meat. Mad Cow Disease followed by Swine Fever, and to cap it all Foot And Mouth made us decide that we weren't prepared to eat meat. Not because we were scared of CJD or anything else associated with meat, but becuase of the wanton destruction and disregard for animal life. F & M is merely a type of cow 'flu, the animal usually makes a full recovery from it, apart from one tiny detail - it's milk yield is affected. So, millions of animals were murdered on purely economic grounds. It wasn't just this though, it was the way in which they were slaughtered - farmer's much-loved animals were shot and then left for days right outside their front doors. Pets and rare breeds were not spared. Every night on tv there were the harrowing scenes of huge bonfires, and worse still the mass graves when things really started to get out of hand.

Is it really any wonder that there have been a huge increase in the number of vegetarians in the last few years ?

Then we began to read disquieting articles about just how our fruit and veg are grown........

The allotment (which was a jungle) was quickly followed in September by a couple of chickens in the garden for fresh eggs.
Thus began our fall into the "Good Life", a way of life which took over and dragged us into taking on four allotments, raising hundreds of chickens, breeding goats, raising turkeys, building a huge polytunnel, and eventually degenerated into buying our clothes from charity shops and online auctions.

This site was originally built to be a diary of our efforts to follow the inspiration of and Barbara Goode, but bring the "Good Life" to a small corner of a council estate in Ipswich rather than Surbiton.
However, we have long since given up on that as all our spare time has been spent living the life.

		BUY MIKE'S NEW BOOK! Read the mad M.A.D. story of our descent into the "Good Life" Published by The Good Life Press £9.99 Post Free

The good news is that you can now read the whole crazy adventure
in Mike's second book "Any Fool Can Be a Middle-Aged Downshifter"
Read the story of how we escaped being arrested, found bargains on E-Bay,
and had some amazing experiences.....








Mike & Sue Woolnough
Chicken Corner
The Back Garden
Ipswich

1st January 2005
(and already there are more chickens)

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