[Tech1] (no subject) planned obsolescence

[David Newbitt]

Now that’s a cottage that looks comfortably settled in its environment – the informal ‘happy anywhere’ valerian and the fledgling ‘green roof’ contributing nicely. Good that you’re on top of the squirrel issue. I recall the 1950’s when they were already seen as sufficient nuisance for countrymen to be paid 1/- per tail in an attempt to reduce the population, presumably the Min of Ag being the agency stumping up.

This was our cottage in the hills towards the end of our time there plus an old B & W shot of what we actually bought. The locals thought at the time we were mad!

 



You can imagine the amount of graft involved!

Dave Newbitt.



From: Chris Woolf 
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2021 11:15 AM
To: David Newbitt ; tech1 at tech-ops.co.uk 
Subject: Re: [Tech1] (no subject) planned obsolescence

On 19/01/2021 18:46, David Newbitt wrote:

  ...

  Coincidence that you have a walled garden – our present house is built within what was once the walled kitchen garden of the manor house in our village, the wall forming our Southern boundary at the end of the back garden. Three sides of the wall remain with six houses built therein.

       
       

The walled garden was part of what was a country gentleman's private residence - Cornish Regency, built from the proceeds of arsenic mining. We ran the place as a smallholding for about 35 years. A walled garden makes enormous sense in the country since you can keep rabbits and deer out - but not squirrels.

I gave up the place about 12 years ago after my first wife died - a bit too much to handle as well as my continuing design work.

The 12-bore was pretty necessary for vermin control - a cheap Russian single-barrel job - but I've been able to give it up since moving to West Killatown. We still have the odd squirrel, but with woods further away, no serious vandalism. The pheasants don't need control and the deer (both red and roe) do very little harm (amazingly). Mind you, it is a little strange when they stroll up the road and look through the windows at you - never quite sure who's the owner;}


You can certainly eat squirrel - they are veggie, unlike rats and badgers - and a Cornish butcher used to sell squirrel burgers (Warning - may contain nuts). Personally I couldn't be bothered to skin such a piddly creature for the sake of the haunch - the only part with enough meat to be worth eating.

Chris Woolf

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