five minutes of fame
17 02 2007
I finally got my self-sufficiency article in the local paper today, there are some cheesy photos of me too but I’ll spare you them, http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=153005&command=displayContent&sourceNode=152831&contentPK=16663677&folderPk=86735&pNodeId=152562here is a copy of it.
GOING WILD IN NATURE’S BARGAIN LARDER
09:45 - 17 February 2007
If You go down to the woods today, you are bound to find a feast of free food, according to one man who is pioneering the Good Life ethos.Now Antony Jones (29), of Asterby Road, Scunthorpe, is urging other families to follow his lead and start foraging for tasty morsels in the region’s woodlands.The father of three explained: “My aim is to be able to live as simply as possible.
“Although where we live can never sustain us totally, I want to make the most of what we have.
“I would love to live on a small holding and become completely self-sufficient.
“But I also believe it is just as important to be able to produce some of your own food and supplement that with ethical shopping when in an urban environment.”
At present, Antony is a registered carer for his disabled mother, but he is working to become a permaculture designer.
He explained a permaculturist is someone who uses the ethic of caring for the earth to create sustainable human environments, including planning gardens, allotments and small-holdings for people.
“We also forage locally for fruit and mushrooms,” he said.
“Bottesford Beck is a goldmine. I’ve found wild hops, sloe, haw, elder and rowan berries, brambles, crab apples, rosehips and nettles.
“Most of the woods around Scunthorpe are good, but it depends on what you are after.
“Normanby Hall has a big mulberry and chestnut tree. If you look alongside roadsides you often find wild and crab apple trees. My mushroom sites, however, are a secret.”
Antony, his wife Ursula and their three children, moved into their four-bedroom council home eight years ago.
Today, they produce around half of their own fruit and vegetables and hope to expand this by getting another adjacent plot of land.
Keeping up with the Joneses means making your own bread, chutneys, jam, lemonade, ginger beer, nettle beer and even a cider - nicknamed Sunny Scunny Scrumpy!
But the lifestyle does sometimes get tricky in the busy hub of modern life.
Antony said: “Sometimes I find it hard to keep up my ethics and motivation because amongst my friends, I am still the pioneer.
“Luckily, I have a very understanding wife who supports me.”
For more information look on Antony’s blog on http://welcome to voluntarysimplicity.wordpress.com/
Right, scrap the world, start again. We’ve all evolved in the wrong direction and turned into idiots… except Antonroy, he’s evolved the right way and he should rule our planet.
Cheers Ian, keep up the compliments and I’ll make you president of Australia.
There are more people than you think out there doing stuff but the media seems only to want to show asbo’s crime and death, so we need blogs and online communities to spread the word.
long live the blog.
thats a great article Dibnah! aww wanted to see the cheesy pics tho :O( hehehehe well done for doing it,if it sparks an interest in just one person it will have been worthwile
GTM
You can see them online, but the link does not work. I’ll try again
http://www.thisisscunthorpe.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=153005&command=displayContent&sourceNode=152831&contentPK=16663677&folderPk=86735&pNodeId=152562
GTM there is an emergency bar at the rivercottage forum as the INEBG forum is down.
sorry GTM my own comment was marked as spam, it’s a bit late now.
I have just read your article in the Telegraph, Are you the same Tony Jones I went to College with, if so Hiya if not Oh well.
Best wishes Faye,
Ps I had a article in the Times ed about my rare breed sheep.
thanks Faye sorry I don’t remember the name, what course was it?
Have you got a link to your article? if so I ‘d like to read it
Hi I only have a hard copy, it was not published on the internet. I knew a Tony Jones in general studies at John leggott, thought it might have been you. I read your article on the internet so the picture is not that clear to recognise you.
No not me I’m afraid, I went to North Lindsey but there is another guy from scunthorpe same name and age as me, could have been him.
Where do you keep your sheep are you still in the area?
I keep them in the village where I live just outside scunthorpe. I had 11 but have sold my wethers so that I could have more lambs (they are due in April/may). i guess it must be the other Tony Jones.
Nice article Anthony, hope you remember we know you before you were famous
Yes it will be hard for me now, you will have to make an oppointment in future!!