How has life changed?

[loveallthingsitalian]

It will like those city twats on Escape to the Country who have never kept as much as a budgie who want to keep chickens and lamas on 10 acres.

 

[Bettyboo]

It will like those city twats on Escape to the Country who have never kept as much as a budgie who want to keep chickens and lamas on 10 acres.

I often wonder how many of those people on that show actually move and stay in the country. They seem to have this idea that life suddenly becomes idyllic with the chucks and sheep etc. I’m sure the reality can be quite different.

 

[Twilight]

It's a beautiful day which makes all of this even more surreal. Eight years ago we lost a boy at school; he was 15, died playing sport & I don't need to describe the grief. In the days that followed we had glorious weather & it continued to be like that until the day of his funeral, when it returned to chilly spring. I feel exactly the same now as I did during that sad time so it was light relief when my Mr T to asked if I was was going to *'do a Hilda' for the next three weeks
* Humming in the style of Hilda Ogden.

It will like those city twats on Escape to the Country who have never kept as much as a budgie who want to keep chickens and lamas on 10 acres.

The ones who want country living but need to live within a certain distance of where they work. Standing in the garden of a sumptuous house they say it's perfect except for the noise from traffic, that's on the road they'll be using.

I often wonder how many of those people on that show actually move and stay in the country. They seem to have this idea that life suddenly becomes idyllic with the chucks and sheep etc. I’m sure the reality can be quite different.

I think I've watched most series & there were some that gave an update, usually as the credits rolled, saying the people were still looking, had put in offer that was rejected or now wanted to move somewhere completely different. There have also been a few compilations of those who have moved. One of the best things about the programme is Alistair Appleton because he doesn't disguise his feelings! I love going for a walk, looking at houses & gardens & imagining the names & occupations of the people who live in them. When our girls were little we'd go even further saying that some houses would look perfect by the sea, in a city or even abroad. We wondered what the rooms would be like & even what the owners would have for breakfast, in every other respect they had a normal childhood

 

[maymorganlondon]

I often wonder how many of those people on that show actually move and stay in the country. They seem to have this idea that life suddenly becomes idyllic with the chucks and sheep etc. I’m sure the reality can be quite different.

Very true. There will be some who move from country to town who know what they are getting into... But there will be those who find the reality doesn't measure up to the fantasy.

 

[Pick-a-Lily]

I have kept chickens for around 15 years now. I collected some ex commercial hens just before xmas, they are all laying well and I'm keeping all the neighbours in lovely fresh free range eggs. Commercial laying hens are culled at 72 weeks (sometimes even earlier) if not rescued and re-homed. However, with good care, they will continue to lay eggs for a couple more years.
The hen rescue organisation from which I obtained mine has suspended all rescue and re-homing operations for the duration.
Hens are not a lot of work to keep. You just need a bit of space - doesn't need to be huge, correct (fox proof) housing, layers pellets and water. They are very rewarding to keep, much more characterful than you might expect, and become very tame with regular interaction with humans.

 

[Janey]

The couples I love on Escape to the Country are the ones that want an enormous house for when all the family come to stay at Christmas...so the other 51 weeks of the year it'll be the two of you rattling around that big ol' place, they're also the ones that say it will be their final move...have they forgotten they're not getting any younger? . The ones who walk in to a huge kitchen/diner and say "it's a bit small". The fact they ALL want a "wood burning stove"

Oh I could devote a whole new thread to this programme!

 

[maymorganlondon]

The couples I love on Escape to the Country are the ones that want an enormous house for when all the family come to stay at Christmas...so the other 51 weeks of the year it'll be the two of you rattling around that big ol' place, they're also the ones that say it will be their final move...have they forgotten they're not getting any younger? . The ones who walk in to a huge kitchen/diner and say "it's a bit small". The fact they ALL want a "wood burning stove"

Oh I could devote a whole new thread to this programme!

Yes! And not getting younger, have they given healthcare and public transport a second's thought!?!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

There have been a few catch up programmes and a couple of them have moved but usually to a much smaller place than they actually first wanted and much nearer the town/village They seem to have settled well but are either retired or work from home and in quite affluent areas with ladies sewing bees, craft circles, wine and supper clubs etc. The odd chicken but no llamas. No snowed in winters yet.

The older you get the more you realise umpteen en-suites is just more to clean rather than an aspiration.

 

[Toril]

I’ve watched a few films on Prime, one after the other, which I normally wouldn’t do. Other than that, things aren’t that different apart from the fact I no longer just “pop out” to the shops. I’ll wait until I need a few items and will then go.

The main difference for me is today. It’s my birthday which is now just an ordinary day as the plans for a meal at my son’s this evening have obviously been cancelled. As I live alone, I’ll just sing Happy Birthday to myself multiple times, while washing my hands. My presents from the family are also at his house and so he’s planning to come round with them at the weekend, as he’s still working (albeit at home) and will ring the bell, put them on the doorstep and will then retreat. I’ll then open the door and we’ll have a catch up at a distance of 2+ metres. That’ll be nice, but as the weather is due to get colder maybe I’ll put a coat on first.

 

[Vienna]

I’ve watched a few films on Prime, one after the other, which I normally wouldn’t do. Other than that, things aren’t that different apart from the fact I no longer just “pop out” to the shops. I’ll wait until I need a few items and will then go.

The main difference for me is today. It’s my birthday which is now just an ordinary day as the plans for a meal at my son’s this evening have obviously been cancelled. As I live alone, I’ll just sing Happy Birthday to myself multiple times, while washing my hands. My presents from the family are also at his house and so he’s planning to come round with them at the weekend, as he’s still working (albeit at home) and will ring the bell, put them on the doorstep and will then retreat. I’ll then open the door and we’ll have a catch up at a distance of 2+ metres. That’ll be nice, but as the weather is due to get colder maybe I’ll put a coat on first.

Happy birthday x

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Happy birthday here is a virtual cake don’t eat it all at once!

 

[Twilight]

I’ve watched a few films on Prime, one after the other, which I normally wouldn’t do. Other than that, things aren’t that different apart from the fact I no longer just “pop out” to the shops. I’ll wait until I need a few items and will then go.

The main difference for me is today. It’s my birthday which is now just an ordinary day as the plans for a meal at my son’s this evening have obviously been cancelled. As I live alone, I’ll just sing Happy Birthday to myself multiple times, while washing my hands. My presents from the family are also at his house and so he’s planning to come round with them at the weekend, as he’s still working (albeit at home) and will ring the bell, put them on the doorstep and will then retreat. I’ll then open the door and we’ll have a catch up at a distance of 2+ metres. That’ll be nice, but as the weather is due to get colder maybe I’ll put a coat on first.

Happy Birthday. I hope you have some lovely gifts Be like the Queen & have a second one later in the year

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I remember hearing of a lady who had a birthday during the winter and all her life the weather didn’t make parties easy so when she got to a certain age she announced that she would celebrate in June and since then has had BBQs, picnics etc and has enjoyed every one of them.

 

[Twilight]

I saw a follow up 'Escape...' recently with a couple from Bristol who had sold their house & were sitting surrounded by boxes ready to move, I can't remember why they left it so late. They found their perfect home in Scotland, near Loch Ness("The views, the views") & they were delighted. The catch up revealed that they had lived there for a couple of years before selling up to return to Bristol because of her elderly mother, being cruel she must have been venerable because they had long since retired. What happened next made me start shouting at the guffawing Jules Hudson - mother buys property in SCOTLAND & they move back to remain close to her, they ended up in a dormer bungalow on an estate where the views were of other dormer bungalows. My question "Why didn't you stay put in the house with the views & move granny up?" wasn't answered.

I remember hearing of a lady who had a birthday during the winter and all her life the weather didn’t make parties easy so when she got to a certain age she announced that she would celebrate in June and since then has had BBQs, picnics etc and has enjoyed every one of them.

I always said that I didn't want to have a baby in the winter but if I did I'd always do a summer celebration for him/her. Good grief, in these uncertain times I really shouldn't tell everyone how shallow I am.

 

[Anna]

I’ve watched a few films on Prime, one after the other, which I normally wouldn’t do. Other than that, things aren’t that different apart from the fact I no longer just “pop out” to the shops. I’ll wait until I need a few items and will then go.

The main difference for me is today. It’s my birthday which is now just an ordinary day as the plans for a meal at my son’s this evening have obviously been cancelled. As I live alone, I’ll just sing Happy Birthday to myself multiple times, while washing my hands. My presents from the family are also at his house and so he’s planning to come round with them at the weekend, as he’s still working (albeit at home) and will ring the bell, put them on the doorstep and will then retreat. I’ll then open the door and we’ll have a catch up at a distance of 2+ metres. That’ll be nice, but as the weather is due to get colder maybe I’ll put a coat on first.

Happy Birthday Toril! I hope that you have had a good a day as you can on your own. You may be on your own, but hopefully our good wishes will cheer you up.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I’ve watched a few films on Prime, one after the other, which I normally wouldn’t do. Other than that, things aren’t that different apart from the fact I no longer just “pop out” to the shops. I’ll wait until I need a few items and will then go.

The main difference for me is today. It’s my birthday which is now just an ordinary day as the plans for a meal at my son’s this evening have obviously been cancelled. As I live alone, I’ll just sing Happy Birthday to myself multiple times, while washing my hands. My presents from the family are also at his house and so he’s planning to come round with them at the weekend, as he’s still working (albeit at home) and will ring the bell, put them on the doorstep and will then retreat. I’ll then open the door and we’ll have a catch up at a distance of 2+ metres. That’ll be nice, but as the weather is due to get colder maybe I’ll put a coat on first.

Many happy returns, Toril! A strange, but perhaps memorable birthday.

 

[mediastar]

I am semi self isolating due to age and disability, although I do work virtually full time. I have no family close and I do not drive. I currently have enough food til the weekend and six loo rolls. I am trying to work from home but I'm not good at focusing we also have two video conferences per day which further distracts me...

 

[Mazza]

It will like those city twats on Escape to the Country who have never kept as much as a budgie who want to keep chickens and lamas on 10 acres.

there was one of those on yesterday! His eyes practically popped out of his head at the thought of ten acres. I just wondered if he had any clue how to tend said acres.

 

[merryone]

God I hate these programmes with a vengeance.....I remember watching one pair of twats complaining that a garden wasn't big enough for the kids to play in...Not only was it massive, the place was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields. I understand these people are gonna be parting with a lot of money, so they want things to be perfect for them...But for the viewer it just makes these people come across as entitled, spoiled brats..and 9 times out of 10 they don't find anything that matches their exacting standards...and I hear myself cheering when I hear that the property they've put an offer in for has been rejected/fallen through....These shows bring out the worst in me!

 

[shopperholic]

Happy birthday Toril xx