A TOTAL of 24 members of Shobrooke Friendly Club attended the March meeting in the village hall, and were the recipients of an interesting, and often hilarious talk by Rob and Ruth Waterhouse of Sandford on self sufficiency.

Rob and Ruth had both been teachers in the Midlands, and had become enthralled by the television programme The Good Life. This was about a young couple who had given up the hurly burly of the rat-race, to eke out a living by growing their own crops, and keeping chickens. It was also the time of the tensions between East and West caused by the Cold War.

Thinking what life might be like if the worst happened, Rob and Ruth obtained an allotment and set about growing their own produce.

Finding that the various additives in commercially produced products caused behavioural problems with their young children, led them to experiment and finally produce natural food and drinks free from the nasties.

Ruth told of an amusing tale of how when a goat was in the process of being milked, a lady appeared in the doorway of the milking parlour dressed in a pink negligee and little else. The lady after having “helped” in the milking process, went home in what appears to have been a highly dishevelled and unsavoury state!

After both suffering serious illnesses, and retiring from the teaching profession, Rob and Ruth found themselves in the Helston area of Cornwall, before moving to the small-holding of approximately two acres near Sandford.

They really do seem to be leading The Good Life. Growing all their own fruit and vegetables, keeping bees, chickens and a couple of cows.

Then comes the preparation of any surplus to produce jams, chutneys and pickles.

In the winter months, Ruth acquires a lot of fabric and other materials from charity shops and car boot sales, and turns them into shopping bags, cushion covers and soft toys, all of which they then sell.

They brought with them, for sale to the members, a good selection of the items they produce, and many went away with honey, jams, pickles, eggs and fruit juice.

The next meeting of the Club will be on April 20 in the village hall at 2.15pm, when Liz Cummings will give a talk on Buckingham Palace.

On May 18 the Club has arranged an outing to Sidmouth and Otter Nurseries. There are still some seats available, and anyone interested in going should contact Margaret Gale on 01363 773282.

The fare has yet to be set as this will depend on the number of people going, but is anticipated to be approximately £11.

Norman Gale