How 'ish changed my life...

[Annpan]

I didn't want to hijack another thread

Well Andy, if it hadn't been for this site We wouldn't have moved out of our 1 bedroom ground floor flat opposite a McDs and moved to the country side with a huge garden. This site (and it's members) made us believe that it was achievable and has seen us through some of the worst parts of it... thanks.

(I'll not even blame the dry rot on you )

Is that really true Annpan? Not sure what to say other than I am honoured to have started something that has made that much of a profound difference to your life.

It is really true

When I joined (Ish was the only place I could find with decent instructions on how to pickle beetroot) I remember saying to JohnM, "I have found this really cool site, it's kind of self-sufficiency, but they aren't all nutters... one member even has goats in her back garden!"

The person who has goats is Ina, she helped us when we put insulation in our living-room and we stayed with her in April when we were on our tour of Aberdeenshire, and I am proud to call myself her friend

We had been looking to move to a house with a bigger garden for about 2 years, we had dreams of river cottage but we knew it was unrealistic. (we were thinking standard 5m x 5m kind of size)

If it hadn't been for 'ish we would never have had the guts to do a full move from the city to the sticks, we thought you had to be rich, or have help, or come from a background of farming, or at least growing your own.

We moved in April 2007 with a 7 month old. We have a garden 100m X 12m.
We have fruit trees, herbs, veg and space for chicken (and maybe pigs or goats).
I am the happiest I have ever been (with life in general)
E runs up and down the garden in her wellies 'stealing' pea pods and giggling for Scotland - which cheers up the neighbours no end

I have made many knew friends, not dependant on our ages or the ages of our children.
I have learned more than I could ever imagine I would.
Ish introduced me to freecycle, I set up and now run my local freecycle group (which has changed other peoples lives)
Yesterday I open my first jar of home grown pickled beetroot... it was perfect.

So yes Andy, ish has had a profound effect on my life
Thankyou

[Andy Hamilton]

So yes Andy, ish has had a profound effect on my life
Thankyou

For the first 2 years of the life of ish it was maintained and edited from a computer that I got for free. I was in a tiny flat in the centre of Bath, the desk with the computer on was about 2 feet away from where I slept, tucked away in a little corner. had a handful of gardening books, I had just got an allotment and I was really just learning about how to be selfsufficientish. I now have a lot more knowledge and a lot more books the computer has got smaller and the workspace slightly bigger (we now have a spare room). - see below for the selfsufficientish office



It still sometimes amazes me that from there it has effected so many peoples lives, I even got an email from a restaurant who have decided to grow as much of their own vegetables as they can thanks to ish! I guess I should not be so surprised that this website can have a profound effect as I think the sum of this site is greater than it's parts. The site is just a meeting place for people with the same passion for this earth and what grows within it. It is the subject matter that is the really magnet and I am very, very, very happy that so many people have decided to share their views and knowledge right here.

[ina]

Reading your two posts is making me go all emotional...

But yes, Ish has had a profound effect on my life, too. I would never have met so many people who think along similar lines as myself without it. Plus, my to-do list wouldn't be half as long...

[mrsflibble]

I learned that not all forums contain schoolyard squabbling and misguided individuals, some (ok one. Ish) actually have people who know their stuff and respect others.

I'm trying to get over my fear of bikes so I can get further than I can on shanks's pony without having to have a htwad.car of my own.

I grow things other than my aloe weeds, I've got quite green fingers!

sophie knows where tomatoes come from.

I'm more eco friendly but mostly I'm ISH cos I'm a tightwad.

I've made friends

I know I wont be judged for being slightly eccentric lol!

[the.fee.fairy]

Ish is the only forum on which i have racked up more than 200 posts.
It is one of two forums that i have ever swapped/traded things with other members. I don't visit the other one anymore.

It is the only forum that i have actually wanted to meet members of.
I love ish!

Since i have been on Ish, and we've been thinking of moving, i have actually been seeking houses that are nearly falling down, with big gardens. Dad and i are looking at the potential for energy/water saving within the property.

I've had dreams about living on Ish Island (can't remember what the thread was called now...), and strange dreams involving IshLand.

I've got an acknowledgement in a book!! Me! In a book! And, i can happily class many people around the world as my friends. That's Ish's biggest accomplishment as far as i'm concerned. I have friends in Oz, Canada, America and around the UK. I'll never be short of drinking partners in a city again!!

Talking of Drinking partners, i'm in York til the end of September. Anyone fancy a few drinks on night?

P.S. Andy...i'm thinking of an Ish tattoo...what do you think :)

[StripyPixieSocks]

I have to say... Ish has started to make an impact on my life also to the point where I now am looking for a house with a garden in Cornwall so I can start to become more self-sufficient!

I always wanted to grow my own stuff but it was always a kind of lip-service to the notion but then I started growing herbs and I have been a lurker on Ish for a long time. Once I joined up and started reading more I wanted to do more so between Hugh Fernley Wittingtall (or however you spell his flipping name) and Ish it really galvanised me into action.

I know Cornwall is a little less Urban than London so my blog maybe will take a different turn but from little acorns and all that

So, yes... big cheers for Ish for actually conveying the enthusiasm for self-sufficiency and Environmental Welfare so well that it rubs off on us all.

[mrsflibble]

oh yes! I forgot about the acknowledgments page of the bible! lol!

I stopped shopping at t***o and have found other places much cheaper.

[Big Al]

I don't know if ish has had such a profound move on my life as it has on Anna pans but it has made an impact. I got an allotment because of Ish ..... then found out it was too hard on the back so had to give it up but instead of being down I decided to grow at home as we have a big enough garden so the deep beds are going in there so Ish has still done it's bit there.

I'm at ease with asking questions and advice from Ishers and respect their views which help confirm or question my views on things like wood burners etc.

Ish has, or will be soon responsible for me going back to wood for heating and hot water ( we are in a smokeless zone so no wood burning stoves for cooking,boo hoo) Where once i'd have taken the thought of it being a retrograde step back in time to "the poor days" now through Ish it is a carbon neutral environmental decision and one i am happy to talk about to my neighbourghs.

Yup, Ish has had an effect on my life and if anyone does want to set up an ish island somewhere then count me in.... the wife might object but the red setter wouldn't and there is always the divorces courts...lol.