Many thanks for sharing this. I had a couple of quick comments. While in no way doubting the significance of your experiences, I think that everyone sometimes gets dismissive, reluctant acknowledgements when passing others out in the countryside. Partly I think it's the famous British reserve and partly it’s the incongruous situation of being out in the wilds, trying to escape from humanity, and then being forced to walk very close to someone else – often a total stranger, miles from civilisation. Do you look down at your shoes and ignore the other person? Do you attempt a quick matter-of-fact greeting or do you go for the opening gambit to try to start a friendly conversation? It can be awkward at best, especially for the type of person who often seeks solitude by walking in the countryside.
I also wanted to comment on the parallels you draw with the language about ‘invasive’, ‘non-native’ plants and racism because I think these are dangerous. Humans and wildlife are totally different things and language and attitudes that would be unacceptable when applied to humans are entirely appropriate when it comes to wildlife. Seeking to ensure that non-native, non-indigenous, invasive plants and animals do not take the place of native species is a legitimate concern and is completely separate from attitudes towards people. To give an even clearer example, killing a Mink is not ‘murder’ (though animal rights campaigners may seek to co-opt the term in order to further their cause). To turn the question around – would you be unhappy with the following language? ‘We must seek to eradicate the non-native, invasive American Mink in order to protect vulnerable ground nesting birds.’ And if so how would you suggest this could be re-phrased?
Thank you, excellent blog, growing is an act of defiance, it allows us to remove ourselves from reliance on the system and what is made available to us by the supermarkets. When Caribbean people arrived in this country, many took up the opportunity to run allotments to grow the veg that they couldn’t buy in the supermarkets. They may not have been the face of the royal horticultural society but their heart was in that soil. I tried to find an article about the history of black allotment owners but all I could find was this. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/6ft2-easton-man-reigniting-jamaican-2949846.amp
Many thanks for sharing this. I had a couple of quick comments. While in no way doubting the significance of your experiences, I think that everyone sometimes gets dismissive, reluctant acknowledgements when passing others out in the countryside. Partly I think it's the famous British reserve and partly it’s the incongruous situation of being out in the wilds, trying to escape from humanity, and then being forced to walk very close to someone else – often a total stranger, miles from civilisation. Do you look down at your shoes and ignore the other person? Do you attempt a quick matter-of-fact greeting or do you go for the opening gambit to try to start a friendly conversation? It can be awkward at best, especially for the type of person who often seeks solitude by walking in the countryside.
I also wanted to comment on the parallels you draw with the language about ‘invasive’, ‘non-native’ plants and racism because I think these are dangerous. Humans and wildlife are totally different things and language and attitudes that would be unacceptable when applied to humans are entirely appropriate when it comes to wildlife. Seeking to ensure that non-native, non-indigenous, invasive plants and animals do not take the place of native species is a legitimate concern and is completely separate from attitudes towards people. To give an even clearer example, killing a Mink is not ‘murder’ (though animal rights campaigners may seek to co-opt the term in order to further their cause). To turn the question around – would you be unhappy with the following language? ‘We must seek to eradicate the non-native, invasive American Mink in order to protect vulnerable ground nesting birds.’ And if so how would you suggest this could be re-phrased?
Beautifully written and thought provoking.
A beautifully poetic and illuminating piece of writing. Thank you Claire for sharing your experience.
Thank you, excellent blog, growing is an act of defiance, it allows us to remove ourselves from reliance on the system and what is made available to us by the supermarkets. When Caribbean people arrived in this country, many took up the opportunity to run allotments to grow the veg that they couldn’t buy in the supermarkets. They may not have been the face of the royal horticultural society but their heart was in that soil. I tried to find an article about the history of black allotment owners but all I could find was this. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/6ft2-easton-man-reigniting-jamaican-2949846.amp