Year 7 Community / Events
What's on at the Barracks in 2025 Year Seven is just the other side of winter and we are planning the biggest year yet. The highlight is...
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Rory
Rory "too many aliasses to count" Mackay died in the night Friday 10th May 2024. On Monday 22nd May 2000, S Club 7 released their instant...
The Collapse Laboratory
Or, what I'm doing if I'm not trying to stop climate change. Strangely, not everyone is manifesting immediate and substantial...
Capturing Carbons at the Barracks
Carbon Footprint is Bollocks You've no doubt heard me say it before, and, knowing my own propensity to repeat myself, you will no doubt...
What's it got in the Stores?
I've been promising the "how much space do you need to be self sufficient" blog post for a while now. If you're reading this in the...
Re-radicalising The Barracks
Fifiteen years ago, going vegan was a radical political move. Ten years ago, shouting about how climate change was a massive risk for...
Pig Food
Seeing as I spend as much time thinking about pig food, trying to grow pig food, and bitching about feeding pigs as I do, it's probably...
What's big, round, orange and not there?
No pumpkins. It's official. We have a complete wash-out on the pumpkins. Growing your food from seed always starts with an extended...
There's no such thing as Optimism
Until recently, every prediction and every warning made made by climatologists has been wrong. Too mild, too fearful, too low and too...
Where do you get your protein?
Many people, on discovering a vegan is vegan exhibit a touching concern for our health. "Where do you get your protein?" is frequently...
How to Feed Yourself like a Pirate
After the terrible tomato crop of last year, I had a pretty tough winter. I was mostly anticipating it because I chose to put more time...
Why the vineyard was more than grapes
Everyone who has come to the barracks has heard the story of the vineyard, of the crazy dream, of the best friend I was going to do it...
The Rhubarb Bed
I posted one of my famous ASMR Gardening videos. Obviously, the blog and the newsletter are my primary forms of broadcast communication,...
Why I'm not into Permaculture
This post has been a long time in the making. Today, with the compost heaps done for the year, and with enough coffee inside me, I think...
Progress not perfection
But as close to perfection as you can get... It's rolling around to that sort of time when I start making over-ambitious plans for...
There is No Such Thing as Happiness
There is no such thing as happiness; but there is a satisfaction to be gained from doing important work. There is a contentment from...
Potatoes Passionante
I was once challenged to write a list of 100 different potato dishes. I failed, but I still contend that I failed through laziness rather...
We Need to Talk About Tomatoes
There is no such thing as a good year in the garden. Nor a bad one. Some years are wetter, dryer, hotter or colder than others. The...
Pigs in Space
It's the end of August. I have started digging main crop potatoes, the sweetcorn is ripening and apples are swelling in the orchard....
The Barracks Hotel
I guessed I teased the last post a little, so with this one, I should just get right into it. I'm opening a Boutique Hotel at the...