Any adventurous Hobbits out there?

Very pleased to meet you all; I'm a mature, cake-loving Hobbit who loves gardening, growing yummy food and creating beautiful gardens. This is my busiest time of year for what are, if you are a gardener, obvious reasons, and I do not have the time to post here very often. However I have some exciting plans for the autumn/winter, which I would like to share because I'm currently looking for any other Hobbit/s who would like a little adventure.

Short version:
The adventure is basically a quest to do something with an old house I own in order to get a place to make a forest garden. Involves some (UK) travel, no dragons, no magic rings, low probability of Orcs, some treasure, future prospects of owning land or having a cheap place to live. Travel expenses paid, plus daily cash. No strings attached, no money, sales, marketing or other breadhead bollocks required.

Potential participants must be able to tolerate me smoking Longbottom Leaf, cats, using a phone/computer and possibly roughing it a bit.


If you are interested please let me know and I will provide the long version with all details.
Best regards,
Alex R
 

Welcome to Permies, Alex!

How does the house tie in with establishing a forest garden? When are you looking for help to arrive?

j

Hi Alex, Welcome to Permies! I hope you are able to post updates on your project.
I don't know why I get the impression you are in Wales, maybe it's the mention of dragons....We have a few up here at this time of year.
It's nice to see someone else from the UK here. What sort of skills and experience are you looking for? You mention creating a Forest Garden, so do you need someone with experience, or just enthusiasm and an ability to follow instructions?

Hi dudes,
The house needs renovation for sale or for letting, the money from which pays for the land. I'm open to suggestions on location but reckon either mid to north wales, southern ireland or north yorkshire.

I'm currently in Buckinghamshire. I'm a qualified biologist and author but much prefer to do hands on stuff and am currently head gardener for Bradwell Abbey in Bucks. There's a community allotment and various specialist gardens there to take care of, where I grow organic food.

The forest garden is a dream I've had for some time and never had enough spare time to take it on, but by the end of this year I should have some. That's what I would be doing, and I don't need help with that; you would be doing whatever it is you want to do on your share of the land. Basically we'd be neighbors.

What I need others for is to help either manage the house renovation by making a lot of phone calls and travelling up to the place (it's in Blackpool) a couple of times to meet and engage work crews. I haven't been able to get up there due to other commitments. There are various choices of what to do with it which I'm happy to discuss.

In return for such help I could offer expenses and a bit of cash, plus options to either live in the place once it's finished or share the land I manage to get if it is sold. There's also some stuff in there which could be sold online if anyone knows how, and they're welcome to keep the cash.

I am very good with plants but my weakness is with phones and online commerce; I have no mobile phone and don't want one.
... OK that sounds eccentric  :  )

I have a place in Bucks where people are welcome to stay if they want to visit and talk about it. I don't know whether I'm allowed to post my email address here or if that's against rules?

Nice to meet ye all anyways!
Best,
Alex R

Oh yeh, I also don't drive. That makes things complicated  :  )

So I understand better what you need - someone to oversee a house renovation to save you the trouble of traveling so much. Preferably someone with a mobile phone and a car perhaps! In return: expenses and a part share in the profits when sold or other benefit on completion to be negotiated. Sounds like a potential step up the ladder for someone who needs it - thanks for sharing!

alex ramonsky wrote:I don't know whether I'm allowed to post my email address here or if that's against rules?

Not against rules, but the internet is forever, so I suggest that people send you a "purple moosage" (anyone registered here can do that) rather than offering yourself up to spam bots.

I won''t have much free time until at least September. What I really need is a companion to help get through all the chaotic bits  :  )  In return I'm offering cash and/or longer term benefits like a share in the land.
Nobody in UK has replied so far so not too hopeful...
AR

Hi Alex
Great to see someone else from the UK here and read about your exciting plans.
I am very much an adventurous hobbit, being passionate about growing and food.  In a former life I started off in architecture and construction management and have renovated several of my own buildings also over the years( in the midst of one now).
If I can help I'd like to be able to but the (fairly major) drawbacks in terms of availability are that I live in France and have a smallholding, so as you say growing season is upon us and things are very busy!
I will send you a private message and maybe there's something I could do

Wishing you all a great day and perfect weather

Hi Alex,

Just seen your ad and would be interested in finding out more info.

I'm uk based with landskills and offgrid living experience in differing settings

Well, this isn't an ad, it's a request for help in exchange for benefits.

I live in Bucks. I don't use cars, mobile phones or internet commerce.

The extra house is in Blackpool, Lancs.
The structure is sound but needs internal renovation (exact list of tasks available on request). Currently, all utilities are switched off and there is no phone or internet up there. I'm not able to do the renovation work myself due to spinal injury.

There are several different options throughout the project:

*If you're able to do things like basic plumbing, joinery, plastering, decorating etc.,  you could go there and do this in exchange for money and travel costs.

*If you're able to get online from anywhere, you could go there and I'd arrange for plumbers, etc., to meet you and begin work. There are also contents which could be sold on ebay etc and you keep the profit.

The problem with 'going there' is, there's no water or toilets until the plumbing is done, so this should be the first job, which requires someone to be there to explain to the plumber what to do (we know exactly what needs doing). Then the water and power could be turned on so it would be possible for someone to stay there during the rest of the work. Obviously, this is rent-free and no bills to pay.

The agent in charge of covering all the bills is my son, who is in Ireland, hence the requirement for phone calls so that you / others can get paid.

*When the renovation is done, if you need somewhere cheap to live you will get first pick on renting the house OR the offer of a room in Homeworld house, where I live.

Once the house is let, it can be borrowed against; alternatively it may be sold. The money from this is to buy land on which I want to make a forest garden.

*If you are also looking for land you could do a rented purchase (in which you rent the land but end up owning it) OR if you have savings of your own we could buy a larger chunk of land and split it, happy in the knowledge that we all had permaculture neighbors  :  )  

I'm also open to any ideas or proposals from others, but I will not have much free time until Autumn / Winter, due to current commitments and projects here that need completion.

Hope this answers most questions, get back to me here if interested and I'll send my details
Love and cakes,
Alex

hello Alex
Randomly found this post lim in a very similar position my self let me know if you want to meet up
Property in Blackpool for sale looking for land I drive some horticultural experience not as much as you bit of wild camping ect
Anyway message back if you would like to meet up
Shell

Whereabouts are you based? I'm in Bucks.
AR

alex ramonsky wrote:Whereabouts are you based? I'm in Bucks.
AR

Sorry for the delay replying assumed email would prompt
I'm blackpool based
If the question was for me
Shell

Shell; my email is alexramonsky@hotmail.co.uk

If you're up there already this could work really well!
Alex R

Shell: If you mail me we can discuss a meetup?