The Hungry Empire - Britain's quest for food

[BritDownUnder]

I am reading this book by Lizzie Collingham. It's basically the author's thesis that the British Empire started all because Britain has always been short of food and so colonised places to get their food or to provide an overflow for the excess population of the British Isles and England especially.

Quite relevant for post-Brexit.

[kenneal - lagger]

So, as our Empire was given its independence in the 1950s we started to increase our population , by mass immigration, from the 42 million of those days to the 64 million plus of today. So much for "provide[ing] an overflow for the excess population of the British Isles and England especially."

[BritDownUnder]

So, as our Empire was given its independence in the 1950s we started to increase our population , by mass immigration, from the 42 million of those days to the 64 million plus of today. So much for "provide[ing] an overflow for the excess population of the British Isles and England especially."

All due to the false promise of oil driven food supply. However. Some British people did migrate to Australia and other places after mass immigration to the UK started. Me included.

[RenewableCandy]

I must get those broad beans planted this week...

[emordnilap]

Mmmm, broad beans, simply an amazing crop, we never grow enough, though we're still enjoying last year's spuds, peas, tomatoes, apples and stuff and have a kale that's growing like weeds, wonderful stuff.

Growing potatoes in particular requires minimal energy. A day or two's planting, a day or two's harvesting, sorting and storing, very little else, maybe some languid weeding.

Tangentially, we also have a load of frogspawn (heron's caviar) in the pond which should help us in future fights against slugs.

[BritDownUnder]

I must get those broad beans planted this week...

Me too. The perfect 'winter' crop for Australia.