Mowing the lawn

[Primrose]

Just had to refill the petrol can and calculated that atcurrent petrol prices, it's costing a fiver every time I mow the lawn. Never costed out this kind of activity until recently. Just another insidious way in which inflation is hitting us all. I can see that the old fashioned "push" mowers will soon be making a comeback!

[Catherine]

Our lawn mower is electric but even that is so expensive now that we might purchase a push along instead. I have just had a phone call from Boots to say my new glasses are there. Only 5 miles away down the motorway normally I would have jumped in the car and wizzed off to get them and not thought anything about it. Now I am going to wait till tomorrow when I am going shopping with my OH and we will go together and use one car. Shame really because of the price of petrol I have stopped going up to the Lakes on my own to walk during the week when it is quieter, cant waste the petrol on pleasure any more.

[Chantal]

The old push mowers are already making a comeback, they were selling them in Aldi earlier this year. I've also noticed that when one comes up on Freecycle it's gone within minutes if not seconds.

You're making me think twice about strimming now

[Catherine]

Scissors and a kneeling pad

[alan refail]

Primrose, Catherine, Chantal

I don't wish to sound unsympathetic or provocative, but I do think the cost of cutting grass in England pales into insignificance beside an annual inflation rate of 165,000% which these poor souls are undergoing.

Please spare a thought for your sisters and brothers barely surviving under the rule of the truly evil Mugabe, freedom-fighter hero turned manic dictator.

Long grass is not the end of the world.

[pongeroon]

How true, Alan, a timely reminder that we do not know we are born, here in the 'developed' world.

We need a good grumble to let off steam, but then need to remember just how well off we are, I think.

[Primrose]

Alan, you are absolutely right of course and we in the western world here can't begin to imagine how difficult their plight must be. But doesn't it make one feel slightly ashamed to live in a country where our government was quite happy to send in the miltary to a country which had no weapons of mass destruction but can't do the same thing where millions are unnecessary starving and being brought to their knees. We do sometimes seem to have some strange national priorities.

[richard p]

buying petrol for the lawn mower is on a par with fetching the mother in law on sundays, i dont begrudge the fiver it costs but hate the fact that its 4 quid tax for the silly sods to waste...

im still thinking of a windmill, an electric milk float, and it must be possible to convert one of them electric invalide scooter things into a lawnmower

[Clive.]

Some folk still use a 1968 Atco battery mower I have often thought I should be charging it now with a solar panel trickle charger on the garage roof...or possibly a waterwheel today

Meanwhile, I believe at one time there was a Wheelhorse brand battery powered ride on tractor mower...I think one was once converted to be the tractor in the stage show version of Postman Pat?...I'm not sure how I know that bit of trivia ..might have just dreamt it

Clive.

[Geoff]

Oil strike in Zimbabwe!
Now that would get us there.

[Johnboy]

Oh Geoff!
You have never spoken a truer word!
JB.

[peter]

Some folk still use a 1968 Atco battery mower ......
Clive.

My local mail-order firm Coopers does battery powered mowers, cylinder £129.99, rotary £149.99
Haven't a clue how good or reliable etc they are though as I favour my other local firm, Hayters.

[JohnN]

Geoff,
Wouldn't do us much good rushing off to Zimbabwe for oil - we'd have to go through American immigration. Met a guy in my 'local' who runs a company in Zim. He gave me a Zim banknote - worth 50 million dollars! He said his weekly wage bill for four employees in his meat company is 50 BILLION dollars. Be twice that next week!
John N