The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency: The Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers

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John was as much at home in the humblest house on a hillside, as in the manor house of landed gentry. He was like a force of nature, always willing to listen, always interested in learning about new - or very old - ways of working the land. He was a one-man rebellion against modernism, and his absence will be felt by millions of readers the world over.

In the late 1950s, taking his wife Sally, a potter whom he had married in 1954, and their three young daughters, John moved to five acres of land near Woodbridge, in Suffolk. In BBC radio programmes, and in such books as The Fat Of The Land, he celebrated the concept of self-sufficiency, which he saw as an antidote to the emerging dependence culture that robbed people of dignity and self-respect. He wanted people to declare their independence from industrial society, emphasising that there was more to life than a 9-5 job. The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency (2002). London: Dorling Kindersley. (with Will Sutherland) Note that numbers are limited to 6 persons per course. For those coming with a spouse or partner there is a 20% discount for the second student. None the less, although John was not fond of urban life, some of his best friends, among them the poet William Empson, were city-dwellers, and he was thus at the heart of many a London party, and loved a lavish Chinese meal in Gerrard Street. While we aren't all be able to move to the countryside, we can appreciate the importance of Seymour's message, as he shows us the value of living within our means and making the most of what we have to hand using skills that have been handed down through generations.He spent much time with Bushmen, whose assured hunter-gatherer lifestyle in a semi-desert environment profoundly influenced his thinking; he said that they took from nature only as much as they needed for survival. He came to realise that much of human knowledge and culture is an ancient inheritance, and not primarily the product of urban progress.

Pig Husbandry - basic principles of pig husbandry, methods of fencing, the design of the pig sty, the choice of breeds This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. I’m A Stranger Here Myself - the story of a Welsh farm (1978). London: Faber & Faber. (With illustrations by Sally Seymour) The Book of Boswell - autobiography of a gypsy (1970). London: Gollancz. (Author: Silvester Gordon Boswell, Ed. John Seymour)

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Playing It For Laughs - a book of doggerel (1999). San Francisco: Metanoia Press. (with illustrations by Kate Seymour) John Seymour was an idealist - he had a vision of a better world where people aren't alienated from their labours. As a young man, he travelled all over Africa and fought in Burma in World War II. Returning penniless to England, he lived in a trolley bus and on a Dutch sailing barge before settling on a five-acre smallholding in Suffolk to lead a self-sufficient life. He continued this lifestyle with his companion Angela Ashe on the banks of the River Barrow in County Wexford, Ireland. The two had built up the smallholding from scratch over 19 years. In his last years John, Angela and William Sutherland had been running courses in self-sufficiency from their home at Killowen, New Ross. The courses were taken by students from all over the world, who come to Killowen to learn about his lifestyle and philosophies at first hand.

He had multiple roles as a writer, broadcaster, environmentalist, agrarian, smallholder and activist; a rebel against: consumerism, industrialisation, genetically modified organisms, cities, motor cars; an advocate for: self-reliance, personal responsibility, self-sufficiency, conviviality (food, drink, dancing and singing), gardening, caring for the Earth and for the soil. The bestselling classic guide to off-grid green living, now with a brand new foreword from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. John also made many television programmes: an early series followed the footsteps of George Borrow's Wild Wales (1862). In the early 1980s he spent three years making the BBC series Far From Paradise (with Herbert Girardet) which examined the history of human impact on the environment. Basket Making - a day spent making a simple round basket, different types of weave, how to manage and cut your own willow Scything and grass management - how to manage your grassland, make hay and use a modern scythe effectivelyFind sources: "John Seymour"author– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( March 2011) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) John was as much at home in the humblest house on a hillside, as in the manor house of landed gentry. He was like a force of nature, always willing to listen, always interested in learning about new — or very old — ways of working the land. He was a one-man rebellion against modernism. Herbert Girardet, 2005. [1] Bibliography [ edit ] Embrace off-grid green living with the bestselling classic guide to a more sustainable way of life, now with a brand new foreword from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Die Lerchen singen so schön (1982). München: Heyne Science Fiction Bibliothek (English version, unpublished: The Larks They Sang Melodious, novel)

John Seymour was an idealist - he had a vision of a better world where people aren't alienated from their labours. As a young man, he travelled all over Africa and fought in Burma in World War II. Returning penniless to England, he lived in a trolley bus and on a Dutch sailing barge before settling on a five-acre smallholding in Suffolk to lead a self-sufficient life. He continued this lifestyle with his companion Angela Ashe on the banks of the River Barrow in County Wexford, Ireland. The two had built up the smallholding from scratch over 19 years. In his last years John, Angela and William Sutherland had been running courses in self-sufficiency from their home at Killowen, New Ross. The courses were taken by students from all over the wo John Seymour was an idealist - he had a vision of a better world where people aren't alienated from their labours. As a young man, he travelled all over Africa and fought in Burma in World War II. Returning penniless to England, he lived in a trolley bus and on a Dutch sailing barge before settling on a five-acre smallholding in Suffolk to lead a self-sufficient life. He continued this lifestyle with his companion Angela Ashe on the banks of the River Barrow in County Wexford, Ireland. The two had built up the smallholding from scratch over 19 years. In his last years John, Angela and William Sutherland had been running courses in self-sufficiency from their home at Killowen, New Ross. The courses were taken by students from all over the world, who come to Killowen to learn about his lifestyle and philosophies at first hand. Self-Sufficiency (1973). London: Faber & Faber. (With Sally Seymour.) The original self-sufficiency guide. Beekeeping - structure of the beehive and the annual cycle of bee activity, how to get started, basic equipment neededRye from the Water's Edge (1996). Rye: Academic Inn Books. (with illustrations by Connie Lindquist) Northumberland offers many wonderful opportunities to enjoy iconic scenery whether on the coast or in the hills. We always take time to explore and picnic - also to experience local culture and traditional music in the pubs. He was the author of over 40 books, including the best-selling The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, and he had made numerous films and radio programmes. Most of his later writing and public campaigning had been devoted to country matters, self-sufficiency and the environment. Organic Gardening - basic principles of the organic cycle, improving your soil, creating a vibrant ecosystem, bringing in fertility, the role of the animals, the management of pests To counter this rather depressing experience, we co-authored Blueprint For A Green Planet (1987), one of the first books emphasising the opportunities of green consumerism in countering environmental destruction. Sadly, the publishers refused to include a chapter linking personal responsibility and collective action.