Today

The London Borough of Lewisham has finally lost its collective marbles.

I've just received a letter from the council informing me that according to the local by-laws of 1312, in times of hardship all residents are required to keep and maintain livestock. A phone call this morning clarified that this dates from the time when Romborough, as Hither Green was called before the plague destroyed the settlement, was to some extent common land, but in the main claimed by the Black Prince as part of his manor. The scuzzy prince, known mainly for fighting pointless wars and making a rather dashing appearance in A Knight's Tale, made the judgement regarding livestock, and naturally no-one has bothered to repeal it. Apparently now is officially considered a time of hardship, and our back garden is 'good for geese.'

I don't want geese. We have four cats. It's not a happy prognostication. The good news is, we get a 'starting' pair, 1 goose plus gander for free, the breeding is up to me (and them, presumably).

People are somewhat bemused. Quite a few of us fall into the 'Good for Geese' category, including the old lady at number 28 who, though charmed by the idea of home farming, is alarmed because, as she rightly points out 'Geese are quite fierce.' She's hoping they'll let her farm ducks instead. But no-one envies the plight of the people with the huge garden right on the corner of Hither Green Lane, whose property has been designated 'Fit for Cows.' Their choices are limited to Jersey, Freesian, or Lewisham Longhorn.

For more details of the implementation of the new/old by-laws, here's the link:http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/13/rabbit-hole-day-janu.html