Today

[smokingboot]

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

Comments

[theo]

Nobody has to keep white rabbits, then?

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Actually one of the options put to the lady at number 28 is that she can have white rabbits instead of poultry, with an added government incentive to knit them little waistcoats. But I think she'd rather have ducks.

[theo]

Waistcoated ducks?

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the reminder.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

How's that bottle doing?

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

I can't tell - the first sip was nice, but I can't reach it now.

[romney.livejournal.com]

Put me down for a half-dozen golden eggs please.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Some bloke in a treehouse down the road has bagsied the first clutch. He's frankly enormous, so I'm not going to argue with him. Says he'll pay on delivery though it's quite a climb to his door...

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Geese are teh eeeevil.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

They are certainly teh awkward! Chickens would be better if they tasted of anything, and turkey's yum but it's always so dry...

[ravenrigan.livejournal.com]

Ther's good eating on a goose! You could always blame the cats.

Though I for one would back a goose against the average cat any day of the week. Even Machsie!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I dunno: the fight I agree, no cat would bother with something so up for it, but as to the eating on a goose, the meat to fat ratio's a bit worrying - and goose fat is one of those strange substances everyone agrees is worth loads and no-one knows why; all it seems good for is larding potatoes and rubbing on cold-ridden chests. I'm not convinced!

In other news, thank you for the BPAL imps! Candy Butcher is very nice indeed!

[ravenrigan.livejournal.com]

They have 6 different chocolate scents up on the site at the moment, 2 each of dark, milk and white, and there are plenty of spaces left in most of the decant circles on sinandsalvation.

I've ordered decants of the lot! Omnomnom!

[the-pale-queen.livejournal.com]

Is it bad that a request like that would make my whole week?

Clearly I want to live in interesting times!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Geese aren't interesting, surely they're just...bad sports?

[imthelorax22.livejournal.com]

For a minute, I was thinking....seriously, could this happen? I am very tired- this is my excuse!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

You'd be surprised at some of the legislation the London boroughs try to put through. It could happen!

England has some really old daft laws that haven't been repealed - I think it's written somewhere that Englishmen are supposed to practice with their longbows every sunday, in case of invasion from the Welsh or French or something!