The legacy of The Good Life
Country Smallholding|November 2020
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
Jeremy Hobson
The legacy of The Good Life

John Seymour’s books Self- Sufficiency and The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency were huge bestsellers during the 1970s, inspiring a new generation to down-shift to a different way of life. But, as popular as the idea of a smallholding enterprise was already proving to be, it was really the arrival in 1975 of the BBC’s The Good Life, starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington, that brought self-sufficiency to the attention of the masses. At its peak, the programme attracted 18 million viewers.

In part inspired by the increased interest in green issues, although it focused on the potential problems (and comedy element) of self-sufficiency, writers John Esmonde and Bob Larbey also used The Good Life as a platform from which to poke fun at middle-class values — hence it is set in sunny Surbiton in southwest London rather than a rural idyll. In a 2011 interview, producer John Howard Davies stated that he believed one reason for the success of the series was because it featured “two people trying to practice self-sufficiency in a bad place”.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Country Smallholding.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Country Smallholding.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COUNTRY SMALLHOLDINGView All
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Country Smallholding

The Secret World Of The Honey Bee

Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
Tip the light fantastic
Country Smallholding

Tip the light fantastic

The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
The legacy of The Good Life
Country Smallholding

The legacy of The Good Life

The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
Country Smallholding

‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'

A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
Tools of the trade
Country Smallholding

Tools of the trade

In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2020
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Country Smallholding

The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world

Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
Buying on a tight budget
Country Smallholding

Buying on a tight budget

As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2020
Crazy for crafts
Country Smallholding

Crazy for crafts

In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2020
Game on
Country Smallholding

Game on

A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding

1975 And All That

Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2020