When I was a kid in the 70’s we used to watch a UK TV show called “The Good Life” (in the US they changed it to “Good Neighbors”).
The show was about Tom and Barbara, a married couple of 40 somethings, who decided to totally drop out of the rat race and go self sufficient in a somewhat posh suburb in London. They rotary hoed the front and back lawns, planted veggies, got chooks, a milking goat (Geraldine), raised two pigs (Pinky & Perky), and lived a hard, but very good life.
Tom and Barbara also had neighbours called Jerry and Margo, which were the total opposite. Jerry was a brown nosing executive working in a company that made plastic toys for cereal boxes, and Margo was the lady of the house, and was well, just Margo. Both had respect for Tom and Barbara after a get together over a bottle of pea pod wine or six.
Here is a clip to set the scene.
I really enjoyed it as a kid, but as I already lived on a dairy farm, I really didn’t understand what the fuss was about. I thought that everyone lived like we did. How wrong was I.
Now I am older and wiser, I still love to watch episodes of this show which was well ahead of it’s time. I also live in the suburbs. Starting to sound similar?
So how does Gavin and Kim compare to Tom and Barbara? Well lets see, shall we.
Tom Good
(from Wikipedia)Tom has worked as a draughtsman, a job he disliked. He feels his life is meaningless, nothing more than work and consumption. Becoming self-sufficient is his idea, but Barbara, after expressing concerns, supports him. Tom is determined to succeed at self-sufficiency, and is mostly cheerful about his new lifestyle. Tom is obstinate and pigheaded, often to Barbara’s detriment or irritation. On the few occasions that he is pessimistic, Barbara becomes the optimist.
verses
Gavin Webber
Gavin still works as an IT professional, in a job that pays the mortgage. He woke up one day and felt like his life was off the rails, spending all his dosh on crap that didn’t make him happy. It was his idea to cut his family’s carbon footprint, and initially Kim supported him begrudgingly Gavin is determined to keep living a sustainable lifestyle, also trying to cut his family’s cost of living. He is cheerful about his lifestyle, singing to the chooks when he can get away with it. Gavin is obstinate and sometimes pigheaded, full of hair brained ideas, always to Kim’s irritation and resistance. When he gets down in the dumps, Kim kicks him in the arse and motivates by telling him to look around at all the great work and to wake up to himself, in a most loving manner of course!
Well this comparison exercise surprised me. Our personalities are quite similar, with the big difference being that I did not give up my job, and attempt to become fully self-sufficient in the suburbs. We have achieved partial self-sufficiency with minor reliance on the big AG to feed us, and money from the job to keep paying off the mortgage.
Lets see how Kim compares, shall we?
Barbara Good(from Wikipedia)
Barbara is a normal, middle-class housewife when the series begins. While she sometimes wilts under Tom’s determined and dominant nature, her sharp tongue puts her on an equal footing. She is the heart of the enterprise, while Tom’s engineering brain designs and builds what they need. She yearns for lifestyle and luxuries but her own determination to succeed, with Tom’s single-minded persuasion, keeps her going.
verses
Kim Webber
Kim is a normal, middle-class housewife when Gavin has his green epiphany. Whilst reluctant at first, she soon saw the benefits of living a simpler life. She is the queen of the house, with Gavin maintaining the outside, providing the home grown produce, which she harvests willingly. Kim realises that that the old lifestyle did not make her happy, and was just full of consumerism. She is now determined to educate others, and to reap the benefits of their new lifestyle. Occasionally Kim slips into Margo mode, and tells Gavin to clean things up, and make things look nice around the garden, which he reluctantly does.Kim is quite like Barbara, sexy without the dungarees, and loves harvesting produce. Whilst Gavin does most of the hard graft with the help of his kids, Kim is the ultimate designer and supervisor. She excels in home-making including arts and craft, which is a full time job when Gavin is at work. She has been known to sing to the dogs and chickens, water the veggie patch, throw scraps to the hens, all with a smile. However, it is her Margo side that makes me laugh the most, but with concern about things that are the opposite of what Margo would have worry about. Instead of worrying about what the front yard looks like to the neighbours, Kim is more concerned on how pretty the veggie patch looks for guests, and whether the compost bins are clean, or if the chickens are well looked after by Gavin. She cares deeply about all family members and animals, and secretly wants a Pinky and Perky of her own, just as pets.
We love each other, just as Tom and Barbara do, and laugh along when we think of all crazy things that happen to us as we bumble along our way towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
This has been an interesting exercise, and I want to continue the comparison in the next part in which I will describe our version of the good life more closely with some amusing stories of successes and failures along the way. That should be a laugh.
[Here is the link to part two]
Awesome post, Gav! Fun exercise…I think with regards to Tom not working for money vs you still doing IT – most of the unhappiest, most challenging moments in Tom and Barbara’s lives come about in moments of monetary crisis. Which points to the concept that at least for the time being, self sufficiency in the sense of this show, and this blog, for that matter do require a few $$. To trade your time and expertises for that with a means to an end is, I think, a worthwhile thing. Solar panels would have been a challenge without money, for example. To live in the burbs means taxes or rates, which you have no choice but to pay. While it’s perhaps reasonable to be self sufficient in food from a suburban lot, is it possible to be profitable enough to cover infrastructure maintenance and property taxes? I think that was the weak link of Tom and Barbara’s life, which the show does of course point out.
I agree Dawn. There was a lot of poetic licence given to the writers of the show. Reality would be a little more taxing. X
I love The Good Life, they still show it here every now and then
Thanks for dropping by Froogs!
Martin introduced me to the good life about 18 months ago and we both adore the show. Martin grew up watching it in the UK though. And the amount of times, in reply to my sharing what our new life will entail, that I’ve been called either Barbara or Felicity Kendall (the actress who played Barbara) is beyond the count of my fingers! Martin is a true Tom Good too – cheeky as all get out and full of one liners but most of his schemes and ideas tend to be a lot less hair brained than Tom’s were. lol
Great comparison too. I can never think of higher praise than being likened to Tom and Barbara, and a healthy dose of Jerry and Margo never goes astray.
Thanks Barbara 🙂
Being of a younger generation I didn’t see this show when it first came out and only heard of it when my wife’s aunt started poking a bit of gentle fun at us one day. I was gob smacked when I watched the first episode, and we probably watched an episode every night until it was wrapped up. As you said Gavin – way ahead of it’s time. It did a great job of exploring the highs and lows of self sufficiency and was thoroughly entertaining, we enjoyed every moment of it. This post brought a smile to my face, cheers.
No probs Michael. My pleasure.
Oh I just love that show!! We saw a few of them on PBS and then last year I saw all the ones Netflix has to see. I really related to that show and do even more now. They did not just entertain but also threw in good information. Now we are that couple in our own way and feel so at home in that role. Reinventing ourselves as we learn and grow and learn and experiment some more. It might not be for everyone..but it sure is for us! Thank you for helping us on our journey..! 🙂 Sarah
Thanks for dropping by Sarah. Yes the good life may not be for everyone, but it is for our family. x
I have all episodes of the ‘good life’ and often watch it time and time again and love their outlook on life. The show wouldn’t be as great without being reminded of their exact opposite lifestyle of their neighbours.I just love their challenges but not sure if I would be able to survive their lifestyle. But many of us try to lead a simplified version of their lives. Of course their lifes would have been very different if that had had to put children into their equation.
I just love watching it.
Regards Melinda
Hi Melinda. You are right. It would have been half the show without Jerry and Margo! x
About 18 months ago, I quit my job, we sold our house and headed off on an adventure around Europe in an old motorhome. This was all driven by my realisation that the corporate working life/consumerist home life wasn’t making me happy and a desire to find something better.
I’ve always loved The Good Life and we treated ourselves to the full set of DVDs to watch on our trip. We watched episode one (where Tom has his epiphany) on our first night away and it seemed so apt – he summed up exactly how we were thinking.
18 months later and the travels have just ended. Next steps? We are planning a move to a property in Portugal where we can grow our own food, keep chickens etc. Our own little slice of The Good Life
Hi Sarah. Lovely story, thanks for sharing. Hope it all works out well for you on your new adventures in Portugal.
Gav x
I loved The Good Life, I remember watching it when I was much younger…must get a copy of the series.
I have given work away and spend my days making and growing, and although it is not easy sometimes, I love it!
Hi Tania. I think you can buy it from the ABC store online, or you could ask your local library to get it in stock. x
Like you Gav, I watched it years ago and thoroughly loved it. Mates have compared us to the show as well and it really does resonate.
At the time I think I was hopelessly in love with Felicity Kendall/Barbara which just enhanced my enjoyment of the show. 🙂
Cheers