It seems George Monbiot, a man never short of saeva indignatio, has a new enemy in his sights - the Aga (and the 'cult' of Frank Furedi and co.). We all know that the whole 'green' business is built on middle-class feelgood humbuggery - but to try to pretend that the poor, disadvantaged etc are lined up at the Green barricades is surely stretching it. Like everybody else, they are simply protecting their interests - just as the middle classes are with their cheap flights and Agas (and all the other ways in which they tirelessly boost carbon levels, while droning on about 'green' issues). Step back a little and it's surely clear that whatever the British middle classes - or working classes, come to that - do or don't do, it ain't going to make the slightest difference to the inexorable rise of carbon emissions worldwide. It's vanity (in every sense) to think we're that important to the planet.
For another angle on Green humbuggery, here's a great little piece by Frank Wilson.
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Appropriate on this day when the vert terrorists are once again trying to dictate to the British people, (Heathrow land purchase / greenwar)
ReplyDeleteFor how much longer will we stand for these myopic strident fools attempting to order our lives.
Re AGA and it's almost BMW grade iconic status among the wannabes, our hoose came complete with this large green coloured chunk of cast iron skulking in the kitchen, ponging of kerosene. Not for long it didn't, Frau Malty dropped it's P45 into it's oven and sold it to some Charlie for a small fortune.
Then replaced it with something that could actually cook food as against just generate bragging points in the school pick up parade.
One thing to be said in the Aga's defence (apart from the fact that it's got Monbiot annoyed) is that it inspired this rather handsome book, recently republished by Persephone. I see the Aga was invented by a blind Swede - that might explain a lot...
ReplyDeleteMore than one house from my childhood had an Aga. We forget that home is where the hearth is, and that's the whole point of an Aga. Making a pie on an old pine table, wringing out the washing on a creaky hand mangle, and all in front of the Aga. Then there was the fetching and carrying of coal, the raking and cleaning and clattering of iron on iron, and taking the ashes to the far end of the garden, behind the marrow patch. Soon enough, I would be experimenting there with some of my grandfather's cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteSo I'd say that nearly everyone would have an Aga is they could, had the room for one, could afford one too these days. If you want to be middle class, buy an oversize one in a fancy colour and bore all your guests. In essence, though, the Aga was designed to be the heart and hearth of a home - not an appliance in an apartment - and none better imho.
George Monbiot: do you recall his rather crestfallen article confessing that he'd had to buy a car, having apparently discovered rather late in the day that out in the countryside there aren't buses every ten minutes.
The author, any relation to Ted ?. AGA Sweden now actually makes welding equipement, AGA dog warmers owned by a company in the black country I think.
ReplyDeleteNige, went to a fasinating exhibition recently, the artist was Charles Avery, anything known ?
Just been looking him up Malty - fascinating (and a good draughtsman too). I see he got thrown out of St Martin's after 6 months - 'a feat thought impossible'...
ReplyDeleteYes he is Nige, the theme of the exhibition was his "Islands" work, including some largish works in pencil, very good indeed.
ReplyDeleteBeing binned by S'n Martin's is world class indeed, juniors set either went to the RCA for their masters where they seemed to have spent their time leaning out of the window watching the expensive motors speeding between Kensington and Knightsbridge or S'n Martin's where they did not a lot.
And, I might add, costing us poor parents a sodding fortune.