I noticed two articles in the Guardian that related to pleasures that matter to me.
One discusses the therapeutic value of owning a dog. I do have a dog - a cocker spaniel called Hector (yes, the Inspector, for those old enough to remember). He spends a lot of time in my office.
And the other topic was gardening. On many occasions my garden (I say mine because I am the person who looks after it in the household) is my therapy. I prune and weed when needing a break. Sometimes I do such things when on the phone.
Both add to my life. And those forced to rent are often told 'no pets', whilst committing to a garden is hard when you have no idea how long you'll stay. The whole act of gardening is a statement of long term hope.
In The Courageous State I wrote about my belief in the need for a balanced life, and the need to achieve our potential materially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually (which is not the same as religiously). Insecure and restrictive tenancies hinder that possibility.
We need to provide better, more secure, and affordable housing if we are to deliver anything like an acceptable quality of life to people in this country. Building gardens, letting people have pets, and the chance to relax are essential parts of that equation.
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We need to get the land back from the descendants of those who stole it centuries ago then, so we can spread out a bit more.
As one who has been a reluctant renter since relocating four years ago what you say completely resonates. We are enthusiastic gardeners and to know that you are tasked with only maintenance curbs our creativity. There’s only so much you can do with pots and baskets!
i’m also stuck in a rented flat and a dog and a garden are two luxuries i think i’ll allow myself if and when the opportunity presents itself. until then i’m building a fine collection of houseplants!
It’s odd: I don’t do houseplants
Maybe because I have a garden
The housing crisis is one of the biggest scandals of our times. Extraordinarily, it seems to be seldom regarded as such.
Might that have something to do with around 25% of the tory cabinet being landlords?
I doubt it is that they are just landlords
The problem is in our general attitude that house prices must continually rise so that scarcity is valued