It's Not Easy Being Green
Encyclopedia
It's Not Easy Being Green is a television series on BBC Two
starring Dick Strawbridge
and focusing on how to live an environmentally friendly, low impact life. To date there have been three series.
Series one followed former Lieutenant-Colonel Dick Strawbridge
, his wife Brigit, son James, and daughter Charlotte
as they moved into Newhouse Farm, a 400-year-old listed building in Cornwall, England from Malvern, Worcestershire
. The series documented the family's attempts to convert the building and garden into a comfortable yet entirely ecologically friendly place to live. The show was perhaps unique in that the family did not want great sacrifices in achieving their goal, and Dick Strawbridge said "I don't want to wear a hemp shirt and hairy knickers, I want a 21st-century lifestyle with a coffee machine".
In the first series they received advice from permaculture
expert Patrick Whitefield
and green auditor Donnachadh McCarthy. They were also helped by friends Jim Milner and Anda Phillips as well as at points a small army of friends and relatives. A book entitled ‘It's Not Easy Being Green: One Family's Journey Towards Eco-Friendly Living’ ISBN 0-563-49346-1 by Dick Strawbridge
was released to accompany the series and is still available to buy.
Series two mostly focused on the Strawbridges helping others to achieve their eco-friendly goals, rather than on their own residence. Series three broadcast in 2009, took on more of a "magazine" format, incorporating various regular features including the series-long renovation of a townhouse using "green" materials and techniques and interviews with celebrities about how ecologically friendly (or otherwise) their own lifestyles are. Lauren Laverne
appeared as a regular reporter in the third season, and James Strawbridge also had a larger role as co-presenter.
The series takes its title from the first line of the song "Bein' Green
" (most famously associated with Kermit the Frog
).
and his son James, and is where much of the filming for all 3 series of It's Not Easy Being Green occurred. The Strawbridges run eco courses at the farm in order "to share our experiences, demonstrate all the systems we have invested in, and offer eco advice". The courses include how to make your own biodiesel
, harness wind power, make the most of water power, and eco-engineering. All the courses are led by either Dick Strawbridge
or his son James.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
starring Dick Strawbridge
Dick Strawbridge
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist...
and focusing on how to live an environmentally friendly, low impact life. To date there have been three series.
Series one followed former Lieutenant-Colonel Dick Strawbridge
Dick Strawbridge
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist...
, his wife Brigit, son James, and daughter Charlotte
Charlotte Strawbridge
Charlotte Strawbridge is a British singer-songwriter, daughter of television presenter and environmentalist Dick Strawbridge. Her music is described as that of a discontent angel, one who places more importance on texture than purity. Her harmonies and celebrated imperfections attest to her strong...
as they moved into Newhouse Farm, a 400-year-old listed building in Cornwall, England from Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
. The series documented the family's attempts to convert the building and garden into a comfortable yet entirely ecologically friendly place to live. The show was perhaps unique in that the family did not want great sacrifices in achieving their goal, and Dick Strawbridge said "I don't want to wear a hemp shirt and hairy knickers, I want a 21st-century lifestyle with a coffee machine".
In the first series they received advice from permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
expert Patrick Whitefield
Patrick Whitefield
Patrick Whitefield is a British permaculture teacher, designer, and consulting editor for Permaculture Magazine. He is the author of Permaculture in a Nutshell , How to Make a Forest Garden , The Earth Care Manual , and The Living Landscape, How to Read it and Understand it...
and green auditor Donnachadh McCarthy. They were also helped by friends Jim Milner and Anda Phillips as well as at points a small army of friends and relatives. A book entitled ‘It's Not Easy Being Green: One Family's Journey Towards Eco-Friendly Living’ ISBN 0-563-49346-1 by Dick Strawbridge
Dick Strawbridge
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist...
was released to accompany the series and is still available to buy.
Series two mostly focused on the Strawbridges helping others to achieve their eco-friendly goals, rather than on their own residence. Series three broadcast in 2009, took on more of a "magazine" format, incorporating various regular features including the series-long renovation of a townhouse using "green" materials and techniques and interviews with celebrities about how ecologically friendly (or otherwise) their own lifestyles are. Lauren Laverne
Lauren Laverne
Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer...
appeared as a regular reporter in the third season, and James Strawbridge also had a larger role as co-presenter.
The series takes its title from the first line of the song "Bein' Green
Bein' Green
"Bein' Green" is a popular song written by Joe Raposo in 1970 for the first season of the children's television program Sesame Street. It was originally performed by Kermit the Frog ....
" (most famously associated with Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
).
Newhouse Farm
Newhouse Farm is the home of Dick StrawbridgeDick Strawbridge
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist...
and his son James, and is where much of the filming for all 3 series of It's Not Easy Being Green occurred. The Strawbridges run eco courses at the farm in order "to share our experiences, demonstrate all the systems we have invested in, and offer eco advice". The courses include how to make your own biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
, harness wind power, make the most of water power, and eco-engineering. All the courses are led by either Dick Strawbridge
Dick Strawbridge
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist...
or his son James.
Series 1 (2006)
| # | |Production code | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2006 | - | |||
| The family move into the house, and, with the help of friends - beer-guzzling students - and local businesses, they plant crops, re-tile the roof, and construct a wooden aqueduct from a stream to a water wheel, which it is hoped will provide enough energy to power the lights of the house. | |||||
| 2 | 4 April 2006 | - | |||
| A greenhouse is erected with a unique heatsink designed by Dick and made from recycled bottle glass to keep it warm and the family acquire two pigs, ominously named "Christmas" and "New Year". | |||||
| 3 | 11 April 2006 | - | |||
| Dick attaches a generator to the water wheel that powers all the lights in the house and the family enjoys a bumper first harvest. | |||||
| 4 | 18 April 2006 | - | |||
| A heating distribution system is installed to help spread the warmth from the efficient wood burning stoves to the rest of the house and to clear the house of damp. Dick and Jim make biodiesel Biodiesel Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol.... from chip fat. |
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| 5 | 2 May 2006 | - | |||
| Winter is closing in, but the heating distribution system is not working as well as intended - the wood burners can't quite keep up with the cold Cornwall winds. The children are off at university, spreading the green message. The well at the bottom of the garden gets a wind turbine Wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or... -powered pump, and the water mains is disconnected. |
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| 6 | 9 May 2006 | - | |||
| Both the heat sink and the water wheel have proven reliable. Dick installs a solar hot-water panel to complement the wood burners in the spring and autumn. December 28 arrives, and with help from Mike the farmer, and Chris the butcher, the pigs are slaughtered and butchered on the farm. People gather for the big New Year's Eve party, the centrepiece of which is spit-roast pig. | |||||
| 7 | 16 May 2006 | - | |||
| A second wind turbine Wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or... is erected, and a composting toilet Composting toilet A composting toilet is a dry toilet that using a predominantly aerobic processing system that treats excreta, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition... is installed. Brigit gets into the cosmetics business by making her own moisturiser. Donnachadh McCarthy returns for a new ecological review. Result 9/10 (up from 6/10 before the move to Cornwall.) |
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Series 2 (2007)
| # | |Production code | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 April 2007 | - | |||
| In the opening episode, Dick helps a family with a ground-source heat pump and wind-turbine. Later, assisted by son James, Dick helps another family grow and cultivate fresh fruit and vegetables for a child with multiple allergies. | |||||
| 2 | 1 May 2007 | - | |||
| In the second episode, Dick travels to Bath, where a scruffy urban garden gets a green makeover utilizing only free recycled materials. Later, in Cornwall, Dick helps a family build an eco-campsite. | |||||
| 3 | 8 May 2007 | - | |||
| Episode three revisits two projects from the previous episode: the green urban garden in Bath and the eco-campsite in Cornwall. Later, Dick visits a couple who moved to rural Scotland to become more self-sufficient. | |||||
| 4 | 15 May 2007 | - | |||
| Dick visits a homeowner who wants to restore the original features of her 1930s house using ecologically safe paint. Later, he helps a father and daughter install a solar panel on the roof of a Northampton home. | |||||
| 5 | 22 May 2007 | - | |||
| Dick comes up with an ingenious solution for a man who wants a solar panel but has no budget. Later, the team meets a woman whose green lifestyle includes using a wood burner and eco-friendly alternatives to private hygiene. | |||||
| 6 | 29 May 2007 | - | |||
| Dick returns to Jake and Candy's eco-campsite in Cornwall, where he observes their wind-turbine. Later, Zannah and Arthur discover it isn't easy adapting a green lifestyle in a conservation area. | |||||
| 7 | 5 June 2007 | - | |||
| In this episode, Dick visits a magnificent house near the beach in Southern England with horrendous heating bills. Later, the team revisits a woman who has been undertaking an eco-friendly restoration of her 1930s house. | |||||
| 8 | 12 June 2007 | - | |||
| Dick consults a primary school that needs to cut its water bills. Later, Dick and Jim help a mechanic power his four-wheel drive with a biodiesel engine fueled with old cooking oil. | |||||
Series 3 (2009)
| # | |Production code | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 January 2009 | - | |||
| Newhouse Farm gets solar pv panels fitted to their outbuildings, James demonstrates natural deodorant with a group of semi-naked footballers, Lauren looks at eco swimming pools, and Dick interviews Phil Tufnell Phil Tufnell Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell is a former English cricketer turned television personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, "Tuffers" as he was known played 42 Tests and 20 One Day International matches for England, as well as playing for Middlesex from 1986 to 2002... on how green his lifestyle is. |
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| 2 | 14 January 2009 | - | |||
| Dick looks at the plight of the honey bee, James makes an earth oven with his friend Duncan Glendinning from the Thoughful Bread Company, James and Brigit work on the garden of an ecovation Ecovation Ecovation is the amalgamation of sustainable building renovation techniques and a concern for ecological processes. Its inspiration often follows a desire to live a lower impact lifestyle and renew homes with a higher environmental conscience.... in London, and Dick interviews Blur Blur (band) Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing... member Alex James Alex James (musician) Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur... . |
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| 3 | 21 January 2009 | - | |||
| The pigs from Newhouse Farm are sent to the abattoir and Dick and James do some home butchering, Lauren Laverne Lauren Laverne Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer... is interviewed by Dick, and Jon Kay looks at the plastic recycling industry. Meanwhile the ecovation Ecovation Ecovation is the amalgamation of sustainable building renovation techniques and a concern for ecological processes. Its inspiration often follows a desire to live a lower impact lifestyle and renew homes with a higher environmental conscience.... continues in London as a massive rainwater harvesting system is installed. |
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| 4 | 28 January 2009 | - | |||
| This week Dick and James help out their local pub with their soaring fuel bills. Lauren looks at green funerals, James helps a lady in York build an extension out of strawbales, Dick interviews actor Julian Rhind Tutt and solar panels are installed on the London ecovation Ecovation Ecovation is the amalgamation of sustainable building renovation techniques and a concern for ecological processes. Its inspiration often follows a desire to live a lower impact lifestyle and renew homes with a higher environmental conscience.... . |
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| 5 | 4 February 2009 | - | |||
| James and Dick build a geodesic dome at Newhouse Farm, Lauren looks at the high end of the eco fashion industry, Dick interviews CBBC CBBC CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14... presenters Sam and Mark, and Jon Kay looks at the 'logic' behind planning regulations. |
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| 6 | 11 February 2009 | - | |||
| This week at Newhouse Farm Dick and James collect bucket loads of apples to make cider, Jilly Goolden Jilly Goolden Jilly Goolden is a British wine critic, journalist and television personality.-Education:Goolden was educated at an independent convent school ,-Career:... is the eco test guest, Lauren goes foraging with expert Carol Hunt, the ecovation project in London acquired chickens, and Dick and James give an eco tip about soap nuts. |
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| 7 | 18 February 2009 | - | |||
| This week Dick and his team make water flow uphill at Newhouse Farm with a ram pump, Lauren looks at green weddings, Jon Kay looks at carbon offsetting, and Dick interviews Nick Knowles Nick Knowles Nicholas Simon Augustine Knowles is an English television presenter. He is best known for presenting DIY SOS on the BBC. He has also presented Mission Africa, UK's Worst, City Hospital, Coast to Coast, Five's Company, Departure Lounge and Real Rescues.-Early years:Knowles was born in Southall,... . |
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| 8 | 2 March 2009 | - | |||
| The final episode of the series sees Dick and James at Newhouse Farm preparing one of their home reared turkeys and their organic vegetables for a special lunch to be delivered on Bodmin Moor, James talks to Hunter Davies Hunter Davies Edward Hunter Davies is a prolific British author, journalist and broadcaster, perhaps best known for writing the only authorised biography of The Beatles.- Early life :... about frugal living, Phil Jupitus is the week's eco test guest, and Dick and James visit the London ecovation Ecovation Ecovation is the amalgamation of sustainable building renovation techniques and a concern for ecological processes. Its inspiration often follows a desire to live a lower impact lifestyle and renew homes with a higher environmental conscience.... one last time. |
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