(http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a572/paparumbo/orbach-house-585x306_zpsflopksym.jpg)
Back in 1993, Julian and Emma Orbach purchased a large piece of land in west Wales' Preseli Mountains. Ultimately, the then-soon-to-be camouflaged area became home to more than twenty like-minded people, all of who wished to live outside of the confines of what passes for society. They constructed grass-covered, wooden buildings, and became very much self-sufficient. In some respects, their story is not unlike that presented in M. Night Shyamalan's 2004 movie, The Village.
For all intents and purposes, they created a self-enclosed community, the existence of which very few, if indeed hardly any, had any inkling. That the secret village resembled something straight out of the Middle Ages or – as the media noted, when the story broke – Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings, only added to the engaging and near-magical nature of the area.
Astonishingly, the Orbachs, and the rest of their number, lived in blissful peace and stealth for no less than five years before anyone in authority even realized what was going on. In fact, the only reason why the story, and the facts behind it, ever surfaced was because, in 1998, a survey aircraft in the area happened to take aerial photographs of the village.
(http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a572/paparumbo/secretvillage-570x379_zps3qombv3e.jpg)
This was most unfortunate for one and all that called the place their home, as their cover was finally blown. The result: it wasn't long at all before tedious, humorless automatons of government descended on the colony, all determined to stick their meddling noses into the situation.
With no planning permission having ever been obtained for the village, the government was adamant that the buildings, along with each and every bit of the little, isolated locale, had to be destroyed. Or else. And, as a result, thus began a years-long campaign in which the unsmiling men in black suits sought to just follow orders, while those that called the Narnia-like area their home, fought to remain there, untouched and unspoiled by officialdom and the aggravating presence of the Nanny State. At one point, bulldozers were even brought onto the scene, ready and waiting for the cold-hearts of officialdom to give the green-light to flatten the eight buildings that comprised the secret village.
Fortunately, it did not come to that. Finally, in 2008 – which was a full decade after the existence of the village first became public knowledge, and fifteen years after the first steps to create it had been taken – the government caved in. It was a good day for the people of that little village. As it always is when citizens can publicly raise their middle finger to government and still come out on top.
The situation was helped by the fact that, come 2008, the government of the day was far more mindful of green issues than in previous years. So, the minions of officialdom agreed that providing the villagers followed certain rules and regulations – and could demonstrate that they were improving the biodiversity of the area and conserving the surrounding woodland – they could remain intact and free of bureaucratic busybodies. Sometimes, sanity and commonsense actually do prevail, even within government, as amazing as such a thing might sound!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuPQldFfBZc
It's also notable that this near-unique colony managed to avoid detection, in the wilds of Wales, for half a decade. Wales is part of the United Kingdom (along with Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland), a sovereign state with a population in excess of 60 million people. And still they managed to hide under the radar. And I say good for them. In a world where personal privacy is going out the window by the day, it's always good to see someone doing something to counter Big Brother in a positive fashion.
Nice! That is worthy of a page on the website :D
Yeah, Its a cute story. Isnt it amazing that people who have chosen to step away from the norm, cant be left alone!
They are doing no harm yet bureaucracy must intervene. Like a plague.
Shame.
Greetings:
Yup, that story is worthy of a couple AndyHighFives... ;D
Good stuff and more GOLD for your coffers, my friend.
Still making music?
Connection Open (http://216.115.71.242)
ConnectionOpen is raising the bar on how people in the music, broadcast and entertainment industries communicate and record. ConnectionOpen is a patented audio and video application that has almost zero latency — great for broadcasters, musicians and voice over artists!
(http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/04images/Bluebird/lg50aa500a.gif)
With great respect,
tfw
Peace Love Light
Liberty & Equality or Revolution
Hec'el oinipikte (that we shall live)
Cheers Thor,
Your A gent, as always ;)
Is Connection Open something viable for our annual New Years Jam Bash?
Do you still make music?
Cheers.
Good post Elvis,
There has been one or two programs in the UK about groups of people chosen for a TV program in which their aim is to try to survive in the past similar to what your post refers to.
One was recent and it was done in some forest in Bulgaria.
Yes it seems that you can no longer do anything in this life in terms of trying to live an alternative lifestyle without the concern that someone will discover you or will interfere.
They have been making example of people in the USA for just trying to be self sufficient in growing their own food in some cases according to the likes of what Alex Jones and his associates claim.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/channel-5s-reality-show-10000-4990885
If I was to consider trying to live different from the accepted norm. I think I may prefer a traveler like lifestyle of a bit more modern maybe similar to these guys if I had to live more simple ...
I found these websites quite interesting.
http://www.thevandiaries.com/
http://vandogtraveller.com/
Quote from: Elvis Hendrix on July 14, 2015, 11:59:53 AM
Yeah, Its a cute story. Isnt it amazing that people who have chosen to step away from the norm, cant be left alone!
They are doing no harm yet bureaucracy must intervene. Like a plague.
Shame.
Like THIS?
Florida Court Rules "Off Grid" Living IllegalQuoteRobin Speronis had been living in an off-grid home for many years without incident, until she was interviewed by a local FOX affiliate in November of 2013. Shortly thereafter, the city of Cape Coral tagged a "notice to vacate" on her property, due to multiple code violations, all of which stem from the fact that her home isn't connected to water, sewage, or the electrical grid. The city has tried to argue that she is in violation of the International Property Maintenance Code for relying on rainwater and solar panels, instead of utilities.
Since that time, Speronis has been fighting the courts for her right live off the grid. Magistrate Harold Eskins recently ruled that she can live without using water or electricity, but she still has to be connected to these utilities no matter what. Despite his ruling, Eskins admitted to the press that the code may be unfair, "Reasonableness and code requirements don't always go hand-in-hand." Despite his supposed sympathies, he still feels compelled to enforce the code.
Still, Speronis has decided not to give up, and will continued to defend her case in court. Even if she doesn't win, she has no plans to leave her home. "Even if they board the house up, I'm not leaving...They did the best they could when they took my dogs and arrested me. It fell apart because I'm unshakable."
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/florida-court-rules-off-grid-living-illegal_062015
good story.. 5 pages (internet pages) not as cut and dry as it sounds
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-07-10/off-the-grid-in-florida-robin-speronis-fights-municipal-code#p1
Off the Grid in a Florida Suburb, Fighting Municipal Code
By Theodore Ross July 10, 2014
(http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-07-10/feat_offthegrid29__01__970-630x420.jpg)
(http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2014-07-10/feat_offthegrid29__04__630.jpg)
Photograph by Dana Lixenberg
Speronis's house in Cape Coral, where supporters honk as they drive past
http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/florida/2014/08/22/cape-coral-off-the-grid-woman/14437387/
Cristela Guerra, Fort Myers News-Press 11:15 a.m. EDT August 22, 2014
http://www.lastminutesurvival.com/2015/01/04/florida-outlaws-off-the-grid-living/
Florida Outlaws Off-the-Grid Living
January 4, 2015
site for her book
http://www.offthegridstory.com/
Posted on March 26, 2015
Off The Grid Story
From Healthcare To Day To Day Life – One Woman's Story Of Self-Empowerment
can't find anything more since march
Great responses guys! Thanx . No Thor I look at my guitars every day, but I don't touch them mate.
Too many mixed memories, if you know what I mean.
Il try and post a bit more and lurk less ;)
cheers
Elvis