Name: It's Not Easy Being Green
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2006-03-28

Overview

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.

Seasons

Season 1

7 Episodes

2006

E01

Episode 1

3/28/2006·30m

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.

E02

Episode 2

4/4/2006·30m

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'.

E03

Episode 3

4/11/2006·30m

Dick attaches a generator to the water wheel that powers all the lights in the house and the family enjoys a bumper first harvest.

E04

Episode 4

4/18/2006·30m

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 bio-diesel from chip fat.

E05

Episode 5

5/2/2006·30m

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-powered pump, and the water mains is disconnected.

E06

Episode 6

5/9/2006·30m

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.

E07

Episode 7

5/16/2006·30m

A second wind turbine is erected, and a composting toilet 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.)

Season 2

8 Episodes

2007

E01

Episode 1

4/24/2007·30m

In the first programme, Dick helped the Keenan family in Wirral build an eco-house, setting up a ground-source heat pump, wind-turbine, and rainwater harvesting system. Then Dick, helped by James and assistant Jim, went to the aid of the Hunts family, who needed to grow fresh fruit and vegetables for their son who has multiple allergies.

E02

Season 3

8 Episodes

2009

E01

Solar PV Panels and Natural Deodorant

1/7/2009·30m

:Newhouse Farm has the outbuildings re-roofed and there is a major investment as we get solar photovoltaics (PV) so when the sun shines we make electricity - a lot of it. We bought our system through the chaps at 'Plug into the Sun'. :James shares a special eco-tip that involves a lot of semi-naked footballers. :Lauren looks at green swimming pools. :We visit Chris and Jay in London - they have their own website with details of what they have been using at Ready Steady Eco. :Phil Tufnell has a wander around Newhouse Farm and we find out how green his lifestyle is.

E02

It's All About The Bee's

1/14/2009·30m

Dick Strawbridge and son James team up with Lauren Laverne to find out more about living the green life. Dick tries to understand why honey bees are having a tough time at the moment. Lauren recycles and revamps antique furniture, and guest Alex James takes the eco test, with a surprising result. James builds a clay oven, and his mum Brigit makes a guest appearance to help him with a spot of gardening.

E03

Meat or No Meat?

1/21/2009·30m

This week at Newhouse Farm we are dealing with the reality of eating bacon sandwiches and Christmas turkey. Apologies to vegans and vegetarians but we are embracing the ‘rear-your-own’ philosophy as well as the grow-your-own. So, it’s goodbye to our two Cornish black pigs and hello to our new turkeys.

E04

Green Pub

1/28/2009·30m

Here at Newhouse Farm local life takes on a huge role in our day to day activities. From popping into the local butchers to going to our green grocers we are fortunate to still have a thriving community. Another establishment that is still a key part of our lives is of course the local, our pub the New Inn. This week the team helps out the local pub with their soaring fuel bills. Plenty of projects that can just as easily be employed by other struggling businesses.

E05

Grow-Dome

2/4/2009·30m

This week at Newhouse Farm we go a bit space-age. Taking delivery of a geodesic dome and setting up a new organic hydroponic system. The dome is the first of its kind for domestic use in the UK but the design concept itself has been around for about 100 years. New domes and information are available from Grow-Dome. Most famously on show at the Eden project in Cornwall it was our chosen sustainable structure for growing more food at home. Read more here. It’s important to stress that for people interested in growing outside there are other cheaper options ranging from getting really lucky on Freecycle with a greenhouse, to buying a polytunnel in the classifieds (which proved well worthwhile here on the farm!), or building your own cloches out of rubbish. Cloches are essentially mini green houses that cover vegetables in order to start them early, protect seedlings or accelerate growth rates. The simplest DIY version has to be a plastic bottle with the bottom chopped off and then placed over a seedling. We have also found old scrap windows are great for building cloches. Happy growing…

E06

Homebrew Cider

2/11/2009·30m

This week at Newhouse Farm it’s homebrew moments fermenting away. The team collects bucket loads of local apples to make their very own cider and reinstate an old farm tradition.

E07

Recycle Dirty Oil Rags

2/18/2009·30m

Dick and his team get their rags oily building a ram pump. It is technical stuff - will it work? Lauren visits an eco-hotel in Norfolk and helps out behind the scenes weighing the leftover teas and coffees. Toby Sawday meets a young bride at a wedding fair and sets about trying to green-up her wedding and her honeymoon. Jon Kay looks at carbon offsetting.

E08

Turkeys and Organic Vegetables

3/2/2009·30m

At Newhouse Farm this week Dick and James are preparing one of their home reared Turkeys and their organic vegetables for a special lunch to be delivered on Bodmin Moor. This week’s eco-test guest is Phill Jupitus who is on a road trip with his mate Lauren. Together they are test driving the latest Airstream eco caravan and sing a lot along the way... James visits his mate Duncan who is launching his Thoughtful Bread Company in Bath with a tasting session at the local farmer’s market. Let’s see how beetroot bread goes down with the punters?! Thrift is a word that is coming back into fashion and for some people is a matter of habit. James talks to journalist Hunter Davies about the frugal nature of the Past. Lastly, it’s the final visit to Chris and Jay at their Victorian terrace in London. Have they moved in yet? And just how eco is their renovation?

It's Not Easy Being Green(2006–2009)

Overview

Seasons

Season 1

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Season 2

Episode 1

Season 3

Solar PV Panels and Natural Deodorant

It's All About The Bee's

Meat or No Meat?

Green Pub

Grow-Dome

Homebrew Cider

Recycle Dirty Oil Rags

Turkeys and Organic Vegetables

Where to Watch

Cast

Season 1

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Season 2

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Season 3

Solar PV Panels and Natural Deodorant

It's All About The Bee's

Meat or No Meat?

Green Pub

Grow-Dome

Homebrew Cider

Recycle Dirty Oil Rags

Turkeys and Organic Vegetables

Cast

Where to Watch