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Living made simple... IN the latest instalment of his examination of living more simply, MARTIN FOSTER turns his attention to technology and the impact - positive and negative - that it has on a simpler, more sustainable, lifestyle. This time he’s coming clean about the dirtier side of his relationship with new technology - in the next issue he’ll plug into his life off-grid.
A very private estate retreat
Appropriate technology
L
ET me state right at the beginning that I am not anti-technology. I own and drive a car, I own and use a smartphone, I’m writing this on a laptop and I’ve just come indoors after strimming weeds for two hours in a bid to stop nature reclaiming the land where we keep poultry. I am aware that when I talk about the practical aspects of my lifestyle, it can come over a little negative; detailing things I don’t have, I don’t do and I don’t like. But remember that the idea here is to live more simply, staying in touch with the richly rewarding fundamentals of life and not losing myself in all the literal trappings of a ‘modern’ existence - and not having to spend every waking hour doing a job I hate in order to pay for them. So less is more. I try to adopt, and adopt in most areas of life, a conscious approach to technology; being realistic about its merits and weighing them up against its negative impacts before making a choice - and, admittedly, sometimes having to opt for the least bad option. I think the best way of explaining my personal approach (which might inspire you to consider what you think - even if you disagree) is to look at my own use of information technology hardware, and to a lesser extent, software. My next column will be dedicated to the greener technology in my life, and the following one to transport, mainly centred around car ownership and use. Probably the most common and powerful, example of modern technology is the smartphone. The benefits of these devices are obvious: they put the power of what relatively recently would have been a sizeable desktop computer, right there in our pockets. As someone who remembers the days before any kind of mobile phone, I still don’t take for granted the simple function of being to make a call to anyone from anywhere. I can’t now imagine setting off on a long journey without the ability to let someone know I might be late; or call for help if I breakdown; or get in touch with the emergency services if I come across an accident. I have a love/hate relationship with text messaging, but having created WhatsApp groups for members of both our family and the people with whom I share the land, we can update, stay in touch with, and occasionally horrify with bad puns, each other at the, in my own case ham-fisted, press of a button. As someone who finds most jobs are enhanced by a near-constant soundtrack, my phone is also a source of music - from my own eclectic library created on Spotify or the curated playlists of the constantly wonderful Radio 6 Music (courtesy of the priceless BBC) - through headphones or rechargeable, portable Bluetooth
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speakers. Perfect for music in the car too - where I also use the SatNav app. Remember asking for directions? The dark side of phone use, particularly its negative effect on social interaction, is obvious - except apparently to those who indulge in it - and I make every effort not to use it in the company of real people (and I make a point of only visiting Facebook on my laptop at home). I’m aware too that phones are not inherently sustainable: their carbon footprint, from manufacture and use, is not insignificant and I admit my only effort towards reducing my personal impact is by not buying a new phone. Very secondhand ones do everything I need them to do and my last two were discarded by my kids when they bought newer models. Treating the phone with some care - not sitting on it, not losing it, not dropping it in a bucket of water (yes, it was very close) and housing it in a cheap but effective impactproof cover - increases longevity. I never like to miss the opportunity to bemoan the evils of built-in obsolescence, as regular readers will know, and I hate the fact that phones, like most consumer products these days, are not built to last, something that is emphasised by the need to regularly update in order to run increasingly complex and capacity-hungry apps and operating systems. My laptop is for me a crucial piece of kit. Again bought secondhand and again far from state-of-the-art, it’s used in conjunction with a portable wi-fi unit (I don’t have a landline), for streaming carefully chosen TV programmes (never left running in the background as TVs often are), and for conducting all of my non-land-based commercial work (Google has revolutionised research), and much of my creative work too. The fact that I live off-grid (more on the nitty-very-gritty of that in the next issue) means I have to keep electrical consumption to an absolute minimum but the four solar panels and two chunky batteries I have here can easily handle charging phone, laptop and Bluetooth speakers all-year-round. So that’s a quick rundown on my cabin’s communication nervecentre. It does what I need it to do - enhancing my life, rather than dominating, controlling or distracting from it. Do I miss any gadgets from my previous, more conventional lifestyle? Well, maybe a turntable and decent hi-fi system on which to play vinyl - I have neither the space or reliable wintertime power supply to make that viable. But when I down-sized my music collection, the local Oxfam store was very grateful for many boxes of CDs and records. My son is enjoying the pick of the vinyl I couldn’t bear to let go. And my carefully curated Spotify playlists are something to behold…
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EVON Sculpture Park (DSP) is at Mamhead Park (South) which is a very private estate retreat on the outskirts of Exeter. Indeed, the first thing you see as you enter is a ‘private’ sign to remind us that we’ll be enjoying a relaxed, immersive and very private visit. This historic estate harks back to the Domesday Book and ancient, distant times. The landscape has been restored and rewilded, whisking us back many centuries while bridging us to tomorrow with advanced natural climate approaches supported by digital technology. The family reside at the estate which gives any guest an instant feeling of home. Visits are warm and welcoming. The Letts’ have roots in Devon going back to the 13th century at the Shapcott estate, Knowstone. The family are private and deliberate, rarely inviting more than a handful of guests at a time. Visits are requested online and by email each meticulously managed by the team and hosted with care. The integrity of this historical retreat, the natural habitats, wildlife and environmental art can only be fully protected in this very private of private settings. A place where social distancing is comfortably managed. The family are often at the heart of things mingling with their various guests: artists, scientists, inventors, politicians, film makers, photographers, healthcare professionals, environmentalists or environmental and art enthusiasts. Government, non profit and business leaders come here to learn about the various environmental projects and the teams perspectives on the future of environmental solutions, the arts and the publishing industry. The Letts’ have been high profile participants of the publishing industry for 250 years. Mamhead Park (South) and the Letts Group are today innovating by finding and developing
by Allegra Letts
natural solutions to the climate crisis while supporting the environmental arts. Guests enjoy learning about smaller scale rewilding, regenerative estate management, carbon farming, wildlife habitats and wildlife gardening, natural plant regeneration, environmental art and culture and wild kitchen foods all mixed up in a Capability Brown setting with Robert Adam architecture. The family and the team
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treat each guest with the same welcome and the same enthusiasm for the environment, the arts, health, politics and new media - no matter what brings them to this project or what kind of meeting they will be enjoying. Guests are grateful for the hands on experience from the team in-park and online. Safety, health, education and mutual respect are practised by all. Most guests communicate with and visit the park and the various projects online meaning that the in-park experience is private, intimate and unique. The vast majority enjoy this special place digitally via DSP Online as only a very few can meet and retreat here - combining the best in modern technology with living history and conservation. Mamhead Park (South) and Devon Sculpture Park have restored and reimagined the term ‘salon’ whereby supporters of the arts have for centuries been hosting guests in their home to view their private art collections and performances. It’s just that in this place the private gallery extends to the park. An oasis of magical tranquility and privacy layered with wild abandon and mystical moods. Guest after guest describe their time here as ‘fairytale’. l If you would like to request a visit go to www. devonsculpturepark.org.
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Mart
