Country Life's 39 steps to a better life. How accomplished are you?

[HipposGoBeserk]

Link here.

I wish I could do most of them. I'll pass on the shooting, skinning, plucking and gutting though.

I can do 15.

HEH! What a list. Can't say it would come in terribly useful here either. TheFirstMrsDeVere's list is probably more useful around my way.

What I don't understand is why, given the extremely British nature of this list, is the requirement toe able to ride a horse to jackaroo (i.e. Australian stock hand) standard? Aren't there any British equivalents that could be used here?

And what is the POINT of knowing how to say "Can you help me please?" in all those languages when you won't understand (1) the answer or (2) the help being provided.

And "bop"?! Is that truly what the kids are doing now? Goodness.

I am seriously impressed that you lot can do so many - I thought I was generally pretty competant but obviously not - can only manage 10 - including both relating to alcohol of course .

numptysmummy - because they are v keen on shooting so they have to pluck and skin the things they shoot.

surprisingly, I can do 23

At a pinch 27.

Haha I can only do 7. It's all bullshit anyway.

Thanks Lady Cannock. DH and I tried fly fishing. I was really very very bad at it so I threw the line behind me and caught a motorbike in the carpark. I am so glad there was noone around.

22, which surprises even me!

23! pleased with it but annoyed that there are others that I can't do,

Shooting/Fishing/Skinning/Plucking/Fly tying etc aren't necessarily toff activities. The lad who taught me all of the above when I was in my teens certainly wasn't a toff, he was as working class as they come.

at mental image of skaen bike-fishing.

I can do:

1
3
5
7
8
9
10
12 - although I no longer drink wine as it upsets my stomach
13
14
15
16
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
27
29
31
32
33
34
35
37
38
39

I'veHadAVariedLifeTiggaxx

It's a nice enough list, and I'd like to think I can do a few of them, but there are other much more useful things I need to be working on.
Number 2 has me baffled. Why would you want to go up to somebody in Spain and say ?can you help me please?? but not be able to specify what help you require, or understand anything they say?

A rather poor 19 here. And several other partials.

I notice 'fly a plane' is not on the list...

35. It would have been 36 if the languages had been Spanish, French, Italian and German.

I also cheated a bit on the pigeon question as I can prepare the breasts by skinning the pigeon using just my thumbs as tools (you tear the wings off and then pop the skin by the breast bone). I don't bother with plucking as the rest of the bird doesn't have that much meat on it.

Vinegartits - I can't deliver a lamb either but I have been there to support a runt lamb which did survive. Do I get another half point for that?

I can only do 13 - what does that make me!!!

25 ....

30 confidently

I can do 24. Despite being brought up on a farm I can't stand killing and gutting things. Don't mind eating them though

These are my starting suggestions for a city list.

1. Squeeze onto a tube or train even though it looks like a gnat couldn't board.
2. Look confident and at home even if lost so no-one mugs you as a tourist.
3. Walk down a crowded street at a clipping pace without getting in anyone's way.
4. Act as if a mad/homeless person on a bus simply doesn't exist.
5. Ignore a pregnant woman or old person on a bus or train
6. Get into a club without queuing
7. Get served at a bar when the crowd around it is three people deep.
8. Charm locals into helping you in a foreign city
9. Instantly be able to tell if someone is 'from out of town'.
10. Know a back street rat-run on foot or car that avoids the worst of the traffic/crowds
11. Tell from someone's postcode a terrifying amount about their aspirations and background

any more?

30

The football riot one is a bit odd, in amongst fly fishing, tractor driving and delivering lambs.

Ooh yes, 12) automatically know the late evening openings for galleries and/or shops.
13) The best place to get Korean, Turkish, Ethiopean, vegan in the centre of town as well as your local area.

kenobi, I can do all of those apart from 5: I ALWAYS give up my seat for/help people who are pregnant, old or otherwise struggling on the bus.

I'd add:

14. Know instinctively at what insane time to turn up for day tickets to theatres/Wimbledon etc, and appropriate levels of cushions/flasks/books/duvets to bring.

I'd say about 27 if you include the ones I have been able to do at some stage, and ones I reckon I'd be ok at if I ever had the opportunity. - like delivering a lamb.

But that's being optimistic about it - absolutely entirely about 17.

8 but have little interest in many of them......would like to learn how to fix a bike puncture though, after having to walk home recently because I could't do that one

what a load of old pretentious bollocks