to wonder why there are blackberries going bad whilst people complain that they don't have enough money to feed their family healthy food.

[froken]

We went blackberry picking today, I was expecting a couple of manky blackberries to be left because I hear so often in the media and on mumsnet people saying how they struggle to feed their dc healthy food and sometimes people saying they have a hard time finding enough money to feed their dc at all.

There was a huge amount of blackberries, we were a 20 min walk outside a major city so an easily accessible place for 1000s of families.

We picked 9 pounds of blackberries.

Aibu to think that it would be a good idea for those struggling to feed their family a healthy diet (and those struggling to feed their family at all) should be out picking the free fruit that grows all over England's public spaces?

[BIWI]

Thank fuck I have never been in your position, OP. But it doesn't stop me realising how patronising and insensitive your threads have been.

[BIWI]

posts, I mean, not 'threads'. Sorry. Bit cross there!

[BrawToken]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on here! And I say this as someone who has picked blackberries this very morning.

I was going to make a massive-tongue in cheek Jamie Oliver wisecrack, but many others have beaten me to it.

[holidaybug]

OP, don't feel like you have to explain yourself. It is a public forum, you haven't been rude and you have made some valid comments. Some people are just so rude on these forums and it's totally uncalled for.

[Bogeyface]

Cash maybe not but what a generalisation re health. They won't be smoking or drinking alcohol will they if they have little money for food so are likely to be healthier than those who do!

I was referring to people who are underfed, of course they will not have the same physical resources to call upon to tramp miles to collect wild fruit, or dig over an allotment, smoker or not. People who work in manual jobs need a high calorie intake than those in sedentary jobs. A person who is digging over an allotment or walking miles to collect all this marvellous "free" food will need that too, so they are on the back foot straight away. The calories in the fruit they pick will be negated by the calories expended in picking it, and this for a person who is not eating properly in the first place.

Its backwards thinking.

[OliviaMMumsnet]

AHEM

[darlingdaffodils]

Fascinating to read in this thread about Norwegian / Swedish foraging! I like the romantic idea of foraging and picking brambles and mushrooms.

It would probably be a lot less appealing in reality if I was relying on it for a food source. It rains, generally there is a long walk involved, bugs and wiggly things live in berries, there are wasps, and I would probably die a mushroom related death.

[PeachesForMe]

We are in real trouble, MrsDeVere.

[Misspixietrix]

DarlingDaffodils I think that Is What other Posters are trying to say. Fine to suggest it as a hobby but as MrsDeVere said If we become reliant on it we're taking backward steps in Society.

[Misspixietrix]

Just wanted to say I agreed with you too Darling

[LEMisdisappointed]

And to think when i turned my computor off last night this thread had cheered me up and made me chuckle, i was even going to suggest it was put in classics - ah well, Im off to collect winkles from the beach, those are lovely with a bit of vinegar

[NoelHeadbands]

I posted earlier that I had experience of lining up for food bank handouts when I was a child. Those are not 'fond' memories btw.

[NoelHeadbands]

I was offended by the OPs posts, so I'm glad the OP has apologised though

[Lancelottie]

People fight over sloes??

[PeachesForMe]

Yep, and if you want to see someone go off you in a matter of seconds, ask a sloe-gin-maker "Oh how lovely...and where do you get your sloes?" Instant shutdown.
(Sorry, this really is irrelevant to the thread!)

[Misspixietrix]

I've never had Sloes/Sloe Gin. Clearly not doing this Life thing properly

[Bogeyface]

I am prepared to sell information about a glut of wild sloes in the East Midlands to the highest bidder

[Lancelottie]

They are those little black plum-shaped things, aren't they? The ones DD eats raw but that cause eye-watering and face-scrunching in normal people?

Or is she about to die a nightshade-related death?

[EduCated]

Slow gin and strawberry juice is LUSH.

[EduCated]

Sloe sloe sloe. Sodding autocorrect.

[Lancelottie]

I'm sure it's better drunk slowly...

[MurderOfGoths]

Ok.. what on earth are sloes? For whatever reason my mind keeps reading it as sloths, and that's making for some very strange images..

[Lancelottie]

If you have sloths hanging in your trees I'd say you can definitely charge admission!

[Lancelottie]

So, Educated, assuming what we have here are indeed sloes, how many sloes to a bottle of gin? Purely hypothetically, you understand?

[MurderOfGoths]

@ Lancelottie