h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This was a wonderful article. I would like to believe that the majority of people in Germany build their own houses but an sure this is a bit of an over-exageration (who can forget the loveable Tyneside rogues in "Aufwidersein Pet" travelling across to Frankfurt to build houses for the Germans). Having said that, It is a breath of fresh air to find that there is a procedure for the average man in the street to go into aq forest and harvest a winter's supply of firewood. If onlyh it were that simple here in the UK.

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Thank you for the flowers, Hoxton Monkey. Will look forward to seeing you around - particularly in "Ask the H2G2 Community" where all the nice people meet!

Most people in Germany do actually build their own houses, although when we were at that stage I couldn't possibly have faced all those thousands of decisions - what colour tiles in the guest toilet? How many electric sockets in the bedroom? Where will the TV stand - where should the aerial connection be?

In the end we bought a house which was a bit of a dump, we discovered later, as it had been built by the previous owner, with his own two hands. Electrical wiring goes DIAGONALLY across the wall, and the layout gives it the character of a mortuary. We are working on it and I for one particularly revel in the large-ish garden with high hedges round us, giving extreme privacy, and a fairly well-developed walnut tree in the middle of the lawn, which makes for a mushy lawn at times, but gives shade and privacy even from passing hot-air balloonists!

In general terms it is possible to visit the woods and gather your own firewood. Contact your nearest Forestry Commission office, www.forestry.gov.uk for office locations, and ask.
One definite difference from the German experience described elsewhere is that you will not be permitted to use a chainsaw on Forestry Commission land unless you have the appropriate chainsaw training and public liability insurance.
The use of handsaws would probably be permitted.