Win a life in the country!

Is it open to the disabled and will the judges (villagers) be fair and not take disability into account when voting for who they want to join them?

Why wouldn't it be and why do you ask if the villagers may not be fair?

oooh so tempting

... because I would not want to watch a programme where the judges had to, by way of example, choose between a person who said (s)he'd be delighted to help in the villagers' gardens and do garden chores for the elderly etc. and a disabled person who could offer advice but couldn't actually visit the gardens because of a lack of disabled access.

It is a competition on national TV and should be equally open to all with an equal chance of winning... regardless of age, sex or disability.


Or am I just being too sensitive?

C4 might not be planning the "turn the compost heap in the quickest time" challenge to find a winner but I feel there are many, many disabled gardeners who are better informed than able-bodied but who will never-the-less not be able to get into all the gardens.

I'm the opposite I think that would be a great, as long as its a fair choice
being disabled myself (yes I have finally said it loud and proud) If I were healthier I would go for it, hopefully its will be no different to a normal job interview.

if they want a handy man/woman then yes the disabled/old person will be sent on their way
if they want just advice and the able bodied person can't help then bye bye to them

before having to give up work I had several interviews over the years against 'able bodied' candidates and I hope when I was offered the jobs I got them because I was the better candidate,

if they can judge fairly on what each candidate offers I have no problem.
it would be wrong for a disabled person to win because of sympathy
it would be wrong for the able bodied person to win just because they are fit and healty


If the villagers are infact the ones to choose then it will be down to their opinions and life experiences that will help make their choice


it would be more enjoyable to watch than Big Brother,

I could not have put it better myself. Well done Neil

Well at least Big Brother has the full participation of a disabled person!!


But I wasn't trying to start a discussion giving a disabled person an unfair advantage; more trying to point out that this programme has the potential to further the cause of putting the disabled into main-stream programming without highlighting the differences (I may not have articulated it in the best way tho').

Although Binley says he takes the opposite view I don't think I do!! I think we actually are saying the same thing.

Indeed, when Binley says "if they can judge fairly on what each candidate offers I have no problem" that is exactly what I am trying to say.

The Web-site has the words "CHANNEL 4 IS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR A GARDENER TO TAKE PART" and that is just my point... a GARDENER is not someone who just tills the soil, digs potatoes and scythes the grass (something I have been unable to do for 9 years) but someone who is knowledgeable about growing things.

Just because my OH brings pots filled with compost to my table for me to sow the seeds and then puts the plants into the soil (under my supervision) it does not make me any less a gardener but I fear that is not the "traditional" view of what a gardener is.

I fear my physical limitations would, in many peoples' eyes, rule me out from the programme which I think is wrong.

Teakdesk, I bet you're a great gardener with your wealth of experience and knowledge, but you've said it yourself, it's teamwork. I suppose it depends on how many people they want in the programme. If it's 2 then I think you should have a stab at it! I haven't been to the website.

Thinking more about what you've written, I would love to see more disabled people on TV showing the world what they CAN do. They are certainly under-represented.

First of all I would say the coments you have quoted our actually mine not Binleys

secondly I know Big Brother has had disabled contestants sadly my personal opinion is still the same I felt the portrayal of disability and the disabled people themselves were not positive, mind you with the exception of the first couple of series Big Brother the whole programme does not show anyone in a positive light. to me its a modern day freak show and will be so happy when in finishes for good

what we are argueing about what the definition of a gardener as the word cover such a variation of tasks and skills
I know local people that mow lawns that class themselves as landscape gardeners but the nearest they get to landscaping is moving dog muck of a lawn

The word disability is just as ambiguous so although I am disabled my abilities could be totally different to your own

From how you describe your self I would call you are not just a gardener but infact a Head gardener, you and your partner would be ideal candidates for this show, you should apply as these boundaries will not change if we sit back and don't put ourselves forward

with any chance of showing disability in a positive light is a gamble as it could turn out negative but that is the same of anything in life

you might want to watch this Are You Having a Laugh? TV and Disability (IPLayer link) it shows things are not perfect but are certainly better than they were even a decade a go

haviong been brought up in a very small village myself I could see issues of sexuality and race being as much if not more of a issue, as some (not all) small communities have very limited experience of the diverse groups that live in towns and cities.

sadly my step mothers mother was a perfect example of this, she had lived in small village all her life in Dorset, she thought after 9/11 that all Muslims were evil as "they agree with suicide bombing" she also thought I was in league with the devil and unchristian when I defended their faith and explained that most muslims do not think suicide bombing is an honourable death . she was also upset when she found out at a family party that one of our friends "was a gay" and did not understand why they are not locked up

Enrich, I do apologise for the name switch - I've no idea how that happened!! Also, apologies to the OP for dragging this off topic.



I totally agree. I am not classed as disabled but have endured 35 years of back pain and slipped discs resulting in me having to stop activities such as swimming and cycling (and working the garden!!) over the last 10 years. I am currently trying to recover from my 4th back operation (double fusion of the spine) in as many years with the pain actually worse than before the op (and any activity triggers pain and sleepless nights).

Many other people see I can walk normally and normally but don't realise that a short walk or even standing still for a few minutes has dire consequences for me. I'm out of work and not looking for work until I'm more settled in my recovery (or lack of) and my OH is supporting me - not the State as I couldn't claim to be "available for work" yet don't think sickness/disability benefit is right for me yet.

For me, disability is mild but I'm getting more aware of how life affects those more affected than myself and I am a little "trigger-happy" at times. I did catch some of that programme a while ago and it made me cringe. My OH is great at putting up with me sitting on a chair directing operations and friends now understand the reasons why.

Anyway I'm rambling with no particular purpose now so I'd better stop.

Why would the people of the village choose anyone other than the right candidate(s) for them and the village? Ultimately it doesn't matter what C4 want if it's genuinely the community that choose and isn't getting the community together (under your direction) part of the challenge any way. I know there are physical limitations being disabled but that's the same for everyone; we all have limitations, you have more but you're probably better at getting around them in ingenious and dipolmatic ways than us able body plebs

Ive worked with leading world Scientists and mental / physically disabled people in my career - neither could work the fax machine to start with but one learnt and the other never did. Can you guess who did? Of course - the mentally disabled person because I never thought any other wise and if one method didnt work, another would. The doctors, sadly, could never be taught common sense

If I need to answer that you obviously don't live in the bigoted, sexist, racist, discriminatory world that I have the misfortune to live in.





Yes, IF it is. That's why I asked the question.

Is it?

If it is then my question is answered with a happy conclusion. If not, then I'm not happy.



C4 state they want a GARDENER.

In many peoples' eyes a gardener works the soil, something I can't do. So I'm excluded and the community would never get the chance to choose me.

Yet, at the bottom of the page they say that it is NOT a Job. So the prize must be the house.

Why not ring the above number to know?
How would any of us know?