Grandmother shoots to YouTube fame (From Bucks Free Press)

Grandmother shoots to YouTube fame

1:53pm Monday 9th March 2009 in Search By James Nadal

A PENSIONER has shot to internet stardom after attracting nearly a quarter of a million viewers to her YouTube videos about returning to traditional wartime values.

Barbara Walmsley, 71, of High Road, Cookham is Oxfam's Green Granny - enlightening people about their food and energy wasting habits and teaching them how to behave more like the Blitz generation.

Around 212,000 people have watched her web videos about making bread and butter pudding and being more environmentally friendly.

The former teacher, who has ten grandchildren, admits she had never even heard of the popular video website before making the films.

“I didn't really know anything about YouTube until we got onto this, I hadn't even looked at it. I was just amazed that anybody can put anything on there.

“I'm completely amazed, I find it quite incredible because I thought it was nothing sensational. I can't get my head around 200,000 people watching it."

The cyberspace celebrity discusses how to make meals from leftover food, mending and revamping clothes, making vegetarian meals and simple energy saving habits such as switching off lights.

Oxfam's surveys discovered that a family with children throw away £610 worth of food every year.

"The amount of food we throw away in Britain per year is three times the amount of global food aid the whole world over - it is staggering," Barbara said.

“The message is that it doesn't have to be miserable, negative and depressing to be green, it can actually be quite fun.”

To watch all Barbara's videos click here.

Barbara used to teach primary school pupils in Bourne End at Westfield Primary and Tinkers Wood in High Wycombe.

She said: “The reason Oxfam wanted the green granny was because during the war we were all very green indeed, because we had to be.

“You just didn't waste anything because food was so precious you were very resourceful.

“We were brought up like that, it stays with you on your conscience they wouldn't let you waste anything.

“I hate seeing anything wasted, I scrape out the bowl to the very last bit.

She added: “It was even worse after the war. I remember going into a shop and buy my first bar of chocolate without having to show my rations book it was a wonderful feeling of freedom.”

Barbara said overly cautious best before and expiry dates on food packaging had led to more food being thrown away and also believes that consumer culture and mass advertising are to blame - making people complacent about waste.

"It's very much a culture thing that people believe they have a right to everything. Everything has been so easy for some kids," she said.

"We can't imagine how lucky we are in Britain - a lot of people take it so much granted.”

Barbara is set for further screen fame, having filmed for the BBC 2 weekly show called 'it's not easy being green.'