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Veganuary 2026: Margaret's Vegan Journey (Originally released 2024)
83 Plays19 days ago
This January we are re-releasing all eighteen of our 'Going Vegan' series, to shine a spotlight on the huge variety of everyday normal folk who choose to avoid animal expoitation through choosing a vegan lifestyle.
In today's rerun, we hear from looooooong-time vegan, Margaret!
For the original shownotes for this episode, visit Episode 28 directly https://zencastr.com/z/4nGLx_W7
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Enough of the Falafel is a community of people who love keeping on top of the latest news in the world of veganism & animal rights. With our podcasts, we aim to keep listeners (& ourselves) informed & up-to-date with the latest developments that affect vegans & non-human animals; giving insight, whilst staying balanced; remaining true to our vegan ethics, whilst constantly seeking to grow & develop.
Each week we look through news stories from the past 7 days in the world of veganism & animal rights, as well as picking a 'timeless' vegan or animal rights issue, and discussing it in more depth.
If you spot any news stories that might catch our fancy, or have an idea for a discussion topic, get in touch via enoughofthefalafel@gmail.com.
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Thanks everyone for listening; give us a rating and drop us a message to say "hi"; it'll make our day!
Margaret & Ant
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Transcript
Introduction to the Falafel Collective
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi there, this is Anthony from the Enough of the Falafel Collective. We're a group of just everyday vegans who for the last two and a half years or so have been releasing two podcasts a week bringing you vegan and animal rights news as well as philosophical discussions. And many of the contributors on the show have released a special episode in the past where they've talked about their journey of going vegan.
Margaret's Vegan Journey Begins
00:00:26
Speaker
And for Veganuary 2026, we are re-releasing all of those episodes and the episode you're about to listen to now is one of those so it's been recorded at some point in the last three years and it features one of our contributors we really hope you enjoy it and that you continue to join for other episodes that we release over the course of 2026
00:00:52
Speaker
Margaret, thank you so much for joining us and for for giving us your time today. We know each other a little bit prior to our conversation, but I don't know that we've necessarily talked about the start of your vegan journey and and all things the beginning. So i'm I'm new to this myself too. Do do you want to start us off by by telling us like maybe those first seeds of veganism or or that, you know, living in this slightly different way might be something that you'd be interested in? How did it
Family Support and Early Challenges
00:01:22
Speaker
all begin? Well, I was 16. It was 1968.
00:01:26
Speaker
And I always loved animals, lived in the heart of the country, always surrounded by animals, wildlife, pets, farm animals. In fact, my bedroom window overlooked the pens with the cows and cows were kept when they were separated. So that wasn't very pleasant. And I never liked the sort of animals being killed for me to eat.
00:01:45
Speaker
but And I'd heard of vegetarians, but, you know, didn't didn't know anything about them. And eating and meat was the norm. Went into a sweet shop after school one day, bought some jelly sweets. And the shopkeeper said, I don't eat those. They contain gelatin. Gelatin is made from the bones of dead animals. I don't eat that dead animals. I'm a vegetarian.
00:02:07
Speaker
And I just thought, right, I'm going to be a vegetarian. I can do that. Went to health food shop, picked up a leaflet from the Vegetarian Society, and there was an advert for the Vegan Society. And that was it.
00:02:19
Speaker
That night, vegan and vegetarian overnight. No way. Just from a sweet shop. That's incredible. Yeah. And yeah when you think that it was a shopkeeper who said, I don't eat those, you know, and that was his living selling them. But it it was just that, as I said, always loving animals and never liking the thought of them being killed for me to eat them, but didn't really think of not doing it because I never met a vegetarian, never heard of veganism.
00:02:46
Speaker
Golly. So take take us inside your mind then. of Obviously, you said it's 1968, so it's a it's a little way back. We're thinking now. But like you've said it as if it was just as easy as anything. But like was was there trepidation there? Was there doubts? Or do you think, I'm just going to try this out and see what happens? like What's going on in your mind in that moment? Absolutely no trepidation at all. I was determined from that moment on, I wasn't going to eat anything else from an animal. But I was really, really lucky that my parents were so supportive because you couldn't just go to the supermarket and get something vegan in those days. My mom had to do a lot of home baking, including bread.
Navigating Vegan Dining in the Past
00:03:27
Speaker
Bread had animal fats in it. Biscuits had animal fats in it. Health food shop managed to get proto-veg, dried soya protein, chunks and mints.
00:03:39
Speaker
Sosmix, that was around then. Nutterlein in tins. And the only dairy alternative, dairy milk alternative, was plam or soya plant milk, which was in a tin and it was concentrated. And it was lovely. Pioneered by that fantastic gentleman, Arthur Lynn.
00:03:57
Speaker
Yeah. So it was really, really different in those days. And going out, you know, that was a no-no. You might be lucky to get a baked potato owned it beforehand, but you would have to take your own margarine to put on it. Yeah, yeah, gosh. So um obviously, a lot of things were not conducive to to living as a vegan in in in those days. But you've mentioned like your mum was very supportive. Is that ah is that a game changer for you? Like, do you think you you would have been able to do it with with a different response from your family? To be honest, I probably wouldn't. No, I probably probably would have starved because you you just couldn't go into the shop and buy something. As I said, you couldn't get a loaf of bread then. That was animal fats. So, you know, without my mom cooking everything from scratch, making the most delicious steamed nut meat, which I've never, ever managed to get something as tasty as my mom's.
00:04:54
Speaker
um No, i I think I probably would have been scoffered. I would have starved. Yeah.
Commitment to Vegan Principles
00:04:59
Speaker
would I mean, did they have did did your mum have concerns? She did about me being vegan because she'd never heard of vegans. And she went to the health food shop and, you know, asked them what they thought. And because they didn't know anything about veganism either, they only knew about vegetarians. They said, oh, well, yes, you'll be OK. You can be OK on a vegetarian diet. But, oh, don't know about a vegan diet. Thank goodness, you know, that ignorance is perhaps too strong a word. Just, you know, not knowing is... is
00:05:28
Speaker
It's gone. and Particularly in a health food shop, people do know that veganism can be extremely healthy diet. Yeah. Can you remember what that leaflet said then? Because you you said you picked it up in a health food shop. Yeah, it was an advert for the Vegan Society. To the best of my memory, it was about joining the Vegan Society, an advert, you know, come and join us, which I did.
00:05:49
Speaker
um And, you know, got all the gen from there. Yeah. What, what were the, what were the biggest obstacles would, would you say to, to the, the start of your journey there? Because there's, there's clearly practical difficulties that you've spoken of, but i mean, just speaking from a personal point of view, like the social side of things I've, I've found probably more difficult because you kind of get used to the, the practicalities. Well, I can speak from, you know, going vegan in 2010, like it it didn't take too long to get used to those practicalities. Like, was there one side of things that was more of an obstacle than than others? I suppose I looked different. I was different. It didn't particularly bother me. And, you know, the sort of person that anybody takes a mic, you know, I just laugh along with them, whatever it is. And going out, you're different. um And it probably didn't do the course much good actually going out because, as I say, you'd be lucky if you had a baked potato, but you had to take your own margarine to put on it.
00:06:52
Speaker
When people had birthdays at work, they'd bring in cake. They were great because they always brought me in an apple and orange. I was always included. But I must have looked really strange, you know, and it wasn't very encouraging to get people to be be vegan, you know, that they couldn't have the cake that everybody else was eating.
00:07:10
Speaker
They had to have a healthy orange or apple. yeah It's all so different now, you know, we can all have doughnuts, we can all have cake. Absolutely. Yeah. and And thank goodness for that. So so what what helped keep you going then through through those difficulties? It was literally just conscience that I just wouldn't want an animal to suffer for me. And you know I just i just i couldn't possibly have eaten anything that had got any animal products in it because I would have thought about them. I would have thought about the dairy cows calling for their calves, which as I said, I you could heal them when I went upstairs to bed. And so it was my conscience, just just wouldn't wouldn't have gone back. for that Well, all power to you. That's that's really admirable.
00:07:57
Speaker
did anything surprise you about your your first steps into veganism because I mean it it it sounds to me like it all happened so quickly you perhaps didn't have too much time to think about it and have too many preconceptions but my conversations with others has revealed a lot of people have found that the journey has taken them to places they wouldn't have perhaps thought possible beforehand is that something you've experienced because I was 16 and still living at home, and my mum did all the cooking, so we didn't have to think of anything like that. yeah to meet another vegan, I had to go all the way to London from Leverbridge, right in the heart of the country, completely different to be in London, and there I was, you know, in this lovely little village.
00:08:41
Speaker
And that was the only time i would meet a vegan for many, many years. And what was that like? Was that like completely eye opening just incidental? i think it was just encouraging. You know, it was nice. It was nice to be with others, people who understood and people who realised you could do it. Can I ask Margaret, like I'm hearing big undertaking really in like your, your conscience is guiding you to do something that basically no one else around you in your immediate life is, is doing.
00:09:12
Speaker
Like, is that quite typical of you? Are there other areas in your ah in your life at that age or around that age where you're, you're making these bold strides and and doing things differently to other people or or was this quite unique?
00:09:25
Speaker
ah You probably have to ask everybody. ah i ah i I am very strong minded and strong willed. do have opinions. As I said, I don't mind being different and I don't mind people taking the mick or or joking. and And I think that's something that a lot of vegans need to take on board. That very, very often I'm sure people are only joking. They literally are only joking.
00:09:51
Speaker
Personally, think, you know, laugh along with it. So it shows that you can laugh at yourself. Yeah, absolutely. I would agree with that. Personally, i i have found in in the early days of being vegan, particularly when there wasn't much ah awareness of it. i'm ah I'm aware that that's relatively speaking um compared to your experience. But that would sometimes lead me into situations where I didn't feel able to completely stick to it 100%. in the early days because somebody's already cooked me a meal because they've they've misunderstood what what's allowed, quote unquote, and what's not. Is that something that you experienced or or was it just a case of you saying, no, I'm not having it, I don't care? I know, i i I'm afraid I would have said, no, I'm not having it. And that probably wouldn't have done the cause any good because
00:10:40
Speaker
you know, I've done this special for you. And, you know, and I do actually remember when I first got to know my husband's family and we went to tea and they'd done
Evolution of Vegan Awareness & Options
00:10:52
Speaker
boy lots of salad-y things with cheese and eggs.
00:10:56
Speaker
Of course, I know know. Thank you very much. um Oh, no, but I couldn't have eaten it. couldn't no I just i had to had to politely decline. Yeah. But wherever I went, I always i always said, don't worry.
00:11:12
Speaker
Just, ah you know, anything simple. I don't mind what I have. if You don't have to do anything anything special for me. And that happened true, actually, because I was mayor of the city back in 97, 98. So obviously the mayor's invited to a lot of different places, and was just some dietary requirements. And again, with that, I said, just do something simple. But I had some fantastic meals and helped fly the flag for veganism, I felt. Yeah, i was going to say, surely being mayor and being vegan in the late 90s, when the awareness of it is is not very high at all, like that that must have done veganism a lot of good. I'd like to think so, yeah. Excellent. Well, good for you. I'm interested. you You've obviously got a a long span of being able to chart the progress of of veganism and what it's like to be vegan.
00:12:08
Speaker
What I tend to hear from people, no matter whether they went vegan 12 months ago or five years ago or 20 years ago, is people say oh it's it's just it's just got so much better and i'm i'm wondering like the well it's gonna be over 50 years isn't it for for you was there a point where you really saw things taking off like if you had to pinpoint like the period with the biggest change the biggest flux like when would that be from me from your vantage point I would say late 90s, getting on the to the millennium. Really? That's when I found it much easier. And and going into a cafe and there was actually something on the menu that was vegan. You didn't have to phone up beforehand and say, can you do something vegan? Yeah, be it would be late late ninety s and And the thing, so to confirm the things that will kind of stand out then to kind of mark that shift would be things appearing on on menus. Like what about supermarkets, people's awareness? Yeah, yeah. See, I think... Supermarkets and cheese, cheese. You see, we didn't have cheese. i mean, we we used to make up... It was tomal margarine, soya flour, and yeast extract. All mixed up together. um And that was a cheesy flavor. That was our cheese.
00:13:28
Speaker
And to be honest, that was the only thing I missed because I had really light cheese. So it was the only thing I missed when I became vegan. But no anyway way would I have eaten it. So we had this funny little cheese cheese spread. But when cheese came on the supermarket shelves...
00:13:44
Speaker
I know how much some vegans say they're not struggling. It's not like real cheese. My goodness, it is. It's how I remember it. Yeah. Yeah, well, absolutely. I ah don't know about you, but my experience is um kind of going vegan can be quite a humbling thing to do in that you, like you're saying, just asking for basic things from me and like a basic thing is fine. um And I quite like that, actually, that it it can bring that trait about in in somebody and that that you're not needing elaborate things. same Same for cheese, actually. Like, it doesn't have to be 100% exactly the same, does it? Actually, what do we want? Well, we want something that might melt a little bit and might have a slightly cheesy taste. And that's that's fine. That's good enough, you know? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, absolutely. So what would you say have been the biggest helpers for you as either in terms of things that have come along culturally, art that are tools that come along that have made things easier or things you've developed in yourself, things you've learned or approaches that you've developed? What have been the things that have really facilitated being vegan and living as a vegan? Obviously, originally, my mom baking everything, then stuff coming on the supermarket shelves. So you seem more normal. um And you definitely seem more normal when you go out and you don't have to ring up beforehand. But saying that, the times, and I'm sure other vegans have experienced this, the times that you you ask them to do something. doesn't have to be anything particularly special. And then when it comes out, it's lovely. And other people say, oh, that looks good. You know, that smells good. And great. I mean, that's why I always say when when vegans say they don't want to join in the Christmas parties, some vegans, because it is uncomfortable when you see somebody else ducking into a chicken leg or something like that. But I always say it is important to go so that people see that you you can lead a normal, happy life and be one of the gang. You don't have to miss out on anything. Yeah, no, but I would agree with that. it's um It's a fine line sometimes, isn't it? Because I don't know if you if you're in a bad mood and and you're just thinking, oh, I just can't be doing with all of this going on around me. It's it's the last thing you want, but it it can do a lot of good, can't it? Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah.
00:16:05
Speaker
Are there things you think that are that you still find difficult despite, you know, having been vegan for over 50 years and all the advances we've seen? a lot of being vegan is going to be completely natural to you now. But there are there still things that that you find difficult? I think the only thing I find difficult is when people get gluten-free and veganism muddled up and they go and buy you some biscuits, especially because they're vegan and gluten-free. They think that vegans have got to be gluten-free and then they're a little bit tough.
00:16:37
Speaker
and That's probably it, actually.
Advice for Young Vegans
00:16:40
Speaker
Yeah. Well, that's good, isn't it? That's that's reassuring. That's reassuring. No, that's that's cool. If you could go back to your 16-year-old self and either give them some advice or just relive it again, like, what what would you say? What would you do differently, if anything? Personally, I don't think I would do anything differently. I would always encourage everybody to go for it. Make sure you eat sensibly. Make sure you have a healthy meal.
00:17:08
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Make sure you have all your your vitamins and proteins and everything from your food. You know, it's not necessary to have all the supplements that some people think you need to have. And, you know, where you get your protein from? How many times have we heard that? But you do need to eat.
00:17:24
Speaker
how Eat sensory, as does everybody, including meat eaters. Yeah, it's often overlooked that, isn't it? Yeah. um And I'm interested as well, like, do you think there are some elements of of being vegan in 2024 that are actually more difficult than when you first started? i'm i' I think, for example, personally, vegans have a lot more scrutiny put on them now and things are more in the spotlight and people are more likely to have well-rehearsed arguments against it compared to 10 years ago for me when most people didn't even know what it was so though you're dealing with an ignorance there you can at least educate people whereas now I feel like there's more opposition I just wonder if you if there are some elements of um veganism being so such a minority thing that people haven't heard of it that actually make it easier? I hear what you're saying. Personally, I haven't experienced it, but it's probably because ah do take things just, you know, um like I'll i'll or laugh or joke about something and make sure i make my points of view known, but I'll try not to be too serious about it.
00:18:34
Speaker
um And I think that helps. Yes. Yeah. Would would that be one of the the pieces advice you might give to somebody sort of thinking about becoming vegan is ah develop your sense of humour?
00:18:46
Speaker
Oh, definitely.
Humor & Criticism in Vegan Advocacy
00:18:48
Speaker
yes i but Yes, I would. Because I think that's one of the obstacles. And this is perhaps a bit of a controversial thing to me to say. And i I would hate to discourage or upset any vegans. But I think sometimes, shall we say, angry vegans. can perhaps do the cause more harm than good because anybody who really rams it down your throat, don't get me wrong, you know, I've i've had my my goes at demos and and everything against Fox, I've had a good shape myself. But I think if you are reasonable and you present a reasoned argument and you're polite, you're going to get much farther than if you rant and rave at somebody. And when you think about it, that that's only common sense because Put yourself in in their position. If somebody is is having a go at you and ranting and raving, you're much more likely to pull the shutters down than if they're putting a reasoned argument over to you. So I would say keep calm. um
00:19:43
Speaker
Take a lot of it with it with a pinch of salt because if you bite, they'll just get worse. me would It will just continue. So just keep calm. I like that. That's that's a good tip. Where do you think that comes from then, that that kind of angriness? Because it's it's something we see a lot of, isn't it? And I think I've probably felt it a lot.
00:20:03
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah, i I suppose it's because you do think about what animals go through and it's unnecessary and you you can't understand somebody doing it. And then the old argument where people couldn't possibly eat a dog or a cat, but they don't look at a pig the same.
00:20:19
Speaker
and Something that i saw I've always found not it's not that. When they have barbecues at animal rescue shows and, you know, it's a dog show and they're raising money for these stray dogs, but it's pigs. Yeah. Pigs are as intelligent as dogs. And there's a great long queue at the barbecue. But I'm very pleased to see now that there doesn't seem to be that much of a queue. And if you've got a vegetarian or vegan alternative, people would take that as well. I'm really lucky because in a local RSPCA rescue shelter, they have got a policy. that there's no meat or fish ever served at their events, they they can see it. And and that helps because that helps, friends, the word to the unconverted. Yes. Yes. And and and very often, sort of domestic animals are of almost people's way in, aren't they? In that they foster compassion for those companion animals. They haven't quite connected the dots yet. But if you can, like you say, meet people where they are and say, oh, actually, we're not we're not serving any animal products because don't forget there's there's many animals exploited that we can we can show compassion for.
Community & Resource Challenges
00:21:26
Speaker
I mean, I think I'm right in saying that the RSPCA as an organisation is getting a lot better.
00:21:31
Speaker
at that as ah across the board, aren't they? um which Which is good to see. Can you remember what your what your friends' responses were when you became vegan back in the in the late 60s? How did they respond? I was thinking way back. um yeah i ah can't remember i I can't remember because obviously I was at school and I i can't remember how they reacted. So when I when i was at work, it was ah I can remember that because as said, I can remember people bringing cake in. um But me, me apple or me orange, which I really appreciated. But I mean, in in in fact, like i I can hear one mate saying, oh, Margaret, you don't know what you're missing. and
00:22:15
Speaker
yes and Because they were tapping into a cream cake, you know, and I had this orange. Well, I mean, that suggests to me that there's nothing too traumatic that has come from ah living a lifestyle slightly different to other people's. Definitely not. yeah know but but that That's reassuring then, isn't it? Did you notice a difference when you left home? Like, did that did that make things easier? Or it sounds like you were very well catered for at home, so perhaps it added an extra level of challenge. Yeah, I was. I suppose because I was brought up with somebody doing doing the own cooking. Then, you know, i i just continued it myself at home. And then it was, let's see, 1976 when I got married. So I was doing all the cooking that myself. So no i can't i I can't recall there ever been a problem. but I said, I suppose it was because I was always brought up with in family family. And a long time ago, where where your dinner was cooked. well Knowing how to cook certainly used to be of a really important cornerstone of of being vegan. I think it still is now, even though we you know you could very easily from any supermarket buy seven different pre-made meals.
00:23:28
Speaker
a week it's I think it still helps doesn't it or maybe that's just a general thing in in society no matter what your diet is it's it's better if you know how to cook really isn't it yeah yeah definitely even just from an economical point of view what would you say Are there things that are difficult for vegans that maybe there could be more support for?
00:23:51
Speaker
Is there anything that you kind of think we're not we're not helping new vegans with enough? Because there's, I mean, there's definitely, for example, lots more food options in supermarkets now or at restaurants. Do you think do you think there are things we're missing? Do you think there are places in the vegan so community where we could be giving more support or are we doing a decent job? I think the vegans the vegan community are doing a decent job, and although I haven't experienced it myself. I have read, particularly on the internet and in other parts of the country, where people have had problems when they go into hospital and then they're not looked after very well for their food or indeed school meals.
00:24:31
Speaker
So I haven't experienced it, but i but I've read that. you know And then that makes me think about another thing about how times have changed, because course but back in 1968 there was no internet whilst there.
00:24:43
Speaker
Gosh, when I think about don't really know where my mum managed because it was really, really different. But you just bought your recipe books and you got on with it. Yeah. I mean, did stuff come from the Vegan Society? Presumably they had a bigger role to play in terms of industry distributing information and recipes and nutritional information? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they, I'm not sure if it was the Vegan Society or another organisation that used to shoot something out every year.
00:25:09
Speaker
that told you what was cruelty-free. And by cruelty-free, I mean and vegan as well as not tested on animals. And so we often mention things which today we would say are accidentally vegan. Right, okay. oh Yes, yeah, that's true, because that reminds me the first time that I had a cream cracker for years, because these particular cream crackers, that they were plant theyour vegan. Yes. As I said, nowadays we'd call it accidentally vegan. Yes. Well, I remember about about 10 years ago, um Tesco used to release a list every few months of everything in their shop that was completely free from... animal products but it was something you really had to seek out and we'd sort of print it out and you'd have this huge list that wasn't particularly user-friendly but it did at least it didn't at least list everything but of course it changed because these things that are accidentally vegan well they can very quickly become accidentally un-vegan again oh quite yes so there still is a little bit of the old reading the labels and that reminds me you know going about because when i was first vegan didn't have to put the ingredients on
00:26:18
Speaker
on anything.
Activism & Consistent Advocacy
00:26:19
Speaker
And then they started putting ingredients. So the times you're in the supermarket, you know, you're really struggling and reading and going through everything. And i've I've still even done it of late, you know, I'm seeing a great big V in a Vegan Society trademark. And I've just read through all these ingredients. But you need to, because now am I pronouncing it correctly? Alcistein, which is often shoved into bread these days. And it's made from feathers, you know, it's in bread. God, I mean, everyone should be told that, shouldn't they? Goodness.
00:26:52
Speaker
You know, there's still there's still some things that might catch you out if you're not careful. Yeah. No, it's its like you say, it becomes a reflex, doesn't it? just Just scanning through things. And I hadn't even clocked that there was, ah of course, a time when ingredients weren't even written on things. That's right. Because I think I'd just become vegan when um the allergy stuff being put in bold became a thing. And that that made things a lot easier, didn't it? Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah. So with it with anything that you bought, that's when that little booklet. I wish I could think about organisation. was like vegans. I wish could think what it was when they scrutinised. They wrote to companies. And of course, yeah, I used to write to companies. I used to write right off to say, you know, is there anything in your biscuit, for example?
00:27:40
Speaker
yeah You know, is it vegan? Is it suitable for vegan? And then, of course, you have to say what vegans what veganism was back then, didn't you you? know, that there was no animal products or fish products or dairy whatsoever, nothing from an animal or a fish. Yeah.
00:27:54
Speaker
So can we examine then a little bit in terms of your journey, through veganism, like it's it's sounding like there's been quite quite a lot of activism that's that's coming in there. Like, was that something that's like right from day one, you're writing letters to people and and campaigning, or is that something, as most people would perhaps experience, where it's it's developed over time? Thinking about it, it was right from square one. you know Even if it was just writing to companies and saying, is your product suitable?
00:28:27
Speaker
We tweet. Yeah. And yes, campaigning and living in the heart of the country as well. Obviously, we used to have the foxhunt go past my gate. So not only did I have the cows and the calves when they were separated, I'd got the foxhunt. And I do remember as youngster. Actually, that was before I was vegan. which I remember having a go at them. So they were the first seeds then.
00:28:51
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And I mean, that's when I'm perhaps i digressing, so you probably wouldn't want to include that. But um I can remember, as I said, born and raised in the heart of the country. And it was foxhunted. My godmother was actually secretary of the...
00:29:04
Speaker
Worcestershire hunt and believe it or not as a kid I used to like to go to her home to see the foxes heads and the foxes tails because I loved animals but I was a kid then you know and I didn't make that connection and unfortunately when I when I did that was the end of my godmother wasn't this dreadful person who hunts her so yeah I think it has been in me to come pain since square one Would you say the way that you've sort of lived your life as a vegan, has has that changed over time in in terms of how you've you've seen yourself or or what your role needs to be as a vegan? Or has that been pretty consistent throughout? Apart from the fact that I would would would say it mellowed somewhat, no, probably pretty pretty consistent. No, and actually, I mean, strike that I haven't mellowed, have I? I mean, I'm still as strong vegan as... strong veganist as
00:30:00
Speaker
And so perhaps, would it be more acceptable? mean, following the the bit where, you know, somebody's arguing with you, you you know, I've always been like it. No, forget that. and um I don't think I've
Encouragement for New Vegans
00:30:15
Speaker
changed. Yeah.
00:30:16
Speaker
Well, no, it's it's interesting though, isn't it? Because ah some people, you you either in you either see it in yourself or or you can see it in others, like ah a definite evolution. And, you know, there'll be a time when somebody's, quite quiet and almost like a secret vegan and then all of a sudden they they pop up and they're all over Facebook or they're at demos or whatever and um and whereas others will will keep a consistent path it's it's interesting how that happens just to finish off then We've heard very wise words in terms of retaining a sense of humour and taking taking banter with a pinch of salt. What other advice would you give to people who are engaging with with veganism now, listening to this? This is their you know their first few weeks, first few months, or maybe it's something that they're about to enter into. What do you think will help it be a ah successful transition, a successful successful journey for them?
00:31:14
Speaker
Never be frightened to ask advice from another vegan or vegan organisation. Anything that you might think is a silly question to ask, you know, it it isn't. Just ask it. and And obviously it's so much easier now when you've got the internet so you can just put things on there and and stick to it.
00:31:31
Speaker
Eat healthily. I mean, if somebody does put on now to say how they're tempted to be to eat a chicken leg, you know, how do you manage, how do you stay away from it, you know, I go back to thinking that's, you know, your conscience won't let you or my conscience would never let me because I'd always think about the chicken. Yeah, never be frightened to ask any questions, however silly it may seem. If you do slip up, don't worry about it because we all make mistakes from every experience that we are.
00:31:57
Speaker
And anybody who is concerned and says, oh, you can't live healthily and they try to get it, you know, say you should eat this, that and the other. Just seek advice from the experienced ones, you know, and there's eating me, um'm you know, I'm 71 now. I've been vegan. old I've been vegan for 55 years. And they're I'm not the only one, you know. and Don't think you're going to collapse and you're going to be anemic or anything
Conclusion & Podcast Archive
00:32:24
Speaker
like that. Just eat healthily and you'll be fine. Yeah. Well, i was going to say anyone with those concerns, I'll just send them to you.
00:32:32
Speaker
ah right Yeah. and I mean, and that is good as well. I think as well, if you can get a buddy. Yeah. So somebody who can encourage you to give you advice and answer your questions. Yeah, absolutely. Margaret, thank you so much for your time. It's been really, really lovely. And I know lots of people will have gained an awful lot from hearing from you. So thank you very much. Oh, that's pleasure.
00:32:56
Speaker
Thank you, Anthony. Thank you.
00:33:08
Speaker
This has been an Enough of the Falafel production. We're just a normal bunch of everyday vegans putting our voices out there. The show is hosted by Zencaster. We use music and special effects by zapsplatt.com.
00:33:23
Speaker
And sometimes, if you're lucky, at the end of an episode, you'll hear a poem by Mr Dominic Berry. Thanks all for listening and see you next time.
00:33:49
Speaker
This episode may have come to an end, but did you know we've got a whole archive containing all our shows dating back to September 2023? That is right, Dominic. There's over 100 episodes on there featuring our brilliant range of different guests, people's stories of going vegan, philosophical debates, moral quandaries, and of course...
00:34:10
Speaker
around a dozen news items from around the world each week. So check back on your podcast player to hear previous episodes. And remember to get an alert for each new episode, simply click like or follow and also subscribe to the show.
00:34:25
Speaker
Thanks for your ongoing support wherever you listen to us from.