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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: nanny jan on Saturday 03 January 09 13:10 GMT (UK)
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BBC2 are starting a "reality series" on Thursday 8th January 9.00pm; Victorian Farm.
Life on a Shropshire smallholding with a team wearing Victorian clothes and using only Victorian technology.
Nanny Jan
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Many of them ;D
Thanks for the TV info, it should be interesting :)
Daisy
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Is this a follow-up?
There was something like this (possibly medieval era) on (pay) TV here in Australia several months ago. I decided that it was a little too 'gritty' for my early evening viewing .... animal slaughter etc. :P
But it did look very interesting.
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They did a similar thing on BBC Wales with mining, they even had a "pit disaster" it was quite interesting, only problem was that the families only did it for a couple of weeks and there was no mention about not being able to speak welsh underground or any of the real hardships....
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According to the "blurb" the team "survives" for a year; historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn.
They begin by threshing using steam power and taking delivery of a flock of Shropshire ewes.
Nanny Jan
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The Welsh mining one was called 'Coal House' and pretty good it was too! It was almost live every evening (after edits) and showed all the difficulties of life in 1927 in a small rural cottage in Wales. (Life in a city would have been very different at that time) But I could imagine cooking on the coal fire, and only having gas lamps etc would have applied in cities in earlier years.
Real families, and their children, were the people involved, and it would perhaps have been unfair to ask them to go out of the modern world and back to the very different life of 1927 for longer than a few weeks.
To be honest, I thought the hardships were real enough.
NannyJan, thanks for that link to the aglab one, sounds good.
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oh, many of them! Thanks...looks interesting...I'll put that in my reminders :)
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It's the same team that lived 12 months 17th century style in Tales from the Green Valley.
According to the Radio Times the programme was filmed over a year in Shropshire on an estate in Acton Scott, (presumably they don't mean a housing estate).
Jean
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Thought it sounded vaguely familiiar. I bought the book and dvd of Tales from the Green Valley, only read the book as yet. so it should be well worth watching!
The people though are committed historians etc and it took years to get the farm as it should have been,
Coal House was very very good, as it was just ordinary people who, in a sense, travelled back in time, as in other series, notably the 1901 house and the one set in the war. I wish they'd repeat them.
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Yes, spotted this in the TV guide Nanny Jan, should be good.
I'd defy anyone on here not to have an Ag. Lab. in their tree!
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Happy/happy-019.gif)
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Since I have carried the sheaves which fell off the tractor to a steam threshing machine and also picked peas etc. in my youth I guess that I was an Ag Lab.
David
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Hello everyone,what an interesting programme that promises to be. Acton Scott is a working farm where everything is done as it was in the 1930`s. It is a lovely place to visit especially with children. The farm buildings and cottage pre-date the 1930`s and will be Victorian. It is on the eastern side of the county not far from Church Stretton. They plough with shire horses ,make butter by hand churning and things like that. There is a very nice little restaurantwith home-made scones and cakes etc.A very pleasant day out.Thank you for bringing our attention to the programme. Viktoria
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No Ag. Labs. as such so far (just the "oldest young farmer in Britain" ;D), but Acton Scott features in my more recent family history, so will be looking out for that.
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Lots and lots, thanks for that Nanny Jan I'll make a note of it, sounds as if it will be very interesting.
Crystal
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Lots and lots for me too, almost 100% so thanks for tip, I guess I ought to watch ::)
Kerry
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My maternal side were mostly Ag labs. Not sure if I would fancy the reality of a 14 hour day of very hard graft !
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Here's some more information on Acton Scott -
www.shropshiretourism.co.uk/attractiondetails.php?estid=1463
My Dad was a bit surprised to see plenty of farm tools that he had used as a lad on display as museum exhibits - now that does make you feel old! He was also able to identify the "mystery tool" as a peat spade because he's spent plenty of hours using one.
I really enjoyed "Tales from the Green Valley" and am looking forward to this series.
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Just spotted that the programme will be repeated on Saturday 10th January, 7.00pm BBC2.
Nanny Jan
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I saw the book of the series in the Book People catalogue (£7.99) and thought I'd missed the programme. Hope it's as good as Tales from the Green Valley.
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Bumping this up to remind all those who need to set recorders!
Thursday 8th BBC2 9.00pm Victorian Farm 1 hour programme
Nanny Jan
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Hi
Remember that ag labs fed the country. They slogged for hours a day digging ditches, ploughing fields and using heavy farming tools that are nothing like todays technology. They were also skilled.
Ben
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A really excellent programme.
Very interesting, informative, and what a great idea to have the presenters to be "experts" dressed in the appropriate costume of the time - so that whilst carrying out all the tasks they could explain how and what they were doing.
If you missed it, do try and catch it again, and the rest of the series
:)
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I enjoyed the programme.
It was good that all experts were in costume.
But what hard work all day and every day.
I shall hope the rest of the series is as good.
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Believe the 'presenters' are all historians and not presenters in the normal sense.
Also the idea of them dressing for the part is that they are living and working as the Victorian's would have as they did in Tales of the Green Valley when they dressed in 17c clothing and worked as they would have in the 17c.
Jean
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It amazes me that women put up with wearing all those long skirts and petticoats for so many generations! The clothes must have been either wet, muddy or dusty most of the time.
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forgot to watch ::)
hey can watch Saturday
is it any good ?
i did watch what the victorians did for us though on bbc2 at 10pm last night
about the steam powered inventions
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I agree and it did seem to me that it would have got in the way a lot of the time with a lot of the tasks she had to do. You should have heard what I said when Ruth was on the boat unloading the coal ::)
Toni well worth watching, very interesting and amazing to think what an impact one small commodity -coal had on the world!
Kerry
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The program will find it,s way to Australia next year, hopefully.
My 3x Great grandfather was a Farm Servent when he married in 1862 .
Billy
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Very interesting especially if like me the majority of your ancestors were Agricultural Labourers. I noticed there were no children included maybe there will be during the series.
My Grandfather was a plough boy aged 12 surely that couldn't have meant he was actually using the plough? That was in 1870 and he escaped into the army in 1875 and then off to the Zulu war. I don't imagine either to have been much of a life!
Abiam
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The soil on the ploughed field on the programme was described as quite crumbly. My OH and I compared that to the thick claggy clay we get in Sussex and imagined 11 miles a day walking up and down a field of that! :o
Apart from the fact that by the time you have finished you would be about 3 feet taller from all the clay stuck to your boots imagine how hard that must have been on the legs even for a fit person, and I don't imagine they were that fit in those days. Horrible!
Kerry
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Three horse land they used to call it, since it was so tough you needed 3 to pull a plough instead of the usual 2.
Can't imagine drilling crops in the rain on our Essex clay, either . . . the whole outfit would have been one huge ball of clay in minutes.
The people were certainly a good deal fitter than most of us today . . . but I think many more were worn out, bent and crippled in later years :(
Mike.
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One of my Suffolk Ag Labs died at 83............of "old age" :) All that fresh air, exercise and home produced food ;)
Nanny Jan
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Well that side of it does sound quite good but it was the arthritis, sprained muscles, bad backs and all the rest of it that doesn't sound quite so good. :-\
Mind you when I looked at my city v rural ancestors without fail the rural ones lived longer than those living in the city.
Kerry
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I missed it so will make a point of watching it tomorrow, sounds good. :)
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Caught it tonight. Compulsive viewing for those of us with Ag.Labs all over the place! What a hard life! :o
It's now a 'must watch' in this house.
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I made a point of watching it tonight too. Excellent! Entertaining and educational at the same time. I didn't know about the troubles when they introduced threshing machines, I suppose we've just got used to people being laid off due to auutomation.
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I managed to miss both showings of it. I spent a weekend in Acton Scott in November but didn't go to the working farm. Silly me. ::)
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Is it on the BBC I player? Or maybe it will be on BBC3 at some point. Put next Thursday/Saturday in your diary Genjen!
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I-player - maybe.
BBC3 ??- I live in Kendal. We have only just moved on from steam radio!
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lol at Genjen :) sounds like where I live, in the wilds of Connemara, west coast Ireland :) I only just got broadband :)
Yes, NannyJan...great headsup, really appreciate that, the show was good, I caught it tonight...and recorded on DVD for my mother, who actually does not even own a TV :)
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BBC3 ??- I live in Kendal. We have only just moved on from steam radio!
A small price to pay for spectacular views like that though!
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I didn't know about the troubles when they introduced threshing machines, I suppose we've just got used to people being laid off due to auutomation.
This also goes a long way to explain why, as we go further back in our research, some of our ancestors have been found living many miles away not only in another County but in the countryside. ::)
I would think if anyone was listed around that time as a Labourer instead of Ag Lab, they may have been one of those men employed to hand thresh at harvest-time, but do other work the rest of the year.
Actually, on learning the name of the owner of the Acton Estate (Thomas Stackhouse Acton) it has given me another area to search for my elusive Richard Stackhouse (b 1783) my 4 x g.grandfather.
There is a connection with the area around the Acton's (Scott and Burnell)as the one of the grandson's of Richard married an Everall from the same area in Shropshire and in the 1860/70's had members of her family living with her in Wolverhampton.
Jean
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I have to say i enjoyed this show alot. I even alerted my parents that it was repeated on the saturday. and my dad liked it alot.
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so i watched the show Saturday with the children and they were enthralled when is the next episode on?
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Next one is Thursday 9.00pm BBC2; I'm assuming the repeat will be on Saturday evening.
Nanny Jan
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Hi
I enjoyed the programme. It was very informative and very moving as well. Imagine how hard it was for our ancestors having to ag lab in all kinds of weather, not forgetting the actual farmer who employed everyone.
Ben
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Don't know if anyone noticed but when they showed the start of the ploughing with those lovely horses there was a snippet of the original type of wooden plough.
I am sure this was from Tales of the Green Valley as the legs of the ploughman had breeches on, as worn in the 17c.
It quite interesting to see just how hard our 'ag lab' ancestors (and their women folk) worked every day of the year.
Jean
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Reminder: 9.00pm BBC2 tonight.
Nanny Jan
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Set to record on series link now as it's well worth keeping for a while. :D
Kerry
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Sorry, have to say I found the programme quite boring. It was too faked for my liking, but unless an old film was found, I suppose there's no other way of showing life in the Victorian Ages. I just felt that all the problems the two men and the woman had on the farm was because they hadn't been born into that life and had older family members with experience to help them out. And where were all the other women at the Christmas table, that was totally unrealistic, surely there would have been wives and girlfriends, even if the TV film company didn't want to show children.
Lizzie
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It's the same team that lived 12 months 17th century style in Tales from the Green Valley.
According to the Radio Times the programme was filmed over a year in Shropshire on an estate in Acton Scott, (presumably they don't mean a housing estate).
Jean
[/qu Acton Scott is a wonderful place, it is a sort of farming museum near Church Stretton. It is run as a farm with animals and life as it was in Victorian times
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I am finding it all a bit too clean and easy to be realistic. I can't get my head around the fact that there is a film crew in the background, which is obviously the case but somehow I hoped it might be a bit more cleverly done. I wish that woman would stop laughing all the time and why are the men staying somewhere else? It said last week that only the woman was staying in the cottage. Do they go home to a nice clean hotel with all mod cons at night?
Jen
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Jen
I think they mentioned last week staying elsewhere on the estate, so perhaps they are living up at the big house ::) ::)
Kerry
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How very authentic! ;D
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I am really enjoying the series - but I am biased, cos I know Ruth, I have been fortunate to work with her as a volunteer 3 or 4 times in the past (her speciality period is Tudor). The reason they can't sleep in the house will be to do with health and safty, and insurance, the rules for staying overnight in some of these historic buildings are just over the top.
:)
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May not be very authentic at all but it is interesting to see some of the machines and jobs done and used by my Ag Lab ancestors. I was fascinated by the range that they installed last week, I just about remember my gran cooking on one of those into the 1960s/1970s when I was a child.
Kerry
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Yes, the machinery and household equipment are really fascinating, as are the meals she is preparing. What she did with that tongue last night.... :-X :-X
But I still say it all looks a bit too clean. The clothes thay are wearing do tend to look freshly laundered and whilst I am sure the smalls were washed regularly, I'm equally certain that the outer garments, made from heavy and less easily managed fabrics, would not have been quite so pristine.
Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying it and learning from it, I'm just not convinced of the authenticity of some parts of it.
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But I still say it all looks a bit too clean. The clothes thay are wearing do tend to look freshly laundered and whilst I am sure the smalls were washed regularly, I'm equally certain that the outer garments, made from heavy and less easily managed fabrics, would not have been quite so pristine.
Suppose as it's the start of the series all the clothes are new. Maybe towards the end of the 'year' they will look quite grubby. :)
Jean
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I think you just have to take it for what it is. I think the important part of the show is just to inform you of how they lived, and to give you a feeling to how it was.
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Well said, Hodgkiss.
I think it is one of the best things on telly - no, THE best at the moment. I like the really knowledgable people, all with a sense of humour and willing to try things. Ok they may not be living in the house but does that matter? They have real lives too.
Well done all involved I say.
Caroline
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I am enjoying the programme very much,I too can remember a big black range like that and during the war when I was evacuated to a relative`s Shropshire farm many of the old machines were resurrected to save on petrol and the horses came back into their own again .However some of the "gadgets" like the mangold wurzel chopper had never gone out of use in an area where electricity was not installed until the late 1950`s
I could not understand why washday took so long-4days-O.K things were soaked the day before in cold soapy water and then scrubbed and boiled the next day etc. And when dry at least a day later it was ironed but not 4 days solid and my relatives had the same conditions-no running water, we carried it from the rainwater butt , and a copper boiler with fire underneath, old dolly tub and posser and a mangle. I couldn`t see why Ruth talked about starching AFTER the washing was dry- that was done in the final rinse in which the starch and dolly blue were dissolved . Ruth didn`t seem to have soapy sudsy water either. But it is a lovely programme. For anyone interested there is a book called "Never on a Sunday" which describes in their own words the lives of Shropshire mining and farming communities . It`s title was chosen because these very Godfearing people NEVER did any work on Sundays that was not absolutely necessary-cows were milked and animals fed but cooking was done on Saturday and you could not play or sew or read anything that was not to do with religion . But they were lovely people and I know I was very lucky to have spent time with them .Book reference:-ISBN:1-874200-10-6 Published by SCENESETTERS. BUCKNELL SHROPSHIRE SY70AL ShropshireRootsChatters would enjoy it. Viktoria
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I liked this tongue in cheek comment on the program from another site I visit
'The people on The Victorian Farm are far too competent and enjoying themselves far too much.
When do we get to vote one of them out?'
;D
DebbieG
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Hi
Even though it is not stated in censuses, I reckon many ag labs had a responsible role such as being in charge of the ditch digging and controlling a team of 5 or 6 other ditch diggers, or an ag lab in charge of 5 other ploughmen, ie a line leader who ranked just below the foreman and farmer.
Ben
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I have just watched this week's episode and found it really fascinating. It seems to be less about the big things of running a farm and more about the day to day things, although lambing is pretty big I know ::)
The home remedies were fascinating especially about the alkanet and the old crafts needed in order to run the farm, ie the Blacksmith, the basket maker etc.
This is proving to be an enlightening programme for many reasons.
Kerry
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I liked this tongue in cheek comment on the program from another site I visit
'The people on The Victorian Farm are far too competent and enjoying themselves far too much.
When do we get to vote one of them out?'
;D
DebbieG
Having just returned from a trip to Dublin I can tell you that you need to go to Ireland for that. RTE have "Farm Factor" and the contestants compete upon various farming tasks/skills.
... and before, I get accused of stereotyping, I'm not joking ;D ;D ;D
and I am of Irish descent
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I am enjoying the programme very much too.
Many of my rellies were Ag Labs and I have been most interested to see the very labour-intensive activities they would have been involved in. We don't appreciate how lucky we are in this age of central heating and plenty of jumpers and socks.....let alone hot water.............do we!
I have been wondering just how well I would have got on with it all. ::)
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I agree
We live in an age where if we want something we go online and buy it or we go to the supermarket and buy it.
How would we manage where if we want a fence for instance, we have to go to the woods and get the wood then saw it, and go to the blacksmith to get the hinges etc etc. I don't think I would manage. ::)
Kerry
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We do indeed live in privileged times, in the western world at least, but I daresay many in the third world would relate much more closely to the people in the programme.
The sad thing is that our generation seems to have benefitted greatly from all our ancestors' efforts to struggle out of those hard "Ag Lab" times, but we seem to have got so addicted to the good life that, instead of seeking to achieve even better for our children's generation, we're now collectively living on borrowed money which they will have to repay . . . where did it all go wrong . . . ???
I wonder if there will be programmes in future reminiscing about the glorious days of the late 20th century?
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Within its limitations (which I must say the BBC hasn't disguised or made light of) it is a very interesting programme - many of the aspects of life in the rural 1880s I really hadn't thought about.
Can I recommend to fellow Chatters the books of Richard Jefferies, written at the time that "Victorian Farm" is set? "Hodge & his Masters" which I am reading at the moment gives a great deal of valuable insight into the lives of ag labs as well as farmers & the other members of rural society - he mentions that preschool children of labourers would often be washed & fed in the morning and then sent out of doors to fend for themselves until evening (with possibly a piece of bread & lard for lunch) - no H&S rules then!
Steve
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Thanks for the book reference, Steve, I must try "Hodge" for myself.
I remember hearing an old countryman on the radio reminiscing about his childhood in the 1930s, I think, and talking about pulling a turnip for his lunch from the field on his way to school . . . not sure how hungry I'd have to be to dine on raw turnip :-\
Full marks to the BBC for an excellent series, and I also like the Adam Hart-Davis series that follows it on thursdays, also about the Victorians. Although that is a repeat, it was a smart move to put them together.
Mike.
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Thanks for the tip Steve, I will look out for them.
Kerry
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Just read the first few pages of "Hodge" online at:
http://www.fullbooks.com/Hodge-and-His-Masters.html
Definitely going to put my Christmas book token towards a copy . . . I can't endure reading on the screen for very long . . . and I was brought up with a respect verging on reverence for books :)
Mike.
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Full marks to the BBC for an excellent series, and I also like the Adam Hart-Davis series that follows it on thursdays, also about the Victorians. Although that is a repeat, it was a smart move to put them together.
Mike.
That would explain why, when the two men sawing a log over the saw pit, there was no mention the terms 'Top Dog' and 'Under Dog'.
Nice to see the 'tree feller' didn't get the tree to fall quite right. Just hope those two swear words came from Victorian times ;D
Jean
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Jean apparently my often coppicer partner tells me that is very authentic - trees very often don't go the way you want them to.
It was interesting to see that in that part of the country they were using Oak from oak woods for fences, baskets etc. My part of the country they grow sweet chestnut for those purposes, it is quicker growing and therefore can be coppiced more often but does the job just as well.
Kerry
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I've only just come across this thread but I have been watching the program from the start
Must say I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far and it has been very informative
Willow x
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I've really enjoyed every one of this series. Must admit though, I couldn't get enthusiastic about those eyeballs they ate! Or the brains!
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Tongue/yerk-014.gif)
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I fancied the brawn though ::) ;D I just about remember it from my childhood in the 70s.
I have to say I'm finding this series very interesting particularly with reference to my Ag Lab ancestors, they had hard lives.
Kerry
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last one this week i think
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Oh no! I absolutely love this programme, it's very entertaining and educational as well. :)
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Apparently there is a book out that goes with the series, and I have a birthday next week ;D ;D
Kerry
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I do hope they put this onto DVD as I saw some of the first episode but have missed the rest as I am chief Taxi driver for my teenage daughter who has a better sosial life than I do.
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Hi - If you are interested I had an E-mail last week from the chap who makes the program Peter Somers, saying they are taking preorders for the DVD. He has a web-site here
http://www.petersommer.com/turkey-travel-news/victorian-farm-bbc-tv-series
There are links to the books and other web-sites
:)
DebbieG
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Thanks Debbie
Kerry :D
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Thanks for that info Debbie
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A very useful programme as I've got a wheelwright, straw plaiters, and a printer in my tree as well as numerous ag.labs. :D
A really enjoyable series.
Nanny Jan
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I've realy enjoyed watching it, realy instructive and a real insight into my gt grandparents lives.
I hope they make more!
Gaille
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A friend and I were discussing that very subject yesterday, what era could they do next. The 1880s were interesting because they were full of change.
I reckon the early 1700s as I'm not sure I know much about that time except that as my friend pointed out nothing much changed in farming for hundreds of years.
Kerry
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Er, have you not heard of Jethro Tull (not the rock group) and his legendary seed drill?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/tull_jethro.shtml
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No I haven't :-[ Thanks for the link Downside, said I knew nothing about farming at that period ::)
Kerry
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Did you see the one they did a couple of years ago about farming in the 1620s? It was 'Tales from the Green Valley' and was similarly fascinating. If you view both together you can see just how much difference the new Victorian machinery must have made to agriculture. I guess the next period of change was the postwar introduction of the concept of intensive farming, when fields were enlarged to allow the big machinery to operate more efficiently. You could set one in the late 1940s and 50s I guess.
Edited to add: I've just looked up 'Tales from the Green Valley', and it was done in 2003, which is about 3 years longer ago than I thought it was. Unbelievable!
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Me too Aniseed, didn't realise it was that long ago but then maybe that explains why I can't remember much about the programme.
I suppose another option would be to go right back to very early farming but maybe a bit hard on the historians. ::) ;D
Kerry
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I guess the next period of change was the postwar
The next big change was touched on in the program - the introduction of the tractor. No more messing around with horses etc. The old bloke from the next farm who was farming in the 1930's said he wouldn't like to go back to using horses and the other Victorian equipment.
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I've found this programme quite fascinating, and it's told me things I'm ashamed to admit had never crossed my mind before.
I had actually never thought about threshing and how the wheat grains were separated from the chaff.
::)
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Did any one see Tales from the Green Valley as I never did.
The DVD can be bought from the internet only bookshop quite reasonably and I wondered whether it was worth getting.
Any views appreciated.
Regards
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Hi
Yes it was a good series, although I think Victorian Farm was better but not sure why. :) But worth getting because it is so interesting and educational.
Kerry
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Having watched the last episode last night (the Sat night repeat) shame it has finished. :(
Been a very good series by giving an insight to how our ancestors lived. I was very interested in how they repaired the wheel of the drey as my g-grandfather was a wheelwright.
I had read of how wheels were repaired but actually watching how they put the iron tyre on was much more illuminating. For some reason I expected they were going to clear the ashes away and put the wooden wheel on top of the tyre. :D
The difference between country life in the 17c as shown in Tales of the Green Valley and 19c in Victorian Farm was in a lot of ways was the same.
The invention of better machinery was a help but how complicated was the machine for cutting the wheat and tying it with string. No wonder the farmer who has used one in the 1930's was glad when the tractors came in.
Wonder what the team will show us next?
Jean
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I also saw the last episode last night and found the wheelwright bit fascinating. My OH wants to make a straw hat now too ::) ::)
I think that is what has made this series so very good is the way they have brought in all the old crafts that helped these people to run their lives and shows how from a farmer and his family so many other occupations radiated out and affected his life.
I'm glad they got the wheat in before the thunder - very dramatic
Kerry
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I watched every episode (lol far better than the programme that was on BBC1 at the same time!)
I have been really lucky that I have tracked my Ag-Lab gt-gt-gradada thru every cencus from a 1 year old baby in the 1841 cencus right thru to a 71 year old grandad aof (at least) 20 Children.
(he was still working in the 1911 Cencus - and should appear on the 1921 as well when it comes out as he died in 1922 !)
Bearing in mind the average life expectancy in the 18 and 1900s I feel SO lucky that I have been able to do this.
I was just sitting here thinking tho - can you IMAGINE what he saw invented in his lifetime? and all the changes?
All the things that were being brought in on the "Victorian Farm" would have been in his adulthood, and as he got older all the old jobs he had done all his life would have been mechanised ........... his job must have changed so much towards the end of his lifetime..............
Gaille
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All my ancestors on both sides of my dads family were Ag Labs, they were born and bred in two villages in Huntingdonshire (little has changed), and also Worcestershire. Dad traced them back to the late 1500 s. He told me that his line of family were `boring`. I have always been very proud of them and after watching these programs, even more so, and totally un boring.
Regards jackandtom
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Hi,
I'm glad they got the wheat in before the thunder - very dramatic
. . . and to think a modern Combine could probably have harvested and threshed their whole field in less than 5 minutes! Mind you, the machine would cost nearly as much as the average family house . . . and be almost as big :o
I think there's scope for at least 2 more series . . . maybe 1920s and 1950s ?
For anyone who missed the series, or want to see it again, I just noticed there are only 3 days left to watch episode 1 on iPlayer . . .
Mike.