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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Caw1 on Friday 04 September 15 01:31 BST (UK)
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I've just watched tonight's episode about Jerry Hall!!
Wonder what people thought?
She had a wonderful array of clothes suiting all occasions and thought she was on a photo shoot!! Hey that's just me though - jealousy doesn't get you anywhere!!
Having said that, I did find the history of the early frontier families quite interesting and she has obviously come from good solid stock who made a difference to the lives of people and something to be proud of.
Wonderful too to have such a lot of intimate information documented, but then there were fewer people around so it was probably easier to keep tabs on them all and write up the stories.
Pity there wasn't much time spent on the Halls in England. She didn't appear to realise the conditions that James had to work in as a child in the cotton mills.
I found it interesting the two letters she was shown had survived when there must have been many men working and living in the area while the railway was being built.
Who, where, how would those little scraps have been kept?
Could they have come from the family that still live in the area?
I think this episode may have been better suited for the American market.
Him in doors said he'd found watching paint dry more interesting and disappeared to watch Murray playing at Flushing Meadows!! He's usually watches it with me, although sometimes just to humour me with passing comments! It must be wonderful to have your spouse who has the same level of interest in family research!
Look forward to others thoughts!!
Caroline
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It must be wonderful to have your spouse who has the same level of interest in family research!
I agree, WDYTYA sends my wife to sleep in minutes!
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I found it really interesting, and also thought Jerry Hall came across very well.
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I too thought Jerry had a wonderful array of clothes! :D We generally see people stomping about in a deary grey or black coat.
You know it was a pleasant episode but nothing spectacular. With regard to the notes that were presented to Jerry, I would imagine these would have been handed down in the family and at some point given over to the local archives or museum.
I was very suspicious of the Daniel Boone hints that Jerry kept alluding to throughout the episode when the Daniel Boone connection was not actually revealed until the end. I suspect that there was some knowledge of a 'Dan'l' Boone connection within her family. In the US Dan'l is a real hero and demi god so I would imagine Jerry would be thrilled to learn of the link. Not sure why she needed to arrive at the fort in Kentucky on horseback when there was a carpark at the front!! ::)
With regard to Oldham - who knew! :o
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I knew that when James went first, he probably did go to America first to set up a job and a place then get his wife to join rather than do a runner, as several of my ancestor siblings did the same when emigrating to America in the late 1870s/1880s.
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I started watching it with rather gritted teeth, and was pleasantly surprised. There was an interesting programme there - and most of us watching have some knowledge of the conditions in northern English mills - the motivation for migration was explored a little, and it was (almost) a "rollicking good yarn". I quite enjoyed it. The first one in this series was the most tedious, I felt, with the Hollywood(?) character, can't even recall his full name now, and at least this one followed the good old formula we all know so well:
"Work backwards from what you know, can prove and have got"
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And besides, it was Jerry Hall, on a horse, in lovely countryside. What's not to like?
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I think you have a soft spot for Jerry Mike!!!!
It's just that Texas drawl that is not very becoming!
Other than that I did actually quite enjoy the programme, at least it's gone back to its roots with research! Thankfully.And besides, it was Jerry Hall, on a horse, in lovely countryside. What's not to like?
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It was quite interesting but I was left wanting to know where the Kentucky Bests came from.
Also was anxious to know what became of the widowers daughter who was adopted.
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It was quite interesting but I was left wanting to know where the Kentucky Bests came from.
Snap...... I wanted to know that!
I too thought it more suited to the American market and not the UK one.
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I recorded it but fell asleep yet again! It must have been that drawl and the repetitive music!
I would have liked to hear more about the cotton-mills, she didn't seem interested in that but just wanted to start travelling!
Yes it was like a fashion show but that hat suits her!
(I did enjoy Derek Jacobi though and I did manage to stay awake.)
rayard.
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I usually find this series fascinating - which last weeks' was. But I have to say I didn't enjoy last night's and gave up half way through.
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It was quite interesting but I was left wanting to know where the Kentucky Bests came from.
Snap...... I wanted to know that!
I too thought it more suited to the American market and not the UK one.
A few trees on ancestry take this line back further to John Best b 1700 Maryland d 1780 North Carolina. There are some differences of opinion about the correct line , as might be expected !
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I recorded it but fell asleep yet again! It must have been that drawl and the repetitive music!
rayard.
Must admit I have developed a sneaking sympathy for Mick Jagger - that laid back drawl must have had him dozing off all the time ;D
Anyway some parts were interesting and I wanted to know more - Oldham cotton mill, letters to America, letter setting up a 'date' , what happened to little Clara....and little James.
Got a bit annoyed with the James Hall was a cad for leaving behind his wife & children comments when it was just as likely (as was the case) that James had went out ahead to settle into his work before the others followed (several on my own extended family tree did exactly that).
The American history - Daniel Boone etc - was interesting and Jerry was obviously delighted with the research, but agree with others , better suited to US market.
All in all I think I've fallen a little bit out of love with WDYTYA these days - but I will watch the rest of the series.
Looby :)
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As a former fan of WDYTYA I found this episode the first one I have enjoyed in this series. A relief too, after all the war and tragedies of the other episodes. Early American history is very beguiling, not just to Americans themselves. And I liked the camera work on the Texan and Kentucky landscapes.
Caroline
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No - not an episode with any meat in it for me ??? :o
xin
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Coming from Irish and Lancashire coal mining stock, I found it very interesting. Yes, Jerry's 'drawl' could be irritating, but I like it that she comes from a harsh background and appreciates that her ancestors must have been from hardy stock.
For me, she came across very well. Her accent didn't bother me and I think she really enjoyed, and engaged with everything that was presented (as she didn't seem to research anything herself, or did I miss something?).
I liked her very much and hope she wants to find out more about Isaac Best and also Clara Hall (and baby James if he survived)
Kit
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Ok - this has nothing to do with the thread! I've just uploaded a picture of my dear old mum and as you can see its sideways on! Naturally when I took the picture it was the right way up. So how did it get like this and has anyone any suggestions as to why it's now like this.
It's on my photo roll on my iPad and it's a picture of a picture so could that be the problem?
Any help or suggestions would be great please!
Caroline
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Just as I thought Paul Hollywood's effort was going to be the duff one of the series, this comes along.
There seemed to be an awful lot of driving along and twangy music to fill in the large gaps when nothing much was being explored.
I had high hopes with the Oldham cotton mills section but everything seemed to peter out and Jerry didn't help as, although I felt she was personable and interested in her family, unlike Jane Seymour and Derek Jacobi she didn't convert that interest into intelligent questioning so we mainly just got people showing her bits of paper with her cooing then another longshot of her driving along or riding along...
She was also concerned about the slaves but not about the displacement of Native Americans. Both were products of their time, so I think either accept both or condemn both, it's hypocritical to be appalled at slave ownership but to then celebrate other ancestors 'pioneering' that was at the expense of those already there.
As for her wondering about James Hall being a cad. Well, fair enough, in the Bruce Forsyth series I think there was a man in every programme who deserted his family!
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Barnes. You expressed my feelings about the programme perfectly.
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No, this one was not for me, boring, only watched half. First time I have seen one of these programmes where they are taken to see long lost family who turn around and say"haven't seen you in a while" !!
Jennifer
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Just as I thought Paul Hollywood's effort was going to be the duff one of the series, this comes along.
There seemed to be an awful lot of driving along and twangy music to fill in the large gaps when nothing much was being explored.
I had high hopes with the Oldham cotton mills section but everything seemed to peter out and Jerry didn't help as, although I felt she was personable and interested in her family, unlike Jane Seymour and Derek Jacobi she didn't convert that interest into intelligent questioning so we mainly just got people showing her bits of paper with her cooing then another longshot of her driving along or riding along...
She was also concerned about the slaves but not about the displacement of Native Americans. Both were products of their time, so I think either accept both or condemn both, it's hypocritical to be appalled at slave ownership but to then celebrate other ancestors 'pioneering' that was at the expense of those already there....
Agree. I was disappointed by the short amount of time spent on the mills /Oldham section
Also, child labour in the industrial mills (and mines) was itself a type of slavery, as many radicals and reformers repeatedly pointed out at the time.
There is a wealth of interesting historical evidence that could have been explored about the lives of the British working class, but yet again the BBC ignore it and spend most of its UK WDYTYA programme exploring another countries social history
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I thought this episode was good but I'm unsure why she wasn't on the US version, maybe they did an 'exchange episode' as JK Rowling apparently appeared on the US version this year, even though I'm sure she did a UK one! ??? ::)
Anyway! It was interesting to see their movements around the country and the connections to the Boone's and I agree that there should have been more of the cotton mills section as it would allow viewers, who have relatives who worked in the mills, to gain more of an insight.
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I was surprised at close up of Jerry's teeth.
As a top model, you would think she'd have perfect teeth.
I liked the part where Family were sharing photographs.
Overall I liked the programme especially the views of the countryside.
The Native Americans were mentioned as if they were wolves or bears about to pounce on their prey.
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I was surprised that they kept referring to the 'Indians', I thought that wasn't accepted now, Native Americans instead. Having never had the chance to visit the US I genuinely don't know. ???
Pat
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Enjoyed this episode, much to my surprise ;) I too thought it more suited to the American WDYTYA series. It gave a great insight into those early American settlers. How lucky she was to have been shown all those documents etc that pieced together the life story of her ancestors!
Bit surprised that she lives in Richmond :o
Jane
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I was surprised that they kept referring to the 'Indians', I thought that wasn't accepted now, Native Americans instead. Having never had the chance to visit the US I genuinely don't know. ???
Pat
Apparently the natives don't see much difference between being called "Indian" or "Native American" since both are inaccurate descriptions of what the original peoples would have called themselves. Same applies for "Eskimo" and "Inuit".
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Thank you for explaining JAKnighton!
It's a bit of minefield knowing the right things to say so as not to offend people. ;)
Pat