BBC "Who Do You Think You Are?" Paul Hollywood (WDYTYA Series 12 Episode 1)

[jaywit]

Workhouse admissions just before death are usually health related rather than about poverty aren't they? Was the programme trying to create a moment of sadness with that?


Blue

I agree totally with this, no mention of the fact that the Workhouse Infirmary was virtually  the only free medical care at that time and being admitted 2 days before his death it was obviously why he went in.

This sort of I will say misinformation for effect I hate.

I will admit though the programme was a good free advert for the Highland tourist industry, a tourist film couldn't have got better scenery and weather.

[Ringrose]

There was a lot of padding .....driving ,etc.I enjoyed the second half where he did go back a few generations and what he found was interesting.Perhaps an hour isn't long enough.
We all know our different lives reveal different stories and one wonders what his maternal line would have revealed.
Ringrose

[carol8353]

I will admit though the programme was a good free advert for the Highland tourist industry, a tourist film couldn't have got better scenery and weather.

We commented about the weather on them there 'ills.
Imagine doing that run with the post sack on your back in a long Scottish winter 

[scotmum]

Some further interesting reading re the 'post runner' :

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01fwk/

so it may only have been the 'full run' for five or so months of the year.

[Mowsehowse]

Some further interesting reading re the 'post runner' :

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01fwk/

so it may only have been the 'full run' for five or so months of the year.

Thank you Scotmum.  I am SO relieved the poor postie was "only " doing that remarkable journey five months a year because I certainly wondered how he could have managed it every week through the winter months.   

I believe I read that WDYTYA have focused on the world wars for this series as a continuation  of the commemoration events.  Personally I would have preferred the programme to have had a different balance, but Paul Hollywood expressed a desire to learn about his Grandad's war experience, and definitely he did that!!

[Gillg]

Yawn........

So much padding with driving around (free advert for R---- R----?) and artistic shots of fields and plants.  Obviously Hollywood was interested in his grandfather's war history, but this part went on far too long, until we were fed up with hearing the word "Granddad".  Much more time could have been spent on history further back into the family, but the result was that this part was sketchy and rushed. 

It's always interesting to hear how people moved around in the past and I loved the tale of  the postie.

[ScouseBoy]

Families need to  check what photos and letters from WW2  they still have in the loft, before they are lost.

[ScouseBoy]

I think they overdid to some extent   how afraid he would have been leading up to the battle on "Banana Ridge"

I think they were trying to impose current thinking and ideas   on to young men 70 years ago.

[jillruss]

I agree with the comments about padding and war history.

I also think (and have done for some time) that the BBC are again trying to appeal to all and sundry by choosing their subjects for this programme not necessarlily for their interesting ancestry but more because of their current popularity.

Thus we have from the very popular Bake Off Paul Hollywood for this series and Mary Berry from the last series. We also have the two leads from Last Tango In Halifax (very popular): Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid.

We'll probably get the actors who play Mr & Mrs Poldark in the next series!!

Interestingly, I watched a few of the latest series of WDYTYA USA on the Watch channel a few weeks ago and - I hate to admit it - they're now doing it a heck of a lot better than us! They had the story zinging along; lots of experts and documentation, and, above all, by and large they didn't stop at one ancestor but kept going back. Kelsey Grammer's story was brilliant, as was Jim Parsons.

I hope our series improves as we go on....

Jill