TV and Radio permalink
Victorian Farm
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Message 1.Â
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Thursday, 8th January 2009
The first part of a new six part series portraying a year in the life of a Victorian farmer starts tonight on Ö÷²¥´óÐã2 9pm-10pm.
I’m fascinated by everything Victorian, but I post this reminder on the basis that people who are interested in horticulture are often also interested in agriculture....Anyone remember 'Tales from green valley'? -
Message 2
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Thursday, 8th January 2009
Thanks for that, I'll have to get back from garden club a bit sharpish tonight to catch it.
I have an Edwardian market gardening book which waxes lyrical on the benificial effects of guano and "night soil" on the garden, also nicotine and other poisons used in the greenhouse and on plants.
I can't wait to see if these retro techniques will get past the Political Correctness Editor! -
Message 3
Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Thursday, 8th January 2009
I recently watched a re-run of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã series "The Wartime Kitchen and Garden" and that was absolutely superb - probably because of a certain degree of nostalgia, but I'm just a tad too young to remember the Victorian era.
Tell me, am I right in thinking that in this new series a team of 'experts' goes in and has just three days to revamp the farm in time for Queen Victoria's Jubilee? -
Message 4
Posted by Dugless (U11787403) on Sunday, 11th January 2009
Yes, it is a team of three people assisted by many other experts, but it's not a three-day hit like Time Team. The team has to live and work on a Victorian farm for a year. The first programme bodes well.
The team did a similar series a year or so back but based on a farm about 300 years ago. That was both very enjoyable and informative. Try watching and see what you think, -
Message 5
Posted by Berghill (U2333373) on Sunday, 11th January 2009
Watched it, the commentary was a bit dreary, but the content was good.
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Message 6
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Monday, 12th January 2009
I watched it and was slightly disappointed. Just a rehash of 'Tales from the green valley' really, with the same people taking part....just a different era.
Still an enjoyable watch though! -
Message 7
Posted by jennie-wren (U9422284) on Monday, 12th January 2009
I enjoyed it, nice bit of light TV!
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Message 8
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
I have a stove which is very similar to the one that was taken out. It was purchased in 1904 for the princely sum of £5 (I have the catolgue).
[IMG]/IMG]
Not a very good picture though. -
Message 9
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Hello Amazing
I find it very nice that someone of your very advanced years is still posting on here, you must be over 120 by now if you bought the stove in 1904.
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Message 10
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
lionRedwood, you naughty boy, you should have noticed that I wrote, it was purchased, not I bought it.
It was made at the Caron Iron works in Falkirk which closed in 1967. Callander House in Falkirk has a museum and that it where I got the catologue page from.
Here is a better picture with a price list. I think it must have cost more than £5, thats just for the basic model. I will work out how much it actually cost. -
Message 11
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
OOps forgot the picture.
[IMG]/IMG] -
Message 12
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Hello Amazing
I think it would cost quite a bit more nowadays. As a matter of interest what is the difference between a stove and a range, do you know? -
Message 13
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
I think the difference was, a stove was just a cooker but a range would have a boiler attached to heat the water as well.
Nowadays any large cooker is called a range cooker I have one similar to this with a rottisore.
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Message 14
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Meant to say I was offered £2000 in 1974 for it (it would have paid off 1/2 our mortgage) but couldn't get it insured. Don't think at the time we realisd that it would come apart to manageable bits. Must put it on ebay and see if there is any takers.
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Message 15
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Hello Amazing
thank you for that answer. I have an Alles Brander (everything burner)in my shed and I cook on it, tea, coffee, valerian tea,fry ups and it also heats the greenhouse as well.I was offered a ridiculous price for it by an American but I didn't sell it. Maybe you could put it on American e-bay and get a lot more for it with the history* you have on your stove.I'm sure people would jump at the chance to buy it, good luck.
* is the word I'm looking for covenance? -
Message 16
Posted by nooj (U13729031) on Monday, 12th January 2009
provenance, i think
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Message 17
Posted by Tigerredwood (U13742280) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Hello nooj
Thats it thank you
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Message 18
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Monday, 12th January 2009
I've always wanted one of those, how much do you want for it? I wonder if it would fit in my van? I wonder how they come apart? I ought to rewatch it on iplayer and get the name of the gents who installed the one on the farm..
Just dreaming, I am skint after Christmas and ordering seeds! -
Message 19
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Monday, 12th January 2009
Don't think I really want to sell it. It would leave a big hole in the kitchen.
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Message 20
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Thursday, 15th January 2009
After being slightly disappointed with last week's episode, I just wanted to say I found tonight’s episode (the second in the series) absolutely fascinating and lived up to my initial expectations.
Fascinating stuff, from the drudgery attached to the weekly wash, construction of a pig-sty, and the Victorian way of celebrating Christmas.
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Message 21
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Thursday, 15th January 2009
Pig-sty was wonderful. Didn't fancy the weekly washing bit though. I remember while I was at school and did Domestic Science for two years, using a blue-bag to do washing.
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Message 22
Posted by groundelder (U11750698) on Friday, 16th January 2009
Best programme on the box at the moment - very atmospheric, informative and absorbing. Oh, if only Gardeners World were as interesting!
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Message 23
Posted by Alexlondon11 (U2577420) on Friday, 16th January 2009
I caught my first episode last night and it passed a very enjoyable winter hour.
I missed all the previous programmes (Tales from Green Valley etc) so have nothing to compare it with.
I was amazed the couple are prepared to live and wash in the freezing cold as part of a Victorian experiment. I really felt for the woman when she was sewing those braces and you see her breath in the cold garret room. Brrr!
But they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I think the woman was right that if you know the animal your cooking (Ena!), then you appreciate it more and notice the flavours - although I can't speak from experience, it made sense to me.
Quite a good tip about the Christmas pud - hers looked utterly delicious!
And I thought it interesting the commentary about how the Industrial Revolution made rural folk fearful that their way of life was being eroded, hence all the revivals of forgotten rituals and traditions. My favourite composer, Vaughan Williams, had the same notion when he went around the country collecting old folk songs that were fast disappearing because of industrialisation now immortalised in the beautiful music he wrote. -
Message 24
Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Friday, 16th January 2009
Alexlondon, the three people taking part aren't actually living in the cottage. I t is not habitable. Lady spent one night there, or at least it showed her going to bed but doubt if she spent the night.
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Message 25
Posted by Bluedoyenne (U2341157) on Friday, 16th January 2009
Reply to David K's message 20:
Agree with you 100% - a more interesting second programme. I love seeing how the land was worked and the animal husbandry practices of the era. And what a good idea for keeping the fragile pigs warm - underlining the cement floor with glass bottles! However the weekly wash was an eye-opener - imagine such a heavy task taking up 4 whole days every week - gives a good idea what the word 'drudgery' really means. -
Message 26
Posted by mommydoos (U2592301) on Friday, 16th January 2009
I love this programme - its sort of 'reality' TV but with loads of information. I also like the fact that there seems to be no competitiveness - they are all just getting on with things. The female partner's laugh might grate a bit after a while though (has to be said!) Loved the pig sty - looked better than the cottage! How long did she cook that turkey for? Seemed at least 2 days!
mommyxx -
Message 27
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 16th January 2009
I'm pleased to hear that others are finding this program so interesting too!
Mommydoos – I suppose the 'turkey roast' was just a project, otherwise it may just as well been cooked in the oven. -
Message 28
Posted by pinktequila (U2803141) on Saturday, 17th January 2009
Enjoyed this programme a lot but think a lot is being done for them! Why did the raddle the tup after he had done his business? Think we were conned a bit there, someone went painting the ewes with paint afterwards!
Very well done programme though. -
Message 29
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Thursday, 22nd January 2009
Another absolutely enthralling episode tonight.
Having witnessed all the effort that goes into tasks such as preparing a simple gate post, it makes me realise what softies we have become.
I think it is notable that they wouldn’t survive for a single day, without enlisting the help of people who have taken the trouble to preserve these old skills & crafts. -
Message 30
Posted by Margi (U2334861) on Friday, 23rd January 2009
Hi David
Just seen your thread. I'm thoroughly enjoying it too, and I don't remember ANYTHING from Victorian times...
Margi x -
Message 31
Posted by kath74 (U8999103) on Friday, 23rd January 2009
There have been many of these back-to-ye-olden-reality TV series, but this may be the first that has concentrated so happily on the details and the texture of this lost life. If I could just get rid of this nagging fear that it is actually part of a government-funded project to prepare the populace for the coming eco-fiscal apocalypse, I would love it even more.Â
From today's TV review in The Guardian. -
Message 32
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 23rd January 2009
Hi Margi, you and me both!!!
Whilst conceding that I am pretty ancient, the sum total of my own knowledge of the era was from the musings of me ole granddad (who used to be a head gardener to one of the pottery moguls of his day) + some study.
Luv to you & the little un. xx
PS. Never got to see the sunflower pic.
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Message 33
Posted by Margi (U2334861) on Friday, 23rd January 2009
Will try again, David, honest! But not tonight, if you don't mind too much...
M x -
Message 34
Posted by TallyHo (U2364821) on Friday, 23rd January 2009
I met and had a long conversation with man who made those sensational willow baskets at the Game Fair in the summer, I would have bought one but he'd sold out. He does courses and I'm sorely tempted to learn how to make them.
I love the way nothing is ever wasted... a lot of lessons to be learned. -
Message 35
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 30th January 2009
Another enjoyable episode last night and as I expected gardening matters were addressed.
I have to say that I was concerned about Ruth advising the use of (seemingly) fresh soot from her coal fire on her roses.
Soot should be stored dry for at least six months before use, otherwise it will scorch whatever it’s being applied to. I did agree that weathered soot is a useful preventative for rose black spot.
Black spot is a fungal disease and the sulphur content in soot acts as a fungicide.
*Interesting to note that black spot was much less of a problem before the clean air act.
Although I do understand that conveying the message is the most important thing, the chicken hatching/rearing part was a bit inaccurate i.e. those chicks & ducks were several weeks old and the hen wasn’t broody.
Anyone for Tamworth eyeballs???
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Message 36
Posted by hypercharleyfarley (U7444019) on Friday, 30th January 2009
Hello. I wasn't surprised that the sheep hut fell apart, nor that the horse was lamed. That's what you get if you try such a sharp turn with a heavy contraption with tiny wheels on soft ground. The shafts on that fertiliser spreader looked like modern scaffolding poles to me. I don't think it could do a day's work with that ill-fitting collar/harness either. Did they actually ever get any advice from people who still use working animals? Poor horse. Ma.
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Message 37
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 30th January 2009
Hello Ma. I very much agree and posted (message 29) along those lines last week.
Inasmuch as these animals seem to be on loan, I would have thought their owners would have kept a watchful eye on their welfare. -
Message 38
Posted by groundelder (U11750698) on Friday, 30th January 2009
Another cracking episode. We always used to have brawn when I was a child, which I loved, also haslet (what is it?). Not so sure now I know that brawn is made from a pig's head and jellied bits!
Thought the dressmaker was a bit strange (wouldn't let him into my house if I was on my own. LOL!)
Although heavily edited, it's still a fascinating glimpse into Victorian rural life and I'm eternally grateful that I have more time to devote to hobbies than they did. The simple life it may have been but hard, hard labour for sometimes very little return. -
Message 39
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Friday, 30th January 2009
I think they used to put the pig's eyeball into the brawn so it would see them through the week!
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Message 40
Posted by jennie-wren (U9422284) on Friday, 30th January 2009
Ewww David!
As I watch it, I wonder how we would fare today if we had to go back to living Victorian. Me, about half a hour. -
Message 41
Posted by Toadspawn (U2334298) on Friday, 30th January 2009
A very easy programme to watch and thoroughly enjoyable but not always technically correct. Brings back many memories because a lot of techniques were still in use 50 or so years ago.
An aunt always made brawn (didn't see the eyeballs). Often helped my mother with the Singer sewing machine when she made her dresses. The boiler, hand washing and blue bags were always Mondays and heating the 'flat iron' on the open fire, bricks wrapped in newspaper to warm the bed, etc. so many things unfortunately lost.
Worked with John Jenkins (Rothamsted scientist) many years ago.
I am a bit surprised the foot rot on the ewe was allowed to get so bad because she would have been very lame and any farmer with such a small flock would have done something some time before. Used to clean up the feet of sheep every year when helping on my uncles farm. Bit surprised they didn't mention that the lambs tails had rings on them to reduce the length as the end was partially shrivelled. Wonder what they will do when they decide that it is time to remove the bits of the male lambs not required for breeding or will it be bypassed. Also will they discuss 'dagging' before the sheep are shorn next time.
Mind you the parties were great fun and home made cider was 'nectar' at the time. They had to enjoy themselves when they could because the rest of the time was hard work.
Haselet is a bit like Faggots (dare I say that in this PC world), made from the 'offal'. Modern mass produced faggots are nothing like the real ones made fresh after killing a pig. -
Message 42
Posted by i_amsupernan (U13314763) on Friday, 30th January 2009
it bought aback a lot of memories for me too of the fifties and of my monday lunch time run home from school to help my gran put the washing through the mangle and to podge the clothes in the wash tub or dolly peg it then help to empty the hot water out of the dolly tub and scrub the bleached kitchen table with it ,all for a dripping sandwich but it was to me nectar from the gods ,it was just after the war and things were still short and my great uncle kept pigs on his allotment and i used to help feed them and clean them out but on slaughter day he would always have an excuse to not let me down there a good thing looking back on it now as seeing the weens from day one and loving them it would have freaked me out to watch the slaughter
we also learned at school to use a treadle sewing machine and to this day i still make clothes for myself and the grandkids ,and knitting was also a craft we learnt so we were poor but got a good grounding in self sufficency in those days we had good teachers in and out of school i may be old but ican still garden and grow my veg ,sew and cook all skills i was taught at a very young age -
Message 43
Posted by ArtemisHP (U12217956) on Saturday, 31st January 2009
The boiler, hand washing and blue bags were always Mondays and heating the 'flat iron' on the open fire, bricks wrapped in newspaper to warm the bed, etc. so many things unfortunately lost.Â
The more I watch, the more grateful I feel for living in the 21st Century! -
Message 44
Posted by Dugless (U11787403) on Saturday, 31st January 2009
This series is proving thoroughly enjoyable even though there may be a few niggles as mentioned above. And the suet for the pie pastry looked awfully like the modern shredded stuff. Faggots? Yes, the supermarket versions are but a pale shadow of the real thing. Luckily we can get some decent ones from a pork butcher. Same goes for brawn and black pudding.
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Message 45
Posted by Dugless (U11787403) on Monday, 2nd February 2009
Just watched 'Larkrise to Candleford'. Bearing in mind it's set at the same time as 'The Victorian Farm', the two seem to be from different worlds. One's all sun, smiles and jollity, the other's nearly all hard graft.
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Message 46
Posted by myplot (U6600643) on Tuesday, 3rd February 2009
Hi Toadspawn, I remember in the fifties when Mum used to give us brawn. We had it with mashed potatoes which seemed to melt the brawn!
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Message 47
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Thursday, 5th February 2009
I love this programme. Stuffed full of 'how to's' which require minimal money and technology. Ruth is a complete star. How many people can/would take a calf's stomach and make their own rennet from it in 2009.
I was personally very interested in Ruth's 'recipe' for a elderleaf and soap mixture for killing gooseberry sawfly - there must be hundreds of these tried and tested folk-lore treatments that we've forgotten.
Interesting that it wasn't accompanied by the instruction not to do it because it's illegal to make 'pesticides'. Really it is. Mad isn't it? -
Message 48
Posted by David K (U2221642) on Thursday, 5th February 2009
I agree, Trillum, another fascinating programme! I know of quite a few Victorian insecticide preparations, but hadn’t heard of that particular gooseberry sawfly mixture.
I particularly enjoyed the bee keeping and sheep shearing techniques.
One thing does slightly mystified me is the fact that they are eating stuff prepared in (what seems to be) dirty & unhygienic equipment. -
Message 49
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Thursday, 5th February 2009
What did you see that was dirty or unhygienic David? OK, so no stainless steel, but they knew about carbolic soap and scalding for cleaning. Apart from the fact that I don't eat meat anyway, I'd have no problem in principle eating anything they've made on the programme.
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Message 50
Posted by Toadspawn (U2334298) on Thursday, 5th February 2009
DK
It may have looked unhygenic compared with modern standards which have gone seriously over the top because rarely (if ever) did they suffer from stomach problems due to poor food preparation. They knew what to do to get the best from everything. Also working on the land they all ate some dirt every day so built up a natural immunity unlike todays population of whimps ruled by H&S.
Making ginger beer with their technique works and the taste is superb. I have made wine from fresh fruit/veg/flowers in an open vessel with the yeast spread on a piece of toast floated on the top of the liquid. It worked very well and none of the flavour was lost. Modern techniques of sterilisation of everything has spoilt the fun and the flavour.
You can't beat the taste of veg pulled/picked from the garden, any dirt rubbed off on trousers and washed in a water butt and then eaten. Wonderful.
As Alex said honey eaten straight after extracting is fantastic and honey on the comb is even better. Eating honey and comb straight from the hive is one of the pleasures of beekeeping and you get the scents of the hive which are hard to describe.
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