| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| bernie-woman |
Victorian FarmLooks like a good series starting next Thursday (8/1/09) - it has at least two of the team from 'Tales from the Green Valley'Details from Radio Times: Victorian Farm Thursday 08 January 9:00pm - 10:00pm BBC2 Historical observational documentary series following a team who live the life of Victorian farmers for a year. Historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn move into a Victorian smallholding on the Acton Scott estate in Shropshire. Their first task is the restoration of the cottage, including the installation of a new range. They also help thresh the previous summer's wheat crop, learn shepherding, make cider and explore the challenges of Victorian cooking. VIDEO Plus+: 7137 Subtitled, Widescreen, Audio-described |
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| Penny |
That looks interesting. 
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
ooh might like that! ( sounds like tales of the green valley - is it the same people?) | ||||||||
| woodsprite |
If you look very carefully you might spy a woodsprite! | ||||||||
| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
oooh!!! where where.. |
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| bernie-woman |
At least two are the same - the older woman from Tales of the Green Valley and the fair haired younger bloke
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| woodsprite |
Possibly flitting past in the background Mrs F. The crew only want 'actual' workers for background colour. I'm probably only on camera digging spuds with my backside in the air or buffing the back end of Captain ( the shire).
It is great that so many people will get to see something of Acton Scott though, it's a fab place. The cottage that is featured is my main place of work whenever I'm there. Either lacemaking in the sitting room, baking on the range, making jams in the still room or making butter in the dairy. |
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| Silas |
We used to get along to Acton Scott quite a bit when the kids were little - great place. There was a farrier giving a demonstration once- really interesting. | ||||||||
| Frewen Feltmaker |
Oooh excellent - I will certainly be watching 
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Good tip-off - I'll b watching.
A. |
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| Belinda |
Thanks, I loved Tales from the Green Valley and will definitely be watching this new series. | ||||||||
| Nanny |
i shall definitely be watching that
we went to acton farm last year....maybe we saw you woodsprite if you were in the kitchen, there were some ladies in there i was especially interested in the butter making demo on the day, learned a lot |
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| mochyn |
Anyone fancy a trip to Acton Scott in the spring/summer? | ||||||||
| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
it sounds lovely! Where is it exactly - a linky for it? |
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| Bugs |
Ooh thanks lady Bernie, I knew this was coming up but hadn't seen it advertised. I really liked the Green Valley series so hope this will be a similar standard - more focused on the facts and stories than on manufactured quibbles  
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| LynneA |
Oh yes - love the place.
We stayed there long enough to watch the butter making demo twice. The newly re-erected allotment shed is being fitted out in a style influenced by the shepherds hut we saw there, though I've told Howard that a wood-burning stove isn't a practical option at present. |
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| Silas |
http://www.go2.co.uk/for/actonscott.html |
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| bernie-woman |
In case anyone can't watch tonight, like me - it is repeated on Saturday night at 7.00pm
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Loads of good telly tonight. HFW on C4 at 8pm, then the Victorian Farmers at 9. Square eyes, anyone?
A. |
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| mochyn |
The book is available through the Book People. | ||||||||
| Mary-Jane |
We've just been watching the Victorian Farm. Lots of yelling about lime, lime plaster and restoration as you can imagine. As I type, Gervase is also typing furiously - no doubt you will all be sharing what I've just had to endure for the last hour. Be warned...  
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| Gervase |
Oh dear.
I'm afraid the presenters irritate the t!ts off me. And I won't even begin to comment on the plastering. Oh, al right, if you must... Yes, do reuse old lime plaster, but only as aggregate, You've got to add some fresh lime to the mix, as the old stuff has long since carbonated. What they were intending to slap o the walls from that tin bath would have fallen off in a week. I can only assume that the far larger quantities they were later applying were made properly. As for the chimney - a lot seems to have been left unsaid and unshown, including testing to see if it was still sound for fumes. I guess they popped a stainless steel flue up there and kept quiet about it (I somehow can't see them parging it with lime and cow crap). Sloppy script-writing and production there - and I'm sure other authenticity nazis will point out similar solecisms. A shame, as it's a lovely topic, but have these presenters gallumphing around and dmbing it down for the camera with their irritating voices rather ruined the concept. When will the BBC learn that there's nothing wrong with actually explaining stuff, and showing that you know what you're talking about, instead of capering around like a Blue Peter presenter on Benzedrine.? *sigh* |
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| Mary-Jane |
Told you. | ||||||||
| Rob R |
It's only television, but the plaster[ing] did raise comments here too, not to mention the drilling, rolling, cooking, etc., etc.
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
I thought it was lovely and I wanted to play farmer's wife and have a go at that range | ||||||||
| Gervase |
Sorry about the rant.
I'm just finishing off a house for a client that was almost exactly like the one in the programme. In fact, if anything it was rather worse, as half the roof had come down. So seeing the mocked-up 'here's one I've been working on all day' attitude rather grated with me. But that's telly, I suppose, and some producers just don't get it. And I can't believe she boiled the mutton without root veg. Most weird... |
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| Mary-Jane |
And I would have much rather watched you in the role Mrs. F that that screaming banshee they had... 
Flippin' heck she was irritating. |
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| Gervase |
Just looked at next week's synopsis:
Talk about the bleedin' obvious wrapped up in ten layers of cliche. *sigh* |
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| jamila169 |
I thought you'd have something to say about the plastering Gervase - I was just mystified how they had pigs bladders for the jars and when she went into the pantry, no pig hanging there, Why would a cottage have a range they had to buy coal for when they're surrounded by free wood? and Eliza Acton's cookbook? I ask you -theres plenty of authentic reciept books available without turning to the townie's cookbook.
it kept jumping back and forth in time by a couple of months, i hope no one was watching for a history lesson. i was shouting at the telly by the end |
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| jamila169 |
and all the presenters are painful to watch -still, when they run out of coal they could always chop the blokes up for firewood | ||||||||
| Rob R |
I think the emphasis on coal was that it was the 'new' fuel of the Victorian age. There is more emphasis on Victorian history than any real attempt at replicating exactly the life at that time. That was clear when they said that a lot of people now would like to live that way- no they wouldn't; it's a heavily rose-tinted television [?] screen that would assume that myth. |
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| jamila169 |
All these cod social history programmes really do grate though, if they are going to show us how life was for people in history, then a bit of authenticity wouldn't go amiss, or would they get too many complaints from the delicate types who'd gag at the sight of a larder stocked properly - my great-grandparents lifestyle as farmers and country people was nothing like that, so i find it annoying that they can't respect what is, after all still in living memory for some of our elders | ||||||||
| Rob R |
Just be gad you haven't just watched Kill it, cook it, eat it 
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| jamila169 |
No way! why don't they have people on who would actually be willing to do just that, they'd still get ratings from all the people who'd watch it just so they could disapprove 
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| Rob R |
I think it's so they can get meat eaters backs up too It certainly works. One 'expert' was saying how all the vermin control that goes with grouse shooting is not 'shooting for the pot'. What planet do these people, who think vegetarian food is killing-free, come from? 
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
I watched it and it was "entertainment" both pro and cons wise
I wasn't expecting it to be 100% authentic as that would be too grinding and depressing for the general public. |
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| Barefoot Andrew |
Well despites Gervase's intense fury I enjoyed the programme. Although MJ's right - Ruth Goodman is quite irritating.
A. |
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
They all had their moments 
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| Mary-Jane |
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| Nell |
meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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| Mary-Jane |
And meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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| Penny |
Me me me me me me me
Found the program really boring 
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| mochyn |
we'll have to get Woodsprite on the case, then. She volunteers there. |
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| robin wood |
We don't have telly so I didn't see it but I know Ruth quite well and whilst her voice is shrill she is very sincere about the stuff she does. I know her mainly as a Tudor specialist and she does have a deep knowledge of every day Tudor life. Have also been in correspondence quite a bit with Alex Langlands about preservation of historic crafts, is he a presenter? Seems like a nice chap. Is it available on iplayer or somehow online? |
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| cab |
I really enjoyed it, but I was also skeptical about the re-plastering.
This Ruth lass seems fine to me, I love her enthusiasm. The only criticism I'd make is that compared to 'Tudor Christmas' and the other historical series they did, she's clearly a little bit out of her comfort zone. Doesn't look like she's as familiar with the era, but still, the learning process she's going through is part of the ineterest. |
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| Andy B |
Its where my Dorkings came from. |
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| sean |
iPlayer linky |
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| Andy B |
Woodsprite, have they finished the building project by the car park yet? | ||||||||
| marigold |
iplayer now tells me I don't live in the UK
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| Mary-Jane |
I'm sure she is sincere and a very nice person - but she kept shrieking and shouting the whole time and cackling with laughter. It just seemed so unecessary...and was very irritating. And although she was trying (I felt) to come across as being amusingly self-deprecating, it just didn't work and made her appear to be rather arrogant. I did enjoy the programme though - but felt it would have benefited from having an on-screen 'presenter' who explained all the historical aspects, then ordinary people in the actual historical roles...rather than 'professionals'. But hey - that's just my view and I appreciate that I can be a little fussy about detail from time to time... |
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| sean |
West Sussex is a bit alien though, you can see their point.
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| Rob R |
That's living like a Victorian for you
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| marigold |
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| Mary-Jane |
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| mousjoos |
and on top of that it's bloody Worthing........ now that's alien |
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| woodsprite |
I dont volunteer Mochyn, I'm paid in cold, hard cash for my work.
I used to work in the cottage and dairy from time to time but now I just go in occasionally to run adult courses. Its a very special place and a dream to work there. The visitor centre/education room will be ready for the start of the season, fingers crossed!!
Let me know when you want to go and I'll get onto it.
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| Nell |
i often play a victorian...we should chat
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| woodsprite |
We should Helen!
I also often play Tudor, WWII and Roman. |
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| Nanny |
i enjoyed the programme but i think perhaps it is pitched more to the person who knows nothing about living in the country and doing things the hard way, a lot of us on this site do things a bit more like that...making chutneys, cultivating l;and, livestock, cooking on rayburns (closer to the range that the electric cooker)- all that kind of stuff...we perhaps need to see a more ....what can i call it.....realistic programme as we live that way anyway
when they showed the bit for next episode i looked longingly at the wash dolly as i could do with one of those about now...and an old hand wringer i would love to go to acton scott again if i can get there somehow |
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| Home on the Hill |
I thought the boat was the best bit as some good friends of mine lived on that boat before it was restored. Brought back some great memories.
Have just 'phoned the friend to tell her to watch the repeat tomorrow and she is dead excited and planning to set the video to record it. (Liked the rest of it too - but then I'm not very fussy!) Carrie
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| robin wood |
I remember how happy my gran was when she got a spin drier and could stop using the mangle. |
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| Penny |
I remember my Mother being happy 
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| jamila169 |
so do I!
and my nan's tin bath and coal range and the rag and bone man and flatirons and grandad mending his pit boots on a hobbing foot |
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| jamila169 |
My nan still has her poss tub and dolly, and her washboard - she shows them to ungrateful greatgrandkids | ||||||||
| bernie-woman |
I still haven't seen it yet - doesn't look like it got the best reception, a fellow downsizer at work watched it and didn't think much to it either
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| gorbut |
I didn't like it as much as tales from the green valley mainly because Ruth seemed a bit hyper in this one and she was much more relaxed and authoritative in the former.
The place looks wonderful though and we are probably going to base a short holiday around the place this summer some time. Susan |
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| Nanny |
i wouldn't want to use it for all of the time, just till my mains water has come back.......it would be handy just at the moment but i am a bit of a modern woman normally when it comes to doing the laundry.. |
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| Andy B |
It suffers slightly in that Paul Hieney did the victorian farm summer and winter DVD which was very good, whereas their has been no comparable thing to the green valley as far as i am aware. | ||||||||
| JB |
I thought it was best pitched at the sort of person who still does those sort of things. Partly so you could rant at the telly when they did it wrong. OTOH I also liked it for all those points when the question popped up as to why on earth they were doing something in a particuar way or just how practical was it to do something the way they suggested (e.g. why did Ruth cap the chutney while hot but let her ketchup cool? How effective a seal is a pigs bladder? When they moved in the first thing they did was buy ten tonnes of coal - how much would that cost the average victorian farmer? They're working 15 acres of land; how many people would that have supported and so on. On the whole I came away with a sudden desire to go and read about victorian farming in more detail. |
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| Nanny |
paul heiney was good and worked his own farm in a very victorian way...it was a shame he gave it all up, i had a lot of time for what he was doing |
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| robin wood |
Well I watched it now. So it was low budget entertainment rather than a Attenborough style attempt at education, what did you expect?
I quite enjoyed it in the same way I quite enjoy say Time Team. Of course we all know Time Team don't have to dig it up in just 3 days and of course we know these folk don't live there all the time. I liked that they were bringing in proper craftspeople, the ploughman was lovely. Such gentle folk seem to work with big horses. I liked the old squire type landowner, he looked a bit bemused at it all. The trails at the beginning showed a short clip of Owen Jones making a swill basket...now that will be a good episode to see, he is my all time craft hero. Agree with JB about the questions raised and how interesting it would be to see those brought more to the fore and answered if they could. |
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| Rob R |
We don't, they do. |
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| Tavascarow |
I liked the authentic victorian galvanised sheep netting & tanalised fence posts they are using to keep the sheep in.
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| Fee |
Will continue to watch because we quite like it, but we do spend the majority of the time huffing and puffing at the screen while watching, and Happytechie had a good huff and chuckle when they were doing the plastering in the first episode, and you were mentioned Gervase
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| tahir |
Saw a bit last night and I agree with all of that |
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| bernie-woman |
Still haven't watched this - now have two episodes to catch up
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| Nanny |
i like it...it isn't rocket science and i still maintain that it is pitched more to people who don't have any experience like wot we all have but that doesn't make it a bad programme
their pig sties were enviable.... there were some just like it here but they were dismantled ....we keep finding the dressed stone lying about and when the school was redone last year, the triangular trough was dug up....a shame really but there you go.... |
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| Rob R |
I didn't envy the position of the doors. | ||||||||
| Behemoth |
? |
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| Nanny |
the looked rather similar to the pig sties we have seen around here....what was wrong with the doors then? were they right opposite the door to the excercise yard ?
i am intrigued now, the public have a right to know |
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| Rob R |
The sties protruded from the side of the yard, giving more than 180 degrees of fleeing space for little pigs, and they opened inwards so didn't even make a 'corner' for herding anything back in, it just makes them more labour intensive, that's all. | ||||||||
| colour it green |
only just watched ep1 last night - i was muttering about the plastering too.. but seems thats soooo last week....
I was thinking - all that work to the chimney would have been approved etc.... months ago..... |
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| Andy B |
Well i thought it was great, like the people, like the place, the books pretty good as well. Probably the best thing on telly at the mo. | ||||||||
| robin wood |
I watched second one last night, not bad, bit slow at times but then my normal complaint these days is that telly is too fast, rapid changes of camera angle and shot, jumping from here to there for added drama.
I think the next episode will be the best Owen Jones the swill basket maker is just the most wonderful craftsman you will ever see and his baskets are a joy. Pretty sure I heard Damian Goodburns voice in the trail when they were felling trees, he does woody things for timeteam. He is a roman-medieval timber expert really but entertaining. I though the music was a bit intrusive trying to add more drama where it was not needed, can't just remember but there was some sort of dirgy funeral type music when they were talking about eating the turkey and sort of Jaws suspense music when they were trying to pen animals. I have good friends that work in theatre lighting and they reckon if you notice the lighting it's not been done well it is only there to add to or focus on the action same goes for a score methinks. |
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| Treacodactyl |
Anyone see last nights episode? I thought it was quite good and contained quite a few interesting ideas. I think it was more enjoyable because most of the things they covered were just as applicable today and some of the things I already do - I've also been known to swear at a tree as it doesn't fall as planned.
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| jennyBA |
Hi everyone, i watched lastnights episode and thought it interesting.
I did not like the part in the program about the sheep lambing though, as i thought they interviened to quickly in giving help with the delivery of the twin lambs. I thought this was done to make the program more interesting for viewers and was not done in the interests of the ewe. I am not an expert but in my experience most ewes will lamb without the need for intervention, unless it is an abnormal presentation or a very large lamb.
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| jamila169 |
Hear hear Jenny, they did seem to be leaping in and dragging the lambs out , i wonder if they had any inversions or pyometra? There seemed to be a lot of interference with the pig on the latest one as well, a lot of handling and faffing at teats | ||||||||
| Nell |
me too
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| Nell |
i just watched episode four. And i have thoroughly enjoyed the series so far. personally i am not a big fan of ruth goodman but i have never met her and would not wish to judge her on how she is protrayed on camera. i found the way it is filmed makes her seem a little silly and she seems to make a meal of the simplest tasks. however i have worked in places she has worked in and she is highly thought of by a good few people i have met. she is, as far as i know, an expert on the tudor period and is perhaps out of her comfort zone.
but....and here is the thing i just can't seem to get past. That damn corset!!!!!! it doesn't fit her! it is very difficult to find a well fitting corset off the peg and i strongly suspect the bbc would have one made for her. the way her bust was bulging over the top was unsightly, made a poor silhouette, and looked plain uncomfortable! a good well made corset should feel like a firm hug. i cannot fathom why it fitted so badly. the only way this would look this way is if she had it pulled down too far. but it looked like it was made for a woman with a much smaller bust. |
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| Bebo |
S*d the corset and the size of her bust, her voice has the same affect on me as fingernails being dragged across a blackboard. | ||||||||
| Nell |
and there i was trying not to mean
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| Bebo |
She also bears a striking resemblance to your avatar, although her complexion isn;t quite so green. I keep expecting a house to fall out of the sky and land on her. | ||||||||
| stumbling goat |
i like it, hard work tho' for the most part.
f/ |
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| Nell |
i haven't a house spare at the moment. but i will add her to the list for you. btw that is a home snapshot from my family album not mearly an avitar. you may recognise me, i was in a film once. felt i was misreprisented though. i am not wicked i am just misunderstood. as kermit once said "it's not easy being green" hmmmmmmmm kermit, my first love, a handsom boy, but...a woman scorned and all that, i told him not to make me get my winged monkeys. it was for the best i turned him into a frog 
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| Bebo |
OK, remind me that if I ever meet you in the flesh to make sure I have a bucket of water handy just in case. | ||||||||
| Nell |
that was all just smoke and mirrors mwahahahahahaha. |
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| Bebo |
In that case I'll just have to clik my heels together three times to escape. | ||||||||
| Nell |
ha simpering bints in gingham can't escape me. i have had the heals removed from all ruby slippers in the land..mwahahahahahah. oops i think i started cackling again and now the locals are banging on the castle doors with the pitchforks and flameing brands again. jeese and my eyebrows have only just grown back from the last bbq they invited me too. seems strange to offer to let me examine the stake in the middle of the fire though. and i never did find that bit of organic beef they said was there
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| Barefoot Andrew |
That sewing machine looked a bit of a faff to use...
A. |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
I've got one like it and was delighted to see it being used - got some hints myself on how to get it going a bit faster for me |