Victorian Farm (new TV series)

[Thomasin]

Do you remember a really good documentary nearly five years ago, 'Tales from the Green Valley' on British television? It portrayed life on a farm in the 1640s. Next week a new series starts on the same lines, called 'Victorian Farm'. It was filmed over a year on a Shropshire smallholding and the people taking part (who were also in the earlier production) only used resources available in the 1880s.

It will be a marvellous insight into the way all our Victorian ag. labs lived.

Thursdays on BBC2, 9pm. Don't miss it!

Thomasin

[MythicalMarian]

Thanks for this Thomasin - I have umpteen farmers - this will really help to fill in their lives. I'm useless at seeing what's on telly, so I really appreciate the tip.

[Barnzzz]

A 'must see' for everyone with a plethora of ag labs

[Bo Peep]

I love this programme. It makes my style of farming look so easy.

[michaelpipe]

Unfortunately, it says "Sorry, this video is only available in the UK"

BBC must be getting possessive about its Ag Labs.
Michael

[Bo Peep]

I would love a couple of the Tamworth pigs. The turkeys reminded me of Henry & Henrietta, two turkey poults I bought to fatten for Christmas. I just adored the turkeys so much, I didn't have the heart to kill them, so they finally died of old age, 10 and 11 years respectively.

[birdlip]

Oh dear, I'm with you Bo Peep.

We have a few Wiltshire Horn sheep, a heritage breed. They had lambs for the first time this year, and we ended up hand rearing three of them... William McGregor, Wally and Wendy. Everyone tells me if I HAD to name them, I'd have been better off calling them Shanks, Rogan Josh, and Leg of...because now I can't get my head around eating something I've bottle fed!

[Thomasin]

I once met a sheep called Oven Ready and a goat called Norma. Oven Ready met her fate, and when I asked after Norma the answer was, 'Oh, she's in the freezer.'

Thomasin

[auburn]

I've been watching this with great interest as my gg grandfather Thomas Broughall was a farmer a few miles away from the location used in the programme. He and his son Richard gave their occupations as manure agent and castrator - not sure you'd be so keen on their gadgets!
Auburn

[birdlip]

I once met a sheep called Oven Ready and a goat called Norma. Oven Ready met her fate, and when I asked after Norma the answer was, 'Oh, she's in the freezer.'

Thomasin
Thats what makes a real farmer! I would LOVE to see this programme. I bet we don't get it...mumble grumble!

[BeeE586]

From the age of about nine (c1935) I had to help with the washing on a Saturday morning. My grandparents kept a boarding house in Blackpool and my mother and grandma changed all the beds and grandad and I washed. I dollied and he mangled - the same implements shown on the programme. Then the blueing and the starching, the hanging out, then folding, and ironing was done on Sunday with a flat iron heated on the fire. The copper was gas-fired, and we did have hot water from a back boiler, so this was an improvement, but water still had to be carried in buckets from kitchen to wash-house. Hard work it most certainly was.

Reminds me, I must go and put some things in the machine to be 'doing' whilst I answer a few e-mails.

Eileen

Love the programme - I also enjoyed the Victorian Kitchen and The Victorian Kitchen Garden if you remember them.

[Thomasin]

In case anyone missed this series the first time round, it is being repeated this week, starting tonight at 7pm until 8pm on BBC2. The second episode is the same time on Wednesday and the third on Friday. Presumably the other three will be on the same days next week.

Thomasin

[Pam Downes]

And with typical BBC programming 'Tales from the green valley' is being repeated on BBC4 7.30 -8pm also on Tuesday evenings. Not sure if tonight is the second or third episode.
Pam

[Pam Downes]

In case anyone missed this series the first time round, it is being repeated this week, starting tonight at 7pm until 8pm on BBC2. The second episode is the same time on Wednesday and the third on Friday. Presumably the other three will be on the same days next week.

Thomasin
Next week, episode 4 is on Tuesday 29th September at 7pm BBC
Episode 5 is on Thursday 1st October 7pm BBC2
Episode 6 (the last) is on Friday 2nd October 7pm BBC2.

And there's a Victorian Farm special to be shown over Christmas (says the Radio Times).
Pam

[v.wells]

One can only hope that BBC Canada will pick it up! I would love to watch it!

[HelenVSmith]

Hi

Today is 23 september 2009 (is there any way of knowing when a message is posted?) and this show is being repeated on Foxtel on channel 619 in October.

Regards
Helen

[spison]

I had the overwhelming urge to go and smile at my washing machine this evening! Lesley
And electricity!



Today is 23 september 2009 (is there any way of knowing when a message is posted?) and this show is being repeated on Foxtel on channel 619 in October. Helen

Thanks! (Pity I don't have Foxtel.) There is a date in the top LHS of each post. I often don't look at them and sometimes get a shock about when things were posted. Is this what you mean?

Jane

[Geoffers]

Today is 23 september 2009 (is there any way of knowing when a message is posted?)

Each message on the forum includes the tme and date posted - look just above the name of the forum member. In this case, just above my name, you'll see [today/yersterday/23rd Spetember 2009 depending on when someone looks at it] and 9.08am.

[Pam Downes]

BBC2 are currently showing another programme based at the Acton Scott farm where 'The Victorian Farm' was filmed.
It's a sort-of competition where each day two families (mum, dad, and two children) are given tasks to complete. Today the dads had to scythe hay, the mums had to make brooms, and the children had to make vegetable soup. It also showed the children carding wool, and the mums learning to spin it, ready for the 'weekly challenge' on Friday.
It's a bit dumbed-down, as we are subjected to the inevitable recaps every five minutes, but you do learn little snippets about every-day life. In the kitchen today when the girls were making soup was Eve Goodman (daughter of Ruth), who appeared a couple of times in the Victorian Farm programme.
The programme, called Escape in Time, is on BBC2, at 4.30 - 5.15pm, Monday - Friday, though there's a break next Thursday and Friday (15th and 16th July) when the British Open golf tournament is on. Twenty programmes in total in the series which began two days ago on Monday 5th July.

Ruth Goodman meanwhile is also back on BBC in the 'Victorian Pharmacy'.
Starts Thursday 15th July, 9pm for one hour, and there's four programmes in total.
Pam

[busyglen]

I just caught the end of it today, as I hadn't realised it was on! Very interesting though. I love these type of programmes.

Glenys

[salcat]

I just caught the end of it today, as I hadn't realised it was on!

Glenys

Don't forget you can watch again on Iplayer! I'll have to :)

Sally