The Victorian Farm on BBC2

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:40 pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Episode_1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... _Episode_2

I missed episode one, only just found this and catching up now. This is fascinating stuff!!

Historical observational documentary series following a team who live the life of Victorian farmers for a year. Wearing period clothes and using only the materials that would have been available in 1885, historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn are going back in time to relive the day-to-day life of the Victorian farmer.

Working for a full calendar year, Ruth, Alex and Peter are rediscovering a lost world of skills, crafts and knowledge, assisted by an ever-dwindling band of experts who keep Victorian rural practices alive. Each month and season brings pressing priorities, from tending to livestock and repairing buildings to raising crops, preparing food and crafting furniture and tools. Can they make a success of farming the Victorian way?

Broadcast on:BBC Two, 9:00pm Thursday 15th January
Duration: 60 minutes

hg · Post by hg » Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:27 pm

I just watched this Lesley. The Victorian farmers certainly had to work hard. What do you think of that tongue? yuk. My Mum used to cook one every new year when I was wee. I loved it until I realized what it was.

all the best

Helen

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:41 am

Hi Helen

I think I'll give the tongue a miss, thanks....

I'm just loving the progamme though 'cos it gives a real insight into the lives of our rural ancestors in the Victorian period. It has also made me realise how inactive we are by comparision - all that energy being used on the washing, and physical labour generally from dawn to dusk, and what do I do? I go out to work, and although some of that involves standing and being on my feet for several hours, it is hardly back-breaking labour like ploughing, threshing or washing by hand, and I'm also spending some time in an office, sitting, and then I take the dog out, considering that to be my "exercise" for the day ( a gentle stroll from the Victorian Farmer's point of view!!) and I try to spend as little time as I can on washing/ironing/housework etc. so that I can chase dead people and spend time on my PC, so more time sitting....an incredibly sedentary lifestyle by comparison! (no much wonder we all find it so difficult to shed those extra Christmas holiday pounds....)

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **emanday** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:24 am

Sorry, but I have to tell you that I still love tongue, even knowing what is is

. I used to watch my grandmother cooking it and then pressing it using a plate an old cobbler's weight tool as a weight. Great flavour!

Still love it but, to this day, the flavour isn't quite as good as hers!!

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:41 am

All you get in Australia is a picture of a horse hiding behind a big black notice telling you to race off.

I’ll probably get to see it later.

I like Tongue too and Brains and Kidney and Tripe and all that Offaly sort of stuff, as long as it’s prepared and cooked etc correctly, but I wouldn’t attempt it myself.

All the best,
Alan

Post by **emanday** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:54 am

Have to say that tripe is never likely to appear in my menu.

Sorry Alan.

I all too well remember the bucket of "dirty" tripe delivered to my mother! Cheaper that way, but the one thing that stopped me ever being able to eat it without the threat of going hungry (my mother's only argument - but it never worked with me).

Liver, kidney, brain, etc... are still much enjoyed by me, but I will never even consider eating tripe. (Think - nappies soaking

)

Post by **Anne H** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:20 am

YUK! Tongue, Brains, Kidney and Tripe..DOUBLE YUK!!

Sorry folks, just the sound of it turns me off - never had any of it in my life and never intend to do so, but I'd love to be able to have seen the programme about the Victorian farm...I miss all the good stuff!

Regards,
Anne H

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:41 am

Currie wrote:All you get in Australia is a picture of a horse hiding behind a big black notice telling you to race off.

Can't even get it just over the channel in France

And unlike Australia, I doubt very much if it will ever be on over here!

Sarah

P.S. I used to like tongue, until I took a class dissecting human cadavers in graduate school and when we got to the tongue... someone said, "Hey, this looks like tongue!" And it did

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:25 am

Hi all
Sorry to hear that you can't seem to view it outside the UK. Must be something to do with licensing I suppose. In the UK all you need to do is download the BBCi player and then there are lots of programs which you can watch on your PC, though they are usually only available for a limited time period, usually about a month I think.

Best wishes
Lesley

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:25 am

When I was a kid my Grandad was a butcher - he had a barrel in the back shop which was full of cows tongues floating in brine to keep them fresh - he used to put his arm in to stir them around. I had nightmares about the vision of them rising to the top in the barrel. My gran used to always have one in the kitchen with a plate and an iron on the top. I have never tasted tongue as I always get the same horrible image. Same for tripe - looked like wet nappies - the smell of it cooking is even worse.

Happy days eh !

Ted