BBC Wartime Farm

[ladydetemps]

Anyone else see wartime farm last night?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mmt8t
I really enjoyed Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm from the same people.
Wondering Bacon & Bananas?!? That's just weird...like fishfingers and custard*.
And would bananas still have been around at the very beginning?
Looking forward to seeing how it develops.


*doctor who reference

[Phil the Grips]

Everyone knows that bacon goes best with fried Christmas pudding.

I found it interesting because my grandmother was a dairy farmer around Inverness (her father bought her the farm when she was 17 to give her something to do for the war effort while he and his brothers were organising Norwegian Resistance from the family castle- Italian POWs did most of the heavy lifting from what I can gather) so seeing how things were done on arable farm under much greater threat from the continent is a nice contrast.

[Miss Costello]

Really bad costuming....ploughing during the blackout with lanterns? 1950s/60s kitchenette....

Must do better.

[Gail Horn]

We had that kitchenette at home, only it was green! My parents must have bought it round about 1956, and they only got rid of it when they moved in 1995. Aaahh! The memories!

[ladydetemps]

Really bad costuming....ploughing during the blackout with lanterns? 1950s/60s kitchenette....

Must do better.

I did wonder about the ploughing by night...but even they seemed a bit dubious about it.

as for the costumes....the headscarf turbans....I think some of them need a tutorial on how to tie one. lol! I found a british pathe reel from the time about how to tie a headscarf in several stylish ways...now I tie mine with style (except with its just to cover my curlers at night).

but in general I enjoyed watching it. Looking forward to next episode.

[Miss Costello]

Horrible, floppy shiny 70s headscarves!
Gah...

what's wrong with a nice knitted turban or a wool square?

I'll still watch but I wish they'd asked for help at the start...

k

[Henri De Ceredigion]

I offered to record the series for her (as she and her husband were both wartime farmers) but she said "They'll get it wrong I know they will!" and clearly it sounds like she was right then.

[Botwot]

Hmmmm

Whilst not disagreeing with the critical points made, The fact remains that if you are presenting / representing this period after this series then you will undoubtedly be compared to it at some point in the next season.

A simple "they were wrong" or "that's rubbish" isn't going to cut much ice against "the telly". Gently Pointing out errors or exaggerations with good humour and building on the information given will go a long way to helping a positive attitude on the part of the paying public and a desire to know more.

For my part, I would prefer to be inclusive rather than exclusive when I can be and make use of the work done by others with acknowledgements rather than being simply negative. None of us are perfect and none of us want to be boring or colourless. I would prefer to look on this as an opportunity to build on rather than simply carp about it.

Martin

[Miss Costello]

I guess for those of us for who this is our primary impression it's a bit wearisome. I've tried to be constructive in my criticism, but the fact that the production team were ringing around trying to pick our brains, (a bit like the woman from nigel slaters cookery programme

her 'I want someone to cook a wartime recipe'
me: no problem, got lots of recipes.
her: can you do rabbit pie?
me: of course, but I've got some fascinating recipes that work really well for a more modern audience, that can be veggie or meat based'
her: can you do rabbit pie?....................

they put out a call for extras, but have used a really dodgy selection of costuming and set dressing. If they want education, they need to do their research.

Reference the beet picking, almost entirely done by hand-ask any ex landgirl.

Canning and jamming, so many fascinating stories, the jam processing photos of the WI were censored so that the Germans didn't know how much we had in reserve or what types/where it came from.

I loved the other series, and I reenact both Victorian and Edwardian-but this one really missed the mark.

[AndyandHelen]

apart from the headscarves and 50s kitchenette seems to be getting better as time goes on. The pig has been sent for slaughter. Thought the relief canteen was done tolerably well (compared to say Pickering). The boiled onion wouldn't do me any favours though. I would have liked to have seen Woolton Pie get a mention but thats a little thing of mine (I quite like it).

[Miss Costello]

I'm afraid I gave up on it!

[ladydetemps]

The clothes from my pov are getting better. Been enjoying it. Looking forward to this weeks episode as its got 'lindy hop' in it.

[Miss Costello]

Sadly not on the reenactors they hired for filming, lots of BHS frocks and dodgy 'country' wear.

Ruth's pretty tiny so why did they put her in a modern frock for the dance? Would gladly of loaned her one!

And why is the scruffier of the two chaps channeling Green Grass from HeartBeat as his style icon?

[Brother Kevfael]

I guess for those of us for who this is our primary impression it's a bit wearisome. I've tried to be constructive in my criticism, but the fact that the production team were ringing around trying to pick our brains, (a bit like the woman from nigel slaters cookery programme

her 'I want someone to cook a wartime recipe'
me: no problem, got lots of recipes.
her: can you do rabbit pie?
me: of course, but I've got some fascinating recipes that work really well for a more modern audience, that can be veggie or meat based'
her: can you do rabbit pie?....................

In a similar vein from at least 5 production team members:

Him/Her: Could you do a medieval/tudor/barber surgeon for us?

Me: "No problem and what operation would you like me to demonstrate? [runs through all the different procedures]"

Him/her: Can you put a leech on someone?

Because apparently that's all surgeon's did!

[Miss Costello]

More leeches!



I hear you and empathise!

[ladydetemps]

Sadly not on the reenactors they hired for filming, lots of BHS frocks and dodgy 'country' wear.

Ruth's pretty tiny so why did they put her in a modern frock for the dance? Would gladly of loaned her one!

It was to illustrate 'making your own clothes' although the flour sack she used looked a bit too 'pristine'. I suspect created for the purpose.

Its actually given me idea to make a skirt from some pillowcases.

Earlier in the episode they had John Kirkpatrick playing a melodeon (I had to laugh....he was playing a 'german melodeon)