1 00:00:02,847 --> 00:00:06,157 Here in Shropshire is a farm that's frozen in time, 2 00:00:06,847 --> 00:00:09,725 lost in Victorian rural England. 3 00:00:10,767 --> 00:00:13,918 A unique project has brought it back to life... 4 00:00:13,967 --> 00:00:16,242 as it would have been in the 1 880s. 5 00:00:16,287 --> 00:00:18,039 This is the way to travel, isn't it? 6 00:00:18,087 --> 00:00:20,237 (Whistle blows) 7 00:00:22,207 --> 00:00:26,598 Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn are living the lives of Victorian farmers 8 00:00:26,647 --> 00:00:28,763 for a full calendar year. 9 00:00:29,927 --> 00:00:32,600 From the cold of winter to the warmth of summer. 10 00:00:32,647 --> 00:00:37,562 Turning the clock back to rediscover an age gone by. 11 00:00:37,607 --> 00:00:39,677 They're an unruly bunch, they really are. 12 00:00:39,727 --> 00:00:43,402 - ls that the first lamb you've delivered, Alex? - That is the first one. 13 00:00:47,967 --> 00:00:50,606 They've been here for two months. 14 00:00:50,647 --> 00:00:53,286 - This is doing my back, it really is. - Whoa. 15 00:00:53,327 --> 00:00:56,239 They've sown a wheat crop using only horsepower- 16 00:00:56,287 --> 00:00:59,723 a back-breaking job, almost thwarted by the weather... 17 00:00:59,767 --> 00:01:04,283 Unfortunately, it's just not working out for us today. The problem is, it's just so wet. 18 00:01:05,007 --> 00:01:10,035 ..restored their farm cottage, complete with a coal-fired cooking range... 19 00:01:10,087 --> 00:01:14,160 - l've never used anything like this. Scary! - You're one excited lady. 20 00:01:15,967 --> 00:01:19,676 ..and lost their new flock of Victorian sheep. 21 00:01:19,727 --> 00:01:23,515 What a nightmare. This doesn't bode well for the year. 22 00:01:23,567 --> 00:01:24,841 Oh, no! 23 00:01:24,887 --> 00:01:32,043 Now it's winter and if the livestock is to survive, the team must winter-proof the Victorian Farm. 24 00:01:42,647 --> 00:01:44,797 lt's November... 25 00:01:44,847 --> 00:01:49,875 and the farmers work to protect the livestock from the freezing winter temperatures. 26 00:01:49,927 --> 00:01:53,806 So Peter needs to build a pair of pigsties - the biggest challenge so far. 27 00:01:55,287 --> 00:01:58,597 We've had snow, we've had rain, and it's just so cold. 28 00:01:59,487 --> 00:02:02,559 Ruth will have some demanding household chores... 29 00:02:04,207 --> 00:02:05,925 lt's flipping hard work. 30 00:02:07,327 --> 00:02:12,606 And Alex must get to grips with their shire horse - the tractor of the Victorian farm. 31 00:02:12,647 --> 00:02:14,558 - How am l doing, then? - Very well. 32 00:02:14,607 --> 00:02:18,839 A Victorian farmer uses every available hour of sunlight, 33 00:02:18,887 --> 00:02:20,684 seven days a week. 34 00:02:20,727 --> 00:02:24,037 So if they want to enjoy a traditional Victorian Christmas, 35 00:02:24,087 --> 00:02:26,555 they'll need to get everything done on time. 36 00:02:26,607 --> 00:02:29,405 - Happy Christmas, everyone. - Happy Christmas. 37 00:02:36,047 --> 00:02:39,164 The ewes have settled into life on the Victorian Farm. 38 00:02:41,367 --> 00:02:44,200 But to rear lambs, they'll need a ram. 39 00:02:46,407 --> 00:02:50,002 Richard Spencer has spent his life breeding Shropshire sheep, 40 00:02:50,047 --> 00:02:54,359 and he's providing the services of his prize ram, Frederick. 41 00:02:54,407 --> 00:03:00,437 Frederick is a 20-month-old ram, that's called a shearling. 42 00:03:01,447 --> 00:03:05,725 l'm rather pleased with him. l'm taking him up to the ewes now. 43 00:03:05,767 --> 00:03:08,565 He's not quite sure where he's going so he's not happy, 44 00:03:08,607 --> 00:03:12,600 but as soon as he smells the ewes, he'll be going like a bullet from a gun. 45 00:03:13,367 --> 00:03:15,358 l think he's seen them. 46 00:03:15,407 --> 00:03:17,398 Come on. 47 00:03:17,447 --> 00:03:19,438 lf l get it wrong, there's trouble. 48 00:03:19,487 --> 00:03:21,478 There, boy. He's seen them. 49 00:03:23,167 --> 00:03:26,318 He's seen them. He's seen them. 50 00:03:27,807 --> 00:03:29,798 Go on, boy. Look at that. 51 00:03:29,847 --> 00:03:32,315 He's been waiting 20 months for this moment. 52 00:03:32,367 --> 00:03:34,642 Look at the arrogance, look at the pride. 53 00:03:34,687 --> 00:03:37,042 Head up in the air. 54 00:03:37,087 --> 00:03:41,365 ''l am!'' And look at the back end. That's what a Shropshire is all about. 55 00:03:41,407 --> 00:03:45,082 Wool, yes, fine. But meat. Back end - 56 00:03:45,127 --> 00:03:49,882 wide, plenty of width. Plenty of meat on that leg of lamb for the Sunday roast. 57 00:03:49,927 --> 00:03:52,964 Definitely a lovely ram, that. Poise, balance, power - 58 00:03:53,007 --> 00:03:56,124 everything where you want it. Yeah, like that. Good. 59 00:03:57,567 --> 00:04:01,799 Sue Farquhar is president of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders'Association 60 00:04:01,847 --> 00:04:04,441 and has come to give some advice on shepherding. 61 00:04:05,487 --> 00:04:07,762 ALEX: When should we expect lambing time? 62 00:04:07,807 --> 00:04:11,641 Lambing time, if you put your ram in on Guy Fawkes Day, 63 00:04:11,687 --> 00:04:19,116 which is today, you would expect to have your first lambs...on All Fools' Day, April 1 st. 64 00:04:19,167 --> 00:04:21,158 ALEX: Right. PETER: The joys of spring. 65 00:04:21,207 --> 00:04:28,318 That's it. You've got to learn to be good shepherds and watch and look, you know. 66 00:04:28,367 --> 00:04:33,839 And you'll get to know how your sheep behave when they're happy, when they're not happy. 67 00:04:33,887 --> 00:04:36,003 - Get to know their characters. - Yes. 68 00:04:36,047 --> 00:04:40,040 And hopefully Frederick will fit in well. 69 00:04:40,087 --> 00:04:43,602 Eugh! This is Peter's shirt. 70 00:04:44,967 --> 00:04:49,165 l don't know what he does to his clothes but every time they come off like this. 71 00:04:49,207 --> 00:04:50,925 Look at it! Argh! 72 00:04:50,967 --> 00:04:55,961 Ruth, an expert on domestic history, is tackling the laundry.. 73 00:04:56,007 --> 00:04:57,998 a mammoth full-day routine. 74 00:04:59,967 --> 00:05:04,085 Victorian laundry is about only using the chemicals that you have to use, 75 00:05:04,127 --> 00:05:08,598 rather than just throwing loads in the wash and using them willy-nilly. 76 00:05:08,647 --> 00:05:11,719 lnstead, just use a little bit on the bit you need. 77 00:05:11,767 --> 00:05:15,396 The first stage of the process is to deal with stains. 78 00:05:16,247 --> 00:05:18,602 Oh, yes. l've got ink stains. 79 00:05:18,647 --> 00:05:21,480 Look at that. On my cuffs there. 80 00:05:21,527 --> 00:05:26,920 Some of the things used in the Victorian period to get rid of stains were really ancient recipes. 81 00:05:26,967 --> 00:05:30,039 You can find reference to them hundreds of years back. 82 00:05:30,087 --> 00:05:33,284 Things like... Well, the ink, for example. 83 00:05:34,527 --> 00:05:36,483 That's going to go in some milk. 84 00:05:37,607 --> 00:05:39,598 lt just softens it all up and then... 85 00:05:39,647 --> 00:05:42,081 they come out in the ordinary wash. 86 00:05:42,127 --> 00:05:45,676 As l do it, that milk's changing into sort of a grey colour... 87 00:05:45,727 --> 00:05:48,116 as it's taking the ink straight out. 88 00:05:50,087 --> 00:05:55,002 After half an hour, l'll throw it in the wash with everything else and it should come out. 89 00:05:55,047 --> 00:05:58,084 Fruit stains, however, are a bit more of a pain. 90 00:05:59,047 --> 00:06:01,607 Fruit acids are particularly difficult 91 00:06:01,647 --> 00:06:05,765 and many Victorian recipes recommend that you first of all use butter on them 92 00:06:05,807 --> 00:06:09,720 and then sit the whole thing in a mix of ammonia and washing soda. 93 00:06:13,287 --> 00:06:16,085 l've got some glue on here. l'm not quite sure how. 94 00:06:16,127 --> 00:06:18,402 So this one l'm going to get off with alcohol. 95 00:06:18,447 --> 00:06:22,360 This one is whisky. Brandy... Any of the spirits will work. 96 00:06:22,407 --> 00:06:25,922 Laundresses always did have a reputation for being drunkards. 97 00:06:25,967 --> 00:06:30,199 Maybe it's using the spirits a little too freely. There we go. 98 00:06:31,047 --> 00:06:33,402 This is dry-cleaning, really, isn't it? 99 00:06:33,447 --> 00:06:35,438 Dissolves straightaway. 100 00:06:35,487 --> 00:06:39,958 Soap, after all, is just a different sort of solvent. lt just dissolves grease. 101 00:06:40,007 --> 00:06:43,477 Whereas alcohol will dissolve a range of other things. 102 00:06:43,527 --> 00:06:45,916 That's just peeling right off now. 103 00:06:45,967 --> 00:06:48,765 Excellent. That's what l wanted to see. 104 00:06:48,807 --> 00:06:51,560 The chemicals have only gone where there is a problem. 105 00:06:51,607 --> 00:06:53,484 Use less, costs you less... 106 00:06:54,487 --> 00:06:56,000 ..pollutes less. 107 00:06:58,327 --> 00:07:03,685 Among the most important animals for a small Victorian farm are pigs. 108 00:07:03,727 --> 00:07:05,718 They'll eat almost anything. 109 00:07:05,767 --> 00:07:09,123 And are the fastest growing of all domestic animals. 110 00:07:09,927 --> 00:07:13,966 But there's nowhere suitable to keep them on the farm they've inherited. 111 00:07:14,007 --> 00:07:16,919 So the team must build pigsties. 112 00:07:16,967 --> 00:07:22,325 PETER: A project like this on a Victorian farm... l imagine it would be all hands to the pump. 113 00:07:22,367 --> 00:07:26,155 Unfortunately, there's only myself and Alex, to a certain extent, 114 00:07:26,207 --> 00:07:28,118 so we've drafted in Tom to give us a hand. 115 00:07:28,167 --> 00:07:32,683 Alex's brother. You might have noticed by the striking resemblance. 116 00:07:33,927 --> 00:07:35,997 With the foundations complete, 117 00:07:36,047 --> 00:07:38,038 the next job is laying the floor. 118 00:07:38,087 --> 00:07:43,320 Pigs must be kept warm over winter, so the team are insulating it, 119 00:07:43,367 --> 00:07:45,358 using a Victorian technique. 120 00:07:45,407 --> 00:07:47,716 - Are you happy? - Yeah, put a bit more down there. 121 00:07:47,767 --> 00:07:51,601 Tom's got a load of bottles to wheel in. Maybe one less now. 122 00:07:53,447 --> 00:07:59,238 This layer of wine bottles are going to create an air gap underneath the floor 123 00:07:59,287 --> 00:08:01,482 and that'll act as a form of insulation. 124 00:08:01,527 --> 00:08:06,840 A bit like in your house, where you'll have two walls with a gap of air in between. 125 00:08:06,887 --> 00:08:09,606 lt will just stop the cold coming up from the ground. 126 00:08:09,647 --> 00:08:12,286 Pigs like their creature comforts. A bit like humans. 127 00:08:12,327 --> 00:08:14,318 Humans are called longpigs. 128 00:08:14,367 --> 00:08:19,566 Obviously we can't use Victorian bottles because there just aren't that many of them around 129 00:08:19,607 --> 00:08:23,395 and they can cost a bit in antique shops. So we're just using wine bottles. 130 00:08:23,447 --> 00:08:26,359 The best way of recycling is reuse and this is reuse. 131 00:08:26,407 --> 00:08:30,958 The crew have happily been drinking hundreds and hundreds of bottles of wine. 132 00:08:31,007 --> 00:08:33,237 They didn't need asking twice. 133 00:08:39,967 --> 00:08:45,803 Peter covers the recycled bottles with a state-of-the-art Victorian material.. 134 00:08:45,847 --> 00:08:47,599 concrete. 135 00:08:47,647 --> 00:08:49,877 Pigs are very intelligent but also scavengers. 136 00:08:49,927 --> 00:08:53,840 They're used to digging up things in the forest on the floors. 137 00:08:53,887 --> 00:08:57,641 lf you've got stone, they'll quite often dig up the stones. 138 00:08:57,687 --> 00:08:59,962 Whereas concrete is a lot harder to get up. 139 00:09:04,647 --> 00:09:06,956 - Have you done this before? - No, l haven't. 140 00:09:07,007 --> 00:09:10,602 - l've got all my fingers. - Right, don't take your fingers off. 141 00:09:10,647 --> 00:09:13,400 l can see this being a back-breaking job. 142 00:09:13,447 --> 00:09:16,359 Of course, a farmyard of animals will need feeding. 143 00:09:16,407 --> 00:09:20,878 During the harsh winter months, this is a real challenge for the Victorian farmer. 144 00:09:22,327 --> 00:09:25,444 According to Henry Stephens' Book Of The Farm, 145 00:09:25,487 --> 00:09:28,718 mangle wurzels are an excellent winter feed. 146 00:09:30,087 --> 00:09:35,115 These root vegetables are rich in nutrients and should last the winter without rotting. 147 00:09:36,367 --> 00:09:39,677 He writes about... You can use both parts of the plant here. 148 00:09:39,727 --> 00:09:43,197 You can use the roots to feed the cows and the sheep. 149 00:09:45,167 --> 00:09:47,635 The green on top, though, the leaves... 150 00:09:47,687 --> 00:09:51,475 you can use to feed to your animals, 151 00:09:51,527 --> 00:09:54,678 but he says it's actually better as a green manure. 152 00:09:55,847 --> 00:10:02,082 Frost destroys mangle wurzles, so Alex will need to find a way of storing them over the winter. 153 00:10:09,047 --> 00:10:10,924 The second week of November, 154 00:10:10,967 --> 00:10:14,846 and winter has arrived early on the Acton Scott Estate. 155 00:10:14,887 --> 00:10:17,720 lt snowed pretty heavily in the night. 156 00:10:17,767 --> 00:10:21,646 And it's settled, so the pigsties are off for today. 157 00:10:21,687 --> 00:10:24,281 Alex has gone out to feed the animals - 158 00:10:24,327 --> 00:10:26,761 make sure they're OK. 159 00:10:26,807 --> 00:10:30,959 But as for the rest of us, it's a day indoors, really. 160 00:10:33,447 --> 00:10:36,166 Didn't think we'd get snow this early in the year. 161 00:10:36,207 --> 00:10:40,917 lt's really going to set it back if we're having to take days out like this. 162 00:10:44,127 --> 00:10:46,595 Ruth keeps warm in the laundry, 163 00:10:46,647 --> 00:10:49,320 where the clothes have been soaking overnight. 164 00:10:50,207 --> 00:10:54,723 All the advice manuals say that you need to get up extra early on wash day. 165 00:10:54,767 --> 00:10:57,565 So if you're normally getting up about sort of six, 166 00:10:57,607 --> 00:10:59,757 it's at least two hours before that. 167 00:11:00,807 --> 00:11:03,321 l remember reading one of them that suggested 168 00:11:03,367 --> 00:11:06,757 the laundrymen should get up at two in the morning on wash day. 169 00:11:06,807 --> 00:11:08,399 Two in the morning. Can you imagine? 170 00:11:08,447 --> 00:11:12,520 Most of the things l used stain removers from... are in this lot. 171 00:11:14,887 --> 00:11:19,756 The chemicals will have softened it all off but they won't have removed it until l start... 172 00:11:19,807 --> 00:11:21,320 doing the bashing. 173 00:11:26,407 --> 00:11:28,318 This is dollying. 174 00:11:28,367 --> 00:11:33,236 You can see it's...a washing machine. This is what a washing machine is mimicking. 175 00:11:34,287 --> 00:11:36,721 Just swishing about... 176 00:11:36,767 --> 00:11:39,565 so that it dislodges the dirt... 177 00:11:39,607 --> 00:11:44,123 which hopefully has all been softened by the soaking we did before. 178 00:11:44,167 --> 00:11:46,727 lt's flipping hard work! 179 00:11:50,727 --> 00:11:52,718 On a small farm like this, 180 00:11:52,767 --> 00:11:55,361 you're doing the laundry probably once a week. 181 00:11:55,407 --> 00:11:58,763 The idea being that you should start on Monday 182 00:11:58,807 --> 00:12:03,198 and have it all finished and dry and ironed and put away by the weekend. 183 00:12:03,247 --> 00:12:05,124 And then start all over again. 184 00:12:10,287 --> 00:12:12,596 l have to keep this up... 185 00:12:12,647 --> 00:12:16,845 basically until the clothes are clean, until l've driven all the dirt out. 186 00:12:16,887 --> 00:12:20,038 lf you think how long your washing machine is on its cycle, 187 00:12:20,087 --> 00:12:22,999 that'll give some idea of how long this is going to take me. 188 00:12:24,447 --> 00:12:27,200 After an hour of back-breaking work, 189 00:12:27,247 --> 00:12:31,286 the wash cycle is over and the clothes are ready to be wrung out. 190 00:12:31,327 --> 00:12:36,276 lt might not look like it, but this is the most amazing labour-saving device. 191 00:12:36,327 --> 00:12:40,115 This is a real product of the lndustrial Revolution, this machine. 192 00:12:40,167 --> 00:12:42,044 Mass production. 193 00:12:42,087 --> 00:12:47,081 Little domestic ones are new... to the Victorian period. 194 00:12:47,127 --> 00:12:50,836 And as the cast-iron manufacturers produced more and more of them, 195 00:12:50,887 --> 00:12:53,242 the price comes down and down and down. 196 00:12:53,287 --> 00:12:55,755 And more and more people can afford one. 197 00:12:57,287 --> 00:13:02,520 Ruth has now spent two days in the laundry but she's barely halfway through the process. 198 00:13:04,487 --> 00:13:06,478 (Clock chimes) 199 00:13:07,527 --> 00:13:12,442 Alex consults The Book Of The Farm for advice on how to store mangle wurzles over winter. 200 00:13:12,487 --> 00:13:15,763 lt recommends something called a tump. 201 00:13:16,687 --> 00:13:19,963 l'm coming out to our tump or clamp. 202 00:13:20,007 --> 00:13:24,285 This is where we've stored all our root vegetables for our animals for over winter. 203 00:13:24,327 --> 00:13:29,082 We've just covered them with a layer of... a thick layer of straw. 204 00:13:29,127 --> 00:13:31,163 Some of the straw that we threshed. 205 00:13:31,207 --> 00:13:35,120 Now, the reason we do this is essentially to keep the frost off of them. 206 00:13:35,167 --> 00:13:39,445 lt doesn't matter if they get wet, but if the frost gets to them, they'll rot. 207 00:13:39,487 --> 00:13:42,240 They will last all winter round. 208 00:13:42,287 --> 00:13:45,006 Now, that is actually bone dry. 209 00:13:50,807 --> 00:13:54,766 The organ grinder's monkey. Ah, the root slicer. 210 00:13:54,807 --> 00:13:57,162 Yeah, it moves really well. 211 00:13:57,207 --> 00:14:02,998 Peter's taking time out from the pigsties to get these Victorian food processors up and running. 212 00:14:04,447 --> 00:14:09,840 This root slicer is about to be used for the first time in over 50 years. 213 00:14:09,887 --> 00:14:12,162 Mr Acton said it had a good action. 214 00:14:12,207 --> 00:14:14,960 - Right, OK. - However... 215 00:14:15,007 --> 00:14:18,920 it is missing one of these feeders, which might be a problem. 216 00:14:18,967 --> 00:14:21,959 lt might be. Let's give it a go. See what happens. 217 00:14:22,007 --> 00:14:24,475 Shall l put one small one in to start with? 218 00:14:24,527 --> 00:14:27,724 Cos again, this is a machine that we haven't used before. 219 00:14:27,767 --> 00:14:29,758 Do you want a bucket underneath? 220 00:14:29,807 --> 00:14:32,116 Er, that's a good idea. 221 00:14:32,167 --> 00:14:35,637 That's assuming... assuming that it comes out the bottom. 222 00:14:37,247 --> 00:14:40,444 Right...bucket in position. 223 00:14:41,367 --> 00:14:43,517 - Up to speed. Ready? - Yeah. 224 00:14:43,567 --> 00:14:46,445 Oh, yeah! (Laughs) 225 00:14:47,847 --> 00:14:51,237 That's brilliant, mate. lt just munched through it. 226 00:14:51,287 --> 00:14:54,085 Like chips. Perfect chips. 227 00:14:54,127 --> 00:14:56,038 All we need is a deep-fat fryer. 228 00:14:58,807 --> 00:15:00,798 - (Laughs) - Look at that! 229 00:15:01,887 --> 00:15:05,482 The whole reason we're doing this, breaking it down into smaller parts 230 00:15:05,527 --> 00:15:07,597 is so the animal can eat them a lot quicker, 231 00:15:07,647 --> 00:15:10,764 and also, of course, so they can digest them that much easier. 232 00:15:10,807 --> 00:15:15,039 The more they digest, the fatter they get. That's really better for us as farmers. 233 00:15:15,087 --> 00:15:20,366 To supplement these carbohydrates, it's important the animals have roughage, 234 00:15:20,407 --> 00:15:23,956 provided by chaff.. cut-up straw. 235 00:15:24,007 --> 00:15:28,444 - OK, l think that's ready to go. - lt's going, it's pulling itself in. 236 00:15:28,487 --> 00:15:30,557 This is a Victorian chaff cutter. 237 00:15:31,767 --> 00:15:35,555 The teeth drag the straw through spinning blades to chop it up. 238 00:15:38,087 --> 00:15:40,476 And it's going absolutely everywhere, Peter. 239 00:15:40,527 --> 00:15:43,200 Mechanised farming it may be, 240 00:15:43,247 --> 00:15:46,159 but the power comes from humans. 241 00:15:46,207 --> 00:15:49,404 You can see how people would have lost their fingers. 242 00:15:51,167 --> 00:15:55,638 l mean, it's so exposed, the machinery. You've got two blades whizzing around. 243 00:15:55,687 --> 00:15:59,475 You've got two giant rollers with teeth pulling the straw through. 244 00:15:59,527 --> 00:16:03,236 ALEX: lt's a health and safety nightmare. (Laughs) 245 00:16:04,527 --> 00:16:06,882 lt took a lot shorter than l thought it would. 246 00:16:06,927 --> 00:16:09,680 - How did it feel, moving it? - Well, it's knackering. 247 00:16:12,287 --> 00:16:17,725 Back in the late-1 9th century, machines like this...they really are top of the range. 248 00:16:17,767 --> 00:16:22,238 And it's innovation - it's a new type of agriculture, that's the thing. 249 00:16:22,287 --> 00:16:25,404 The lndustrial Revolution had brought an age of machinery 250 00:16:25,447 --> 00:16:28,325 that increased the efficiency of food production. 251 00:16:29,487 --> 00:16:34,356 As a result, farmers could now manage more animals and fatten them quicker, 252 00:16:34,407 --> 00:16:36,875 which all meant increased profits. 253 00:16:42,127 --> 00:16:44,766 l am finally ready for final... 254 00:16:45,687 --> 00:16:49,077 Note the way l like the word ''final''. Final, final, final! 255 00:16:49,127 --> 00:16:51,118 Final rinse! 256 00:16:51,167 --> 00:16:53,840 lt's day three in the laundry for Ruth. 257 00:16:53,887 --> 00:16:56,720 And another six in the morning start. 258 00:16:56,767 --> 00:17:00,237 This is a cube of blue. 259 00:17:00,287 --> 00:17:02,847 lt couldn't be more finest, purest blue, could it? 260 00:17:02,887 --> 00:17:05,242 lt's synthetic ultramarine. 261 00:17:05,287 --> 00:17:09,326 Ultramarine is a stone from Afghanistan. 262 00:17:09,367 --> 00:17:11,244 Cost a flipping fortune. 263 00:17:11,287 --> 00:17:13,357 But in the mid-part of the 1 9th century, 264 00:17:13,407 --> 00:17:16,558 chemists discovered a way of synthesising it artificially. 265 00:17:16,607 --> 00:17:19,326 So this is artificial blue. 266 00:17:19,367 --> 00:17:24,077 And it'll die the whole stuff a slight, slight tinge of blue... 267 00:17:24,127 --> 00:17:27,358 which will counteract the yellowness of the soap. 268 00:17:27,407 --> 00:17:29,602 And to the human eye, it will look white. 269 00:17:30,367 --> 00:17:32,358 They do look whiter, don't they? 270 00:17:33,287 --> 00:17:35,562 You see that yellow tinge disappearing. 271 00:17:36,927 --> 00:17:41,125 Modern washing powders still contain blue to give a brilliant whiteness. 272 00:17:41,167 --> 00:17:44,716 Next is a boil wash to kill any bacteria, 273 00:17:44,767 --> 00:17:47,201 followed by yet more mangling. 274 00:17:47,247 --> 00:17:50,398 This is when you need a small child. 275 00:17:50,447 --> 00:17:52,438 An extra little pair of hands. 276 00:17:52,487 --> 00:17:54,717 lt'd be so helpful. 277 00:17:57,567 --> 00:18:02,277 Outside, the pigsty walls are slowly taking shape. 278 00:18:02,327 --> 00:18:07,276 The beauty of stone-walling is you don't have to build in courses. 279 00:18:07,327 --> 00:18:11,479 Paul Arrowsmith, a stonemason of 25 years'experience 280 00:18:11,527 --> 00:18:14,325 is teaching Peter the secret of building with stone. 281 00:18:16,967 --> 00:18:21,643 We're building the stone wall in the same way you build a dry stone wall. 282 00:18:21,687 --> 00:18:25,043 So all the stones touch. Stone on stone. 283 00:18:25,087 --> 00:18:29,956 The mortar just stops the wind from blowing through. Keeps the weather out. 284 00:18:30,007 --> 00:18:32,043 But despite Paul's tutelage, 285 00:18:32,087 --> 00:18:34,078 Peter is finding it difficult. 286 00:18:35,647 --> 00:18:39,435 They had a habit of building... like a row of rotten teeth... 287 00:18:39,487 --> 00:18:41,478 which is very hard to build off. 288 00:18:41,527 --> 00:18:44,599 So they found it hard to get the next course of stone on. 289 00:18:45,887 --> 00:18:49,516 Of course, unlike building with brick, no two stones are the same 290 00:18:49,567 --> 00:18:53,560 and Peter is struggling to find suitable shapes to fit his uneven wall. 291 00:18:53,607 --> 00:18:56,201 At the moment, fish out of water, really. 292 00:18:56,247 --> 00:18:58,886 3D jigsaw puzzle. 293 00:18:58,927 --> 00:19:01,600 2D jigsaw eyes on. 294 00:19:03,447 --> 00:19:07,076 So at the moment l've just got this gap l've got to fill. 295 00:19:07,127 --> 00:19:11,405 And l reckon... Well, one stone would be nice. 296 00:19:12,407 --> 00:19:16,002 But, you know...we're not in a perfect world, quite obviously. 297 00:19:16,047 --> 00:19:22,646 But l get very tempted to take stones that are existing in the wall...and move them. 298 00:19:22,687 --> 00:19:25,565 - Do you want one for there? - Yes, please. 299 00:19:25,607 --> 00:19:28,246 He's going to make me a stone. 300 00:19:33,167 --> 00:19:34,441 Yes! 301 00:19:34,487 --> 00:19:37,160 Oh, yes, master mason...at work! 302 00:19:38,327 --> 00:19:41,239 The stones are secured using Victorian lime mortar, 303 00:19:41,287 --> 00:19:43,926 and this is presenting its own problems. 304 00:19:44,727 --> 00:19:48,402 This mortar, if it freezes, it's useless. lt's like sand... 305 00:19:48,447 --> 00:19:52,122 and our pigs could push it over if they so wished, so hopefully... 306 00:19:52,167 --> 00:19:57,958 if we can build in the peak of the day, when it's dry and a bit warmer, 307 00:19:58,007 --> 00:20:01,682 and if we cover everything up at night, the mortar will dry. 308 00:20:01,727 --> 00:20:05,766 But it is the wrong time of year and people won't believe me 309 00:20:05,807 --> 00:20:08,879 if l tell them l'm building pigsties in the winter. 310 00:20:11,167 --> 00:20:15,638 By half-three, afterjust seven hours of work, it's time to stop building. 311 00:20:15,687 --> 00:20:18,281 lt's getting dark already. 312 00:20:18,327 --> 00:20:20,841 so we're going to prep the walls for the night. 313 00:20:20,887 --> 00:20:25,039 We're just laying sheep fleeces over them... 314 00:20:25,087 --> 00:20:30,036 just to give them a bit of protection from the quite severe frosts that are coming in every night. 315 00:20:38,767 --> 00:20:41,839 lt's the fourth day of the laundry process. 316 00:20:41,887 --> 00:20:45,846 The washing is dry. Time for Ruth to iron the clothes. 317 00:20:46,607 --> 00:20:48,598 l have to say...l hate ironing. 318 00:20:49,487 --> 00:20:52,047 lt's so time-consuming, this. 319 00:20:52,087 --> 00:20:55,682 lf anybody makes any comments about me looking anything less 320 00:20:55,727 --> 00:20:59,845 than utterly perfect at Christmas, is going to get hung, drawn and quartered. 321 00:20:59,887 --> 00:21:03,402 lf the animals give you a sort of shape to the day and mean you have to... 322 00:21:03,447 --> 00:21:05,677 have this daily routine in and out, 323 00:21:05,727 --> 00:21:08,639 it's the laundry that separates out your week. 324 00:21:09,927 --> 00:21:13,806 Saturday night, sorting out all the clothes. Monday morning... 325 00:21:13,847 --> 00:21:16,315 the horrendous wash day. 326 00:21:16,367 --> 00:21:18,358 Tuesday, drying. 327 00:21:18,407 --> 00:21:21,717 Wednesday, starching. Thursday, ironing. 328 00:21:24,047 --> 00:21:26,686 Oh, yes, look at that. Lovely. 329 00:21:34,287 --> 00:21:37,677 Every morning, Peter and Alex rise at dawn to feed the sheep. 330 00:21:39,567 --> 00:21:42,127 By now, if Fred the ram has done hisjob, 331 00:21:42,167 --> 00:21:44,556 all ten ewes should be pregnant. 332 00:21:44,607 --> 00:21:47,599 But at the moment, there's no way of being sure. 333 00:21:49,727 --> 00:21:53,003 The Book Of The Farm recommends a technique known as raddling. 334 00:21:53,047 --> 00:21:56,119 This involves painting a red mark on the ram's breast. 335 00:21:56,167 --> 00:21:58,522 When mating with a ewe, it rubs off. 336 00:21:58,567 --> 00:22:00,956 leaving a tell-tale mark on her back. 337 00:22:01,687 --> 00:22:03,996 Let's put a bit of this linseed oil in. 338 00:22:06,647 --> 00:22:10,560 l think l'm going to have to use some of this pig fat as well. 339 00:22:12,127 --> 00:22:15,597 Try and mix that in. Yeah, that's really coming together now. 340 00:22:16,967 --> 00:22:20,596 - What do you think of this, Peter? How's that? - lt's certainly red enough. 341 00:22:22,487 --> 00:22:25,365 To apply the raddle, they need to catch Fred. 342 00:22:25,407 --> 00:22:28,160 All 22 stones of him. 343 00:22:28,207 --> 00:22:31,597 Myself and Alex have spent a lot of time thinking about this. 344 00:22:31,647 --> 00:22:34,605 The last time l handled sheep, l broke my finger. 345 00:22:36,087 --> 00:22:39,682 That's an experience l don't want to repeat. lt's an occupational hazard. 346 00:22:42,367 --> 00:22:44,927 The plan is...get the sheep in the yard, 347 00:22:44,967 --> 00:22:47,162 split Fred our ram from them, 348 00:22:47,207 --> 00:22:50,517 get him in there, into here... close the gate on him. 349 00:22:53,127 --> 00:22:55,163 Get him into this corner... 350 00:22:55,207 --> 00:22:59,405 and then shut this gate on him, so we crush him between these gates. Not hard. 351 00:22:59,447 --> 00:23:02,200 But just enough so he can't move. 352 00:23:02,247 --> 00:23:05,284 And then Alex can stick the raddle on him. 353 00:23:05,327 --> 00:23:08,876 That is the plan. That's what we're hoping for. 354 00:23:08,927 --> 00:23:11,999 He is really strong, this guy. He's an enormous beast. 355 00:23:12,047 --> 00:23:14,720 - Thank you. - The ram's quite big as well! 356 00:23:15,527 --> 00:23:17,836 Sheep! Sheep! 357 00:23:23,367 --> 00:23:27,121 - Where's the ram? The ram's over there. - He's right at the back there. 358 00:23:28,727 --> 00:23:30,957 Slowly... 359 00:23:35,007 --> 00:23:39,876 Hooray. Well, that was a little bit easier... than l anticipated. 360 00:23:39,927 --> 00:23:41,918 Now the difficult bit. 361 00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:45,755 Separating Fred the ram from the ewes. 362 00:23:45,807 --> 00:23:48,082 Our idea is to push them to that end of the yard 363 00:23:48,127 --> 00:23:51,244 and hopefully gate them in. But it's going to be difficult. 364 00:23:59,727 --> 00:24:01,718 Right, we've got him separated now. 365 00:24:01,767 --> 00:24:04,804 This might take some time. 366 00:24:04,847 --> 00:24:06,838 No, no, no! 367 00:24:10,727 --> 00:24:14,197 On the Victorian Farm, shepherding is men's work, 368 00:24:14,247 --> 00:24:16,841 whereas the poultry are looked after by women. 369 00:24:16,887 --> 00:24:19,355 RUTH: These are our three turkeys. 370 00:24:19,407 --> 00:24:22,843 We have Wilfred and Ena and Lillian. 371 00:24:22,887 --> 00:24:25,242 Ena's on the menu for Christmas. 372 00:24:26,567 --> 00:24:30,446 - So l'm just keeping them alive. (Cocks crow) 373 00:24:30,487 --> 00:24:34,241 Yeah, yeah, you lot as well! We'll eat you too, if you like. 374 00:24:34,287 --> 00:24:38,166 Turkey, in the Victorian period, was already taking over from goose 375 00:24:38,207 --> 00:24:42,837 as a more traditional bird. lt's bigger, for a start, so if you've got more people to feed, 376 00:24:42,887 --> 00:24:44,878 it's a better choice. 377 00:24:46,887 --> 00:24:51,563 The turkey industry was developing over in Norfolk, to a degree it hadn't been before. 378 00:24:51,607 --> 00:24:54,644 With the railways, many people in towns in particular 379 00:24:54,687 --> 00:24:57,565 could get turkeys much cheaper than they had been. 380 00:24:59,007 --> 00:25:02,636 lt's always a bit sad to lose your livestock because you get fond of them, 381 00:25:02,687 --> 00:25:04,678 but that's their purpose, isn't it? 382 00:25:05,687 --> 00:25:07,564 And l do find it very... 383 00:25:07,607 --> 00:25:10,280 comforting to know that they've had a good life. 384 00:25:19,727 --> 00:25:21,718 (Both laugh) 385 00:25:21,767 --> 00:25:23,758 Time for a coffee! 386 00:25:26,207 --> 00:25:28,198 After a couple of failed attempts, 387 00:25:28,247 --> 00:25:32,365 the boys have finally managed to shepherd all the sheep into a pen. 388 00:25:32,407 --> 00:25:35,763 Now they need to separate Fred from the ewes. 389 00:25:35,807 --> 00:25:38,560 lf you were to hold here and l were to go in, 390 00:25:38,607 --> 00:25:41,679 l could maybe turn one round. And you could open... 391 00:25:41,727 --> 00:25:44,195 - You stand at the gate. - And let them out one at a time. 392 00:25:45,607 --> 00:25:47,598 Get the wrong one... 393 00:25:48,487 --> 00:25:50,842 - Fortunately, he's right at the end. - l know. 394 00:25:50,887 --> 00:25:53,082 They're bloody strong. 395 00:25:53,127 --> 00:25:55,687 Go on. Come here, darling. 396 00:25:55,727 --> 00:25:57,683 There we are. Off you go. 397 00:25:57,727 --> 00:26:01,640 - They look wedged! - l don't know which one to start with. 398 00:26:05,247 --> 00:26:07,636 Go on, off you go. 399 00:26:07,687 --> 00:26:10,281 l've got him, l've got him. He's strong, he's strong. 400 00:26:10,327 --> 00:26:12,318 Head in there. 401 00:26:13,087 --> 00:26:15,476 Whoo! He's strong, though. Really strong. 402 00:26:16,727 --> 00:26:21,039 You really want to put it in a place so that when he does get on top of her, 403 00:26:21,087 --> 00:26:25,205 we can guarantee that he's mounted her very well and that he's done the job. 404 00:26:26,487 --> 00:26:29,684 - Painting the Forth Bridge with a toothbrush. - lt is, yeah. 405 00:26:32,607 --> 00:26:34,598 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 406 00:26:34,647 --> 00:26:36,638 Come on... 407 00:26:36,687 --> 00:26:38,245 Come on. 408 00:26:40,407 --> 00:26:42,398 With Fred raring to go, 409 00:26:42,447 --> 00:26:45,883 lt's time to let nature take its course. 410 00:26:46,887 --> 00:26:49,401 Can you give us a hand? l want to get this off him. 411 00:26:53,327 --> 00:26:55,318 Got his flock back. 412 00:26:55,367 --> 00:26:57,881 ls he gonna jump on one? 413 00:26:57,927 --> 00:26:59,918 ln this weather? 414 00:27:07,047 --> 00:27:09,800 With the cold of winter beginning to bite, 415 00:27:09,847 --> 00:27:13,044 Peter urgently needs to finish the pigsties. 416 00:27:13,087 --> 00:27:17,160 lt's another frosty morning on the farm, but early Christmas present from Alex, 417 00:27:17,207 --> 00:27:19,038 it's keeping me warm along with the fire. 418 00:27:20,527 --> 00:27:24,406 The frost really is slowing up our building work cos it affects the mortar. 419 00:27:24,447 --> 00:27:28,838 But we're starting to get the roof on, so hopefully, by 1 9th December, 420 00:27:28,887 --> 00:27:32,846 when the pigs come, we'll be putting on our last bit of stone and saying, 421 00:27:32,887 --> 00:27:38,120 ''ln you go, it's your porcine palace. Enjoy.'' 422 00:27:39,727 --> 00:27:43,481 Thomas Stackhouse Acton, owner of the farm's estate, 423 00:27:43,527 --> 00:27:46,121 is a Victorian farming enthusiast. 424 00:27:46,927 --> 00:27:51,717 He's insisted that every aspect of the sties be authentic, even down to the nails. 425 00:27:51,767 --> 00:27:57,603 Every time Mr Acton has taken down a building on his land... 426 00:27:57,647 --> 00:27:59,956 he has saved the nails. 427 00:28:00,007 --> 00:28:03,044 Can we get a nice straight one, please, Peter? 428 00:28:03,087 --> 00:28:05,317 l will try. 429 00:28:10,567 --> 00:28:16,244 These blacksmith cut nails were giving way to mass-produced wire nails by the 1 880s. 430 00:28:16,287 --> 00:28:18,881 These have gone up relatively fast. 431 00:28:18,927 --> 00:28:23,955 Although l have to say, the way l've chosen to do it, kneeling on the battens like this, 432 00:28:24,007 --> 00:28:27,204 is absolutely killing my knees now. 433 00:28:27,247 --> 00:28:30,876 With work on the pigsties over for another day, 434 00:28:30,927 --> 00:28:33,964 Peter heads out to the fields to check on the ewes. 435 00:28:34,007 --> 00:28:38,239 We're in luck. lt looks like the raddle's worked. 436 00:28:38,287 --> 00:28:41,165 l mean, a couple of the sheep have got marks on them. 437 00:28:41,207 --> 00:28:44,199 We'll be able to split them from the rest of the flock. 438 00:28:44,247 --> 00:28:46,761 So we'll probably have two stages of lambing. 439 00:28:46,807 --> 00:28:50,356 All that trouble to get that on to Fred, and it's worked. 440 00:28:51,527 --> 00:28:53,722 lt's worked a treat. 441 00:28:59,127 --> 00:29:01,118 lt's December. 442 00:29:01,927 --> 00:29:06,045 All ten ewes have raddle marks, so come April, they should produce lambs. 443 00:29:09,687 --> 00:29:13,316 Despite the harsh weather, the walls of the pigsties are almost complete. 444 00:29:13,367 --> 00:29:17,246 But there's still an awful lot to do before the pigs move in. 445 00:29:18,807 --> 00:29:23,323 The turkeys, on the other hand, are coming on nicely, ready for Christmas. 446 00:29:25,607 --> 00:29:28,599 But the farm's not complete without a working horse.. 447 00:29:28,647 --> 00:29:30,638 the tractor of the Victorian farm. 448 00:29:32,527 --> 00:29:37,442 ln the 1 800s, over a million shire horses worked on farms across England. 449 00:29:37,487 --> 00:29:40,001 But today, they're an endangered breed 450 00:29:40,047 --> 00:29:42,515 and just a few thousand survive. 451 00:29:43,847 --> 00:29:48,318 The team's been lent Clumper by Sharon Davis, a local farmer. 452 00:29:48,367 --> 00:29:50,358 - Hello, Sharon. - Hello. 453 00:29:50,407 --> 00:29:52,159 - How are you? - l'm well. And you? 454 00:29:52,207 --> 00:29:54,277 Wonderful, yes. l'm doing very well. 455 00:29:54,327 --> 00:29:56,921 - This is Clumper. - lt is, yes. 456 00:29:56,967 --> 00:30:00,039 But Sharon isn't sure whether he's a pure-bred shire. 457 00:30:00,087 --> 00:30:04,319 Alex calls on John Ward of the Shire Horse Society for his verdict. 458 00:30:04,367 --> 00:30:07,040 l'll just have a look over here and see... 459 00:30:09,167 --> 00:30:15,481 He's got the size. The shires' geldings are all 1 7 hands plus high...for working. 460 00:30:15,527 --> 00:30:17,518 - Got the weight. - Right. 461 00:30:17,567 --> 00:30:19,558 He must weigh nearly a ton. 462 00:30:19,607 --> 00:30:23,361 - lt needs a big horse to pull a big weight. So... - Right. 463 00:30:23,407 --> 00:30:27,036 And the characteristic of the shire horse is the feather. 464 00:30:27,087 --> 00:30:30,796 The nice silky hair on the leg we call the feather. The colour. 465 00:30:30,847 --> 00:30:35,125 Bay, grey and black are the colours. So he comes in that criteria. 466 00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:37,158 - He's a bay. - He's a good bay, he is. 467 00:30:37,207 --> 00:30:41,439 Right. So we've got the feathering, the bay, the weight and the height. 468 00:30:41,487 --> 00:30:44,365 Yes, and he's got a very good collar. 469 00:30:44,407 --> 00:30:46,477 Many people think a horse pulls a wagon. 470 00:30:46,527 --> 00:30:48,518 lt doesn't. lt pushes into the collar. 471 00:30:48,567 --> 00:30:52,276 Then the wagon or whatever it is is attached to the hames here. 472 00:30:52,327 --> 00:30:55,444 So it actually pushes. lt doesn't pull. 473 00:30:55,487 --> 00:31:00,436 - So we're looking for a lot of strength in here. - Absolutely. And, of course...in there. 474 00:31:00,487 --> 00:31:03,479 - Right. - That's where the real strength comes from. 475 00:31:03,527 --> 00:31:05,358 The power in the hind quarters. 476 00:31:05,407 --> 00:31:08,444 So all round, this is a pretty good shire. 477 00:31:08,487 --> 00:31:13,038 - lt is. lt's a good specimen of the breed. - l'm pleased. That's great news. 478 00:31:13,087 --> 00:31:18,400 The shire horse was bred in the 1 800s as the ultimate workhorse. 479 00:31:18,447 --> 00:31:20,881 Leading landowners from the shires - 480 00:31:20,927 --> 00:31:23,999 Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, 481 00:31:24,047 --> 00:31:29,121 interbred the finest cart horses they could find to create the shire horse. 482 00:31:31,007 --> 00:31:35,842 You're looking to breed a sort of super-horse which is finely tuned 483 00:31:35,887 --> 00:31:39,675 - for doing all of the heavy work around the farm. - That's right. 484 00:31:39,727 --> 00:31:42,605 All the work on the farm was done with the shire horse. 485 00:31:42,647 --> 00:31:46,845 Whether it was ploughing, harrowing or drilling or harvesting. 486 00:31:46,887 --> 00:31:52,120 lt was their means of moving anything from A to B, it was the shire horse that did it. 487 00:31:52,167 --> 00:31:56,126 So this is not only your sort of tractor, this is also your Land Rover. 488 00:31:56,167 --> 00:31:59,477 - This is also your farm vehicle, is it? - Absolutely. 489 00:32:08,407 --> 00:32:10,398 With Christmas three weeks away, 490 00:32:10,447 --> 00:32:13,041 Ruth begins preparations for the meal. 491 00:32:13,847 --> 00:32:16,805 Christmas or plum puddings are a particularly British thing. 492 00:32:16,847 --> 00:32:20,203 You don't find them anywhere else in the world, really. 493 00:32:20,247 --> 00:32:23,239 Oh, brandy! Can't have too much brandy in a Christmas pud. 494 00:32:24,647 --> 00:32:29,118 Christmas pudding is packed with luxurious ingredients, like dried fruit, 495 00:32:29,167 --> 00:32:31,283 spices and spirits, 496 00:32:31,327 --> 00:32:34,399 which would have been costly to the Victorian farmer. 497 00:32:34,447 --> 00:32:37,120 A time of year and a dish which... 498 00:32:38,287 --> 00:32:42,644 ..Victorian period people... were willing to sort of save up for. 499 00:32:42,687 --> 00:32:45,360 We still eat Victorian Christmas pudding. 500 00:32:45,407 --> 00:32:48,604 One of those things we've hung on to as a tradition. 501 00:32:50,447 --> 00:32:54,520 One final ingredient to go in this Christmas pudding, and that's money. 502 00:32:56,207 --> 00:32:58,926 Traditionally, it's a pair of silver sixpences. 503 00:32:58,967 --> 00:33:02,164 That sounds an awful lot to me, so l've put in fourpences. 504 00:33:02,207 --> 00:33:05,882 Ruth's rich mixture must be boiled without getting wet. 505 00:33:05,927 --> 00:33:09,522 And that requires some Victorian ingenuity. 506 00:33:09,567 --> 00:33:12,877 l like this bit. l've always thought it was a bit like magic. 507 00:33:12,927 --> 00:33:15,566 Take one good, clean cloth. 508 00:33:15,607 --> 00:33:18,280 Wet - or damp, anyhow... 509 00:33:19,287 --> 00:33:21,278 ..spread with flour... 510 00:33:26,567 --> 00:33:28,762 (Hums to herself) 511 00:33:30,007 --> 00:33:35,365 And the instant l drop it into hot water... a seal is made. 512 00:33:35,407 --> 00:33:37,398 A completely water-tight seal. 513 00:33:37,447 --> 00:33:39,199 ln goes the pudding. 514 00:33:47,607 --> 00:33:51,919 Once boiled, Ruth will hang the pudding in the pantry until the Christmas feast. 515 00:34:00,967 --> 00:34:03,356 - This is Sharon. - Hi, pleased to meet you. 516 00:34:03,407 --> 00:34:06,604 To go forward it's... (Clicks tongue) Gee up! Gee up, lad. 517 00:34:07,607 --> 00:34:10,360 Sharon's been driving horses all her life. 518 00:34:10,407 --> 00:34:14,764 So before leaving Clumper with the boys, she gives them a driving lesson. 519 00:34:14,807 --> 00:34:16,798 And what about left to right, then? 520 00:34:16,847 --> 00:34:22,126 Left and right, l don't have any actual voice commands for that. 521 00:34:22,167 --> 00:34:25,239 lt's a case of pulling the reins whichever way you want to go 522 00:34:25,287 --> 00:34:27,164 and (Clicks) to give a bit of incentive. 523 00:34:27,207 --> 00:34:30,802 You find if you over (Clicks) ..you go a bit too fast. 524 00:34:30,847 --> 00:34:32,326 Right. 525 00:34:32,367 --> 00:34:36,565 lf that's the case, you just pull gently on the reins and ''steady, steady''. 526 00:34:36,607 --> 00:34:39,405 And do you talk to him all the time or...? 527 00:34:41,007 --> 00:34:43,475 l tend to. People might think l'm mad, but... 528 00:34:43,527 --> 00:34:46,121 it just lets the horse know you're still there. 529 00:34:46,167 --> 00:34:48,556 lt's just a little bit of contact, isn't it? 530 00:34:49,807 --> 00:34:51,798 Words of love. 531 00:34:51,847 --> 00:34:53,883 Oh, l don't know about that. 532 00:34:53,927 --> 00:34:55,918 Bit of pressure to the reins. Whoa. 533 00:34:55,967 --> 00:34:58,879 - OK? Ready for a go? - Yes, yes. 534 00:34:58,927 --> 00:35:01,282 - There we are. - Right, OK... 535 00:35:01,327 --> 00:35:04,478 That's it. Remember to keep your hands nice and relaxed. 536 00:35:04,527 --> 00:35:07,439 - And the overhand grip. - You still want a little... 537 00:35:07,487 --> 00:35:10,206 l haven't even started and he's already backseat driving. 538 00:35:10,247 --> 00:35:14,035 - Terrible, these backseat drivers. - So l've got the right grip. 539 00:35:14,087 --> 00:35:15,600 - That's it. - lt's a... (Clicks) 540 00:35:15,647 --> 00:35:17,399 Gee up! 541 00:35:19,807 --> 00:35:21,320 Gee up. Good boy. 542 00:35:22,527 --> 00:35:24,358 - That's it. - How am l doing? 543 00:35:24,407 --> 00:35:27,717 - You're doing very well. Very well indeed, yes. - Brilliant. 544 00:35:27,767 --> 00:35:31,840 Working with horses is an essential skill for the Victorian farmer, 545 00:35:31,887 --> 00:35:36,836 so Alex and Peter need to get to grips with Clumper as quickly as possible. 546 00:35:36,887 --> 00:35:40,402 PETER: Christ knows what these sheep think. SHARON: Mad! 547 00:35:46,687 --> 00:35:51,920 At the cottage, Ruth has spent the last few evenings secretly sewing in her bedroom. 548 00:35:51,967 --> 00:35:56,483 l'm embroidering a pair of braces for Peter for Christmas. 549 00:35:56,527 --> 00:35:59,405 And obviously l need to do it when he's not looking, 550 00:35:59,447 --> 00:36:03,565 so l've been doing it quietly upstairs in the evening. 551 00:36:03,607 --> 00:36:05,882 But that means doing it by oil lamp, 552 00:36:05,927 --> 00:36:09,397 which is just so difficult. 553 00:36:09,447 --> 00:36:11,438 l mean, light is so critical. 554 00:36:11,487 --> 00:36:15,480 Those of us who are used to having electric lights at the touch of a button, 555 00:36:15,527 --> 00:36:21,124 we just forget how much daylight shapes what you can and can't do. 556 00:36:21,167 --> 00:36:25,957 So in the winter, when you're struggling and every job has to be... 557 00:36:26,007 --> 00:36:27,998 fitted within the timescale, 558 00:36:28,047 --> 00:36:31,642 and you have to really prioritise, ''What can l do when l can see?'' 559 00:36:31,687 --> 00:36:34,679 lt shapes your whole day and your whole work pattern. 560 00:36:34,727 --> 00:36:37,287 And it's not just the light that's the problem. 561 00:36:37,327 --> 00:36:40,797 l'm afraid l can't do much more than about an hour up here of a night, 562 00:36:40,847 --> 00:36:43,919 no matter how hard l try. l just get so cold... 563 00:36:43,967 --> 00:36:48,836 and l get so stiff and my fingers get so numb that l just can't carry on. 564 00:37:01,407 --> 00:37:06,242 Unlike Ruth's bedroom, it's important the pigsties are warm and draught-free 565 00:37:06,287 --> 00:37:08,278 for the comfort-loving pigs. 566 00:37:09,047 --> 00:37:13,199 Alex's brother Tom, who works as a 21 st-century tiler, 567 00:37:13,247 --> 00:37:16,637 is using a Victorian technique to seal the roof. 568 00:37:16,687 --> 00:37:19,645 l haven't used this tiling technique before, 569 00:37:19,687 --> 00:37:23,760 which is bedding each one of these...tiles on. 570 00:37:23,807 --> 00:37:26,002 As it's going on, you can see... 571 00:37:26,047 --> 00:37:28,038 the benefits it's going to have... 572 00:37:29,047 --> 00:37:31,038 ..for the pigs. 573 00:37:31,087 --> 00:37:36,241 These tiles are going to be kept on to each other...as the cement goes off... 574 00:37:36,287 --> 00:37:40,200 restricting any draught or any movement of the tiles. 575 00:37:41,727 --> 00:37:45,356 lnside, Peter seals the tiles with cement, 576 00:37:45,407 --> 00:37:47,477 using a technique known as torching. 577 00:37:48,527 --> 00:37:53,681 Torching, essentially, is like your modern-day fibreglass loft lagging to insulate. 578 00:37:53,727 --> 00:37:58,676 All l'm doing is putting mortar on the insides between the battens. 579 00:37:58,727 --> 00:38:01,082 The mortar will curl in into the tile, 580 00:38:01,127 --> 00:38:04,358 meet up with the mortar Tom's already put between the tiles, 581 00:38:04,407 --> 00:38:09,037 and it will form a wind barrier and form a key to lock them on so the tiles won't come off. 582 00:38:09,087 --> 00:38:15,401 lt'll keep it insulated, warm, draught-free and it'll keep the pigs very happy, l think. 583 00:38:19,247 --> 00:38:24,480 At the cottage, Ruth is preparing a rather gruesome dish for the Christmas meal. 584 00:38:25,247 --> 00:38:27,602 Cow's tongue. 585 00:38:27,647 --> 00:38:30,115 lt's been boiling for ages and ages and ages. 586 00:38:31,647 --> 00:38:33,956 But he is nice and soft. 587 00:38:34,007 --> 00:38:35,998 Here he comes. 588 00:38:38,007 --> 00:38:39,998 What l've got to do now is skin him. 589 00:38:44,087 --> 00:38:46,078 Getting the skin... 590 00:38:46,127 --> 00:38:48,163 Neat is l can. 591 00:38:54,927 --> 00:38:59,876 Often used to pad out other things on the table. There we are. 592 00:38:59,927 --> 00:39:01,918 Peels off nice. 593 00:39:01,967 --> 00:39:03,764 That's got the edges off. 594 00:39:05,327 --> 00:39:08,239 Makes a nice contrast to poultry. 595 00:39:08,287 --> 00:39:11,085 Stronger flavours on the table. 596 00:39:14,087 --> 00:39:15,839 At that angle. 597 00:39:16,887 --> 00:39:19,447 Now the final touch.. 598 00:39:19,487 --> 00:39:22,718 to keep the tongue nice and upright, ready for the table. 599 00:39:28,047 --> 00:39:30,402 Oh, yes, that looks ridiculous, doesn't it? 600 00:39:32,247 --> 00:39:35,444 Come on. Come on, lris. 601 00:39:35,487 --> 00:39:37,478 Come on, that's it. 602 00:39:39,767 --> 00:39:43,316 Ruth is keen to get the dairy up and running to make cheese and butter. 603 00:39:43,367 --> 00:39:45,722 But to do this, they need milk. 604 00:39:45,767 --> 00:39:49,555 So Alex has brought in two new additions to the farm. 605 00:39:50,927 --> 00:39:55,000 This one here, Forget-Me-Not, she's in calf and she'll drop that in May. 606 00:39:55,047 --> 00:39:58,164 So we've just got to make sure all of that goes smoothly - 607 00:39:58,207 --> 00:40:01,802 drops the calf, it's fine, it's healthy and we can bring that on. 608 00:40:01,847 --> 00:40:04,361 And of course we'll have a milker then as well. 609 00:40:04,407 --> 00:40:06,477 So it's important that we have a milking cow 610 00:40:06,527 --> 00:40:10,315 because there's an inordinate amount of dairy that we'd like to do. 611 00:40:10,367 --> 00:40:13,916 The one thing it takes is daily dedication. 612 00:40:13,967 --> 00:40:17,562 You know, coming in here two or three times a day at least. 613 00:40:17,607 --> 00:40:20,644 Cows are kept inside over winter, 614 00:40:20,687 --> 00:40:23,247 so must be fed twice a day by the team. 615 00:40:23,287 --> 00:40:26,359 Alex has prepared their feed in the machine room. 616 00:40:26,407 --> 00:40:30,036 What l've got in today's mix is some sliced roots, 617 00:40:30,087 --> 00:40:33,682 but l've also got some... some of the milled oats as well. 618 00:40:33,727 --> 00:40:36,366 But the final ingredient would be some roughage. 619 00:40:36,407 --> 00:40:40,036 We've cleared out the hay loft and we've now got it stacked with hay. 620 00:40:40,087 --> 00:40:44,080 What l'll do is probably just drop some hay down from these chutes here. 621 00:40:44,127 --> 00:40:48,040 These shorthorn cows were popular with Victorian farmers 622 00:40:48,087 --> 00:40:52,478 as they mature and fatten quicker than the older longhorn breeds. 623 00:40:52,527 --> 00:40:54,518 Of course, this increased profits. 624 00:40:54,567 --> 00:40:57,035 For the period, these are sort of spot-on. 625 00:40:57,087 --> 00:41:01,956 They really are the sort of stalwart of the British livestock industry in the 1 9th century. 626 00:41:02,007 --> 00:41:05,079 We should check to see what Henry Stephens has got to say 627 00:41:05,127 --> 00:41:07,516 in our bible for the year - The Book Of The Farm. 628 00:41:07,567 --> 00:41:11,685 According to The Book Of The Farm, shorthorns were bred to perfection 629 00:41:11,727 --> 00:41:15,003 by the Colling brothers in the early 1 800s, and here, 630 00:41:15,047 --> 00:41:18,198 Henry Stephens reveals the secret of their success. 631 00:41:18,247 --> 00:41:21,523 What he likes to put it down to is what we call in-breeding. 632 00:41:21,567 --> 00:41:28,359 So that's breeding related beasts that have distinctive desirable features... 633 00:41:28,407 --> 00:41:32,525 so that you sort of accentuate those features in the offspring. 634 00:41:32,567 --> 00:41:35,479 By the time they'd finished developing the beast, 635 00:41:35,527 --> 00:41:40,317 we ended up with a cow which was both a good milker and very good for beef cattle as well, 636 00:41:40,367 --> 00:41:43,245 so for us on the farm, it's really the ideal cow. 637 00:41:43,287 --> 00:41:46,802 lt's what l like to call the first real dual purpose cow. 638 00:41:46,847 --> 00:41:48,838 lt was an incredibly popular cow. 639 00:41:48,887 --> 00:41:51,481 lt was the first cow to make over £1 00. 640 00:41:52,927 --> 00:41:55,395 But long before genetic engineering, 641 00:41:55,447 --> 00:41:58,644 Stephens questioned the safety of playing with nature. 642 00:41:59,367 --> 00:42:04,999 ''..according to the manner in which it is directed, is possessed of great power for good or evil.'' 643 00:42:05,047 --> 00:42:08,642 So that's quite interesting - his comments, there, on in-breeding 644 00:42:08,687 --> 00:42:10,484 and the dangers of in-breeding. 645 00:42:14,327 --> 00:42:18,764 Christmas is approaching and Ena's being prepared for the festive lunch. 646 00:42:18,807 --> 00:42:20,798 Tough skin you have, Ena. 647 00:42:22,127 --> 00:42:27,406 She's still nice and warm, which does make the job a lot easier than trying to pluck a cold bird. 648 00:42:28,847 --> 00:42:32,044 And she is...in nice condition. 649 00:42:32,087 --> 00:42:34,078 The skin's really good. 650 00:42:36,007 --> 00:42:38,567 lf you've reared a beast yourself, 651 00:42:38,607 --> 00:42:43,317 and then gone through all the processes of preparing it and turning it into the pot, 652 00:42:43,367 --> 00:42:45,835 you take time to taste things. 653 00:42:47,327 --> 00:42:50,080 To notice flavours and textures and... 654 00:42:50,127 --> 00:42:53,119 you just get more pleasure out of eating. 655 00:42:54,327 --> 00:42:59,082 l've finished doing most of the plucking, but you always get these last tiny fluffy bits 656 00:42:59,127 --> 00:43:04,326 that are really hard to pull out so the quickest way of doing it is to singe it off with a flame. 657 00:43:05,927 --> 00:43:08,361 The farmers all do their bit for Christmas... 658 00:43:08,407 --> 00:43:12,241 so Alex heads out onto the estate in search of a tree. 659 00:43:13,287 --> 00:43:17,166 There was a bit of the old and a bit of the new for us this Christmas. 660 00:43:17,207 --> 00:43:20,483 As far as the old's concerned, we're going to be getting in 661 00:43:20,527 --> 00:43:23,519 some holly and some ivy and some yew. 662 00:43:23,567 --> 00:43:26,320 Traditional greenery with which to... 663 00:43:26,367 --> 00:43:29,404 adorn the homestead. 664 00:43:29,447 --> 00:43:32,439 But for the new, we're getting in our Christmas tree. 665 00:43:32,487 --> 00:43:37,686 And this is a fad that really takes off in the Victorian period. 666 00:43:39,567 --> 00:43:44,561 ln 1 848, The lllustrated London News printed this picture of the Royal Family, 667 00:43:44,607 --> 00:43:46,598 gathered around a Christmas tree - 668 00:43:46,647 --> 00:43:49,559 a tradition brought from Germany by Prince Albert. 669 00:43:49,607 --> 00:43:54,476 Of course, when the British public get to see this, of course everyone wants a Christmas tree. 670 00:43:54,527 --> 00:43:56,518 Here we go. Not far off. 671 00:43:59,367 --> 00:44:01,039 There we go. 672 00:44:11,807 --> 00:44:14,879 At the cottage, Ena's stuffed and ready to be roasted, 673 00:44:14,927 --> 00:44:17,885 using state-of-the-art Victorian technology. 674 00:44:17,927 --> 00:44:20,646 l've got a marvellous new contraption to help me. 675 00:44:20,687 --> 00:44:23,679 lt's called a bottle jack and it's made of clockwork. 676 00:44:23,727 --> 00:44:25,718 That's going to turn the meat for me. 677 00:44:25,767 --> 00:44:29,521 And then this screen around it is often called a hastener, 678 00:44:29,567 --> 00:44:32,843 because it reflects the heat back and speeds up the cooking, 679 00:44:32,887 --> 00:44:35,845 so it's a bottle jack and hastener. Like in a kebab shop, 680 00:44:35,887 --> 00:44:38,799 when you see that heated grill 681 00:44:38,847 --> 00:44:41,042 and then the kebab twists in front of it. 682 00:44:41,087 --> 00:44:43,806 That's how we always used to roast meat: 683 00:44:43,847 --> 00:44:47,760 in front of a sheet of flame. 684 00:44:47,807 --> 00:44:50,605 So here we go, l'm going to wind up the bottle jack. 685 00:44:57,127 --> 00:45:00,756 Then if l start it off by giving the meat a twist just to get it going, 686 00:45:00,807 --> 00:45:04,402 you should hear it click and then it'll turn back the other way. 687 00:45:04,447 --> 00:45:06,438 (Click) - There we go. 688 00:45:06,487 --> 00:45:08,717 Now all l've got to do is move it round... 689 00:45:10,887 --> 00:45:14,277 ..and l should be able to come back to it not too often. 690 00:45:14,327 --> 00:45:16,716 Leave me space to do the rest of the cooking. 691 00:45:26,407 --> 00:45:28,284 lt's been a couple of months... 692 00:45:28,327 --> 00:45:31,444 they've been cold, they've been wet, they've been snowy. 693 00:45:31,487 --> 00:45:34,524 They've sometimes been sunny but we've finished our pigsties 694 00:45:34,567 --> 00:45:37,445 and l think they look absolutely fabulous. 695 00:45:37,487 --> 00:45:42,481 l'm actually genuinely really, really excited. Such a sense of achievement, really. 696 00:45:47,567 --> 00:45:50,843 But before the pigs can move in, the sties must be approved 697 00:45:50,887 --> 00:45:54,277 by the landlord of the Acton Scott estate - Thomas Acton. 698 00:45:55,167 --> 00:45:57,158 - Good afternoon. - Afternoon. 699 00:45:57,207 --> 00:45:59,084 So you've built this pigsty. 700 00:45:59,127 --> 00:46:02,278 At noon, on the dot, he arrives to inspect them. 701 00:46:02,327 --> 00:46:07,606 l'm going to see how it measures up to the recommendations of Henry Stephens. 702 00:46:07,647 --> 00:46:11,276 He comes equipped with the Victorian farming bible.. 703 00:46:11,327 --> 00:46:13,477 Henry Stephens'Book Of The Farm. 704 00:46:13,527 --> 00:46:17,805 ''For a breeding-sty, each apartment should not be less than 6 feet square.'' 705 00:46:18,647 --> 00:46:22,606 - Lucky we made that one slightly bigger. - (Laughter) 706 00:46:23,287 --> 00:46:26,245 - Shall we measure them? - We might want to measure them. 707 00:46:26,287 --> 00:46:28,881 What have we got there? Two... 708 00:46:28,927 --> 00:46:30,838 l'm feeling a bit nervous at the moment. 709 00:46:30,887 --> 00:46:32,878 That's five feet. 710 00:46:33,727 --> 00:46:36,924 Six...and another foot there - that's seven. 711 00:46:36,967 --> 00:46:41,802 So the sties are big enough, but what about their living quarters? 712 00:46:44,007 --> 00:46:45,998 And the floor consists of... 713 00:46:46,047 --> 00:46:50,040 - Bottles in the floor. - l think it could be very comfortable for a pig. 714 00:46:50,087 --> 00:46:55,115 - So do you approve, Mr Acton? - Well, l think it measure up to... 715 00:46:55,167 --> 00:46:59,046 what Henry Stephens suggests. 716 00:46:59,087 --> 00:47:01,078 lt looks very well built. 717 00:47:01,967 --> 00:47:06,643 Extremely solid and fits in well with the other buildings around it. 718 00:47:07,527 --> 00:47:09,518 With the Acton seal of approval, 719 00:47:09,567 --> 00:47:14,197 the final job is to lay a stone, carved with Thomas Stackhouse Acton's initials. 720 00:47:14,247 --> 00:47:17,637 2007. 721 00:47:17,687 --> 00:47:21,521 - 1 06 years late, but... - (Laughter) 722 00:47:22,807 --> 00:47:24,718 lt's quite as heavy as it looks. 723 00:47:28,607 --> 00:47:31,485 - What do you think of the stone, Mr Acton? - Slightly tilted. 724 00:47:31,527 --> 00:47:33,518 (Laughter) 725 00:47:33,567 --> 00:47:35,558 The pigsties or the stone? 726 00:47:45,007 --> 00:47:46,998 - No! - (Laughter) 727 00:47:47,047 --> 00:47:52,485 The pigs have arrived, but show little interest in their splendid new home. 728 00:47:53,487 --> 00:47:55,478 Come on. 729 00:47:55,527 --> 00:47:59,679 - One at a time might be... but three of them... - They're young. They're like teenagers. 730 00:48:00,607 --> 00:48:05,123 Peter may have mastered shepherding sheep but pigs are a different matter. 731 00:48:05,847 --> 00:48:08,156 They're an unruly bunch, they really are. 732 00:48:08,207 --> 00:48:11,119 Come on, home time. ln you go. 733 00:48:11,167 --> 00:48:12,839 You as well. 734 00:48:19,247 --> 00:48:24,719 These are our sort of teenager Tamworth pigs and they're our first addition to these pigsties. 735 00:48:24,767 --> 00:48:26,837 They're really good for their bacon. 736 00:48:26,887 --> 00:48:31,483 - They're the most attractive things, aren't they? - Are you saying that cos they're ginger? 737 00:48:31,527 --> 00:48:33,518 Thank you! Yes! Yes! 738 00:48:33,567 --> 00:48:37,719 Can't possibly be more gorgeous than ginger, can you? No! (Laughs) 739 00:48:43,127 --> 00:48:45,118 lt's Christmas Eve. 740 00:48:45,167 --> 00:48:49,843 Ruth is putting the finishing touches to the decorations before tomorrow's meal. 741 00:48:49,887 --> 00:48:54,005 Nowadays, many people put trees up weeks and weeks and weeks before Christmas 742 00:48:54,047 --> 00:48:55,878 and you have this huge, long run-up. 743 00:48:55,927 --> 00:49:01,047 But the Victorians didn't. Christmas trees came in really very much at the last minute. 744 00:49:01,087 --> 00:49:03,078 Often Christmas Eve itself. 745 00:49:05,927 --> 00:49:08,316 Although the Christmas tree is new, 746 00:49:08,367 --> 00:49:13,202 bringing greens into the house was something that goes back... 747 00:49:13,247 --> 00:49:16,398 lt goes back so far, you can't even find the beginnings of it. 748 00:49:16,447 --> 00:49:19,883 Anything that was green and looking lively to brighten the place up. 749 00:49:28,767 --> 00:49:33,636 As evening falls, Clumper transports the farmers to the Acton Scott church 750 00:49:33,687 --> 00:49:35,598 for the Christmas carol service. 751 00:49:36,807 --> 00:49:40,197 lt's a chance for Alex to show off his new driving skills. 752 00:49:41,327 --> 00:49:45,320 - lt's cold on my hands, this. - l'll have to knit you some granny gloves. 753 00:49:45,367 --> 00:49:48,245 - Do you want to borrow mine? - No, l'll be all right. 754 00:49:48,287 --> 00:49:50,721 l'll be all right until we get to the church. 755 00:49:50,767 --> 00:49:53,645 l imagine the church back in the late-1 9th century 756 00:49:53,687 --> 00:49:55,917 would have been brimming with people. 757 00:49:55,967 --> 00:50:01,280 l think Acton Scott had something like... 1 50-1 80 people used to live in Acton Scott. 758 00:50:01,327 --> 00:50:04,683 RUTH: Yeah, within this parish. - Now you're looking at a handful. 759 00:50:04,727 --> 00:50:06,718 Good boy. Come on. 760 00:50:08,607 --> 00:50:10,802 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks 761 00:50:16,927 --> 00:50:20,124 Alex hasn't quite perfected that left turn yet. 762 00:50:20,167 --> 00:50:21,156 Whoa! 763 00:50:21,207 --> 00:50:27,680 To you in David's town this day... 764 00:50:27,727 --> 00:50:33,245 ln the 1 9th century, the lndustrial Revolution brought great change to the British countryside. 765 00:50:33,287 --> 00:50:38,202 The Saviour who is Christ the Lord 766 00:50:38,247 --> 00:50:42,035 Many rural people feared that their way of life was being eroded... 767 00:50:44,447 --> 00:50:47,007 ..so Christmas saw a resurgence in popularity, 768 00:50:47,047 --> 00:50:50,483 as they sought to maintain a sense of tradition. 769 00:50:50,527 --> 00:50:53,564 The heavenly babe you there shall find 770 00:50:53,607 --> 00:50:56,440 To human view displayed... 771 00:50:56,487 --> 00:51:02,119 Customs, sometimes dating back to medieval times, were reinvented, and old carols revived, 772 00:51:02,167 --> 00:51:04,761 often with new melodies put to old words. 773 00:51:04,807 --> 00:51:11,645 And in a manger laid 774 00:51:17,287 --> 00:51:20,006 - Happy Christmas. - Thank you very much. 775 00:51:21,007 --> 00:51:22,998 lt's Christmas morning. 776 00:51:23,047 --> 00:51:26,926 Before the guests arrive, it's time to exchange presents. 777 00:51:26,967 --> 00:51:30,482 - (Laughter) - Who's a lucky boy! 778 00:51:33,127 --> 00:51:35,561 They are superb! 779 00:51:35,607 --> 00:51:38,280 She's going to say, ''Where are the lederhosen?'' 780 00:51:40,767 --> 00:51:44,965 Until the 1 850s, Christmas presents were usually just given to children, 781 00:51:45,007 --> 00:51:48,317 but with the creeping commercialism of the late 1 800s, 782 00:51:48,367 --> 00:51:52,519 adults too began exchanging gifts - though often they were homemade. 783 00:51:53,447 --> 00:51:57,281 - l feel like l'm two years old again. - Yeah! 784 00:51:57,327 --> 00:52:00,842 - This looks suspiciously... - Well, for me it sums up Christmas. 785 00:52:00,887 --> 00:52:02,843 RUTH: lt looks suspiciously book-like. 786 00:52:02,887 --> 00:52:05,321 l do like books. lt is a book. lt is. 787 00:52:05,367 --> 00:52:08,165 Oh, fantastic! 788 00:52:08,207 --> 00:52:10,198 A Christmas Carol. 789 00:52:10,247 --> 00:52:13,762 Charles Dickens'A Christmas Carol, published in 1 843, 790 00:52:13,807 --> 00:52:17,516 coincided with the inventions of the cracker, the Christmas card 791 00:52:17,567 --> 00:52:19,876 and the popularity of the Christmas tree. 792 00:52:19,927 --> 00:52:24,921 lt just sort of captures the mood of everything everybody was thinking about Christmas. 793 00:52:24,967 --> 00:52:29,916 Just sort of hits the crest of the wave and catapults the whole Victorian ideas. 794 00:52:29,967 --> 00:52:34,995 - The Victorian Christmas in a nutshell, really. - Yeah. Family, celebrations, charity... 795 00:52:35,047 --> 00:52:37,038 all in one place. 796 00:52:37,087 --> 00:52:41,524 lt's got a sort of nostalgic element to it as well and the sentimentality of it all. 797 00:52:41,567 --> 00:52:43,558 - Cheers. - Happy Christmas. 798 00:52:43,607 --> 00:52:47,486 To Dickens, Christmas was all about feasting and getting together. 799 00:52:49,727 --> 00:52:52,719 lt's late afternoon, and with the animals tended to, 800 00:52:52,767 --> 00:52:57,079 the team settle down for Christmas lunch, joined by friends and neighbours. 801 00:52:57,127 --> 00:52:59,243 And a very special guest.. 802 00:52:59,287 --> 00:53:02,484 landlord Thomas Acton's son, Rupert. 803 00:53:03,927 --> 00:53:07,966 ALEX: He's arrived. Mr Acton Junior, please come through. 804 00:53:08,007 --> 00:53:10,999 We've prepared you a seat here at the end of the table. 805 00:53:11,047 --> 00:53:13,038 Thank you very much indeed. 806 00:53:13,087 --> 00:53:15,396 l've brought you a Christmas card and a small gift. 807 00:53:15,447 --> 00:53:18,007 RUTH: Ooh, we like pressies. - Thank you very much. 808 00:53:18,047 --> 00:53:21,517 - l'll give the card to you, Ruth. - Oh, isn't that lovely! 809 00:53:21,567 --> 00:53:25,480 - So what do you think of the free-range turkey? - lt tastes very happy. 810 00:53:25,527 --> 00:53:27,597 Very happy. Happy meat. 811 00:53:27,647 --> 00:53:30,036 - How free-range was it? - Very. Yes. 812 00:53:30,087 --> 00:53:33,523 Mostly down the lanes, next door fields... 813 00:53:33,567 --> 00:53:35,558 There's a tiny bit for you. 814 00:53:35,607 --> 00:53:40,681 l hope we've authentically recaptured the essence of the Victorian Christmas: 815 00:53:40,727 --> 00:53:44,959 the love of the past, the nostalgia, the sentimentality... 816 00:53:45,007 --> 00:53:49,637 as well as just bringing all your friends and your family together for a nice big feed-up, 817 00:53:49,687 --> 00:53:52,201 celebration and wind-down. 818 00:53:52,247 --> 00:53:55,045 Let's have a Christmas toast. Cheers, everybody. 819 00:53:55,087 --> 00:53:57,123 ALL: Happy Christmas! 820 00:53:58,367 --> 00:54:01,086 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 821 00:54:01,127 --> 00:54:03,118 That is Peter's. 822 00:54:06,647 --> 00:54:08,638 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Sorry. 823 00:54:10,007 --> 00:54:11,838 We haven't touched the tongue. 824 00:54:13,167 --> 00:54:15,601 PETER: Be a shame not to try it, it really would. - OK. 825 00:54:15,647 --> 00:54:17,444 Step up, Peter. 826 00:54:17,487 --> 00:54:22,686 - Almost looks like carpaccio of tongue. - lt's a bit like pastrami and Parma ham. 827 00:54:26,087 --> 00:54:28,999 - What do you think? - That's lovely. lt's like a dry steak. 828 00:54:29,047 --> 00:54:32,244 RUTH: What a fine way to go, eh? Being appreciated by people. 829 00:54:32,287 --> 00:54:34,721 - Anybody else? - Yes, please. 830 00:54:35,487 --> 00:54:38,365 RUTH: l'm glad you're doing this, not me. 831 00:54:38,407 --> 00:54:44,277 Christmas pudding is uniquely British and central to the Victorian Christmas feast. 832 00:54:46,967 --> 00:54:49,765 RUTH: Wahey! Here we go! Watch out! 833 00:54:49,807 --> 00:54:52,526 Oh, yes! 834 00:54:54,647 --> 00:54:57,115 Now, that is Christmas pudding. 835 00:54:57,887 --> 00:55:00,526 - Steaming...pudding. - Fantastic. 836 00:55:00,567 --> 00:55:01,443 Wow. 837 00:55:01,487 --> 00:55:03,796 Can l help somebody to some Christmas pudding? 838 00:55:03,847 --> 00:55:06,156 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 839 00:55:08,647 --> 00:55:11,684 ln the days before recorded music at the flick of a button, 840 00:55:11,727 --> 00:55:14,719 people still found music very important to them 841 00:55:14,767 --> 00:55:18,237 and therefore went to quite big effort to have it around them. 842 00:55:18,287 --> 00:55:23,361 They would visit music halls and concerts and they would also make their own music at home. 843 00:55:23,407 --> 00:55:26,956 God rest you merry, gentlemen 844 00:55:27,007 --> 00:55:29,123 Let nothing you dismay... 845 00:55:29,167 --> 00:55:34,958 Women's magazines always came with songs and sheet music in as part of the magazine. 846 00:55:36,287 --> 00:55:41,236 Popular music, people making their own music, was a part of our tradition and, in a way, 847 00:55:41,287 --> 00:55:45,519 perhaps recorded music has sort of squashed a bit of the music out of us. 848 00:55:45,567 --> 00:55:49,242 Comfort and joy, comfort and joy 849 00:55:49,287 --> 00:55:54,964 O, tidings of comfort and joy 850 00:55:56,167 --> 00:55:57,839 ln Bethlehem... 851 00:55:57,887 --> 00:56:00,924 Making your own entertainment wasn't just limited to music. 852 00:56:00,967 --> 00:56:05,882 Unlike the modern British family that would sit down to something like Zulu or Mary Poppins 853 00:56:05,927 --> 00:56:11,240 of a Christmas afternoon, what we're going to do is indulge in a bit of Victorian parlour games. 854 00:56:11,287 --> 00:56:15,439 They were real fans of their parlour games. The game we've opted to play is shadow buff. 855 00:56:15,487 --> 00:56:19,526 So, without further ado, l will call down the first contestant. 856 00:56:19,567 --> 00:56:22,400 Can we have the first contestant, please? 857 00:56:22,447 --> 00:56:26,406 Peter must guess who is standing behind the sheet. 858 00:56:27,567 --> 00:56:31,799 Of course, it's made more difficult by some rather cunning disguises. 859 00:56:33,447 --> 00:56:36,644 My word. OK... Here we go, Peter. 860 00:56:37,887 --> 00:56:39,639 Raise the bucket. 861 00:56:41,847 --> 00:56:45,601 - Looks vaguely Egyptian. - Looks vaguely Egyptian! 862 00:56:46,487 --> 00:56:48,364 lt'd be obvious... No, Ruth. 863 00:56:48,407 --> 00:56:51,604 - l'll go with Ruth. - You're going to go with Ruth. 864 00:56:51,647 --> 00:56:56,277 Aw! l was going to go with Tom! Oh, no! 865 00:56:56,327 --> 00:56:58,124 (Laughter) 866 00:56:59,407 --> 00:57:03,958 This is exciting. l have to admit, this compares really very favourably to sitting down 867 00:57:04,007 --> 00:57:06,521 of a Christmas afternoon and watching a movie. 868 00:57:06,567 --> 00:57:08,558 (Laughter) 869 00:57:11,007 --> 00:57:14,204 OK, we have our fifth contestant in place. 870 00:57:15,887 --> 00:57:19,243 What fearsome beast lies behind the sheet, Peter? 871 00:57:19,287 --> 00:57:21,357 Do a little jig for us, mystery guest. 872 00:57:23,087 --> 00:57:24,679 Oooh! 873 00:57:24,727 --> 00:57:27,764 - What's your name? - Don't tell him, Paul! 874 00:57:27,807 --> 00:57:30,605 - Did you say Paul? - (Laughter) 875 00:57:30,647 --> 00:57:33,320 Paul! l was going to go for Paul. Paul it is. 876 00:57:33,367 --> 00:57:35,358 Oh, it's Andy, isn't it? 877 00:57:36,287 --> 00:57:38,278 lt's Paul! 878 00:57:38,327 --> 00:57:42,206 That was a very good game, although l think l lost quite heinously. 879 00:57:42,247 --> 00:57:46,035 lt is terribly hard to tell all these people apart. 880 00:57:46,087 --> 00:57:47,839 Good night! 881 00:57:47,887 --> 00:57:51,277 RUTH: Oh, somebody give me some more gin! (Laughs) 882 00:57:52,927 --> 00:57:55,805 Next time on Victorian Farm... 883 00:57:57,007 --> 00:57:59,646 lt's January, and the farm needs urgent repairs. 884 00:58:01,447 --> 00:58:03,119 Time to call on the blacksmith... 885 00:58:03,167 --> 00:58:06,079 the basket maker...and the woodsman. 886 00:58:06,127 --> 00:58:08,687 Ginger beer required. 887 00:58:08,727 --> 00:58:10,638 The wheat crop is under attack. 888 00:58:10,687 --> 00:58:12,757 Time to master pest control... 889 00:58:12,807 --> 00:58:14,001 There's one. 890 00:58:14,047 --> 00:58:15,765 .. Victorian-style. 891 00:58:17,327 --> 00:58:20,717 The reality of life without modern comforts starts to bite. 892 00:58:20,767 --> 00:58:24,555 Bathing in a room with no central heating... it's cold. 893 00:58:24,607 --> 00:58:28,964 And with spring around the corner, the first baby animals arrive. 894 00:58:29,007 --> 00:58:32,124 Oh, absolutely wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.