Wartime Farm

Historian Ruth Goodman and Archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn

I have this wonderful show to share with you this morning.

I know, I do tend to share a lot of shows with you all, but I think that if you're a fan of programmes such as Edwardian Farm, Victorian Farm, 1940's House, Frontier House etc......that sort of thing, you will really enjoy this one.

But it's not just because it's a show along those lines that has captivated my attention this time, it's the story behind it, the theme, the nitty gritty of what they're doing.

Wartime England.

Right up my alley.

Do you remember the post I made a while ago about Rationing and the Wartime Kitchen?

Aside from loving history, I have a special love for wartime or more specifically WWII history and I guess since I adore England, the pull towards it's history during this time, is even bigger.

With that in mind....The same 3 people who did Edwardian Farm and Victorian Farm, as well as Victorian Pharmacy are back in this new series.....Wartime Farm.  And as the title may indicate, it's 1 year living on a farm during WWII, rationing, depression etc.

I'm completely fascinated with it.

But wait.....let me tell you why this particular series is having an even bigger impact on me.

It's amazing to see people get through hard times, to conquer the obstacles, to be determined to not let circumstances and things out of their control take over their lives. 

I keep thinking about how I would react were we to suddenly find ourselves rationing food, having to grow our own, surviving through war right at our front step, and helping others when we don't have that much for ourselves to begin with.

That right there speaks volumes to me.

The fist episode, which you can watch either on BBC iplayer or here, touches on the 3 experts arriving at their farm, seeing what they will have to deal with and setting up home.  Honestly, watching her set up the kitchen had to be my favorite part.  I would be in heaven in an old simple kitchen such as theirs. 

But in the middle of all this, we are learning about their individual roles and what exactly was expected from farmers and their wives, and let me tell you that it wasn't just growing food to help the country, they were expected to do other tasks that weren't exactly seen innocent.....but they were kept secret, many times from each other.

Episode 2, starts going a little deeper into what they do.  Having to get rid of livestock and moving more towards growing the food.  We see the beginning of a Pig Club (you'll have to watch to see what it's about), we get a really good look at rationing and exactly what they got per week.   A homemade slow cooker, no kidding...I am TOTALLY going to try this.  And canning....YES canning.  Now that caught my attention.  You can watch episode 2 on BBC iplayer or here.

And Episode 3....Christmas and how to make do with what you have.  I think from the previous episodes, this one really spoke to me.  People didn't have much money, there was really no way to buy extravagant gifts, so it all came down to handmade.  Decorations, a mock turkey, gifts, helping families during the war, making beds, making comforters etc.  You can watch this episode on BBC iplayer or here.

I guess what I'm trying to convey, is that I've already been feeling the push to have a simpler Christmas, to make more handmade things, to really concentrate on what the season is about, rather than the amount of money that is spent on each person.

It's not easy in a day and age where everything seems to be so monetary, so focused on how much rather than if you really need it or not.

It's really made me want to take some of the examples given in this series and apply them to my own home.

No one says you can't have a beautiful, simple, modest Christmas without all the bells and whistles, and that is exactly what I'm determined to do this year.

So, if you're looking for an educational, fun, interesting series to watch that the whole family will enjoy, you just have to give Wartime Farm a try.

It comes on every Thursday night on BBC Two and I can hardly wait for tonight's episode :)