GET INSPIRED: The Victorian Farm (TVO: Mondays until October 26)
by jen
Image source: http://www.ruthgoodman.me.uk/Victorian_farm.html
Call me a dork but I am getting *really* into this BCC documentary program that’s been airing on Monday nights on TVO (tonight was episode 2 of 6 episodes) called The Victorian Farm. British historian Ruth Goodman (pictured above) and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn commit to a full year of running a Victorian farm, strictly employing the farming techniques and adopting the way of life of the Victorian era (while dressing the part). This series is particularly relevant in a time where people are concerned with organic farming, reducing waste, and general DIYing. It is amazing to realize how much labour went in to simple day-to-day tasks (a full week to do laundry!), despite the aid of industrial-era tools and machines.
While many of the skills and techniques explored relate to farming, the domestic arts feature prominently as well. As Goodman fondly recalls on her website:
“I particular enjoyed the creative side of life. The world of a Victorian rural woman contains a surprising amount of craftsmanship or craftwomanship from making cloths to building fences, manufacturing cleaning products to plaiting straw hats. It is a world of quiet skills, knowledge of the materials around you and the satisfaction that comes from making things. The straw plaiting in particular has become addictive and I’ve make several hats since the project ended along with giving up modern cleaning products.”
Check it out Mondays until October 26 at 7 pm on TVO.
Tags: DIY · Farm · Television · Victorian
Filed under: Get Inspired
1 becky // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:51 am
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! let’s dress weird and replaster our walls.
2 Jessica Deal // Sep 29, 2009 at 1:56 am
I love this kind of stuff. Make fun if you will… I’m with you. I’ll be watchin’ it!
3 wei // Sep 29, 2009 at 4:43 am
thanks for the headsup :) i love historic shows!
4 sukigirl74 // Sep 29, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I’m also loving this show, especially loved seeing how they celebrated Christmas.
5 lisa // Sep 29, 2009 at 3:22 pm
oh man! i was hooked on tales from the green valley- now this! whoa..hold me back. glad i’m not the only nerd around here….
6 Mike Kennedy // Sep 30, 2009 at 4:08 pm
This show is the best thing TVO has ever done for me. Super awesome!
7 Kim // Sep 30, 2009 at 6:25 pm
oh great, i saw some of this before it is really interesting. thanks so much for the tip! i also think it would perfect ‘knitting television’
8 Claire // Oct 1, 2009 at 10:20 am
I’m really liking this show too! I thought it was mean when her friend didn’t appreciate the suspenders.. all that work! She should have made him a key chain.
9 Toronto Craft Alert // Oct 1, 2009 at 10:50 am
oh totally claire. i felt the same way. i would have wanted a way bigger (positive) reaction out of him after sneaking around in the freezing cold for weeks. he obviously didn’t realize the work that went into them – typical value of labour divide!
xjx
10 sheila // Jun 29, 2010 at 9:00 pm
we have just discovered this show!! I bought the dvd! I have harvested the straw and am about to try ot plait a hat… here we go!
11 Bettina // Jun 27, 2012 at 11:07 am
Sheila,
I’ve been looking for somewhere to get the straw to try plaiting as well. Any info as to where to get it would help!
Thanks
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