Saturday 8 September 2012

Smallholding and Allotment Telly Heaven.

I am sat here on this Saturday morning looking at the television for tonight.  Disappointingly there is no football (no Manchester United) to watch on Sky, due to the break for international football.  So I will probably watch some of the one day international cricket or even better, there's a repeat of the Wartime Farm on BBC 2.

Yes folks.  The Beeb and the Open University have come up trumps and made a programme about rural life during WW2.  It's the same archaeologists: Ruth Goodman, Alex Langland and Peter Ginn, who made and starred in the excellent: Tales From the Green Valley, Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm.  You can see clips from these series on You Tube.  If you Google: Wartime Farm you can see a clip of it and even get yourself a free booklet produced by the Open University.


It reminds me very much of the excellent Victorian and Wartime Kitchen Garden series a few years ago.  Harry Dodson and Ruth (the cook) are no longer with us, yet they leave behind a fascinating legacy of how to grow vegetables and eat them.  You can see clips of  both series on You Tube or you can even purchase them.   If anything inspires you to get an allotment it's programmes like the above.

Well done BBC.

12 comments:

  1. Football should be banned, Dave, boring and predictable as hell. Just have a look at how much more creative you're being without it. Still, great to see Russia thrash Northern Ireland 2-0, and the Republic to get a late winner against the might of Kazakstan. And our friends Liechtenstein getting beaten 8-1 at home to Bosnia after giving our friends the Jocks a fright not so long ago.

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  2. What happened to the Lancashire cricket team Pat? I couldn't believe it when I saw the sports headlines yesterday, that they had been relegated.

    I agree with you about being creative Pat. I really enjoy reading about all your travel trips on your blog: Pat Papertown 2. Great photographs also.

    Thanks.

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  3. What about Scotland-Serbia today, Dave? You're not missing that are you? It could be 'Scotland the Brave' today!

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  4. Is there really any need for international football Pat? Why can't England play Brazil every 4 years in the final at Wembley or even better at Old Trafford? England invented the game and Brazil showed the world how to play it. Scotland did manage to get a very creditable draw against Serbia.

    Thanks.

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  5. Defintely Scotland the Brave today, Dave, after the Andy Murray triumph. To have won a five-setter against a fighter like Djokovic in such a gruelling match is incredible. Hope you stayed up to watch the match, Dave.

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  6. Hi Pat, Amazing result. Also there's incredible symmetry in the same way that it took him 5 finals like his mentor (Lendel?)did to win a major championship. No I didn't watch it all.

    Thanks.

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  7. Dave, I've got to mention it, because these football teams are at it again: Wales losing 6-1 against Serbia; Northern Ireland 1-1 at home to Luxembourg; while England and Scotland seem to be heading for 1-1 draws. What do you think about this, Dave? Has some of this gone beyond a laugh now? If I was Welsh, I might be thinking that way.

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  8. Why have we become obsessed with sport Pat? Every time we go in a pub, read a newspaper, switch on the news - it's sport. What's so life and death about somebody running about chasing a ball and kicking it or hitting it with a racket? I don't see any need for international football, especially on a Tuesday night. Do you?

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  9. Often wonder that myself, never having been inside a football stadium or watched a match on TV in my whole life.
    I really can't see the point of 22 fit young men kicking a round lump of leather about a flat piece of grass; or how the fit young men get to be worth several million pounds?
    I have the same feelings about cricket, golf, tennis, etc, etc, they all seem such a waste of so much time and energy, not to mention the expense.

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  10. Thanks Cumbrian. I am starting to wonder why every sport or major music event has got to cost us a fortune. It's also sad that a nations only common denominator seems to be a sports event or the marriage or death of a member of the royal family.

    What about 'Community Arts' in every town with classes and courses in Allotments, home brewing, creating writing, debating, painting, bread making, song writing, guitar lessons, amateur dramatics, knitting (no thanks), candle making, cooking, calligraphy, singing, brass bands, baking... Sure you can think of more Cumbrian? I forgot to say: Smallholding.

    Great comments Cumbrian. Can I keep my Manchester United jersey?

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  11. Wine-making, preserving, chutney/picalilli preparing, jam-making, all from wild/local ingredients.

    Net-making, (long nets and purse nets), lobster/crab pot making, fly-tieing, bow & arrow making.

    Bee-keeping, rabbit breeding.

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  12. Yes all the above Cumbrian, plus any more we can think of like dry-stone walling, wood carving, welding and basic do it yourself skills.

    Brilliant ideas. Shall we call it: The college of rural skills and self supporting?

    Thanks!

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