Wartime Farm Part 8 of 8
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- čas přidán 20. 02. 2013
- The team face the conditions of 1945 and prepare to tackle the most crucial event of their farming year: harvesting the wheat crop. They grapple with weeds, one of the wettest summers in memory and wartime machinery to bring the crop home, but take a giant leap into the modern era with the arrival of a 1940s combined harvester.
As ever, on the wartime farm the goalposts are constantly moving. The team discover that as the conflict drew to a close, the need for home-grown food became greater than ever. Exploring countryside memories of VE Day, they discover how pressure on farmers increased throughout the final dramatic year of conflict.
Victory in Europe meant that Britain had to share the responsibility for feeding populations across the war-torn continent whose food supplies had been devastated. On top of that, as soon as the war ended, American aid stopped. The financial cost of war left Britain bankrupt and struggling to afford imports, leading to a burden on farmers that remained long after the war finished. Rationing lasted well into the 1950s.
As a fitting send off, the team celebrate the harvest with a 'Holiday at Home' - inspired by a government scheme to encourage exhausted workers to make the most of time off without travelling anywhere. Alex has a surprise up his sleeve to make the party go with a bang, as the team prepare to leave the Wartime Farm.
Wartime Farm was produced by the BBC in partnership with The Open University.
As an American baby boomer I had NO IDEA how bad it was for England during WWII. I'm grateful these vids have been posted on you tube. It has given me a whole new respect for Brits. Why to go guys!!
I live in Mexico. What an amazing, touching series. Shows the great spirit of the people of G. Britain, and how heroic were those in the farms, Great how they contributed in saving GB in those horrible times. I´'m 68, my folks told us food & supplies were scarse here too & did not turn on lights at night afraid of enemy ships that may cruise in close-by Pacific ocean, Thanks 4 helping us in the world realize how much you went through and for posting. Congratulations on a job well done!
Unsung hero of the series,( please excuse spelling) , has been Colin. At every crucial stage - Auto modification, tile-making, Grain drying, et.al. Not forgetting his medical care for the men during the tile process - lol- Colin has been at the ready - the last remnant of the ' Finest Generation ' in my humble opinion. Cheers & best wishes to Colin from Newfoundland, Canada.
I must agree, Colin's the man!
If you can't light a fire under it, or put food or a still over it,
it just ain't worth doing!!!
He is really the "fourth" team member in the series!
Sorry, I almost forgot about Henry.
OK, Colin is the "fifth" member of the team.
Sorry Henry :)
Outstanding series, it's a part of WWII that no one thinks about. Thanks for posting and Cheer's to Ruth, Alex and Peter.
It amazes me that through this whole series the team managed to use equipment that was over 70 years old. Amazing!!!
Henry the Dog is safely home: He is owned by Mr and Mrs Tim Hodge, of Easthorpe, and was put forward for the role by Mr Hodge, who was a sound recordist on the series.
Is it odd that I find the elephant more impressive than most modern fireworks I've seen?
I really feel bereft when these series end. I've watched them all and love them up until harvest time then I think "oh no its gonna end now" wish there were more like iron age farm or medieval farm or roman farm etc etc
I've watched all of the farm series and I still can't believe these people have been farming since the Tudor times. Longevity rocks!!!
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, well that couldn't have been demonstrated better than on the home front during the 2nd world war. People simply made do and got on with the job of doing their bit for the war effort. I think farmers were the backbone of that effort because without the food they produced to sustain the population and the military, the war would have been lost. I think they're the forgotten heroes.
I had a bit of a cry after this last in the series. In America, we did not have to endure the scary bombings. We had the rations as well and the Black Market trade, but OMG, what Britain experienced leave me grateful tor everyone in the war effort. Wish my Mom & Dad, both in the U.S. Army, were still living for me to say how proud I am of them.
Now imagine how it was in Germany for "average joe" ... when ALL of the cities were bombed to smithereens for far longer than Britain was bombed. Just look at the flyover films of Berlin ...
There are two sides in a war after all and both sides suffer.
Actually there IS something you could do and that is to write to your congressman (regularly) to STOP the USA from starting new wars. I do not mean the Iraq war alone ... but rather the whole load of civil wars which the Obama administration supported: Syria, Libya, Ukraine, ... because in all of their creation the US government had a part.
just like experiencing it myself. the best history lesson i've ever had! thank you for uploading. thank you, BBC, for creating and producing all these wonderful documentary treats.
My mother was a child growing up across the North Sea in Copenhagen, Denmark, when the Nazis occupied that country. Her family lived smack in the middle of the city and spent the war years very differently than those who were "blessed" to live on farms and to have food in their midst. But that's a whole other story.
Thank you to the writers, producers, directors and actors of this marvelous series. I have gained so much from having viewed it. Sending best wishes from Las Vegas, Nevada.
All the farm series have been so brilliant, loved them all
This is a wonderful series about something us Americans normally don't know about. We know about our depression. Now we get to learn about the English Wartime farms. Definitely something to watch. Thank you to BBC and to TheFarmvids for posting this.
Wonderful series. A lot of young people today could learn some lessons from folks who had to go through what our parents and grandparents went through. Thank you for posting.
Excellent! I realize it is a glimpse into what occurred back then but I think every student in the USA should watch this. I'm feeling so grateful for my life as is. I more than admire what these people did for the war effort.
Loved this series. I played it during work in the background. So educational. I had no idea the rations went on for so long. I understand why. The recovery from the war was daunting and couldn’t just go Away as soon as war ended. Can’t wait to watch the other farm shows they made,
Thank you for this amazing series; yet another home run! I had tears at the conclusion, and wondered why. What I came away with was a deeper understanding and meaning of six years which never should have happened; it should have been contained and eliminated from the beginning.
Now, at the end of the series, an entire nation must, beginning with less than nothing, forge a way forward. Oh, how one must admire the attitude, dexterity, integrity and pure grit of the British people during such an horrific time. Thank you so very much.
This has been an inspirational series. Thank you to everyone involved. I was born in Jan 1943 so I dont remember the actual war. I do remember however, spam, corned beef, powered eggs, mum thumping a piece of whale meat on the back step, to tenderise it. Nan made custard with either saccharine or black treacle, cos sugar was scarce. I saw two barrage balloons, so I dont know what age I was. My school was a church hall and the playground was a bombed site at Brockley Rise SE 23.
The English-well, I don't know how they did it. The Isles surrounded by Nazi submarines and hardly any food imports could get through yet the English went on. They raised almost everything they could to just survive. Many wonderful ladies in the WI and the WVS as well as such incredible ladies as Marguerite Patten helped the country get through with recipes and food suggestions. Many of the wartime recipes can be found online of course. It's astonishing what they came up with and got through with. My admiration for them is boundless. Of course I'm biased because I'm English and Dutch but that notwithstanding I am just in awe of them. This is a wonderful and so very special series.
I learned so much from this series. Watching these WW2 BBC series (Wartime Kitchen & Garden & this series) has made me conscious of how much I am using and how much I am wasting.Thank you.
I had a little cry at the end ... WELL done!!!
Thank you very much for posting this brilliant series. It portrays the strength, the toughness, the heroism of those who stayed back at home during such hard times. And the resourcefullness. The series is packed with tips for living on the very basics. Greetings from Argentina.
Okay, I'm done watching them all, what's next? I want more!
Makes me wish I could live on a farm. Then I remember how hard my grandparents worked all day in the heat and I change my mind. :)
Thanks for hours of learning and entertainment with this series!
Love this experience living through wartime Britain has made me proud to have them as allies!
What an excellent insightful series. Thank you uploader.
I loved this series. I was born in 1943 and, being American, didn't have those sorts of shortages. I do remember standing in my grandmother's kitchen and helping her pack a "Care" package for overseas relatives. but I had no idea just how hard it was over there. I remember clothing, cans of meat and...most importantly...a lot of Hershey bars. I also remember many packs of nylon stockings, which I now know were used to trade for more important things.
I had relatives fighting in 3 different armies...British, American and German. I wonder how my parents handled that one.
+tredzwater There must be a very interesting story there. That's the kind of situation a long running TV series called -'Who do you think you are'---would like to research. There have been similar ones to yours shown.
Philip Croft - I imagine that there is. Sadly, both my grandparents and parents are gone, now, and those stories are lost in our family.
I do remember a cousin, Horst, who came to visit us when I was about 9. He was fighting in the German army at the same time my father was fighting in the American army. (They were both still teenagers.) They got along fine and we all went to see some zoo, together.
At the time, my German was a lot more fluent than it is now, but I remember that Horst insisted on speaking English because he wanted the practice.
We also had a cousin in the RAF, but I don't know what happened to him.
The pilchard and cabbage sandwiches are GOOD. They're like tuna sandwiches but just a little stronger but the mustard makes it so very tasty!
I LOVE THE FARM SHOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Magnificent. This has been an incredible viewing experience.
That was so enjoyable. I've learned so much! Sad it's over.
My mother and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. It was a very striking glimpse into the life that people lived during the war. Although I don't think we can ever fully understand the impact that the conflict had on the world, this provides an excellent and clearly well-formed viewpoint.
Absolutely loved the series.
If you want more of something similar, try the Wartime Kitchen and Garden, also on YT.
What a fantastic series. Humble congrats to all involved.
Enjoyed this series very much.
Something to be learned from this. (I am from Canada)
Wonderful series, thank you for sharing!
absolutely amazing (im from germany)
A really interesting series and soooo informative. Thank you.
Thanks so much for these. A revelation.
I learn so much from watching the "Farm" series but this one touched my heart more than all the others. Brits are tough, really tough. We American's like to think we, as a people, are a country proud and country tough but OMG we pale against the dedication to King and Country of Britain. My parents both young during WWII biggest gripe was no nylon stockings and rubber tires. They were ranchers and farmers!!
Thanks for posting this wonderful series.
Thank you very much Zoe, I as an Englishman find your words very humbling.
Such a fascinating series, thank you for putting it up!
Thank you very much for sharing this series.
Thank you for an awsome series. I love this trio.
Enjoyed this series very much.
You guys are amazing , love all your series! To think all the years you spent on all those farms , what a way to lve your life , wow :)
Awesome!!!!!!! and Thanks I really enjoyed them. (from Southern California, USA). :)
I absolutely enjoyed this series, thanks for posting it!
In america, now, we do the 'Hokey Pokey". Very similar, slightly different words and actions. The British version seems more fun.
Wonderful series! Thanks for posting.
Alex Langlands looks so much like Anthony Howell playing Paul Milner in Foyle's War in this series.
Finally! I now know what the hell Rhod Gilbert was talking about on "Would I Lie to You?" when he talked about being in a punk band called "The Muck Spreaders."
Is it bad that I'm really REALLY going to miss Henry?
No! The first thing I said as it ended was "what about the dog?" I wanted to know where he went. Anyone know?
I will miss Henry too! And I even have a my own Border Collie, haha:)!
Wonderful series..Sorry to see it all end.
What a fantastic series! Thank you for posting it!
I learned a lot and it was so interesting, lots of detail and things that I had never heard before - thanks for posting these videos!
thank you for a great series.
learned loads & it was so entertaining :)
Thank you, Zooumberg. As of being liked in the world, many people like Mexico and her ciitzens. The first time I went to Canada, when I cleared Customs & Immigration, I had the warmest welcome, they wondered if we were all this wonderful in Mexico. So different when we cross the border to the USA, the look they give us do not make us feel welcomed, even if we have had papers to cross since the 1940s.
Thank you these are wonderful and inspiring...:)
Thankyou for sharing this for so many wonderful reason. America don't cover this is history classes at schools. It's like so much other things..it's said it happened but moved on to the next thing. It don't touch on how it effected the people. However you do also confirmed how important it is to always know how to do things & function without modern ways too. Thankyou for sharing this I do love watching such things as this because it can tell how one could still end having to live at anytime with things going on now a days in the world. I don't mean that in a negative way..but in a positive way for it can be so wise to know how to live & do things the old ways..ways that are long forgotten or others don't have a clue over how to do anymore.
I love this show! I wish they did more shows like this! Like I want it to be a year long in length. Like family's would live at different years of time in like a whole village or something. They live for a whole year in that life style and see if they not only could make it! Like a family at the lowest level right would work to see if they could be able to make their lives better! Or see if a wealthy family even with all the money and convinces they could get could they live like in like the time of American Homesteading, even if they had like a full house and stuff from the start? I'd love to see that! Hell I want to be in a show like that!
+Eagle Owl Ponsonby-Smythe Well--in the UK- There was-- 'THE 1900 HOUSE'----'The 1940 HOUSE' , and other similar series for certain eras. But they lasted for only about 6 weeks. The above FARM series were filmed over one year, and covered farming in different Centuries and eras. All those are excellent, great TV.
Great series. British were tough people in war. After war U. S. supplied Britain with aid from Marshall Plan. U. S. gave Britain most aid. To the gentleman who said Great Britain didn't receive aid from U. S. ......U. S. supplied aid to Britain after war.......she was broke......She was given 31 billion dollars and did pay it back. As for the British people I have always liked them and always will ......they went through hell and were tough .............Digger ......a Yank
Unfortunately not,certain countries in Europe received from the Marshall plan, Britain didn't,in fact benefited not a jot from the war apart from becoming totally bankrupt,Britain had to borrow enormously so much so has only just finished repaying the loan after all this time
Sorry to tell you this late after your reply but your wrong, the United Kingdom and Ireland did participate in the Marshall Plan.
thank you very much i loved every minute
i love Peter
Thanks from argentina
Allis Chalmers thresher ~made in Milwaukee, WI~
Casey Wheeler I had an uncle that worked at Allis Chalmers... great company.
+Milwaukee Tweed There was a lot of technology sharing during the war. Britain's factories couldn't make the machines because they were taken over for war production so they had to come from outside.
I wonder what happened to the things that they made. the baskets, blankets, the skep?
The farmer knows what his land produces best. They should always have been allowed to grow what they know their land will grow most efficiently. It is a waste of productive farmland for the government to make unreasonable demands concerning land use when the farmers know that the government mandates won't work.
celticlofts, it wont let me direct reply your message, BUT i agree with you %100, well said pal, you are spot on there...
A battle well won.
I've loved this series. One question, though; why does Peter always let Alex give him the crap jobs? Start this, carry that, stand still and be a coat rack.
+Alex Kingsbury Peter does appear to be more muscular than Alex, so he would be more capable of doing the heavy lifting. On the bright side, though, Peter also seems to be the driving force behind their cobbled together inventions.
+Alex Kingsbury There's two months of filming, they only show the best parts and I'm guessing the parts where Peter gets ordered around a couple of times a month happen to be those best parts.
Been binge-watching all their stuff since _Tales from the Green Valley_ and this is turning increasingly into Top Gear. _How Hard Can It Be?_
It seems to be a running joke in the show, but why exactly does Peter have to wear dirty clothes? I know he does a lot of the heavy work, but Ruth got a washer of sorts at the beginning, and she and Alex have clean clothes. You'd think Peter would be allowed to wear a clean set at least for the picnic.
that should read "way to go guys"
Quick question... I'm from the US and some of the terms for the foods throw me a bit. Particularly, the vegetable she is using as an 'orange juice replacement'. It might be how she's saying it but I don't think I've ever heard of it before. It looks like it might be rutabaga, or a really big turnip. Does anyone know?
Swede is indeed rutabaga
Thanks.... it only took about 15 months for someone to answer me.... LOL!
Donna Perez no problem
It's rutabaga. In England they're called "Swedes." =)
Swede = rutabaga
I THINK that initially the Nazis used food plundered from countries they conquered to feed their population. When that was exhausted and the advance of Allied forces cut any additional off, Germany couldn't make up the difference.
+rogerneon That's true. And with great irony--after the war ended, Britain shared it's meagre food supplies with the starving Germans. A story that was buried by modern historians, who prefer to criticise our RAF boys for bombing the Nazi cities. Traitors I call them.
rogerneon Buried? Are you a historian, because I am and the fact that Western Germany was supported by the Allies is in no way buried. Jesus man, I could give you the bibliography for the paper my wife wrote last year for her masters degree covering, literally, this very subject.
Is it me or does Peter look like he gained 30 pounds since the Victorian farm show?
love ruth but she always chooses the worst possible recipes from the various panflets.
Wonderful series, but also illustrates government stupidity in attempting to control all aspects. That's why, IMHO, the Labour government's approach in continuing wartime policies was totally misguided -- at least as far as ag was concerned. Did it ever really back off? Waterlogged fields anyone?