How Steam Trains Revolutionised Britain's Cuisine | Full Steam Ahead

This time, the team find out how the railways transformed the British diet, rescuing a nation that was struggling to feed itself.
Putting theory into practice, Alex and Peter load a flock of sheep onto a train, discovering how the mass transportation of livestock by rail transformed the quality and quantity of meat available to Victorian consumers. This new capability gave birth to the traditional British roast.
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[@Nafetitive]

Ruth is truly a delight to watch! I love that they don't simply tell us about history, they actually put themselves right in the thick of it. They really make you feel as though you're right there next to them.

[@theresalero7039]

Wouldn't it have been marvelous to have Ruth as your History teacher in school? She is just wonderful, I watch anything she is in.

[@kellyreilly-robinson2130]

Absolutely agree😀

[@9inchpp]

Maybe not in porn but yeah I get what you're saying

[@kasperbruunkristensen9522]

Completely agree!

[@stanlindert6332]

Ruth and I could work a farm.

[@NathanChisholm041]

The boys are far more interesting!

[@toohottohandletoocooltomel4199]

Ruth is in a constant state of enthusiasm.

[@Muck006]

She is WRONG about the internet though ... which will "ruin humanity" globally, because we humans arent learning fast enough how to deal with it in a sensible way.

[@lfmsimoes1]

Excelent! This kind of videos are a delicious way of learning history. I am a Portuguese mechanical engineer, who worked/lived in Somerset for ~2.5 years (and enjoyed it). These videos remind us about the impressive societal changes that the industrial revolution brought to Britain, and to the world. (Similar in scale to the changes brought from the intercontinental trade resulting from the "age of discoveries") I'm still not a big fan of fish and chips, but now I see it "with different eyes"... But I did became a fan some (crispy fruity) types of Somerset cider!

[@cmonkey63]

I am old enough to have eaten fish (halibut) and chips cooked in beef tallow. Gives the best flavour, nothing else comes close. And the saturated fat doesn't oxidise and break down when heated, unlike the vegetable oils we use now.

[@julesroy]

And the joke of it is that those vegetable oils now appear to be worse for us than the beef fat.

[@TheBandana1969]

My dad lived and worked in Worcestershire in the 1950s. He used to talk of eating fish and chips fried in lard. It seems the newspaper in which the stuff was wrapped gave it a special flavour😃😃

[@highlandwinterwolf8589]

do you have any recipes available for that time period? I'm game to try and that would be something different to try

[@pinkyvdt]

@@highlandwinterwolf8589 any recipe for a Breaded, deep fried fish will do. Then just fry it in lard, which is basically beef tallow.

[@susanmiller7472]

@@pinkyvdt Lard is pork fat.

[@WorgenGrrl]

I had a very good friend of mine who along with her husband in Wales, collected and restored steamrollers and trains from the Victorian Era. They recently passed away due to Cancer.

[@yvellebradley2502]

Alex S I am so very sorry for your loss. I hate cancer, it’s so insidiously vile.

[@biggayal4149]

Sorry for your loss, cancer is insidious.

[@thonktank1239]

Yes yes, The trio is great, especially Ruth and overfishing is a problem that that vendor seems to misunderstand, but has no one noticed that Fish'n'chips lad? He's adorable! I want a cooking show with him!

[@patriciayohn6136]

I am having such a flashback to my childhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where at my house it was rhubarb sauce everyday for at least two months in the Spring, watercress and cream cheese sandwiches packed for school lunch, kippers, and Welsh Rarebit at Christmas. Haven't been to England since 1999, but my late Husband and I owned a 1991 Lotus type 82 Esprit, Jim Clark Edition. We traveled to Hethel in 1999 to do an Elise driving experience for my Husband's 50th Birthday. Rode Brit Rail, ate bangers and mash, me everyday and drank a bit of Blackthorns Dry every evening. I love Britain and miss the food very much. I ordered British bangers from RJ Balson and Sons this year for St. Patrick's Day and they are delicious and made me wish I could still be in England. Maiden name is Bell, and my Mother's maiden name was Cox. Great video, I throughly enjoyed learning about the farming and missing Britain and my friends who live there. FYI, I am from the same county where Robert Fulton, who invented the steam engine and the first steamboat was born and my late Mother-in-Law was a Budding and her Great Grandfather held a patent from Queen Victoria for the lawn mower.

[@Abyssinian121]

I grow a raised bed of rhubarb plants, on the sunlight-baked plains of Eastern Colorado. I'd heard about growing rhubarb in the dark, to retain the red coloring in the stalk and keep it from becoming woody ans stringy as the stalks grew in circumference. This would explain the outrageous price of rhubarb stalks at the local grocery, which are always a deep red compared to the green and pinkish-green stalks of the plants I grow. So much goes into the 'ideal' commercial production of the stuff that wouldn't make a great deal of economical sense for the average home gardener. it still tastes fantastic when baked into a crisp or muffins, or turned into preserves with April and May's strawberries (also something that we have issues growing in our climate).

[@LittleWhiskey]

I moved from England and what I miss most is full English breakfast Cornish pasty lunch and battered cod and cheesy chips for dinner. Shout out to my boys roast dinner and shepherds pie n sausage rolls keep it real 👌🏻

[@ello7222]

LittIe Whiskey vinegar chips, love them

[@yvellebradley2502]

Stop it! You’re both making me hungry!

[@richardseddon2946]

I live in the Philippines now (originally from Scotland).I know what you mean Little Whiskey.One of my ex pat friends gave me a jar of Branston Pickle the other day.I could've cried with joy !

[@TheBandana1969]

We Indians have preserved many British quirks, including fish and chips.

[@rayshowsay1749]

Full plate for Sunday breakfast alright, but rest of the week Marmite on toast or fried bread! While skimming the leaves that preferred to swim rather than sink ...

[@festorfamine]

Google and it's algorithms. Was craving for some fish and chips and did a yelp search. 2 hours later, this is on my suggestion list.

[@francespowell6923]

How'd it go?

[@bicyclist2]

I love this. I was born in the wrong country. I love trains. This is so beautiful. The first time I rode a train was in France after flying there from the US in 1990. Thank you.

[@brianspenst1374]

It is interesting to see the variations of that phrase. In the US military they say "hurry up and wait". Even Augustus Caeser used to say Festina Lente which roughly translates to "make haste slowly".

[@aoeuable]

The German equivalent is "Eile mit Weile", roughly "hurry by tarrying". "Weile" has the same root as "while" as in "to stay for a while". To give enough time to make sure shit's done properly before moving on so it doesn't have to get revisited.

[@Angus1966]

contradiction is very Italian

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Brian Spenst -The saying is one of the Pythagorean ‘dicta’ originally attributed to the philosopher Chilon the Lakedaemonian, one of the Seven Sages of Archaic Greece. The Romans were very fond of these Greek maxims and translated them into Latin. In the original Pythagorean dictum, “Festina lente” is given as, “ΣΠΕΥΔΕ ΒΡΑΔΕΩΣ” (“Speude Bradeos”) - “Make haste slowly”.

[@brianspenst1374]

Not surprising that the Romans even stole that phrase from the Greeks. They seem to have taken everything else. The use by Caesar was the earliest that I knew.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Brian Spenst - “Stealing” is such an ugly word - the Romans merely borrowed things from the Greeks indefinitely...

[@timmah7874]

One of the things I really appreciate about Ruth is that she's so knowledgeable and seems to have so many skills collected from many eras of history, but as I'm watching her try to prepare herring, she's so willing to be bad at something and so humble about it too. I suppose that's how we get good at things though.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

Most people balk at the prospect of having to gut fish. The scene was to be a re-creation of a fish cleaner in a shop, who would get a bucket of fish, and expected to hurry; most people would find a bucket of fish going CLANK on the bench a bit daunting. Ruth and her cheerful enthusiasm for these formerly important jobs brings history to life in this series. This series of documentaries is a great example of what TV should be.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

The two archeologists are pretty willing too. Good on all three

[@timmah7874]

@@marilynwoolford-chandler1161 I completely agree. I'm watching Peter and Alex right now on the Cherry episode and their willingness to scramble up ancient technology to go pick cherries. Those guys have some guts.

[@girlnextdoorgrooming]

She has a well honed gift for flattery. It has gotten her far.

[@marleahstout2395]

As my successful Sister says "Don't let not knowing, prevent you from doing".

[@sarabonetto6072]

I just love Ruth's knowledge and enthusiasm, she makes these shows for me

[@Peter-pv8xx]

I could never understand why my uncle loved herring so much until watching this, he was stationed in England during ww2 then married an English lass and brought her home to America, my aunt Vera

[@ronch550]

This video makes me crave for fish and chips.

[@armchairrocketscientist4934]

I just had it for the first time when I visited Washington. Obviously not the British variety, but it was still really good.

[@connormclernon26]

Yup

[@angryoldman9140]

This is exactly why I clicked on it Lol

[@FeedScrn]

They have it where I am... but it's very expensive as entrees go. They want $30.00 for two pieces of fish and fries. I'm thinking about it.... the price gives me second thoughts though.

[@cristinarnold]

@@FeedScrn wow $30 for fish n chips!😳 where r u located?? I live in the Florida Keys and any entree with fish is usually $15-$18 depending on type of fish. Dolphin,Yellowtail, grouper, heck its all yummy as long as you add key lime juice! Now I'm craving it!!🤤 No way I'm buying it today, but tomorrow most definitely!(the Cuban place that sells it is closed till Wednesdays, so sad!🥺) Vinager on fish n chips is awesome too! 👍💚😋✌

[@_sheebie]

Good fish and chips are one thing that we don't have enough of here in America. I am serious. It is so hard to find a nice crispy piece of fish and chips. Oh sure, you can find hamburgers all over the place, but not any good fish and chips. Good video. Thank you. 💓

[@quatamaecrumble392]

Cheesecake Factory

[@_sheebie]

@Big Bill O'Reilly I have never had fish tacos! I will try them.

[@_sheebie]

@Big Bill O'Reilly 😉 Yes it probably all depends on the cook. TRUE!

[@thomaslgrice]

I highly recommend The Australian Bakery Cafe in Marietta, GA australianbakerycafe.com/ Their fish is incredible and they have meat pies as well.

[@JHNielson4851]

Go to any bar or restaurant in Wisconsin on a Friday night. It's tradition.

[@thomaskelliher]

The two steam engine seesaw plow blew my mind. That's way more complex then what I would have thought one of the first steam powered plows would look like.

[@AugustusTitus]

This was a great episode from end to end in terms of the depth of information covered, the elements and the history.

[@tacywest8842]

Peter is really special and makes the program special

[@JustAllinOneResource]

Thank You. Liked, and Shared. I really enjoy your channel. The thing is, after I watch your videos it makes me feel better about my day. I know suck up right? No, I just appreciate history, and the hard work you folks put into your documentaries. The resource today kids have is extraordinary but they seem to be more interested in taking selfies. If only I had this resource when I was kid.

[@bethyeary8995]

Thank you for posting these shows. They are so great and got me through the past year.

[@Nattraks]

LOL 24:20 Peter "Did you say Cider?" "NO. Maybe on the way."

[@phlarrdboi]

That chippy lad is lush :) what a sweetie

[@thonktank1239]

Finally a comment about that lad. I was beginning to think I halucianted him, since noone else was mentioning him. He's so darn adorable!

[@alexisasheep6554]

I love red rubies, they're so gentle and cute I also love all the experts and guests they bring along for every episode, I always learn so much and it's just a joy to see them working

[@yesseniaalonso3533]

this trio vibe with each other so well, digging it.

[@giovannigiorgio4622]

At 13 years old, my first job i was a spuddy, on a rumbler 2 hours after school. 3 days a week, cutting out eyes and making awsome fresh double fryed chips. I used to let the rumbler run a bit long at that age.... my pay, $5 ph..... and i was happy to do it... 1988? or so.

[@GundamReviver]

What did 5p get you back then?

[@Eralen00]

I've never been to England but I would love to have a proper fish n chips at least once

[@jakedotnet]

I've had nice fish n chips all over the world, Dublin, Malta, Cyprus, even in Sweden - I don't think you need to go to England specifically :)

[@Cadwaladr]

I've had fish and chips in England, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Plenty of places in the States do it just as well, though the chips are usually a bit smaller.

[@--enyo--]

New Zealand & Australia do it as well.

[@christineclancy5801]

And good luck, trying to find deeelicious mushy peas with your fish n chips at any restaurant here in the States! 😋🥰🇬🇧

[@randallhoskins6243]

My wife and I were there for 2 weeks last year and had them all over they served them with mashed peas first I thought yuck but they were very good

[@deborahshallin5843]

I once had a patient, who served during WWII in England he told me that he never ate fish and chips again after seeing fish and chips cooked in motor oil due to the shortages in that area at the time. He also lost the love of his life due to the war and never married. RIP Bert.

[@ratroddiesels1981]

we enjoyed this program , it was excellent . thank you for loading it.

[@myonekawa230]

@ 21:16 Alex: "Look at that one. I mean, THAT is a MONSTER." Breeder: "It's a big lad, innit he." Me: Huh. It's ok. Just a sheep----OHHH [I see the testicles] That's what they mean. lol I was surprised to learn fish and chips gained popularity in this era. I thought it was a much more older food tradition than that. Rhubarb farming is pretty. Didn't realize that they could live and grow in such cave-like conditions. I'm sure it is more than that but I really liked seeing the rhubarb farm.

[@KPen3750]

Jeremy Clarkson voice: Look at the sheep, MASSIVE TESTICLES!!!!!

[@hillaryclinton2415]

You want rhubarb.. get to Alaska

[@myonekawa230]

@@hillaryclinton2415 When this virus has a vaccine I'll go there. Any suggestions which city has the best ?

[@hillaryclinton2415]

@@myonekawa230 skagway.. has a festival and everything

[@myonekawa230]

@@hillaryclinton2415 Awesome !! Thank you :)

[@markscott554]

The battered fish idea was from Portuguese traders, who also took it to Japan - hence tempura. As others have pointed out, the idea of chips is from WW1 and Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium.

[@martinmargerrison2300]

Yep. Look up codfish Braga style. I had it in Porto once. Absolutely fantastic. 👍

[@markscott554]

@@martinmargerrison2300 I might have the town wrong (might be Lisbon) but my hometown has a connection as there's a street named after Dunfermline; double-reason to check it out. Thanks for the tip.

[@martinmargerrison2300]

@@markscott554 You're welcome Mark. I had it in a local restaurant there. Interestingly enough it was a cod steak rather than a fillet which was what made it so memorable. Best wishes from Slovenija btw. I was watching Chewin The Fat last week. 😂😂👍

[@martinmargerrison2300]

That'll be the one then. Ironically I have a similar situation Mark in the sense that I was born and raised in Newark. If only people would stop trying to find me in connection with Newark, New Jersey (although that is why Newark, New Jersey is called Newark obviously) we might be able to get some decent fish and chips on the menu. My mate from Bathgate is a jakey btw

[@markscott554]

@@martinmargerrison2300 You said it: Fish & Chips. I was too stony-broke last time I was in the UK to treat myself. Now I've been in my new job for a few months and have some cash to burn (I work abroad) on the rare occasion I see somewhere serving it, it's usually a pale imitation. I think the last decent attempt was an Irish bar in Beijing.

[@Swalker_01]

I absolutely love all of your videos. Thank you so much for all of the knowledge!!!

[@marycanary86]

thank the bbc...

[@Swalker_01]

@@marycanary86 of course it wouldn't be possible without the BBC? Thank you?

[@ukrainiipyat]

Absolutely fantastic programme I ran into by mistake an' have been hooked and canna wait for the next episode.

[@morphamorpha6194]

I love watching Ruth, Peter, and Alex! They work well together. The programs they present are fantastic!

[@melflo4651]

I was in England in 2018; it was the very first time I had fish and chips.The restaurant owner knew I was a foreigner, he proudly gave me a brief history of this national dish.

[@theboyisnotright6312]

Pretty good eh, I'm American and in 1988 I went there. Vinegar on my fries (chips) yummy😋

[@ohitshilary]

This is so fantastic! Thank you, Absolute History :)

[@buchan1965a]

Hey, that kippers shop is the same one that the 2 Fat Ladies visited in the "Breakfast" episode!

[@yvellebradley2502]

Dan Buchan I remember that! They needed fresh sardines, I believe. Was it for Sky Gazey pie?

[@joshschneider9766]

Pro ably the only kipper shop left lol

[@lionharehart]

@@yvellebradley2502 No, she made Kedgeree in that episode.

[@leighellington21]

Same fellow in the shop there too. Though aged. He was a real handsome fella in his younger days!

[@terrythekittieful]

Basil Fawlty also got his kippers from there apparently. He had one stuck in his cardigan when one of his guests died during the night.

[@michaelgill3604]

I remember as a young lad growing up in Yorkshire riding in the steam train cab shunting the goods around the yard. Great memories

[@cpawel]

Jumping sheep at 5:30, so cute!

[@TomLeg]

I imagine that originally, farms near London got good prices for their meat since there were no alternatives, while farmers further away, say in Dorset, earned lower prices. With the railways, distant farmers were able to find better prices for their produce, but those near the city would have suffered from the competition.

[@elenabaker1914]

...and let’s not forget Alex and Peter. Let it be said however that I absolutely looove Ruth’s hat!

[@catzkeet4860]

“They think tonnage like that isn’t feasible....but it was”..........well no, it WASN’T feasible, nor was it sustainable which is WHY you now have weeks withOUT herring.

[@martinsaunders7925]

Fish from the sea wasn't used until all the river and lake fish disappeared. This was so all over Europe

[@Noone-rt6pw]

Yep, the industrial revolution fed WWI & WWII, where so many Europeans were killed, but the worse are those that went home crippled. Then today, so many resources have to be managed, which costs so much money. Like where I'm at, it's said there used to be a couple hundred shrimp boats, now a couple dozen where they cried about competition from recreational shrimpers. But, I guess GMO foods can replace natural foods, where industry definitely allows God to be challenged in people's minds.

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

@@Noone-rt6pw Greed plain and simple Greed. Greed is driving species after species extinct. Humans are very much like locusts probably pretty close on the evolutionary scale lol

[@Glee73]

look up "Early 1900s Fish & Chip Shop" on youtube, its a video of how they build the old fish and chip shop that ruth works in at 27:50

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

It's so interesting how all of Britain's most famous national foods are not actually truly from the Isles but came to exist as a cultural mashup. Also her in the US In-N-Out burger still uses those "chip" presses to make their french fries. The grid is more narrow but the mechanism is exactly the same. You can watch them do that while you wait in line. It's neat.

[@billmiller4972]

Maybe the best episode of the series. Except that it makes me hungry every time I watch it.

[@debbiostendorf3880]

I would have loved a living history class with her

[@lemapp]

The American railroads transferred oysters from a rare delicacy to cheap common food in the 1800’s. Oyster Point, near Norfolk, VA was served by 3 railroads that daily took trainloads to the North East. Now Chesapeake Bay oysters are difficult to source. It’s hard to imagine a time when oysters were food for the poor. Oyster Shells were used for roads marking that you had entered a poor area.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

@ Lem Apperson how things change yet there are poor people still. Living on " the wrong side of the tracks"... Enjoyed your information thanks

[@bluewolf993]

Out with the oysters and in with the naval bases

[@DovidM]

12:47 is where the documentary starts to discuss fish and chips.

[@bellakatherman1477]

When i visited England, i wanted to have fish and chips literally every single meal! It is out of this world!

[@emjayay]

Hey sheep! Don't get on that rail car! Do you have any idea where it's taking you to?

[@MrNoUsername]

The fact that Ruth isn’t even grossed out to touch fish guts straight from the fish….

[@MistressOP]

i don't know when dood came back to the show but im glad he's back. he brings so much joy.

Brilliant. No other word is necessary. History brought to life........

[@mikkelnpetersen]

I ate before watching this Now i'm hungry again.

[@Shianne264]

French fries were from Belgium, not France...at least according to Paul Hollywoods City Bakes

[@BertGrink]

So I've heard too, but is it possible that it was a frenchman who brought the idea to Britain? I don't find that thought entirely improbable. And if that was indeed the case, it's easy to see how they'd be named 'French Fries' in english.

[@danielgarrett979]

I heard that American soldiers during WWI tried the fried potatoes in France and called them "french fries" and brought the name and love of the food back home.

[@BertGrink]

@@danielgarrett979 That sounds entirely plausible.

[@bluewolf993]

7:15 I wonder if the producers went thru the flock and picked out the most docile, well behaved sheep they had!

[@elvenkind6072]

27:50 Wow! I would go buy fish&chips every hour of the day there, if I could hear him say that "Well, hello! Fish and chips, is it?" with that pleasant voice and such a relaxing smile and posture, even the mustache is perfect! What kind of accent is it he have? English with some Irish in it?

[@RussellNelson]

43:25 The Guiness brewery is chock-a-block with narrow gauge railway tracks, none of them used today.

[@MrBcummings8521]

Did no body notice the random ass lamb trying to photobomb the herds scene at 5:30

[@missy3240]

🤣 🐑 ... the bounciest!

[@robertheinkel6225]

I passed thru England a few times. I always got a meal of Fish and Chips, wrapped in newspaper. That British plow was amazing.

[@167curly]

Seeing those kippers made my mouth water. Regarding seafood as fertilizer, I read that early American farmers in New England actually used whole lobsters as fertilizer for their fields as people thought that they were big spiders. When I was a lad in London in the 1950s a good fish and chips lunch cost 1/-; 3d. worth of chips and 9d for a piece of rock salmon (dogfish, a relation to shark) The last time I bought that in UK it was 18 pounds for three people and wrapped in specially made faux newspaper too!h Seeing that open-air plough dragged across that field reminded me of a man I knew in Northants. who had a ploughing tractor which had a totally enclosed weatherproof cab with air-conditioning and a stereo music player. Even in the 1950s we'd occasionally see a steam truck on the roads with a speed of 12 mph still on solid rubber tyres. Just after WW2 when my family lived in the Suffolk fishing port of Lowestoft, fresh fish was very hard to find in local shops as it was all hauled by train to London. Ironically what fish that was available came from London! One very British dietary item is the pork pie which is always specifically attached to the Midlands town of Melton Mowbray. Also seeing that railway pedestrian footbridge reminds me that we train-spotters would try to spit into the engine's chimney as it sped by below us.

[@Hispandinavian]

I love riding trains. Too bad Amtrak is so severely limited in the continental US. This is especially so, when you get further away from the Eastern Seaboard. I got to do a little train travel when I was in England literally a year ago. I was mainly up in Redditch and Birmingham. I even did an overnight visit to Nottingham. Just seeing the English countryside from the train window has a calming effect.

[@williamjones7163]

I've heard of Grimsby. That erudite gentleman from Across the Pond Lawrence Brown is from there. It's amazing how all this seemingly chaotic random stuff is actually tied together.

[@1337flite]

i used to work in a fisha dn chip shop with a rumbler and a chip press.. We used the rumbler to scale some types of fish too. Worse job I ever had - but great boss. Him and his dad had had the shop; for years - his dad taught me how to clean and fillet.

[@WarbirdPhoenix]

Fish and chips. The staple for me to pair with a nice pint of Guinness at a pub. Mmmm! 😊

[@Casey5693]

I never knew so many people starved just because they couldn't get agriculture into the big cities.

[@alec4672]

Why is high school such crap when learning can be this fun? It'll never cease to amaze me how uninteresting school teachers can make things.

[@baileya82]

I don't know why I'm watching this but I now need fish and chips

[@mandychapin9411]

My next door neighbor is British. But the young man is half my age. If he were older than me, I'd probably be asking him to tell me stories about England all the time. As it is, this young man told me he'd never even been to London. He is however helping me to shop for good English tea. Us Americans don't know what real tea is.

[@gus2600]

I am an American and like so many of us, I'm a direct descendant of Great Britain. I love these videos !

[@blipblip88]

Always a fun and informative documentary!

[@froggleggers1805]

Same old story with the fishing out the stocks in Britain. Very sad since fishing done properly is a renewable source of food..

[@Janettemay64]

Need t keep the EU out of British waters. Careful management should bring the fish stocks back.

[@1337flite]

@@Janettemay64 because fish just swim around in circles and respect national territorial limits?

[@edwardoleyba3075]

@@1337flite . No, they migrate.I expect that some time a mega rich twat with too much money will find some way of tagging/barcoding them, then we’ll all be paying a fortune for a fish.

[@johnschools6617]

Excellent illustration of the importance of fossil fuels to agriculture, food distribution, and thus making increased population possible. With fossil fuels it is possible to use more energy to grow and distribute the food than the food itself provides.

[@jak3816]

Which also illustrates the importance of efficiency and research into renewables. Those fossil fuels won't last forever.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Jake B And increased population is not necessarily a good thing.

[@NaumRusomarov]

@Scratchy Ballzack excellent research, sir. In which scientific journal have you published your outstanding research, sir? I'd love to read more of it. lol.

[@NaumRusomarov]

This has nothing to do with fossil fuels, but rather human ingenuity to discover new sources of energy and use them to improve society and human life in general. It's a bunch of horse shit to think that this illustrates the importance of fossil fuels, they had them for millennia before. It was not until the appearance of advanced math, physics and material theory before people could design steam engines that could do the heavy lifting. In fact, we still use many variations of these same engines but instead of coal we use other sources of energy.

[@johnschools6617]

Jake B Hopefully we will have fusion power plants by then.

[@dickmcshan9778]

At 37:00... you should NOT stand close to a tensioned cable. If it were to snap, you could be cut in half.

[@DanielChannel57]

I'm American, and this is putting me in the mood for British fish and chips.

[@tianachidester1566]

Ruth is pretty awesome but she acts so humble

[@pollyg562]

i thought i had a basic knowledge on everything about modern British history-last 2000years] well to an extent but i feel like I'm watching an alternative universe, so much I've never seen on any other history show, and the castle and farm series are some of my favorite, this series is another stand-alone history show, who knew these time warpy farms exsist

[@briangarrow448]

No point in Britain is more than 85 miles away from the coàst. Which in part, explains the British love of fish and chips.

[@yvellebradley2502]

Brian Garrow And rock candy...er, maybe not. Horrible stuff!

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

@Brian Garrow same here in littleNZ. I have a question about the British and beaches. Do many British people sit looking away from the sea when they go to the beach? Or is that just a myth?

[@dadillen5902]

Or deep fried Mars Bars

[@troodon1096]

In fact no point in Britain is more than 70 miles away from the ocean.

[@wasnhas]

Great episode, as all have been !

[@geraldmiller5260]

Fascinating history

[@lakrids-pibe]

And with steamship from Denmark: Bacon and Lurpak butter

[@BertGrink]

Fun fact: a few years ago I came across a Brit here on youtube who said that Tulip was an english company; when i told him it was danish he refused to believe me so i had to find a link to the company's website where its history was told, complete with an account of how it became one of the biggest bacon companies in the UK. I'm not even sure he believed me after that, he simply refrained from responding! lol Greetings from Sy'fyn.

[@paoladimeo412]

Fantastic serial on history👍👍

[@maddworld2544]

why can't i stop watching these.

[@me3333]

Samuel L. Jackson "What the fuck did they do to this fish? Batter it to death?" Robert Carlyle " Fish and chips, national dish mate." Samuel L. Jackson "More like a national disaster"

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

I used to see Stevenson's "Rocket," supposed to be the first steam engine, in the lobby of the Science Museum in South Kensington -- every Wednesday, because that was a half-day at the French School, just across the bombed-site from the Museum.

[@GizmoFromPizmo]

It turns out that beef tallow is better for you than vegetable oils. Vegetable oils tend to go rancid very quickly - especially when heated - while animal fats stay fresher longer. Vegetable oils tend to be carcinogenic at high temperatures.

[@BlazingsNL]

"don't put your thumb around the steering wheel" "alright, I need my thumbs" 39:00 ...

[@Mandy-nt2cs]

I just adore Ruth.

[@andrewgnys6285]

I love British culture and history. I was born in a wee city called Invercargill NZ and everything back then was British. Most of the names were Scottish and other parts of the British Isles. British culture brought civilisation to the world. Most nations that play cricket today incuding the 13 colonies of the US are well functioning democracies.

[@nouvalari]

Burt Monroe..............hero!

[@andrewgnys6285]

@@nouvalari My Dad owned a 1927 Indian scout. I loved that movie when it came out . At the Southland club rooms there is a picture of the "worlds fastest indian' above the fire place.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Greetings from NZ Andrew Gnys@ Like you I love British culture and history I was born in the slightly less wee city of Dunedin NZ

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

@Andrew Gnys. Not so sure I believe that " British culture brought civilisation to the world". Ghandi was once asked " what do you think of Western Civilization" . His reply " that's a very good idea". Hmmmm

[@andrewgnys6285]

@@marilynwoolford-chandler1161 I have been to Mumbai and it is a big city that is very chaotic. If you come from NZ, Australia you better be up with your cricket because that is all they will talk to you about. Also in march they have a real crowd pleaser "marijuana milkshakes".

[@cindyclark8998]

This series is the newest, if the weight gain in Alex's face is anything to go by.

[@andyjay9346]

Love those kippers. Absolutely beautiful.

[@Dmitrisnikioff]

Though these shows are great, they're a bit too positive sometimes. It's a bit wild hearing about these improvements in "choice" when really, for the majority of people involved the Victorian age represented a loss in quality of life for the majority of people...

[@--enyo--]

Dmitrisnikioff Yeah, I definitely get what you mean.

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

All that coal; so much coal being used to drive the steam engines. Roads and cars were the next transportation innovation. And look at all the pro blems they brought. It is enough to make me give up on the "constant improvement" theory of History. But the programmes with these three get into it and give it a knowledgeable go. Fascinating entertainment

[@marilynwoolford-chandler1161]

Scratchy Ballzack yes. The pendulum has swung way too far.. Are you yourself one of those way too soft people? Just asking. I myself most definitely am(one of those way too soft people....sadly)

[@NaumRusomarov]

They mentioned it a bit, but coal is a very potent pollutant, and cities back in the Victorian era were incredibly polluted and quite dangerous to live in because of it. It's no wonder the life expectancy of most people was rather low. This technology brought convenience and opportunities, but it was also limiting in many other ways.

[@tombaker3794]

As a Yank who visited Britain and went to a small local shop for fish and chips, I found out the reason for the newspaper wrap was or is to soak up the grease. Otherwise, very good.

[@yvellebradley2502]

Tom Baker Couldn’t find any fish and chip shops near me when I was last in the UK, pre-Covid. Lots of curry shops, though!

[@highlandwinterwolf8589]

@@yvellebradley2502 so you mean to tell us that there's hardly any fish n chip shops left at all? I don't expect I'm ever get the chance to visit since tourists from the usa aren't welcome over there anymore (tourist bans, yes I am informed enough to know about them) but I hope you guys can get a few of those curry shops closed down and bring back a few proper food shops.

[@dadillen5902]

Don't forget about the Kebab shops.

[@jovantalberg6688]

@@yvellebradley2502 it's called demand and supply.

[@jovantalberg6688]

these neoconservatistic comments - don't you think, they wouldn't have used other ingredients back in those days, if they had been available. Ignorant or xenophobic implications, no more, no less, I'm afraid.

[@bananapeaches6370]

I just really feel the need to say thank you, to the creators of fish and chips! Love ‘em in Australia ! But the best fish is, IMO, battered blue cod, in Southland NZ 💓

[@lgeubs]

Cod is my favorite fish nosh.

[@nodigBKMiche]

Lol! So funny! I love cod, so tried the Battered blue cod in Southland N.Z. & it was the only awful meal I had in N.Z. Totally different fish, sort of like shark? Sorry, I am sure lots of ppl love it, but compared to Scottish Fish n chips, no😕. Canadian fish n chips, for the most part, suck☹️

[@mariahunter9882]

I love Ruth Goodman! So glad I found this.

[@JayVBear45]

Now I want Fish'n'Chips, damn it!🌈😉

[@brandysigmon9066]

I always want it

[@brianhimmelman420]

Wilson’s FISH N CHIPS moved from London England to Halifax Nova Scotia Canada

[@themetalgardener4960]

The Romans had hot food you could take away/eat as you go. Not sure of other cultures concerning that. But yeah in more recent history it shifted things food wise to what we have now in a real way.

[@teddyschuh9948]

thank you for pointing that out! i scrolled through all of the comment section to find this comment :D

[@OzzieWozzieOriginal]

The sheeps could jump out of that open container