Wartime Farm Episode 3 of 8

The team tackles the conditions faced by the British farmers in late 1940, when Britain's cities were heavily bombed by the Nazis.
The Blitz resulted in one of the biggest mass movements of people in British history as three million city dwellers fled to the countryside. To make outbuildings habitable as refugee shelters, Alex and Peter resort to the age-old craft of making tiles by hand - which means camping out for two days and nights in freezing cold to tend the tile-making kiln. They are visited by a 94-year-old conscientious objector who was conscripted as a farm labourer because he refused to fight on religious grounds.
Ruth gets involved in the work of the Royal Observer Corps, who often enlisted farmers in the work of spotting enemy planes. Alex and Peter also learn how to set up 'decoy fires' to lure German bombers off target, a project known as Operation Starfish.
With December approaching, the team look forward to celebrating Christmas 1940-style. People were understandably eager to put the horrors of war behind them - if only for a day - but this was the first Christmas under rationing and compromises had to be made. Alex looks at government solutions to the national 'toy shortage', whilst Peter discovers that soap had become the nation's favourite Christmas gift. With turkeys few and far between, Ruth cooks up an alternative - known as 'mock turkey' or 'murkey' - made from apples, onion and a dash of sausage meat, with a pair of parsnips for legs.
Wartime Farm was produced by the BBC in partnership with The Open University.

[@shnops]

Ruth Goodman's enthusiasm is amazing !

[@beernd4822]

This series is great, I keep watching these videos over and over again. Thank you for uploading.

[@laserbeam002]

There are many today who need to learn to save and be frugal like their grandparents.

[@pixelfu623]

As for the tape across the windows, others here are correct in saying it is to help prevent glass shrapnel, but also to help keep it from shattering inwards and covering the floors with glass.. In Australia we tape windows just like this when cyclones are nearby for the same reason.

[@rbleu985]

+Cly Johnston Yep. We do the same thing for hurricane here in the southern U.S.

[@suzbone]

Better to have cracked glass held in place, too, than empty window frames in the English winter.

[@Canuckmom128]

OMG..Henry is the cutest Border Collie ever. I'm not even that much of a dog person, but you can just tell he is one of those animals with a really lovely disposition. Adorable with his nose tucked under the quilt !

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

Fascinating. My American dad fought in Europe in WW II while my mom was home. They told me about war time rationing in the US - tough for them, but sweet Jesus this is an eye opener. I knew the situation in Great Britain was worse but I had no idea how bad. We are so soft and spoiled - all of us in 2015. ~ Dan

[@buyerofsorts]

+Daniel Taylor You got that right Dan and I think the shit storm is coming and we'll all finally realize how easy we had it...

[@leeh.4453]

This is so well done. Living history at its very best. I love watching the BBC.

[@tabathafeucht3513]

It's amazing, the difference between all of the veterans from WW2 in Britain than in the States. Britain certainly took care of their vets better than we did.

[@dedutch101]

Poor Peter, he always seems to get the rough end of the deal.

[@kokigami5492]

That quilt looks bloody cozy!

[@shieh.4743]

Agree!

[@shieh.4743]

So ingenious! I love the pamphlet on toys and some of these would be great for crafts with kids today (not the tin can planes).

[@mjarail]

The English countertenor Alfred Deller was a Conscientious Objector during the war. He did farm work for a Quaker farm owner.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

My American dad served in WW2 and he and my mom talked about rationing and the hardships in the US. But gadzooks! The poor British people - so strong! If things go sideways where I live, Ruth has an open invitation to visit my family. Dan

[@kristeyh2761]

Thank you for these fantastic educational videos. Great quality upload!

[@thefrenchadventure]

Love it - dancing lessons in the barn and in wellingtons!

[@Eszra]

The cows watching them dance is really cute! They were interested!

[@buyerofsorts]

This is a great show. I enjoy it and am saddened by it at the same time. War. Men are so willing to engage in it against their fellow man. Why....

[@santenibrown9102]

liamg1995 if a bomb exploded. The tape on the windows, was supposed to stop the glass shattering everywhere.

[@SirKaldar]

44:45 Alex's Spitfire noise is surprisingly accurate, or is there a little bit of sound editing going on? My Grandfather made a plane for me out of scrap wood, with a tin can propeller when i was about 7 or 8, think it looked more like a Cessna than a Spitfire though.

[@mariannenonofyourbiznezz3715]

In case of near by explosion, the tape would help hold the broken glass so it didn't become shrapnel.

[@BarefootMichigoose]

Avon Power Saws? Isn't that the company that went into prosthetic limbs? XD

[@kutchersk]

cows watching them dancing, perfect :D

[@melissa5223]

Am I the only one a little scared of those tin-can toys Alex made? They are cute and very ingenious, but that prop looks like it could take off a finger, lol. ;)

[@redtheman302]

have you ever taped a mirror while moving? same thing and so if a bomb was dropped near by the glass wouldnt become projectiles. plus it would hold the glass in the frame so that if glass was in short supply it would be like a half assed fix for it.

[@dtjesus101]

Local hooch LOL!!! Love it

[@stanojevicnatasa2514]

I need to find some cans and make that spitfire!

[@gcmcknight]

Visited the Manor Farm in late June 2014. very much disappointed in the actual location, staffing, displays etc. Serious issues for the organizers to make the site a viable tourist location. Not worth visiting

[@StutleyConstable]

Am I wrong in thinking they might have been able to use some of the alcohol they made to power one of the machines instead of using gasoline? With rationing it seems to me that making something like wood alcohol for fuel would not have been unreasonable.

[@noneofyourbiz5307]

I know they used wood gas, maybe

[@Pandamokneeums]

cool to hear the God Save the King lyrics. my country sure changed that song! lol

[@anarchyandempires5452]

that's great and all but I still wish there was a documentary about the horrible casualties suffered by the Americans to bring in that last tird of the food, my nation really did a number on them and I feel they deserve some recognition.

[@jachone5490]

Joshua...can't see a car! I've looked & looked :)

[@liamg1995]

why the taped exes on the windows at 4:03? just curious...

[@joshuaharrison699]

No at night to stop the light they put black paper on the tape

[@shnops]

Peter Ginn looks like a chubby Harry Potter w/o glasses !

[@edram4051]

Could they not hunt for game?

[@shammydammy2610]

Rabbits, sure.

[@wunkeyjones113]

What is murkey?

[@joshuaharrison699]

Why the car in background 27.00

[@sfrench7127]

that is the most morose-looking dog I have ever seen. But I absolutely love these programs.

[@scarletfluerr]

A bit sad, No chocolate so Easter is a wash, Easter isn't more than chocolate bunnies?

[@anarchyandempires5452]

no no it most certainly is not.

[@alexapenn6399]

ok - so i'm eating my dinner - 'mucking out the cows' - oops, yuck - thanks for showing that, guys!!!!!!! lol

[@Muck006]

Come on ... this is a video about a FARM and you expect "no dung"?

[@dirkbonesteel]

I remember this Alex guy from last season of Time Team. He's the one making the "Spitfire" out of thin SHARP and pointy old cans. The next best thing to giving a small child a broken bottle. For him this seems normal, he talks but never anything useful. No clue why the BBC hired him. Other then that it's a great series

[@lanadutcher6896]

I wouldn.t give the goverment shit. Would never tell them i had a pig ect.. Do love the historic shows.

[@hayjoesam]

+Lana Dutcher It was all to feed the nation

[@lanadutcher6896]

Me and mine first.

[@hayjoesam]

If you have enough for others you would have enough for yourself :)

[@shieh.4743]

+Lana Dutcher That attitude would certainly have lost them the war and made it an even more terrible experience. Thank goodness the British were far more civilized.