Turn back time: the High Street

Have just watched the first part of the new BBC re-enactment programme, where four shopkeepers and their families run four businesses in Shepton Mallet in the style of a previous age. Tonight it was the Victorian era, and we saw a pork butcher, a grocer, a blacksmith/ironmonger and a baker at work, trying to make a profit from the residents of Shepton Mallet (and probably from visiting holiday makers). It was really worth watching, partly because of what the families learnt, partly because it made you realise how far away we have come from the food we eat (children recoiled from seeing the heads of pigs for instance.) There was also a lot of attention to detail in the way the programme was made and filmed.
Mr D and I visited Shepton Mallet when we were in the area in the summer - it did have a real sense of deadness about it. Hopefully this project might get people back into the town shops rather than in the retail park.

We watched it as well D, and though it was very good, on the whole..

felt the bakers were made to suffer an artificial hamper though because she (who was the master baker) wasn't allowed to be the victorian baker, because she was a woman. Her husband ( NOT a master baker) was made to do all the baking work and the results were understandably inedible

But presumaably the family were chosen as a package and SHE was the master baker...so why couldn't she be allowed to get on with it?

seemed a pointless differentiation to me, especially as if she had been a victorian widow she could have been the baker in the shop....

Apart from that minor quibble, well worth watching and wish it had been a longer period both for the enactment period ( a month rather than a week?) and programme length ( 6, half hour progs? maybe for this era?

I caught this prog and thought the choice of families was a little odd given that the woman wasn't allowed to bake, although I guess it was done so they could make that point and show how wonderfully civilised we are now!

There is a review of the programme here as well as one of Kirstie's Simply Gorgeous Life of Superduper Loveliness

Badger wrote:There is a review of the programme here as well as one of Kirstie's Simply Gorgeous Life of Superduper Loveliness

I missed Krusty. Thank Gods.

Have to admit to having a soft sport for Krustie, certainly looking forward to this new series more than yet another step back reality competition show.

I know I ought to like her BUT she just irritates the heck out of me....