Victorian Farm; BBC TV

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Sorry - I can't let this go. Maybe you're a veggie Mrstittlemouse in which case I understand your stance, but if you're a meat eater surely this is hypocrisy in the extreme? (Please note this is generally aimed at ALL those who have ventured similar opinions and is not a personalised go at you - it's just your post which has made me say something IYKWIM) It seems that more and more these days we have this rose-tinted view of meat - "where does meat come from Mummy?" "Sainsbury's, Darling" - but the fact is that the meat we eat has been running around (hopefully in a field or similar outdoor environment) not so long ago. Those cute fluffy little lambs or sweet little piglets aren't just bred for fun, they are what we will be eating a few months later. Anyone who eats meat should, in my view, be prepared to accept this, and not switch off scenes of an animal at the abbatoir (as some have reported doing on the Jamie Oliver thing) or be distressed by the site of an animal as a carcass prior to reaching sanitised comfy stage of being packaged up ready for cooking. To do this is, to me, the worst sign of disrespect to the animal concerned.

I too have been enjoying the series, but also commented on a little more training on animal handling being needed. When he was working with the grumpy horse he was at one stage pulling the bridle so that one blinker covered the animal's left eye, and he was also trying to pull the horse forwards whilst turning towards it.....never gonna work! I'd also spotted that the lameness problem with their own horse was joint-based rather than hoof-based long before they discovered that themselves!

Sorry Essex,if I seemed hypocritical.The thing is I'm not,I've never(and I'm 54 now)and I mean never ate meat and the thought of any living creature ending up on a plate is just something I can't understand.

EssexHebridean

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

Sorry Essex,if I seemed hypocritical.The thing is I'm not,I've never(and I'm 54 now)and I mean never ate meat and the thought of any living creature ending up on a plate is just something I can't understand.

Fair enough then - as I said if you were a veggie then that's a fair view. I'm afraid I'm firmly of the carnivorous persuasion! Of course, the lovely pig wouldn't have been there in the first place if it hadn't been for people wanting to eat pork.....but that's a whole other argument!

rosieben

I eat meat, and I grew up in the country, played with our piglets in the fields knowing full well that one day we'd be eating them. Likewise I'd dig up worms for the chickens and play with the chicks knowing that my father raised them to be food not pets. a few years ago my dd asked her nursery class where chips came from and most said tesco. Unfortunately modern life has taken us further and further away from providing for ourselves and the supermarket is now the great provider.

back on topic, yes, they made mistakes, but I think Alex and Peter have done really well with the animals considering neither of them was experienced; Alex was so good with the sheep, especially with the lambing and Peter obviously enjoyed looking after the pigs. Yes, we could criticise, especially if we're experienced ourselves, but I'm full of admiration for them both and the way they dealt with difficult issues.

rosieben

exlibris wrote: »

Another nit-pick. Ruth seemed to have her bath in the bedroom. Surely it would have been in front of the range. I think the men would have been asked to go and see to the animals for half an hour.
...

Ruth didn't have a bath, she had a 'wash down' in a large shallow bowl and I should think its much more practical to do this in the bedroom. I'm not sure what response you'd get if you asked the men 'to go and see to the animals for half an hour' when its the dead of winter and they've already been out working all day and what if they had a lodger, possibly the farm labourer?

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

rosieben wrote: »

I eat meat, and I grew up in the country, played with our piglets in the fields knowing full well that one day we'd be eating them. Likewise I'd dig up worms for the chickens and play with the chicks knowing that my father raised them to be food not pets. a few years ago my dd asked her nursery class where chips came from and most said tesco. Unfortunately modern life has taken us further and further away from providing for ourselves and the supermarket is now the great provider.

That's the whole point rosieben,I grew up with chickens,goats ect.and I was well aware of where meat came from and that's why I could never eat it.
I'm not one of those vegetarians who have a problem with people eating meat though,I just can't do it myself.The thought of putting dead flesh into my body abhors me.I'ts like a phobia to me in some ways.My own family had a choice but decided to eat vegi too,luckily.
I had to laugh at the Tesco chips comment.It reminded me of when my grand-daughter's friend came for lunch one day.She was only about eight at the time.They asked if they could have some chips and I started to make some.
When her friend's mum came to pick her up she told her I was realy very clever.When her mum asked why she said because I had made chips out of potatoes.She did'nt even know you made chips out of potatoes,bless her.

briluki

The book Ruth refers to for her kitchen work is The Family Save All and can be got at https://www.lukiebooks.com. Very interesting reading with lots of ideas on re-serving leftovers as well as cooking all parts of the animal! Anyone fancy 'calfs udders'? How about a nice plate of 'palate'?:beer: Yes, it even covers beer & cider!!

rosieben

briluki wrote: »

The book Ruth refers to for her kitchen work is The Family Save All .....

You can read or download the book for free here

phizzimum

rosieben wrote: »

You can read or download the book for free here

brilliant- thanks rosieben! but if I download a copy does that mean I have to drop my laptop into the tub of ginger beer mixture?

rosieben

phizzimum wrote: »

brilliant- thanks rosieben! but if I download a copy does that mean I have to drop my laptop into the tub of ginger beer mixture?

the look on his face was priceless wasn't it?

exlibris

The Book People are currently selling the book of the series at 7.99 if this is of any use to someone.