BACK IN TIME FOR TEA - TUE 8pm bbc2

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Love these kind of programmes

Over the course of 6 episodes the Ellis family experience first hand what life was like for working families over the past 100 yrs

Beginning 1918

I really don't think the county the presenter was born in is material. Northern working class homes were very similar wherever they were. I find much of the food very evocative - we had some of those cuts of meat, etc when I was growing up. I wasn't fond of it, but weirdly I have fond memories of liver and onions!

I agree about the presenter wowfudge Yes I remember liver yeuch!! We were served rabbit once and we burst into tears when dm told us! (that was London) we're all veggies now .

I was thinking how nice Sarah Cox was on Tues. She was informal and bought out the best of the 'social historian' lady with the stats.

I hated liver, still do. My mother made scrumptious rabbit pie. Rabbit was popular during the war, because it was extra to the meat ration. After my aunt died I discovered a letter I had written to her from when we were evacuated; in it, "Tell Grandma that Mummy is going to send her a rabbit in a few day's time." Royal Mail could evidently cope with dead animals in the post!

Sara Cox made me laugh out loud when Polly said something about making sure you used every last bit of an animal and she said “you could use the bones for a flute!” . I don’t know why, it was nonsense but it made me laugh. I like her, thoughbo likes Giles too.

Aren’t the hair and makeup and the outfits fantastic? One of the daughters had onen amazing blue patterned dress in the last episode. Obviously most of the clothes are far too “Sunday Best” for cooking and lounging at home but I don’t care. They must have such fun getting ready.

Yes I liked the outfits too but where were the aprons?! Was the mum wearing one? I don't remember.

Bang back in fashion

I'm finding this really interesting as I'm trying and failing to write about the pre-WW2 years at the moment and this is good for research. The tripe looked inexplicably awful, though. My DGM said that her parents got some tripe for dinner during the war and they just sat there, staring at it. They had to throw it away in the end because it was actually growing its own penicillin. Dubious-sounding butcher, and it put her off for life!

There are so many stories about the war and before from my dm I feel I should be writing them down she's 90 this year!

Yea ppeat I said exactly that to DH at one point- no WAY a housewife from those days would cook without an apron on! But they did have aprons later and the Mum was wearing a proper pinny to scrub the front step.

Funny that step!! She had obviously never scrubbed it!! let alone whited it! How the the real 40s and 50s housewives would have gossiped!!

Yes we did laugh when we realised it was of course her own step! What was the name of the special thing that was used to scrub it?

I'm really glad Giles isn't on it as I'm still disgusted at him with what he wrote about his children. If I never have to witness his bile ever again I'll be happy.
I think this family are great fun. The dad noticed the clean step! I like how they are willing to have a go at the food. And the mum can use the tin opener! I love Rochelle still.

When my mum cleaned the step, she used a donkey brick, a sort of solid powdered stuff that gave the step a clean layer.

My grandma used a canister of white powder called Steppo.

Brilliant. I wonder if Steppo was made by the same people who make Brasso?

I’ve enjoyed the last two, although not liking the jokey woman. Why not just keep historian? They don’t need her keep reminding us that they are a working class family every 5min.

They are a lovely family very much like the last lot and so willing take part in everything that is fab.

Why did people clean steps? Do we clean them today?

There was lot more dirt mud horse poo coal dust ash etc flying around. Don’t suppose it helped a lot but more sense of pride and being respectable. These days steps don’t seem to get dirty as such just maybe dust and grit.

THOUgh their steps did look green so could got mouldy in shade in winter so would need cleaning stop you breaking your neck and slipping.

I clean my back yard because it gets green in winter. It’s sheltered And north facing so remains damp for most of the winter. Front step I never need to do more than a sweep as it is in constant sun (when we have it) so rarely stays wet.

I suspect they had more coal dust back in those days which made the steps black.

Donkey stones were what they used to clean steps. It was a big thing to have clean front steps. If someone didn't donkey stone their step they were looked down on as slovenly.

I liked the robshaws and Giles so I'm a bit worried I won't enjoy this as much. Will watch soon.

Well Bertie Here in Fr. we have to clear the snow away from our gates into the road or our steps. (we live between here and England) (it's a local bye law).

I don't THINK that anyone gossips if we don't but they probably do!

I wish the kids had better table manners,,they eat with their mouths open most of the time