The Simpler Life Tuesday C4 9.15pm

[Gonnagetgoing]

Will anyone be watching this? Living with the Amish?

Some of the pictures by friend puts on of Devon look like they're abroad!

I'm really enjoying this!

I'm enjoying it too, but a) you just know that C4 has deliberately chosen a group of people who aren't going to get on because it's better telly and b) it will have been edited to amplify the discord, because people getting along, sowing crops and feeding chickens isn't very exciting.

Penny was clearly a narcissist. Her poor older DD, who was having a great time, but who Penny clearly uses as an emotional prop. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite so self-absorbed - or maybe I have and I just did what the men did - which was to clock her immediately as a nightmare and just steer well clear from then on!

Did anyone watch tonight?

Me. Love it. Agree with PPs that younger participants putting the elders to shame (speaking as an elder )

Anyone remember Taransay? - made Ben Fogle a reality star celeb, which was his intention, and similar in intent.

The Bar Manager comes out tops this evening. It seems sparse though how they are profiling the group as a whole. There was someone in shot this evening and I didn’t recognise them. Not sure if there are inter- relationships.

@Seasidesunday - I watched this last night.

It is great to see Kevin come out of his shell so much, he's really blossomed. Also the twins Jamie and Jerome and the other young man Jacob were having fun (with the pigs, football) and gelling more.

Harry was interesting this week, seems like he's always been a drifter and a bit unconventional and it was lovely to see him writing to his parents and writing 'I was so happy I wanted to scream for joy' and then getting upset about it.

It was also great to see Mati open about her insomnia improving, how much more relaxed she feels there etc.

I think (as they said about a romance developing) it's Harry and Fran.

It was a real shame that Andrew and Gary and their sons left.

I'm loving this series. I'm not usually a reality programme kind of person, but I'm really liking this. Agree with how lovely it is to see some blossoming- particularly Kevin, Harry and Fran (she looks fabulous with no makeup, far better in fact, and she's shown herself to be so kind and strong).

I don't understand why the family with the kids left. Surely you can work through things together to stay on. Perhaps I just don't get why someone would be more stressed in that environment?!

So there’s no drama now Penny has gone! But interesting how people like Fran are saying how they’re addicted to internet dating and says she hasn’t been happy for 10 years - since she was 23!

It must say a lot about some aspects of modern life, how we try to fill it with other things and don’t concentrate on happiness.

@Gonnagetgoing

It must say a lot about some aspects of modern life, how we try to fill it with other things and don’t concentrate on happiness.

Just starting to watch now. But you're definitely right there.

Loving it.

Kevin is a star, he seems so much happier and healthier.

What planet was Penny on?! I know there’s a lot of editing goes on but bloody hell. I felt so bad for her older dd who was barely mentioned, it was all about the youngest.

Shame about the dads, they were so lovely.

I am loving it. Wish I could go and live there.

I think it must've been hard doing it with kids, because your first responsibility is your kids, not the farm work, so I always felt like Andy and Gary were a bit isolated (and I guess Penny too, if I'm being kind, although her personality was so utterly toxic that I think she'd have been isolated anyway by others avoiding her). But with no schooling (I'm assuming, since nothing has been said about schooling), that means the kids need to be with the parents 24/7. I felt Gary needed MH support and it appeared that there wasn't any.

@Puffalicious - I felt so sorry for Fran. She's obviously a 30-something who isn't happy with her life - she works but it probably fulfils a certain part of her, she's desperate to conform and also wants to find love but I don't think as she stated in the programme that she's happy being by herself! Then she had a fling with Jacob (?) which we all knew was just fun.

I'm not sure I could live there but it reminds me a lot of holidays in 1970s as a child in Sussex and Avon on a farm or near farms where there was no TV, maybe a radio if we were lucky! But we had 6 weeks (or maybe 4-5 weeks) of bliss which was just running about in fields, streams, seeing piglets with a pig, doing all sorts of stupid stuff. BBQs in the garden of the main farmhouse where we just sat and talked, family friends came down for hop picking (older children mostly) but it was so relaxed and happy. Obviously before the days of internet etc. Even my parents (DM mostly) was far more relaxed, I recall she and her friend who came down arranged to get child benefit for us kids at the local sub post office but we didn't need anything at all really bar the usual food.

What happened to the other couple with kids? They seem to have gone.

I do think that Joseph and Victoria really pissed me off from time to time - he was so rigid in the way he was thinking and so was she. I'm not surprised they pissed off Darren and Hazel, there seemed to be no one helping Hazel with her butter making or offering her any - I did see that they didn't want her to buy any but Victoria was being really preachy saying she'd made loads of butter and froze it. And Darren/Hazel saying the Joseph had bought Harissa (as well as other spices) which wasn't essential was bang on the money!

I liked Edna and the Amish family but it's so easy for them because it's the only lifestyle they've ever known.

It was lovely to see that Kevin and Jerald (and other Amish son) gelled so well and I hope that Kevin does go to USA. In fact though it could be hard for Kevin re green card/Visa and not sure if he wanted to do it, I could see him becoming permanently properly Amish and marrying an Amish woman.

I was kind of hoping that Harry and Fran would get together but I actually think they're too different.

@zafferana

I think it must've been hard doing it with kids, because your first responsibility is your kids, not the farm work, so I always felt like Andy and Gary were a bit isolated (and I guess Penny too, if I'm being kind, although her personality was so utterly toxic that I think she'd have been isolated anyway by others avoiding her). But with no schooling (I'm assuming, since nothing has been said about schooling), that means the kids need to be with the parents 24/7. I felt Gary needed MH support and it appeared that there wasn't any.

@zafferana - I do think Penny was toxic but also the makers of the programme used her as a bit of a scapegoat - they knew her background, they'd done personality tests on people so they knew she'd be ideal fodder for reality TV!

I really think Penny isn't as bad in real life as she's made out to be - she just comes from a certain lifestyle with expectations and there's nothing wrong with that. She tried to change her lifestyle (but was a bit foolish in not finding out about the Amish etc) but at least she gave it a go.

Yes @Gonnagetgoing, I acknowledged in an earlier post that Penny had clearly been chosen for this programme by C4 because they knew she'd rile the others up and that makes good telly.

I agree that Victoria was patronising re the butter. They could have offered to make butter with Hazel, or take on the butter job, which would have been community minded, but no. Just got in about having the 'foresight to do extra and freeze it'. Elements of the Mumsnet chicken competitivenes.. Also, Joseph does seem to be the arbiter(sp) of whether any potential spend is in the best interests of the community. Maybe that should be a sub committee? He obs decided that Harrissa was a great spice, but no-one has used it apparently(?) so irrespective of it not being a major purchase, that seemed a bit dictatorial. They young 'uns may be good at getting on with stuff, but they were picking and choosing Amish principles when they got the radio in. I had a lot of sympathy for Hazel, but saw that her DH was criticised for not pulling his weight, no idea if this was fair or not.

I too was a little puzzled that Gary's MH went worse in this environment. It obviously was, as the tests showed it. Maybe he feels like he has more control at home? It was a shame that the boys didn't chance to say goodbye to the group though, I don't know if they got a choice or not, which would be different.

I do think it's a shame that the majority of stress and departures is being caused by people who just don't really want to stick to the rules of the experiment. Like Gary and family, he seemed most frustrated by people constantly trying to break and bend the rules, when he was trying so hard to genuinely live as they are meant to.

I did wonder why no one offered to show Hazel how to make butter, since they can all do it successfully? Seemed a bit mean, although I do think it was fine not to give them money to buy it from the community budget when they have their own household budget too. They could have helped her learn how to do it.

I definitely don't think Penny was a bad person or nasty, I think she just was totally the wrong person for this show and right from the start said she didn't care for the community and only about her own unit, which I think many might feel but not realise until it's called into queston. I'm sure she's lovely in real life.

Also I definitely think it's easier for single people and the younger generation because they are less set in their ways and don't have the stress of trying to maintain a relationship in this totally new and different environment.

I could see myself and DP throttling each other in that kind of environment, especially if it comes out that you're not completely on the same page about certain aspects like the radio, the alcohol etc.

@GlitteryGreen

Also I definitely think it's easier for single people and the younger generation because they are less set in their ways and don't have the stress of trying to maintain a relationship in this totally new and different environment.

I could see myself and DP throttling each other in that kind of environment, especially if it comes out that you're not completely on the same page about certain aspects like the radio, the alcohol etc.

@GlitteryGreen - agreed with you re single people and the younger generation finding it easier to cope as less set in their eats and no stress re maintaining a relationship - apart from Victoria and Joseph!

I thought Harry was a great person (cute, sweet man) but I'd probably have got fed up with him (if I was family, girlfriend etc) as he seemed to have little focus (he admitted this) in his life, travelling around, not settling down etc.

Very funny re seeing you and DP throttling yourself in that kind of environment - I totally agree! I think it can put the best of established relationships to the test.

Well, DH (who I love to bits) and I can fall out at when we've been at the allotment for two hours, so there won't be an application for anything like this from us

LOL @SpongeBobJudgeyPants my DP won't even come to my allotment with me so you're still winning in my eyes!

@Gonnagetgoing Yes defo. I think the thing is you can go into it thinking you share the same mindset and priorities, but actually as time goes on it's becoming clearer who wants to be completely strict to the rules, who doesn't mind bending them, and who actually isn't bothered at all as long as they get some of the home comforts they want. And I don't think most of us could know which one we'd be until we were there for a prolonged time.

I agree that younger people are, on the whole, less set in their ways but I thought they would struggle more to give up their phones, the internet, play stations etc.

I also thought the girls might not like giving up their nice clothes, makeup etc.

They have done really well though.

I did think the butter argument was unfair. Why could the couple not just be given some butter? Hazel said they had given something (I think spices) to the others.

I don't think Penny was a bad person but I didn't like her at all. She just seemed vain and selfish.

Oooo tea from twitter...Victoria says both she and Edna offered Hazel butter but she said no, and they'd already spend their personal budget. As such they didn't believe she and Darren really wanted the money for that reason.

Sorry but stopped watching after episode 1, had hoped it would be a really interesting experiment but just another reality show with peculiar expectations from some participants.