Tales From The Green Valley - June (part 10 of 12) 

Alex: [About shearing sheep ]"We might never get a chance to do again" Me: Oh, you will. Many a time, you will...

I like Chloe she was the perfect choice for this programme. I would like to see more of her in these type of shows.

I just love the lighting inside with the period costumes. Looks like a painting.

I can't seem to get Ruth in modern dress..she is so IT in time travel clothing..it was Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian and war time gardens and then some..my all time favorite shows with my three historyoteers..🤗 watch them over and over... especially with spring around the corner.. GREAT ideas for todays garden😁.

Alex ; "Just trying to get some dust out of the fleece..." Sheep ; "GET ME A SNORKEL" !

Omg the state of Peter's shirt 😂😂

Iht wait til after work to watch this episode-DANG IT!!🤬lol I just found this show last nite and watched til about 1am(which means I'm xx tired today) but I couldn't stop myself from watching!! I really really like this show can't get enuf of it!! It's great! I binged after falling over this! It's great

This is my favorite episode of this series. Alex and Peter ("Fonz") are especially charming. The Summer Solstice party looks like great fun. They made fun of Peter for eating Henrietta the sheep. I assume he has a soft heart. (Good for him!)

18:11 mark, Alex & Peter reiminsicing about the day if shearing "probably never the get the chance to do again". Oh yes you will lads, in two more BBC period farming documentaries!

I've been watching all the different series and have enjoyed them immensely you are very brave to give up such a huge chunk of your lives so we get to see how they lived in each time period job well done

Well in later more recent series with this crew, the guys certainly had more opportunities to shear sheep. So, this initial program was the precursor for more fun to come. I wish there would be another opportunity for a 2022 post COVID series. 🤷‍♀️

They're so cute in the end, they look like Hobbits dancing. 🤗

That cottage cheese and the butter they made, looks rather appetizing

A Scene with Ronald and no "Wassail"?

14:27 To any hpbby cheese makers: This is the kind of mould to be absolutely avoided. It will contaminate at some point more than the rind and make the cheese dangerous. Instead of of wrapping it in a salt water soaked cloth, the cheese can be given a bath in a proper brine: 2 litres of water with 1kg salt and some vinegar. Once there is a proper rind, follow up with daily showers and brushing with the salt water solution for a few days. This will result in a proper closed rind.

Dear RU-vid = I'd LOVE to see a final episode about the 5 of them going to their homes, friends & families - also back to the current time. First, to talk together (and separately?) about the experience of a year in the 1700's. Secondly, to speak about what sort of "Culture or Time Shock" they might've experienced when returning to their lives, now. PLEASE do that - even 5 or 6 years later they could meet up and talk about it. I'd really like to hear about that part of it as well, with some time to ponder what it was like and how it changed them.

Would liked to have heard more from Ronald in this series, seen him in other docs and his breadth of knowledge on superstitions and folklore is amazing. Love Alex though, so full of fun.

Sheep when shorn with hand shears still have a fleece, though much shorter, of course. If provided shelter from wind and rain if they want it, and plenty of forage (decent pasture and/or hay) they have no problem with a cold spell of weather after shearing. This is actually more of a concern with modern electric shearing machines. Also, with heat and stress, wool breaks can cause sheep to shed some wool in hot weather, but wool sheep DON'T typically shed their fleeces. A search on RU-vid will show several instances of Merino sheep in Australia that evaded being mustered for shearing for up to six years - and these sheep had MASSIVE fleeces, as they never shed their wool, even in that warm climate.

I like this one better than the other series'. its more interesting and less formal

"don't put your hoves there" Monty.

24:40 Professor Hutton in a purple pimp fedora = Pricele$$

There's another big reason modern wheat is shorter. Japanese wheat was discovered, and although it was lower yield, it was much shorter, stockier and wouldn't lodge in the field (fall over and ruin the grain on the ground.) Taller western breeds lodged easily and thus farmers ran a high risk of losing their harvest. In the 1900s, Japanese wheat was crossed with the high-protein hard red winter wheat that originated in the Ukraine. The result was an amazingly high harvest on strong short stems.... but they didn't realize the gluten content was multiple times higher than in either parent strain. And thus, we got our modern high-gluten wheat, so ubiquitous in the western diet. And with it came new diseases as unprecedented gluten intake triggers intolerance, "leaky gut syndrome," and autoimmune disorders never known before.

Alex thought he wouldn't ever have the chance to sheer a sheep again 😆😆😆😆

My ancestors had a small 2 or 3 acre farm in a village called Pannal in Yorkshire in the 1600s through to the early 1900s. I like to think they lived like this. Its fascinating to see it come to life. I would happily go back to that time.

I love this videos.They have tought me a lot of the old days.Some I already knew Wish I could join them on the farm

All that dirt and dust coming of the sheeps' wool the second they enter the water looks so satisfying *_*

You learn so much about the stuff you consume on a daily basis by watching this. It's really crucial for a basic understanding of the world around oneself. I think this would make for excellent education for schoolchildren. Instead what the kids get is: Hey we were evil all through history, now go hate yourself.

This series is the next best thing to our own local historical calendar that has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus. So nice to get my history fix!

Wonderful series.

Although I am American, I'm fairly certain that my ancestors were involved in some of these exhausting tasks in greater Britain during this time, as my DNA came back 74% British isles. I love these shows! These earlier ones are my faves though!

The cheese mold left on the rind has antibiotic properties, which can be useful for preserving the cheese.

Stuart looks like John the Baptist baptizing ... sheep

Shouldn't it be in honor of Saint John? His day was in midsummer. Thus St. John's wort was a flower of the sun since it bloomed at the time, with a bright yellow flower, reminding herbalists of the sun.

“Are you enjoying Henrietta tonight Fonz? As you did in life” 😂 makes me want an extended footage behind the scenes of this; anything with British academics will be filthy

❤️Professor Hutton, I just love you!😉

Watching all these series in reverse it's so painful to see the guys not knowing how to properly sheer the sheep yet LOL

Modern sheep shearing one an hour??? In Australia the record is one a minute. For 477 sheep in a row...

I was involved in sheep shearing once and only once. I wasn't impressed with the lanolin getting all over, however my hands were very soft.

The girls bumbling along with the cheese just made ne laugh so hard. My mom and I make cheese whenever we can get a bucketful of good milk (fresh milk since we live in town) and it can be a little titchy if you aren't sure what to do. Definitely decides what kind of cheese you make. Mexican cheese is very easy and doesn't need much care to dry

Some had shearers today can shear a sheep in under 10 minuted, including the undersides, neck, head and britch area. There are videos on RU-vid.

I would like to make some cheese one day.

For shearing, the drink was switchel - apple cider vinegar in water, with a bit of honey, maple syrup, or molasses. Delicious,. actually. Especially with added spices, like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. At least this was the traditional beverage for sheep shearing and haymaking in America.

There is a question about an old saying--or rather two old sayings. Both could be right. "Don't spoil the sheep for a hap'worth of tar." Alternately "Don't spoil the ship for a hap'worth of tar." Both are true.

Thanks

How the heck did someone figure out that if you take an enzyme out of a baby cow’s stomach - one who’s never eaten grass before - then you can use that to make cheese?

A bonfire in a field of grass with no fire ring dug-- brilliant-- sparks everywhere. Guess they've never seen a prairie fire....

It’s interesting they mention they’re getting 16 hours of sunlight and they spend most of their time outside, yet they don’t seem Sun tanned at all.

It is unfortunate Chloe did not caught on like the trio did.

At 5:48, I get that somehow you need to stir the rennet in, and then break up the curd formed, so it can be reshaped. I seem to recall other cheese making videos, where, on a larger scale, they use a rake to break up the curd. What I don't get is why Chloe seemed to be lifting the curds into the muslin-lined bowl with the wood paddles, then dumped the rest of the bowl into the muslin lined one. Why not just dump it all at one time?

Does anyone know if sheep shrink in the wash?

Did they use the scrap wool for stuffing for quilts

With respect tho these gentleman, the church did take over the midsummer festival with St John the Baptists feast. 😊

Shearing smaller sheep is not always easier. With small sheep, it's all 'fiddly bits'.

It never fails, regardless what the team has gone thru, how hard they work the narrator always says how much harder it's going to get. Every program I've watched about farming thru history it's the same story, It's never good times and it's never going to be good, it's just more hard work. I wonder if that is a British thing to be always down in the mouth and things are only going to get worse.

The cheese looked very nice after it was done

The milk jug says "sin" on it... Was it an old beer jug, perhaps? lol

Do *not* grab a sheep by the wool-fleece. It is really hurts the sheep and they will get black/blue spots in the flesh. Grew up on a farm and our parents scolded us intensely if we did that. Would you like to get lifted by the hair?

the mid summer fire has its origins from a cultic ceremony!

I love rewatching this show but I do have a really pedantic observation to make. At the start of each episode the narrator mentions that the team only have tools and materials available in 1620. But at 3:46 they are using a jug with the date 1638 written on it! I’m sure it’s a reproduction, but in that case couldn’t the potter have glazed on an earlier date? I know I’m really picky- sorry.

Duchess s calf, omg' is it him they were referring to when they were making cheese

Love this show. Love all the players but RUTH cut your nails!!!!!!!!!!! Sooo much bacteria

The "vegetarian" bit about not having to kill your calf is false thinking, because if you dont ever kill a cow for meat and just use them for the milk you have to feed/care for 20+ cows for every milk giving one ... which is an ENORMOUS EFFORT and obviously cost.

I love the videos was it hard?

seems the men get a little relaxing in @ their chores, the women just keep working & working. all that beer, thy must be feeling a little drunk

Oh they (Christians) didn't leave alone midsummer in baltic states. Kupolė became st John's day, yet I guess to this day celebrated with magic and bonfires

Where did they get rice in those days.. ????

21:30 the weed they are taking out looks like Buckwheat which is a good nutricious plant 🙂

Would they still have done a “bonefire” at this point in history? Burn all the bones and let the putrid resultant smoke scare off any evil spirits in the area.

A 'pelt' refers to a fur still attached to the skin, either on the animal, or off. Sheep grow wool, not fur, except for the 'Persian lamb') and produce fleeces when shorn.

i love.

10:44 What?!? Those fingernails? Is that historically accurate? I want to know.

I am sure he is a very nice man, but Stuart really wasn't needed was he? He didn't do much and what he did do he usually made a mess of. Any of them could have done his facts, and maybe they would have been more accurate. As this was the first series, I wonder if the producers were feeling their way and had this idea of a "team" with him as "Leader" because he comes across like that is how he sees himself. The one with all the knowledge and information, sitting under a tree and telling us all about some bloke in 1620. Yes we need the info, we don't need a specific person to dispense it, unless they are getting stuck in as well. He can be quite patronising to the others at times too, especially the women. He comes unstuck with Ruth! Lol. I suspect she has eaten better men than him for breakfast and still had room for toast!

This series is low-key still about Victorians 🙃

an hour to hand shear a sheep?????? try 5 to 10 minutes,start at the neck,more usual for the sheep to be lying down,not the shearer

I dont understand how they filmed this when cameras werent that good in 17th century. Fake?

I was looking forward to see cheese made in a calf stomach, just to see the process. Then I see them dropping in the same liquid rennet I use. As disappointing as that was, it was doubly so, knowing that rennet requires refrigeration. Guys, if you're going to use modern conveniences, at least let us know.

24:45 American Christians un- _hijacked_ ourselves from foreign rule with a midsummer festival we call Independence Day 😁

In order to appear a little 'esoteric', Stuart has to complicate things: like ruining the beer by making possit out of it. Why not just bring the Beer as is? You see it with his cooking as well and his relations with the others members of the team. One figures easily enough that he may have been voted out...My opinion.

I smile every time I hear them say that the farm is being run just as it would have been 400 years ago: by a team of five hand-picked experts. Why does it still surprise me when the English speak English u grammatically or clumsily?

I came across this group of experts while they were reliving life on a farm during World War 2 and then started watching their other series. Let me start with criticism. Although Christianity would have been a central theme and element during this time, it is conspicuous by its absence. As it is in all the other series by these people. During the 1600s Christian beliefs were a part of everyday life in the home and church attendance was the main social interaction. I first noticed this when during one of their CHRISTMAS specials they had not mentioned any part of the Christmas story (Bethlehem, the star, stable, shepherds, magi) nor ever mentioned the names Joseph, Mary or even JESUS! Since I'm sure they are aware of these things, it must be their own personal bias that made them purposely omit them. They reenact pagan feast celebrations in detail, but have not even shown a Bible nor said grace at any meal. Since they cannot be relied on for historic accuracy I took it purely for the entertainment value of watching these people stumble about the various tasks. However, I wish to caution/ask viewers that if they have so hugely removed one part of history, can they be trusted to tell us the truth about anything else? To end with praise. This is the third series with these people I've watched and I have found their good humor and sense of humor compelling and entertaining. I'd also like to give kudos to the unsung heroes. The film crew. They have done a great job recording and documenting these experiences. Sometimes it's quite lovely to watch and they get some truly wonderful moments and images. Also, thank you to permahome for taking the time to upload the series to share with us. It's provided me with several enjoyable hours. Plus some encouragement during these changing times and days of COVID-19 isolation. Sincerely, Laura-Lee

16:34

why don't they just call "Peter".. Peter it's his first name.. they're calling Stewart.. Stewart and Alex.. Alex..Just a friendly question😄

I hope they don't cut the sheep lol.

You can understand why they average life span was only 35 years. That is called worked to death. World population in 1600 was, between 550 million, and 579 million. 100 years later in had increased by 50 million. The land would have been empty. England would have had 4 million in 1600 but if you look at the graph of populations is steadily climbing as food production methods improve. The invention of the water wheel to grid wheat was a huge improvement for food production.

Hmmm, I wonder why does Alex get to wear shorts, but Peter, er um, Fonz has to be in those ridiculous bloomers?

This is a great series but I’m tired of listening to that pagan expert with the JR Ewing evil eyebrows, always popping up to add nothing but folklore and reap what the gang has sown, to eat and drink! lol

One thing I loathe about modern historians is that they just can't seem to help tossing in any anti-Christian statement that they can, even just subtly. I suppose they don't wish to bite the atheistic hands that feed them or something. But it is always nonsense. Claiming that Easter and Christmas was hijacked by the Christian faith is rubbish. That is not to say that Christian culture did not absorb customs when such customs did not go against the faith. But there are many customs from those two holidays that were brought in directly from Christian culture itself. With Christmas, for instance: candy canes, mangers scenes, St. Nicholas, etc... With Easter: hot crossed buns, pretzels, Easter eggs, etc... And I couldn't help but laugh when he completely contradicted himself. He tried to pompously state that the festivities they were celebrating in this episode had zero Christian influence whatsoever. Then when announcing the starting of the fire, he states: "the vigil of St. Peter". What could possibly be not-Christian about the vigil of St. Peter? It's ridiculous. The truth is that people like to have festivities regardless of religion. And Christianity is no different. One does not have to insult and make up lies to appreciate post-pagan European culture.

As usual Hutton ignores that in the 1600s Britain was Christian and had been for centuries and not pagan, and that Christianity didn't 'hijack' pagan festivals but saw in them glimmers of intuition about the truths of Christianity. If people naturally felt that light is better than darkness, it's easy to explain by analogy why Christ is the light of the world, for example. It's not hijacking. It's explaining that what humans can intuit or reason out is only part of the story. God has to reveal the rest of the story, what man's intuition or reason cannot reach to, because God by definition transcends man's reason, is supranational. The pagan propagandist Hutton invokes the feast of St Peter while stupidly and ignorantly pretending it's a completely pagan event because he's trying to convert people to a primitive, superstitious paganism that thinks hopping over a fire will keep the Vikings away. Proves that when people don't believe in God, they will believe in anything. Hutton is an educated fool.

This is a great series accept for the fraud ronald hutton so annoying. Also don't like the killing of animals for a t.v series. I do like the team though and I love Blackthorn and the animals. I would love to do this. I'm also of british decent so this is neat learning how my anncesstors might have lived on a farm like that.

Easter and Christmas were not hijacked.... They were the REPLACEMENTS of the pagan traditions at the time... traditions that included rape, cutting, pedophilia, human sacrifices and other horrid practices were consequently, the very poor were the main victims of... hence why the poor embraced Christianity so readily. It is stated that shepherds in Israel did their shepherding in winter, hence the replacement of winter pagan traditions with Christmas, and Jews celebrate Passover early spring and hence the replacement of spring pagan traditions. Jews don't have a summer celebration, nor is there any indication of one in the Bible, so.... there was no "hijacking" of any pagan European traditions in the summer and I use the word properly. However, considering the Christendom aspects, even those tuned down considerably.

13:59 quite surprised he didn't end up saying "and then at the end of the day he'd organize a feast where he'd slaughter the bagpiper"