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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2002-04 > 1019679402


From: "norman.lee1" <>
Subject: Re: Edwardian House
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 21:16:42 +0100
References: <006301c1eb69$1428dbc0$f4777ad5@bunny> <00f301c1eba5$a74da7a0$2130ff3e@oemcomputer> <004d01c1ebae$8f6851e0$187a66cf@default>


Agree about the feebleness of the occupants (hope none of them reads this
list) but some of the fixtures and fittings in the house were those that I
grew up with. I kept wanting to tell them how to work them.

I've never seen the Canadian version. It would have had to be tough there,
wouldn't it, although my little great aunt, set down in Ottawa and put into
service at the age of 15 with no family around, only a few letters from her
grandmother and brother to keep her in touch with home, didn't have to tough
it out but wasn't very enthusiastic about her job, if the reports are to be
believed. It must have been just like London but without the family or
Barnardo's to support her, except on the odd occasion when their
representative turned up for an inspection. Not all the Canadians were
pioneers.

I agree about the photogenic qualities required. We were asking one another
how on earth did they choose the scullery maid for the Edwardian house? Were
they after reproducing the turn-around rate of servants?

Audrey

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stella Howlett" <>
To: "norman.lee1" <>; <>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: Edwardian House


> Audrey wrote:
>
> > Totally different, isn't it? If you have to grade them in terms of
> the
> > portrayed wealth of the occupants, I would put this one at the top,
> then the
> > 1900s House and finally the 1940s House.
>
> > Totally different, isn't it? If you have to grade them in terms of
> the
> > portrayed wealth of the occupants, I would put this one at the top,
> then the
> > 1900s House and finally the 1940s House.
>
> I've only seen the 1900s house series and thought it suffered from
> choice of family. I got rather tired of those complaining women--poor
> souls, having to live without deodorants, hair gel, shampoo and having
> to cope with that slow hot water heater. And to have to actually iron
> things in order to make them wearable! The only one who seemed to get
> into the spirit of the project was the young woman hired as their
> servant.
>
> I couldn't help but compare that project with one that was undertaken
> in Canada, called 'Pioneers West', in which two couples were dumped
> down in an uninhabited part of Manitoba and had to dig their well,
> clear enough forest in order to plant crops for food for themselves
> and their animals and provide the lumber for their primitive log
> cabins and some basic furniture--just as thousands of pioneer families
> did in many parts of North America. I don't think the Century House
> family would have fared very well in 1880s Manitoba!
>
> Is it possible that the people picked to participate in these ventures
> are chosen for photogenic reasons, and not for their ability to
> comprehend the specific historic periods. But, then, perhaps that's
> supposed to be the appeal of the programmes. Perhaps the producers
> feel that people who can cope well aren't as interesting as the wide
> eyed innocents who find out the hard way that life was actually quite
> different in those days.
>
> I seem to remember that the only take away food available around in
> 1940 was the fish and chips, jellied eels sort of fare.
>
> Stella
>
>
>
>



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