February 27th 2012 Clacton & North East Essex Arts & Literary Society

“AN AUDIENCE WITH PRESENTERS FROM BBC TV’s EDWARDIAN FARM” features Ruth Goodman and Alex Langlands. Their illustrated talk recalls the making of this hugely successful series as well as the trials and tribulations of life working and filming on the farm.
Sponsored by GCS ALARMS LTD, Clacton-on-Sea.

Victorian Farm is a historical documentary TV series in six parts, first shown on BBC Two in January 2009. It was made for the BBC by independent production company Lion Television  and filmed on the Shropshire estate of Acton Scott. The farming team was historian Ruth Goodman and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn. The series was devised and produced by David Upshal and directed by Stuart Elliott.
 
The series was one of BBC Two's biggest hits of 2009, garnering audiences of up to 3.8 million per episode. It was also highly praised by reviewers.
 
The series recreated everyday life on a small farm in Shropshire in the mid-19th century, using authentic replica equipment and clothing, original recipes and reconstructed building techniques. Much use was made of period sources such as The Book of the Farm: Detailing the Labours of the Farmer, Farm-steward, Ploughman, Shepherd, Hedger, Cattle-man, Field-worker, and Dairy-maid by Henry Stephens, first published in London in 1844.
 
An associated book by Langlands, Ginn and Goodman - also titled Victorian Farm – was published in 2009. The book reached number one on the Sunday Times best seller list in February 2009.
 
Because of the success of the series, the BBC commissioned two follow-ups with the same production team and cast, Victorian Farm Christmas,[12] which aired in December 2009, and Edwardian Farm