BBC Wartime Farm Christmas 2012 torrent

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pgr4b

Following the huge success of the Wartime Farm series - watched by over three
million viewers a week during its eight week run - historian Ruth Goodman and
archaeologist Peter Ginn are returning to Manor Farm in Hampshire to recreate
the conditions of Christmas 1944.

1944 saw the sixth Christmas at war, and shortages were biting deeper than
ever. Added to this, Britain's cities were in the grip of the worst German
attacks since the Blitz of 1940. Unmanned flying bombs - the dreaded V1
'Doodlebugs' and V2 rockets - rained down, stretching morale and services to
breaking point.

Having been set the target of doubling home-grown food production by the
government, Britain's farmers had already ploughed up six and a half million
additional acres in the drive for additional crops (an area equivalent in size
to the whole of Wales). Now, in addition to maintaining food production, it
fell to Britain's farmers to come to the aid of the nation's urban dispossessed
in their hour of need. Many rural women joined the one million-strong Women's
Voluntary Service to provide food, drink and gifts to lift the spirits -
especially at Christmas. Ruth finds out how the WVS operated the government's
National Pie Scheme.

Beer was seen as so essential to the nation's morale that it was never rationed
- but a vital ingredient, barley, was in short supply, so substitutes were
needed. Peter calls upon rural crafts expert, Colin Richards, to brew some
improvised potato beer for Christmas. Meanwhile, Ruth comes up with innovative
presents for children, and ingenious festive decorations made from scraps.

After enjoying a Christmas church service for the community at Manor Farm,
including German prisoners-of-war who, along with Italian POWs, accounted for
one in five of the farming labour force in Britain by Christmas 1944, and had
become surprisingly well-integrated into some rural communities. Following in
the footsteps of many wartime rural farmers, Peter and Ruth transport their
gifts, food and beer on a vintage wartime steam train to Chislehurst Caves - 10
miles outside London - where they discover what Christmas was like for some of
the 15,000 people who sheltered in the caves.

Following recipes and guidelines issued by the government and the WVS, Ruth
cooks an improvised Christmas meal, relying chiefly on rabbit and a glut of
carrots from the farm. And the Salvation Army bring musical cheer to the
occasion as the team reflect on the impact of what was to be the last Christmas
of the Second World War.

Wartime Farm was produced in partnership with The Open University.