How World War 2 Created The Black Market | Turn Back Time: The High Street | Absolute History
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.พ. 2021
- For the first time profit isn't everything, as the shopkeepers find themselves dealing with rationing, promoting make do and mend, and trying to persuade an entire town to pull together as it would have done sixty years ago.
The grocer family struggle with wartime rules and regulations, and customers have to decide whether to stick to rations or to buy from the black market. The bakers feed the town from their British restaurant, while the butcher promotes mutton to modern shoppers. The dressmaker and the blacksmith convince the town of the benefits of 1940s style recycling.
But shortages, an air raid and hungry customers all take their toll; will they keep the town onside in the run up to the VE day celebrations at the end of the week?
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The grocery lady crying over the bakers not providing rolls for her hamburgers because she says you can't use sliced bread for burgers obviously never grew up poor where you used what you had and made do.
Made lots of burgers and hot dogs with sliced bread. And I survived....
Pattie melt is just a overcooked cheeseburger on bread. and l love them. hahha
@@user-tm4my4jb6d I was just thinking of patty melts. The meat doesn't really even need to be overcooked. But isn't the bread usually lightly toasted? As for grocery lady, that whole family is dreadful.
@@jazzkatt1919 yes. Actually it is.
@@user-tm4my4jb6d That's what I thought, to keep it from getting all soggy. Soggy bread is worse than no bread at all. Soggy anything is pretty nasty, actually.
Lets see:
- Grocer lady's husband is STEALING from the communal garden to make extra profit for HIMSELF ONLY.
- It's war time and wasting food is as good a sinning. Everyone is going without.
- There is fresh bread from the day available and lots of it.
... and this karen Grocer lady treats the Breadmaker lady like trash because she didn't bend to her will and waste rationed food?
That Grocer Lady is a truly horrible woman in the episode. Just terrible, awful like the husband, who is literally taking food out of the mouths of his neighbors. I wanted to scream at them so badly watching this.
Them beeing set up to do the hole black-market thing, sure. Maybe even to take some stuff from the garden... yea, that is tv-magic.
But if they were just prompted, they would show a bit of concern for cheating the others. And they wouldn't have gone at the garden the way they did, laughing and chatting about all the profit they could make (their daughter shoked me!).
And their attitude towards the others showed, that they had no problem with the cheating and stealing they were prompted to do. So, I just can't give them a pass...
@@Gloriomono Thanks. being set up for the part they were supposed to play. tv changes perception so easily.
I have a hard time empathizing with the grocery lady over the dinner rolls when they stole all the produce from the garden to sell.
I agree.
+
I i'm disappointed that the show didn't bring that fact up.
They were also fined. So, any $$$ made from ill-gotten gains, disappeared. The grocery family reminds me of what we are currently seeing in the American Political Circus.
I also agree. I assumed this was recorded pre-pandemic. If these people are this shady in the show can you imagine in real life? They probably price gauged the hell out of everything in their actual shop. If any of the locals who shop at their actual store saw this show, they're probably having second thoughts about shopping there again. I know I would...
Again the grocers showing they're not very pleasant people. I'm proud of the bakers in this episode, and sad to see the blacksmith is leaving. I really liked him a lot.
The blacksmith could have ran a modern hardware store and still repaired stuff for people.
I think they were told to act certain ways according to the era
I agree with you Cake, through the ages we have seen the grocers become more and more annoying. And I don't think it was because they are told to behave a certain way.
I agree the grocer was greedy and unrepentant. He acted like he was remorseful and then turned around and kept his greedy position
Still people would of acted that way
The grocer's wife was out of touch with the era. Dinner rolls??? Food was scarce, you were thankful you had anything and you certainly wouldn't have wasted the leftover bread. The bakers were being sensible and practical.
Indeed! My grandma had two of her seven kids then while my grandpa served in the Pacific theater. So she definitely taught is to make do
I believe that during WWII, a number of people were also "out of touch", or completely outside the situation. Not everybody has the capacity to grasp the reality and fit into.
So true!! I saw the mentality of the war still in my grandparents as I was little.. They had everything, (rich people), but when they got a bag of "throw away" food from a delicatesse store for their chickens, my grandpa still took the good bits of the cheese and meat out of the bag and ate it himself while mumbling they throw too much away and cut too much of.
If I needed to do the edge of a slice of cheese, he would tell me to cut as much to the edge as possible, so only a little would be thrown away. And if you complaint his reply would be; young folks should go through a war, that way they'll respect what we have.. He then scraped the plastic of the cheese edge and ate the edge or gave it to the dog or the chickens..
I'm turning 30 this year, and I agree with him and thank him for the valuable lessons in life; like greatfulness for everything we have and respect in handling it.. They lived through the 2nd world war, their parents did in both wars, and their parents did in the 1st world war, and their mentality is not to throw things away.. You can see what the war did to them in terms of anxiety, which explains it, but it's better than throwing everything away like it's nothing.. They enjoy what they have, as todays world takes it for granted and gets nothing out of it..
Yep, and while burgers on bread instead of buns is kind of annoying, it's not _that_ bad. It's still quite edible and tastes just fine. It's only a bit awkward to hold compared to a bun.
@@Elketjeable Yes! And when I saw the bakery lady "peeling" the carrot, my first thought was "omg she's cutting off so much of the carrot!" When I was a child my grandma also taught me to scrape off the peel of the carrot, not to cut it. On the other hand, maybe these kind of "rich" peels could be used to feed chickens or pigs?
“During the war, this loaf was severely hated. In fact, they called it ‘Hitler’s secret weapon.’” Omg 😂😭
The problem with the level of sodium (aside from the very obvious cardiovascular problems, lol) is that after it cools, it doubles as bricking for an air raid shelter. That kind of salt simply sucks the moisture out of everything.
Can we get a high five for the "You have to give me the recipe!" kid with the national bread who also loved the toys from the previous era? That kid is a little legend.
Me toooooo
Glad someone noticed
It really made me angry when they were talking about selling the produce out of the communal Garden!
No lie... I would have dragged the grocers to the garden and thrashed them with a threshing cane for pulling that stunt.
That garden is meant for family meals.
Same lol
Omg. I love that now that they’re entering more “recent” eras, the townspeople are starting to experience some stuff they actually went through. Seeing the older folks reminiscing in the Devlin’s restaurant was so sweet, especially that old lady!
I loved that lady! That were all so sweet. I think this was my favourite episode yet.
My mother often told " the story" about my grandparents sending jars of homemade jam to England ( relatives) during ww2.
Oh she's so adorable!
Honestly for some reason seeing the lovely older group eating and being grateful for the food made me tear up for some reason. After seeing younger generations just getting sort of upset about the state of things, even though they knew why things were the way they were for a reason, it was a sort of reality check and brought things back into perspective. Not sure how else to put it. It was wonderful to see.
I love that old lady. I've been watching and seeing if she's in every episode and then I'm like, "oh hey! Its her!"
When the grocer tried to justify his black market and selling out of the communal Garden it gave me a headache that I don't think is going away. His family is no more important than anyone elses! He flat stole food from other families! The fine was not severe enough. During the war he would have lost his shop.
After some search, I found that black market vegetables were not fined so heavily or not at all, but animal products were a pitfall for a grocery, namely an immediate stop. Processed animal products like into a meat pie, could be cat, dog, wild goose....
Remember he was probably told to do it by the producers lol
I would also guarantee that the other family's who shared the garden would have shunned them for real..to make others in the community go hungry for your greed would not have been put up with they should have been run out of town...
I think getting the fine was letting him off easy. I also think in actual wartime, he would have been jailed or sent to the front lines, and the family would still have to pay the fine.
@@ella_cinder4361 Even if he wasn't, their business would have been finished because of people's sentiment toward what they did.
Carl is teaching his children that in order to get ahead all they need to do is cheat. And the fact that he isn’t apologetic about it really says something as to who he is as a person in real life. I understand looking out for your family, and making sure they are taken care of, but when Juliet came and gave him a 100 pound fine that was a chance fir him and Debbie to tech their children a good lesson in taking responsibility for your actions whether good or bad.
Agree. Too many people on this earth like him...just looking out for number one.
For all we know the show deliberately instructed them to do black market trading as it's accurate for the time.
I mean, he ain't wrong. Plus it's a tv show. They were given roles, and there's editinginvolved. Seriously people, stop calling the entire family horrible people for playing a part.
Exactly!
Seeing the older generation come alive was so heart warming!! The grocer his wife and the one daughter pissed me off this episode. Same with the butchers boy.
Same
I agree about everybody else you mentioned but why the daughter?
@@monkiram the grocer's daughter was whining just like her parents about them not being able to make money
@@jenncampbell8537Also about not having enough food but they all wanted more food
Honestly when the elders came to eat their childhood meals during that time it broke my heart they were so kind & ecstatic & just shows how fortunate they were to have anything at that time even sheep’s tongue
The grocers and their customers are the same type of people that hoarded toilet paper at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.
lol, still haven't got over that? Some people are smart. some not.
And before you get going: we didn't need to buy extra then, since we always have some extra. It's what governments even advice: to be able to provide for your family for a fortnight on what you have at home, in case of an emergency.
@@wynterwren1155 Yeah, that was bloody stupid of that soccer mom.
Yet, others cry like babies, because they didn't follow the normal rules.
At both ends there are selfish creeps.
So true lol
Totally agree. It's one thing to buy goods to support oneself for 2 weeks, but I've seen people buy toilet paper for at least a year....
Totally the grocer family are utterly disgusting and so selfish
'Have you tried to eat a burger in sliced bread?!' Yes, we call it a sandwich, I know it might be a bit before your time love...
I grew up eating burgers in sliced bread and I was a kid in 1995 when this show was made lol. Not everyone had money for buns or cared to spend it on buns when you had bread already.
we call them poor boy burgers when i was younger and they taste better if ya ask me
I ate them frequently compared to fancy buns as a kid.
@@amorky8391 This show is from 2010, not 1995.
@@amorky8391 This show is from 2010.
It’s been so interesting to see how the blacksmith’s shop literally changes each era. His practice has adapted, gone away from smithing, and come back a ton. Interested in seeing it as it keeps going forward.
Omg, wait, no! I got to the end and they said this is his last week because after this there’s so much mass production! Noooooooo! 😭😭
@@BlueGeen in a more rural setting, his skills are becoming more and more in demand
@@BlueGeen yes, true. but thn i remembered them saying he had become an ironmongerer, but cant really have, cos yes he finished
The small older lady is so endearing. It's amazing to think they lived through that era. I love that they brought them in to honor their history from this time period.
It’s funny they are making a 90s American Girl doll lol
I believe this experiment has really shown how human behavior rises and falls in different ways. The townsfolk's willingness to partake is a wonderfully generous gift to the study of human behavior and the realization of historical aspects that one may only read in books. Once you live history or experience it in a real way, it tends to impress upon one a sense of learned historical lesson. Thank you to all who participated and to those wonderful men and women who lived, fought, and died through all of these eras in real life that gave us the freedoms we sometimes take for granted. May this be a reminder of what we have and what we could lose if we lose sight of what is important.
Not only do we take the freedoms for granted, we're pissing them away to the government.
The Blacksmith is a sweetheart and he has my heart 🥺
He's so wholesome ❤
I want him and the dressmaker to get together in real life.
@@sarabrown2663 that's irl shipping homie- maybe don't say that-
The blacksmith is such a sweetheart...watching him interact with all the children he comes across is incredible.
25:10 claims to be nice all the time when they've literally just robbed the food intended for their kids from the communal garden
Or in the last episode when in exchange for advertising on the butchers store they'd put flyers up in the the grocers window. Instead they handed them out and told them they were coupons
The bakers did a good job this week they didn't just crumble under pressure like the previous weeks. And they impressed the people who lived through WWII. Every week it gets harder to like the grocers. Michael was disrespectful to the woman butcher. He reminded the viewers that despite his moments of being a good salesman he is still a 14 year old child.
An ill-brought up child on this aspect! "I don't like the Scots"??? Not being able to take kind orders from another grown-up? Coming to work way too late without a proper excuse? The parents have some work to do on him still.
that kid has gotten on my nerves since the Victorian era 😆
His father treats him like another adult and he’s not - he’s a child.
@@moiraatkinson He isn't a child, but he's not quite a man. That must be pretty tough.
@@gordontaylor5373 the law sees him as a child. For convenience I was using two categories - adult and child. I’m sure it’s tough, but so is life and countless 14 year olds manage to navigate through the age without becoming rude and surly.
I wager the other families weren't told about the grocers stealing all their vegetables to sell. There's no way the show could have continued as it had, with that much resentment. The grocers literally valued their profit over others lives.
They probably weren't, but surely they noticed the missing vegetables when they went to the garden.
I thought OMG, those grocers during the WW2 era epitomise the typical Tory greed & corruption that is so rife in the 21st century! The wonderful generosity and willingness of community togetherness during the VE day celebrations, to share and look after each other that created the NHS & welfare state brought tears to my eyes. Oh, how I wish that, that community spirit existed today. It's such a shame that the last 40 yrs of Tory values have destroyed it all.
@@May-zs7rf i hope so, otherwise they are teaching their kids to have no morals at all
@@May-zs7rf For me anyway, it's because of the example they gave of their real-life motivations. If I remember correctly (I saw it some time ago), the parent's (especially the father's) motivation for everything was money, and they were teaching their children to think that way as well.
@@jazmo6662it's like the idiots in the US Congress today
The frame the blacksmith made at the end... omg, watching Caroline start to cry! He did a great job, just beautiful- the detail on those flowers he made!
During WWII my dad (a Canadian) was stationed in England. The Canadians were paid a lot more than the Brits. He was on leave in London with my mom, who was in the Brit Army, and she saw peaches in a shop window. They were outrageously expensive, but he went in and bought her a couple (they are her favorite fruit. He also spent all his candy allowance on a box of Mars Bars for her and her sisters.
That is so cute!!! He sounds like a real peach himself, or rather a "peach" heheh.
@@samaraisnt He was a wonderful man...
I liked the butcher's boy until he started being absolutely disrespectful to this poor woman because he didn't want her to tell him what to do. So upsetting
Yes, he was disrespectful. As such, I lost all my affinity and respect for the darn kid.
I agree. Like, i get the feeling of someone who hasn't been there the whole time suddenly taking over is annoying but he is a teenager and not even a trained butcher so he should be grateful to have a trained butcher to keep the store running. (and i've worked at a butchers, i've seen 'new butchers' absolutely fuck up and cause customers to not come back)
I respectfully disagree. he already ran the shop for a week without his dad and he is the one that drives most of the business to the shop and makes most of the money come in his angels are relevant giving him an assistant yes giving him a new boss incorrect
But he can’t run a shop at 14, not in the war period. Also, even if he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t have to be so rude. I went right off him and he’s irritated me from the start. He’s got a very high opinion of himself and his father’s too weak to stand up to him. In the 30’s he couldn’t tell topside from silverside and gave completely the wrong instructions for cooking it.
@@moiraatkinson
He can actually, he did it 2 episodes ago.
Debbie losing it over burger buns after her family were selling on the black market and loading their carts with veg from the COMMUNITY garden speaks to the family’s character under the same pressures the other families had. The Bakers barely caught a break in the 30s and still tried to follow the rules.
Agreed! They were the shady family from the bunch.
I love the elderly lady, her positive attitude and enjoyment in meeting people living in and around her home town. Even though I'm 43 I can imagine really enjoying listening to her life stories. My second favourite person has got to be the blacksmith, he would make a loverly husband one day (he probably already is since this series is about 10 years old).
That women who says, "Oh the poor creatures" slays me. Not long after saying that, she was about drooling over big hunks of cow at the same butchers... Meat is meat!
haha, right! Either eat it or don't! When people can't face their meat but still eat it that has the air of hypocrisy to me...
My granny used to make much of the meals in this show even years after the war.
The salty bread she used to make a few loafs of because Grandad liked them heavily buttered with his tea.
The war was just 5 years but those 5 years became a lifetime for the ones that lived them.
The war was more than 5 years sept 39-45. UK age 81
yes, your last comment is quite true. plus.....i'd love salty bread with butter on it, choice!!!!!
Britain was still rationing at least five years AFTER the war ended
As a female Baker I sympathise with both Caroline and the new butcher because both trades are still very male dominated, especially in bread
"HAVE YOU EVER TRIED EATING A BURGER ON SLICE BREAD?!!!" ....yeah all the time? its called being poor, or you ran out of buns and youre not about to go to the store for some.....like get over it? And dont get me started on stealing from the communal garden to sell, sell your own shares but not anyone elses.
Yes, gardens don't magically sprout all fresh food every day. I mean yes, at the right times the plants may have some more veg just ripening, but that won't make up for what everyone else lost out on unless the grocers stop taking things from the garden for a while, but I don't see that happening. Eventually it'll all be harvested, and if you don't save the seeds what will you plant next spring? When they took all that food, they made sure that there was that much less anyone else could eat. It was a terrible thing.
@@amberkat8147 it would be great if gardens did magically sprout new food, then I wouldn't have to protect all of my veggies from these dang pilfering squirrels.
Or in my case I prefer burgers on toasted bread
It's called...that's all I've got so that's what I'm eating! 🙄
The first burgers sold in the U.S. were a thin beef patty in between two slices of white bread. Like, this isn't new. Buns came about later.
My grandmother always said "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." I think that's what they use to say during rationing.
That sounds like my grandma too.
Penalties were severe for those caught dealing on the Black Market, including a fine of up to £500 and a two-year prison term. On top of the fine, offenders also had to pay a penalty of three times the value of the goods they had sold. The government also appointed 900 inspectors to weed out black marketeers.
That would have been brilliant if they sent in spies to "ask" for special rations then hit him with a fine, sentence...or better a public shaming!!
37:23 I can’t explain how much I adore this sweet...adorable lady omg 🥺💗💗
The blacksmith/iron monger is just lovely, throughout each era, he is selfless and kind, and really enjoys his work.
I really hate the grocers. like black markets were a thing I get that and yeah I know they are encouraged. But the communal garden is a breaking point. And the attitude about the bread rolls! No one would have turned their nose up at bread at the time.
whole family are vile, even the kids
I really, really could do without them as a whole.
@@pansprayers I agree on that
The grocer's family is disgusting. They have no idea of the harm those practices and kind of attitude did to the war effort. Shame on them.
"I don't know how I can be nice all the time, when he's being an absolute toss pot". Except she's ok with robbing everyone blind by stealing all their food... Entitled prat. I really hope that was scripted, otherwise they should be shamed out of the village.
And he was actually being quite a gentleman and not letting the bread waste and making buns when he knew they would run out in the future
Things like this aren't scripted, it's not the way shows are generally done these type of British programmes. They just drop the participants into the situation, tell them generally what's expected, & let it run. They usually only intervene if the participants break the rules, for example with the grocers & the black market incident.
@@jenny2245 agreed but people/viewers are in total denial of this novel thing called "human nature."
You know what would be even more exciting to add to this episode? Somebody ratting on the grocer and him being escorted to jail by a few bobbies xD
Also, the baker's boy (22:48) is the most sensible person I've ever seen in my life. This boy is a treasure.
Yes! He's smart and mature.
I would have to agree. He's going to be an amazing Man when he's full grown.
Much more likeable than the butcher’s boy, what an arrogant little --
@@kaisanderson9616 He's a pretty typical 14 year old lol. Who is a grown man now, which is pretty weird.
He’s so realistic, I love it
burger in sliced bread is called a patty melt
Bread slice can become anything when you're poor.
@@melanieortiz712 Exactly. Burger bun, hot dog bun, garlic bread...
@@calebleland8390 omgoshhhh 100% I remember eating bread slices hotdogs 🌭 best ever !!!! Easy to put condiments on and just roll
With fried onions and Swiss cheese it's a great lunch.
I can’t say enough about how much I love this series
Same!
Me too!!!
Yes!!! 🙌🏼
Same...😭💖 bring it back
Agreed!
I feel sorry when the blacksmith left the high street. In other countries, blacksmiths are still in demand. The grocer and his wife are selfish. Maybe grocers at that time are like that but goodness the wife is so emotional and needs a reality check. Not because you're giving something you'll expect equal share. It's WW2 and you should understand everybody's frugal with food. Just make sandwiches instead of burgers 😂😂😂😂
Great episode! Still not loving the grocer and his family. The wife missed the whole premise of the era and selling the groups garden food is just not right.
His lack of remorse for the blackmarketeering was very disconcerting. Okay, you're looking after your family. Was your family lacking anything? Were you in danger of starving or losing everything? No. You just wanted to make money for money's sake. Gross.
I surprised that issue never was brought up.
Agree. The grocer is greedy as ever. What kind of values are they teaching to their kids.
Not my favourite family...
@@melanieortiz712 it was though? At 33:30
12:11 awww... the little interaction between Jill and the youngest daughter of bakers family is such a cutie!
I love this series. We still have one of my mom’s ration books from the war. Mom was a social studies teacher and used it when she taught WWII. This made me realize how difficult is must have been for my grandma with a family of 8.
How cool!
Especially when you think about how she must have had to work through all those pregnancies just the same as if she weren't pregnant. Imagine those grueling days 8 months in.
I have a ration book for my mother and her sister from the war. (We had rationing in the USA too) They were young girls.
I love the little granny. She is so sweet.
She is. She's adorable. What a little sweetheart!
Wow. I thought the grocers were jerks in the last era, but I can’t believe they cheated that badly. When all this was really happening, nobody knew in advance to stock up. They stole food that belonged to the community and planned on selling it in their store? Then they got mad because the bakers were being historically accurate? Absolutely Shameful.
Quite a few people historically knew to stock up
So sad to see that the grocers are getting more obnoxious and intolerable in every era, and sad to see the daughter is growing up the same way. Only seeing profit and money while stealing the food from all the other shopkeepers and their family. Me me me. No remorse what so ever. 😡their fine should've gone.to the others. And they are not even punished for stealing everything of the community patch.
Caroline and her family are coping better and better. Really proud of them! Simon really is in his element! I just love that guy. And Simon and Jill together on the cart getting recyclable stuff is fantastic!
Appreciating the bakers a lot this week!
I like the butcher's boy's enterprising spirit. If only he'd learn to work with people rather than trying to steal the show.
yes, he didnt do much to make his dad proud
I disagree my name happens to be Michael and I was a lot like him at his age I was motivated and people continue telling me I couldn't do anything cuz of my age it was the most irritating thing. when you're different than other kids in your head of them in terms of wanting to get out into the world it's very difficult when your age is a factor.
It’s not just about his age, he thinks he’s the bees knees and he can’t tell topside from silverside! He has a lot to learn if he’s going to get on in the real world. Perhaps he should have been given the discipline of the era ie a clout round the lugholes! He’s got me wanting to do it!@@WhatsCookingTime
Using Bread for burgers is just fine with me. I have been doing that since childhood. I especially like to lightly toast bread for a burger. That one lady was way out of line.
Even taking into account that editing will move the storyline in a specific direction, the underlying personality of these “characters” comes through. The Devlins are genuinely liked.
The grocer and his wife are concerning. Not only because they stole from the communal garden but their relationship in general. He seems very domineering and brushes off his wife's feelings (the banquet bit). Her opinions are not considered. I believe that's why she made that outburst with the dinner rolls. Since she can't stand up to her husband, she took it out on the poor baker and his wife.
I feel for their son. Poor kid just keeps to himself...
Quite tragic, really.
Totally
That poor Scottish butcher lady, toddles onto set, disrespected the whole time, then toddles back off set, an unfortunate story arc.
after carrying the shop while the boy had breakfast 😔😔
him saying "I wont take orders from a scot" sent me, how disrespectful
@@kleinnora I thought that was a horribly bigoted thing to say, completely unacceptable. I'm surprised by all the warm comments about him for each episode - I've not taken to him at all. Although making allowances for how young he is, so hopefully he grows up (or has grown up by now, as this series is quite a few years old), you can see a really arrogant and selfish personality in the making.
@@kleinnora Ya, that was definitely uncalled for. If I said anything like that to anyone my Da would have taken the switch to my arse double quick.
At the start, the butcher's boy said he wanted to become a lawyer. He definitely showed the arrogance for it here. I wonder what's become of him as an adult?
I adore the excitement in each in every era of the tiny older woman with the white hair! She is so understanding and you can tell she really enjoys learning about the eras through this experience.
she's not learning anything SHE LIVED THROUGH IT
@@madhatter909 Ivette said "the eras". The woman was learning about OTHER eras.
@@diesel_dawg as I said, the woman was old enough to have lived through these eras, she was enjoying RELIVING some of them
I really don't tolerate grocer's family awful behaviour and they teach their children to be cheap and sneaky.
I loved hearing the older people talking about their meal and what they had to eat through the war
This reminds me of my grandfather.
He was part of the Dutch resistance in the war. As a postman he had access to quite a few contacts and a bicycle. Bicycles were pretty rare back then, since the Germans confiscated most of them for use in the warmachine.
I have never met him since he died of cancer about 20 years before I was born and he never talked to anyone about the war, probably to look tough in the eyes of society and my grandmother.
What I do know is that his group planned a raid on a depot in Delft to steal food and equipment, someone ratted them out, they all got caught and placed in Oranjehotel (a really infamous prison, now a museum).
At the end of their sentence, all of them were put on a truck with the promise of freedom.
Grandpa didn't trust this and decided that if he was going to die it wasn't against a wall or in a camp, so he jumped out of the truck and ran as fast as his malnourished legs could. Luckily the guards had A-Team aim and no bullets hit their mark.
He hid in a ditch and made for a safe place a few towns over.
The only things he kept from that time were a set of gifted china and a (looted in 1943) wooden JU-88 propeller-blade that he turned into a clock in the 1950's. Only two cups of that set and the propeller-clock are left.
37:30 My favorite old lady in each episode
why am i so obsessed with this
Girl, me too!
Me too💜🥰
this is my life now :/
Me too! I eagerly await each upload
I keep going back to watch this full series over again.
That elderly lady had an absolute ball!😄
That British war bread looked awesome. Try German Ersatz-Brots. One recipe discovered in the Food Providing Ministry in Berlin, contained 50% bruised rye grain, 20% sliced sugar beets, 20% "tree flour" (sawdust), and 10% minced leaves and straw.
This is an absolute fascinating series that I find myself looking forward to each week! Once all 6 episodes are available, this is worthy of binge watching.
For this week’s episode, I delighted in seeing individuals who lived during WWII enjoy the recreation of the era.
This experiment is well done.
Also, just learned this morning that this BBC One series was made in 2010! I certainly didn't know about it then, but I'm glad I do now.
Me too! I get so excited when a new episode is posted.
The white haired, oldest lady is my favourite. Aww bless her. Her enthusiasm and joy and just getting into the spirit of things 😊. Hope the positivity continued after the programme. God bless our wonderful seniors 😍
"Have you ever tried eating a burger on sliced bread?" Welcome to the life of a poor American, lady.
Even the bakers daughter was rolling her eyes!
I heard that, and questioned how she'd survive on a wheat free diet. Any one wanna put them on an allergy diet for punishment?
I can't count the number of times I have eaten a hamburger on sliced bread. Needs must is the master of the day. The grocer's family is so out of touch with reality both in their own time and in this historical scenario.
Cut bread down and either have square burgers or cut bread into rounds and make a bread and milk pudding with what ever you could find to sweeten it. Was food was awful but the nation was healthier than ever
yeah it's called the patty melt or it's a club sandwich
42:05 She is soooo lovely, I smile everytime I see her. Wishing every happiness to her after living through all those tough times and still being so cool.
I love how Debbie complains about not having buns literally minutes after robbing the communal garden and guessing how much she could sell watermelon for that she never planted or tended.
I hope the butchers boy had a good sit down with dad after this episode about his attitude. It was totally uncalled for.
well during the 1st world war he was able to run the butchers shop so i guess he figured he'd get to again. but child labor laws i guess had already changed?
Yea, he needs to learn respect
Definitely
@@moiraatkinson He needs to be treated as not a child but not yet a man. 14's a tough age.
@@gordontaylor5373 he needs a kick up the backside.
I am amazed that black market started after one day....
It was probably a progression of things during this era. However, you'd be surprised how fast things get done if the need and want is strong enough, especially when money is involved.
When things are rationed, banned or limited there will always be a market for product.
Yeah, me too. What took it SO LONG? xD
Much like real life. Prohibition & Rationing brings out the shady nature in people.
The grocers stealing the vegetables to sell is awful. It's just an example of the worst of human nature. The point of rationing was shared sacrifice by everyone by taking more than you due to make money it's like saying your above others.
Well, you really are above others, to yourself.
That's exactly what he said. Fuck all the rest.
Imagine having a meltdown because you're too good to eat burgers with regular bread. XD
Imagine having a meltdown at Costco because you were asked to wear a mask.
@@littlemissblueyes100the worst agreed xD
@@littlemissblueyes100 imagine having a meltdown at Costco because they're out of TP again. But hey, since I'm Asian and proud of it, I gotta go buy one of em Water Dippers to wash my arse.
They didn't have any burgers or buns in the UK at the time so why ask for them? Silly.
Imagine having a meltdown and violently storming your nations capital because you can't except that your presidential candidate lost. Those are the same people who have meltdowns in costco Amanda... 🤣🤣
Don't forget that the 1 1/2 lbs of meat INCLUDED the bone. You might only get 1/2lb meat & 1lb bone! It pays to be nice to the butcher!!
Looks like the grocer's real life business went under within a couple of years after this aired. Can't imagine why.
I came looking for a comment about their business. So sad/s
The make do and mend movement needs to make a comeback. Fast fashion is such a huge co2 producer and polluter of waterways. If only people still knew basic things like how to repair a hole in clothes, fix a tear, hem pants etc.
Unfortunately they are skills that seem to have been lost by many and are no longer taught in schools. Neither is knitting or cooking taught in schools, even though both are useful skills to have and that can save money.
Michael is starting to get on my nerves. At first his ambition was admirable but he's just becoming a bit of a brat, a bit rude and disrespectful. Similar to the grocer as others have mentioned. The grocer was just despicable.
Agreed! He is a 14 year old boy who needs to remember that
Luckily he's still a child, the grocer has no excuse.
Age 14 is no excuse for his behavior. He's a teen not a toddler. His behavior speaks to potential future issues. His father should have a stern talk on how to treat others, especially his elders.
@@cassandraincognito6954 As I've said on two other episodes, Michael is not a child, but he's not quite a man - and needs to be treated as such. He's too old to play in the street, but too young to have a girlfriend. That must be pretty tough for anybody.
That one elderly lady who's been around since the start is my absolute favorite!
This is almost as much fun as the Historical Farm series, which is in fact a great compliment, as that series set a very high bar for historical programming. Wonderful stuff.
Also, the butcher's and baker's kids are marvelous. All of them pitching in so well for their families shows good character.
Except that the butcher's son is against people from Scotland, doesn't take orders from another grown-up and passively aggressively comes late to work without a proper excuse. He was disrespectful and unkind to the nice butcher lady. In the forties he'd get an ass whooping. Nowadays he might have to do without his cell phone for a day. Or a week, if his parents are smart. I'd be so ashamed, if that was my kid.
I feel so bad for that baker family, especially Caroline. So far they've had rotten luck every time.
That one older lady was so excited and happy about everything she was totally the star of this one loved it
Omg , the attitude when she said have you ate a burger in sliced bread !!! Well , yes ma'am I have. Haven't you ever seen tye Eddie Murphy skit. That was me growing up!!!
Ps I love spam and corned beef hash.
The grocer family nicking produce from the community garden, selling black market goods wouldn't have been well tolerated by my grandparents. Bloody spivs my grandad would've said.
I just cannot warm to the Sergisons. They are cunning, greedy, calculating and selfish to the core and it's being reinforced more and more with every episode I watch. The Communal garden looting was them all over.
"my family comes first"
Imagine if everyone in the world acted that way. This is what's wrong with the world. Take care of those around u.
The best thing about this series is the adorable white hair grandma, she is just so cheerful!
“Make do and mend”, and black market were an actual thing in the USSR during all its existence right until 1991, and the former extended well into the 1990s, even the early 2000s too (especially in Russia after the 1998 crisis). For some people it's still on, although I didn't mend my socks since, like, 1994. Did it before that though. Sometimes I still prefer to go to a seamstress and mend some or other clothing item rather than to toss it away and buy a new thing, but that's rather for sentimental reasons rather than lack of money or shortages. With winter ultra light down coats from Uniqlo or Decathlon, if I accidentally rip them, I just stick a piece of gaffer's tape if it isn't too obvious, and that's it. Right now I'm wearing such a coat with a rip on the right elbow covered by several centimetres of tape, but it's the last month of this coat's life, it served for three seasons, mending the rip and then dry-cleaning it to make it last for another winter costs about the same as buying a new one, or even more if I grab a new one on seasonal clearance sale.
As for rationing, last time that was a thing here in 1988-1991, and I rather vividly remember lines for sugar, meat, butter... just about anything. I spent many an hour as an elementary schoolkid in those lines, and that was in Moscow. Elsewhere, particularly in industrial areas, it was mostly worse than that... and I did my fair share of hilling up potatoes (not in the city, of course) in the age of 8...10... my hands still remember the drill after 30 years. Not that I wish to repeat such an experience, I'm not partial to gardening of any kind.
It’s too bad the little socialists/communists here in the great USA can’t get a taste of what you lived through!
@@elioraimmanuel maybe stop being so hostile to them, you know, to the point where they can't eat food without being threatened to be nuked. Usually makes life a bit easier.
"I'm not going to keep helping people if I don't get anything in return." Yeah, that's called altruism, which is clearly not a value in that family. "I have no conscience about it at all." More like no conscience, period. Horrible people!
You said it all.
The council should have had some police or MPs 'arrest' him for the rest of the week and explain that profiteering wasn't just a fine able offense but punishable by up to 2 years prison during WWII.
That older lady is the sweetest
My great grandmother was found in the ruins of her home after one particular bad night of bombings. She survived by absolute luck, hiding in her wardrobe. Her home was cut in two by a blast and her bedroom had only 2 walls left partially standing, no roof and the second floor was now much closer to ground level having dropped about 8 feet.
And my mums 5 brothers all went to fight. Only one made it home. 😢
🙂✌🏼💜
oh dear oh dear, what a shame, terrible.
😢
I adore this series and wish it could go on forever. Also let's bring blacksmithing back on trend!
As someone who has multiple friends who are blacksmiths, and who has spent some time swinging a hammer at a forge, I heartily agree.
My son in law is a blacksmith! I wholeheartedly agree with you!
I agree! Old skills are cool, we need to bring them back.
The grocers stole from the community for their own profit. Clearly the fine was too lenient of a punishment to discourage this behavior.
So I'm only 57, but my grandparents owned a grocery store in Glenwood, Minnesota during the war. My grandparents talked quite a bit about rationing. They were accused of hoarding which was illegal and had to prove they weren't. What they were doing was only putting out a minimal amount every day in order to make sure the poorer people were getting they're share. Wealthy people thought they could bribe my grandparents for "extra" stuff and were pissed they wouldn't. Especially wealthy women who wanted to buy up the whole supply of nylons/stockings. Stockings were hard to find because the silk was used to make parachutes. My grandfather got so ticked off at the way the women treated my grandmother that right after VE Day he sold the store and bought a hardware store in Montana.
The little boy asking the baker for the bread recipe made me laugh out loud. It was so cute and the towns people are really being good sports in only buying from the high street each week. I think it’s a great way to learn the past by living it and trying to bring life back to an important place.
Omg that little boy made me tear up almost every time he spoke! He was sooo sweet and adorable 😭❤🤗
Hard times bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Like money, and alcohol, it only amplifies who we already are.
Poor girl he parents brainwashed her into thinking money money & then they say it’s not all bout making money , she’s then argued yes it is , poor thing
That one dear, little old lady is just so wonderful. I absolutely adore her!
Imagine having to go through ww2 time, not knowing if you'll be on the winning side or not. Hard times.
This series has had me looking up ways to cook different types of meat the butchers are doing a great job 👏
I think I'm more shocked about the modern sexism towards the female butcher than the shop keepers. This episode and the Wartime Farm do a pretty decent job at illustrating the issues with rationing and how that fuelled the black market. This does put currently living, even as a low income person, into perspective
Yeah, "not that I'm a sexist or anything"... Well, sounds like you are, actually, questioning her if she's even trained. Very sexist, self-hating woman there.
what time farm was an excellent series and yeah they really didn't went into the hole Black market straining the fuel through bread so you can sell it