Episode 5 Snowdonia 1890

In spring 2010, two families volunteered to go back in time.

The Joneses from Denbigh, North Wales,

and the Braddocks from Abergavenny, South Wales.

Their destination, 19th century Snowdonia,

and a unique way of life.

Get them all together!

It's getting a bit stressful now.

If they come round asking for rent, we're finished.

How do you move a cow?

For one month they would face a battle for survival that combined both farm and quarry.

I told you yesterday and you've done exactly the same! That's a penny now I've fined you.

A Welsh way of life long since abandoned.

You will learn the ways of temperance!

I'm frightened to eat. In case we haven't got anything left.

You give me respect, you get it back.

It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

Coming up...

It's payday at the quarry.

Here's another one. It's basically useless, really.

-We hid a few at the back.

-I think he's going to clock them.

-They'll come out of their wages.

The landlord demands his rent.

He's going to use his bully-boy tactics to fine us.

-Muddy boots on the floor there, and on the bed.

-There is going to be hell to pay.

And reality bites as the families say goodbye to 1890.

-The best thing we've done.

-Yeah, apart from getting married and having kids.

Your heart is so full here.

There's nowhere like this on Earth.

COCK CROWS

Dawn in Snowdonia.

The Jones and Braddock families are in their final days of smallholding life.

Alisa has persuaded a reluctant Leah to use the family's tin bath.

What do they always say? "Clean behind your ears."

SHE CHUCKLES

Like talons, aren't they?

Long toenails.

Nice having a bath after so long.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Here's some more.

-Do you feel like a princess?

-No.

I feel like a little girl with water in a tin.

ALISA CHUCKLES

Tomorrow is payday in the quarry.

Over at the Jones's David is determined to secure the best

wage deal - know as "The Bargain" - for the men.

Cake for the steward in the quarry.

Cos he asked us to make some bara brith

but we couldn't afford the ingredients for bara brith.

So I've made him a Snowdonia steamed pudding

but he's only having one of these in place of two bara brith.

I hope this will swing the bargain for us. I think

when he tastes this, it will definitely swing it.

-Oh.

-Oh, wow, a letter.

Erm, I think we should give it to Mummy.

Catrin's sister has sent her a letter together with

a photograph of her niece.

HE SPEAKS IN WELSH

SHE SPEAKS IN WELSH

HE SPEAKS WELSH

The isolation of smallholding life is taking its toll.

THEY SPEAK IN WELSH

Being in here has made me realise...

..how important my family... and I'm missing them.

Yeah...

Oh, thank you, Jacs, thank you.

Oh, dear me.

My wife has been the most unbelievable, fantastic,

brilliant person while we've been here.

I know this all sounds a bit gushing and glowing but she has been.

She's had her downs

and she'll admit she struggled in the first three or four days.

But, since then... God, she's been a revelation, you know.

She's been getting up in the morning milking the cow,

cooking, cleaning, and she's...

really thought about the money stuff and making money,

she's given it her all. I'm immensely proud of her

cos I brought her here, it was my idea.

Let's go round and count them.

I could only count seven this morning. I thought one was hiding.

Some of the family's lambs are just days old

and haven't yet been marked with tar to deter foxes.

There's four in this field. There's none behind the reeds is there?

Catrin's concerned that one appears to be missing.

Five, six, seven... Where's the eighth one?

-One, two, three, four.

-Oh, there...

Six, seven, eight, that's fine.

SHEEP BLEAT

It's a funny old life up here, it's from one extreme to the other.

You know, there's different crises from one minute to the next.

But finally we've... I'm glad now.

I could only count seven lambs this morning

but there definitely is eight here now.

So there's more baking to be done.

Neighbouring farmer Gareth Wyn Jones makes a timely visit to

check on the families' livestock.

-How are things?

-Yeah, not too bad.

-How many sheep left to lamb?

Eh...how many sheep? There were five to go...

-Are you sure it's five?

-Four! Ha!

Are you sure it's four?

-Yeah, six.

-Oh, wait, seven is lambing.

-Seven?

We've got four, five... six...seven...

No, we've got six, Gareth, definitely six.

-Now, that sounds more like it.

-Yeah.

-That's definite.

You have to remember how many... it's very important.

-I know, exactly.

-You know the reason why.

When it's the day of selling you'll have to know whose

sheep are whose and whose lambs are whose.

Isn't this your sheep? The one with a back strip on it?

-Yeah...

-So you've got a set of twins.

-No, they're not twins.

-So, you're saying they're not twins now?

-No, they're not.

I'd say they're twins. She'd never let two suckle.

So, you've got four now.

-So you've got more lambs now...

-More, yeah.

-..than when you came into the field.

-Yeah, sorry, we got it wrong.

Catrin and Alisa are no expert shepherds.

-OK.

-We got it totally wrong...

-Happy, ladies?

-Yes.

-Know what you've got now?

-Have we four each, is it?

-Eh?

-No, you've got five, I've got four.

-No!

-We've just worked it out!

Confused again.

-You've got a set each, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-And you've got one single.

-Uh-huh.

-And you've got two singles. OK.

-We happy?

-Yeah.

-Mm-hm.

-Will I help you out again?

-Yes.

Gosh, you're going to owe me a fortune.

In the close-knit smallholding community a family's survival

was often dependent on the kindness of neighbours.

Billy! Oh, let me have a look at Billy!

But they, in return, expected payment in kind.

Gareth's got hold of my cockerel and I don't trust him.

Hope he doesn't pull its neck.

See all the meat there?

That's gorgeous, the breast's tender.

I can't give Billy away.

Erm, it will break Leah's heart.

That'd feed the whole family, that would.

Especially a hungry family.

CHICKENS CROW

To save Leah's tears, David Jones selects an alternative candidate.

-That's not bad at all.

-No, it's a fairly decent breast.

-Yeah.

And Billy lives to see another day.

# Rockabye chicken on a tree top

# When the wind blows the cradle will drop. #

It's the men's last working day at the quarry.

Tomorrow, their slates will be counted and their pay calculated.

Rather than lose out completely they've decided to

put yesterday's confrontation with the steward behind them.

So, I want these men working.

Flat out now, you know...

it's the last day, we want to see some quality slate

and some work being done here today, OK?

So, come on, then.

David produces his cake to sweeten Mr Humphreys' mood.

-Snowdon pudding.

-Snowdon pudding.

-I haven't heard of that before.

-Wife made it.

-Nice, is it?

-Yes.

What's the ingredients in this, then?

-Caster sugar, treacle, raisins... very nice.

-Very nice.

-So I thought...

-I'll take that later.

-OK.

The men know they won't meet their production target of 3,000 slates.

But have decided to make a concerted effort to produce

as many as possible in the time remaining.

It's Alisa and Catrin's last trip to the shop

and there's no holding back.

-Right, we've got mints.

-Uh-huh.

And we've got liquorice and barley sugar here.

-Can I have a quarter of the liquorice, please?

-Yes, you can.

I'm just going to go really crazy today.

Can I try the bara brith cos I've never tried it?

-Could I have ten of the eating apples?

-Ten?

-That'll be five shillings and fourpence ha'penny.

-Lovely.

-Coffee, please, Mr Evans? That's the first thing on my list today.

-Yes.

They're quite expensive... one and six a pound.

-Just push the boat out.

-Yes.

-I'll have those.

-Treat yourself.

-SHE CHUCKLES

-Thank you.

-Do you want some cakes?

-Yes, five of those, please.

-Do you want some bread?

-Yes, I do need quite a bit.

I'll have the lot, please, Mr Evans, yes.

-Up to 11 shillings, fourpence ha'penny.

-OK

Right...

-Your bill comes to £1 tenpence ha'penny, Mrs Braddock.

-That's lovely.

-Lovely, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I'm going to need a wagon to get all this back.

Just give me a grand total please, Mr Evans.

-13 shillings and a ha'penny.

-12.

-13.

-13...

-And the ha'penny.

-I've got...

-You've got a penny there. OK.

-Lovely.

-Yes.

-Nice to see you again.

-And you, Mrs Braddock.

-Yes, thank you.

Good to see you, as well, next week.

THEY SPEAK WELSH

-We went wild...

-Very extravagant.

-..in the aisles today.

And I've got my coffee so I'm happy.

That's all I really wanted but I've got a lot more than that

and I'm just wondering where I'm going to hide it all

now before the kids see it and eat it all.

You may sit down.

The results of the school inspector's examination have

been returned.

Each and every one of us...

has his role to play in this school.

And I'm able to say that we've all been successful.

However, there are some matters that need to be addressed.

Pupil teacher Tommy is in trouble. He scored the lowest mark.

But you know what's let you down, don't you, Tommy?

Yes, Sir... The dictation.

Yes, Sir. Yes, will you come here, please?

-Yes, Sir.

-If you are taking your role seriously

as a pupil teacher that is not the way to go ahead, is it, Tommy?

No, Sir. No, it is not.

As it would have been in 1890, Tommy's weekly pay

is docked to reflect his poor performance.

There is one shilling and elevenpence.

Go and sit down.

At the quarry, the men's last working day is drawing to a close.

After a month's hard labour, they're glad to be leaving.

To be honest, I'm really... I'm over the moon that it's coming to an end

because it's definitely not the job for me.

Quarry work is all repetitive, you're splitting, you're

dressing, you're shovelling, you're splitting, you're dressing...

I think that's what I found difficult,

just getting to grips with the repetitiveness.

It's quite a miserable place, really,

cos you're working up here quite hard, the slate is wet and cold

to do this every day, day in, day out, rain, shine, snow -

they was hard, hard people.

We're doing it for just under a month, they would have 25/30 years of this.

And they must have been racked with rheumatism, arthritis...

all kinds of diseases but still they had to get up in the morning

and do the walk and they still would have had a laugh

and a joke at lunchtime because that's what kept them going.

Tomorrow is payday and they're keen to get an idea of how much

they can expect to earn.

-Which one today...?

-16...

This one, yeah?

-Right, total is 2,524.

-Oh, that's good.

-Brilliant.

-Well done, boys.

-Superb.

They are some 500 slates short of their target of 3,000.

So they won't earn their hard-negotiated full pay

of 34 shillings each.

But they're not far off.

-Well done, boys, good effort.

-Yeah.

-Pleased with that.

Spirits boosted, the Jones and Braddock families decide

to escape the confines of the smallholding

and set off for the coast -

just four miles away.

A local poacher is taking them foraging for winkles.

If you just come round I'll show you the difference

between a periwinkle and the closest relative which you can't eat.

The periwinkle is darker.

You turn them over... It's more white on the one we can't eat.

And if you look inside, the colour of the rainbow.

On the winkle it's still black, with just a little bit of white

so that's the one you're supposed to collect.

In 1890, harvesting shellfish and seaweed was a common practice

amongst the working-class community living close to the sea.

-Mind the crabs.

-Ow!

There's a lot of winkles here

but they seem to be the ones you can't eat.

That's quite a big winkle, isn't it?

LAUGHTER

Winkles would have been a welcome addition to the smallholders'

limited diet.

Bit of fun. It's not too cold.

Don't think I'll get a full... er...tin, though.

-How many have you got, Mamma?

-One.

-We could have a winkle and ham buffet.

-Do winkles go with ham?

They'd better had do, cos that's all we got.

There's no way I'm going to be eating any of these. I do like...

mussels and things like that.

No, I don't like the look of them.

A lot of people eat them with a glass of beer and they're very nice.

Bit chewy, some people find them a bit chewy.

But if you've got a good strong set of teeth they're fine.

This low tide has brought slim pickings for the families

so it's back to the smallholding for a winkle-free supper.

Three weeks of restricted diet and a physically-demanding lifestyle

has had a marked effect on David Jones.

-You've got a six-pack now.

-I've just seen my son's stomach now

and I don't know where it's gone but it's certainly gone somewhere.

-Trousers are falling down.

-I don't want to see any more...

Look! LAUGHTER

There you go, like that!

This is how Ben has his tea.

There we go, Ben, do you think he looks as good as you?

My arms are still skinny but that was out here, wasn't it?

There's an advert - "Don't go to Weightwatchers...

"Come here for three weeks and you too could lose..."

Dad, you've lost your moobs as well.

LAUGHTER

Thank you(!)

-All the kids are so complimentary, aren't they?

-They're honest.

With their lives as smallholders rapidly

drawing to a close, the Braddocks and the Joneses, including Grandma Heulwen,

set aside their cares and step out for an evening's entertainment.

Tonight, you are going to see, for your delectation and delight

Professor Hertz' Travelling Pictoriam of Visual Delights.

Right up here on the screen.

A forerunner of moving pictures,

magic lantern shows were all the rage in the early 1890s.

You won't believe what you're going to see up on the screen.

This is a French slide, this next one. I'll do this

in French for you. Here we are - ha-ha-ha - it's called The Dentist,

by the way.

HE IMITATES A FRENCH LAUGH

I bet that went down well during the French Revolution.

Crossing the Crumlin Viaduct.

HE IMITATES A STEAM ENGINE

That goes backwards as well.

So, keep your eye there on that screen.

This little swan you see at the bottom - do you see that?

Foraging for food. Look how slippery it is on the ice. Look at that.

LAUGHTER

Shows were aimed at the whole family

and covered a huge range of topics - from temperance to travel,

moral warnings and mechanical moving images.

HE SNORES

Ahhh!

LAUGHTER

The wonderful wrestling lion, he goes like this...

Ahh...

After the constant toil and isolation of smallholding life

the evening is a welcome relief for the families.

That's enough of that.

LAUGHTER

It was just really amusing. I can't believe that they had...

you know, pictures like that and colourful pictures

so I just thought it was really clever.

I think it was actually better than...

..going to the cinema.

Yeah, it was very interesting, having not had any real entertainment for...

three weeks, something like that was quite nice.

Could you blow the candle out for me, please? One, two, three...

ALL BLOW

Thank you and good night!

It's the families' last full day of life in 1890.

And they're off to a slow start.

At the Braddocks', Alisa is struggling with the fire.

It's hard this morning. It's like the range is reluctant to let us light it.

A field away, their neighbours, the Joneses, are also finding it difficult to get going.

Wouldn't get going this morning. Typical!

But I'll miss starting the fire. Just turn the radiator on at home.

Peace is soon disturbed.

The families' sheep have escaped and are roaming the smallholding.

All the sheep are out.

So I don't know how that's happened.

The Joneses take on the task of rounding them up.

Just standing here to block them off,

and hopefully we'll get them to go around the side of the house.

We could do without this, really,

chasing sheep at this time of the morning.

We've got so many jobs to get on with.

LAUGHTER Get off!

The Braddocks are busy tidying their cottage,

ready for the final inspection later that afternoon...

..leaving the Joneses to tend to both families' animals.

David's going to try a plan to get them out of this field.

Rather than trying to herd them back in,

where they'll just go all over the place,

they'll roam where they want to.

You just put a bit of feed in the bucket and shake it, you've got them.

Got them in the palm of your hand, then.

Whilst the Joneses have embraced their role as smallholders,

the Braddocks aren't natural farmers.

I don't mind doing it. I've been doing it every single day,

so I'd rather be doing this than out in the cold, chasing the sheep.

That's the third time I've had to do that this morning.

Hi, everyone. THEY GREET HIM

It's 7:30, and the men are walking to the quarry for last time.

Today is payday.

What do you reckon we're going to get, today, boys?

As many as seven pounds would be... Minus fines.

Minus fines.

After four weeks and a steep learning curve,

the novice quarrymen are about to find out

if all their hard labour has been worth it.

THEY GREET HIM

Mr Humphreys the steward will count

how many good-quality slates the men have produced,

and calculate their pay.

-I don't want any arguments about the breakages, OK?

-No.

If I find them, they're coming out of this count, OK?

I'll be back in about 10, 15 minutes. OK?

It's a nerve-racking time for the men.

Already 500 slates short of their production target of 3,000,

any slates found to be damaged will be discarded

and further reduce their pay.

Just checking these now.

There is one there, look.

The corner's gone, so, you know,

they've basically just turned it upside down,

trying to conceal the damaged slate.

He's pulling a couple out. He's got a couple pulled to the one side.

-We hid a few at the back.

-I think he's going to clock them.

Here's another one here. You see, the top's gone off here,

so, you know, it's basically useless, really,

so they'll come out of their wages.

The steward's word is the final say,

no matter what you say or how many you say you got.

It's what he says, and if you've got a corrupt steward

or one that can't count, you've got a problem.

At the smallholding, the women are cleaning the cottages

in preparation for a final inspection by the landlord's agent.

If he judges that the homes aren't in good order,

in addition to demanding payment of the rent, he will then fine them.

They've got about 600 blankets now.

OK.

Because I'm the lady, I have to tidy up all upstairs,

and I have to take all the clothes out of the chest,

fold them up and then put them all back in.

It's a bit harder to clean than my floor at home.

I definitely will be glad to get my own bed back.

Duvets are so much easier!

At the quarry, the steward has finished his count.

There's breakages here.

There's 200 breakages there, lads, OK? Your count comes to 2,320.

OK? There's a lot of breakages,

there's a lot of damaged slates in there,

-so I'm afraid I've had to take them out, OK?

-Yeah.

So, that gives you a grand total of 5 pounds and 15 shillings.

So, I'm coming now to the bad bits here, OK?

Which is all the fines you've incurred, OK, over the month.

Which are horrendous, really, OK?

I have warned you about this, haven't I?

So I'm going to break these down for you, OK?

First day you were late, tuppence each.

Third day...

Halfpenny, Jamie.

Late. Fourth day...

Just as in 1890, an ongoing battle of wills has been raging

between the men and their steward.

Sixth day, Jamie and Ben.

Penny each, leaving the quarry without my permission.

Victorian quarrymen were headstrong and independent.

They liked to manage themselves and set their own rules.

Then Ben, again, lying down, tuppence.

The modern-day men's refusal to comply has cost them dear.

So that will give you a grand total of £5,

15 shillings and 7½ pence.

Very disappointed, lads, with all the fines you've had.

You've really got to buck up your ideas, lads, OK?

Here's all the money.

-There you are, you can share that out between you, lads.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, sir.

-OK?

The men have earned 16 shillings and sixpence each,

for nearly a month's work.

In 1890, a good slate splitter could produce

over 1,000 slates per day,

and even the most run-of-the-mill quarryman earned on average,

five pounds and eight shillings a month.

Comparing it, what they would have made in 1890,

it's not very good at all,

because to live off that for a month would have been hard work.

I think I do feel guilty about all the fines,

because, you know, at the time, it was quite funny,

but now it's been docked off our wages now, I think

I don't see it as a funny thing.

In total, the Braddocks will take home two pounds,

nine shillings and sixpence.

It's barely enough to cover their rent.

The Joneses have even less.

With money tight,

neither family can afford to be fined by the landlord's agent.

Everyone joins in with the cleaning.

Just trying to show a bit of a united front today, now,

all get stuck in, get it all done,

so it is nice and presentable for when the landlord's agent comes.

At the Joneses', Catrin consults her household manual for cleaning tips.

Go on, then. Give me the instructions.

"The kitchen should be scrubbed daily

"with a damp cloth or dry brush.

"Begin at the left-hand side of the door.

"Go quickly but methodically around the room."

Hang on. So you start from the left of the door

when you're standing this way,

or do you start from the left of the door

-when you're standing that way?

-It's the left-hand side.

It's your left, it's my right.

We'll just start. Does it really matter which way?

He might come in and say,

"You haven't started the left-hand side of the door."

"Do everything in its proper time."

I do a lot of cleaning at home. I have to. I'm forced into it.

It's a hard life.

"It is generally quite sufficient to scrub floors once a week."

It wouldn't have been a good thing for a man to be seen

to be cleaning up in 1890.

You can imagine the stick you'd get for brushing up.

You'd have been called all sorts.

-Where's your Dyson when you need one?

-I know.

Alisa's expecting the worst.

Even though we've tidied loads today,

we don't think it's going to make any difference to the landlord.

So I'll probably get upset and cry if he's not happy with my work.

Who knows? Who knows?

In 1890, a fine or the threat of eviction

was a very real possibility

if a tenant failed to maintain his smallholding.

If you don't keep the walls up to scratch,

they're going to have livestock all over the place,

they're going to have sheep halfway up the mountain,

they'll be chasing them round,

so they're going to have all kinds of problems.

Jamie Braddock is cynical.

Do you think he's going to fine us anyway, even if we're doing all this hard work?

Yeah, that's his job, isn't it?

-He's here to save the landowner money.

-Yeah.

-He's not here to do us any favours.

-He's just going to come along and say,

"Oh, there's a hole there, there's a gap there, that needs to be sorted."

He's just going to fine us, isn't he?

Outside in the fields, Tommy is making his own unique contribution.

900...

10,000.

I told him to go outside and count every single stone out there

to make sure, cos the landlord said there was 6,000 stones out there.

800... 900... 12,000.

We're just keeping him out the way for a few hours while we all clean.

My brother said there should be 6,000 in the walls,

but I've doubled that, so I don't know whether he meant our walls,

or their walls, or both together.

-Tom.

-Yeah?

-How many you on now?

-16,000.

-You've got it to 16,000 already? How did you do that?

I counted 100, and then I measured it, and then I'm going along.

All right, but what if...the stones are different sizes?

Good...thinking.

Right, hold on, I'll start again.

HE LAUGHS

It's actually one o'clock. Right, we've got an hour.

One last push now.

Catrin is determined that, when the landlord's agent comes to

inspect their house, the Joneses are going to pass muster.

Oh, do you know what?

Just looking here at our door -

that could do with a wipe down, couldn't it?

I think we deserve the recognition,

and if he's going to use his bully-boy tactics to fine us

when we've worked this hard, there's going to be hell to pay.

Catrin is one that, when somebody does her wrong,

you know about it, if you know what I mean.

Bring it on.

To keep him out from underfoot,

the Braddock boys have set Tommy another impossible task.

Jamie asked if you have a sky hook - I don't know what that is -

and a long weight.

Come in. Come in here.

-Right, Tommy, I think your brother's taking the mick out of you.

-Me?

-Yeah.

-Is he?

-Yes.

-Oh.

-There's no such thing as a sky hook or a long weight.

It's a type of thing that people, when they start new jobs

and they make fun of them,

they go and tell them to go and get something that's completely useless.

-I think they're winding you up.

-Who asked you to get that?

-Jamie.

There's a surprise. Jamie. I need you yo go back

because I think your brother needs teaching a lesson.

We'll put a bit of lard in here.

They didn't have any sky hooks or long weights,

but because we haven't seen him use any for three weeks,

we'll borrow Jamie a bit of elbow grease.

So, here's some for him. OK?

-Thank you.

-Bye, Tommy.

-Aw, bless him.

Mr Hardy, the landlord's agent, finally arrives.

The families are waiting.

-KNOCKS ON DOOR LEAH:

-Come in!

Hold on, Leah, I'll get it.

-Good afternoon. Come in.

-It's a rough day out there.

-It's not very good.

-Rough day. Sorry, it's not quite the red carpet.

-How are you?

Fine, thank you.

I've just come to get the rent

and to make an inspection of the property.

So... If we could do that first. Hello.

These need cleaning here, don't they?

We've just been baking toffee for the charity concert tonight.

-OK.

-We've only just finished.

I'll look at the bedrooms here.

-Jim, get up.

-Boots on the floor there.

On the bed. Don't think they should be on the bed.

I'm not happy with the boots on the bed and that, and the floor,

so there will be a fine for that of two shillings,

which will be added to the rent,

which is two pounds, two shillings, and a penny.

Two pounds, two shillings and one pence.

And here's the extra two shillings for the fine.

-OK, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Goodbye, thank you.

-I say we kill him.

-Two shillings might go in his pocket.

-I failed.

-How did you fail?

-Cos you didn't wash the toffee bowl that you just made for charity?

-Failed to clean thoroughly.

-Yeah, they're just greedy.

-Landlords. Greedy landlords.

Greedy landlords.

Oh, Leah, how did it go in your house? The inspection?

-Um, we got fined.

-What?!

Uh, for Jamie having muddy boots in his bedroom

and for having a dirty dish.

One dirty dish and Jamie let you down again? Oh!

-Two shillings? Do they get evicted?

-No, no.

Oh, somebody's outside.

-Hello. I've come to get the quarterly rent.

-Oh, hello. Yes.

-And to make an inspection.

-Yes, certainly.

Come in.

-No cure for the damp?

-No, it's not got any better.

So, it's the matter of the rent,

which is two pounds, two shillings and a penny.

Two pound...

two shillings...

-..and a penny.

-Thank you. That's very good.

-Thank you very much. OK?

-Yes, thank you very much.

-Thank you. Bye.

-Good day to you.

-Bye.

Bye now. Thank you very much.

Oh, thank God for that.

That went very smoothly

and it was a very short and sweet visit after all that build up.

He even had a look at... Do you know what he did?

He lifted the mat up and had a look under the mat

in case we'd brushed anything under the mat.

BELL RINGS

Today is prize-giving day at the school.

After a month of Victorian teaching, the children are about to discover

if they'd have made the grade in 1890.

You may sit down.

And may I welcome you all to the school on this,

what is our special day, our prize-giving day.

I shall begin with Ela.

Now, Ela, I'm glad to be giving you the certificate

for the best examination results.

-Thank you.

-Congratulations.

Jac, will you come forward, please?

It gives me great pleasure to give you this certificate

and this slate so that you can practise your penmanship, Jac.

But I am giving you the certificate for the most improved student.

Congratulations.

And so, you will agree, Jac, that if you put your mind to it,

you can achieve great things.

Now then, I move on to Tommy. Will you come forward, please?

It gives me great pleasure to give you this award

for the most well-mannered and best-behaved pupil in the class.

Thank you, Sir.

And can I thank you for your assistance as a pupil teacher

and hope you will do well in the future.

Thank you, Sir.

And finally, Leah, will you come forward, please?

I'm sure you are aware of the prize that you are receiving.

It is of course for the best penmanship.

Your handwriting is a beauty to behold

and I congratulate you on your work.

Thank you, Sir.

Class dismissed.

Well done, you.

I'm really proud of them both.

I think this one's going to be a little artist, aren't you?

-What was your exam results again?

-79.

-79. And what was yours, Jac?

-74.

74? That's good for you, Jac.

This is Jac turning over a new leaf, we hope, now,

and this will be a new start for him when he goes back to school.

Back at the smallholding, the families' thoughts turn to leaving.

The first week in here, I hated it.

Strangely enough now, as it's coming towards the end,

I'm beginning to enjoy it. It's been good. It's been...

There's been minor problems, minor fallouts, nothing major or great.

But another factor about being here

is that if you do have a small argument or disagreement,

you can't run away here.

It's so easy at home, where you've got big houses

and lots of rooms to sit.

Go and sit in the living room, stare at the TV,

not discuss anything, you don't discuss.

Here, you've got no TV, no outside influences, and you sit and you talk.

We've ironed out issues that have gone back years.

-We're going to go from here now completely sort of...

-Clean slate.

Clear slate, really. We go back now as a strong family.

Nobody's holding any grudges, any issues,

cos they've been ironed out here

because you're in such a close environment

that you've got to do it.

It's been a really incredible journey for me.

I've really enjoyed it and learnt a huge amount of new things.

Baking, cleaning, being a mum, being a proper mum.

Before we came here, Alisa didn't cook,

thought the kitchen was just somewhere

where you chilled your wine... She's really amazed me.

-I'm really proud of her.

-Me?

-Yeah, you have.

Everybody's had their ups and downs.

Alisa's just been like a rock to everybody.

-All the way through, she's been amazing.

-Aww!

-Thank you, babe.

-That's all right.

It's quite sad that we now have to think about leaving

and it's quite scary as well, really,

and I'm not too sure if I'm looking forward...

I'm sort of torn between both worlds.

-As it is at the minute, I'd be really sad to leave here.

-Yeah.

I'm looking forward to seeing family and friends,

cos I've obviously missed them,

but I'm going to really miss this place, though.

I'm really going to miss it as well.

I don't know which is my real home now

and which is my pretend home, I suppose.

It's been amazing, it's been...

I don't know.

-It's...

-It's been a real roller coaster, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Ups and everything...

-It really...

-All sorts,

mixed bag of emotions, and...

-Plays havoc with your emotions.

-Yeah.

-One minute you're elated,

one minute you're deflated. You don't...

One minute you're in tears,

one minute you're laughing your head off, yeah.

-It's...

-It's superb.

-It is.

I've said it before,

I must thank everyone for all their hard work in looking after us here.

-Yes, thank you very much.

-And getting us in here.

Um...thank you for making us work so hard,

but we have enjoyed it and we...

-And you have given us a really amazing experience.

-Yeah.

Unbelievable. An incredible experience.

It's the Braddocks and the Joneses final evening in 1890,

and they're all off to a concert.

I was just thinking, the reason why Jac is quite at home in 1890

is because he doesn't clean his teeth in 2010, either.

BRASS BAND PLAYS

The local community is holding a fundraiser

for the family of a smallholder killed in a quarrying accident.

In an age when there was no social security or government support,

the charity of the community

would have been the difference between survival and destitution.

APPLAUSE

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure

to see so many of you present here this evening.

And tonight I must ask you, in all Christian charity,

to reach deep into your pockets.

I know you may not have much to share,

but I want you to remember Mrs Roberts and her family tonight.

VIOLIN PLAYS

After a month of smallholding life,

the families are very much a part of the community.

Keen to contribute, the children have prepared a song.

# We like the chickens

# We like the sheep and lambs

# We like the fireside

# A doo-wop, a doo-wop a doo-wop, a doo-wop

# Cock-a-doodle-doo! #

APPLAUSE

We are people that future generations can look back on

and know that in the midst of affliction,

we knew how to support one another.

And the men, too, are not to be left out.

TO "Auld Lang Syne": # Good morning Mick and Bob our friends

# Good morning Mick and Bob

# It's our final day for quarrying

# Good morning Mick and Bob

# The target's set

# It will be met

# This is our quarry song. #

APPLAUSE

I ask Mr Morris to go around you all with a collection plate.

Thank you, Mr Morris.

BRASS BAND RESUMES

It was really good. The band were amazing.

You could almost feel the vibration up through the floor,

through your tummy. It was brilliant.

Brass bands played a central role in the quarrying communities

and for Heulwen, the entertainment has brought back memories

of the death of her father.

That song was played by this band by my father's grave.

This is Deiniolen Brass Band, isn't it?

It's poignant how little things like that bring back memories,

particularly for her, of what went before.

One of the things she suggested that we do

is put flowers on my grandfather's grave.

Just go up there on the way back -

and that would be a nice thing to do to round it off

and end the whole thing in a special way.

It's the families' last morning on their 1890s smallholding

and they've gathered at the Joneses' for a farewell breakfast.

This is the last supper.

What if the landlord's agent turned up now?

Can I just say, because it's our last day,

talking on behalf of all the Braddocks,

how much we're going to miss you?

-Oh, we'll miss you too.

-We're going to miss you loads.

-Yeah.

It's been unbelievable.

I don't know what I'm going to miss the most.

It's just being able to get up in the morning and not care what you're

looking like, and as you're leaving not have to take your phone...

-Yeah.

-..and your money and your wallet,

-and not worry about loads of stuff.

-That's true.

Hang on, Jamie, you said "get up in the morning"...

-I always...

-When you said "get up in the morning" - when did that happen?

Get up in the morning!

I'm really worried about you and your trousers, when we..

LAUGHTER

-This is the weight...

-It's the trend!

This is the weight-loss, even the belt won't stay on!

It's that bad I can't even find a belt that fits.

Is it on the last hole, as well, is it?

Yeah, look...

I really, really enjoyed that breakfast.

That was really nice.

With just hours left before they depart, it's time to say goodbye

to the animals they've tended for the last month.

All the chickens and that have sort of grown on me,

cos when you watch them

they have all got their little quirky personalities,

which you'd never think of a chicken.

And the pig - we've all fell in love with the pig.

We've had hours and hours of fun with the pig, chasing it round the field,

and it runs - it'll come in the house, as well.

It's just so tame, now, that pig, that it's just like a dog.

Are you going to miss Billy?

Yeah.

Yah!

LEAH GRUNTS

Aah!

As the families' experience draws to an end,

there's time to reflect on the life they've led for a month.

Getting along as a family

has been the most important of this whole experience.

I do feel now that I got to know my dad better and my stepmum,

the whole family a lot better, and I think that's another thing

that I can take away from this experience,

is just the value of family.

When you're living on top of each other,

you've got to sort out your problems, and we have done.

It feels like we've come in as individuals,

but going out sort of a family, really.

David has had the time of his life. I think he will be sad to leave.

It'll be quite emotional for him, so that makes it emotional for me.

But, erm, yes, I've learnt we can stick together,

we can pull through,

and when the going gets tough, the Joneses get going.

We've started to call this place home.

So, when you leave home, it's quite sad.

The closeness of everyone and everything.

There's nowhere like this on Earth.

Leah, can you kick your shoes off?

Oh, it's just really, really sad.

I think it's made me stronger as a mother.

It's taught me a lot of family values.

We just go on now, as a stronger family.

So, it's been wonderful.

I don't want to be too sad, I want to hold it together,

but we'll probably just let go at the end.

-Are you a bit sad now?

-Yeah, sad.

-It's... I don't know.

-I don't think it's quite...

-It's too nice a day to go now, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

It's so lovely outside that you want to stay for a bit longer.

-Mm.

-The kids, they're running around outside, pigs running around...

Yeah, it'll be funny not see all of this again.

Yeah, I think we worked well together, didn't we?

I'm amazed how well you've done.

Saying it in a nice way!

-Are you surprised?

-No, no, you've...

You know, you've held it all together.

Let's get the last thing in the case here, you lot.

Come on.

-Knitted scarf.

-Yes.

Home sweet home.

Yeah, it's going to be quite sad, cos everybody'll be going back

to their own lives, so it means that we won't be seeing Jordan...

..or Jamie, really, so...

Hmm. Yeah, it is just going to be so...

I don't think... Not "miserable" is going to be the word,

but your heart is so full here of families and...

there is a lot of love here.

When we go back, everybody will go their separate ways again,

which is quite sad, really.

The Jones family embarked on their 1890 adventure

to journey back to their quarrying past,

and engage with their roots.

I don't know where to start, basically.

I'm going to be absolutely knackered if I'm doing all this.

We do not speak Welsh in school.

That I have said so much - my father was killed in the quarry.

It is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

At first overwhelmed by the harsh realities of their ancestors' lives,

with time, the family rallied and proved they were from sturdy stock.

Everybody has got to chip in. Everybody has got to do their bit.

Well done, Jac, that's the way!

Good night, everyone.

It's been up and down, back and forward,

all over the place sometimes,

but, erm...

-It's...

-It's been...

-Wild. Mad.

..the best thing we've done.

Apart from getting married and having kids. They were good.

All right, everybody, are we ready to go?

Oof!

Was there somebody else living in this house?

I think we've locked them in the chest!

Are you ready for the off? Yeah?

Four weeks ago, the Braddocks left the comforts

of their modern-day lives and journeyed back in time

in an attempt to live together as a family under one roof.

They were pretty unprepared for the hardships of smallholding life.

The stresses of the family is telling on everybody, I think.

-Respect. You lack it completely!

-Dad, I don't do that every day.

I do the food, the washing, they are just chucking clothes at me,

and I've got to help again with the animals in the night.

Where is that fair?

Alisa has turned out to be the pillar which, back home, she's not.

And despite family disputes, they've grown closer together.

-Bye. Bye!

-Bye!

Bye, house!

The Jones and Braddock families

close the door on their cottages for the last time.

As they leave the smallholding to return to their modern lives,

they take with them hard-won memories

of their time in Snowdonia 1890.