Back in Time for Tea. What can be learnt by stepping into the past?
Sarah Allen • May 8, 2018
In the recent BBC series the Ellis family swapped their modern life to recreate the past. Starting in 1918 and moving forward throughout the century they experienced what it was like for an ordinary family, in the North of England to work, eat and relax.
I asked Lesley Ellis, star of Back in time for Tea, about plastic-free living, gender roles and the changing face of childhood.
The series starts before plastic was widely used, how did you find plastic-free living?
As a family in modern day, we try to limit our use of plastic but it’s just so difficult, as you’ll know. The great thing about the early eras was that there was no plastic packaging. Meat, dripping, butter etc. was wrapped in grease-proof paper, milk in recycled glass bottles and nothing was prepackaged. Even the rabbit came in its own fur covering!
There was very little food waste throughout.
How did you feel about the rigid gender roles?
I was prepared for it and largely unsurprised. Jon and I have fairly traditional roles in present day in that I do the cooking and he does DIY and puts the bins out. The rest we share according to who has the most time. My girls, however, found it extremely difficult to cope with the fact that Harvey didn’t have to help make tea, or do any household chores.
I think the most difficult time for me was the 1960’s. The role of a wife/mother didn't change whilst everyone else moved on so I found myself stuck at home constantly whilst Jon worked and socialised outside the home. Thankfully it became socially acceptable for young women, like my girls, to go out and have fun but it did mean that I had a lot less help around the house.
When you had more packaged/convenience food did you consider that a good or bad change to life?
For me personally it was definitely not progress. We rarely eat processed food in current day because we are conscious of health and nutrition. However negatively I view it, I was able to see, for the first time, just how empowering it must have felt for women not to be spending hours in the kitchen preparing food. Considering that most working class women worked, it must have been such a relief when technology meant you could pull something out of the freezer and throw it it in the oven.
What did you notice about childhood during the different eras?
During the early eras, the girls were expected to work both in full time jobs and around the house. All their money went towards food and rent. Consequently, their childhood was cut short. Conversely, Harvey at 13 had lots of freedom to play, more so than in current day. As there was very little to occupy him around the home, he spent all summer hanging around outside, paying marbles, football, go-carting, cycling etc.
Has being part of the series changed anything about your present day life? Are there any lessons we should be learning from the past?
Has being part of the series changed anything about your present day life? Are there any lessons we should be learning from the past?
Lessons to learn from the past are that nostalgia is lovely but not a clear and accurate record by which to compare current day. Life has improved in almost every way, regardless of what our flawed recollection tells us.
Secondly, we learned that we have a tendency to look at the political landscape and think that it’s scary and chaotic. However, it has always felt that way.
Thirdly, we were shocked at the size of the impact of social and political policy on the working classes. It could make or break a family.
Lesley Ellis set up The Happy Body Collective, a Facebook group to provide support and accountability for people making lifestyle changes for the benefit of health. It draws from Dr Rangan Chattergee’s book, The Four Pillars. Lesley loves being in nature and believes we are all responsible for making the world better through compassion and kindness towards ourselves, each other and the planet. She loves cooking and experimenting with food to create ethically sourced healthy meals from scratch. Lesley is a newly minted campervan owner and a member of the highest, all female, badass cycling club in England.
What can we learn from the autumn equinox? Well, for me, it's all about a pause and some balance. As the Earth pauses in this moment of neither more or less light, I find it nourishing to take a moment too. Life will want to keep propelling you forward - or, I should say, the capitalist society. But there's a benefit in the pause, to stop the momentum, to stop the always doing and to reflect a little (or a lot). So, I took some moments today to sit in the early morning light, when the sun was not fully out but it wasn't dark, to do nothing other than sit (and drink coffee). Later on in the day, I dusted off my journal and took a moment to reflect on what I'd achieved, especially in relation to the intentions I set in motion in February, at Imbolc. Some I'd forgotten, others I'd chosen to let go, others I'd achieved. They weren't fully measurable, a life goal or something on a bucket list; just simple intentions like being creative and making decisions based on keeping my nervous system soothed. Writing this down, I found, to be positive. It's easy for me to think I've done nothing, life is still the same as it was but this isn't true. Once again, life has thrown big challenges my way. Things have not all been as I hoped but I'm not in the same place as I was. I wrote down what I am thankful for. Gratitude is often mentioned as a great well-being tool but I mention it with caution ⚠ as, for me, it has sometimes been a trigger to stress and anxiety around what high stakes things (and people) I could lose. Finally, I journaled around what I wanted to cut back. Then I literally went into the garden and cut back the dead wood thinking, to start with of what I wanted to metaphorically let go of, until it become a mindful task of just pruning and being with nature. It was not without it's difficulties, as I got caught in the brambles and also had to decide how much and how far to go. I left plenty of dead wood in the garden, the insects will need it to overwinter. There's only so much pruning you can, or maybe, should do. Some of the dead wood must remain to be composted later. I focused on what was most beneficial to cut back on, what would give the most room for new growth. Though, it now leaves bare patches, once spring comes round it provides room for growth. I also had to trim back some of the new growth that was damaging fences. We are led to believe that growth is the aim, at any cost, which of course is destabilising our planet both the climate and the delicate balance of the web of life . If the collective human species were to pause and focus on balance we could create a very different, regenerative way of being in the world. I invite you to try it and see how it changes things.
Snow, Wind, Rain, the Northern Lights, Some Comforting Food and Time To Create
Showing someone you love them shouldn’t cost the Earth! If you want to give traditional cards and gifts, how about considering some of these more sustainable ideas? 1. Valentine’s Card Probably the easiest tip is to make sure the card you buy does not come packaged in plastic film. Shop around if you need to but think about the packaging as well as the sentiment when choosing your card. I have the perfect option to show love both to your special person and our precious planet with my new 'Love Me, Love Our Planet' card . Shipped in sustainable, eco-friendly paper packaging which is rip-proof and splash-proof and designed with the environment in mind. Alternatively, of course, you could make your own card. This is a great option for ensuring the card is more personal and especially good for the environment if you use materials you already have at home.
Reusing decorations, enjoying the season and creating less waste.
