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I was really pissed off to see they had a Tory life peer on there. Even more because I enjoyed her on the show and really didn’t want to!

Yep. She said something about watching a documentary on, I dunno, the history of toilets or something, and my GF said "that's just like you!" then we realised who she was. Urgh.

It worked well as a one-off though. Think one-offs might be better.
 
Yep. She said something about watching a documentary on, I dunno, the history of toilets or something, and my GF said "that's just like you!" then we realised who she was. Urgh.

It worked well as a one-off though. Think one-offs might be better.
Vinegar!
 
That's what it was! I would definitely watch a documentary on vinegar. And also visit a vinegar museum. You can cover surprising wide aspects of history when you focus on one really specific everyday item.
I watch a documentary about a butter factory and it was fascinating. I still think back to it. :D
 
Most of those subject specific documentaries are bit too light, even for me. I'd love to see a serious historian do a series on the banal. Like, eggs. When did we first start eating eggs, and when did we start cooking them? Why do all nearly animals eat eggs, given the chance? How have farming practices changed? What cultural symbols are there to do with eggs - in different cultures across the world, not just the obvious ones? How are they connected to sport, video games, etc? Who made the type of egg boxes we're all used to and accept as if they've existed since the dawn of time? Why mostly chickens, and not some other bird? Man, the whole history of the world could be told by telling the story of eggs.
 
Most of those subject specific documentaries are bit too light, even for me. I'd love to see a serious historian do a series on the banal. Like, eggs. When did we first start eating eggs, and when did we start cooking them? Why do all nearly animals eat eggs, given the chance? How have farming practices changed? What cultural symbols are there to do with eggs - in different cultures across the world, not just the obvious ones? How are they connected to sport, video games, etc? Who made the type of egg boxes we're all used to and accept as if they've existed since the dawn of time? Why mostly chickens, and not some other bird? Man, the whole history of the world could be told by telling the story of eggs.
indeed:
I've got books like that on salt, on curry and on nutmeg
 
indeed:
I've got books like that on salt, on curry and on nutmeg

Nutmeg must be a good one. Is it actually true about the official who told growers to stop growing nutmeg and grow more mace instead, because mace costs more, even though they come from the same plant? It sounds real but could also be a just-so story.

Chocolate's also great. I'm always recommending Deborah Cadbury's The Chocolate Wars, especially in audiobook form.
 
Nutmeg must be a good one. Is it actually true about the official who told growers to stop growing nutmeg and grow more mace instead, because mace costs more, even though they come from the same plant? It sounds real but could also be a just-so story.
don't think so - at least, I don't remember. But it mace is just the outer bit of the nutmeg so it wouldn't make sense to stop growing nutmeg and start growing mace!
 
I have not watched this yet but when i saw the line up my thought was claudia winkleman deserves to be on a proper series.
 
don't think so - at least, I don't remember. But it mace is just the outer bit of the nutmeg so it wouldn't make sense to stop growing nutmeg and start growing mace!

That's why I read about it, but I'm not sure if it ever really happened.
 
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