C4 Chat Ed : Hi there

Joyce Bowler : Hello everyone!
Paul Bowler : Hi there :)

C4 Chat Ed : Ready for the first question?

Paul Bowler : Absolutely

stevedb10 : What did you miss most from the 20th Century

Joyce Bowler thinks
Joyce Bowler : Well. I missed the freedom of choice and my electrical appliances!
Paul Bowler : I missed the speed of life. Although that doesn't mean I necessarily like it faster!

Finbarr : Did you find the camera crew to be intrusive and did you act differently off camera?

Joyce Bowler : I would say, honestly, they were not intrusive, and we didn't act differently off camera. We don't know how to *act*, so maybe that helped!

Saytan : whats happening to the house now......... it would be tragic to see it converted back to 90s spec when it could be so valuable as an educational tool

Joyce Bowler : Ohhh I know! We would have LOVED to have kept it as a living museum but it has been sold for the full asking price, we understand. I'm desperate to know who's bought it, and what they're going to do with it. Sold last week, apparently.

uboat : how many hours did you spend on housework during the average day?

Joyce Bowler : Ooo. Um...as little as possible. If I had liked to, I could have spent *all* day. I kept it to the bare minimum, say three hours... two to three hours. I wasn't a very good victorian :)

dianas : did joe really just live on bread and cheese ?

Joyce Bowler : Yes... and bread and jam, and fish and chips. And school dinners.

Willow2 : Did you feel closer as a family as you had to make your own entertainment/ went through various unpleasant experiences etc. or is this just a romantic view?

Joyce Bowler : We are a close family, or at least we consider ourselves to be but yes, it made us closer, which we didn't think possible. That was good.

clareville : were you ever tempted to break into the spare room and use the telephone

Joyce Bowler laughs
Joyce Bowler : Yes! We were...but we never did. And once the crew left it unlocked, and we didn't discover until the next morning, we were kicking ourselves ;)

uboat : how did people react when they saw you in the street in your 1900 clothes?

Joyce Bowler : Um. Mixed reaction. Some people obviously felt offended...I don't know why...and felt it their right to demand to know why we were doing it. Quite rudely.
Paul Bowler : As if we were public property.
Joyce Bowler : But most people were good-natured, and we made lots of friends.

Greg Harris : What was the most funniest moment in the 1990 house?

Paul Bowler : God! Um...
Joyce Bowler : There were *lots*. That's really difficult. Perhaps occasionally when we looked at each other and couldn't believe what we were doing. The sudden realisation - you know, what the *hell* are we doing?!
Paul Bowler : I fell into the manure when I was building the chicken run...

moses1 : What was it like going back to work Joyce, or have you started a career in the theatre with Catherine, after your audition?

Joyce Bowler laughs
Joyce Bowler : I wish I had a career in the theatre! Oh dear...I...went back to work after one week, and it was...awful. It was so difficult for me. I couldn't concentrate. It was...oh, just...it took me AGES to get back to speed.

blackindigo : You mentioned during the series that you noticed the smell of deodorant and perfume on the 20th century people: how long did it take you to used to re-using 1999 products?

Joyce Bowler : Um, quite a long time, surprisingly. That's a really good question. The toothpaste actually burnt my mouth first time I used it, it really felt like it was burning and, I now use all the products I used before, I *think* but I've questioned why I wear deodorant...I mean, I don't smell! If you wash every day you don't need it... Joyce Bowler chuckles

Ciara : Did you watch the 1900 House Yourselves?

Joyce Bowler : Yes. We did watch. Every episode and we laughed and cried, every week. And cried this week :)

brian1 : would you like to try any other century

Joyce Bowler : Ooo yes! I fancy Roman Britain or possibly Early Tudors.
Paul Bowler : I'd like..oh, um... Ancient Rome or Greece.

moses1 : How have the kids adjusted back to 'normal' life, are you closer now? PS I cried too this week!!

Joyce Bowler : Awwww!!! Thank you for your tears!!
Joyce Bowler chuckles
Joyce Bowler : The kids were much better than we were at adjusting back, in fact they were better all round, I'd say. Hats off to the kids, really. They're very level headed and see it for what it is, really.
Paul Bowler : There's no strings attached, they didn't expect any more of it that was it for them, so they just went straight back to being themselves.

clareville : what would have happened if you had totally blown it financially - would 1900 bailliffs have turned up

Joyce Bowler laughs
Paul Bowler nods
Paul Bowler : Yes :)
Joyce Bowler : I don't know! We speculated on going wildly over budget but decided that that wasn't in the spirit of things. So, like good Victorians, we managed to save 14 shillings and sixpence over three months.

Paulenos : Paul, did you ever cut yourself badly with the razer?

Paul Bowler : Oh yes. It was like I'd been fighting with the cat.

clareville : would you approach anything differently given a second chance

Paul Bowler : Oh gosh... I think I'd be more thoughtful of other people's feelings in the house.

brian1 : if you could have taken 1 modern thing with you what would it have been

Paul Bowler : Oh gawd!
Joyce Bowler : A bottle of shampoo....
Paul Bowler : And I think I may have taken either a telephone or...a razor! Because that really got through to me.

C4 Chat Ed laughs

JayneF : Amelia (aged 8 and has been dying to speak to you) wants to know if the girls found it hard work?

Paul Bowler : Gosh. Yes, it was a culture shock to them but they adapted very quickly. They were marvellous :) They taught their parents a thing or two!

Sunman : Did the family loose weight during the 3 months

Paul Bowler : No, actually. A pound either way!

SmileySar : how do you think a victorian would react to spending 3 months in 1999?

Joyce Bowler : They'd FREAK OUT!!!
Paul Bowler : I think they'd have a coronary... er... I mean, 'the lady may have the vapours'. Paul Bowler grins

dianas : paul, how did your work colleagues take to you in the 1900s uniform ?

Paul Bowler : Some were supportive...some were appreciative and some couldn't care less :) Joyce Bowler giggles

kjm123 : After managing without them, do you think that some of our modern household gadgets are not really necessary?

Paul Bowler : Yes, most definitely.
Paul Bowler thinks
Paul Bowler : The toaster for a silly one.
Joyce Bowler : Ohhh electric carving knives, liquidisers. Daft things...labour saving devices...
Paul Bowler : Bread mixers, all those things you're forced to have these days.

AshJ : Joyce - did you resent the fact that your husband and children could 'escape' from the house during weekdays?

Joyce Bowler : Yes I did... but... BIG but... I wonder if it wasn't harder for them, because they got a break whereas I was *immersed* in 1900 all the time. They had to make the transition back and forwards every day. I think in the long run I preferred staying in 1900 all the time.
Paul Bowler : I would have too.
Joyce Bowler : Especially as the months went on, I needed to stay there...

Ciara : WHAT HAPPENED TO ELIZABETH, PLEASE!

Joyce Bowler : Oo! She went back to college, and she completed her computer course. She still had a part time cleaning job, and the last we heard she's seeking a job in computing. I think desktop publishing...

upla : How did you occupy yourself at weekends?

Joyce Bowler laughs
Joyce Bowler : Mm. weekends didn't exist in the way we understand them today. There was more than enough, really, in the house and in the garden and the time just flew by, we were so busy all of the time! We played lots of games together, and went for walks. We did actually visit the circus and a couple of museums, which weren't in the programme. There were lots of things we did that didn't make it into the programme :)

NETTIE : What did you have the biggest row about?

Joyce Bowler thinks
Joyce Bowler : It was in the first week, it wasn't about shampoo :) It was about the rules.

DarkStar : Is there any habits that you brought back from the nineteen hundreds?

Joyce Bowler : Hrm...
Paul Bowler : I've slowed down!
Joyce Bowler : Noo I think you're lying :) You're back up to your normal manic speed! I still like golden syrup on porridge. Not very healthy but mmmm... oh and we don't buy anything but proper freerange eggs.

craigbank : Why could you not keep the chickens

Joyce Bowler : Why didn't we.
Joyce Bowler sighs
Joyce Bowler : Well, after Mason died I felt terrible. I just felt that they would be best to go back to Kent although I wish I had them now. Maybe I'll get some in the future. I think I will.

jonah42 : How was your health/skin/hair condition at the end?

Joyce Bowler : My skin was good. I used cold cream, and nothing else. Although I panicked, and thought that I would suffer terribly. I haven't. My hair was...well, it recovered very quickly, and I think maybe the changes were imagined?
Paul Bowler : I still use the shaving brush and soap to shave, and I never get a shaving rash. Joyce Bowler : Health was fine. No problems at all. We felt we could have done with some different exercise, I would have liked to been able to go for a run. Even though we did plenty of walking.

Paulenos : Can you remeber how you felt on the first night in the house?scared?

Paul Bowler : Tired.
Joyce Bowler : I was too excited to be scared. It was a bit like the night before Christmas when you're little :)

mrs w : If you could each keep 1 thing from the house what would it be?

Joyce Bowler : We were all allowed that! Paul kept his cutthroat razor, I have my corset, as does Catherine. Ruth kept her doll, Hilary has her easel and paints and Joe got the lead soldiers.

silentsmith : my dog has question - what would you feed it in Victorian Britain?

Joyce Bowler : Gawd. I would have had to have got cheap cuts from the butcher and bones and if I had a little dog we'd have kept the butcher in business. But they didn't give me one. I often thought that that house should have had a little dog.

C4 Chat Ed : Thanks a lot Joyce and Paul, that was great. Sorry to those people whose questions didn't get through.

Joyce Bowler : Don't miss the Christmas special! Good bye everyone. It's been fantastic
Paul Bowler : Good bye, all the best.

Friday : Goodnight., and thanks to you both.
blackindigo : Goodnight - and thanks!
david67 : loved the show
clareville : bye Joyce, Paul and family we will miss you
Saytan the headmaste : gnight old house type dudes
Janna : thanks for a great experience
gallowayg : Goodnight & Well Done you brave people!!!!
rover : come back soon

Joyce Bowler leaves the room
Paul Bowler leaves the room