I enjoyed this programme, if 'enjoyed' is the right word to use. I am sure that things were a lot worse than is able to be portrayed on tv. Maybe now what happened then will be seen as slavery.
I quite enjoyed it and will watch again. It was grim but somewhat sensationalised what with the boys accident happening in the first few minutes and potential rape before the half hour, but I'll stick with it for now as it is well made and has a fine cast.
Quite impressed with The Mill. According to an article in the Sunday Times, all the characters are based on real people who worked in the Quarry Bank mill. Also, they had to make the cotton mills from scratch as none have survived from the 1800's.
It is said that the Industrial Revolution was founded on child labour. Totally shocking. If it hadn't been for some Victorian Philanthropists,mainly Quaker families who did well, like the Rowntrees ,Cadburys and Frys, it would have been a lot worse.
Liked it but reminded me of when i worked in a factory in the early 90's & a young lad lost his hand in the carding machine! His screaming still haunts me but still see him now with his false hand & hes always happy & cheerful.
The majority of filming has been on location in the actual Quarry Bank Mill – much of it in the same rooms where the people being portrayed actually lived and worked. This lent the project a sense of realism that, as Hayes puts it, “frees you but restricts you at the same time – you’ve got the weight of that on your shoulders”.
It is some years since I visited, but it is still open to the public.