1900 HOUSE FAMILY
SEARCH
1. Family name: Bowler
2. Address: N/a
3. Phone number: N/a
4. Family names, age and occupations
Father: Paul, 39, Royal Marine Commando Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Mother: Joyce, 43, Family Support Worker for NSPCC
Child 1: Constance, 19 Assistant Manager, Oddbins
Child 2: Kathryn, 17, Taking 3 A Levels at Richard Huish College
Child 3: Hilary, 11, Duke of York's Royal Military School
Child 4: Ruth, 11, Duke of York's Royal Military School
Child 5: Joseph, 9, Edington School
5. Briefly describe the house you currently live in.
A four bed-roomed semi-detached built in the late 1970's. It has
a garage, a small front garden and medium sized back garden with an
apple tree. We adjoin farm land at the end of a cul-de-sac. We are fairly 'modern' (ie. dishwasher, computer, shower, TV, video, etc).
6. Why are you
interested in becoming the 1900 House family?
We belong to the National Trust and on every visit we fantasise about how it must have been to live in the houses in years past. Being the
1900 House family would be the nearest thing to time travel we could
get! We consider ourselves hard-working and resourceful but would we
compare to a 1900 family?
7. What is it about your family that makes you ideal residents for 1900 House?
We get on very well together! We are all game to give most things a try. We have a love of history and a curiosity to find out how things were for people like us (ie ordinary-ish) in the past. Joe is about to 'do' the Victorians at school. We are a family of talkers, lots of thinking, discussion and chatter! Kathryn plays the piano a little.
8. What would you
miss most about the modern world?
Paul: central heating, indoor toilet
Joyce: dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum, sanitary towels/tampons! Roseanne, Harry Hill.
Kathryn: music, brookside, eastenders, hair dryer, telephone
Hilary: Indoor toilet
Ruth: CD player and TV
Joseph: television, computer, bedside lamp, duvet.
9. What would you be glad to leave behind ?
Paul: nothing
Joyce: telephone driving everywhere, supermarkets
Kathryn: A Levels!
Hilary & Ruth: Stupid TV Adverts
Joseph: Spice Girls Music
10. What are your
family's hobbies & interests?
Paul: sailing, walking, running, in fact all outdoor sports. reading, has been known to grow his own veg.
Joyce: reading, running (when I can make myself go), interested in history, people, socialising, family life, dancing.
Kathryn: contemporary music (Verve, Embrace, etc), going to concerts, socialising, miffy, chocolate
eating, performing (A-level drama).
Hilary: watercolour painting, reading, singing, swimming, sport, violin, music.
Ruth: reading, swimming, netball, music, violin, having fun.
Joseph: computer games, football, TV, making things, Lego, asking for
a dog.
11. What are the things you do together as a family?
Walking (Quantocks,
Exmoor, etc) Visiting National Trust Properties Playing Board Games
(Scrabble and Cluedo are the current favourites) Always try to eat together
Swimming Watch films on TV (and comedy programmes), going on holiday Talking
12. How flexible
are you about relocating to London for three months?
N/a
13. Have you ever appeared on television before? If yes please give details.
No
14. How did you
hear about the 1900 House?
Small advertisement
in the Sunday Telegraph.
15. Is there anything
else about your family that you would like us to know?
We're all fit
and healthy. We're all keen to give it a go. We've got a good sense
of humour (you have to have with a family our size!)
Joyce: I'm from South West London originally, I would love a chance
to return and be a Londoner again, if only for 3 months in a corset!
If our eldest daughters (Connie and Kathryn) weren't needed they could
stay in Taunton and we could pretend that they had gone "into domestic
service" in the country.
