Available for the first time on video - the two truly extraordinary Yorkshire Television documentaries about the life of Hannah Hauxwell, the Daleswoman struggling to survive alone on her beloved Low Birk Hatt Farm.
Too Long a Winter (1973) In one of the best-loved documentaries of all time, Yorkshire Television chronicled the almost unendurable conditions of farmers in the High Pennines in winter - and in the process introduced the world to Hannah Hauxwell... She was then 46-years-old, a spinster, toiling alone on her isolated and dilapidated 80-acre farm. Sne had no electricity or running water, and was struggling to survive on an income of less than £280 a year. Life was a constant battle against poverty and hardship, especially in the bleak Pennine winters where she had to work outside in temperatures of up to fifteen below zero. Despite the breathtaking aerial filming and a rich assortment of local characters, it was Hannah Hauxwell's plight that gripped millions of television viewers...
A Winter Too Many (1989) Almost two decades after Too Long A Winter, Yorkshire Television returns to Low Birk Hatt Farm to discover what has become of Hannah. The farm now has electricity and - thanks to the generosity of well-wishers - Hannah has a little more money - which she has invested in a few more cows. Now a pensioner, she is still fondly remembered by the public and the TV crews follow her on her first-ever trip to London as Guest of Honour at the 'Women of the Year' gala. Away from the limelight however, her backbreaking daily work on the bleak farm continues. Every winter has become harder to endure... Now, as her health and strength slowly fail her, Hannah must make the most heart-rending decision of her life. Has the time come to finally sell her family farm and the animals she adores - before the cruel deprivations of winter sweep in once again?
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