But did you see the "bringing back the old machines" or whatever it
was called the other night on ITV? They built an enourmous hampster
wheel and put a couple of men inside it to drive a giant crane they'd
built out of green oak.

OK, they did wear ear defenders (damn noisy these hampster wheels
apparently) but did you see them hoisting it up? They were just about
able to get it up and in danger of it toppling. Had it been filmed in
England i'm sure someone whould have insisted on them bringing in 21st
century hydraulics, but this was France, so nothing more than a shrug
of the shoulders was given!