A Very British History S01 complete (960x540p, 50fps, soft Eng subs)


1. Romany Gypsies
'Welcome to Gypsy land!' Writer Damian Le Bas invites us to join him as he explores a pivotal decade in the lives of Romany people. In the 1960s, many were forced to abandon their nomadic way of life for a more settled existence. Focusing on the Home Counties, Damian draws on his own Romany family background and rich film archive to show how Gypsy people faced becoming outlaws in their own land. Regular stopping places for their caravans were drying up, and tighter planning laws put further pressure on finding somewhere to live. Local and national government were slow to react to a mounting crisis for a group of citizens with a distinct culture but living on the margins of society. Breakthrough legislation in 1968 finally compelled councils to provide permanent sites for Gypsy people. It gave hope to many - but at the cost of losing a freedom that was closely tied to their identity.



2. The First Black Brummies
Poet Sue Brown looks at what life was like in the post-war years for Birmingham's Caribbean community. Sue, whose parents came to Britain from Jamaica in the 50s, meets people who remember and experienced the hostile environment that faced many of the early migrants. She explores her home city to discover the cultural significance of local black churches, music and the rise of Rastafarianism. She also meets veteran singer Jimmy Cliff to discuss his hit song Many Rivers to Cross. Cliff and others have written about the challenges faced by many early 'settlers'. Sue recalls how migration divided families, including her own, and meant people lived thousands of miles apart.

3. The Jews of Leeds
Film-maker Simon Glass explores his family history and tells the story of the Yorkshire Jews in the early 20th century. Thousands of migrants arrived by boat on the east coast of England and lived in a run-down slum area of Leeds known as the Leylands. Simon discovers stories of hardship and anti-Semitism, but also success and progress as many Jews moved out of the Leylands to the more affluent suburbs. He also travels to eastern Europe where he makes a shocking discovery about what happened to his relatives who did not migrate to Britain.

4. Ugandan Asians
Food writer Meera Sodha tells the story of the 1972 refugee crisis, when thousands of Asian people arrived in Britain after being expelled from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin. Meera's own family was caught up in the crisis. She meets some Ugandan Asians and examines the archives to discover how the refugees received a mixed reception on arrival in Britain.

First broadcast: 10 December 2018
Duration: 1 hour per episode

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