In 1940 the East End was Target Area A for the German bombers. Night after night, Londoners took refuge in shelters while the streets above them were wiped from the map. Gas, water and electricity supplies were cut off, making day to day life a struggle.The people of the East End lived through it all with a tough, good humoured defiance. Now, their stories are brought to life with eyewitness interviews and archive film. Discover the triumphs and tragedies of ordinary Londoners when war came to the East End.
Original film telling the stories behind the disastrous floods: Norwich in 1912, Norfolk in 1938, Cambridgeshire in 1947, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex in 1953
The East End in 1900 a world of cobbled streets and thick fog. Thousands of Londoners live in cramped, sooty tenements. Their homes are lit by gas and infested with lice.Amidst this dire poverty is a close-knit community defined by resilience, kindness and humour. Children play in the streets and the men crowd to the Dock gates for work. From the match factories of Bow to the hop fields of Kent, see how London's East End lived in the years before the Second World War.
From the 1940s to the 1960s, see how Essex was changed almost beyond recognition ' from rationing to motorbikes and rock n' roll
True stories from the East Anglian Film Archive: A haunted police station, the ghost of Peterhouse College, `Old Shuck' and other supernatural sightings
The stories of changes in agricultural life from the two world wars through to the 1960s, including rare footage of early machinery
The Luftwaffe brought terror to the nation's capital city, wiping whole areas from the map. Water and gas supplies ceased to function, and local governments struggled to cope as families were bombed out. Ordinary people faced this carnage with extraordinary courage and resilience. That terrifying period in our history is seen using rare archive film - told by those who were there.
In 1939, Britain was a global superpower. A year later, it was the frontline of a desperate struggle to survive. The coming of war transformed people's lives. As pilots duelled in the skies above, the capital city prepared for the gathering storm... With rare archive film, this is the story of life in the war - told by those who were there.
On 10th May 1941, the Germans launched their deadliest raid of the Blitz. By the time it was over, the House of Commons lay in ruins and only Marylebone station was functioning. Cracks began to emerge in the 'Blitz Spirit', as tighter rationing and defeats abroad caused a loss of confidence in Churchill's Government. Using rare archive film, this is the story of life in the war - told by those who were there.
See how life has changed for the people who live on the Essex coast ' including rare and fascinating footage from 1918 to the 1950s
By 1944, Britain was enjoying a period of relative calm, disturbed only by the occasional air raid. A week after the Normandy landings, Hitler struck back with a terrifying new weapon - the V1. The Blitz had returned in a deadlier form. Using rare archive film, this is the story of life in the war - told by those who were there.
Using rare footage, this charming documentary looks back at the age of the family farm. With stories from farm workers and the Land Army, this film is a window into a world that has vanished.
Re-live rare scenes from Kent's past, including holidaymakers arriving by steam train, Cockneys picking hops and Churchill visiting Dover
In May 1940, Britain faced a military disaster. Outgunned and outmanoeuvred, young soldiers fought a desperate retreat as the Nazi war machine closed in. Trapped around the port of Dunkirk, the Army waited for rescue without food, supplies or hope. What happened next is the stuff of legend - a bold seafaring operation which turned defeat into triumph. Using rare archive film, this is the story of the rescued and rescuers - in their own words.
From Panda cars to bus strikes, see Norwich as it used to be, including: Billy Graham visiting the Regent Cinema, the Queen opening the new County Hall, a day in the life of Norwich, Shopping at Curls Department Store and the demolition of Magdalen Street
Original film showing life as it was on The Broads - from wherries and wildlife to communities dependent on cutting reeds and hunting for food.
In the 1950s, two men built a criminal empire. To the public, the Krays were celebrities; to their enemies, they were dangerous, ruthless men, dishing out violence and even murder. The Krays operated in the post-war years, where crime meant robbery, extortion and police corruption.This is the story of that criminal underworld, and of the rise and fall of the Kray Twins. From their humble beginnings through to their arrest and imprisonment, this is the history of the men behind the myth. Using rare archive footage this film takes you behind the headlines and paints a vivid picture of the London crime scene of robbery, extortion and police corruption.
The Luftwaffe brought terror to London, wiping whole areas from the map. Local governments struggled to cope as families were bombed out. Ordinary people faced this carnage with extraordinary courage and resilience
The region's lost tramways, including Dick Joice's `Farewell to Trams', the Wisbech to Upwell tramway and Southend's Boulevard tram and pier train
From Carnaby Street to the Summer of Love, 'Swinging London' is being hailed as the centre of the world. Class and tradition are being challenged by a groovy new youth culture which embraces music, drugs and risqu� fashion, but underneath the surface, old problems like housing and racial tensions persist. From the 1966 World Cup to the anti-Vietnam riots, London experienced everything from mini-skirts to Billy Graham. This is a vivid, up-close-and-personal portrait of a turbulent era in a gre...
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