1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,960 Between the wars, a Bradshaw's was an essential guide 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,360 during a golden age of rail travel, when glamorous locomotives 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,360 travelled at world-record speed. 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:16,600 I'm using a 1930s edition to explore a discernibly modern era 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:17,880 of mass consumption... 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,280 Bravo! 7 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:24,160 ..when Art Deco cinemas and dancehalls entertained millions, 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,800 while industrial Britain was thrown into unemployment and poverty, 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,800 and storm clouds gathered across the Channel. 10 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,040 My rail journey resumes in Suffolk, the county that inspired 11 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,240 distinctive operatic music that could only come from Britain. 12 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,760 I'll examine influences from Italy and France, 13 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:21,120 as I cross Norfolk and enter the United Kingdom city 14 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:22,880 that's closest to Germany. 15 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,840 I'm exploring the east of England. 16 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,080 I started in Kent and visited the suburbs and Docklands of London 17 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,320 and the county of Essex. 18 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:38,160 I'll visit the cities and towns 19 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:39,440 of East Anglia, 20 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:41,400 and finish in Lincolnshire. 21 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:44,320 On this leg, I'll start 22 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:46,120 in Saxmundham in Suffolk, 23 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,320 before reaching the coastal resort of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. 24 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,080 I'll venture inland to the city of Norwich, 25 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,280 the historic regional capital of East Anglia. 26 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:02,200 Along the way, I'll experience 1930s seaside kitsch... 27 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,760 Do we know why they hit on the Venetian theme? 28 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,000 I think it was typically Yarmouth. 29 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 ..put my heart and soul into shoemaking... 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,360 I think I might try a different tack. 31 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,200 ..and meet one of the luckiest lord mayors in England... 32 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,680 Does your mind ever wander for a moment to the splendour 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:19,800 of the architecture? 34 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,360 Yes, and every time I walk into the building, quite frankly, 35 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,160 I have to pinch myself that I am sitting in that chair. 36 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,880 I've alighted at Saxmundham, a small market town a few miles 37 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,560 from the Suffolk coast. 38 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,920 It's the closest station to Snape Maltings. 39 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:57,560 Situated on the River Alde, the former malt house is surrounded 40 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,880 by marshland and golden reedbeds. 41 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,360 In the year that my guidebook was published, it was a hive 42 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,320 of industry, centred on the malting barley. 43 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,240 The following year, it became home to one of Britain's 44 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,040 greatest composers. 45 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:21,960 Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft in Suffolk in 1913 46 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,480 and moved to the Old Mill here in Snape in 1937, 47 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:31,640 before settling in nearby Aldeburgh in 1947 for the rest of his life, 48 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:35,760 where - according to Bradshaw's - he could enjoy "bracing breezes 49 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,040 "in a quiet little town". 50 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:43,200 He wrote of Suffolk, "The county is grand. None in England like it. 51 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,880 "I feel I'm infinitely wise in choosing this place." 52 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,680 In truth, it had first chosen him. 53 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,200 I'm visiting the maltings, where 17-year-old Olivia Ransome 54 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,560 studies during her school holidays. 55 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,840 MUSIC: Sailing, from Holiday Diary by Benjamin Britten 56 00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:22,280 Olivia, I'm Michael. Nice to meet you. 57 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:24,000 Tell me what you were playing. 58 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,480 So this is the second movement, Sailing, from Britten's suite 59 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,480 Holiday Diary, for solo piano. 60 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,640 When you play it, does it bring any images into your mind? 61 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,360 Well, certainly the image of the sea. 62 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,880 I mean, Britten lived by the sea, by the coast, 63 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,160 for a large portion of his life, and I think that really comes through. 64 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,360 There's never any sort of sense of threat from the sea. 65 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,800 It very much feels a friend of Britten's, I think, in this piece. 66 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,360 Benjamin Britten was a renowned pianist. 67 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,040 Are you tempted to compose yourself? 68 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,120 Yeah, I am, actually. 69 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,320 I'm a composer-pianist, a little like Britten. 70 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:02,320 And I think, certainly being here, his compositional process and taking 71 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,400 inspiration from the amazing scenery and that sort of thing 72 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,440 certainly is a huge inspiration. 73 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:15,320 In 1930, Britten, aged 16, won a scholarship to the Royal College 74 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,000 of Music, and left Suffolk for London. 75 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,920 In the early stages of his professional career, 76 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,160 he wrote music for television and films. 77 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,920 But he always longed to move back home. 78 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,720 David Edwards is an historian of Snape Maltings, and Roger Wright 79 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:35,360 is its chief executive. 80 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,320 David, Benjamin Britten came to Snape in, I think, 1937. 81 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,520 What's going on in his life by then? 82 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,160 Well, he's graduated from the Royal College of Music, and 83 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,320 he's already, at the age of 23, becoming quite well-known. 84 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,760 He's had some works broadcast on the BBC. 85 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,040 His parents have died, he's been left with a small legacy, 86 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:00,520 and he spends a weekend in Suffolk looking for somewhere to live. 87 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,320 And he comes across this old mill in Snape and thinks that 88 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:05,800 that will make a good home. 89 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,720 So he buys it in 1937. 90 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,840 And what can he see from the windows? 91 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:11,520 He sees Snape Maltings. 92 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,320 Also in 1937, Britten met singer Peter Pears, 93 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,720 who became his professional collaborator and life partner. 94 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,160 After working in the United States, Britten moved back to Suffolk 95 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:27,560 with Pears and composed some of his most famous works, 96 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,000 including the opera Peter Grimes, 97 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,680 inspired by a grim story concerning an Aldeburgh fisherman. 98 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,040 Then, in 1948, I think, he starts the Aldeburgh Festival. 99 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,480 Now, this strikes me as extraordinary because he's still 100 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:42,680 a very young man. 101 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,800 It really came about because he and his colleagues, Peter Pears 102 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,800 and Eric Crozier, were abroad at the time, and Peter Pears 103 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,360 famously said, you know, "Why are we having to go on the road 104 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,960 "all the time? Why can't we create a festival of our own?" 105 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,360 They were able to set something up pretty quickly, 106 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,280 using the Jubilee Hall and other places within Aldeburgh as the base 107 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,480 for the first festival in 1948. 108 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,360 And what about this building, the maltings at Snape? 109 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:09,880 Tell me what they did with it. 110 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,680 The Aldeburgh Festival had felt that they were running out of steam 111 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:18,640 really in Aldeburgh, so they were on the lookout for larger premises. 112 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,840 In 1965, this building became available, and they came and looked 113 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,200 at it and they had this inspiration that if they knocked down 114 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,320 the internal walls and put a new roof on, they could create 115 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,400 somewhere for music to be presented. 116 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:39,680 The concert hall was opened in 1967 by Her Majesty the Queen, 117 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,680 but two years later fire struck the maltings and it had to be rebuilt. 118 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:49,960 Since reopening in 1970, it's grown and is now an internationally 119 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,920 recognised music and arts complex. 120 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,200 Roger, do you feel a great responsibility here today to try and 121 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,880 fulfil some sort of dream that Pears and Benjamin had together? 122 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:06,680 The vision of Britten, that sense of this place being a place 123 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,120 for international music performance, a place to train young musicians, 124 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:16,200 a centre in which music is developed in a way which shows what music 125 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,480 can do for the common good, those are all parts of Britten's vision. 126 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,840 But I think what's happening now is that we're making them fit 127 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,160 for our times. 128 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,000 I'm leaving Suffolk for neighbouring Norfolk, 129 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,800 and its largest coastal town. 130 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,560 "No seaside resort," says Bradshaw's, 131 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:51,280 "more actively concerns itself in providing accommodation, 132 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,000 "amusements and attractions for its many visitors 133 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:56,760 "than Great Yarmouth. 134 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,760 "Abounding gaiety characterises the holiday season here." 135 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:06,400 It's true that the town has worked hard to renew its charms. 136 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:11,760 In the 1930s, tourists were enjoying a new feature which evoked 137 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,560 the city of the Rialto and the gondolier. 138 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,600 Great Yarmouth, with its seafront, theme parks and 139 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:32,680 glittering amusement arcades, seems a far cry from 140 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:34,040 the Queen of the Adriatic. 141 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,400 But on reclaimed land between the beach and the town is Yarmouth's 142 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,160 own little Venice. 143 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,640 After falling into disrepair, the gardens of waterways 144 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,640 have recently been restored to evoke their 1930s glory. 145 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,720 Darren Barker is a conservation officer at 146 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,320 Great Yarmouth Borough Council. 147 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,360 What brought about these Venetian waterways in Great Yarmouth? 148 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,640 They were created as an unemployment relief programme for soldiers 149 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,600 returning from the First World War. 150 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,200 The criteria for employment was that you had to be married 151 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,240 and have at least one child. 152 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,000 And the purpose was to try and fill the gap of the fishing industry, 153 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:23,360 which had collapsed. 154 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,560 So the town had huge levels of unemployment. 155 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:31,800 I think that just before the park started in 1926, there were over 156 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,720 30,000 people on the unemployment register. 157 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,840 Fishermen couldn't actually claim the dole or register as unemployed 158 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,840 because of the piecemeal nature of their work, 159 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,200 so they were particularly badly affected by it. 160 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,440 But the focus wasn't just about employment. 161 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:47,640 It was also about the tourist industry. 162 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,360 The town was already a tourist hotspot, 163 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,360 but this really was aimed at prolonging the season, 164 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:54,920 adding new attractions. 165 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,800 Now, I imagine that these hotels and houses here were already here. 166 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,760 So what were they looking out on before? 167 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:03,240 It was just sand dunes. 168 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,720 But this was sort of the quiet, undeveloped part of Great Yarmouth. 169 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,480 In 1926, construction began on the boating lake, 170 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,240 followed by the Venetian-style water gardens, 171 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,640 and over 400 jobs were created. 172 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:23,840 The gardens opened in August 1928, with the Royal Horticultural Society 173 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:28,840 praising the bold move away from traditional seaside bedding. 174 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,560 ARCHIVE: ..winding in and out of these gorgeous gardens. 175 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:34,320 Oh, I've never seen anything so lovely. 176 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:35,960 Look! 177 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:37,720 Did it work as a job creation scheme? 178 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,680 It worked for the 20 or so weeks to create employment. 179 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,080 But then, post-completion, it led onto a number of other jobs. 180 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:48,680 There was a team of gardeners, there were activities down here. 181 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:51,840 And do you know why they hit on the Venetian theme? 182 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,440 I mean, we've got a kind of Rialto Bridge over there. 183 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:56,200 I think it was typically Yarmouth. 184 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,560 There were truly strange and bizarre things here. 185 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:03,560 We had classical pipe music, there was illuminations, 186 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:06,920 we had boats with carved figureheads of animals. 187 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,840 And was it quite successful in terms of tourism? 188 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,440 It was incredibly successful. 189 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,480 Its heyday was in the 1930s and '40s, and we would have thousands 190 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:19,480 of visitors, travelling mostly by rail, to Great Yarmouth, 191 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,360 many of them specifically just to see the waterways. 192 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,840 Unfortunately, throughout the 20th century, 193 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:26,280 that started to decline. 194 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,760 And so when we started the project a few years ago, 195 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,080 it was really just a very sterile park. 196 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,400 It was still in use, but it was a pale imitation 197 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,080 of what it had been. 198 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:42,880 The restoration of the Grade II listed waterways began in June 2018 199 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,640 and cost £2.7 million. 200 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,560 It was made possible by a very large grant from the National Lottery 201 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:54,000 and supported by hundreds of local volunteers, who bedded in thousands 202 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,960 of new plants in the borders. 203 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,720 Ian, permission to blunder in? 204 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:00,920 Hi. Certainly. 205 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:02,920 Ian Guest is head gardener. 206 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:06,640 Ah. So what are you up to? 207 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,680 I'm just giving the beds a bit of an autumn tidy-up, 208 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:12,320 of weeds, and chopping off some of the dead heads. 209 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,760 I happen to have a spare pair of secateurs there for you. 210 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,880 Thank you very much indeed. 211 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:18,800 That's it. Yeah. Down here? 212 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,240 No, if you take them down... Oh, all the way to the bottom. 213 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:22,440 So just above the leaf there. 214 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,240 That's fine. 215 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,560 Now, Ian, I understand you've been replanting. 216 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:28,840 Yes. In line with the original plan? 217 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:30,120 Almost, yeah. 218 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,200 I mean, a lot of the plants do reflect that, but there's also some 219 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,000 plants have been added and are a little bit different, 220 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,680 because obviously new species and genuses have come on the market 221 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:42,120 in the 100 years or so, nearly, since this has been 222 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:43,760 planted, originally. 223 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,800 Are you able to offer opportunities to apprentices 224 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,720 and maybe to people out of work, in line with the original scheme? 225 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:51,160 Yes, we do. 226 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,920 We've got young Harry over there who was recently taken on 227 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,360 as an apprentice, and he's working over there with 228 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:58,720 our regular volunteer, Claire. 229 00:13:58,720 --> 00:13:59,960 Hello. 230 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:01,440 Claire, you're volunteering? 231 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,240 Yeah. You've been doing that for long? 232 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,880 Almost a year now. 233 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,840 And why? What do you get out of that? 234 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,520 As a child, I lived in Bedfordshire. 235 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,200 This was my holiday destination. 236 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,120 It was magical and beautiful and, moving here, 237 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,440 it had got into a right mess. 238 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,080 And soon as I found there was an opportunity to get in, help to 239 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,920 bring it back, get it better than it was, I was here. 240 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,160 And, Harry, you on the other hand, you're here as a professional? 241 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:30,960 Apprentice at most, yeah, for about two months or so. 242 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,560 Do you think you might be able to restore some of the magic 243 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:34,920 that Claire's been mentioning? 244 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:36,240 Oh, I definitely hope so. 245 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,440 It's one of the greatest gardens around I've seen. 246 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,320 Nice to see you both. Thank you so much. 247 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:41,520 Bye-bye now. 248 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,240 It may lack the romance of a stroll by the Grand Canal, 249 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,000 and there's not a gondola to be seen today, but I'm eager 250 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,880 to try a spot of boating. 251 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,520 Sculling about in this newly-restored boating lake is fun. 252 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,480 There must be people in Great Yarmouth, though, 253 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:05,840 who miss the old herring boats. 254 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:31,240 ANNOUNCEMENT: This train is for Norwich. We will be calling at... 255 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:32,760 Another day... 256 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:37,000 ..and I'm continuing my journey towards the heart of East Anglia. 257 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,040 The Industrial Revolution dates back to about 1760. 258 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,720 In the years that followed, with ingenuity and new technology, 259 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,640 machinery was applied to an increasing range of products. 260 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,760 Shoes fell into step quite late. 261 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:56,880 Only in 1792 did a cordwainer spy the opportunities 262 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,080 for mass production. 263 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:04,000 By the time of my guidebook, shoe factories abounded in his city, 264 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,200 employing a good chunk of the population. 265 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,880 I'm approaching Norwich. 266 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,800 The historic city of Norwich 267 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,440 is centred on a 12th century Norman castle 268 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,440 and a magnificent cathedral, 269 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,040 with one of the tallest spires in England. 270 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,080 During the Middle Ages, 58 churches were built within the confines 271 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,840 of the city walls, financed by wealthy local merchants. 272 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,360 By the 14th century, Norwich was one of the most prosperous 273 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,560 commercial centres outside London. 274 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,720 These beautiful streets hint at Norwich's medieval wealth. 275 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,680 The fields around here were full of sheep 276 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,360 and the North Sea offered easy export markets. 277 00:17:08,360 --> 00:17:10,200 And when wool declined, 278 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,160 the skills with a needle could be applied to shoemaking. 279 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,600 And so, the thread of industry was passed on. 280 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,600 By the time of my Bradshaw's, Norwich had reinvented itself 281 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,640 as the shoemaking capital of Britain. 282 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,120 One of the oldest footwear firms from the city 283 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:34,080 is Bowhill & Elliott, established in 1874. 284 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,040 Roger Jury owns the family business. 285 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,240 Roger, I'm Michael. Good morning. 286 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:40,800 Very good to see you. 287 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,800 Now, how big was shoemaking in Norwich at its peak? 288 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,840 It was probably the biggest industry in the area. 289 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,360 Norwich was one of the three main centres for shoemaking, 290 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:54,280 there's Northampton, Leicester and Norwich. 291 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,760 Norwich was more specialising in ladies' shoes. 292 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,200 And my theory around that is that... 293 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,000 In Norfolk, you've probably heard of the term wool churches? 294 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,440 Lots of big churches were built around the wool industry. 295 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:12,760 A by-product of the wool industry is sheepskin and sheep leather, 296 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,480 and they're more suitable for ladies' shoes, 297 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,080 as opposed to men's shoes, 298 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,160 which were generally made in Northampton. 299 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,760 In Norwich, should I be thinking about big shoe factories, 300 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,560 historically, or am I thinking about lots and lots of small ones? 301 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,120 Well, I think on their scale, they were big factories. 302 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,680 There was a huge number of people employed in the city at that time. 303 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,200 10,000 in the 1930s. 304 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,800 It may have been more than that at its peak. 305 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,960 After the First World War, the growth of the industry in Norwich 306 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,960 was fuelled by a change in women's fashions 307 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,280 and the increasing popularity of dancing. 308 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,080 Previously, skirts had been full length, but in the Roaring Twenties, 309 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,080 hemlines climbed, and shoes were on show. 310 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:02,800 The Louis heel, once designed for King Louis XIV of France, 311 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,840 became fashionable again. 312 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:09,440 Norwich factories did well by specialising in the production 313 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,240 of this popular design. 314 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,560 Is there anyone left in Norwich making footwear? 315 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,080 Yes. We make a product on the premises here, 316 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,160 and I'd love to show it to you. Thank you very much. 317 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:19,280 Follow me. 318 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,080 Satin lining, a quilt satin lining, so it's very, very comfortable. 319 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,240 And the soles are leather, with brass slugs in here, 320 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,960 so that when the heel wears, it wears nice and evenly. 321 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:36,720 So you can wear it in your house. 322 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,120 You don't get marks, nasty marks on the floor. 323 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:41,240 You can wear them with your tuxedo. 324 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,720 You can wear them for parties. 325 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,200 And, of course, on sleeper trains. 326 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,680 And on sleeper trains. 327 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,560 So, Michael, this is where we make our slippers. 328 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,360 Everything is made by hand. 329 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:54,400 So it's a hand-lasting process. 330 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,280 Oh, a last is the kind of mould. 331 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,120 The last is the mould, traditionally made of wood, 332 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:02,880 but these are made with plastic, they're more durable. 333 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,600 Although some of the lasts we've had here are over 60 years old. 334 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,160 So, we're going to get you to have a go at part of the process. 335 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:10,680 This is called seat lasting, 336 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,280 because we're lasting the back part the slipper. 337 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,680 And the idea is you have to pick a tack up with the pincers. 338 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:18,920 Yeah. 339 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,600 And then put it into the seat. 340 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,080 You have to pull the material tight. 341 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,280 Just picking up a tack is quite tricky. It is a skill. 342 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,520 Ah, I've got a tack. Where should I put that? 343 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,360 Put it in there, yes. You need to push the fabric over, 344 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,120 so it's tight. Push it in. 345 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:40,800 Hm, not as easy as it looks. No. 346 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,560 Traditionally, people used to keep tacks in their mouths, 347 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,680 but they're not allowed to do that any more. 348 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:49,480 Has this process changed much, 349 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,280 or has it lasted from generation to generation? 350 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,440 This is a very traditional way of making shoes. 351 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,080 But in a modern factory, this would be done by a machine. 352 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,520 And it would be done in... 353 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,360 ..quicker than you can pick one tack up. 354 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,960 Fantastic. Now, we need about another ten in there. 355 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:09,320 I think I might try... 356 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,720 ..a different tack. THEY LAUGH 357 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,280 "In the reign of Edward the Confessor," says my Bradshaw's, 358 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,480 "Norwich was one of the largest towns in the kingdom. 359 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,080 "The splendid cathedral possesses some of the most impressive 360 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:41,680 "Norman work in England. Antiquity abounds in this Old World city." 361 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,720 So, this might seem a strange place to come in search 362 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,080 of outstanding 20th century architecture. 363 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,480 But maybe because of the quality of its historic buildings, 364 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:56,240 the city of Norwich demanded excellence in design, too. 365 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,440 Norwich City Hall, which overlooks the famous covered market, 366 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,520 was opened in 1938. 367 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,320 It's one of the finest examples of British interwar architecture. 368 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,000 It's a privilege for me to be shown around the building 369 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,160 by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Vaughan Thomas. 370 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,760 My Lord Mayor, what a magnificent council chamber. Yes. 371 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,760 I'm wondering, how did Norwich take the decision that it was going 372 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,720 to have a big new city hall in the 1930s? 373 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,240 Basically, the responsibilities for the local authorities had become 374 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,280 really quite immense. We needed more space, more office space, 375 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:43,880 and we were about ready for it. 376 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:45,640 But it was a long time coming, 377 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,840 from the early 1900s to when it was actually built in 19... 378 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,040 ..or finished building it in 1938. 379 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,600 It was really quite controversial, not everybody wanted it. 380 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,840 And there was quite a few protests from quite distinguished people 381 00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,400 who were against it. The design was pared back a little bit. 382 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,160 The original one had an angel on the top of the tower. 383 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,560 And somebody didn't even want the tower. But we eventually got there. 384 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,520 It strikes me as very bold of Norwich. I mean, Norwich is famous 385 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,400 for its cathedral and its castle, its ancient architecture, 386 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,160 its medieval streets. So bold to go for an Art Deco building. 387 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,640 Yes, it certainly was. It's about making a statement. 388 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:23,160 And also facilitating functioning local authority, the city council. 389 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,560 For the previous five centuries, 390 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,120 the city's administrative departments 391 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:30,600 were based at the medieval guildhall. 392 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,080 On the 29th of October, 1938, 393 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,280 the new Art Deco city hall was inaugurated by King George VI 394 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,040 and Queen Elizabeth, witnessed by large crowds. 395 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,440 Now, what strikes me - I've just taken a short walk through 396 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,200 the building - is that everything is perfect. So, the fenestration has 397 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:51,520 been maintained, these glass panels, the columns, the chandeliers. 398 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,520 Everything is in perfect condition. 399 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,880 Yes, it's a Grade II listed building, we can't touch it. 400 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:57,480 We wouldn't want to touch it. 401 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,640 And when you sit, as I imagine you do in that big chair there... 402 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,400 Yes. ..paying attention to the debate, of course. 403 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,360 Of course. But does your mind ever wander for a moment to the splendour 404 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:08,720 of the architecture? Yes, it certainly does. 405 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,000 And every time I walk into the building, quite frankly. 406 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,800 And I have to pinch myself that I am sitting in that chair! 407 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,720 I'm aware that Norwich was quite badly bombed during World War II. 408 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,880 Presumably, a building as big as this must have been hit? 409 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,520 No. We were very lucky. It was just like St Paul's. 410 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,200 It didn't get hit at all. 411 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,920 During the war, there was a rumour, a rumour that Hitler wanted 412 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,280 the city hall as his regional command centre. But the city itself 413 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,440 did suffer severely with bombing, I have to say. 414 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,560 Now, one thing I did notice... 415 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,240 ..an incredibly long balcony on the facade of the building. 416 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:45,120 Yes. And I thought I might take a little promenade along there. 417 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,680 OK, yeah. We'll risk assess it first, of course! 418 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,320 Let's do that! 419 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,000 The building's exterior design 420 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,960 was influenced by the national romantic style, 421 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,320 popular in Scandinavia in the early 20th century, 422 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,920 and comparisons are often made with Stockholm's City Hall. 423 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,280 The balcony, stretching almost the entire length 424 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,360 of the front of the building, is 61 metres long. 425 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,400 Wow! I don't think I've ever seen a balcony like it. 426 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,080 No. It's one of the longest in Europe. 427 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,840 The market is, indeed, very, very beautiful. So colourful. 428 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:22,960 Yes. And it's quite controversial, actually, 429 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,360 when the city hall was being constructed, 430 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:27,920 there was a proposal to move it out of this area 431 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:29,320 during the construction phase. 432 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,040 But there was a fear, a doubt that it would never come back. 433 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,080 So there was protests and it stayed where it is today. 434 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,880 So there's a good dab of scepticism 435 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:38,880 in the Norwich population, you think? 436 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,920 Yes. I'm not the only doubting Thomas. 437 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:42,640 And having seen your wonderful balcony, 438 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,080 I think I might take a walk around down there. OK. 439 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,000 BELL CHIMES 440 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,240 May I intrude at this vital moment? 441 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:03,480 Can I just pop in here? 442 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:04,680 Hello. Hello, mate. 443 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,200 My name's Michael. Nice to meet you, Michael. Mark. Heather. 444 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:08,960 Hello, Heather. 445 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,640 So, playing backgammon in the market, 446 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,080 are you part of the market? 447 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:14,760 Yeah, I've got a stall over there. 448 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,280 That's my stall over there, look. 449 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:17,760 Oh, so you're rivals? 450 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:18,880 Friends. Yes. 451 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:20,840 Rivals and friends. Friends. 452 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,160 And you get together for backgammon? Yeah, we do. 453 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:24,760 When we're idling in the afternoons. 454 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:25,840 THEY LAUGH 455 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:27,120 Are you proud of your market? 456 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:29,200 Oh, ever so. We've just won a national award 457 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,480 as the best outdoor market in the country. 458 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,680 Country. Not just England. Country. So that's nice. 459 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,200 That's very nice. Yeah, very nice. Why do you think you won? 460 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,480 I think there's a good range of stalls on here now. 461 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,640 They're quite diverse. There's lot of street food. 462 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,800 And you get to see people playing backgammon. 463 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,200 I think you're about to win. 464 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,840 Hey! I think he is. Bye. 465 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,680 When ships were the main form of transport, 466 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,680 East Anglia flourished. 467 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:09,880 Norwich was a major city. 468 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,120 Great Yarmouth had substantial medieval walls. 469 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:16,560 But the railways changed the terms of trade. 470 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,640 London became the hub 471 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,600 and Norfolk and Suffolk were left out on a limb. 472 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,160 Those counties have had to repeatedly reinvent themselves. 473 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:27,800 Shoes came to Norwich, 474 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:32,120 but then waned to be supplemented by financial services. 475 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:36,560 Great Yarmouth followed the changing tourist fashions. 476 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,240 Benjamin Britten, the Suffolk lad who never left, 477 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,760 bequeathed a cultural centre of global repute. 478 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,600 Next time, I'll open the floodgates... 479 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,280 Engineering on a big scale. 480 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,320 And I wouldn't want to raise that by hand, I don't think. 481 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,320 ..I'll say "hi-de-hi" to the Redcoats... 482 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,440 You look great! Ta-rah! 483 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:11,360 ..and witnessed the phenomenal power of a Typhoon. 484 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:13,640 The Typhoon has started its journey along the runway. 485 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,440 Within a few seconds, it is airborne!