0:00:03 > 0:00:04Meet the Ellis family.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Lesley, John,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Caitlin, Freya,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15and Harvey.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This Bradford family of five are about
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to embark on a time-travelling adventure.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It's 1925.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27To discover how changing food eaten in the north of England...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That is Scouse.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33..can reveal what life was like... COUGHS
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I think perhaps I do need to work on my frying technique!
0:00:36 > 0:00:40..for working class families over the past century.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42- I think it's just potato pie. - I think so.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- Chicken feet!- Urgh!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48- From regional classics... - Pan Haggerty for tea.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52We'll have two chip naans.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54..to dishes that expanded our horizons.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58I'm so happy! Honestly, this is like amazing!
0:00:58 > 0:01:02The Ellises' own home is their time machine, transporting them
0:01:02 > 0:01:05through a different era each week.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's 1985!
0:01:07 > 0:01:08They'll experience the ups...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12- ..and downs... - What the heck is tripe?!
0:01:14 > 0:01:16..of work...
0:01:16 > 0:01:18This is so hard!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20..rest...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23GUNSHOT ..and play...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26LAUGHTER
0:01:26 > 0:01:29..as they fast forward through 100 years of northern history...
0:01:34 > 0:01:37..and still get back in time for tea.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39ENGINE STARTS
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Welcome to Yorkshire,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59land of rolling dales, cradle of the Industrial Revolution,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and home of the Ellis family from Bradford.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08This ordinary family of five are about to travel back in time
0:02:08 > 0:02:09to 1918.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I want the kids to experience what life was like for my grandma.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And I want to experience what life was like for my grandma too.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21I think that'll be amazing.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25For one summer, their lives will be turned upside down.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Don't use your fingers.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29From the jobs they do to the house they live in,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and the food they eat, everything will be different.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36And I'll be on hand to guide them through it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I feel so excited about running this great northern
0:02:41 > 0:02:43time travelling adventure.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I mean, when I think about the food I ate growing up, from warming black
0:02:46 > 0:02:49peas to the ultimate comfort food of a pasty barm,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I really think there's no better way of telling the unique
0:02:52 > 0:02:55story of the north, than through food.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59And there's no better place to start than 1918, 100 years ago.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01World War I has just ended
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and the north is on the cusp of great transformation.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The Ellises are going back to a time when the north of England
0:03:11 > 0:03:14was the beating heart of the British economy.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16And industries like steel,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20coal and textiles shaped the lives of millions.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25So the family are moving out
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and the builders are moving in,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32transforming their modern house into one more typical of the time.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39An average working class home in 1918 would have been a two up,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43two down, with a floor space of about 500 square feet.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46To replicate this, we are slicing the Ellises' spacious home in half.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Their comfy lounge is now a sparsely furnished front room.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Their bright kitchen diner is smaller, plain and functional.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And their large garden has shrunk to a modest cobbled yard.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Social historian Polly Russell is helping me
0:04:07 > 0:04:09set the stage for the Ellis family.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14Oh!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Ooh!- Wow! Look at this.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21I know it sounds ridiculous, it looks incredibly old-fashioned,
0:04:21 > 0:04:22- doesn't it?- Yeah, it really does!
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's not very cosy, is it? What did they use it for?
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Well, it's sort of more sort of special occasions.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32If your doctor's coming, if your family are coming to visit.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- Oh, so slightly more formal room. - Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36They've not got many things.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39What they have got, they've taken really good care of, haven't they?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Those books... Nice.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44This is a time of really high literacy.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I mean, I feel like I'm betraying my people because I presumed
0:04:47 > 0:04:50that working class people wouldn't have been able to read.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Trying to better yourself was part of the culture.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Look, from Bradford Library. From 1918!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I'm not taking this back. The fines on this!
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Oh, my gosh! We've stolen half of their kitchen.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Oh, look! This is a beast right here, isn't it?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Obviously, we couldn't give the Ellis family
0:05:15 > 0:05:18a 100-year-old range, but this is what it would have looked like.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Lots of the cooking is done on the stove top. Frying and boiling,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25using the oven not all the time
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- because that's a bucket of money down there.- Look, this is gorgeous!
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Got Bovril, we've got Oxo cubes, condensed milk.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35And then Bird's custard. So we've got a couple of brands.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40- Not many there.- There are brands around, but they're more expensive.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It doesn't scream "intense flavours".
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The working class diet would tend to be about making sure you've
0:05:46 > 0:05:49got enough to eat, rather than fancy.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Make sure you've got energy, so it would just be fuel.- Exactly.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I mean, for a family of five, there's not loads of stuff, is there?
0:06:01 > 0:06:05In 1918, soldiers returned from the front to a hero's welcome
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and many working class men won the right to vote.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13There was plenty of work to go round in the towns of the industrial
0:06:13 > 0:06:17north, as Britain rebuilt itself after the war.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22But with 50% of wages spent on food,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24there was rarely any money left over for lean times.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30In a world of financial ups and downs,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33making the most of what you had was essential.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35For perishables, come over here.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- We've got this.- Oh! - This is your fridge of 1918.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You've got slate down here to keep it cold.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45So is that butter?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It's margarine, probably, in a working class house
0:06:48 > 0:06:50because it's less expensive than butter.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Unfortunately, it doesn't have vitamin A in it, so they get less
0:06:53 > 0:06:58nutrients than their middle class equivalents, who are eating butter.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Everything's about managing the household really carefully
0:07:01 > 0:07:03and nothing going to waste.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Leftover bones, of course, made into a small flute.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I know that's a thing in your house.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Everything the Ellis family eat during the inter-war
0:07:12 > 0:07:15years will be guided by historical data from the time.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18For this period, we're going to use the Sumner Report
0:07:18 > 0:07:22and this was a government survey conducted into the cost
0:07:22 > 0:07:24of living for working class families.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And this sets out what the average family is spending on food.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34I mean, the first number that jumps out is that 26 pounds of bread.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It's an enormous amount of bread.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Also, you look down, potatoes as well.
0:07:38 > 0:07:4120 pounds of potatoes every week.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I mean, it's stodge-heavy, which is why I love it!
0:07:44 > 0:07:46But where are the vegetables?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Well, yeah, really simple, down to cost.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The price of vegetables had gone up on average by 200% over
0:07:51 > 0:07:54the period of the war years.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58How do you think the family are going to feel about this diet?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Probably a bit challenging.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07It's time for the Ellises to step back 100 years to 1918.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I'm nervous about actually cooking things that I've never
0:08:13 > 0:08:15cooked before.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19I'm expecting it to be quite fun, but challenging at the same
0:08:19 > 0:08:25time because back in them days, it was like a difficult life.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29This will be the first time the family see their transformed home.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Oh, Good Lord!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's half a house!
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Oh, my God!
0:08:37 > 0:08:38It's so weird!
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Oh!
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Oh, my word!
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Oh, Good Lord!
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- Clearly, we couldn't afford good wallpaper.- Oh!
0:08:50 > 0:08:52LAUGHTER
0:08:54 > 0:08:56That's crazy!
0:09:00 > 0:09:03You really notice the half house when you come into here.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04I'm confused!
0:09:04 > 0:09:08So, I've got an oven and I've got coal.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Is it like a steam train?
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- Corned beef.- Condensed milk. Oh!
0:09:15 > 0:09:18My mum talks about having condensed milk on toast!
0:09:18 > 0:09:21When she was a little girl.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- Bacon!- That ain't enough bacon to feed me alone.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Shall we go outside?
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Oh, no!
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- Do you know what that is? - A pasta maker?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- It's for the washing. - I am not using that every day!
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Oh, my God!
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- What do you think's in there? - I hope that ain't a toilet.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Shall we have a look?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- Oh! - LAUGHTER
0:09:51 > 0:09:55The majority of homes in 1918 had outside toilets
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and baths were taken by the kitchen stove.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00But rents were at least affordable.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04A tenth of northern workers' income, compared with about 30% today.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It's time to give the Ellises the lowdown on their 1918 life.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Hello, lovely Ellis family.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- Hi!- Hi!
0:10:18 > 0:10:21How are you all doing? You all look quite shiny-faced and shocked!
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- That's probably a good way of describing it.- Have a pew.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27So, shall we find out what you're up to, then?
0:10:27 > 0:10:31So, first off, then, John, you're going to be working down the mill.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37- Oh, right.- It's dangerous, but it's skilled, so your wages reflect that.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Also, at home, because you're the highest wage earner,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42you get the biggest portions of food.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46They've got to look after you, so you can look after them, basically.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- Right.- Now then, Lesley, you also work down the mill.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51But not quite as skilled as John.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54So, girls, I'm afraid, college, university, no chance.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You're working as well, down the textile mill.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59You're 13, aren't you, Harvey?
0:10:59 > 0:11:02So that means that you've got to stay in school for another year.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Believe me, you don't want to be rushing into the workplace.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07This is your manual.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11This will tell you everything, the way that people lived,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14worked, played, the way they ate. It's all in here.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Also, we've got to clarify, it's breakfast
0:11:17 > 0:11:19and then it's your dinner and then it's your tea.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- The correct way.- The correct way.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Whether making dinner or tea, expensive cookery books were
0:11:28 > 0:11:32no substitute for tips from a friend or neighbour.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Recipes were passed along by word of mouth,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38or cut out of local newspapers and magazines.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- Caitlin, you're helping me cook tea. - God save us all!
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Lesley and Caitlin are following a recipe for onion
0:11:45 > 0:11:50and bacon roly-poly, taken from My Weekly magazine.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56- Right, so, we want two onions... - I'm going to cry.- ..grated.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Mum?- Yeah?- How do you cut an onion?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02SHE SIGHS
0:12:02 > 0:12:06How can you not know how to peel an onion?!
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Come here, let me show you. - OK, good, thanks.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Right? Then you can start peeling it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Tonight's tea is made with suet. Wrapped in scraps of cotton,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21it was known in the north as rag pudding.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Mix the pepper, half the salt and herbs.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The Ellises are lucky enough to have some bacon in theirs.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31One of the cheapest meats available,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34it was a staple of working class meals.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I really hope this table's sanitary.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42The next step was to roll and then boil the pudding for about an hour.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44OK, there we go.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Right.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50With money tight, the kitchen wasn't the only place scraps were put to good use.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52We're going to make a go-kart.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- Did these used to be dangerous? - They can be.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Sometimes, you have to take your foot off and put on the floor,
0:12:59 > 0:13:00so that it slows you down.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04But then your mum and dad tell you off cos you wear your shoes out.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08With no TV or mobile phones,
0:13:08 > 0:13:111918 families had to make their own entertainment.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13That's it.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I'm reigning champion at this.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I'll show you. That's it.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Although, perhaps not all dads hogged the toys!
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Catch me, Harvey! Come on! Catch me!
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Come on!
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Champion!
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Tea's ready!
0:13:32 > 0:13:34I have no idea how to serve this.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39It's not very well presented, is it?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I don't think you've got time to worry about presentation.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Yeah, we're all hungry.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47You have the lion's share, I do believe.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Mr Man of the House.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- I'd rather take that comment back! - You want a bit more, don't you?
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- Urgh! Do I?- Yeah.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- Right, I don't really want much. - LAUGHTER
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The texture's slimy. It's hard to get past.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Because it's been cooked in water,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18that's why it's got that sort of slimy texture.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- If it had been baked... - You should have baked it.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23I'd have had to put the oven on.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And you'd have to use more coal and it's very expensive.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Yeah, but it's worth it over this.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen today.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And it's starting to feel more homely and cosy
0:14:40 > 0:14:43and sort of a hub, a family hub.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53It's 5:30am and workers like the Ellises need to be up early,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56but if you couldn't afford an alarm clock, there was an alternative.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'On the windows of the great industrial towns of Britain,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'the rapping of the dawn knocker up called the faithful
0:15:03 > 0:15:05'to their lathes and drop hammers.'
0:15:07 > 0:15:09It's 1919!
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Families with a long working day ahead needed a good
0:15:13 > 0:15:15meal inside them.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Lesley's serving up tea, boiled eggs and yesterday's bread.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I feel like I'll break a tooth, eating this bread!
0:15:26 > 0:15:30There's just enough time to put on their clogs, before heading
0:15:30 > 0:15:34down to the mill, where the machines turn over at 6.30 sharp.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39In the north, there's mills everywhere.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41My great-grandma worked in the mill.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45It'll be really interesting to just step in her footsteps.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48In the early 20th century, many northern towns
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and cities were characterised by a single industry.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57In Bradford, two-thirds of the town worked in the textile mill
0:15:57 > 0:15:59six days a week.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Sheffield was known as Steel City and Liverpool had its docks.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08A third of all British workers were employed in the manufacturing
0:16:08 > 0:16:12sector, which was the driving force behind the national economy.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17WHIRRING
0:16:19 > 0:16:23John is working in a part of the mill known as the Devil's Hole.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25It's pretty tough.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27It's hot.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30He's feeding waste cotton into fast-moving spikes,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33which break it down into usable fibres.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38With the fibres, you feel as though you want a drink all the time.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39It's very thirsty work.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43The job was all about speed and ignoring the dangers.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The more that I do, the more that I get paid,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48so it doesn't motivate me to stop.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50I'm just going to keep going.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53A Devil's Hole worker with all ten of his fingers would get
0:16:53 > 0:16:55called lazy.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58This is so hard!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Argh! - I'm getting better at this.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I'm cottoning on!
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Caitlin, Freya and Lesley are working on the spinning floor,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13where cotton fibres are transformed into workable thread.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16On a busy production line, every second counted.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20If I go for a drink, just for a few minutes,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and the machine stops, I am letting the rest of the chain down.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26So then that's a lot of pressure on one person.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32By mid-morning, 16-year-old girls like Freya would have already
0:17:32 > 0:17:34clocked up five hours' work.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41I think it's a bit of a hard life, like, being my age in this time.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I don't know how they did it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It's dinner time.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Local bakeries employed kids like Harvey as delivery boys,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57even if it meant skipping school to earn a few pennies.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I just want a meal deal.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03And as if by magic! Hello!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Oh, look at that! Thank you.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- So, what have we got, guys? - Do you think it's potato pie?
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Pie's a northern thing.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Do you think?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Well, we invent the best stuff, so, yeah.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20I don't think it's just northern though, is it?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Maybe pies are a working class thing.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28To low-paid manual workers,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32pies meant a hot meal without the need for a costly plate.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34And they needed the calories. By the end of the day,
0:18:34 > 0:18:40a 1919 mill worker would have put in a very physical 10-hour shift.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Men's work ended at the gates,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46but for Bradford's married women who were working full-time,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50food shopping and making the tea still lay ahead.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54- Your go.- One three. - Cheat, I've got all threes.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56OK, me lovelies.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00I need some space in the kitchen. Caitlin, you're helping me make tea.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Right! Caitlin...
0:19:07 > 0:19:08This is it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Tripe.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13What the heck is tripe?!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- A kind of meat. - What kind of meat, though?
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's from a cow.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Look at it! That's so disgusting!
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Looks like fish. Ew!
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Made from the lining of a cow's stomach, tripe was pre-boiled
0:19:27 > 0:19:32and bleached in specialist shops and sold on every northern high street.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Manchester alone had 260 tripe shops.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39It's very pleasant to cut, anyway. It slices easily.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Makes some weird noises.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It's got a life of its own!
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Full of protein, quick to prepare and very cheap.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51At home, women only had to re-boil it before following their own recipe.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- Smells disgusting. - What does it smell of?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Cows. - SHE LAUGHS
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Tonight, Lesley and Caitlin are making traditional Yorkshire tripe,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03a baked dish with cheese and potato.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The peelings of which are being put to good use outside.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Right!
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Du-nuh!
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- What is that? - That is...- Fish pie?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Kind of. Without the fish.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26- But with tripe.- Yeah.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- That doesn't look too bad. - Do you all know what tripe is?
0:20:30 > 0:20:31It might be a northern classic,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35but none of the Ellises have ever tried it before.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Do you think this used to be a weekly dish?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Oh, my God!- Yeah.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- I'd have been working away on that night!- It smells really bad!
0:20:44 > 0:20:49I see what you mean. Right, me and you, on countdown.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54- This is stressing. - Ready? One, two, three.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57SQUEALS
0:21:02 > 0:21:03Look at his face!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05It's the chewiness and cowiness.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08If mum doesn't like it, you know it's bad!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11No, he's going to be sick.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12You all right?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- This is bad. - LAUGHTER
0:21:16 > 0:21:19You don't say!
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- I'm still chewing! - LAUGHTER
0:21:25 > 0:21:27The texture of the food was horrible,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30like the texture just made you gip.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And like, the flavour, I can't really describe it.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Guys?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It's 1921!
0:21:46 > 0:21:51The post-war boom was over and unemployment quadrupled.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Many working class men in the north lost their jobs.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- We haven't got any food. - So, what do we actually
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- have for breakfast? - Is that bacon on there?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- One rasher.- That's me. I'm sorted.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06There was no redundancy package.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11The most workers could expect was to be paid till the end of the week.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Every scrap of food had to be stretched further.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Lesley's making Wigan shape.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23A single slice of bacon is fried and pressed on to each person's bread,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26before the precious rasher is given to the head of the household.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- That's yours.- Look at that!
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Hey!
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's surprising what you can make out of a bit of bread
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and a bit of fat.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36It is tasty. It's actually really nice!
0:22:36 > 0:22:39But it's somewhat lacking in protein.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42We're going to be eating bread all the time.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Not only will you get bored of it,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48but it's also going to have some effects on your body and health.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Times were hard, but there was one event that lifted northern spirits.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04The 1921 Kangaroo Tour saw an Australasian rugby league side
0:23:04 > 0:23:09take a trip round the north, playing against all the top local teams.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11With tickets costing only a few pennies,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14thousands could afford to watch them play.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- I'll wreck you.- You'll try.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Back in my day, I were good. - All right, whatever.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Let's see.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23No sport defined the differences between north
0:23:23 > 0:23:25and south better than rugby.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Great throw, Dad! - Down south, they played union,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30a gentleman's game for unpaid amateurs.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- That's it!- Up north, it was semi-professional league,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37with teams of working lads who couldn't afford to play for free.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- You got me!- The rugby league players were working class heroes.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Played it a little bit better than I do.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Oh, what a catch, lad!
0:23:51 > 0:23:53After the Australasian matches,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57both teams were treated to a slap up meal, and I've sent Lesley the menu
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and ingredients to recreate one.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05Monday January the 17th 1921, Leeds Football Club complementary dinner.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- So this must be the rugby team. - That's cool.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14We've got fillet of beef, garnished with pommes chez nous.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17These would have been working class boys that work in the mill,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19in the mines, during the day.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- I wonder what they thought of things written in French.- I don't know.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28A fillet of beef cost around a quarter of a working man's
0:24:28 > 0:24:31daily wage. So to families like the Ellises,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35this cut would be about as common as pommes chez nous.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I want to get this beef on ASAP.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43The beef is braised with vegetables in a sauce flavoured
0:24:43 > 0:24:45with an old Yorkshire favourite.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- What's that? - It's mucky dripping.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51What's dripping?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Well, when you cook a joint of beef, all the fat renders out of it
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and all the flavour from the beef,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and that's what they called mucky dripping.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- Urgh!- And it's really, really delicious.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- Just have a taste.- No! - Just have a taste.- Urgh, no!
0:25:06 > 0:25:07- Stop it!- Mm!
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I'm really, really looking forward to eating this meat!
0:25:11 > 0:25:15The potatoes chez nous are made from mash and breadcrumbs
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and flavoured with cheese and nutmeg.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21If only I had my food processor, these would be fabulous breadcrumbs.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26So, five potato doughnuts in there. What are you doing there?
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Trying to balance one on my arm, so I can do more than one at a time.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The last ingredient is a luxurious egg, baked into each one.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43This is the first joint of meat
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and the biggest meal the family have eaten so far.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50- It's a welcome respite from bread and lard.- You all right?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Yeah, I'm just like mesmerised by all this food.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I can't stop looking at the meat.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- It's really nice. - Them egg things are really good!
0:26:00 > 0:26:04But wonder what it must have felt like for those poor rugby boys,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09who all they've ever eaten before is what we've been eating.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Tripe and really basic stuff.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I think it would have been really interesting for them to come
0:26:14 > 0:26:19back and tell people how good food can be.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Do you think they'd go back for seconds?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23I would!
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It was just really refreshing to have something that wasn't bread.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's 1925!
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Guys, listen to this.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53"Ugly scenes marked the first day of the textile industry
0:26:53 > 0:26:55"strike at Bradford yesterday.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59"The strike has arisen over the 5% reduction in wages
0:26:59 > 0:27:03"and about 50,000 Bradford workers are concerned."
0:27:03 > 0:27:0850,000 people is a colossal amount. It's not just 5% for one
0:27:08 > 0:27:10individual, it's families, you know?
0:27:10 > 0:27:13So it's a wider impact, really.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17In an attempt to deal with Britain's faltering economy,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill had returned
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Britain to the gold standard.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26It overvalued the pound and British exports suffered.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31In response, mill owners cut wages and during the resulting strike,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34many families had no money coming in at all.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Keep going.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38So if the Ellises are going to have any tea tonight,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41it's up to John and Harvey to catch it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Oh! He's going to bite me! - Is it 'eck, going to bite you!
0:27:48 > 0:27:51You just hold it like that and then when you get to the wall,
0:27:51 > 0:27:52you let go, yeah?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55So, are you ready?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Oh, got on my line.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Nice!
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Oh!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Went through my finger.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07That's it!
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Not really.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- Hopefully get something before the sun goes down, eh?- Mm.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18If your angling skills weren't up to scratch...
0:28:21 > 0:28:25..you could still get a cheap meal, if you knew the right people.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Those who escaped the gamekeeper might take
0:28:31 > 0:28:33payment in kind for their catch.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38We've had a great time fishing, me and Harvey.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41So I just thought we'd give you what we've caught.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Have you been fishing in park lake? - Yes. Brilliant.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Look how big it is.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Oh, my God!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53You've even...
0:28:54 > 0:28:55What?
0:28:55 > 0:28:57That ain't a fish!
0:28:57 > 0:28:58It's a rabbit.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00With fur!
0:29:00 > 0:29:02I always wanted a rabbit.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- I did, too! - You've got one now, love!
0:29:05 > 0:29:07LAUGHTER
0:29:16 > 0:29:18OK, bunny.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20OK, I'm sorry.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24I'm quite cross with myself for being so...
0:29:26 > 0:29:33..squeamish about it because, I feel sure that if I was starving,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38hungry, I would be grateful for this.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42I guess people had to do whatever they could to feed the children.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46It's just done a poo.
0:29:46 > 0:29:47I can't say I blame it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52While Lesley's got her hands full, Caitlin
0:29:52 > 0:29:54and Freya are doing their bit for the family.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Try and get as much soap in there as you can.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59And then we'll get the dolly on it.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Until the strike's over, they're taking in washing to make ends meet.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Why do you think it's called a dolly?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Cos it looks like a doll, doesn't it?
0:30:08 > 0:30:10A wooden doll. Going like that.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12It is like hard work.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15This is probably why middle class people get other people
0:30:15 > 0:30:17to do it for them.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19What, poor people like us?
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Argh!
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Well, if you don't lose a finger, you aren't doing it right!
0:30:24 > 0:30:26That's what they say at the mill!
0:30:29 > 0:30:32I don't think I've ever been as bad at something in my life!
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Look at that sheet! We are the laughing stock of the working class!
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Here we go. We've got rabbit fricassee!
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- Thank you.- Is that the most you could get out of the rabbit?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Yeah, there's very little meat on a rabbit.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Looking at it now, it's still just meat, isn't it?
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Like any other meat.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01It must have been hard to know that you have to go out and catch
0:31:01 > 0:31:04food and if you don't catch it, then you're going to starve.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- Yeah. - Tastes really nice. Thank you.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08So, who's having the last bit, then?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I think you should have it, man of the house.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Thanks for a lovely meal.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19It were actually really nice. Well done, Mum.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Thank you.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29It's 1928!
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Yee-hee!- Woohoo!
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Things are brightening up for families like the Ellises.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37SHE GASPS
0:31:38 > 0:31:42- Rice Krispies.- No way!
0:31:42 > 0:31:47Launched in 1928, and nicknamed the Talking Cereal, Rice Krispies
0:31:47 > 0:31:51were marketed as a quick, healthy and affordable breakfast.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52They were an instant hit.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56It actually really does snap, crackle and pop. I've never noticed.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03We're going on holiday.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Things were improving beyond the breakfast table too,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12as a minor recovery in British industry saw employment
0:32:12 > 0:32:14rise for the first time in years.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21For most workers, the only paid time off they enjoyed was a bank holiday.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25And there was one destination on top of every northerner's list.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28'Blackpool's the place for a holiday and no mistake,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30'with crowds converging on the tower.'
0:32:33 > 0:32:36The Ellises are enjoying their day out with Lesley's mum,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Christine, who used to holiday in the town as a girl.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Yes!
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Oh!
0:32:52 > 0:32:55By the 1920s, Blackpool was welcoming around
0:32:55 > 0:32:57eight million visitors every year.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01The rides were mind-blowing, at a time
0:33:01 > 0:33:03when owning a car would have been almost unimaginable.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Dad's getting scared!
0:33:11 > 0:33:14SCREAMS
0:33:23 > 0:33:26LAUGHTER
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- Was it really scary? - It's not, Grandma. Jump on.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32It's perfect.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Look what we've got, kids!
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Blackpool was a world away from its visitors' everyday lives
0:33:38 > 0:33:43and full of unheard-of treats, like this sweet American newcomer.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Imagine not even being able to have breakfast one year
0:33:45 > 0:33:48and the next, you're at a theme park, eating candyfloss.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Bit different to tripe, isn't it?
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Just a bit!
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- We've got a grand view of tower from here.- We have, that!
0:33:57 > 0:33:59It almost felt like I were in Paris.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I've never felt as relaxed for ages.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- LAUGHTER - Will someone come swimming with me?
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Hold on to my pants, I'll come in with you.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Harvey, what's that?
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Oh, my God!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18LAUGHTER
0:34:18 > 0:34:20I love it, Harvey!
0:34:24 > 0:34:26I'll count you down!
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Three, two, one!
0:34:29 > 0:34:30Go!
0:34:30 > 0:34:32He's like a flippin' dolphin!
0:34:32 > 0:34:36LAUGHTER
0:34:36 > 0:34:38He did it again!
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The seaside was also the perfect place for ordinary folk to
0:34:45 > 0:34:48try some fresh flavours.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- Oh, God!- Oh, my giddy aunt!
0:34:50 > 0:34:52LAUGHTER
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Nowadays, oysters are an expensive luxury,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59selling in restaurants at around £30 per dozen.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Back in the '20s, they were cheap as chips
0:35:01 > 0:35:03and a staple of seaside holidays.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I actually think this is my first oyster.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10- I think.- Hopefully, it's not your last.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12There's quite a few to go through there.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15My dad used to eat them, but I've never had one.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Eurgh!
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- It's just like swallowing seawater. - No, don't even think about it!
0:35:28 > 0:35:31- I'm not doing it.- Go!
0:35:31 > 0:35:34LAUGHTER
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Let's just leave them to the posh people.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41I've had a really good day today.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45I feel that coming here must have offered people an opportunity
0:35:45 > 0:35:47to feel freedom.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Putting myself in the shoes of the main guy in the house,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54taking his family on holiday, and do you know?
0:35:54 > 0:35:57If he's had as much fun as what I've had, it's been brilliant.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Really enjoyed it.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03# Don't know why
0:36:03 > 0:36:06# There's no sun up in the sky
0:36:06 > 0:36:07# Stormy weather... #
0:36:07 > 0:36:11It's a new day and a new decade for the Ellis family.
0:36:12 > 0:36:141931!
0:36:14 > 0:36:17If the Ellises have learnt anything about the inter-war period
0:36:17 > 0:36:21so far, it's that what goes up must come down.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25The unemployment figure has reached over two and a half million.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Lesley?
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Where's the coal? - None left.- Seriously.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31We've no coal.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35I need a cup of tea so much. Sod the food! I just want tea!
0:36:38 > 0:36:40A global depression was sparked
0:36:40 > 0:36:44by the American stock market crash of 1929.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Britain's heavy industries collapsed and unemployment soared to
0:36:47 > 0:36:51three million, with northern towns hit hard.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54For many men, the 15 shilling dole became the only
0:36:54 > 0:36:58means of survival, cutting income by three-quarters.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03'In these hard hit valleys, government hand-outs didn't go far.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:08It was barely enough to cover most rents, never mind fuel
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and feeding a family.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12We've got some bread.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14I'll check if there's any jam left.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Stale bread...
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- LAUGHTER - There's no jam.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24No jam, I'm guessing, from that reaction, Harvey!
0:37:25 > 0:37:28We've got no margarine, no dripping.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30The only thing I can find in here is lard.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Once again, many people only had bread to fill them up.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Why can't we have margarine? That's cheaper.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Actually, margarine's double the price of lard.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43We must be pretty desperate, if we're having to have lard, then.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- Didn't taste of anything.- Look on the plus side, we're jobless,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48so we don't have to go to work.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Let's go back to bed!
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Got something delivered!
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Many northern families had no-one in work,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01so took any opportunities available.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04I've sent the family an offer of help.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09"Dear Ellis family, I can offer the girls jobs as domestic servants.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15"The only hitch is they need to move down south today. Sara."
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- Do we have to go? - We have no choice, do we, so...?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Doesn't make it any easier,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25splitting your family down the middle.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32- Love you.- Love you, too.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Bye.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46The numbers of domestic servants rose during the Depression,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49as young men and women left their families and headed to the
0:38:49 > 0:38:52more affluent south for some of the few jobs available.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56For those left behind,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59absence of loved ones wasn't the only hardship they faced.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04KNOCK ON DOOR
0:39:04 > 0:39:07You take my seat, I'll sit over here. I'll make room over here.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- Thank you very much.- I'm afraid I can't offer you a cup of tea
0:39:10 > 0:39:13because we've got no coals, we can't heat the water.
0:39:13 > 0:39:171931 is a tough year and, I'm really sorry,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19I'm not coming with any good news either.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21More bad news!
0:39:21 > 0:39:27I'm afraid so, because 1931, record levels of unemployment.
0:39:27 > 0:39:2922% of people unemployed across the country.
0:39:29 > 0:39:3240% in places like Durham.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- 40%! That's a huge... - Really shocking.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38That's massive, isn't it?
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Almost a fifth of the nation was unemployed
0:39:40 > 0:39:42and the government faced a crisis.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46The National Insurance money, used to pay the dole,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51had not only run out, it was £75 million in debt.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54When it became clear that the end of the Depression was a long
0:39:54 > 0:39:58way off, the government looked for ways to cut payments.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01They introduced the household means test.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Depending on how much you own,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07your benefits income is going to be adjusted accordingly.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- So, should that benefit us, then? Because we haven't got any assets. - We've got nothing!
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Well, you think that, but perhaps your chairs, your dresser...
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- Do you have a Sunday best suit, John?- Certainly do, yeah.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20All of that would be taken into account
0:40:20 > 0:40:22before you would be entitled to any benefits.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27- It's just like...- It's just like... You're knocked back every time.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30In this area and in much of England, if you had goods that were seen
0:40:30 > 0:40:35to be worth more than about £20, you would be expected to sell them.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39I've come here to give you a warning about what is going to happen.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And that might give you a chance to be a little bit
0:40:41 > 0:40:44wily about some of your belongings.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I didn't officially say that, OK?
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Rather than sell their few precious possessions,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52or have their dole money cut,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56some northern communities bonded together to try and beat the
0:40:56 > 0:40:59assessor, passing the message along that Old Nosy was coming,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02so families could hide anything valuable.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Take the dogs, Harvey.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10With the house emptier and a few lumps of coal borrowed
0:41:10 > 0:41:15from next-door, Lesley's making tea with a familiar favourite.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Baked beans.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Yes!
0:41:19 > 0:41:24Cheap and quick to heat, Heinz had targeted their beans at northern industrial towns.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26By 1931, it had paid off.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28The north was eating more baked beans than
0:41:28 > 0:41:30the rest of the country put together.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Right, so, I'm going to make the fritters now.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41- They're not going to be especially pretty to look at. - SHE COUGHS
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It's no wonder the walls are this colour, is it?
0:41:44 > 0:41:48- SHE COUGHS - I'm going to have to open this door.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57I think perhaps I need to work on my frying technique!
0:42:02 > 0:42:04They are burnt.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06- What are these, then? - Onion fritters.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10They're like onion bhajis, but without the flavour.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12LESLEY LAUGHS
0:42:12 > 0:42:13This isn't a very big portion,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17but imagine if the girls was here, as well. It'd be tiny.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Good point, yeah. - Seems a bit empty in here.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Only us three.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23KNOCK ON DOOR
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- I'll get it. You sit down, man of the house.- OK.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28- LESLEY LAUGHS - You're welcome.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30As communities faced hardship,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33many families found welcome support from friends and neighbours.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It's like a raisin...
0:42:36 > 0:42:37A raisin something.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40- There's a note. - There's a note underneath it.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43"Heard you had a visit from Old Nosey.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47"Rotten. Hope this slice of means test pudding heartens you a bit."
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- That's friendship for you.- Yeah.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52You'll never keep a northerner down.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- Yeah. Yeah. - LESLIE LAUGHS
0:42:55 > 0:42:59We are going through hard times at the moment. We've all...
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Money and everything going pear-shaped.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07My sisters have just gone to the south to work as...
0:43:07 > 0:43:09basically...
0:43:10 > 0:43:12slaves.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16I hope that the fortunes for working-class people...
0:43:16 > 0:43:19improve as this decade goes on,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22because they sure as hell deserve it.
0:43:23 > 0:43:261930S UPBEAT MUSIC
0:43:28 > 0:43:30It's 1934, Johnny.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It's Sunday, a precious day off work.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40With the girls away and Harvey out to play, John and Lesley are packing
0:43:40 > 0:43:44a picnic of bread and dripping and heading to the great outdoors.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- Ready?- Yeah.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48MUSIC STOPS
0:43:54 > 0:43:58In the '30s, cheaper train fares saw rambling clubs sprout up
0:43:58 > 0:44:02across the North, as workers took the opportunity to explore
0:44:02 > 0:44:04the countryside surrounding them.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Nice little breeze, get some fresh air in your lungs.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11To find out more about it,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14John and Lesley are meeting Bradford-born nature lover,
0:44:14 > 0:44:15Anita Rani.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18- Good to see you. How are you doing?- Good to see you.
0:44:18 > 0:44:19Welcome to Ilkley Moor.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:44:21 > 0:44:25We take it for granted now in Britain, that we can wander
0:44:25 > 0:44:27the beautiful countryside whenever we fancy,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31but in the 1930s, these signs were everywhere.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35I mean, this was a very real threat, and I think because people
0:44:35 > 0:44:38were so poor, they were cowered by that
0:44:38 > 0:44:40and they wouldn't come up here.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Although the wealthy could always tipped a gamekeeper to get access,
0:44:43 > 0:44:48working-class ramblers couldn't gain entry to private land.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52I think I would've come up still and, you know, with my family
0:44:52 > 0:44:53and gone on the land, but obviously...
0:44:53 > 0:44:56suffer the consequences if I get caught.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58There was certainly a movement taking place
0:44:58 > 0:45:02across the north, where people were just not going to put up with this.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03Yeah.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09In the '30s, thousands joined mass trespasses to assert their right
0:45:09 > 0:45:15to roam, most famously at Kinder Scout in the Peak District in 1932.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18These acts of defiance would eventually lead
0:45:18 > 0:45:21to the freedom of the countryside we all enjoy today.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25- You're going to love this.- Look at that, my favourite.- You love that!
0:45:25 > 0:45:28- Kendal Mint Cake.- Gives you energy.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31It gives you energy, course it does, it's pure sugar.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33- Big up the north.- Big up the north!
0:45:33 > 0:45:37Look at the countryside we have and the slabs of sugar that we eat.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39THEY LAUGH
0:45:39 > 0:45:42- Cheers. This has been lovely. - Mm, Cheers. Cheers...
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Costing less than 3p a pound, sugar had been
0:45:45 > 0:45:49a staple of working-class diets since the late Victorian period.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Before I go, I think we've got to sing the Yorkshire anthem, haven't we?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- Oh, we have to.- Yeah, why not?- Yes!
0:45:55 > 0:45:57# Where hast tha bin since ah saw thee?
0:45:57 > 0:45:58# Ah saw thee?
0:45:58 > 0:46:02# On Ilkley Moor baht 'at... #
0:46:02 > 0:46:05MUSIC
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Whilst John and Lesley ramble on,
0:46:10 > 0:46:13I'm popping round with a surprise for Harvey.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- Have you any idea what this is? - Don't have a clue.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21It's a bladder.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- Pig's bladder? - It's a pig's bladder, well done.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Do you want to hold it?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Not too bad, it's kind of like bacon that's just been handled a lot.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Pigs' bladders were inedible, but not to be wasted.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38With a bit of effort, they made the perfect toy.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41We've got to try and get this into there.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45I can't believe I'm saying this like this is a normal thing to be saying to you, Harvey.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47We've got to now inflate the pig's bladder.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- All right.- Yeah. You with me on this?- I'm with you.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51Give me a high-five on that.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54That one, yeah. Not with that one. THEY LAUGH
0:46:54 > 0:46:55Ooh, it's gone in.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59- This is quite environmentally friendly, isn't it?- It is,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- it's using waste products.- I know.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05There's no point in killing a pig and not getting all of it, is there?
0:47:05 > 0:47:08I know, if you had a pig skin coat on, eating a bacon butty
0:47:08 > 0:47:09and playing football with this,
0:47:09 > 0:47:11you're the ultimate eco-warrior, Harvey.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13THEY LAUGH
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Harvey Ellis, promising young lad.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Put a pig's bladder in front of him...
0:47:20 > 0:47:21Is he going to score?
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Ooh! Oh, no, he didn't. I saved it!
0:47:23 > 0:47:25There's only one Sara Cox!
0:47:28 > 0:47:29SARA LAUGHS
0:47:29 > 0:47:31All right, it's gone over to next door's.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33You can go and get pig's bladder back.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35Go and knock on, say,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37"Excuse me, missy, can I have my pig's bladder back?"
0:47:37 > 0:47:39- All right. - SARA LAUGHS
0:47:42 > 0:47:45# Things are looking up... #
0:47:45 > 0:47:47The Ellis family are back on top.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50They've weathered the Great Depression
0:47:50 > 0:47:52and the economy is finally picking up.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54It's 1937!
0:47:54 > 0:47:56- Yay!- Yay!
0:47:58 > 0:48:00For working-class families,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03the upturn bought new home comforts.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Nearly two-thirds of Britain's homes now have access to electricity -
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and many front rooms have a new focal point.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12We have a wireless!
0:48:12 > 0:48:15LAUGHTER
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- How good is this?- Wow, that is a big step forward.- It is!
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And I think it'll be a great addition to the family.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23By 1937,
0:48:23 > 0:48:27high-powered transmitters were beaming out to the whole country,
0:48:27 > 0:48:28and that year,
0:48:28 > 0:48:32over eight million households took out a radio licence.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36If you could afford to buy a set outright, you could hire one
0:48:36 > 0:48:39for a few shillings a week from Radio Rentals.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41# A kid on a swing... #
0:48:41 > 0:48:45- PRESENTER:- Food seems to be in England a rather neglected subject.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48It is not given the importance the importance it deserves...
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Cookery programmes were popular,
0:48:50 > 0:48:55and the BBC sent food expert Mrs Arthur Webb on a tour
0:48:55 > 0:48:59of the northern hot spots to gather recipes for a series.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Lesley and Caitlin are following her method for Whitby polony.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06It's meat and bread crumbs, basically, with a bit of spices in.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Have you got a mouthful of bread?
0:49:09 > 0:49:10- MUFFLED - Maybe.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12THEY LAUGH
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Will you go get me some butter out of that meat sieve?
0:49:17 > 0:49:18Mm-hm.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20THEY LAUGH
0:49:20 > 0:49:21GENTLE PIANO MUSIC
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Yeah, just pack it in.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29Usually bought as a sausage, this home-made potted recipe
0:49:29 > 0:49:33is Whitby's version of the Yorkshire classic.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34LESLEY WHEEZES AND LAUGHS
0:49:34 > 0:49:37I'll tell you what, why don't I help you do yours
0:49:37 > 0:49:39and you help me do mine?
0:49:41 > 0:49:43THEY LAUGH
0:49:47 > 0:49:50- LESLEY CLEARS HER THROAT - Thank you.- There you are, madam.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51Put these in here.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58This is...
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Whitby polony.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02What's that?
0:50:02 > 0:50:06It was a recipe that was broadcast on the wireless
0:50:06 > 0:50:10in an attempt to embrace...
0:50:10 > 0:50:12the northern listeners.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16Right. Never seen anything like this before. Cooking in a jar.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Smells nice, doesn't it?
0:50:19 > 0:50:20FREYA GROANS
0:50:20 > 0:50:22What's the matter, Freya? Why that noise?
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I don't like the look of it.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28It's nice... It's all right.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30It's an unusual texture.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35It could genuinely be dog food.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39What do you think southerners would've have thought if they'd have eaten this?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42I think southerners would've thought that...
0:50:42 > 0:50:44northern cuisine is just plain,
0:50:44 > 0:50:48because I don't think they'd be used to...
0:50:48 > 0:50:50- these kind of foods.- Mm.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57With tea over, Caitlin and Freya are off to enjoy a hugely popular
0:50:57 > 0:51:00pastime of the '30s.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Costing around 6p each, cinema tickets
0:51:02 > 0:51:08were an affordable treat - and in 1937, 946 million were sold.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12- Thank you very much.- Thank you. Here, look at that.- Rolos!
0:51:12 > 0:51:15It wasn't just the films that were enticing.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19Like today, cinema kiosks were full of sweet attractions.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22- We haven't seen any like chocolate, have we?- Yeah.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Oh! Aero!
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Milky Bar, Rolo, Kit Kat.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31This was the era of combination bars, using cheaper ingredients
0:51:31 > 0:51:35like biscuit so they could be sold at half the price of pure chocolate.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38- I really miss chocolate.- Same. I've been craving it.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41- Can I have two Rolos, please?- Yes, Miss.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Thank you. That's 4p, please.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46- There you are.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49UPBEAT MUSIC
0:51:52 > 0:51:54"Feather Your Nest".
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Look how old-fashioned it looks.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- Why, there's nothing to wait for, is there?- Well, no...
0:52:01 > 0:52:04- Hey, don't be daft, Mary... - INDISTINCT
0:52:04 > 0:52:07George Formby was as famous for his Lancashire tones as his comedy,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10and in an era of cut glass accents,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14he was one of the few stars who sounded just like his northern fans.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18THEY GIGGLE
0:52:19 > 0:52:21I thought it were really good.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23It generates like a feeling of pride,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25watching someone who's northern
0:52:25 > 0:52:28amongst so many people that sound so posh.
0:52:31 > 0:52:32MUSIC STARTS
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Back at home, John and Lesley have got their own treat.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Is it beer?
0:52:38 > 0:52:41It looks like it. Beer at its best, from a can.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43- You're not having any. - I bloody well am.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45You're not having that all to yourself.
0:52:45 > 0:52:50In the mid-30s, Felinfoel Brewery in Llanelli perfected a tinned ale.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Within a few years there were over 40 brands on the market.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57LESLEY LAUGHS
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It really tastes good.
0:53:06 > 0:53:07I hope kids don't come in.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09LESLEY LAUGHS
0:53:09 > 0:53:10They've never seen you dance.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21MUSIC FADES AND RESUMES
0:53:23 > 0:53:26It's the last year of the era.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29It's 1939!
0:53:29 > 0:53:30Big year.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33On Sunday the 3rd of September,
0:53:33 > 0:53:36the nation tuned in to a momentous broadcast.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40- NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN:- 'This morning, the British ambassador in Berlin
0:53:40 > 0:53:44'handed the German government a final note
0:53:44 > 0:53:49'stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock,
0:53:49 > 0:53:52'that they were prepared at once
0:53:52 > 0:53:55'to withdraw their troops from Poland,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58'a state of war would exist between us.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03'I have to tell you now...
0:54:03 > 0:54:06'that no such undertaking has been received,
0:54:06 > 0:54:12'and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.'
0:54:12 > 0:54:15This isn't the first time I've listened to this
0:54:15 > 0:54:17and I've still got goose bumps now.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21It feels a lot more poignant sat here in a 1939 lounge.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25- It really does bring it home, doesn't it, really?- It does.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Britain had been preparing for this moment
0:54:28 > 0:54:31since Hitler's rise to power six years ago.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35Rearmament meant plenty of work to go round.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39By 1939, 16% of the population
0:54:39 > 0:54:42were employed in munitions manufacturing.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46With almost full employment came new luxuries.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Look how much stuff is in here.
0:54:51 > 0:54:52- LESLEY GASPS - Weetabix!
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Corned beef, marmalade...
0:54:55 > 0:54:57HP Sauce!
0:54:57 > 0:54:58Dad will be happy.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Salmon, look at that.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05The Ellises have invited friends and family over
0:55:05 > 0:55:08to mark the end of their inter-war time travels.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10What are you making?
0:55:10 > 0:55:13We're making magic salmon mould. Basically, what we're doing
0:55:13 > 0:55:17is we're layering the salmon with cabbage and eggs
0:55:17 > 0:55:19and then we're going to pour in gelatine over the top.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21It's going to be very delicious.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Imported food prices had fallen by 40%,
0:55:25 > 0:55:29so expensive delicacies became affordable to ordinary families,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32like Lesley's Canadian tinned salmon.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Don't pour that full, everyone's going to be drunk.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37They're not going to be able to ride their horses home!
0:55:37 > 0:55:39LAUGHTER
0:55:46 > 0:55:47- Hi!- Hi!
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Hiya.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50Whoo!
0:55:50 > 0:55:51- Hi!- Look who's here!
0:55:51 > 0:55:53LAUGHTER
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- Hiya.- You look beautiful today.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57- Anybody want a drink?- Great.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58- Cheers!- Cheers!
0:55:58 > 0:56:00Chin, chin!
0:56:01 > 0:56:03'Polly and I are back to join in the fun and find out
0:56:03 > 0:56:07'about the family's experience over the last two decades.'
0:56:07 > 0:56:09- Hiya!- Hi!
0:56:09 > 0:56:10This looks lovely.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- Hello, Polly.- I love it.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17What happy memories have you got from the last 20 years?
0:56:17 > 0:56:21Well, me and my dad went and played rugby, and we don't...
0:56:21 > 0:56:23like modern day,
0:56:23 > 0:56:25me and my dad don't have a lot of time together,
0:56:25 > 0:56:27with these two either.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31What were your favourite bits about the whole thing so far?
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Going on the rollercoasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
0:56:34 > 0:56:37and... going to the cinema.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40- OK. And you survived the rollercoaster, didn't you? FREYA:- Barely!
0:56:40 > 0:56:41FREYA LAUGHS
0:56:41 > 0:56:44GENTLE MUSIC
0:56:48 > 0:56:50Cheers!
0:56:50 > 0:56:51To the past 20 years.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53And how's it been for you?
0:56:53 > 0:56:54Plenty of ups and plenty of downs.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56LAUGHTER
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Have you found that you've been chucked together much more as a family?
0:56:59 > 0:57:03We've all gravitated to this table, that's where we've spent our lives.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06What about those days for you when you didn't have enough
0:57:06 > 0:57:09and you were having to try and feed your family?
0:57:09 > 0:57:13I just stood in the shoes of that 1931 mum feeding her children...
0:57:13 > 0:57:17It were the look on the faces and it really, like got me.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20This is for real, this WAS for real.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25This has made me really think of the value of things,
0:57:25 > 0:57:27because I take too much stuff for granted.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31It sort of made me realise that I've got things really easy
0:57:31 > 0:57:33and I've been given so many opportunities,
0:57:33 > 0:57:34so I need to take them.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40- LESLEY:- The women who lived through this era, I look at them
0:57:40 > 0:57:43with admiration and awe.
0:57:43 > 0:57:48Raising families and working, and cooking, and cleaning,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52and maintaining their spirits at the same time.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55I just... I don't know how they did it.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58'I believe that we're stronger than we were
0:57:58 > 0:58:00'when we first came into the house.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03'There's one thing about northerners, we stick together.'
0:58:03 > 0:58:06I definitely know where Yorkshire grit comes from, and...
0:58:06 > 0:58:09you won't take the grit out of Yorkshire.
0:58:18 > 0:58:19Next time...
0:58:19 > 0:58:21This is well nice!
0:58:21 > 0:58:23LAUGHTER
0:58:25 > 0:58:27The Ellis family have their first taste...
0:58:27 > 0:58:30SHE RETCHES ..of the post-war years.
0:58:30 > 0:58:33I can hear... a steam train coming, look.
0:58:33 > 0:58:34What do you reckon, guys?
0:58:34 > 0:58:36It's not runny!
0:58:36 > 0:58:37LAUGHTER