0:00:03 > 0:00:04Meet the Ellis family.
0:00:07 > 0:00:13Lesley, John, Caitlin, Freya, and Harvey.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20This Bradford family of five are about to embark on a time-travelling adventure...
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It's 1925.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27..to discover how changing food eaten in the North of England...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That is scouse.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31..can reveal what life was like...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33SHE 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 > 0:00:41I think it's just potato pie.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I think so.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Chicken feet?!
0:00:45 > 0:00:47From regional classics...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Panhaggerty 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 > 0:00:56I'm so happy.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Honestly, this is, like, amazing.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01The Ellises' own home is their time machine,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04transporting them through a different era each week.
0:01:04 > 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?
0:01:15 > 0:01:16..of work...
0:01:16 > 0:01:19This is so hard.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20..rest...
0:01:21 > 0:01:23..and play...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25LAUGHTER
0:01:26 > 0:01:30..as they fast-forward through 100 years of northern history...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36..and still get back in time for tea.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57It's a new week and the Ellises' home has been transformed for a new era.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02The garish '70s have made way for the chintzy '80s.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06The lounge isn't the only room that's had an update.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12The kitchen has also been revamped and has some exciting new gadgets.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'll be working with social historian Polly Russell
0:02:20 > 0:02:24to set the stage for the Ellises' adventures in the '80s and '90s.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Beautiful motor, what is it?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- She's handsome.- Triumph Dolomite.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Yeah, small, but when it came out, a luxury car.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33The Ellises probably would have had a second-hand version.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Do you think the Ellises are going to love it?
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It's the car they've got, so they're going to have to put up with it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41You're really tough. Shall we see how the house is looking?
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Yeah, let's have a look.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Oh, Polly look at this.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- What do you think?- It's basically my childhood home.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Is it? There's so much stuff here.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52There's loads of stuff.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56But I think, don't imagine that this is because the Ellises are
0:02:56 > 0:02:59incredibly flush or awash with money.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Lots of these things have been bought on hire purchase or
0:03:02 > 0:03:03interest-free credit.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06So, they may not have paid for these sofas or the hi-fi yet,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09it might just be all on the never-never.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I didn't know you could get so many shades of beige.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But I want to show you the most important and exciting thing in the kitchen.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- Yes.- And that is this. - What is it?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- The Norfrost chest freezer. - SARA GASPS
0:03:26 > 0:03:30In 1978, only 32% of people had freezers,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32but by the mid-1980s it's 76%.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39So, most households have got a freezer, and probably a big freezer like this.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Wow, I mean, look.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I used to love Arctic roll.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45With the freezer that they had before, in the '70s,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48you could maybe put some fish fingers, some peas,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50but here, you've got whole meals.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53So, this is going to change both what they eat in the home,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56but it also changes massively how food is produced.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Handy, isn't it?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01If mums are working hard and dads are working, and you get back late,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04you can just bung something in the oven from the freezer.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Yeah, this is the decade where, sort of, technology delivers convenience.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Everything the Ellises eat in the era will be inspired by historical
0:04:14 > 0:04:16data from the time.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22So, this is actually the details of what a family in York were eating
0:04:22 > 0:04:25in 1980 over a particular week.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28What you see here in their shopping list,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30lots and lots of convenience foods.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Look - tinned pears, tinned peaches, tinned strawberries.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34- Urgh!- I know.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I mean, it's gone from, you know, we used to just have a bit of flour,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39some potatoes, perhaps a bit of milk.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Now there's loads. Are people better off and buying more food
0:04:42 > 0:04:44because of more money?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47In the 1950s, people were spending about 30%-33% of
0:04:47 > 0:04:49their income on food.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53By 1980, they're just spending about 20-22%.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59Food prices are going down and also, wages are going up.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Oh, so it's a bit of a boom time for the fridge and freezer and cupboard.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04If you're in work and if you're lucky,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07but there's a really significant north-south divide that starts to
0:05:07 > 0:05:10increase over this decade.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14So, in 1980, the average difference between north and south weekly
0:05:14 > 0:05:19household incomes was £50. By 1986 it's £100.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Wow!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26At the start of the 1980s, families
0:05:26 > 0:05:28in the north were better off than ever before.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Successive governments had pursued full employment,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36backed by a comprehensive welfare state,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41transforming the lives of ordinary families.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44But huge change was on the horizon.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50The previous decade had been one of bitter industrial disputes.
0:05:50 > 0:05:561979 alone saw nearly 5 million workers go on strike.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- CHANTING:- Out, out, out!
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Some thought the unions were hampering the growth of the British economy.
0:06:03 > 0:06:09Margaret Thatcher was elected on a promise to cap union power and allow
0:06:09 > 0:06:10the free market to flourish.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14The way to recovery is through profits.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Good profits today leading to high investment, leading to well-paid jobs,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22leading to a better standard of living tomorrow.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27Rather than the state playing an active role in the economy,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Thatcher had an alternative vision in which business, family,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and individuals would be encouraged to look after themselves.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39For the industrial north, change would come quickly.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42As the Ellises are about to discover.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Unaware of what lies ahead,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52the family's concerns are much closer to home.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I don't think I'm looking forward to a lot about the '80s,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58considering what my hair, make-up and clothing looks like.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I'm going to have to wake up, like, two hours earlier to get my hair
0:07:01 > 0:07:04like this. I look like Mickey Mouse.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09I've got some really strong and clear memories of the '80s and it's
0:07:09 > 0:07:11going to be fun reliving those, I think.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16Me and Harvey are playing the role of my dad and me when I was younger,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18so this is going to be quite strange for me.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20As I walk through the door,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23there's going to be, like, one of them telephones, you know,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25that you circle it with the number thing.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28How have we ended up with a worse car?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Look at that car! We've gone backwards.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- Oh, my God, it's minging! - We've got fabric seating now,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36so that'll be comfortable.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38We've got a doorbell!
0:07:38 > 0:07:39DOORBELL CHIMES
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Oh, my God, blimey look at this!
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It looks like somebody's grandma's room.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- Look at the phone. - I predicted it!
0:07:50 > 0:07:53We've got a lock on it to keep the kids off of it.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57The Ellises are finally joining the 72% of families in the north
0:07:57 > 0:07:59that own their own phone.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- This is sick. - I'm testing the couch.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07- Oh, my God! - A sandwich maker. Toaster.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Oh, my God, toasting.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12We got our pantry back.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- Pot noodle.- Wafers, Wagon Wheels.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Wow. Look at this.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Cheap convenience foods saw regional favourites fall out of favour
0:08:22 > 0:08:26as cupboards and freezers across the country filled up with
0:08:26 > 0:08:28the same national brands.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30This is like the freezer from hell.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33You just like put everything at the top, and you never get to the bottom.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35How is this the freezer from hell?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37This is the freezer out of anyone's dreams.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I'm actually quite speechless.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44What's in our shed?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48- Got a BMX!- Can I have one? They've got two BMX.- Two?
0:08:48 > 0:08:54I was a girl who wanted a train set and a BMX and I got a doll and a folder.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- Come on, then.- So were you a tomboy? - Let's see what you were like.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I'm back to help the Ellises plant their feet firmly on '80s ground.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12- Hello, lovely family.- Hi.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Girls, I've never seen so much blue eyeliner in one room.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18You look spectacular.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I'm pretty sure spectacular isn't the correct term.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26John, job wise, you're back down t'mine.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- You're miner. - Now, there's a surprise.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29LAUGHTER
0:09:29 > 0:09:32You're in for a bit of a bumpy ride with the '80s.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37There's a divide going on, like you've not seen since the 1930s.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Lesley, terrible news for you sweetheart.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42You've lost your job.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- No!- Your role as a dinner lady is gone.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Instead, a school canteen has been replaced by a sort of, like,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51help-yourself cafeteria, and it's been outsourced to a private company.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So, you've got to find a job.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Harvey, you're an international footballer.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- When does it change? - Yes, yes.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00You're not, I fibbed.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02OK, you're still at school, basically.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Sorry about that.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08This, Ellis family, is your special manual.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Before I go, though, a little treat.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13To quote Olivia Newton John, are you ready to get...
0:10:13 > 0:10:15# Physical, physical... #
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Sorry about that, I won't sing any more.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23- I'll just leave you with this. Ta-da! So, dig in, enjoy.- Thank you.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- And I'll see you all soon. - Thanks very much.- Bye.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- Oh, no.- What are these?
0:10:32 > 0:10:381980 was a huge summer of sport in the UK and the Ellises are about to
0:10:38 > 0:10:40relive the year's highlights.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45Rising star Ian Botham becomes captain of the England cricket side.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50The Borg/McEnroe tennis rivalry captivates the public.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52You're totally out.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54And at the Moscow Olympics...
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Do you move your bum up?
0:10:56 > 0:11:02..Alan Wells from Scotland surprises everyone as he wins the 100 metres.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Go!- And away they go. John Ellis, AKA Alan Wells, in lane eight.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Is he going to make it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Gold medal for John Ellis of Great Britain!
0:11:13 > 0:11:16With America boycotting the games following Russia's invasion of
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Afghanistan in 1979, the medal table was wide open.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Caitlin, you're miles better.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But politics didn't stop one American super brand
0:11:27 > 0:11:31invading the Moscow Olympics with a 10 million sponsorship.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Do you not think it's funny that we're drinking Coke after exercising?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Anyway, cheers from a champion.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Cheers!
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Marketing campaigns using sport to sell food,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46would become a big feature of the '80s life.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Difficult to tell, isn't it?
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Oh, you cannot be serious, man.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Don't upset yourself, old chap.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53Have a Smiths crispy tube.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59Doing all this exercise seems so pointless when we're eating this.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07It's 5pm and Lesley's nipped back to the house to get tea on.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10She's recreating a quick and easy meal recorded in the
0:12:10 > 0:12:15National Food Survey in 1980 by a 34-year-old housewife from Gateshead.
0:12:15 > 0:12:21So, on the menu today, we've got gammon, pineapple rings, fried egg,
0:12:21 > 0:12:23frozen chips, frozen peas.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28I think probably the last time I had gammon, fried egg, pineapple, chips,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30was in the '80s.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35The freezer, I have to admit, is quite useful.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Back in 1918, for their first time-travelling meal
0:12:40 > 0:12:44of suet pudding, Lesley slaved over the stove for three hours.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46OK, there we go.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47But not this time.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Hey, presto, tea is going to be on the table in about 20 minutes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58Tonight's super quick meal comes courtesy of one Yorkshire-based
0:12:58 > 0:13:00brand's newest innovation.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02I heard today that there's chips they've brought out
0:13:02 > 0:13:06you don't have to fry. McCain oven chips.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10You just put them in the oven and they're supposed to fry themselves.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18- By God, that looks good.- Hey, I thought you had no clothes on, then.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I know, I did!
0:13:20 > 0:13:22That does look good.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23It's blending in with your skin.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29It's very salty.
0:13:29 > 0:13:36- The best thing to do with salty gammon is eat it with sweet pineapple.- No.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Are these oven cooked chips?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43They are, they were frozen. They're from the freezer.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45That's the first time we've had them, isn't it?
0:13:45 > 0:13:50To be fair, guys, I do think it was a reasonably quick tea.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I've not had a lot of labour to do to make it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57And if oven chips weren't exciting enough,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01there's a revolutionary topping for the dessert.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Why does he make everything so difficult?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Neapolitan ice cream with Ice Magic.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13Launched in 1980, Bird's Ice Magic turned ice cream into an event.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17- A C, and then an E.- This is by far the best, because I love ice cream.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18And I love chocolate.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Lesley, two more there.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- Look, it's rock-solid.- I do not want to know what's in this
0:14:24 > 0:14:25to make it do that.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29We all know when it comes to food, that magic means chemicals.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And happiness.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I'm doing my video diary!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39For anyone who knows me, ice cream is, like, my all-time favourite thing.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Like, all-time favourite thing.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Chips, nice, love them. Yeah.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Really good.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57# When you're in love you know you're in love
0:14:57 > 0:15:01# No matter what you try to do... #
0:15:01 > 0:15:02It's 1981.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09- Whoohoo!- Guess who won Eurovision in 1981?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11You should know this. A clue...
0:15:11 > 0:15:14# You got to speed it up
0:15:14 > 0:15:17# And then you got to slow it down... #
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Oh, my God!
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You know, then?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Do that twirl again.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- You still struggle. - Why are you falling at the end?
0:15:28 > 0:15:30It's easy, you just go....
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Yeah, but that is not what Bucks Fizz did,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36they ripped the skirt off at the same time.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Bucks Fizz, I know them, Bucks Fizz.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It wasn't just this Eurovision sensation that was proving
0:15:42 > 0:15:45popular in 1981.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48A newly launched cereal was developed at the Kellogg's factory
0:15:48 > 0:15:52near Manchester, and it was snapped off the supermarket shelves.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It tastes like peanut butter.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00In the first three months, sales were more than double those predicted.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And it's forever remained a national favourite.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05MUSIC PLAYS
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Today, Caitlin and Freya are off to their Saturday job
0:16:11 > 0:16:14at a local fast food chain.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I'm not going to lie, I've never heard of it.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Neither have I.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Hello.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Hi.- Hi, I'm Chris Wolfenden.- Nice to meet you.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I'm the general manager for Wimpy.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Welcome to your first day at work at Wimpy.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31A presence on the high street since the 1950s,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35by the '80s, Britain's leading burger chain had gone hi-tech.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- ARCHIVE:- The computerised kitchen equipment means that a hamburger bought in
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Manchester would be identical to one bought in London.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47So, we're going to start with 8g of onions on the base.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Then a piece of cheese. Then get your quarter pounder off the griddle.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55Then we're going to get 15g of sauce in a spiral over the burger.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59And then finally, 15g of iceberg lettuce
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and then put the lid on.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05I think because I've always been on the receiving end of the food,
0:17:05 > 0:17:10I've never really looked at the way it's made and, like, how precise it
0:17:10 > 0:17:14needs to be. I mean, this is the first time I've seen a burger
0:17:14 > 0:17:17the whole time, and it's exciting.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18There you go, Freya.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I can understand why it was so popular for people in the '80s.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Not only were fast food chains serving identical food,
0:17:27 > 0:17:32by the 1980s, American restaurants were using the latest technology to
0:17:32 > 0:17:35offer service from identical counters, on identical trays,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37in identical packaging.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43It was now possible to sit down to exactly the same meal from New York
0:17:43 > 0:17:44to Newcastle.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47So, what do you think about the car?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- It's all right, isn't it? - You like it?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Yeah, it's not too bad.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56American influence on our fast food even extended to a more traditional
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Northern takeaway.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00A drive-through chippy? I mean, what do you do?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Yeah, but what you do about getting salt and vinegar and that?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05No, they chuck it in, they go, "Head's up!"
0:18:06 > 0:18:09In 1981, a chippy in my hometown of Bolton
0:18:09 > 0:18:12installed the American drive-through system,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14offering cutting-edge convenience.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- ARCHIVE:- At Henry's automated chippery in Bolton's busy Derby Street,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24technology has added several brand-new dimensions to the noble
0:18:24 > 0:18:26bag of fish and chips.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Hiya, pal.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Fish and chips, mate, three times.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32I'll have some scraps on, please.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Proceed forward to the pick-up window and your food
0:18:37 > 0:18:39will be ready for you. Thank you.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42That was pretty easy, wasn't it? Oh, can you make sure you put
0:18:42 > 0:18:44plenty of salt and vinegar on them?
0:18:44 > 0:18:45It's all new to me, is this.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I've never done this before, it's pretty good, isn't it? Cheers, pal.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53The service might be American, but the food is straight out of the north.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59John orders his chippy tea with a generous helping of scraps.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Crispy bits of batter from the bottom of the fryer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Looks like an old petrol station garage.- Yeah.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Good evening, sir. That's 1.99, please.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12You put plenty of salt and vinegar on there, didn't you?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- I did, love. - Thanks, love. Cheers.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I hope they're warm when we get home, these.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20It's so easy.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Frees up your time to do other things, so maybe...
0:19:24 > 0:19:28..maybe mum's got some washing done and some ironing. Who knows?
0:19:28 > 0:19:29LAUGHTER
0:19:31 > 0:19:36At its peak, Bullseye was one of the most popular game shows in the country,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39drawing in 15 million viewers at tea time.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43- TV:- '..popular indoor sport. It's a game about general knowledge and the skill of dart playing.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Hello.- Hi, Mum. - Oh, Bullseye!
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Can't believe it, can you?
0:19:48 > 0:19:49- TV:- 'All we've got to do is...'
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Did you guys used to watch this?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- I used to, yeah.- Everybody watched Bullseye.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It's a darts programme.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58What's the point in that?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- Dishwasher? - A dishwasher?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I didn't know they had dishwashers in 1981.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Why ain't we got a dishwasher?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Maybe you couldn't afford a dishwasher on a miner's salary.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16- Oh, my God, he's got a car!- A car! He's got a Fiesta!- A Fiesta!
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's a new day and a new year.
0:20:29 > 0:20:311983.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Woohoo.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Lucky John is tucking into a Sunday morning fry up.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41Look at that.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Lovely. Can't wait for that.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The rest of the family are enjoying a cereal full of get up and glow.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51You're having Ready Brek.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- What's that?- It's like porridge.
0:20:54 > 0:21:01They used to advertise it as food that made you warm inside.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03When you walked out, you had like an orange glow.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I feel like I'm not quick to get that from this.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06# This is the way to glow to school
0:21:06 > 0:21:08# Glow to school glow to school... #
0:21:08 > 0:21:14In 1983, this classic '70s advert for Ready Brek was given a makeover.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20The kid in the duffel coat was now a break dancing legend.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25US pop culture was dominating the Western world and the north was no exception.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28If you do the Ready Brek Roadie Rider competition,
0:21:28 > 0:21:29you could win a BMX Mongoose.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Like that one.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I'm coming.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38So the Nottingham manufactured Chopper was out,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and the American BMX was in.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47I love BMXing.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Come in, then.- Nice and sunny out here today.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57From Star Wars and MTV to the king of pop and hip-hop,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01it was no wonder we couldn't get enough of the USA.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03# Downtown the young ones are growing
0:22:03 > 0:22:06# We're the kids in America Whoa
0:22:06 > 0:22:09# We're the kids in America Whoa
0:22:09 > 0:22:12# Everybody live for the music-go-round
0:22:12 > 0:22:14# Na-na-na-na-na-na
0:22:14 > 0:22:17# Na-na-na-na-na-na
0:22:17 > 0:22:20# Na-na-na-na-na-na
0:22:20 > 0:22:23# Na-na-na-na-na-na... #
0:22:23 > 0:22:27The Ellises are off out for a special Sunday tea.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30It's the first time they've eaten out as a family in this experiment.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Harvester, yay!
0:22:36 > 0:22:40In the past, sit down restaurants had been pricey places for those who
0:22:40 > 0:22:42could afford to skip a home-cooked meal.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46It looks nice.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Harvester.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Hi, guys, how are you?
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I've arranged for the Ellises to meet Merseysider
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and Michelin star chef, Marcus Waring...
0:23:00 > 0:23:04..no stranger to the delights of the all-you-can-eat salad cart.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Harvester was the first restaurant that brought out the idea of open
0:23:10 > 0:23:14kitchens, you can see behind you, and salad bars,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16where it's unlimited food.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And remember, kitchens were closed doors.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21They were brick walls, you never saw the chef.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I feel it's like, I need to put my name on one already.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30The biggest draws were the generous mixed grills with early bird special prices.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Look at this one.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Talk about fill your boots.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41You do know you've two whole chickens coming, don't you?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The chain still serves a very popular '80s dish.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46I've got the traditional 83 combo,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48shall we put that one in front of you to start off with?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50How are the ribs, Harvey?
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Good?
0:23:53 > 0:23:541983, I was 13-years-old.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Going out and having a meal,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59it was a massive luxury, and when I was your age,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01you went out on your birthday.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03And you may have got a chance of a couple of restaurants to choose
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and that was probably it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08I was thinking this, if I was out with my dad and he thought that he
0:24:08 > 0:24:11knew exactly what he was going to be spending. You know,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15working-class families that didn't have a lot of spare cash to throw
0:24:15 > 0:24:19around are more likely to feel comfortable coming somewhere
0:24:19 > 0:24:23like this, where they know it's not going to cost the earth.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Don't know about you guys, but I'm absolutely stuffed.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- And you haven't finished, either. - I know.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32MUSIC: Karma Chameleon by Culture Club.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I think it's been good as a family.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37We've had a really good afternoon, haven't we?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It's the first thing we've done together without arguing,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42that's an achievement in itself.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47# Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma Karma Chameleon
0:24:47 > 0:24:49# You come and go
0:24:49 > 0:24:53# You come and go... #
0:24:59 > 0:25:04MUSIC: Two Tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Come on, guys, it's 1984.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- ARCHIVE:- 'With the miners' strike now in its 15th week, and no sign of a settlement,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'picket line violence has reached a new peak.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:251984 saw the Government go head-to-head with an industry that
0:25:25 > 0:25:28embodied the industrial north and union power.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31They took on the miners.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Coal consumption had halved in just two decades,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42leading the National Coal Board to announce the closure of 20 pits
0:25:42 > 0:25:43no longer considered profitable.
0:25:45 > 0:25:4920,000 jobs, and the future of many mining communities, were at stake.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55The dispute remains as bitter and unpredictable as ever.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Pickets set up at the gates in the Yorkshire coalfields,
0:25:58 > 0:25:59struck in sympathy.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Soon Scotland followed, then Kent and South Wales.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Across the country, the miners went on strike.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12Dear Ellises, it's all change in 1984, I'm afraid.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16John, you are working at one of the mines threatened with closure
0:26:16 > 0:26:22and are now on strike. National strike pay is £15 per week.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26You may have noticed your car, sofa, freezer,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and washing machine have disappeared.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Families in the Ellises' position, unable to make payments on goods
0:26:33 > 0:26:35bought on credit, were often forced to return them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40And other staples are in short supply.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41No!
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Look how it's grim.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48So, why don't you just get a job somewhere else?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's not as easy as that, is it?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52He could still be working in the pit.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54- Yeah.- But he's chosen to strike.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55I'm not saying work in the pit,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I'm saying don't strike at all and just get a new job.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59He's taking a stand...
0:26:59 > 0:27:01With all my colleagues.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03This stand has cost us a sofa.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Would you go back to work?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It's... It's a hard one to call, that, isn't it?
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I wonder how many families had that discussion back then.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Every family. If you decide to cross the picket line,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26our lives are going to be hell.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28All of us, it will affect all of us.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33If you decide to carry on striking...
0:27:33 > 0:27:36All our lives are going to be hell.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37- Yeah.- So, either way...
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's Hobson's choice.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I think whatever the decision that, like,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46the miner in the family wants to make, the family should support it.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Strikers like John headed to the picket line
0:27:54 > 0:27:57which saw increasing heated clashes between police and miners.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Most memorably at Orgreave in South Yorkshire...
0:28:03 > 0:28:06..where 55 miners were arrested.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10SHOUTING
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Whilst the wider dispute played out...
0:28:18 > 0:28:21..many miners and their families struggled financially.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Oh, tell you what there is.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28We have some cheese.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Have we got that grill?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Yeah, we've got the sandwich toaster.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33The bailiffs didn't come and take that.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39In 1984, the weekly food shop cost an average of £35.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44With just £15 to cover every expense,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46putting food on the table became a daily challenge.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52I wish someone looked at me the way I look at this cheese sandwich.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00Strikes saw soup kitchens appear in Yorkshire for the time in 60 years.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04- ARCHIVE:- Once only 30 people arrived each day.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Now over 4,000 meals a week are served.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Well, if we didn't have this, we wouldn't have anything to eat really.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Doesn't the fact that you're so short of food now make you feel
0:29:14 > 0:29:16inclined to go back to work?
0:29:18 > 0:29:23No, no way. No, I'd rather starve than go back to work.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24I would.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29As well as soup kitchens, women in pit villages organised food
0:29:29 > 0:29:33collections to share with families of striking miners.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35DOORBELL CHIMES
0:29:35 > 0:29:37- Hello, Mrs Ellis.- Hello.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Steve Maitland is a retired miner from using Easington Colliery in County Durham.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45So, we know you're going through hard times at the moment,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48so we thought this might help you out.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49Thank you so much.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Wow!
0:29:51 > 0:29:56Like many striking miners, he received food parcels during the protests.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The food parcel is actually being donated from the Russian miners.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04- Right.- So, you might find a little bit of difficulty in the reading of
0:30:04 > 0:30:08the tins, but you'll grasp it once you open them.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11We got some of that food, and there was no dates or times or nothing
0:30:11 > 0:30:12on them, expiry dates.
0:30:12 > 0:30:18And people weren't sure what they were going to be consuming or the age.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- Yeah.- That was real life.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24Lorry loads of supplies were sent to Britain as a gesture of solidarity
0:30:24 > 0:30:26from communist countries around the world.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Miners' wives had to interpret the contents of these mysterious tins,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33using their imagination to put a meal on the table.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37When there would be a half decent meal on the table,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- I would say, "How the hell has she done this?"- Yeah. Creating magic.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Out of nothing.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46There would be panackelty, there would be a broth.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47What's a panackelty?
0:30:47 > 0:30:52Panackelty is potatoes, sliced, placed with corned beef.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56We had that in the '60s, I think, and they called it a panhaggerty.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59There is panackelty and panhaggerty,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- which is two different, slightly two different dishes, yes.- Right.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Being able to feed the family could mean the difference between
0:31:06 > 0:31:10staying on the picket or being forced to return to work.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15Some lads nearly cracked. They wanted to go back and it was the
0:31:15 > 0:31:17wives that actually stopped them.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20So, it was hard, it was an experience.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I would go through it again.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24- Would you?- Because it was right.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- It was tough, though, wasn't it? - It was.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43As the strike turned from days to weeks to months,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46the task of the miner's wife became ever more crucial.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I can't read that, that is unreadable.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- What does that mean? - I don't think they're tomatoes.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55So, Lesley is determined to put a good meal on the table.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58All she has to do is figure out what's in the tins.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Gravy and carrots.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02There's beans from Hungary...
0:32:02 > 0:32:03It's like minestrone soup.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Oh, I love minestrone soup.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08..tinned beef from Russia...
0:32:08 > 0:32:11It smells like fish and looks like corned beef.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13..and, courtesy of the French...
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Chicken feet!
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- ALL:- Urgh!- Is it, actually?
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Put it back in, get rid of it.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23THEY SQUEAL
0:32:23 > 0:32:27That's disgusting. Isn't even meat.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Doing the best she can with the ingredients she has,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Lesley puts together a panackelty with a continental twist.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42At tea time...
0:32:42 > 0:32:44I think you've all done a good job with this,
0:32:44 > 0:32:45under the circumstances.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Harvey's got a cob on.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53This would be so much better if the potatoes were cooked properly.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It's all right, it gives it a bit of crunch.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- I don't like it.- I think it's really, really tasty.
0:33:00 > 0:33:01Tasty in the wrong way.
0:33:01 > 0:33:07So, you know, I would've preferred a bit more appreciation over this.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Because we have hardly any food all,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12and we've managed to rustle something up.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16I think the fact that you don't like it is irrelevant.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Like, at first I didn't understand the severity of it, and now,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27like, I think I was just being really narrow-minded.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And now that I've come to my senses, I realise how big a deal it was.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33No sofa, no car, empty pantry.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35It was so bizarre, like,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39I didn't realise how much luxury we had until it was all taken away.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45It's 1985.
0:33:46 > 0:33:52After a year of intense hardship for 130,000 miners and their families,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55the union narrowly voted to return to work,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58ending Britain's longest industrial dispute.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Within a decade,
0:34:02 > 0:34:07the number of mines in the UK would shrink from 133 to 32,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10all of which would be privately owned.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13For those who still had a job, the return to normality began.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19We've got a washer and freezer back.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Yeah, I know.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23We've got some more food in the pantry, as well.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26We're not back up to scratch yet, but we're getting there.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29The sofa might be back,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32but many families were saddled with bills and mortgage arrays.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36What are you making?
0:34:36 > 0:34:37Corned beef plate pie.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41What's a plate pie?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It means you make it in a plate.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46It's not got loads of filling, but it's still good.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49It's sort of ironic that you're making corned beef pie.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54- Why?- Because I'm reading an interview with Morrissey...
0:34:55 > 0:34:58..and his album, Meat Is Murder.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Freya, could you be a vegetarian, do you think?
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Yeah, easily.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- What would you miss, though?- KFC.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06THEY LAUGH
0:35:09 > 0:35:11While the kids settle in for a TV dinner,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14John and Lesley are meeting some mates for an afternoon out.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18They're off to the dogs.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20- Hi.- Good to see you, mate.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Rearing and racing greyhounds had been part of life in pit towns for
0:35:26 > 0:35:28over a century.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30In the 1980s,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34the track was still a place to meet and forget the worries of the day.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37When they're going round here, they're so quick, though,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39- aren't they?- I know.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Come on!
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Come on, number four!
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- They are so fast.- It's coming up on the outside, Lesley.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Outside.- Come on, number four!
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Come on, number one!
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- Oh, number four.- It's won.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57I should've put £2 on yours.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I should've put £2 on instead of £1.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02LAUGHTER
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Is that what you put on it?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Last of the big spenders!
0:36:06 > 0:36:09It's time for a pie, and the pints are on the winner.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Both, please, yeah, I like a bit of both, yeah.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14- You're having gravy?- Yeah, I want to have a bit of both.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- On pie and peas.- Yeah.- What?
0:36:17 > 0:36:22- Try it.- Bon appetit.- Bon appetit.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28This track in the pit town of Kinsley, West Yorkshire,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31is owned by ex-miner John Curran.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33He bought it in the year that the miners' strike ended.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39The following year his pit closed and the track became the family business.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Hello, gorgeous.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47His brother, Alan, also a former miner,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49still brings his dog to the stadium.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51It's a mining village, so every miner had a greyhound.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55They either had a greyhound in the back of his yard or a pigeon
0:36:55 > 0:36:56in the back of his yard.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59We've always had a greyhound in my house when we fetched up.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03And like I said, I was fetched up in a big family, eight brothers, and...
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Did you have a massive house, then?
0:37:06 > 0:37:07Two-bedroom household.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10With maybe four or five greyhounds in your house.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13And they had better space than we had, love.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16We had a rug on the bed, they had a blankie.
0:37:17 > 0:37:18- I love that.- That's true.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22The hard thing what gets me, like I say, is I look up there
0:37:22 > 0:37:23and that pit's gone.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25You know what I mean?
0:37:25 > 0:37:28And that, that was the point here, were there.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30It weren't the greyhound racing, it were that pit.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I didn't care what they did with me, as a miner,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36I believed in what I believed in.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And it were nothing to do with money, what I were fighting for.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42I were fighting for t'next generation to have a job.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49This guy was so interesting and he talked about the decimation of
0:37:49 > 0:37:55his town when the mine shut and how greyhound racing is still there and
0:37:55 > 0:37:57it's part of the mining heritage.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Sport had always been well loved in the North.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13But on the 11th of May, 1985, one event would break the heart of Bradford.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22- ARCHIVE:- At least 40 people are now known to have died in a huge fire,
0:38:22 > 0:38:23which engulfed the main stand during a match
0:38:23 > 0:38:26at Bradford City Football Club this afternoon.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29The final count of the injured has yet to be made,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31but police say they expect the figure to be more than 200.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40On the day the club was celebrating promotion to the second division,
0:38:40 > 0:38:41tragedy struck.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48In total, 56 people lost their lives in the fire.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01There's an article in here, it says, "Britain's national game
0:39:01 > 0:39:04"is wallowing in the lowest reputation it has ever held."
0:39:04 > 0:39:09The disaster prompted a passionate debate in the press about the future
0:39:09 > 0:39:12of what had always been a working-class game.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17"British football is in crisis, a slum sport played in slum stadiums
0:39:17 > 0:39:24"and increasingly watched by slum people who deter decent folk from turning up."
0:39:25 > 0:39:27SHE GASPS
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And that's after the Bradford fire disaster?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34That's a week after the Bradford fire disaster.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38"Death on the Bradford scale has brought home brutally just what an
0:39:38 > 0:39:41"appalling state football is in.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45"The game needs cleaning up and revitalizing every bit as much as
0:39:45 > 0:39:48"the rest of Victorian industrial Britain."
0:39:48 > 0:39:50All right, again, yeah.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Is this a southern magazine?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54- This...- No, it's the Sunday Times. - The Sunday Times.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56So, where is that based?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- London.- Of course it's based in London,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00it's not going to be based up north, is it?
0:40:00 > 0:40:06Why would you turn a disaster and a situation where people are clearly
0:40:06 > 0:40:10going to be upset... People's families were in that disaster.
0:40:10 > 0:40:18People watched people suffer and to make it out like it was, like,
0:40:18 > 0:40:19"Oh, it's a lesson learned.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23"At least it's happened so people realise that you're all slum people."
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Like, you don't write things like that.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32If anything, that article just makes me proud to be from Bradford.
0:40:32 > 0:40:38Because why would I want to be living in London with people that write stuff like that?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41# Everybody take a stand
0:40:41 > 0:40:44# Join the caravan of love
0:40:44 > 0:40:48# Stand up, stand up, stand up
0:40:48 > 0:40:51# I'm your brother... #
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- Guys, it's 1987.- Yay!- Whoo!
0:40:56 > 0:40:59In the years since the miners' strike,
0:40:59 > 0:41:0439 pits had closed and almost 50% of miners had lost their jobs.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07John is now unemployed.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10My mum used to eat that.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11My mum did as well.
0:41:12 > 0:41:1594% of all job losses since 1979...
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Look at that.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Good Lord.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Job losses below the great divide, just 6%.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26That's shocking though, isn't it?
0:41:26 > 0:41:30To help tackle the issue, the Employment Secretary, Norman Tebbit,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33launched a new scheme under the slogan,
0:41:33 > 0:41:37"inside every unemployed person there's a self-employed one."
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Enterprise Allowance Scheme.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Congratulations, your application to set up a jacket potato business
0:41:46 > 0:41:49through the Government's Enterprise Allowance Scheme
0:41:49 > 0:41:50has been accepted.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52THEY LAUGH
0:41:52 > 0:41:58So I've gone from t'pit to a jacket potato business.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02So, what you're telling us is we're just going to be eating jacket
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- potatoes all the time.- That's right. - I'm going to have jacket potatoes
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- coming out of our chuffin' ears. - Yep.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Whoo! I love jackets.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14In a blaze of enthusiasm for free enterprise,
0:42:14 > 0:42:18the Government is offering a strong incentive to help jobless people
0:42:18 > 0:42:20become self-employed.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22To encourage people to start their own businesses,
0:42:22 > 0:42:27those on the scheme got £40 a week allowance instead of £30 a week dole.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30All they needed to get started was a grand in the bank.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Vic's vegetables.- Vic who?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Me, Vic, it's my own business, isn't it?
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Enterprise Allowance Scheme.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41For the Ellises, their £1,000 would've helped them get the
0:42:41 > 0:42:45necessary kit to kick off their entrepreneurial venture.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Oh, my God!
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- That's ace.- What the chuff is this?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53I think we need a bigger one. I'm going big, me.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56This is the start of our empire.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57All right, calm down.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59It's just the right size for you, Lesley.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06In the '80s, the rapid expansion of the Spudulike chain saw jacket
0:43:06 > 0:43:09potatoes become a feature of every high street.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14John and Lesley are making their own fillings on a slightly smaller scale.
0:43:14 > 0:43:19We couldn't do this without doing chilli cos it's Johnny's, like,
0:43:19 > 0:43:21- favourite meal.- Signature dish.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Yeah, signature dish.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28We've chosen cheese, beans, and coleslaw.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35Come and get your spuds! Best in the north! Come on!
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Spuds, spuds!
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Oh, it's lovely in here. Clamp it all down, Lesley.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46- I don't think...- Oh!
0:43:46 > 0:43:49It must've been hard, because they've got to know about marketing,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52they've got to have a strategy, they've got to have a business plan.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Best in the north, come on!
0:43:54 > 0:43:58The Enterprise Allowance gave new entrepreneurs like John and Lesley
0:43:58 > 0:44:00a one-day induction into running their own business.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04Then they were on their own.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06We can have them on the top there, other side.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09I don't know quite when the customers are coming,
0:44:09 > 0:44:11but when they come, they're going to love them.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Is that my mum?
0:44:15 > 0:44:16- Are you sure?- Oh, it is, yeah.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- It is.- What the hell is she doing here?
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Have you sold anything?
0:44:21 > 0:44:23No.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25- Do you want one?- We've got plenty of stock left.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28I can't pay you for it, because I haven't got my handbag.
0:44:28 > 0:44:29- What?- Oh.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31We don't have a credit facility!
0:44:31 > 0:44:34We don't have a credit facilities!
0:44:34 > 0:44:39In 1987, 45,000 new businesses started.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43You need a driving licence for this, don't you?
0:44:43 > 0:44:47Over 80% would still be going the following year,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50although I'm not sure the Ellises' fortune lies in jacket spuds.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55While John and Lesley face an uncertain future in the north,
0:44:55 > 0:45:00much of the south from city traders to property investors benefit from
0:45:00 > 0:45:03booming financial and service sectors and celebrate a third
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Conservative election win.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09# And they promised us the world... #
0:45:10 > 0:45:14- TV:- Looking down over the City of London,- where the yuppies live.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16The yuppies.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Joan Bakewell has been talking to some of them.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20- Are you celebrating?- Yes, we are, yes.
0:45:20 > 0:45:26I mean, financially, things are going well, very steady, good, yeah, no change.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- Happy with that.- They're just drinking champagne in the street.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35It's the safest and steadiest the country has been for years.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39- Keep it on an even keel. - We've never had it so good.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44# Friends tell me I am crazy
0:45:46 > 0:45:49# That I'm wasting time with you... #
0:45:51 > 0:45:53It's 1990.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57A new year brings with it a new decade.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00New car, new sofa, and new tunes.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04# On one, in one, did one, do one
0:46:04 > 0:46:06# Did one, have one, in one have one... #
0:46:06 > 0:46:07Oh, sounds good, that, doesn't it?
0:46:10 > 0:46:14New jobs were also on the scene in the world of retail and leisure.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Although the loss of traditional industries would continue to impact
0:46:18 > 0:46:21the north, unemployment had at least halved.
0:46:21 > 0:46:22Hiya.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28The Ellis family can afford to splash out at the supermarket,
0:46:28 > 0:46:30enjoying the latest in food technology.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34- Do you know what?- Oh, microchips.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36It's easy, you just put it in a microwave.
0:46:36 > 0:46:37Who's going first on microwave?
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Harvey goes first, Caitlin goes second,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43I'll go third, mum goes forth, dad goes fifth.
0:46:43 > 0:46:49By the mid-90s, 35% of our grocery bill was going on convenience food.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52MICROWAVE BEEPS
0:46:52 > 0:46:53Right time?
0:46:53 > 0:46:56With cooked, what's five times six, Harvey?
0:46:56 > 0:46:59- You'd be better getting fish and chips.- Five times six, that's 30.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02So, that's half an hour to cook the food.
0:47:02 > 0:47:03Right, first two are done.
0:47:03 > 0:47:04Right, I think they are.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06- No, just put them on for longer. - Just be careful.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Put them on for two minutes.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10I can't be bothered to wait any longer,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12and Caitlin has had two slices of bread.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15So, we're going to share ours down t'middle.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17This isn't right convenient when there's five of you, is it?
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Microwaves are useless.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Do you know what I mean? You might as well as just cook it all in the
0:47:24 > 0:47:25oven, and make one big dish.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29It would make more sense, because it's reducing family time and I
0:47:29 > 0:47:31can't believe I'm saying this,
0:47:31 > 0:47:33because I'm not about family time, but, like...
0:47:33 > 0:47:39MUSIC: Supersonic by Oasis
0:47:44 > 0:47:48It's 1994.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50# I need to be myself...
0:47:50 > 0:47:54The north has a new musical icon.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58In 1994, Oasis took the Manchester music brand global
0:47:58 > 0:48:01with 15 million sales of their debut album.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06- See you later.- See you later. - See you later.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07- Your top feels nice.- Bye.
0:48:12 > 0:48:13In Manchester itself,
0:48:13 > 0:48:17abandoned mills and warehouses were reincarnated as bars and clubs.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19MUSIC: Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Tonight, I'm meeting Freya and Caitlin for a night of '90s music.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Oh, my gorgeous girls, you're here.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39Come on, welcome, then, to the early '90s and to the former home of the
0:48:39 > 0:48:41legendary Factory Records.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44The early '90s in Manchester, or Madchester as it was known,
0:48:44 > 0:48:47was the coolest place to be, basically, on the earth.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Suddenly, as a teenager, I was your age,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53it was cool to be from the north and it was cool to be from nearly
0:48:53 > 0:48:54Manchester, like I was.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57And you're now going to meet a man who was right in the thick of all
0:48:57 > 0:48:59the action.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04MUSIC: Step On by Happy Mondays
0:49:05 > 0:49:07Hey, girls. Hugs, hugs.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10# Gonna stamp out your fire... #
0:49:10 > 0:49:14Salford born Shaun Ryder's band, Happy Mondays, were one of the
0:49:14 > 0:49:17latest groups to make being northern part of their appeal.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20# You're a man... #
0:49:20 > 0:49:23You're twistin' my melon man, you speak so hip.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28Tell us, Shaun, how did the Happy Mondays start, then?
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Well, we was on the dole,
0:49:30 > 0:49:34and then we got introduced to the Enterprise Allowance Scheme.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38So, basically, you got to start a band and we had to start a spud business?
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Yeah, they're selling jackets spuds.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Well, we was on it with fishmongers and shoe salesman.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45So, how do you know that?
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Because we all had to sit round the table and talk about our businesses
0:49:48 > 0:49:49and our business plan.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Go on, then, pitch us Happy Mondays.
0:49:52 > 0:49:53What did you say?
0:49:55 > 0:49:57We did have to come up with a business plan.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00We did have to, you know, give our projections and what we were going
0:50:00 > 0:50:03to do for the next so many years and stuff like that.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05So, what was the impact on the north, do you think?
0:50:05 > 0:50:09Manchester went really from sort of late '70s black and white into
0:50:09 > 0:50:13- wonderful Technicolor.- Can you see and appreciate the impact you would
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- have had on the young people? - Oh, absolutely, yeah, more than ever now.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19At the time, you don't really. I didn't really appreciate it.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23I was doing it and getting on with it, and now I really appreciate it.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27In our small way, it was like The Roses and The Mondays,
0:50:27 > 0:50:30it was sort of like The Beatles and The Stones going on Top Of The Pops
0:50:30 > 0:50:32for a lot of young kids.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35What does "twisted my melons" mean?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37There was a Steve McQueen documentary on television
0:50:37 > 0:50:40where Steve McQueen's talking to one of the film producers and he's
0:50:40 > 0:50:43telling him that he's twisting his melon, which he's doing the his head in.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47See, that's like, everyone knows that lyric.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49Everyone knows that, it's like anthem.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52- Yeah.- A big chunk of history stood here drinking an alcopop.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54I think a "cheers" is in order.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57- Yes, definitely. Cheers, Sean. - Cheers, ladies.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00# He's going to step on you... #
0:51:09 > 0:51:10Yeah, I used to go to Hacienda.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- In the '90s.- Where is that?
0:51:14 > 0:51:16- Don't you know?- In Manchester?
0:51:16 > 0:51:18- Yeah.- I've never been.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21I know you haven't, it weren't really your scene, were it?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26After the club, the girls are in need of some grub.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33- You all right?- Hi, I think we'll have two chip naans.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39Manchester is home to the largest Pakistani population in Europe.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43New arrivals to the city opened late-night takeaways and put their
0:51:43 > 0:51:45own twist on the northern chip butty.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48It has become a bit of a local classic.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52- Thank you.- Thank you very much. - Thanks.
0:51:52 > 0:51:57To say it's just like a naan and chips, this is really nice.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06# Happiness
0:52:06 > 0:52:07# More or less
0:52:07 > 0:52:09# It's just a change in me
0:52:09 > 0:52:11# Something in my liberty
0:52:11 > 0:52:15# Oh, my, my... #
0:52:16 > 0:52:21In 1997, Labour returned to power drawing a line under 18 years of
0:52:21 > 0:52:26Conservative rule which had changed life in the industrial north forever.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36- It's 1999.- Whoo!
0:52:36 > 0:52:37Hey, do you want a cup of tea?
0:52:37 > 0:52:41Yeah, I'll have a cuppa. Why is it in a triangle?
0:52:41 > 0:52:42It's a pyramid, actually.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45Pyramid tea bags came out in '99.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47And they were, like, revolutionary.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49- Why?- According to the advert,
0:52:49 > 0:52:54it allowed space for the tea leaves to circulate and it makes a stronger
0:52:54 > 0:52:55cup of tea quicker.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59It's the last year of the millennium,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02and the last day of the Ellises' time-travelling experiment.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Tonight, there's a special millennium celebration planned.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12For the party, Lesley's preparing my all-time favourite -
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Lancashire black peas.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18This warming treat is made by boiling up black beans with plenty
0:53:18 > 0:53:19of salt and vinegar.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26Coming from Yorkshire, Lancashire black peas, I'd never heard of.
0:53:26 > 0:53:31And so I went and spent Bonfire Night with some Lancastrian friends.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34They were completely gobsmacked that we'd never heard of it.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36None of us.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38This is just commonplace for them,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41so I reckon Sarah's going to like these, being a Bolton girl.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Hmm.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57To mark the end of the millennium, the Ellises and their friends have
0:53:57 > 0:53:59gathered at Crag Delph Nook in Yorkshire.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03I knew you were here!
0:54:03 > 0:54:08On New Year's Eve 1999, 4,000 beacons were lit across the country
0:54:08 > 0:54:11to welcome in the new millennium.
0:54:11 > 0:54:12One of them was here.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Polly and I are joining them for the big send-off.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19Hello!
0:54:19 > 0:54:22What a beautiful place to celebrate the turn of the millennium
0:54:22 > 0:54:25and the century. Listen, we've got black peas on tonight.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- I mean...- Black peas. - What are these?
0:54:27 > 0:54:30- I saved them for you.- You know, we used to always have these on
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Bonfire Night, my mum used to make them.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- They're delicious.- But this is, like, proper sort of northern
0:54:34 > 0:54:36- regional food, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40And in '80s and '90s, you haven't had very much of that, have you?
0:54:40 > 0:54:42We've had very little.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45The only time we actually ate a kind of regional dish,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47was 1984 when we had no food.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51And we just kind of recreated a panhaggerty that we had in the '60s
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- with what we had. - This whole experiment,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57has it made you feel differently about being from the north,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00- being a Northerner?- I think the two things that have really stood out
0:55:00 > 0:55:02to me throughout all this,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05has being working in the textile industry and working down the mine.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07When I worked down the mine,
0:55:07 > 0:55:10that'll stick in my mind for the rest of my life.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14It was just like, I felt as though I worked there day in, day out, for
0:55:14 > 0:55:17many, many years and that's proud to be northern,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19because that's where the industry was.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23And sadly today, all the industry has gone away.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28I identify as a Yorkshire person more than northern.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30It's never occurred to me to identify as a Northerner.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32But, at the end of the day,
0:55:32 > 0:55:37we are from the United Kingdom and we should all be together.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41That is attitude we want going into the new millennium, isn't it?
0:55:41 > 0:55:42- Exactly.- All together.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44All together.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- ALL:- Ten, nine, eight, seven...
0:55:47 > 0:55:51It's time to mark the end of the millennium and celebrate the end of
0:55:51 > 0:55:53the Ellises' time travelling.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55..two, one!
0:55:55 > 0:55:57CHEERING
0:55:58 > 0:56:01# For auld lang syne
0:56:01 > 0:56:05# We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
0:56:05 > 0:56:10# For the sake of auld lang syne. #
0:56:10 > 0:56:12CHEERING
0:56:15 > 0:56:20The Ellis family have fast-forwarded through 80 years of history.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24They've experienced a huge transformation in the lives of
0:56:24 > 0:56:26working families in the north.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29And nowhere has that change been more evident than in the food that
0:56:29 > 0:56:30they've been eating.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Every morsel has told a tale about the changing the lives of working
0:56:35 > 0:56:40families, who have gone from bare cupboards to times of plenty
0:56:40 > 0:56:42- and back again.- No!
0:56:43 > 0:56:47What has never changed is the determination, resourcefulness,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50and good humour of the northern folk.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52From a dripping butty to microwave meals,
0:56:52 > 0:56:56their food and fortunes have been ever-changing.
0:56:56 > 0:57:01Living through the century, we've been like a feather in the wind.
0:57:01 > 0:57:07It's just, we'd blown in whichever direction social policy has led us.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10You're just walking a tight rope,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12you're either going to go one way or the other.
0:57:14 > 0:57:20The one thing I'm going to take into real life is to spend more time with dad.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23We've gone go-kart riding, we've gone to play football,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26we've done 37 kick-ups together.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28And that feeling is so good.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32I feel like I can build a stronger connection with my dad.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40It's never nice to see that you might go hungry,
0:57:40 > 0:57:42to see that your cupboards are empty,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45so I feel like having the food in your pantry is just like a safety
0:57:45 > 0:57:49blanket, and it's kind of stepping out of your comfort zone
0:57:49 > 0:57:51when it's not abundant.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55You can't always rely on things being good,
0:57:55 > 0:57:58you've also got to be able to confront the bad things as well.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02There's always somebody worse off than what you are.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05And wherever you can help people out, then try and do that.
0:58:05 > 0:58:11Because, you know, you never know whether that might hit you one day.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14CHEERING
0:58:22 > 0:58:24Next time... Oh, it stinks, is that you that smells?
0:58:24 > 0:58:26Or is it that?
0:58:26 > 0:58:27Oh, it's you!
0:58:27 > 0:58:30The family discovers how, in the 21st century...
0:58:30 > 0:58:34Every bite, you get a different flavour come through.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36..the north is harnessing its past.
0:58:36 > 0:58:38- Like little Bo Peep.- Jam me down the street. See ya!