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BBC TV blog
Producer Tom St John Gray on his job in making The High Street as realistic as possible: "Finding authentic prices in old money for each item was a real challenge."
Read Tom St John Gray's post on the BBC TV blog -
Family Highlight: Caroline Frampton, baker
The first day at Shepton Mallet was a bit of a fairy story: wardrobe, make up and with the backdrop of a rather gorgeous estate, all we had to do was shimmy around the grounds in our period costumes. We all had a fabulous time and left in the early evening thinking this ‘filming lark’ was going to be a piece of cake. Fast forward through the Victorian and Edwardian eras into the thirties and programme three and things were very different!
The rest of the street seemed to prosper, but not us. After listening to the Turn Back Time Chamber of Commerce on how life in the thirties was about fun and more family time, we thought the hard times of the previous two eras might be over. Not a bit of it! We still didn’t have hot running water, cleaning materials, anywhere near the right equipment or even a proper bedroom for our two boys. And to top it all off we were now a bakers with a cake shop to run. The rest of the street seemed to be on holiday most of the time and it felt that we were there to make it happen for them.
The government had passed a law giving Sunday’s as a day of rest and the other shopkeepers went off to the seaside. Although Nigel did take our four children, I was left baking cakes for the shop and the celebration cake for ‘Empire Day’. I’d honed my cake-making skills at Ston Easton Manor learning from the experts. I don’t think they would have owned up to their part if they’d seen the results! Smarties as a topping is not what most professionals would want to see!
On the fashion front this era was particularly unkind to women - the rather shapeless dresses and overalls/aprons combined with the thick lyle stockings made me look like a cross between Nora Batty (Last of the Summer Wine) and Miss Marple!
So how did it go? It was hard work. It was long hours of physical labour with few breaks. But it was absolutely worthwhile. It was a great way to spend the summer, and for our children to experience living through the different decades. Was it rewarding? Fantastically, we have memories our children will pass on to their children. -
Photo: Great Depression
By the end of 1930, the number of unemployed people in Britain had risen from 1 million to 2.5 million. One of the reasons for this was because of the New York Stock Market Crash in October 1929, which in turn affected world trade. The Great Depression meant that toys were a luxury many couldn't afford in the early 1930s.
Credits
- Series Producer
- Cate Hall
- Executive Producer
- Leanne Klein
