1960s

Episode image for 1960s

Episode 5 of 6

Duration: 1 hour

A group of modern shopkeepers and their families are trading their way through one hundred years of history. They've set up shop in a 21st century town in a bid to make its residents fall in love with its high street once more. They are overseen by a Chamber of Commerce, led by Masterchef judge and greengrocer Gregg Wallace.

In this episode the shopkeepers move into the swinging sixties, and big changes hit the high street. Every shop has transformed completely - 1960s mass production of meat, bread and clothing means the bakers find themselves running a milk bar, the butcher sells hardware and the dressmaker is now running a hair salon. The grocers has become self-service, bringing a more modern shopping experience to customers. The bakers have to produce milkshakes and burgers, while the dressmaker turns her hand to bouffants and beehives. The butcher finds himself in direct competition with the grocer.

As the shopkeepers struggle with the changes in their trades, the town sees first-hand why Britain turned its back on traditional shops and embraced the supermarket. At the end of the week, history dictates that, for some, it is time to leave, and customers realise just what they're losing.

  • BBC TV BLOG

    BBC TV BLOG

    Karl Sergison, dad of the grocer family: 'Debbie had to be the perfect housewife and have my slippers ready every night when I returned home from work.'

    Read Karl's story on the BBC TV blog
  • Family Highlight: Gill Cockwell, Dressmaker

    Family Highlight: Gill Cockwell, Dressmaker

    I was slightly apprehensive about returning to Shepton Mallet and entering the 1960’s as I’d enjoyed my 1940’s experience so much. It had been a wonderful week teaching people to sew a little and creating new garments out of old ones; I even made a nightdress out of an old valence sheet!

    I was expecting my quaint little dressmaker’s workshop, which I so adored, to be changed beyond all recognition into a fashion boutique stocked with shapeless mini dresses and go-go boots. I was excited but nervous about the transition from dressmaker to sales assistant but nothing could have prepared me for what was waiting for me in the market square; my shop had moved to a new location and had morphed into a fully functional hair salon!

    To say I was shocked is a huge understatement; I mean, I’m reasonably competent with a hair pin but I’ve never cut hair in my life - how on earth was I going to run a hair salon?

    I soon discovered that I was to have an assistant in the form of the beautiful and talented young Naomi; if it wasn’t for her I don’t know how I would have coped. We both went on a training course at a hair parlour in London and learnt how to do Beehives, Bouffants and Flicks.

    When we returned to the salon we were ready to welcome our first clients. We backcombed, hair-sprayed and pinned away, until it seemed most of the ladies of Shepton Mallet were wandering around sporting fantastically high hair and huge false eyelashes; even some of the lads got involved!

    On the last day I had to do my very first hair cut (which I was hoping I would get away with letting Naomi do) and I was terrified! My client, Alexis, had beautiful long hair and wanted it cut into a short crop - I was so scared, I think it took me about three hours!

    Naomi and I had lots of fun bringing a touch of 1960’s glamour to the ladies of Shepton and we got a fantastic response from them but I never want to do another haircut as long as I live; it’s too permanent, my nerves were frazzled by the end of it!

    Hair cutting aside, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed having a salon; as I said in the programme, it wasn’t as far away from my comfort zone as I’d first imagined. I was still selling glamour after all.

  • Photo: The 1960s

    Photo: The 1960s

    The 1960s saw the death of Winston Churchill, the England football team win the World Cup, and Barbara Windsor being caught in an embarrassing situation whilst exercising at camp.

  • VW Campervan AKA Hippy Van AKA Breadloaf

    VW Campervan AKA Hippy Van AKA Breadloaf

    The VW Campervan celebrated 60 years of production back in June; famous owners include F1 driver Jenson Button, musician Roger Daltry and actor Martin Clunes.

Credits

Series Producer
Cate Hall
Executive Producer
Leanne Klein

Broadcasts

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