City of Towers – Christopher Booker
May 4th, 2020
This film has reappeared in time for the 40th anniversary of its second showing on the BBC on 10th May 1980
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Glasgow – shipbuilding and architecture on film
November 12th, 2016
Films
All Our Working Lives – The Shipbuilders.mp4 (download and play)
Original 1984 documentary of one hour then a half hour update programme
British Connection Clydebank – Kelso.mp4
BBC Alba – subtitles in English – Clydebank forms the first half hour
Dreaming the impossible: Unbuilt Britain – A revolution in the City
BBC Four 58m59s
The Secret History of our Streets – Duke_Street.mp4
BBC Four – subtitles – 59m22s
Jonathan Meades – films
November 12th, 2016
Abroad Again – part 4 of 5 – Heaven – Folkwoven In England.avi – Letchworth
Bunkers Brutalism and Bloodymindedness Concrete Poetry_pt1.mp4
Bunkers Brutalism and Bloodymindedness Concrete Poetry_pt1.srt (subtitle file)
Bunkers Brutalism and Bloodymindedness Concrete Poetry_pt2.mp4
Bunkers Brutalism and Bloodymindedness Concrete Poetry_pt2.srt (subtitle file)
City of Towers and other documentaries
November 9th, 2016
“Back in 1979, I made a BBC documentary called City of Towers, charting how the futuristic dreams crystallised in the Twenties by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier had led to the high-rise nightmare that blighted Britain’s cities in the Sixties. The film won some acclaim – not least, surprisingly, from some of the modern architects whose work it had featured, from Maxwell Fry to Richard Seifert, creator of the Centre Point tower.”
“But when, some years later, there were calls for the programme to be repeated, Mr Yentob startled a BBC meeting by expostulating that the film would only ever be shown again “over my dead body”.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11833042/A-fitting-end-for-Alan-Yentob.html
Now this in the Guardian
Alan Yentob: the last impresario
City of Towers – Christopher Booker / Christopher Martin
Click here to play or download
UPDATE 25/4/18: I’m not convinced the programme makers have correctly described the layout of the “scissor” flats in this block. If you live there or know someone who does please leave a comment underneath this article.
BBC/Oxford Film and Television/Lorian Reed-Drake
“I want to discover how the high-rise flat became the answer to Britain’s post-war housing crisis and why this modern way of living became loathed and loved in almost equal measure”
In weeks gone by the series has looked at the Medieval cottage and then the C19th terraced house. This week the final part takes us firmly into the C20th with concrete rather than brick construction and multi-storey towers replacing houses with gardens.
On Youtube here The Flat
BBC/Oxford Film and Television/Lorian Reed-Drake
“I want to discover what made the terrace Britains home of choice and why they’re still as devoted to these houses as their first inhabitants were well over a century ago.”
This week’s programme examines the development of the terraced house in the Liverpool district of Toxteth during the 19th century. As the city grew as a port, its population expanded both with the rural exodus and the influx of Irish migrants fleeing the potato famine.
On Youtube here The Terrace
BBC/Oxford Film and Television/Lorian Reed-Drake
“I want to go beyond masonry and mortar and come face to face with residents past and present, I want to understand how they lived and how they transformed buildings into homes.”
In a remarkable programme lasting just one hour Dan Cruickshank traces the development of a Warwickshire village beginning with its entry in the Domesday Book then through 500 years of history to the present day, studying in great detail the transformation of Medieval cottage life to the home comforts we have come to know by way of the chimney stack, glass windows and separate rooms for different functions.
On Youtube here The Cottage
Housing discussion at Tate Modern April 13th 2016
April 15th, 2016
I attended a showing of Estate: a Reverie by Andrea Luka Zimmerman on Wednesday evening at the Tate Modern. Following the film an interesting discussion took place among six interested parties and from a poor quality recording I have transcribed some excerpts as shown below.
English Social History – a programme for schools
January 5th, 2016
If you missed history in school as I did through unfortunate timetable choices there is a way to catch up in short order thanks to a wonderful programme broadcast overnight for schools some years ago. I’ve watched it several times over the years and never cease to wonder at how much he packs into two hours and how well he covers the subject.
English Social History – Andrew Chater – BBC2 – DEAD LINK
It’s on YouTube divided into sections, my upload is simply the whole programme in one go albeit missing a few seconds from the beginning.
If you prefer to watch it on the original website, it’s here:-
Where we live now – 2016 uploads
January 5th, 2016
This post is redundant and forwards to a new article.