ATTENTION UK Loungers - The Jitterbug Years on BBC2

[Salv]

I've just noticed that there is a documentary called "The Jitterbug Years" showing on BBC2 tonight - 17th March - at 11:35pm. It was originally shown on BBC4 as part of a series called The Lost Decade 1945-1955 in early January this year.

This is from a BBC press release.

Extraordinary BBC archive footage, highlighting some of the most important events from the post-war years of 1945 to 1953, is set to the music of the time - heralding an era of enormous social and cultural change that would eventually explode into rock and roll and teenage rebellion.

This unique footage shows how the Brits enjoyed themselves in the aftermath of the war, despite rationing, deprivation and the big freeze of 1947.

Events include the birth of the NHS; the baby boom and soaring divorce rate; the influence of American music and dance; the Empire dissolving; Britain entering the jet and atomic age; Attlee's socialist Government taking over major industries; Churchill's second term as PM; the Festival of Britain; the discovery of DNA; and the Queen's Coronation.

The evocative soundtrack includes How Lucky You Are from Vera Lynn; Isn't Life Wonderful by Alma Cogan and Les Howard; GI Jive by Tony Bennett; Jezebel by Frankie Laine; and I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm from Les Brown and his orchestra.

 

[Mr. 'H']

Salv - I just checked it - the bla*sted Irish version of BBC2 isn't showing this tonight.

Instead, it's showing some naff programme called "My Awful School Report"!!!

Schucks, alors!

:rage:

 

[nightandthecity]

aaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!

...found this post on Saturday morning! But thanks anyway Salv.

I wanted to see that series when it was first out but like anything you'd want to watch is was on BBC4, and we only have plain old terrestrial.

Whilst I'm at it, let me also thank you for putting me onto OldTown/Tin house clothing. Spent several hours drooling over their site. Now all I have to do is start saving........

 

[Salv]

...found this post on Saturday morning! But thanks anyway Salv.

I wanted to see that series when it was first out but like anything you'd want to watch is was on BBC4, and we only have plain old terrestrial.

It wasn't quite what I had expected, but it was still a very fascinating 40 minutes. As the press release said it was made up of archive footage skimming over the changes that post-war Britain went through from VE day parties - at which the military presence was mainly American due to the fact that the bulk of British servicemen were still in Europe or the far East - up to the Coronation of Elizabeth II. Along the way they mentioned:

• the 1945 elections which put Atlee in Downing Street;
• the continuation of rationing while Britain attempted to pay off its ?Ǭ£3.5 billion war debt;
• the jitterbug craze;
• the gambling fever that swept the country - there was full employment, but food and clothing rationing meant there was a surplus of disposable income which was spent on horse and dog racing;
• the huge popularity of the cinema and sporting events;
• the coming of television, with the Coronation being the catalyst for widespread acceptance of the new nedium;
• the birth of the National Health Service;
• the introduction of the 11+ test, a pass in which saw less well off children finally being admitted to the grammar schools that had previously been only for the children of the middle and upper classes;
• the explosion in holidays away from home - Blackpool and Butlins holiday camps were featured;
• the conquest of Everest;
• the Korean war;
• atomic testing in the Pacific;
• the Festival of Britain.

I was disappointed that it didn't mention the birth of Brit youth culture - once rationing finished working class British males had money to spare on clothing and transport, and Teds and ton-up boys became noticeable sub-cultures. Also there was no attempt at analysis of the changes - but there was hardly enough room to fit all the footage in anyway, so that's maybe expecting too much.

Still, the included footage was wonderful and there was an excellent soundtrack, incuding some killer R&B from Louis Jordan (Caldonia, School Days) and Ray Charles (Mess Around) among others.

Whilst I'm at it, let me also thank you for putting me onto OldTown/Tin house clothing. Spent several hours drooling over their site. Now all I have to do is start saving........

You're welcome - it's lovely stuff isn't it?

 

[nightandthecity]

It sounds great, wished I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d seen it. I only watch programmes like that for the fantastic old footage, I expect them to be flawed/inadequate as historical commentary. For proper history and analysis you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve got to read books!

Surprised they didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t get onto youth culture though - the teds and leather boys were a big issue at the time.

Nice that they used Louis Jordan in the soundtrack. American R&B - and even more so Hillbilly/Country - had a big working-class following in post-war Britain. This laid the foundations for the explosion of rock?¢‚ǨÀún?¢‚ǨÀúnroll in the mid 50s. Louis Jordan in particular had a cult following among the spivs and wide boys, as well as the teds and bikers.

Old Town still has me restless and checking the bank balance. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve got to get some of those high backs - preferably several of them in different materials/colours! I got excited enough at simply finding a site that referred to A Canterbury Tale and Night Mail in the first few sentences?¢‚Ǩ¬¶even before I saw the clothes!

 

[Salv]

It sounds great, wished I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢d seen it. I only watch programmes like that for the fantastic old footage, I expect them to be flawed/inadequate as historical commentary. For proper history and analysis you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve got to read books!

I taped it because I thought my wife might like it, but when I explained that there actually wasn't that much jitterbugging she wasn't bothered. I can lend you the video if you like - PM me with an address if you're interested.

Surprised they didn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t get onto youth culture though - the teds and leather boys were a big issue at the time.

I've just started a thread in the Powder Room about some photos of Teddy Girls taken in 1955 by Ken Russell, and publised in Picture Post in June of that year. You might like it if you haven't seen the photos before.

Nice that they used Louis Jordan in the soundtrack. American R&B - and even more so Hillbilly/Country - had a big working-class following in post-war Britain. This laid the foundations for the explosion of rock?¢‚ǨÀún?¢‚ǨÀúnroll in the mid 50s. Louis Jordan in particular had a cult following among the spivs and wide boys, as well as the teds and bikers.

I knew there was interest in R&B in the immediate post-war years in Britain, but I always thought it was limited to port cities that had easy access to Black US merchant sailors who carried 78s with them. I didn't realise that it was quite so wide spread.

Old Town still has me restless and checking the bank balance. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve got to get some of those high backs - preferably several of them in different materials/colours! I got excited enough at simply finding a site that referred to A Canterbury Tale and Night Mail in the first few sentences?¢‚Ǩ¬¶even before I saw the clothes!

Unfortunately the only way to see the clothes before buying is to take a trip to Holt. But the area is well worth a visit - the north Norfolk coast is a quintessentially English area, with the faded Victorian sea-side splendour of Cromer and the tiny villages scattered along the shingle beaches. Holt is still a charming little market town, but apart from a couple of pubs it shuts down at 5:30 pm. Old Town's grey windowpane check Harris tweed makes beautiful high rise trousers incidentally...