A house through time

Bombing in London may have been worse in terms of the amount of ordinance dropped and the number of times it was targeted but I imagine if you are bombed out of your home, it’s pretty much the same experience, wherever you live.

My parents lived in London during WW2 and the bombing was a lot worse than in Bristol.

The "Black Boy" of England.
According to the annals of the english monarch:

Charles’ appearance was anything but English, with his sensuous curling mouth, dark complexion, black hair and dark brown eyes, he much resembled his Italian maternal grandmother, Marie de Medici’s side of the family. During his escape after the Battle of Worcester, he was referred to as ‘a tall, black man’ in parliamentary wanted posters.

One of the nick-names he acquired was the black boy His height, at six feet two inches, probably inherited from his Danish paternal grandmother, Anne of Denmark, also set him apart from his contemporaries in a time when the average Englishman was far smaller than today.

English Pubs

All English pubs named the Black boy are named after Charles II due to the swarthy and dark colour of his complexion.

I enjoyed A House Through Time. It must have been horrendous living in Bristol during WW2.

Also in Bristol is the Whiteladies Road leading to Blackboy Hill. This was where the well-to-do Ladies went to buy their Black House Boys at the local small slave market.

Yes, I know these roads as I live between Bristol and Bath. I wondered if the names would be changed in view of the statue of Colston being pulled down. The name of the Colston Hall has been removed, and I think possibly road names mentioning Colston might be changed .... don't know about Colston School, though.

I mentioned the names of the roads on the thread re BLM recently but someone said that the "Whiteladies" name was connected with nuns, and the "Blackboy" name was due to a pub in honour of a previous king (sorry, can't remember who) who was nicknamed the Black Boy.

I watched it and thought it was pretty good. It's social history. I had forgotten that Bristol was badly bombed like Exeter.
It must be hard to keep finding interesting stories but they did well.
Rather like a person's life - it begins with such promise, reaches giddy heights and then gradually fades.
I am a fan of David Olusoga.
He tells it like it is.

I was also disappointed in this series.

Other than the part about the Bristol Blitz which was very well done I think there would have been far more varied stories in other parts of old Bristol.
Even Hotwells and Clifton have Georgian houses and have lived in both of these areas in the 1980's and they definitely had long histories.
Also both areas went through down and out periods as well as the wealth that has poured in more recent times.

I think there was no doubt that the cellar in 10 Guinea Street would have had slaves held in there.
the ship owners built the houses so they could store some of the "goods" that they dealt in.

Also in Bristol is the Whiteladies Road leading to Blackboy Hill. This was where the well-to-do Ladies went to buy their Black House Boys at the local small slave market. Though this wasn't mentioned because it doesn't connect directly with 10 Guinea Street.
I can't make up my mind about the presenter. Perhaps he wanted to say more but wasn't allowed to but some of the comments about the 20 th century tenants seemed very lacking in depth.....
and the paupers grave part???

Oh Dear! I haven't watched any of the other series so I suppose I had nothing to compare it with.

But liked this episode all the same, with or without the presenter! Sorry fans

I switched over half way through as i felt what was being told to us was being drawn out and i just lost interest.

I’m from Bristol so was looking forward to this series, but was a bit disappointed the previous two series were much more interesting.

He's still gorgeous though. I like how he seems genuinely interested in who he's interviewing.
Leeds next series. Should be good.

I was a bit disappointed in this series too. Not quite sure why. I'd like to have seen more of the actual house. It was hard to imagine up to 7 separate lodgers. We only saw 4 rooms. Never heard much about the cottage at the back. Why was it there? Who lived in it? Etc.
Somehow, apart from last night's episode, not enough of the personal stories. Maybe the house was just a bit too old?

Yes, that’s true. The last episode did meander a bit. I think the entire story could have been done in three episodes, really.

Regarding the grave, a few years ago I discovered via a ‘half’-cousin, the grave of my father’s half-brother who died in 1933. We both wondered whether anyone had visited in all that time. She was pretty certain her mother, the half-brother’s daughter, hadn’t known where the grave was.

I later discovered that my father’s mother (died 1918) is also buried in the same grave. It’s unmarked except for a metal plaque with a number on it. I’d like to put a stone up but they’re very expensive.

I agree that there seemed to be fewer interesting stories than usual, as if they had problems finding enough to fill the programme.. I still enjoyed it, though.

I seem to be the odd one out here. I thought the script wandered off the subject house, number 10, and took in several others in the same street too much which was disappointing. Also, the man whose father was a distant cousin didn't add anything to the story either. However, I do agree that the war years and bombing was done very well, but on the whole I didn't think this series was as good as the last two.

That unknown man in an unmarked grave typifies most of us, after some decades have passed.

I loved listening to the bristol accent when the relatives alive today were interviewed.
Dont hear it as often as other accents on tv

Wonderfully researched episode though.
Arnt other peoples lives fascinating?

The final episode last night. How lovely to have more people who remembered the street and house! I thought the story of the house in wartime was very well done, the atmosphere came over very well, the terrible destruction and how everybody had to rub along together as they got through it all.

Even my Dh commented about David Olusoga last night - ‘that man is a shameless flirt when it comes to a tv camera‘! ?

The programme set me off looking for my own childhood home which was over 200 years old. It doesn’t even appear in the 1939 Register, so I wonder if there has been a street name change. More surprisingly, when I clicked on various other properties were how many were empty at the start of the war. I can’t imagine why that would have been.

Poor David Olusoga. Not cool to have so many Granfans!

Lovely series really enjoy it and I m definitely in the David Olusoga camp..... intelligence and good looks ummm Very attractive to me

Think I've done that as well Jane10 don't recommend it. I'm older and wiser now (I hope)

Trisher that's better than the other way round!

I sometimes like people I don't find attractive.

This is one of just 3 tv programmes a week that I look forward to watching and it never disappoints. David Olusoga could read the phone directory and make it sound riveting. Brilliant series.

Any reason why Sparklefizz I find him attractive, clever, and a good communicator.

I agree he's clever and a good communicator. Just don't find him attractive.... beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all that.

I caught up with the latest episode last night. David Olusoga is very easy on the eye.

The contrast between the chap who became the mayor (I didn’t know of the story about the Chartists), the servant who suffered so much abuse, the man who was committed to an asylum and the scandal surrounding the daughter of the house. So much drama connected to just one house.

I love how they ferret about and find all those old documents and also the backstory of the changing fortunes of the neighbourhood.

I’ve researched my own family history and last night I was nudged into doing a bit more. I found a bit of info which has broken down a brick wall, hurrah!