Timeshift Season 16 Episodes

Episode 1

Bridging the Gap: How the Severn Bridge Was Built

59 mins

A look at the engineering behind the construction of the Severn Bridge, and the impact the bridge had on communities on either side of the river.

Episode 2

Sailors, Ships and Stevedores: The Story of British Docks

How Britain's docks in cities like Liverpool, London and Cardiff were commercial portals and gateways for the arrival of sounds, styles and cultures.

Episode 3

Penny Blacks & Twopenny Blues: How Britain Got Stuck on Stamps

A look at how the introduction of the penny post changed Britain, and how enthusiasm for the first stamps led to the emergence of stamp-collecting as a popular hobby.

Episode 4

Booze, Beans & Bhajis: The Story of the Corner Shop

Babita Sharma traces the history of the corner shop in Britain, from its Victorian suburban origins, its crucial role serving the home front in World War Two, and its fortunes in the hands of successive waves of immigration. She and her parents visit the corner shop which was once run by them as a family, and discuss how it shaped her upbringing.

Episode 5

Flights of Fancy: Pigeons and the British

A look behind the scenes at a pigeon race, and how this traditional working-class pastime is still going strong in the 21st century.