James Cameron presents a personal account of Britain in the post-war years in ten programmes covering 1945-56.
3: 'There was no need to empty the dustbin because everything you had - paper, peelings, old shoes, anything at all - all went behind the fire.' (MANCHESTER HOUSEWIFE) So we tried to keep warm in the dreadful winter of 1947. As the sea froze and snow covered the land, we ran out of fuel. The spivs had a field-day and the dream of a speedy economic recovery faded. Help came from America with the Marshall Plan and, with the Russians' rejection of it, came too the realisation that the Cold War was here to stay. But 1947 brought too the first Edinburgh Festival, a marvellous summer and. at last. we could have seaside holidays again. Producers HELEN PRY and GWYNETfl HENDERSON