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A Very British History

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Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

A collection of films about Britain's cultural history in the 20th century.

Series featuring a collection of films about Britain's cultural history in the 20th century.

Romany Gypsies

A Very British History: Romany Gypsies

BBC One

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC Four HD

Damian Le Bas

Adam Keelan

Tony Parker

Diana Hare

A Very British History: Series 1: Romany Gypsies

Series 1

BBC Four - A Very British History, Series 1, Romany Gypsies

How Gypsy people in the 1960s were forced to abandon their nomadic way of life.

Writer Damian Le Bas explores how Gypsy people in the 1960s were forced to abandon their nomadic way of life for a more settled existence.

"Welcome to Gypsy Land!" Writer Damian Le Bas invites us to join him as he explores a pivotal decade in the lives of Romany people. In the 1960s many were forced to abandon their nomadic way of life for a more settled existence. Focusing on the Home Counties, Damian draws on his own Romany family background and rich film archive to show how Gypsy people faced becoming outlaws in their own land. Regular stopping places for their caravans were drying up and tighter planning laws put further pressure on finding somewhere to live. Local and national government were slow to react to a mounting crisis for a group of citizens with a distinct culture but living on the margins of society. Breakthrough legislation in 1968 finally compelled councils to provide permanent sites for Gypsy people. It gave hope to many, but at the cost of losing a freedom closely tied to their identity.

A Very British History: Series 1

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

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