We Are England: The Real Phoenix Nights

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The Real Phoenix Nights - Clacton

The Real Phoenix Nights - We Are England

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

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We Are England: Series 1: The Real Phoenix Nights - Clacton

Series 1

BBC One - We Are England, Series 1, The Real Phoenix Nights - Clacton

John has run his working men’s club in Clacton for decades. Now, he has to modernise.

John has run the Clacton Railway Working Men’s Club for decades. It’s a local institution. Now, supported by his two daughters, he tries to modernise.

The Railway Club, a working men’s club in Clacton, Essex, is a local institution. The hub of a thriving community, it has been a lifeline for many working people in the area and acts as a second family for many. The Railway’s chairman, John, has seen the club open its doors to generations of Clactonians, running everything from bingo nights to karaoke competitions. 

But times are hard for this seaside town. The area has an ageing population and has weathered years of economic decline. Now, with Britain emerging from the pandemic, we follow the Railway as it seeks to modernise and stay relevant in a changing world. John’s two daughters, Kelly and Emma, have decided to help their father run the club. With a previous career in banking, Kelly has a strong head on her shoulders and wants to drive the business forward, whilst Emma’s kind-heartedness sees her caring out of hours for the older members of the club.   

Joining the Railway against the backdrop of rising overheads and an ageing membership, they want to broaden the club’s appeal and keep it from going under. And, above all else, they want to protect an institution which means everything to their father and their community. 

This is a story about change, tradition, and a family forging an uneasy compromise between the old and the new.

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