Wartime London with Harry Harris - TV Programmes

Shadow27 · 08-11-2009, 20:16

This was show on Discovery tonight at 6pm - I thought it was very good, taxi driver Harry makes a refreshing, down to earth change from usual historical presenters. I highly recommend it if they show it again.

scrphil · 09-11-2009, 12:49

I don't think I've watched Discovery Channel before. We watched because my wife knows Harry slightly.

A hour and a half was overlong. Could have done without the German architecture.

However, there was some interesting stuff sandwiched amongst the mundane. I was very touched by the description of the Bethnal Green disaster by one of the survivors (13 at the time). Poor chap.

rhod · 09-11-2009, 13:27

Have to keep an eye out for a repeat. This sounds like an interesting programme.

I wish ITV would repeat the series they did called "Disappearing London" a few years back. Suggs from Madness was the presenter, and a very good job he did of it.

http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/artdisldn.htm

scrphil · 10-11-2009, 10:42

I think there's another one next week.

wombatofludham · 10-11-2009, 15:11

According to the Radio Times he's the brother of Patsy "Bianca" Palmer and the husband of actress Lindsay Coulson, which might explain how he got the gig, although he did a good job.

An interesting, if eclectic progreamme. Some of the stuff (particularly the Mitford girl and the Bethnal Green disaster) has been done before but it probably helps to hear it all again, and I found the real life witness to the Bethnal Green disaster very moving, particularly the comment that the ARP warden swore him to secrecy about the panic when he was rescued. Just shows how different things were then and how we shouldn't judge what happened during the war by modern standards.

Cloud9 · 12-11-2009, 10:17

I have this taped along with about 10 hours of other War/Remembrance stuff from the weekend. Discovery , Yesterday and History Channel been showing great stuff lately ( WWI in colour ,WWII in HD&Colour and World at War which I'd never tire of watching have been keeping me glued ) I watched 'The Somme' last night night which I believe was on Yesterday chanel, was a docu-drama take on the 16July1916 and thereafter which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to catch up ith Wartime London some time this weekend.

Martacus · 12-11-2009, 11:25

Really interesting programme, it just highlighted the amount of bad news that the British public wasn't privvy too because they thought he could lower morale.
I also never heard of that German funeral prior to the war. Really good stuff & I bet theirs loads which we still don't know.

08-11-2009, 20:16	#1
Shadow27 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 146	Wartime London with Harry Harris This was show on Discovery tonight at 6pm - I thought it was very good, taxi driver Harry makes a refreshing, down to earth change from usual historical presenters. I highly recommend it if they show it again.

09-11-2009, 12:49	#2
scrphil Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3	I don't think I've watched Discovery Channel before. We watched because my wife knows Harry slightly. A hour and a half was overlong. Could have done without the German architecture. However, there was some interesting stuff sandwiched amongst the mundane. I was very touched by the description of the Bethnal Green disaster by one of the survivors (13 at the time). Poor chap.

09-11-2009, 13:27	#3
rhod Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Services: Sky+ / Virgin XL BB / Logik WiFi Radio / WD TVHD player / Astraweb Posts: 1,391	Have to keep an eye out for a repeat. This sounds like an interesting programme. I wish ITV would repeat the series they did called "Disappearing London" a few years back. Suggs from Madness was the presenter, and a very good job he did of it. http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/artdisldn.htm

10-11-2009, 10:42	#4
scrphil Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3	I think there's another one next week.

10-11-2009, 15:11	#5
wombatofludham Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,300	According to the Radio Times he's the brother of Patsy "Bianca" Palmer and the husband of actress Lindsay Coulson, which might explain how he got the gig, although he did a good job. An interesting, if eclectic progreamme. Some of the stuff (particularly the Mitford girl and the Bethnal Green disaster) has been done before but it probably helps to hear it all again, and I found the real life witness to the Bethnal Green disaster very moving, particularly the comment that the ARP warden swore him to secrecy about the panic when he was rescued. Just shows how different things were then and how we shouldn't judge what happened during the war by modern standards.

12-11-2009, 10:17	#6
Cloud9 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West London Posts: 1,320	I have this taped along with about 10 hours of other War/Remembrance stuff from the weekend. Discovery , Yesterday and History Channel been showing great stuff lately ( WWI in colour ,WWII in HD&Colour and World at War which I'd never tire of watching have been keeping me glued ) I watched 'The Somme' last night night which I believe was on Yesterday chanel, was a docu-drama take on the 16July1916 and thereafter which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to catch up ith Wartime London some time this weekend.

12-11-2009, 11:25	#7
Martacus Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 727	Really interesting programme, it just highlighted the amount of bad news that the British public wasn't privvy too because they thought he could lower morale. I also never heard of that German funeral prior to the war. Really good stuff & I bet theirs loads which we still don't know.