London’s burning!
Lucy Worsley shares the personal accounts of six people who lived through the Blitz…
On 7 September 1940, the suburbs, streets and homes of ordinary British people became a battleground as the Luftwaffe began a devastating eight-month bombing campaign known as the Blitz.
The spirit of everyone who carried on while death hung over them is famous to this day, but, in this featurelength film, Lucy Worsley wants to find out what life was really like as bombs dropped.
‘Lots of people think everyone pulled their weight and that helped us win the war,’ says the historian. ‘Others think Blitz spirit was a propaganda device. The
truth is
somewhere in the middle, because while lots of people volunteered, it wasn’t a blanket thing!’
In a bid to find the truth, Lucy shares stories of people on the front line, including a Chelsea socialite who became a nurse, a fireman from Euston and a law student and an actor who both volunteered as ARP (air-raid precaution) wardens.
Yet amid these tales of bravery are other accounts that show a different, less-courageous side, including that of a fire
watcher who went on a date during an air raid.
‘They weren’t that different to us,’ she explains. ‘There was
panic buying, just like
during the pandemic.
Others showed courage in the face of adversity, just like modern-day front-line workers.
Some people definitely still have that Blitz spirit today!’