Episode 54: The Festival of Britain
What was the Festival of Britain and was it a success?
Hear how the festival planted the seeds for optimism in post war Britain and how Londoners are still benefiting from its legacy.
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Show notes:
Hello, and welcome to our London history podcast, where we share our love of London, its people, places and history. This podcast is designed for you to learn things about London that most Londoners don't even know. All in 20 minutes. I am your host, Hazel Baker, a qualified London tour guide and CEO of London Guided Walks.
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- March 1948 - Festival of Britain Office was established
- 3 May 1951 - Opening of the Festival Hall
- 4 May 1951 - Official opening of the Festival of Britain
- September -1951 End of the Festival of Britain
Films featuring the Festival of Britain
The Happy Family
This comedy film centres on popular resistance to the destruction of the festival site after the closure of the exhibition.
Prick Up Your Ears, 1987
The Festival of Britain is featured in the early sections of the film, providing the backdrop to post-war literary and performance culture.
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051 Walk Through London's Forgotten Places
047 Victorian Dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park
046 Beer, The Bard & Historic Buildings of Bankside
045 Drawing London's Buildings
042 John Julius Angerstein: The Man Behind the National Gallery
041 London's Medieval Friaries
040 Charles Dickens in Greenwich
038 The Black Death: London's First Plague
037 Bridgerton & Regency London
034 London's Old Shops - Food & Drink
031 Abandoned London Underground Stations
030 Quirky Street Names - Little Britain
029 The Harp maker of Fitzrovia
024 The Walbrook in Roman London
021 London Area Names - Animal Edition
020 The Great Fire of London - How It Began
017 The Proms & The Royal Albert Hall
016 Women in 1920s London (From Cowgirl to Congress)
014 Postcards From London's Past
013 London Statues: Medical Women
012 The Old Operating Theatre Museum
011 London's Coffeehouses and Commerce
009 Music Halls and Cabaret - from yesterday to today
008 The Monument to the Great Fire of London
006 Hockley in the Hole Clerkenwell
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