Coal House at War

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History Documentary hosted by Nicola Reynolds, published by BBC in 2009 - English narration

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Coal House at War This fascinating living history series sees three families return to Stack Square, transporting them back to 1944 and the Second World War, to live as coal miners’ families. Having given up their comfortable lives, they are faced with the dangers and many hardships of war. The families experience all aspects of life as it was in 1944. The men work long, punishing days down the coal mine, followed by tending the Stack Square shared allotment as people were encouraged to ‘Dig for Victory’ to overcome food shortages. They also have to endure the arduous Home Guard training, each getting a taste of army life and discipline. The women have to juggle their relentless household chores with compulsory work at the munitions factory, undertaking a variety of different tasks for the war effort. The children, meanwhile, have their own worries with daily doses of cod liver oil and the ever present threat that their pet rabbits may be served up for dinner. Joined by evacuees and the Bevin Boys, young lads sent by the Government to work the mines, the families struggle to cope with strict regimes, rationing, air raids and blackout fines but rediscover the strong community spirit and courage that war evoked.

[edit] Part 1

Coal House is back and this time its war. Deep in the Welsh valleys, three families give up their 21st century creature comforts and time travel back to 1944 to face the hardships of life in World War II. Will the community survive without a microwave, mobile, fast car or fast food?

[edit] Part 2

The families settle into the punishing routine of 1944. The men face a tough training period to equip them for life at the coal face and in the Home Guard. The children cope with school and discipline, and the women face the dangers of the munitions factory as well as running the home.

[edit] Part 3

Three Welsh families give up their 21st century creature comforts and time travel back to 1944 to face the hardships of life in World War II. It's not just the coal-mining men who are finding it hard to reach their targets. The women are struggling to impress at the factory and the children find it tough to keep the school standards.

[edit] Part 4

At the end of the first week in the Coal House, how are the children coping with no playstations or mobiles to occupy them? There's a strict school system to contend with and a daily dose of cod liver oil to swallow. Will they pass the school cleanliness inspection, and how will they get on with the animals at Stack Square?

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The weekend provides a break from the pressures of work. While the men head off for football training, the women get their hair done Forties-style. Back at the Coal House there are new arrivals

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The women take on a secret mission at the munitions factory, while the men struggle down the mine. Just as it seems things are looking up with a variety show, the families are brought face to face with the grim realities of war.

[edit] Part 7

The new arrivals are settling in as the second week in the Coal House draws to a close. Home sickness is rife, school exams are looming, and the Bevin Boys are learning to cook. But who will give the best performance in the variety show?

[edit] Part 8

Tensions are running high, the women reach a munitions milestone and there’s panic underground. The Bevin Boys take their first tentative steps underground and what little confidence they have soon begins to dwindle as the reality of the task ahead starts to dawn on them. The pressure is on to succeed, but their inexperience leads to some choice words from the other Stack Square men.

[edit] Part 9

It’s been a rollercoaster week for the Coal House families. The families let their hair down and party like it’s 1944, some of the Stack Square chickens end up on the menu and there’s evacuation drama for the families.

[edit] Part 10

With victory nearing, the pressure is on to fuel the frontline in the mining community of the Coal House. Will the men in the mine and the women at the munitions factory hit their deadlines? The scholarship exam looms at school, and a testing day in the mud leads to promotion for one of the Home Guard

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It is time for the men to hang up their lamps, the women to take off their uniforms, and the evacuees to return to their parents in the city - but not before everyone gets in the swing at the community dance for a final send-off.

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The children take the dreaded school exams as they spend their last week in the square. Who will receive the coveted trophy, and how will they feel about leaving their wartime lives behind?

[edit] Dance House 1944

Dance House 1944 takes a look at how people faced the music and danced during the Second World War despite bombs falling and bad news from abroad. Veterans of the fighting front and the home front describe how important dancing was for them and chart the changes in fashion from strictly ballroom to jitterbug and jive.
Extra's

[edit] The Bevin Boys and Evacuees Story

In 2008, a group of young people joined three Welsh families in BBC Wales's landmark living history series Coal House at War. They were transported back in time to 1944 to face the hardships of life in a World War II mining community. This programme looks back at the experiences of the four Bevin Boys and the young evacuees, and reveals how they felt when they returned to modern life.

[edit] The Griffiths Family Story

In 2008, three Welsh families took part in an extraordinary social experiment - they were transported back to 1944 to experience life in a World War II mining community. In this programme, we take a look back at the Griffiths family's time in Stack Square and reveal how Rose, Hywel, Mandy and the boys felt when they returned to modern life.

[edit] The Paisey Family Story

In 2008, the Paisey family from Cardiff took part in BBC Wales' landmark living history series Coal House at War. For a month, the Paiseys and two other families were transported back in time to 1944 to face the hardships of life in a World War II mining community. In this programme, we see how Natalie, Stephen and their four children coped with their time in Stack Square and how they felt once they returned to modern life.

[edit] The Tranter Davies Family Story

In 2008, the Tranter Davies family from Merthyr Tydfil took part in BBC Wales' landmark living history series Coal House at War. For a month, they were transported back in time to 1944 to face the hardships of life in a World War II mining community. In this programme, we look back at their time in Stack Square and reveal how Laura, Geraint and the five girls felt when they returned to modern life.