Timeshift: Sailors, Ships & Stevedores: The Story of British Docks (BBC 4 Tuesday 20 June 2023)

Timeshift: Sailors, Ships & Stevedores: The Story of British Docks airs Tuesday 20 June 2023 on BBC 4.

What can we expect from this episode

Throughout the 20th century, Britain’s docks served as the country’s beating heart, a place where exotic goods, people, and influences from all over the world ebbed and flowed, connecting Britain to the rest of the world. London, the heart of the British Empire, is a shining example of how these symbols of national pride were maintained by thousands of men in jobs that had been passed down through the generations.

They helped pave the way for the country’s postwar recovery by establishing new urban centres along the water’s edge. Surrounding them grew maritime communities, some as distinct as the multiethnic sailortown of Tiger Bay in Cardiff, and others, like Liverpool, poised for a new wave of global fame thanks to the music and style being brought into the country by its seafarers. There was a fierce fight to preserve the dock work that many people saw as their birthright as the 1960s ushered in new forms of technological innovation in our ports, all thanks to a simple metal box.

Docklands are no longer easily recognisable as the sites that built Britain’s global standing through goods and trade; instead, they are now sites of cultural consumption. Some people buy waterfront real estate in converted warehouses and buildings that capitalise on the proximity to the water, while others simply enjoy spending time there at waterfront bars, cafes, and marinas. Although docking operations are no longer visible, container yards continue to handle 95 percent or more of national trade on ever-bigger ships. The dockside may be gone, but it can be seen in archival films and heard about in the words of those who were there.

Narrated by Sue Johnston.

Season 16 Episode 2

When can we see the episode

Timeshift: Sailors, Ships & Stevedores: The Story of British Docks airs Tuesday 20 June 2023 at 10.00pm on BBC 4

Featured Image Credit: BBC 4