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Season 2, Episode 4
A look at a company manufacturing the hand-sewn Union Jacks seen flying over Buckingham Palace, and a Devon forge that produces wood burning stoves. Plus, an insight into the creation of handmade marbles and the secret recipe of a British kitchen cupboard staple dating back almost 200 years. Ricky Tomlinson narrates
HD
subtitles
16x9
audio-description
Arts/Culture (without Music)
Education/Science/Factual Topics
Educational
General
Cast & Crew
Ricky Tomlinson
(Narrator)
Rob Kelly
(Series producer)
Paul Stead
(Executive producer)
Helen Thompson
(Producer)
More Information
Did You Know..
Ricky Tomlinson
(Narrator)
Born:
September 26, 1939
in
Blackpool
Best Known For:
Playing Jim in The Royle Family.
Early-life:
Born Eric Tomlinson in Blackpool on September 26, 1939, but has lived mostly in Liverpool. His father was a baker, while his mother had three jobs. He wanted to be a footballer, but playing the banjo in clubs and pubs became more important. After marrying, he moved to Wrexham and worked as a plasterer - which led to his involvement in a 1972 strike and a subsequent prison sentence. Upon his release in 1975, he set himself up as an entertainer, and in 1980 he had a small part in Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff.
Career:
Tomlinson's big break came when he landed the role of Bobby Grant in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. He stayed with the show for six years until 1988, after which he featured in Ken Loach's gritty drama Riff-Raff. TV projects since then have included Roughnecks, Cracker, Playing the Field and Clocking Off, while his film CV boasts offerings such as The 51st State and Mike Bassett: England Manager. He became a comedy icon 1998 thanks to his role in the comedy series The Royle Family. He opened his own cabaret club, The Green Room, in Liverpool in May 2010. He has reportedly donated £1million to the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
Quote:
'I never had acting lessons so I'm still an old ham, probably playing myself most of the time.'
Trivia:
A play entitled United We Stand tells the story of Tomlinson's incarceration. It toured the UK in 2014.
Rob Kelly
(Series producer)
Paul Stead
(Executive producer)
Helen Thompson
(Producer)
