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The Joy of Coast

CoastSeries 8 Reversions
Episode 13 of 24

Ruth Gordon heads to Polperro, where she learns all about how important knitting was to the livelihoods of the men and women there 150 years ago.

What brings joy to Ruth Goodman is knitting. To get some tips for completing a complex fisherman's jumper, Ruth heads to pretty Polperro. Ruth learns how 150 years ago in this picturesque Cornish harbour town, women and men's livelihoods depended on their skills at 'contract knitting', making workwear to order.

Polperro's famous woollens were sold all around British shores and beyond. Ruth discovers why seafarers placed so much faith in their fisherman's jumpers and why they should never actually be called jumpers! She also meets the charming 'Graffiti Grannies', a mysterious bunch of public- spirited women who hide their identity; knitting in secret, they leave little woollen treats scattered around the Cornish coast for people to enjoy for free.

Tessa Dunlop takes the plunge into the glamorous history of British lidos, those temples of sun-worshipping pleasure which sprang up around our shores in the 1930s.

13 minutes

Last on

Sat 29 Nov 202516:45
BBC Two

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The Workers' Coast 2Series 8 Reversions

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Secrets of the Sea Cliffs 3Series 8 Reversions

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Music Played

  • Ambrose and His Orchestra & Sam Browne

    The Sun Has Got His Hat On

Credits

PresenterRuth Goodman
PresenterTessa Dunlop

Broadcasts

  • Sat 4 Feb 201722:30
    BBC Two Wales
  • Sun 16 Apr 201718:45
    BBC Two Wales
  • Fri 11 Aug 201713:15
    BBC Two
  • Fri 20 Apr 201800:30
    BBC Two Wales
  • Thu 23 Aug 201800:00
    BBC Two Wales
  • Sun 22 Sep 201921:50
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Sat 7 Dec 201916:45
    BBC Scotland & BBC Two except Scotland
  • Mon 17 Feb 202001:00
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Sat 6 Jun 202017:30
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Tue 5 Jan 202115:15
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Sun 25 Apr 202120:45
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Mon 19 Jul 202116:15
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Fri 4 Mar 202223:50
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Fri 20 May 202222:15
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Sat 1 Oct 202218:15
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Fri 18 Nov 202217:00
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Wed 26 Jul 202310:45
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Wed 6 Dec 202300:00
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Sun 21 Jan 202417:00
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Mon 6 May 202416:00
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Christmas Eve 202400:55
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Thu 16 Jan 202516:00
    BBC Two except Scotland
  • Thu 13 Feb 202517:00
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Sat 19 Apr 202523:45
    BBC Two Wales HD & Wales only
  • Sat 6 Sep 202511:45
    BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
  • Sat 29 Nov 202516:45
    BBC Two except Scotland

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