A new docuseries has put Bedminster on the map - and Bristolians have enjoyed the show's celebration of their local history. The first episode in Tony Robinson's Museum of Us on More4 delved into the history of Hebron Road.
Each week, the series takes a stroll along a different street in Britain, challenging residents to explore the history of their homes, collecting stories from generations of residents who lived there, before showcasing all they have learned in a specially curated museum. The first episode aired tonight (October 17) and residents of Hebron Road in South Bristol dived deep into their pasts.
Tony Robinson returned to his city in the very first episode of the new series. The episode explored previous residents' links to chocolate factories - including 50-year-old chocolate - and tobacco factories as part of Bristol's industrial past.
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Those living on the road now connected with previous residents through shared photos and stories passed down from parents and grandparents, culminating in a community-created, hyper-local museum, which drew the community together. Viewers praised the show for "putting Bedminster on the map", and connecting with the street's locals.
"Bedminster is the beating heart of Bristol's street art scene. It's world famous - the perfect place to put on our exhibition," Tony said, gesturing to a fabulous painting of a bird on the side of a nearby building. His focus this episode was Hebron Road, a narrow, terraced street, just off the main road.
Locals were challenged to create a museum in a shopfront on the nearby North Street over the summer. The pop-up museum showcased treasures from the area from over the years, including photos from local families and a half-century old chocolate bar.
Cath, a current resident on Hebron Road, connected with Chris, whose Grandfather, Edward Wood, lived on the street in 1911 in Cath's house, as a chocolate moulder for Fry's chocolatier. Chris shared his family's history with Cath, several of whom worked for the chocolate company at the time.
Some viewers on Twitter praised the show for it's detailed celebration of local history, especially their own local history. One view said: "Great to see Bedminster being put on the map in the first episode of #MuseumOfUs on More4. Hebron Road is just a stone’s throw from where my dad grew up."
Another was excited for the social history discussed on the show, including the story of Princess Caraboo - a woman found wandering the streets, talking in a language no one could understand. A sailor claimed to understand her, and said she told him she was a princess from a land in the Indian Ocean. The woman, of course, was Mary Wilcox, a 'poor commoner's daughter' from Devon.
Three more episodes of The Museum of Us are set to air in the coming weeks - Mondays at 9pm on More4. Tony Robinson will also be exploring streets in Birmingham, Aberystwyth, and Norwich.
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