A Family At War - Series 1 [DVD]

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Viewers certainly thought so at the time of its original transmission, keeping at the top of the ratings throughout its long run. The 1945 election brought the state of the world back, but VE Day was a few seconds of Edwin wandering past fireworks. It’s the realistic touch, or the brilliant acting, or the interesting story, though probably all of them together. All these events take place against the backdrop of the political conflict leading to the Second World War, which will have a major impact on their lives.

The classic ITV series chronicling the fortunes of the Ashton family living in Liverpool during the Second World War.

It is the story of eight siblings, each of them in their own way "doing their bit" while remaining at the heart of the social life of the town. Over 100 years have passed since the guns of the First World War fell silent over the battlefields of Europe. It’s a very good episode with a great Polish soldier, and unpleasant and stupid regular NCOs and officers. Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.

The characters I cared a lot about in this series were Lesley Nunnerley as Margaret, formerly an Ashton, who gets married to Ian Thompson as John Porter. I wished that each episode of the series had ended on more light-hearted notes than depressing ones. Although it was broadcast in colour (for the most part) and colour sets had been available since the late 1960s, at this time they were still very much a luxury item and didn’t really penetrate the mass market until much later. We’d been wondering where Philip had gone … there are many reasons why characters get written out of long term series, and plot is only one of them.

I always ensure that I read a book related to Remembrance in November, and this year was no different – In fact, I’m now on my second wartime read of the month. The book that I’m looking at here, A Family at War, was published by the Shetland Times earlier this year and offers a tantalising glimpse at Lerwick during the First World War. This was primary work for the medium, the first of the television novels and one on a Dickensian scale. The Ashtons have two daughters, Margaret (Mags) a schoolteacher, and Freda who is the chirpy independent one, and three sons.