Millions expected to watch TV documentary

Over four million BBC viewers nationwide are expected to tune-in to a special documentary on the world’s first Garden City at the end of this month.

Twelve months ago, Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation worked closely with programme makers for several weeks, to help devise and execute the documentary, which will be shown on May 30, on BBC 2, starting at 7pm and lasting about 50 minutes. Well-known writer and journalist Jonathan Meades will present the ‘piece.’

Terry Gray, the Foundation’s PR & Media Manager explained that several Garden City landmarks were “put in the can’, - all external shots - including the Spirella Building, the First Garden City Heritage Museum, The Cloisters, the Liberal Catholic Church and The Settlement, but it is not known which of these landmarks and others finally ‘made it’.

Terry added: “The programme, entitled,“Folkwoven in England’ centres on a search for rural utopias called Garden Cities.. and surprise, surprise, they find Letchworth Garden City.

"It describes the social experiment, warts and all and takes a light-hearted and serious look at the Garden City’s major contribution to this ethos.”

Stuart Kenny, the Foundation’s Director General, said: “It is pleasing that millions of viewers throughout the country will once again be able to witness at least in part, the life and times of our unique town. We are delighted that the BBC decided to pinpoint Letchworth Garden City and work closely with the Foundation on this programme.”

Pictured: Filming in the Spirella Gardens is a London model, modelling a Spirella corset and Jonathan Meades – one of the more likely sequences to be shown at the end of the month.