It has to be a dedicated history buff to like local history of a small town. But when the man talking about the local history happens to be Mark Steel, you know this is going to be different.
Before I say anything about the program, I should say a word or two about Mark Steel. Many may find it difficult to believe, but from where I stand he is one of the greatest historians of our time. His friends in the comedy circuit may laugh and he himself would probably not take my claims seriously. A standup comedian specializing in politics and with left wing credentials, how do we connect him with the subject of history? Especially when he has no formal degree on the subject?
I have learned more about history from listening to Mark’s programs on radio than I would have from any other sources. His approach to history is radically different from your average historian: he actually makes it interesting. So when he takes an interest in local history of a town, you know he is not going to quote you statistics but talk about the people and the interesting bits of their past.
Mark Steel’s in Town is not a program exclusively directed to the viewer or listener. What is unique about it is that Mark presents it in front of a live audience who are mostly local residents of the town in question. What he is doing is presenting the history of the place to the people who live there, bringing the history of their home to their own doorstep.
The selection of the towns also reflect Mark’s own attitude towards history and politics. He prefers to cover townships that have a long history of working class struggles and rebellions. It is interesting to know that the working class in England has always resisted the big landowners and mill owners. Time and time again, people have stood up against repression and inhuman treatment. They have made their mark on the places they have lived and they did not take injustice lying down. With great empathy and humor Mark Steel presents their unsung stories.
One often gets the impression that the struggle for rights of workers and voting rights of women are mostly Twentieth Century affairs. Who would have known that before leaving for America, Tom Paine may have had his political education in defying authority from the town he lived in: Lewes. Who knew that Merthyr Tidfil’s reputation as a working class hot bed of dissent would inspire the entire country into developing industrial action? How about the anarchist history of Walsall, as well as its hippo in the center of the town? How about Darford’s connection to Mick Jagger (he’s from there) eclipsed by the fact that it used to be Wat Tyler’s HQ during the revolt of 1381?
All of this and let us not forget the current occupants. Mark mentions the current places of import and calls on people to come on stage to describe what they do. This particular local involvement gives it flair of homegrown element, not just an outsider’s view. Mark is very conscientious about making sure that local traditions are covered- especially ones that are centuries old and are rooted in working class history.
But it is not just the local history that Mark covers. He is also into discovering the important roles each town had played in the national political scene. How Lewes played an important role in the post Magna Carta England. How Boston gave rise to the Puritan tradition that eventually led to the formation of its sister city of Boston in America. Merthyr Tidfil’s influence on working class resistence has already been outlined. Many more such information is to be found in the program. It has had two seasons and have covered twelve towns so far.
I dare say that if you want a really funny and entertaining presentation of local histories of the small towns of England, Mark Steel’s in Town would be just the thing you are looking for. It is highly informative and is presented by a man whose passion for history would make you passionate on the subject, I promise.
Mark Steel’s in Town is on BBC Radio 4.
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