Sir Tony’s Occupation history to tell tale of ordinary people

SIR TONY ROBINSON was in Guernsey yesterday filming for a new TV show.

Published 9 Apr 2019, 7:19am

Sir Tony Robinson is making a new documentary series for Channel 5 and he was in the island yesterday filming for an episode in which he tells the story of islanders who lived here during the Occupation. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 24358532) / Guernsey Press

‘It is a four-part series just called Tony Robinson’s History. It’s the history of ordinary people,’ said Sir Tony.

The series will be shown on Channel 5.

Filming was taking place outside the Royal Court and was for an episode on the Second World War.

Sir Tony had also visited the Priaulx Library to view news sheets and papers from during the Occupation.

Guernsey filming was focused on the lives of normal people during the German Occupation.

Sir Tony discussed the Channel Islands’ occupation with Dr Gilly Carr, who has done extensive research on its victims.

An exhibition of her work, On British Soil, victims of Nazi persecution in the Channel Islands, is currently on display in Guernsey Museum at Candie.

Sir Tony said he was exploring what normal Guernsey people did for food, as resistance and how their daily lives were affected by the Occupation. He says it is important to keep this kind of history alive.

‘It’s extraordinary that to me, when I was a kid, everyone knew about the occupation of the Channel Islands.

‘Now, if you asked any young people if any British territories were occupied during the Second World War, I think you’d find many wouldn’t know the Channel Islands were,’ he said.

Sir Tony said he had done a lot of travelling for his Around the World by Train series on Channel 5 and was amazed at how quickly people can forget their own history.

Tony Robinson was filming a documentary outside the Royal Court building. It's about World War Two and he was speaking with occupation expert Gillian Carr. (Picture By Peter Frankland, 24365121) / Guernsey Press

He last filmed in Guernsey in July 2014 when he filmed a Channel 4 history show which included shoots in St Peter Port before moving onto the airport and south coast cliffs.

Sir Tony is known for his role as Baldrick in Blackadder and has hosted a number of historical documentaries with Time Team, which filmed archaeological digs and aired on Channel 4 from 1994 to 2014.