Lights of Leamington - The Podcasts
Coming soon! We are still finalising the series of podcasts and as soon as they are available, you can find them here. But read on for a bit of background...
​Welcome to Switched on Stories - the Lights of Leamington Podcast, presented by Whittle Productions and hosted by David Clargo.
This captivating podcast series delves into the radiant history of the Lights of Leamington—a festival of light that began in 1951, bringing hope and joy to post-war Britain.
Through our storyteller's heartfelt memories, vivid storytelling, and the voices of those who lived it, we illuminate the wonder of this extraordinary decade.
From the innocence of childhood awe to the courage and optimism of immigrant families, each episode reveals a unique perspective on this shining moment in Leamington Spa's past.
Ready to rediscover the magic?
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01
Introducing Switched on Stories - the Lights of Leamington Podcast
As Britain emerged from post-war gloom and darkness, the good people of Leamington Spa decided to hold a festival of light. It ran for ten years, and this podcast charts its history through the voices of those who remember it. Join us as we travel back in time to post-war Britain and witness a decade of extraordinary change. Many of those who were at the lights as children are in their 80s now, and it wasn’t easy to track them down. So how did we do it – and why.
02
Through the eyes of a child
What is your very first memory? For many of the contributors to Switched on Stories – The Lights of Leamington podcast – it was walking around the festival of lights in Leamington Spa, at some point in mid-century Britain. In this episode, we remember what it was like to see something for the first time through the eyes of a child – and recapture that sense of wonder and magic. Most of the children went to the lights with their parents, who lived through the war and perhaps had darker stories to tell. Come with us, as we relive a 1950s childhood.
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03
Post War
The Lights of Leamington festival began in 1951, as Leamington Spa – and the whole country – was emerging from post-war gloom. Rationing was still in place, and a few years earlier the streets of Leamington Spa were lit by gas lamps. As the decade wore on, the town witnessed some extraordinary social changes, and the lights themselves played a part. So, grab a partner, put on your best outfit, and get ready to dance to the tune of the big bands playing by the lake, or learn to jive to the a strange new sound coming from America – Rock and Roll.
04
What Brings You Here?
For this episode we speak to just three of the people who attended the Leamington Lights festival during the middle of the last century. They’ve all lived in Leamington for almost their entire lives, but their families came from much further afield, drawn to 1950s Leamington Spa in a quest for a better life. Jim and Maria’s families came from Ireland, while Dalbira was born in the Punjab, in India. Arriving in England as a child of eight, Dalbira had never seen electricity before, so her visit to the lights with her father was a magical experience. For Jim, the lights represented a sense of progress and civic pride, while Maria remembers how fortunate she felt to show relatives from Ireland around the festival. Together, Jim, Maria and Dalbira tell a story of hope, bravery and optimism at the heart of the immigrant experience.
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5
The wonder of it all
Come with us on a journey around the Jephson Gardens, as we re-imagine the Lights of Leamington. We wander past dancing fountains, cityscapes, fairytale tableaux and enjoy the sounds of the musicians tuning up on the lake. Above all, in this episode we celebrate the achievement of those who had the vision to put on the festival, and bring just that little bit of extra joy to peoples’ lives.