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Episode 4

In WWII, one resident is injured in a German minefield. Edinburgh’s slum clearance threatens the house’s existence. And David reveals the house's incredible history to its current owners.

David follows the house from the poverty-stricken 1930s, through the Second World War and the cultural renaissance of postwar Edinburgh, all the way to the present day.

The episodes follows the Ruggs, who were witnesses to the first German attack on mainland Britain, in October 1939; the Shiels family, whose grandchildren show David a treasure trove of family letters and recall the destruction of the nearby slums; architect Alex Brown, who bought number 22 out of disbelief that the beautiful Georgian house could be threatened; and banjo player JJ Jamieson, who was attached to the city's cultural vibrancy.

Finally, David invites present day residents Morag and Henrietta to hear about their predecessors in the house. Who will win the bet about how the house was originally built, and what will Henrietta make of number 20 once being run as a brothel?

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58 minutes

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Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter David Olusoga
Expert Jeremy Crang
Expert Valerie Wright
Director Kat Feavers
Producer Kat Feavers
Series Producer Paul Bradshaw
Executive Producer Rory Wheeler
Production Company Twenty Twenty TV