Meet the Bedminster residents starring in a Channel 4 series

Residents of a street in south Bristol are about to star in a Channel 4 documentary unearthing the once forgotten stories of their street.

Museum of Us is set to be a collision of a detective story and design challenge, as each week residents of different roads in the UK are set the task of curating a museum about its history.

Over the summer, the production team along with the presenter of the show, Sir Tony Robinson, have visited Hebron Road in Bedminster to help residents piece together histories spanning decades. It culminated in a pop-up museum on North Street.

The series has been made by Uplands TV, the production company run by historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, who used to live on the road between North Street and West Street.

Museum of Us, Hebron Road, Bristol. #PrincessCaraboo #museumofus pic.twitter.com/gB7OF5WPtn

— Amber_Druce (@DorisSkull) April 30, 2022

On a recent visit to Hebron Road, locals told Bristol24/7 of their excitement to have been able to delve into the stories of their own street.

“It feels quite special for this road to have been chosen,” said Sue Market.

“I have lived here for six years, and I think it’s lovely. People stop and chat to each other. I didn’t know much about the history of Hebron Road, so I am eager to watch the programme.”

Details of the episode have not been revealed, but one clue could be its chapel – Hebron Chapel – thought to be built in 1853. Here is the burial site of Princess Caraboo, an intriguing character who said she was from Javasu, an island in the Indian Ocean, when it later transpired she was in fact Mary Willcocks from Witheridge in Devon, the daughter of a cobbler.

Hebron Road was one of the first residential streets of terraced homes to be created in the middle of the 19th century

Historian Alison McClean, who has lived on the street for over 30 years, said: “It was really nice to find out a bit more about ordinary people who did quite extraordinary things.

“The exhibition was great where people came and shared their photographs and found out a lot more about how people used to live and what Bedminster was like in the past.

“I like the idea of finding out more about the history of ordinary people, and not just the powerful.”

She added: “Finding out a bit more about some of my elderly neighbours who are no longer with us and what they lived through during the war and the impact of that in Bristol and Bedminster was fascinating.”

Calling all Bristolians! My new series ‘ Museum of us’airs tomorrow night at 9pm on More4. The first episode focuses on Bedminster!!

— Tony Robinson (@Tony_Robinson) October 16, 2022

Carly Blake was involved in the programme with her family. She said: “We had a blue plate detailing the history of some sisters who worked at the Tobacco Factory, and they put it on the wall, as opposed to a plaque.

“The actual museum down the road was really interesting, looking at our road and where we live. We have been here six or seven years and you wouldn’t normally think about that stuff so it great to hear more.

“We have been quite lucky to be chosen, especially when Bristol in general has so much history.”

Episode one of Museum of Us is on Channel at 9pm on Monday

All photos: Betty Woolerton

Read next:

• Channel 4 show to unearth the history of a street in Bristol
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• Behind the scenes on film shot and based in south Bristol

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