World War 2

A wartime detective drama series based on real-life historical events has viewers declaring they’ve ‘never seen a better show on television’ — streaming free on ITVX

A wartime drama based on real events during and after the Second World War has completely enamoured audiences, with fans of the ITV series giving it ‘maximum stars’.

Describing the detective war drama as ‘mesmerising’, viewers are saying they’ve ‘never seen a better show on television’.

Foyle’s War — available to stream free on ITVX — is a historical wartime detective drama series created by author Anthony Horowitz who was the screenwriter of the acclaimed Midsomer Murders.

The series stars the talented Michael Kitchen in the lead as DCS Christopher Foyle. Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Julian Ovenden, and Ellie Haddington join Kitchen to round out an altogether stellar cast, all of whom, especially Weeks, have been praised for their performances on the show.

Foyle’s War first premiered on television in October 2002 and saw an eight-season run till 2015. The series was cancelled in 2007 and revived in 2010 owing to encouraging audience numbers for the last series that premiered on telly.

The series was nominated for three BAFTA Television Awards, of which it bagged one, and has gone on to become a highly acclaimed wartime drama for both audiences and critics.

One reviewer said of the wartime series: “This is quality, smart stuff — plot points hinge on citizenship classifications, ration coupons, the location of safe houses. It requires that viewers watch carefully, and pay attention to details.”

While another critic said: “Foyle’s War… returns to Mystery!… with the admirable Michael Kitchen in his usual top form.”

A third critic shared: “You don’t have to pay close attention to Foyle’s War, but it’s worth it for the detail-rich historical context of Anthony Horowitz’s plots, especially now the series has arrived in the murky moral fog of post-war London.”

Audiences can’t stop praising the war drama, with one viewer writing on Rotten Tomatoes: “On our second watching of the entire series. It’s so well-acted and thoughtful, and you learn a bit of history with each episode. Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks are so engaging, such a delight to watch, it’s mesmerizing.”

A IMDB user review of the series says: “One of the best! My wife and I became obsessed with the British crime series Midsomer Murders. We’ve seen all the episodes available. Then my wife latched onto Foyle’s War and we’ve become big, big fans of this series also.

“We agree with everyone about Michael Kitchen’s performances and the historical background against which the story unfolds. Everything about this show looks authentic, feels authentic and sounds authentic. Not having lived through that time we are learning so much about the period.”

While one fan of the show said: “Maximum Stars. I’ve never seen a better show on television. “Foyle’s War” is deep, thoughtful television art. Great premise. Acting is tremendous. Only the bad guys overact. To see the characters is to love them. Sets and details have been discussed at length and it’s all just gorgeous.”

Another user review reads: “Outstanding! One of the very best series of all time! This is what great TV is. An outstanding series, taking place from the start of WW2 to the start of the Cold War, but told with the perspective of those ‘back home’ whom the Wars impacted.

“A remarkable achievement. The cast, first and foremost Michael Kitchen as Foyle, are remarkable. TV, or filmed entertainment just does not get any better than this.”

Foyle’s War is available to stream for free on ITVX.

The new series of ITV’s Long Lost Family begins with an emotional story of a search for a family.

A remarkable new series of Long Lost Family on ITV uses DNA technology and painstaking detective work to reunite two foundlings with family members they lost contact with or never met.

In December 1960, David Stevenson was discovered inside a locked apartment block in North-West London. He was found in the corridor up on the second floor, outside one of the flats. He was several days old and cold, but well fed. For Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace, 65-year-old David returns to the flats more than six decades on still with burning questions about why he was left in such a specific place and whether this provides any clues as to who his birth parents are.

David says: “This place is part of me and part of my identity, no question. This is where my story starts here, so coming back here is emotional. Babies are often left at a police station or a hospital. Whoever put me here…this is a locked private block. Were some of the other residents somehow involved? The WPC arrived and discovered me on the floor with people milling round.”

Although some residents were investigated by the police, enquiries failed to help identify David’s birth parents or link them to him. David was adopted by the Stevenson family and had a happy childhood in nearby Edgware. He grew up knowing about his start in life, but for a long time he wasn’t curious to know more.

“I did know that I was a foundling but as far as I was concerned I had a mum and dad and it wasn’t a problem for me.”

He now has three sons of his own. They reflect on the risks involved with searching – the answers could be upsetting. David is also conscious of the experience of his birth mother.

“If I find my birth mother and she didn’t tell anyone and she wasn’t keen on that secret turning up that would be hard because it would be rejection all over again. The consensus from the police doctor was that I was a result of an unattended birth. and that must be a traumatic experience for any woman,” he says.

With his sons now grown up, David remarried and now lives with his second wife Julie. In 2009 they launched a national appeal for information. Ultimately it did not provide answers, but it did mark the start of a decade of their own extensive investigative work.

Using the apartment building as their primary clue, they developed several hypotheses about the residents. More recently David has turned to searching through DNA, which revealed that he has both Dutch and French heritage. While this is a significant development, the search has stalled, leaving him still not knowing who his birth parents are. Thankfully the LLF team get a breakthrough on David’s search.

There is a strong connection to a particular Dutch family. Two family members, including a woman called Marianne agree to take DNA tests. The pair of them testing enables LLF expert Ariel Bruce to – with certainty – identify David’s birth mother. Her name is Petra and she sadly died in 2010. Upon seeing a photo of David, the family immediately see a likeness to Petra.

Show host Nicky Campbell travels to the Netherlands to meet with Marianne – David’s aunt and his first cousins Saskia and Bart. He wants to see how they are dealing with the news and to learn more about Petra. It transpires that nobody in the family ever knew that she was pregnant and gave up a baby in London. They are left with mixed feelings. They are desperately sad that Petra had to endure this alone but delighted to be able to meet their new cousin and welcome him into the family.

After finishing school, Petra moved to Paris to work as an Au Pair and was living there when David was conceived. This tallies with David’s French DNA and the thinking that his birth father is French. She then moved to London and subsequently parted with David.

She grew up in a strict Catholic household where news of her pregnancy would not have been tolerated. Marianne says: “It was parents after Second World War. They would be angry.”

Bart adds: “They were Catholic and they would also have been very concerned with what society would think of having a child born out of wedlock.”

The sad news that Petra has died is shared with David away from the cameras. French privacy laws mean that DNA testing is very uncommon in France and so Ariel and the team are not able to identify his birth father. Referring to the death of Petra, David tells host Davina McCall: “It’s a shame because it closed an avenue that might have been open to me.”

Davina explains that the nature of Petra’s relationship with David’s birth father is unknown, along with any possible connections to the building where David was found. She describes Petra’s strict upbringing in The Netherlands and explains that she never confided in her family about giving birth at 20. David is quite affected by learning that after returning to the Netherlands, she did not have any more children.

David says: “Oh wow. I find that surprising. And quite sad actually, you know, not having a family, having given up the one child that she did have.”

Davina then reveals that Petra has family members in Rotterdam who were all too willing to take DNA tests. She passes on a letter that they have written him, where they explain that they would love to meet and share as much information about Petra as they can. David is moved by this gesture.

He says: “To meet people close to Petra would be very nice. To put a name to my mother and a picture, it’s a profound feeling. That is amazing.

“I’ve often said I’m not looking for another family, you know. All I want to know is where did I come from? But seeing these[photos] and reading the letter, you know, I want to meet these people. Yeah, that’s as big as it can be.”

After travelling to Rotterdam and has an emotional first meeting with Marianne, Bart, Saskia and another first cousin Jan. They share details about Petra, her personality and interests. David concludes: “One of the most rewarding things…is to hear them talk about her, and, and it’s helped me form an idea of her character. I’m very excited abut the future. There was nothing but love from them.”

Petra’s sister Marianne tells him: “She would love you and you would love her.”

The other search on next week’s programme sees Sarah Gray search for her birth mother.

She was found inside a Leicester telephone box in June 1983. Just a newborn baby, she was discovered by a woman going to make a phone call. Now a mother herself of 3-year-old twins, she often reflects on her own beginnings. She had a very happy and fulfilling adoption but her start in life was never openly discussed.

“I think you know in your family the conversations that can come up freely, and I think there’s a time and a place for certain things and I didn’t push it.”

Returning to the telephone box she sees that it’s on a busy road where there would have been lots of passers-by.

Sarah, 43, said: “Whoever it was has left me in a public phone box right next to a bus stop, next to a community centre… they definitely wanted me to be found.”

The search team make incredible strides with Sarah’s case and identify her birth mother. Davina is able to finally bring Sarah some answers about who she is and where she comes from, Sarah’s mother – who is alive – wants contact and a meeting to be done off camera.

* Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace Series 8 begins on Monday night at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.

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This road has a long history studded with soldiers, cyclists and tourists

Tucked in the hills of the Lake District is a twisting road that is so steep and challenging it’s often brought up as one of the most dangerous in the UK. Hardknott Pass, between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley, links the Lake District with West Cumbria.

Often impassable in the winter due to snow and ice, it is also one of the steepest in the UK. It has a maximum gradient of 33%, and winds through the mountains with a series of hairpin turns that would put fear in any casual driver.

This steep gradient draws endurance cyclists from across the world. It’s steeper than any other mountain stage in any other European races, including the Tour de France.

Every year, cyclists flock to the pass to complete the Fred Whitton Challenge – an 112 mile ride around the Lake District.

From Romans to tank training

A version of what is now Hardknott Pass was built by the Romans around AD110 to link the coastal fort at Ravenglass to their garrisons in Ambleside. They called it the tenth highway, but it fell into disrepair in the early 5th century when the Romans left Britain. For years it was used as an unpaved packhorse route to transport lead and farming goods.

In the 1880s, the road was improved by the English Lake District Association – a group of hoteliers. They hoped that making the road better would encourage more people to travel there but by 1891 it had failed to attract the number of people they had wanted.

Instead, the route was popular with cyclists and motorists. Even then, it was described as a challenging road to pass, with the Guide to North-West England describing the old coach road as “difficult going West, cruel coming East”.

Fast forward to World War 2 and the remote mountain pass was in regular use by British forces who used it to train tank drivers, completely destroying what was left of the road surface.

After the war it was finally tarmacked and opened to vehicles.

The road today

Now, the road is a thrilling drive where anyone coming downhill must be prepared to reverse into tight passing bays to allow those coming up the right of way.

However, despite the challenge of driving the road, the views at its 393 metre summit are well worth the effort.

The peak of the mountain offers breathtaking panoramic views stretching toward the Scafell range.

As you drive along the route, you pass the haunting ruins of Hardknott Roman fort, where the same soldiers who used to travel the pass stood watch over the mountain wilderness.

A sunny island with beautiful beaches, cosy pubs and an easy drive from the UK ticked all of the boxes for a recent family holiday

I bet you – like me – have often dreamt of that perfect holiday destination that has it all within easy reach.

Good weather, a beach, great eating spots, cosy pubs, picturesque streets to potter around plus a hefty dose of history to keep the grey matter ticking over.

Sounds impossible. But I think I’ve found it and it’s St Peter Port on the tiny Channel Island of Guernsey.

With a population of nearly 20,000, St Peter Port could hardly describe itself as a city but it is the biggest town and main centre of Guernsey.

Thanks to generous tax allowances for residents, some quarters of the harbour town have a Canary Wharf vibe (plus seaside finance bros) but cast your gaze away from that and you will be met with nothing but bunting, cute cobbled shopping streets and harbour-front eating and drinking spots.

Guernsey has that hugely familiar British feel, with an ever so slightly French twist. There’s an M&S Food Hall but you can’t use your Sparks card (‘different franchise’ I am told) and even a Sports Direct. But beyond that you can feast every night on fresh crab, lobster and fish and you simply must find an excuse to indulge in some of the dairy produce the famous Guernsey cows produce.

Visiting St Peter Port as a family of four we were overwhelmed with options. Being history buffs we were in our element.

OPINION

Guernsey was occupied by Nazi Germany for most of the Second World War, from June 1940 to May 1945. Across the island, and in St Peter Port in particular, there is a huge amount to see and learn relating to that time.

If you spend a day on foot in St Peter Port, you can start with a ride on the Petit Train, which departs at regular intervals from the Albert Pier and gives you a chance to get your bearings around the steep and winding streets.

From the pier it’s around a 20 minute walk to the top of town where you must visit the German Naval Signals HQ. This is the top-rated attraction in the town and my kids – 10 and 14 – were unanimous it was their top sight for the week we spent in Guernsey. Entry is just £13 for a family.

Invisible from the street and air, this perfectly-preserved underground bunker was the centre for all German naval signals during WWII.

Restored using many of the original fittings and based on advice from the former Naval Signals Officer himself, a visit here was undoubtedly brought to life for us by the extremely knowledgeable member of staff – or private tour guide as he became.

You can see where signals were received, where officers slept and even where they went to the toilet. Then before you know it, it’s out back onto the street and you can barely find where you just were.

Walking back into town, the Guernsey Museum at Candie is worth a look to give you the fascinating history of life in times gone by on the island. Surrounded by the lush Candie Gardens, a picnic here is ideal, overlooking the scenic harbour.

Back down at the harbour the world is your oyster. A trip to the beach might be on the cards (but watch out for the high and very quick tides!) or if you’re into your sea swimming, you can take a dip in one of the uber stylish La Valette seawater bathing pools.

We didn’t try them ourselves on this trip, but there are four pools to swim in, each with a changing area and a cafe and toilets by the ladies’ and children’s pool (anyone can swim in any of the pools).

Our reason to pass by the pools was for our next historical stop-off – the La Valette Underground Military Museum. We visited during the May heatwave and the cool cave of this treasure trove was extremely welcome.

The tunnels were originally built as a fuel storage facility for German U-boats during the occupation and are fascinating in themselves as an architectural phenomenon. They are now used to house a vast range of exhibits from Guernsey’s military history, including a truck used in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Family entry costs under £30 and opened our eyes to precisely what the Guernseymen and women went through during the difficult period of Occupation in WWII. All of this is probably more than enough for one day but there is much more to see.

The jewel in St Peter Port’s crown is Castle Cornet, which has sat on a spur guarding the harbour for 800 years.

Time your visit to catch the firing of the cannon by period uniformed soliders at midday, then explore the brick alleyways, high walls, four period gardens and four museums on site. That’s before I’ve even mentioned the stunning views out to the islands of Herm, Sark and Jethou.

Another fantastic way to get under the skin of St Peter Port and Guernsey is by taking a guided walk.

We were lucky enough to join Elizabeth Gardener-Wheeler of Guided Guernsey on a clifftop walk from the stunning Fermain Bay back to St Peter Port. What Elizabeth didn’t know about life on Guernsey probably isn’t worth mentioning but her stories really brought our trip to life. From the bomb found in bluebell woods, to the private steep bathing steps for the former Governor of Guernsey, you will discover some truly hidden gems.

Of course we all enjoyed noseying at the seaview, premium properties – many of them thatched – along our walk too.

For our evening meal, we dined slightly out of town (ok, a five minute drive…) at Nineteen Bar and Grill, situated on the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort.

It’s ideal for a family trip because you can combine your meal with a quick round of Pirate Bay Adventure Golf – a notch above your usual crazy golf thanks to real-life rafts on pools of water…

The food here was excellent with a huge choice from fresh local produce like the Guernsey crab salad which I enjoyed, over to the classic burgers, pizzas and steaks. Everyone in the family was happy.

If you buy a museum Discovery pass, you can visit Castle Cornet, Guernsey Museum, Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum and the German Naval Signals Headquarters for just £24 per named adult with all accompanying children going free. The pass is valid for 12 months’ unlimited access.

We travelled to Guernsey with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth on their overnight service, staying in a cabin with breakfast on arrival.

While on the island, we stayed for the week at the wonderful, family run, La Bailloterie campsite. Sparkling clean showers and toilets, plus fresh pastries can be ordered for breakfast every day. If camping is not your thing, the site offers safari tents and wooden cabins too.

Book the holiday

Brittany Ferries offers Poole-Guernsey routes from £374 in July and £405 in August, based on two adults and two children travelling in a standard car on a Super Saver ticket. Find out more and book at brittany-ferries.co.uk.

The island’s dark history of forced labour and harrowing conditions for prisoners of war has left a haunting legacy

In the late 19th century, this isolated Japanese island was a bustling town fuelled by its coal-mining industry. Today, it’s gradually being swallowed by the sea and reclaimed by nature, but given the island’s sinister past, perhaps it’s for the best that this once-thriving community has fallen into silence.

Hashima Island sits roughly 15 kilometres off Nagasaki, and was formerly a mining settlement. At its height in the late 1950s, the island housed more than 5,000 residents who lived in its towering apartment blocks — the ruins of which remain visible today.

Initially renowned for its undersea coal mines, the island also harbours a deeply troubling history.

The island was purchased by Mitsubishi in the late 19th century, and in 1916, work commenced on apartment blocks to house workers. There was a school, a kindergarten, a community centre and a hospital.

For leisure, residents could head to the cinema or visit the numerous shops, reports the Express.

Following the end of World War 2, Chinese and Korean prisoners of war were forced to labour on the island, either erecting buildings or toiling in the mines. These prisoners endured appalling and perilous conditions under Mitsubishi’s control.

Many perished from exhaustion and starvation — the precise death toll on the island ranges from 137 to as many as 1,300.

The people who laboured here dubbed the island “Jail Island” or even “Hell Island” — a stark contrast to the tranquil mining town it seemed to be. By the 1970s, coal reserves had largely run dry and the industry was in terminal decline.

This prompted many residents to abandon the island, and by the mid-70s, the mine had shut its doors for good, leaving the island completely deserted.

In 2009, Japan put forward a request for the island to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The move drew sharp criticism from the governments of North and South Korea and China, with Seoul arguing it would “violate the dignity of the survivors of forced labour”.

Eventually, South Korea and Japan struck a deal allowing the island to be included on the list, on the condition that Japan provided information acknowledging the use of forced labour.

However, in 2021, it emerged that Japan had failed to honour its side of the agreement, having not displayed adequate information regarding the use of forced labour.

The museum in Nagasaki, which documents the island’s history, reportedly contains no testimonies from Koreans about forced labour or discrimination, and the sole Korean testimony on display actually denies that forced labour was ever used.

Very few have heard of the ‘phenomenal’ World War II drama on Netflix, as viewers call the powerful and engrossing series an ‘exceptional masterpiece’ that’s a ‘must watch’.

For years, the television drama Band of Brothers has been establishing the standard for war-themed dramas.

Crafted by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the series is widely regarded as the gold standard of its genre, having elevated expectations considerably when it comes to war epics.

Now, another war drama is being lauded as a ‘phenomenal masterpiece’ – and it might well eclipse Band of Brothers.

Available on Netflix, the relatively obscure war drama limited series comprises three episodes running approximately an hour each, and acclaim for the programme has been widespread.

War Sailor, originally titled Krigsseileren, is a Norwegian war drama that was selected as Norway’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards – and audiences cannot stop praising it, reports Wales Online.

It first premiered as a film in late 2022, and when it eventually arrived on Netflix in April 2023, it emerged as a three-part miniseries with 30 minutes incorporated into its original running time.

Written and helmed by Gunnar Vikene, it happens to be the most costly Norwegian film ever produced, created on a budget of $11.1m.

The drama features Kristoffer Joner and Pål Sverre Hagen in leading roles, alongside Ine Marie Wilmann, Henrikke Lund Olsen, Armand Hannestad, and Leon Tobias Slettbakk.

The war drama draws from the genuine, real-life experiences of 30,000 Norwegian civilian sailors who participated in Allied convoys during the Second World War.

The war drama’s official synopsis reads: “Merchant sailors are caught in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean during Germany’s invasion of Norway and hijacked into working for the Allied war effort.”

Boasting an impressive 92% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, War Sailor has been hailed as “heart-in-your-throat moving” by viewers.

An IMDB user review of the war drama says: “One of the best war movies I’ve seen. I thought I’d seen so many war and catastrophe movies I’d become numb to the emotional drama and could only be stimulated by history lessons and battlefield action but this one gripped me.”

While another viewer said of the series: “Intense but phenomenal. It’s difficult to sum up the experience of watching this film. It weaves suspense, devastation, love, hope, and the horrors of war together into a picture that will stay with me for a long time to come.”

Another audience review added: “Brilliantly written, directed and acted, this is a gripping, at times excruciating, film. The characters are beautifully, painfully individual, the story unexpected and painfully convincing. It takes us inside the actions of war but the unforgettable moments are the still ones in which nothing happens but meaning.”

While one viewer crowned it “a masterpiece”: “Wow – what an intense film. Excellent acting and period sets. A masterpiece.”

Yet another audience review said: “A sweeping epic. Structured like a sweeping epic, Krigsseileren tells about the efforts of Norwegian commercial sailors in the Atlantic theatre during WWII. A combination of authenticity, technical brilliance, and a clear artistic framework makes this into an all-encompassing viewing experience.”

While one fan described the drama as something that “transcends the ordinary”: “Something Extraordinary Finds its Way to Our Screens. Just when we thought nothing of quality is left, nothing worth our time, what we have left of it, War Sailor shows up on Netflix.

“As real a depiction of events which shaped our world as you are likely to see. Transportation to another place and time at a historic moment in history, for the price of your Netflix subscription. Empowering performances that transcend the ordinary. Highly recommended.”

Critics have branded the war drama “powerful and engrossing”, with one reviewer writing: “War Sailor is the best kind of war movie: a character drama that happens amidst war, focusing most on how the characters are changed by the atrocities over the years.”

Another critic said: “War Sailor offers some of the best ensemble acting seen in recent years. It’s been perfectly cast down to the smallest role.”

War Sailor is available to stream on Netflix.