Carl Hopkins

Once a thriving colliery town, Easington has been in steady economic decline since its pits closed in the 1980s, leaving thousands unemployed and destroying a way of life that had existed for generations.

Working as a community warden, Carl explores the area and finds the site of the old pit. But realising the task ahead of him, he begins to worry that his help may be too little, too late.

"Is this a town that has a future or is it a town living in the shadow of its past? I don't like victims, I really hate that, cos we could all do that, the world is not a nice cosy cuddly place, but it's about how people react to that that's really important."

Carl is quickly accepted by the local community. Despite its problems, this is a town that has not lost touch with its mining past and, thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated volunteers, many of the touchstones of traditional colliery life have remained intact.

Carl's undercover mission leads him to the Easington Colliery brass band which still takes part in competitions across the country. After losing its main sponsor, however, it faces a bleak future.

Much of the good work being carried out in Easington is down to ex-miners. Now retired, Cyril Dunn was a miner for 30 years, but since the pits closed he's devoted himself to trying to keep the Miners Welfare Centre open for bored local kids who have nothing to do to use as a youth club.

Meanwhile Jimmy bought some land himself and set up his own 'city farm' to encourage kids to take responsibility for rearing livestock and tend their own vegetable plots. It's one of Easington's success stories, but only survives because of Jimmy's hard graft and dedication.

Jimmy's Farm and Easington's sense of community are a wake up call to Carl – a reminder of how far removed he has become from a sense of community back home in Yorkshire.

He realises that despite having all the trappings of a millionaire lifestyle – big house, big car and fancy holidays – he's stuck behind his electric gates and barely knows his own neighbours.

"I know more people here than I do in the place I've lived for ten years, maybe I should open my gates more…"

And at the end of his ten-day mission Carl resolves to give something back to the community that has welcomed him so warmly.

Intro | About Carl | About the programme | Interview | Music

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