Neil Hughes
District councillor
In 1964 he was an enchanting Liverpool boy who wanted to be an astronaut. Tragically, in 28 Up Neil was found homeless and in a bad mental state. Yet he surprised viewers when he reappeared as a Liberal Democrat councillor in Hackney in 42 Up. In a heart-rending twist, Bruce Balden, another Up participant, had helped Neil on his road to recovery.
Lynn Johnson
Unemployed librarian
East Ender Lynn wanted to work in Woolworths when she grew up, but went on to become a librarian for 30 years. Unlike her young schoolfriends Jackie and Sue, Lynn went on to grammar school instead of the local comprehensive. During 49 Up she learnt that she’d lost her job. When we meet her in 56 Up, Lynn has new priorities.
Paul Kligerman
Retirement home worker
When we first encountered Paul in Seven Up!, he was living in a children’s home. By 21 Up he was settled in Australia with a new girlfriend. They later married and the couple now have two grandchildren. Their daughter Katy is the first of their family to go to university.
Peter Davies
Musician
Peter went to the same school in Liverpool as Neil Hughes. The Up series last saw him at 28, when he was an impassioned teacher in Leicester. Vehemently critical of Margaret Thatcher’s education policies, Peter came under fire from the press, and decided to leave the series. He’s set to return in 56 Up as a member of a country and western band.
Jackie Bassett
Unemployed
The East Ender was last seen in 49 Up living in a Glasgow council flat with her three sons. Married at 19 and later divorced, Jackie raised her children as a single parent. In 49 Up, she spoke candidly about surviving on benefits and expressed her ambition to go back to school. In 56 Up, we will discover if Jackie was able to continue her education.
Symon Basterfield
Forklift truck driver
Of West Indian descent, Symon Basterfield is the only participant from a non-white background. Estranged from his father, he had a difficult start in life, growing up in a children’s home. He elected not to take place in 35 Up because he was going through a divorce. Symon returned for the following series when he spoke about his love of fostering. A father of six, he has been a foster parent to more than 65 children.
Andrew Brackfield
Lawyer
First seen attending a Kensington prep school, Andrew was reading the Financial Times at the age of seven. He went on to Cambridge University and later became a lawyer. He is happily married to Jane, his wife of 28 years.
Sue Davis
University administrator
Sue first appeared in the series with her East End school friends Lynn and Jackie. In 42 Up Sue was a single mother, and spoke proudly of her two children and job as a university administrator. She is now married and has progressed further in her career. In 56 Up, she will talk about her new hobby, amateur dramatics.
Bruce Balden
School teacher
At the age of seven, public schoolboy Bruce Balden said he wanted to be a missionary in Africa, to “teach people who are not civilised to be, more or less, good”. After graduating from Oxford University he taught in Bangladesh, and in 42 Up he was married to a teacher and working in the East End. In 56 Up, we join Bruce and his sons on a camping trip.
Tony Walker
Taxi driver
Irresistible East End chancer Tony Walker had high hopes of being a jockey. But when these dreams were dashed he became a taxi driver, doing bit-part acting on the side – he was once an extra in EastEnders. In 35 Up Tony admitted that being in a monogamous relationship was a strain, and by 42 Up he confessed that he’d been cheating on his wife. But she stood by him. They are now grandparents living in Essex.
Nick Hitchon
University professor
Raised on a farm in the Yorkshire Dales, Nick’s early education was in a one-room school. He went on to Oxford University and then worked as a nuclear physicist. He has built his career in the US. Following his appearance in 28 Up, viewers remarked that his marriage seemed doomed. His wife subsequently refused to appear in 35 Up and by the next edition they were divorced. In 49 Up, we learned that he had remarried.
John Brisby
Charity worker
John was educated at the same prep school as Andrew and Charles. He first appeared singing Waltzing Matilda in Latin. At 14, John was already voicing his social and political views: he would go on to become a barrister. After leaving the series, he returned in 49 Up, claiming he only did the films to give publicity to his charity work. He married the daughter of an ambassador to Bulgaria.
Suzy Lusk
Bereavement counsellor
From a wealthy background, Suzy was first filmed at boarding school but by 16 she had dropped out of school to travel. She is now a bereavement counsellor, living in Bath with her solicitor husband and three children. In 49 Up, Suzy said she’d had enough of the series and wouldn’t do any more. But she is set to reappear in this instalment.
No comments:
Post a Comment