A Very English Village - Season 1

Storyville film-maker Luke Holland , who has lived in Ditchling on the East Sussex Downs for the last ten years, explores aspects of village life past and present. He begins with a look at how economic uncertainty and the controversial ban on hunting with hounds have adversely affected a local farming family.

This edition follows the village's well-established amateur dramatics society as they audition, rehearse and perform the 1950s hit musical Salad Days.

This edition traces the history of the Arts and Crafts movement founded by local resident Eric Gill, whose complex legacy has had a profound impact on the village where his morality and sexual proclivities remain a subject of heated controversy.

At one time. the Sandrock Inn was at the heart of Ditchling, East Sussex - but now the pub is under threat from developers. The villagers mount a spirited fight against an unpopular planning proposal - but is it enough to delay last orders?

Some of the village's older residents candidly share the memories of their long and remarkable lives, including recollections of French lessons during the First World War and some of Dame Vera Lynn's Second World War anecdotes.

The stories of the past are told against a backdrop of their everyday lives, which in turn provides a thoughtful portrait of old age and its reflections on death and the afterlife.