Two Englands: Child Poverty and Cultural History in Britain

Two Englands: Child Poverty and Cultural History

1. Karen and the Documentary on Child Poverty

Karen is a television director who is preparing a documentary about children living in poverty in England. The idea comes after she reads in the newspaper that many English children live in difficult economic situations. Karen thinks that there are two different Englands: a rich one and a poor one.

Her producer, Adrian, agrees with her. They first talk about the differences between the North and the South of England. Adrian also explains that people from the North can suffer from prejudice. He gives Linda as an example. Linda works as a researcher at the production company and comes from Manchester. Some people think she is not intelligent because of her accent, but she has a good university education and is very competent at her job.

Karen decides to focus the documentary on a poor neighbourhood in London, close to their offices. There, she meets Rosie, a girl who lives with her mother in a difficult situation. Rosie does not have the same opportunities as other children and is used to the problems in her neighbourhood.

Karen wants to show how these children live and what opportunities they have to improve their future. She takes Rosie to the Tate Modern, an art gallery in London. This visit helps Rosie discover a completely different world from the one she knows and gives her the opportunity to experience something new.

2. Mr Walker and the Story of an Oak Bowl

The main character of this chapter is Mr Walker, an older man with a very traditional idea of England. He is not very happy with the changes that have happened in the country and believes that life was better in the past.

Mr Walker likes old things and spends a lot of time restoring furniture. One day, while he is working with an old oak bowl, he starts to learn more about the history of England.

Because of what happens with the bowl, Mr Walker discovers that England has always received people from different parts of the world. He realises that English culture has been influenced by many different people and cultures throughout history.

He also learns more about his surname, Walker, and discovers that his own family history is connected to other countries.

A Change of Opinion

At the end of the chapter, Mr Walker starts to change his opinion. He understands that immigration and cultural diversity are not new in England, but have been part of the country's history for many years.