Witness History

How and when did tea arrive in the UK?
Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson take a look at the mythological origins, the role of a Portuguese princess and even going to war for a cuppa.
We’ll start our journey with the first appearance of tea in England in the 1600s and its popularisation in the English royal court thanks to the Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza who married King Charles II.
The story takes a dark turn as the British East India Company seeks to break China’s monopoly on tea production leading to the Opium Wars and corporate espionage.
Finally, how tea fuelled Britain’s industrial revolution.
Key Sources:
A Social History of Tea - Jane Pettigrew
A journey to the tea countries of China - Robert Fortune
Dinner with Dickens - Penn Vogler

During the Spanish Civil War, the fascist dictator Francisco Franco rose to power.
Around half a million people fled the fighting, but some chose to return even as the conflict continued.
One of them was eight-year-old Felisa Umbon San Vicente. In 1937, her mother brought the family back from France to their village near Bilbao, in Spain’s northern Basque Country, close to the French border.
Felisa tells Ivana Davidovic about starting school and growing up during the war, as her region fell to Franco’s forces.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Felisa with her mother. Credit: Felisa Umbon San Vicente)

In 1985, one the world’s most recognisable fashion accessories was first launched – the Birkin handbag.
Its origins have since become legend. The actress and model Jane Birkin said she was on a flight to London when her bag and contents spilt over the floor.
The passenger sitting next to her remarked that she needed a bigger bag, and offered to make it for her. His name was Jean-Louis Dumas, then chief executive of the leather goods company, Hermès.
The design was sketched on the plane’s sickbag, and the resulting leather holdall was christened the Birkin, after its inspiration.
Today, the price tag ranges from a few thousand dollars to more than $200,000 for limited design versions, and it's often seen on the arms of celebrities and socialites.
Jane Wilkinson looks back at its history, using BBC archive.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: The original Birkin bag made from black leather, has two short handles and a long handle and a leather flap across the top, with a leather strap detail and a gold clasp. Credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

On 15 July, over 300 people were killed and more than 2,100 injured when rogue soldiers commandeered warplanes, tanks and helicopters in a failed coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan.

Some of the fiercest fighting took place on the first bridge linking Europe to Asia. It was there civilians and police confronted soldiers in deadly clashes. The waterfront neighbourhood of Çengelköy is directly below the Bosphorus bridge. As soldiers began passing through it, the neighbourhood Mukhtar, the elected head, rallied residents to set up barricades.

Emily Wither speaks to that head, Can Cumhurcu, who stood his ground with his neighbours outside the local police station until he was shot by a soldier.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: People take over a tank near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge. Credit: Gurcan Ozturk/ Stringer via Getty Images)

For generations, Inuit communities lived across the Arctic, travelling with the seasons and relying on the land. But in the mid-20th century, Canadian government policies, including relocations, moved many into permanent settlements, reshaping their way of life.
In the 1970s, a new generation of Inuit activists launched a movement to reclaim control over their land and push for greater autonomy.
In 1999, the newly created Nunavut territory gained its own government.
Inuit politician and activist Paul Quassa tells Sam Gruet about the fight to regain control over their land, the long negotiations with the federal government, and the moment he felt the campaign had succeeded.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.
For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.
We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.
You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Cambridge Bay. Credit: Arctic Images via Getty Images)