Fighting Back

A Yorkshire Television documentary from 1987 that focuses on how some residents of the Manor area of Sheffield are responding to the high unemployment and poverty on the council housing estate. It focuses on a residents’ theatre group in the run up to the June General Election, reflecting both the demoralisation – attributed to unemployment, poor housing, poverty and untrustworthy politicians – and the fighting spirit of at least some of those living on the Estate.

This is the last of a series of four themed programmes that were aired in August 1987, and later re-edited into a single shorter programme broadcast on Channel 4, this time naming those residents who are interviewed. Yet, unfortunately, information on those featured in the programmes is hard to come by; including that of the ad hoc theatre group who performed the agit-prop play, more common in the 1970s and ‘80s. And, with the demise of Yorkshire Television, which effectively ceased in 2004 after being taking over by ITV, there is little prospect of any follow up documentary. Yet there remains a Lower Manor Tenant and Resident Group, having voted to join the Acis housing association in 2006.