A Year In The Life Of The Swinging Sixties

James Peak and Joan Bakewell find some incredible hidden BBC archive from 1963. Wait! Is that The Beatles? And Mary Quant? And Morecambe & Wise?

The Public Ear was a bold new arts show, broadcast on The Light Programme in 1963, which tried to make sense of all the amazing things that were happening in London and the UK in music, art, theatre, comedy, football, politics and feminism. Travel back in time for a Year in the Life of the Swinging Sixties, for archive unheard for these last 60 years - the precise moment that Beatlemania started and the National Theatre was founded, a time when broadcasters could ask people on the street who they'd drop a bomb on.

Joan Bakewell was there the first time around and puts these amazing archive finds into context.

With special thanks to Dame Joan Bakewell, Keith Wickham of The Radio Circle, Helen Toland and Amy McGarrigle

Assistant Producer: Ruby Churchill

BBC Archive Curators: Liz Storey and Carl Davies

Sound Design & Mixing: Neil Churchill

Written, produced & presented by James Peak

An Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4

James Peak and Joan Bakewell find incredible archive from 1963. Wait! Is that The Beatles?

BBC Archivist: Liz Storey

BBC Archive Curator: Carl Davies