THE HECTOR: FROM SCOTLAND TO NOVA SCOTIA, BBC2, 9pm
IN July 1773, a “bedraggled” cargo ship called The Hector left Loch Broom on Scotland’s west coast to sail 2500 miles across the Atlantic to Canada.
In her “putrid, leaking hold” were 200 Scottish emigrants, desperate to pursue a new life. Forget romantic ideas of the American Dream. These passengers had to endure starvation and smallpox in terrifying conditions, but those who survived are now seen as the “founding fathers” of Nova Scotia, “this most Scottish corner of Canada”. Neil Oliver tells the story of how they were forced out of Scotland by poverty and high rents – they had heard there were no landlords in Canada. Oliver also travels to Nova Scotia to meet their descendants and learn about their legacy.
THE WEEK THE LANDLORDS MOVED IN, BBC1, 9pm
A REALITY series in which rich landlords have to go and live in the properties they rent out wouldn’t usually have caught my eye.
However, after the Grenfell Tower disaster, the mass evacuations of tenants in Camden, and the rising suspicion that certain landlords will always resort to the cheapest bidder for building work, no matter how deadly their materials, this show suddenly seems very important.
We follow wealthy landlords as they move into some of their more down-at-heel properties for a taste of real life. Tonight, Marc and Peter, who own £7 million worth of property move into Linda’s home and must live on her small budget for a week.
With 11 million people renting in Britain, landlords have immense power and can pick and choose their tenants. Aware of their precarious position, some renters may be unwilling to report faults and dampness in their homes. Finally, we might hope that neglectful landlords are being snapped to attention.
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