Ricky Tomlinson

Three babies born on the same day. One of them has found fame, the others live out of the public eye, but all have powerful stories to tell. Every life tells a story, and our history is made up of all of them. This major new popular history series looks at key moments in the parallel lives of three people born on the same day in the same year. The programme explores how their lives entwine with the major events of our time, and asks: what are the choices and moments in life that shape us? This episode tells the stories of Ricky Tomlinson, one of Britain's best-loved actors; would-be jockey and entrepreneur Vic Young; and midwife Julia Allison. All three were born on 26 September 1939. Liverpudlian Ricky trained as a plasterer in his teens. After flirting with far right politics and becoming a member of the National Front, he was jailed for his part in the Builders' Strike of 1972.