Filming of season five of BBC’s hit show, Peaky Blinders has finally been wrapped up. The series follows the notorious Birmingham gang following the First World War. The show was created by Steven Knight.
The series, which follows fictional characters, is loosely based on the gang that ruled Birmingham during the 1880s as opposed to the 1920’s; the date the drama is set during.
They ruled the industrialised areas of Bordesley and Small Heath between the late 1880s and the early ’90s. The main gang members of the original Blinders were Harry Fowler, Ernest Bayles, Stephen McHickie and Thomas Gilbert. These four criminal’s police records were made available by the West Midlands Police in early 2012 during the filming of the first season. Thomas Shelby (Murphy), Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) and John Shelby’s (Joe Cole) characters are loosely based on the four men that were arrested during the ’80s.
One aspect the show attaches with the Peaky Blinders is the use of razor blades in their caps, which historian Professor Carl Chinn MBE has disproved, he said: “They were only beginning to come in from the 1890s and were a luxury item, much too expensive for the Peaky Blinders to have used.” Muggings and theft were by no means the only illegal activities of the gang as they built their criminal empire on illegal betting, protection rackets and Birmingham’s black market. The show highlights all of this. Chinn is a massive fan of the show, and he said: “The TV series is probably the first high-quality drama about Brummies – stylish and dark with great cinematography and engaging characters.”
Peaky Tours have been running since early 2015, highlighting the public interest in this previously untold story of the Peaky Blinders. Chinn echoes these views, stating: “It has gained national attention and done a lot for Birmingham.” The tour, which starts at the Old Crown Inn, located in Digbeth and stops off at the Rainbow club and the Big Bulls Head before returning to the Old Crown. Carl Chinn himself guides the tour, explaining the rise and fall of the gang.
There are two types of tour, the most popular option being the £39.95 tour. For this, you will be able to get a full private tour, which includes a 1880s meal of faggots and peas and a Q&A with Chinn.
The Peaky Tour is a must for anyone who is a fan of the series or just a general fan of local history. It offers an unprecedented look at Birmingham and what it was like over 100 years ago. The role of Chinn during the tour can’t be underestimated, and his knowledge about the West Midlands is second to none. He makes everybody on the tour feel welcome, and you leave the trip with a sense that he is more of a friend than a tour guide.
The majority of the filming that took place in Birmingham was shot at the Black Country Museum. Creator of the show, Steven Knight, said: “We are trying to film as much here as we possibly can because it’s so good. It’s our world, and I think of this as our Peaky home.”
For more information about the Peaky Tours, check out their website: www.peakytours.com.
