The Calm Before the Storm | Gallipoli (Part 1)

A childhood shaped by industry. A Navy on the brink of change. 

Nelson Langsford grows up at National Trust’s Cotehele Mill, as part of a family rooted for generations in skilled work. Beyond the mill, Britain is entering a new industrial age, and the Royal Navy is transforming with it. 

Joined by naval historian Charlotte Ward‑Kelly, host and genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how Nelson’s early life prepared him for a very different world. As steam power replaces sail and engineering skill becomes vital to Britain’s global reach, Nelson steps into the engine rooms of a modernising Navy while the First World War looms on the horizon. 

How does an ordinary upbringing prepare one man for the dangers of conflict, and a campaign that will leave a lasting mark on his family history? 

Host and researcher: Jen Baldwin 

Guest: Charlotte Ward-Kelly 

Editor: CM87Edits 

Script editors: Niall Cullen, Daisy Goddard, and Madeleine Gilbert 

Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb 

Designer: Michael McCosh 

Social media: Sarah Cornes

Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James 

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