BBC Documentaries

Life in Debt Valley (2016x92)

: 29, 2016

A warm and heartfelt observational documentary looking at lives lived on a shoestring in the Welsh Valleys. In one of the poorest parts of Britain, people still find ways to get what they want and to live their dreams. 34-year-old Maria is doing everything she can to find a job and keep her head above water as a single mum with a mountain of debt. Sue, a carpenter by trade, struggles to keep the bailiffs at bay while trying to find a way to give her daughters a holiday to remember. And Julie, burdened with a weight problem and a family tragedy, turns to local weight loss guru Linda to help her deal with both. While many Valleys residents are living a hand-to-mouth existence, some businesses are thriving. Linda's slimming class does a roaring trade in this obesity hotspot while pawnbroker David turns a tidy profit off the back of other people's need.