Steeltown Murders
Discussion
Just thought I would give a shout out for Steeltown Murders on BBC. Based on real events its about the murders of young women in Wales during the early 70's. Just completed two episodes on Iplayer and looking forward to the third episode tonight. We decided not to binge watch. Anyway its excellent viewing IMO and enjoyable all the more with Philip Glenister in the lead role as a DCI. So I wont say anymore and spoil it for anyone.
Was a great show, well paced, not rushed, it was set over 25 plus years after all. Loved the way it flip flopped between the two time frames and the young and the old copper.
Loved some of the film showing local things in the early 70s such as the view of the M4 tailed section being built. And the steel works which was much bigger in those days. Loved seeing the lack of change in peoples lives between the two time frames, housing unchanged, people living in same house, lack of change in buildings, lack of investment in the area. Lots changed now but equally lots the same.
I don’t remember the murders, as I was too young. But it was very local to where we lived (Neath) and my older brother worked very close to the scene of the double murder. The girls were killed on what was my 6th birthday, September 15th. I think now of what life these youngsters were denied. Tragic.
I knew the storey, and remember the controversy around DNA links being thought of as tenuous by many people you would call deniers in this age. Invisible stuff that can be found and used against people years later.
I’d have liked to see more of the Home Secretary David Blunkett decision making.
Great program, it’s on iPlayer, take a look. I think it was the first time DNA had been used in this context?
Loved some of the film showing local things in the early 70s such as the view of the M4 tailed section being built. And the steel works which was much bigger in those days. Loved seeing the lack of change in peoples lives between the two time frames, housing unchanged, people living in same house, lack of change in buildings, lack of investment in the area. Lots changed now but equally lots the same.
I don’t remember the murders, as I was too young. But it was very local to where we lived (Neath) and my older brother worked very close to the scene of the double murder. The girls were killed on what was my 6th birthday, September 15th. I think now of what life these youngsters were denied. Tragic.
I knew the storey, and remember the controversy around DNA links being thought of as tenuous by many people you would call deniers in this age. Invisible stuff that can be found and used against people years later.
I’d have liked to see more of the Home Secretary David Blunkett decision making.
Great program, it’s on iPlayer, take a look. I think it was the first time DNA had been used in this context?
I'm too young to remember the 1970s but why do directors make everything gloomy/unlit? Even the modern bits seemed to be filmed in the dark and the lab boffin sitting in a lab eating(!) his piece in the dark while toying with a sample tube was irritating. Gloomy/unlit does not magically make a programme atmospheric. That said it was a decent enough police procedural.
hidetheelephants said:
I'm too young to remember the 1970s but why do directors make everything gloomy/unlit? Even the modern bits seemed to be filmed in the dark and the lab boffin sitting in a lab eating(!) his piece in the dark while toying with a sample tube was irritating. Gloomy/unlit does not magically make a programme atmospheric. That said it was a decent enough police procedural.
Port Talbot in the 70s didn’t see direct sunlight! (Ok slight exaggeration).
It was a s
t place to live. Steelworks and oil refineries and coal fired furnaces it was a filthy horrid place. Perhaps they were conveying this atmospheric feeling? Once the M4 was opened, Living under the M4 raised section was just about as crap a lifestyle as can be imagined.
Despite all that industry being there, it was a bad place to live because of the pollution.
Thank the Lord you don’t have smello-vision. The stench from those furnaces and chimneys and oil refineries and chemical works was horrendous. The prevailing sea breeze did nothing but spread that filth up the valleys. When coming home from England in the 90s you could smell Port Talbot and llandarcy from 20 miles away.
God knows what it did for peoples health, which is why the current imposed 50mph speed limit along the M4 raised section is so ironic really ( to cut pollution ffs!) Years and years there was no care for people’s health or quality of life there. If you didn’t happen to witness it you wouldnt believe it. Never happen these days.
Horrendous and bleak place to live in the 70s and 80s in terms of pollution. However there was very high levels of employment. Now of course many of those jobs are gone. The 90s was particularly bleak, the miners strikes, the closure of the refineries.
There wasn’t a great deal of colour or light there. I thought the 70s era stuff caught the look just right. However, the 2000s stuff was a bit over bleak yes. 2002 was a long time and many changes from 1973. The show showed no 2000 year plus model cars. I think it was showing 90s cars to show that most people couldn’t afford newer. Which might be true given that the Factories had been run down and closed. I think the refineries were all torn down by then? But there was also plenty of people with money, but I guess not on the shadow of the m4. We lived further up the Neath valley and it wasn’t a bad life at all in the 2000s.
One of the coppers in 2002 section was driving a D reg Grenada. That made me laugh a bit. I suppose it was possible, junior rank, perhaps young family, driving a car that would have been about what, 15 year old car in 2002? It’s a car my dad drove in about 1991 I think? And that was used not new.
One thing I’d like to know. How many other murders they suspect Kappen might have committed but had no direct evidence for?
I’m sure he didn’t stop there.
TTmonkey said:
Port Talbot in the 70s didn’t see direct sunlight!
(Ok slight exaggeration).
It was a st place to live. Steelworks and oil refineries and coal fired furnaces it was a filthy horrid place. Perhaps they were conveying this atmospheric feeling?
Once the M4 was opened, Living under the M4 raised section was just about as crap a lifestyle as can be imagined.
Despite all that industry being there, it was a bad place to live because of the pollution.
Thank the Lord you don’t have smello-vision. The stench from those furnaces and chimneys and oil refineries and chemical works was horrendous. The prevailing sea breeze did nothing but spread that filth up the valleys. When coming home from England in the 90s you could smell Port Talbot and llandarcy from 20 miles away.
God knows what it did for peoples health, which is why the current imposed 50mph speed limit along the M4 raised section is so ironic really ( to cut pollution ffs!) Years and years there was no care for people’s health or quality of life there. If you didn’t happen to witness it you wouldnt believe it. Never happen these days.
Horrendous and bleak place to live in the 70s and 80s in terms of pollution. However there was very high levels of employment. Now of course many of those jobs are gone. The 90s was particularly bleak, the miners strikes, the closure of the refineries.
There wasn’t a great deal of colour or light there. I thought the 70s era stuff caught the look just right. However, the 2000s stuff was a bit over bleak yes. 2002 was a long time and many changes from 1973. The show showed no 2000 year plus model cars. I think it was showing 90s cars to show that most people couldn’t afford newer. Which might be true given that the Factories had been run down and closed. I think the refineries were all torn down by then? But there was also plenty of people with money, but I guess not on the shadow of the m4. We lived further up the Neath valley and it wasn’t a bad life at all in the 2000s.
One of the coppers in 2002 section was driving a D reg Grenada. That made me laugh a bit. I suppose it was possible, junior rank, perhaps young family, driving a car that would have been about what, 15 year old car in 2002? It’s a car my dad drove in about 1991 I think? And that was used not new.
One thing I’d like to know. How many other murders they suspect Kappen might have committed but had no direct evidence for?
I’m sure he didn’t stop there.
(Ok slight exaggeration).
It was a s
t place to live. Steelworks and oil refineries and coal fired furnaces it was a filthy horrid place. Perhaps they were conveying this atmospheric feeling? Once the M4 was opened, Living under the M4 raised section was just about as crap a lifestyle as can be imagined.
Despite all that industry being there, it was a bad place to live because of the pollution.
Thank the Lord you don’t have smello-vision. The stench from those furnaces and chimneys and oil refineries and chemical works was horrendous. The prevailing sea breeze did nothing but spread that filth up the valleys. When coming home from England in the 90s you could smell Port Talbot and llandarcy from 20 miles away.
God knows what it did for peoples health, which is why the current imposed 50mph speed limit along the M4 raised section is so ironic really ( to cut pollution ffs!) Years and years there was no care for people’s health or quality of life there. If you didn’t happen to witness it you wouldnt believe it. Never happen these days.
Horrendous and bleak place to live in the 70s and 80s in terms of pollution. However there was very high levels of employment. Now of course many of those jobs are gone. The 90s was particularly bleak, the miners strikes, the closure of the refineries.
There wasn’t a great deal of colour or light there. I thought the 70s era stuff caught the look just right. However, the 2000s stuff was a bit over bleak yes. 2002 was a long time and many changes from 1973. The show showed no 2000 year plus model cars. I think it was showing 90s cars to show that most people couldn’t afford newer. Which might be true given that the Factories had been run down and closed. I think the refineries were all torn down by then? But there was also plenty of people with money, but I guess not on the shadow of the m4. We lived further up the Neath valley and it wasn’t a bad life at all in the 2000s.
One of the coppers in 2002 section was driving a D reg Grenada. That made me laugh a bit. I suppose it was possible, junior rank, perhaps young family, driving a car that would have been about what, 15 year old car in 2002? It’s a car my dad drove in about 1991 I think? And that was used not new.
One thing I’d like to know. How many other murders they suspect Kappen might have committed but had no direct evidence for?
I’m sure he didn’t stop there.
The 50mph speed limit is because of the very short slip roads at jct 41 and 40. It's been 50mph there for at least 20 years including a speed camera at one time, well before the pollution signs appeared.
timster said:
The 50mph speed limit is because of the very short slip roads at jct 41 and 40. It's been 50mph there for at least 20 years including a speed camera at one time, well before the pollution signs appeared.
Pretty sure the original limit was for the tightest bends area only, and now extends well beyond the bends, does it not? Goes past Baglan now I think (sorry moved away years ago and since parents all passed away no reason to visit currently) , didn’t in the 2000s.
TTmonkey said:
I know. But there are signs there now that says it’s for pollution, and there are other roads in the south wales area that also now have 50mph speed limits that are for pollution. Both M roads and A roads.
Pretty sure the original limit was for the tightest bends area only, and now extends well beyond the bends, does it not? Goes past Baglan now I think (sorry moved away years ago and since parents all passed away no reason to visit currently) , didn’t in the 2000s.
Yes it extends much further now, there was talk of extending it up to junction 46 a while back as that has temporary 50mph limit from junction 45 ( something to do with the crash barriers was the original quote).Pretty sure the original limit was for the tightest bends area only, and now extends well beyond the bends, does it not? Goes past Baglan now I think (sorry moved away years ago and since parents all passed away no reason to visit currently) , didn’t in the 2000s.
I also thought after watching the program how many other murders he may have committed.
macp said:
TTmonkey said:
One thing I’d like to know. How many other murders they suspect Kappen might have committed but had no direct evidence for?
I’m sure he didn’t stop there.
Hmm yes hence the Lincoln comment by the widowI’m sure he didn’t stop there.
An excellent drama. Some great acting, and having four hour-long episodes was just right.
According to his Wikipedia page, the perpetrator was truly a nasty piece of work (no wonder his wife was frightened of him). It's surprising that his DNA hasn't linked him to more crimes. The actual chronology of events - slightly different to how it was portrayed in Steeltown Murders - was interesting to read, too.
According to his Wikipedia page, the perpetrator was truly a nasty piece of work (no wonder his wife was frightened of him). It's surprising that his DNA hasn't linked him to more crimes. The actual chronology of events - slightly different to how it was portrayed in Steeltown Murders - was interesting to read, too.
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