Gavin Weightman

Gavin Weightman (4 March 1945 – 18 December 2022) was a British journalist and documentary filmmaker who specialised in the social history of London and Britain from the 18th century.^[1]

His books included The Making of Modern London, co-authored in 1983 with Steve Humphries (re-issued in 2007 by Ebury Press); The Frozen Water Trade (2003), Signor Marconi's Magic Box (2003), and The Industrial Revolutionaries (2007).^[2] Weightman's journalism included many articles for New Society magazine in the 1970s.

Gavin Weightman was born on 4 March 1945 in Gosforth, Northumberland, England, to Doreen (née Wade), a teacher and translator, and John Weightman, a broadcaster. The family lived in West Hampstead, but spent the summers in Northumberland. He attended Haberdashers' Boys' School with a scholarship, but left there aged 17 to start a career as a journalist.^[3]

In 1967, he started a degree in sociology at Bedford College, London.^[3]

After leaving school, Weightman worked on the Brighton and Evening Angus and the Richmond and Twickenham Times.^[3]

In 1974, he began work for New Society magazine. From 1978 to 1982, he worked as a reporter and presenter for The London Programme.^[3]

For London Weekend Television, he produced and directed The Making of Modern London (1815–1914), The River Thames, Bright Lights Big City, Brave New Wilderness, and City Safari, among other series.^[4]

Weightman's first marriage to Myra Wilkins ended in divorce. Together they had two children.^[3]

In 2009, Weightman married Clare Beaton, a children's author and illustrator, after a long-term relationship. They had one son.^[3]

Weightman lived in north London and latterly concentrated on writing social history books.^[5] He died at the Royal London Hospital on 18 December 2022, at the age of 77.^[6]

• 1983: The Making of Modern London, 1815-1914, with Stephen Humphries (Sidgwick & Jackson)
• 1984: The Making of Modern London, 1914-1939, with Stephen Humphries (Sidgwick & Jackson)
• 1986: City Safari: Wildlife in London, with Mike Birkhead (Sidgwick & Jackson)
• 1987: Christmas Past, with Stephen Humphries (Sidgwick & Jackson)
• 1990: London River: The Thames Story (Collins & Brown)
• 1991: The Seaside (Collins & Brown)
• 1991: Picture Post Britain (Collins & Brown)
• 1991: London Past (Collins & Brown)
• 1992: Bright Lights, Big City: London entertained, 1830-1950 (Collins & Brown)
• 1992: Rescue: The history of Britain's emergency services (Boxtree, Channel Four)
• 1998: Polar Explorers (Explorers and Exploration series, Grolier Educational)
• 1998: North America (Explorers and Exploration series, Grolier Educational)
• 2003: Signor Marconi's Magic Box: The Most Remarkable Invention of the 19th Century & The Amateur Inventor Whose Genius Sparked a Revolution (Da Capo Press)
• 2003: What the Industrial Revolution Did for Us (BBC)
• 2003: The Frozen-Water Trade: A true story (Hyperion)
• 2005: London's Thames: The river that shaped a city and its history (St Martin's Press)
• 2007: The Industrial Revolutionaries: The creation of the modern world, 1776-1914 (Atlantic)
• 2007: The Making of Modern London: A People's History of the Capital from 1815 to the present day (Ebury Press)
• 2011: Children of Light: How electricity changed Britain forever (Atlantic)
• 2011: Restoration Home: The essential guide to tracing the history of your house (BBC Books)
• 2012: Secrets of a Titanic Victim: The story of the Real My Fair Lady ( backstory.la)
• 2015: Eureka: How invention happens (Yale University Press)
• 2020: The Great Inoculator: The untold story of Daniel Sutton and his medical revolution (Yale University Press)

The British Library has many faculty reading lists.^{[clarification needed]}

• Official website