From Fleeing Hitler to Building a Commune | Hedi Argent at 96
Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable BritainShow Notes
Born in Vienna in 1929, Hedi Argent’s childhood was shattered by rising antisemitism and the Nazi annexation of Austria. She remembers with heartbreaking clarity the cruelty at the hands of her teachers, the desperate attempts to flee and the eventual safety offered by Britain.
But alongside the trauma, she also remembers moments of extraordinary kindness including the gift from a Railway Porter that still inspires her today.
Now nearly 97, Hedi reflects on what she’s learned about resilience, ageing, and why she helped create the North London co-housing community New Ground for older women built on dignity, independence, and mutual support.
Our Later Years: Shared wisdom on ageing powerfully together, by the Women of New Ground is out now, published by Bloomsbury in hardback, ebook and audio
https://www.waterstones.com/book/our-later-years/new-ground/9781526692283
Subscribe now for more unbelievable stories.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from Victoria Derbyshire's Unbelievable Britain
Mushy captured the hearts of millions on Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire, when his teacher Matthew Burton helped him overcome his fear of speaking and deliver an unforgettable speech in front of his school.
Logan Brown joins Victoria Derbyshire to talk about his journey as a trans man, becoming pregnant with his daughter Nova, and the Glamour cover that suddenly put his story in front of millions of people around the world.
Hannah Slater was just 36 when she was told her cancer was terminal. With a young son, Theo, at the heart of everything she does, Hannah is determined to make the most of the time she has while also campaigning for a change in the law around assisted dying.
Derrick Evans, otherwise known as Mr Motivator, joins Victoria Derbyshire to reveal the extraordinary story behind one of British TV’s most recognisable personalities. From homelessness and life as a single dad to facing racism and being told a Black man doing fitness on television “wouldn’t work”, Derrick shares how he fought his way onto GMTV and became a 90s TV icon.
The Debbie Bright you know from TOWIE is only half the story. Away from the limelight, Debbie was quietly changing hundreds of lives.