Peaky Blinders: Everything that happened in Season One
Refresh your memory with our season one summary!
Last updated 16th Jun 2021
Peaky Blinders burst onto our screens in October 2013 - if you can believe it's been that long! The show, written by Birmingham-native Steven Knight, centres around gang the Peaky Blinders, made up of the Shelby family and their friends and led by Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy.
After the phenomenal success of the first season, the show has gone on to spawn four more series, with filming for series six now officially complete. If you're just getting into the show now, have a read through our Peaky Blinders season one recap to see what you've missed. Be warned - SPOILERS AHEAD.
What happened in Peaky Blinders season 1?
The show opened in 1919 following the First World War, where Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) comes across a consignment of guns. Winston Churchill sends Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill) to retrieve them, and whilst Tommy's Aunt Polly urges him to hand them over, Tommy wants to keep them for leverage.
Campbell places Grace (Annabelle Wallis) in Birmingham as an undercover barmaid to help him locate the guns, and she takes up work in the Garrison - a local pub that the Shelbys frequent, and later purchase.
Tommy strikes up a deal with Campbell regarding the guns, and he instructs Grace to get close to Tommy for information on them. His sister Ada (Sophie Rundle) falls pregnant with her communist boyfriend Freddie Thorne (Iddo Goldberg), who is a former close friend and war comrade of Tommy. Billy Kimber (Charlie Creed-Miles) confronts Tommy over him fixing his horse races.
Although he is suspicious of Grace, Tommy allows himself to let Grace into his life and hires her as his secretary. Brother John (Joe Cole) announces his plans to marry former prostitute Lizzie Stark (Natasha O'Keeffe), whose clientele includes Tommy, and after he tricks her into one last sojourn together, Tommy informs John, and instead betroths him to Esme (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) of the Lee family, to form an alliance.
The Shelby patriarch, Arthur Sr. (Tommy Flanagan), tricks Arthur Jr. (Paul Anderson) into handing over a big wad of cash, and promptly departs again, leading a guilty Arthur to fall into a depression. Grace goes to Campbell and swaps information about the guns for Tommy's safety, resigning from her position. Campbell then proposes marriage to her, and she rejects as she's now in love with Tommy.
The Peaky Blinders are ambushed by Billy Kimber and his gang, and Tommy shoots Billy in the head after he kills their comrade, Danny. Tommy flips a coin to decide whether he should be with Grace, now fully aware of her deception, and the scene ends with Campbell confronting Grace with a pistol at a train station.
When did season one of Peaky Blinders air?
The first ever episode of Peaky Blinders aired on BBC Two on 12th September 2013 and ended on 17th October 2013.
How many episodes were in Peaky Blinders season 1?
Just like the other seasons, the first series was made up of six episodes.
Who was in the Peaky Blinders series 1 cast?
Find out about the cast of Peaky Blinders here.
How can I watch Peaky Blinders series 1?
It's all on Netflix and BBC iPlayer!
Remembering Helen McCrory
Sadly, it was announced in April 2021 that the talented Helen McCrory, who played the iconic Polly Gray, had passed away at the age of 52. Following the news, many celebrities paid tribute to the late star, including the official Peaky Blinders page.
Scroll through to see all the filming locations for Peaky Blinders...
The Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country museum is home to many of the filming locations for Peaky Blinders, and if you take a trip around the museum for a day you'll be sure to recognise some past scenes of the show.
Pictured here is Uncle Charlie's dockyard, home to many dodgy dealings between the Shelby brothers as well as allowing safe passage for who or whatever they need to get out of the Midlands. Read up on the museum here.
Powis Street, Liverpool
Much of the filming for Peaky Blinders is done in and around Liverpool, and different companies host many tours in the city so that fans of the show can see where the magic happens. This particular street is used for the Shelby families homes in the first season, named Watery Lane on the show.
Formby Beach, Liverpool
Many heartbroken viewers will spot that Formby Beach in Liverpool was the spot where Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) admitted his betrayal to Tommy, and basically forced Tommy into shooting him dead after confessing that he had cancer. It was very emotional.
Port Sunlight, Wirral
Port Sunlight is a model village in the Wirral, Merseyside. Although the village and the homes within it were originally built for workers at the Lever Brothers Factory, it's now a tourist attraction. Eagle-eyed Peaky fans will recognise the timbered housing as Aunt Polly's home, which is 'in' Sutton Coldfield in the show.
Arley Hall, Cheshire
Once Tommy became as 'legit' as he could in season three, he and Grace moved themselves into an incredible country house. Sadly, Grace was shot dead at a party they hosted there, but Tommy continued to live there with their son Charlie as well as their staff.
Arley Hall is situated in Northwich, Cheshire, and is often used as a wedding venue. Other shows to be filmed there include Coronation Street, Antiques Roadshow and Cold Feet.
General Manager Steve Hamilton said, "It's been incredible to see the effort and attention to detail that goes into a production such as Peaky Blinders. There was a real buzz around Arley during the filming and it was great to work with the BBC on such a popular and critically acclaimed drama. The great thing now is that people will be able to visit us this summer and walk in the rooms where these amazing stars have filmed their scenes."
Manchester Town Hall
The town hall in Manchester was apparently used as a building front in a scene in one of the first two seasons where Sam Neill's character, Major Campbell, visits Winston Churchill, but Peaky Blinders' Production Designer Grant Montgomery told i News that "the interiors were done in another location." So cryptic!
Victoria Baths, Manchester
The Victoria Baths in Manchester were used for scenes in season two. After Polly's son Michael returned, having been raised in the countryside by adoptive parents, the Shelby brothers took him along to a horse fair where Tommy bought a filly and also met May Carleton. Of course, in true Peaky style, the day ends in a fight, but the filming for the fair took place at the baths.
Montgomery told i, "I remember thinking Victoria Baths could give it a really good look. One of the baths had timber over it, so we put sawdust down on top."
Bolton
The centre of Bolton was used for various scenes in the show, but Le Mans crescent in Bolton was used for shots to capture the Shelby brothers' trip to London, and specifically the exterior of the Eden Club - the jazz den owned by Sabini, who becomes a nemesis to the family.
Montgomery told i, "We were thinking how to do London in the 1920s, and Bolton has that wonderful crescent. So I said, 'Well, this is our London.' And the exterior to the Eden Club was all done in Bolton."
Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield
Producers used Brooke's Mill in Huddersfield as the location for the gypsy campsite, using traditional caravans and carts, as well as horses.
Leeds Town Hall
Many fans of the show were convinced that the scenes in which Campbell and Grace share information about the Shelby family in the art gallery were filmed at the Town Hall in Birmingham. However, the front was actually shot at the Town Hall in Leeds.
Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon
However, the scenes on the inside of the art gallery where Campbell and Grace surreptitiously pass notes to each other were filmed at the Newby Hall & Gardens in Ripon, North Yorkshire.
Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway
Most of the Peaky moments that take place on a train or at a station happen on the Keighley and Worth Valley railway line. It's a 5-mile long rail line that runs through a small part of West Yorkshire, and many will recognise Keighley as the station where Grace shot Major Campbell in season one.
Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford
The shots in season one where Polly pays her respects at the cemetery and meets Freddie Thorne laying flowers for his mum is thought to have been shot in Bradford at the Undercliffe Cemetery.
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Yorkshire
If it's a scene involving a train station, this historic Yorkshire station is likely to be the filming location, boasting gorgeous old platforms and carriages, picturesque walking paths and eye-catching backdrops.
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
If you're looking for May Carleton's mansion, featured in season two of Peaky Blinders, then Chatsworth House, in Bakewell, Derbyshire, is the place! The stunning historic building is perfect for aristocratic horse-trainer May Carleton.
Episodes shot at Chatsworth include huge stars of the show, including Cillian Murphy (as Thomas Shelby), Charlotte Riley (as May Carleton) and Annabelle Wallis (as Grace Burgess).
READ MORE:
Here's everything you need to know about Peaky Blinders.
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