In the 1930s Britain underwent the most profound economic crisis of the twentieth century, with high unemployment, wage cuts, benefit cuts and a deterioration in living standards. It was a decade remembered for its austerity, yet out of the recession loomed many positives. Industrial output saw remarkable growth between 1935 and 1938 and a housing boom brought smart new houses to replace slums. Communities benefited from cheaper commodities and improved social services, and more diverse leisure activities were possible due to new technology, transport improvements and the provision of paid holidays. 1930s Britain will provide a realistic portrait of a very diverse, and always fascinating, decade in British social history.