Inside Out East Midlands - 18/01/2010

The war in Afghanistan is rarely out of the headlines, and for some families it is very close to home as soldiers from Leicestershire are due to start their latest tour of duty. In 2009 around 300 men from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire saw fierce action in Helmand with the Mercian Regiment's second battalion. Jeremy Ball follows three soldiers from home to the front line and back again. Also featuring the story of a holiday home which has entertained 55,000 children from the East Midlands who would otherwise have gone without. For some it's the first time in their lives they get to see the sea. As Tony Roe finds out there are still plenty of children out there who otherwise wouldn't get a holiday. Can we get a new view of history by studying the objects the past left behind? Marie and her nine-year-old son Sean discover the role the East Midlands has played in the development of some of our favourite toys including Action Man and the Raleigh Chopper. It's all part of a partnership between the BBC and museums across the country to tell A History of the World.