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Frome

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Political revolution, alienation and happiness.

Our 3-part series on Frome explores how this small English town embodies the tumultuous and thrilling 21st century.

EPISODE 1

THIS IS WHAT THE NEW ECONOMY LOOKS LIKE

EPISODE 2

A TOWN DIVIDED

EPISODE 3

A NEW CULTURAL VISION

What happens when a group of frustrated and ambitious residents take over their town council and begin running things in a radically different way? What kinds of new economics and politics begin to emerge? And what happens to those who feel like they don't belong to this new movement? What are the scars left from thirty years of closing factories and cutting services? How do these scars reveal themselves in our hearts and in our communities? Is it possible to bridge the economic, social, and psychological divides that carve up our societies? If it's possible, then how do we do it? 

Upstream spent the summer in Frome—a small town in the sleepy western countryside of England.  We came here to explore a specific story, but we soon discovered that there was another story bursting from the seams. It wasn't long before we realized that this fiercely independent and historic town is a microcosm of a much larger phenomenon taking place in towns and cities all over the world. To understand Trump, we must understand Frome. To understand Brexit, we must understand Frome. And to understand if it's possible to live in a different world—one that values people and planet over profit—we must start here.

cheap st

cheap st

the town centre

the town centre

frome man

frome man

the griffin pub

the griffin pub

share: a library of things

share: a library of things

f is for frome

f is for frome

the frome river

the frome river

telephone wires

telephone wires

broadway st

broadway st

frack free frome

frack free frome

dusk in frome

dusk in frome

kate pickett & richard wilkinson

kate pickett & richard wilkinson

frome in graffiti

frome in graffiti

st john's

st john's

shop local

shop local

maria scordialos in athens

maria scordialos in athens

the beswicks fuse factory

the beswicks fuse factory

peter macfadyen

peter macfadyen

catherine hill

catherine hill

independent state of frome

independent state of frome

co-edited by john payne

co-edited by john payne

helen from share

helen from share

della in her focal fort

della in her focal fort

frome

frome

catherine hill

catherine hill

frome

frome

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