Make Bradford British

What exactly does it mean to be British? Well, there’s a test to find out – the Government’s UK Citizenship Test, also known as the Life in the UK test.

C4 invited 100 Bradford residents, who were all British citizens from very different backgrounds, to sit it. They tackled questions such as what percentage of the population is under 19? and when were women given the right to vote?

No doubt many would struggle to get them all right, but it’s the ones who failed that were of interest to this programme’s makers. Eight were asked to conduct their own experiment into the nature of national identity.

After being given a chance to debate their own ideas about citizenship, the eight – who include a pub landlady and a former magistrate – were paired up and encouraged to swap lives.

Despite the fact they’re still in the same city, for many of them it was the chance to explore a whole new world, whether it was going to a mosque for the first time, or attending a traditional dinner party.

But what will their experiences tell us about what it means to be British in 2012, and can they work together to create a blueprint for a truly multicultural society?

They’ll be guided by diversity and community experts Taiba Yasseen and Laurie Trott, but it’s the participants themselves who are the heart and soul of the project.

One is former professional rugby league player Rashid, 37, who was born and raised in Bradford’s inner-city Asian community. He says: “I’ve seen a cultural shift in Bradford over the years, with higher concentrations of ethnic minorities living in and around Bradford.

“Communities are working hard from all backgrounds to address any divides.

Integration can be difficult due to lack of understanding of other cultures, hence we don’t really integrate as much as we should.”

Rashid feels he’s learnt a lot by taking part in the programme. “I’ve learnt that we need to rise above how we feel towards each other.

“We should work together, and show good character. What this taught me was that we all need to be there for each other.

“You learn stuff by living with people.

We should have people into our homes more, invite them in for food or a cup of tea, just for the pleasure of it.”

Rashid’s solution to integration is simple – open-mindedness and education. “I think people don’t know each other’s cultures,”

he says. “As a Muslim, our predecessors integrated with people. Until you integrate, you don’t know what people are like. It doesn’t matter about colour, race or language.

“Everyone’s a human being at the end of the day, and the world would be such a better place if we all looked at each other’s good points and not weaknesses.”

TRAVEL show Holiday Heaven on Earth finds Emma Wilson heading to the Texan city of San Antonio where she spends the day living as a cowgirl.

She also visits the historic Alamo site, takes a riverboat ride and learns about the Texan tradition of hat-making.

Meanwhile, Darren Kennedy visits The Hague, in Holland, and explores the city as it should be done – by bike.

Jeff Brazier is the lucky guest presenter.

He’s packed off to the Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec, Canada, where he’s given a snowboarding lesson before he travels to Quebec City.

Once there, he’s free to explore the famous winter carnival and even gets the chance to catch up with his former Dancing on Ice skating partner Isabelle Gauthier.

FOR the documentary Woof! A Horizon Guide To Dogs, Dallas Campbell has looked back through the programme archives to find out what science can tell us about our canine friends and whether new thinking should change the way we treat them.

From investigating the domestic dogs’ wild wolf origins to discovering the impact humans have had on canine evolution, Dallas explores why our bond with dogs is so strong and how we can best harness that to manage them.