Anybody watch Timothy West and Sybil....

[oldgit]

......go round London via the canal system on TV last night.
Had no idea just how extensive the network was .
Found it an interesting hour.OG.

 

[Tam Lin]

Yes, watched it and all the previous programmes. Found it fascinating but feeling a bit sorry for them. They are coming across as a doddery old couple who are only just managing. Prunella is developing the "thousand yard stare" of someone who is not quite with us. I am sure her comments are all scripted for her. Always sad to see people who we admired in their declining years.
Having said all that, it is a better programme than the one with John Sargeant!

 

[TimBennet]

About a year ago Timothy West said in an article in the Guardian that Prunella Scales has Alzheimer's disease They also did a radio programmes about age and dementia on BBC Radio 4 around Christmas last year.

So the sub text of the program is about a couple adjusting to the decline of one partner. As you say, I'm sure her comments are scripted which in someways makes it even sadder as she was always known for being line perfect as she had a photographic memory.

But you're right, even as a simple canal travelogue it knocks the spots off John Sargent's version. I think the difference is genuine interest - Sargent is doing it as yet another piece to camera about some subject the producer thinks will suit him, whereas Tim West and Prunella are actually knowledgable and passionate about the canals.

 

[TrueBlue]

About a year ago Timothy West said in an article in the Guardian that Prunella Scales has Alzheimer's disease They also did a radio programmes about age and dementia on BBC Radio 4 around Christmas last year.

So the sub text of the program is about a couple adjusting to the decline of one partner. As you say, I'm sure her comments are scripted which in someways makes it even sadder as she was always known for being line perfect as she had a photographic memory.

But you're right, even as a simple canal travelogue it knocks the spots off John Sargent's version. I think the difference is genuine interest - Sargent is doing it as yet another piece to camera about some subject the producer thinks will suit him, whereas Tim West and Prunella are actually knowledgable and passionate about the canals.

As with many programmes - to some extent situations are manipulated / controlled by the production team. After all both Tim and Pru were actors. I'm guessing that either Tim made it a condition of doing the series that Alzheimer's would get a 'plug'. but it's raised all the time which I find is overkill. Howver, I suspect that many viewers just dip in and out and not watch all their episodes.

It is said they do have a narrowboat of their own and certainly years of experience. To me the occasional bangs and scrapes are manufactured. Last night's fouling up the turn onto the Hertford Union would not have happened by even a half experienced skipper. It's an awkward turn with not much room in which to manoeuvre - even if there's no mud in the winding hole (which there is...). Similarly the incident in the lock was a fudge as Tim had a centre line up and would have kept the boat tight into the lock wall.

That's the anorak's view.
I'm glad that folks have watched it. A charming view of boating that people never see.
There are places other than the Thames....

 

[oldgit]

My favorite bit was meeting up with "Gandalf" in the Grapes.They do good sunday roast in there by the way.

 

[Brayman]

My favorite bit was meeting up with "Gandalf" in the Grapes.They do good sunday roast in there by the way.

and the best chips anywhere

 

[Fantasie 19]

My favorite bit was meeting up with "Gandalf" in the Grapes.They do good sunday roast in there by the way.

..loved the way he kissed them both...

 

[oldgit]

We do try to pop into the Grapes whenever we are up that way and the Ramsgate and the Frigate and the Prospect and errr then the Kidd......................

 

[Gavi]

We do try to pop into the Grapes there whenever we are up that way and the Ramsgate and the Frigate and the Prospect and errr then the Kidd......................

We do the same. It is the pub crawl on which SWMBO's father died when trying to jump onto one of the big mooring posts.... Missed and landed in the mud. Many many years ago.

 

[ProDave]

Could someone please enlighten me as to what the program was called and what channel it was on please? I didn't see it.

 

[apollo]

Could someone please enlighten me as to what the program was called and what channel it was on please? I didn't see it.

Channel 4 - Great Canal Journeys (Sunday night)

I am glad they didn't navigate themselves up the tideway as Tim seems to struggle not to hit everything. Lovely couple though, I felt for them in the more salubrious parts of London as I have done that trip a few times and there were some scary folks along the towpath especially around Hackney.

 

[oldgit]

Channel 4 - Great Canal Journeys (Sunday night)
there were some scary folks along the towpath especially around Hackney.

Haa,all pussycats compared to some of the misunderstood yoofs darn ere. !

 

[ProDave]

Channel 4 - Great Canal Journeys (Sunday night)

I am glad they didn't navigate themselves up the tideway as Tim seems to struggle not to hit everything. Lovely couple though, I felt for them in the more salubrious parts of London as I have done that trip a few times and there were some scary folks along the towpath especially around Hackney.

Thanks. I don't know how I missed that but the rest are set to record

the last episode is being repeated on More 4 on Saturday.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Yes, watched it and all the previous programmes. Found it fascinating but feeling a bit sorry for them. They are coming across as a doddery old couple who are only just managing. Prunella is developing the "thousand yard stare" of someone who is not quite with us. I am sure her comments are all scripted for her. Always sad to see people who we admired in their declining years.
Having said all that, it is a better programme than the one with John Sargeant!

+1 J Sargent's seems like a quick jump on the growing popular tv boaty programme theme . An idea sold befor the boring presentation was seen

 

[Chris_d]

Watched it last night as I had it recorded, thought it was really well done as they actually seem to be doing it properly, not like some of the Three Men in boat stuff where the editing had them jumping up and down the river or all over the coast in the wrong order or direction.

Having done the trip as well in a Sports Cruiser we got some attention in the Cambden, Hackney area as well, it did feel very uncomfortable and I was glad to have a heavy windlass in my hand

We later passed a short Narrowboat with plain clothes police on board, a "rat" patrol apparently.

 

[ProDave]

Yes I too just watched it. What a contrast of some very rural looking parts close to town and some very erm "interesting" parts. Plenty of places you would not want to moor up for the night.

Interesting he didn't complete the ring by taking the narrowboat on the tidal Thames, but in fairness it looked a bit choppy for that. Is it always that choppy or was it a particularly rough day?

 

[Capt Popeye]

:0

Watched and recorded the progs, thought that they both showed great concern at a maybe, declining value towards these waterways by some in Ghetto areas of London. But then again London has become a mix of 'good n bad' in many ways.
Thanks both for the prog

 

[boatone]

Interesting he didn't complete the ring by taking the narrowboat on the tidal Thames, but in fairness it looked a bit choppy for that. Is it always that choppy or was it a particularly rough day?

Couldn't take the hire boat onto the river. Privately owned narrowboats do make the trip though.
Yes, it is often that choppy and sometimes even worse. Most of the chop is caused by the wake of the many passenger vessels whizzing backwards and forwards rather than by wind and wave. Waiting outside the lock into St Katherine's, just downstream of Tower Bridge, can be particularly uncomfortable and I know several swmbo's who will not venture on to the tideway because of it.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Humm, from experience working on the London Thames length, I think that the 'wash' generated by the Pleasure and Commercial craft plying up and down is compiled by the abscense of a 'shore' for he waves to break on, the vertical banks just seem to reflect the waves back again across the river, resulting in a 'nasty chop'. There are short lengths of the river where a 'shore' is evident, at the lower tide stages, and my experience is that the 'waves' are not as menacing in these stretches. Might be wrong of course

 

[rotrax]

Did the trip in the early '70's in a brand new Willow Wren 40 foot narrow boat owned by a neighbours parents. It was called the "John Kyrle" after an ancestor of the owner who was John Kyrle, a significant man from Ross on Wye.

The inner city areas were VERY scary then-and no mobile phones to call for help.

But I was a cockney boy who spoke the language and was streetwise so we had no dramas.

I seem to remember finding a derelict lock with a sign saying "Bow Locks"

We thought it was quite amusing....................