Britain's Lost Routes

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

On BBC1 now - with Griff Rhys-Jones, Thames Barges and the Essex small ports - bit of gem.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Hate Griff Rhys-Jones. Luckily am at HK airport so I'll miss it.

I've got a good idea of the books he will have cribbed his spiel from.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Catch it on iPlayer later.

I'm not a fan of the man - but the photography - nice.

[seanz]

Hate Griff Rhys-Jones. Luckily am at HK airport so I'll miss it.

I've got a good idea of the books he will have cribbed his spiel from.

Not sure why you hate Griff Rhys-Jones, is it his name?

But, anyway, expecting comedians to use original material is raising the bar a little high.......

[obscured by clouds]

I thought it was excellent. Found the barge sailing along with a 12' high stack of straw bails on deck amusing, especially with a man on the deck shouting 'left hand down a bit' into a walkie-talkie.

[Peerie Maa]

I thought it was excellent. Found the barge sailing along with a 12' high stack of straw bails on deck amusing, especially with a man on the deck shouting 'left hand down a bit' into a walkie-talkie.

Beats shouting yourself raw. Really an excellent program, ACB is missing a gem.

[skuthorp]

Left hand down a bit.
In the 1950's there was a BBC radio serial called The Navy Lark about an incompetent junior officer his crew on a small ship.
'Left hand down a bit' usually heralded some minor disaster, barely averted by his bosun. I wonder which way the connection, if any, went.
Don't mind Griff myself, at least we get to see the places.

[goodbasil]

Only available for viewing in the U.K.

My father was from England, my mother is of English descent, I've sung "God Save the Queen", I've seen the queen and I've lived in England.
And I can't watch Sailing Barges on my computer!

What's the point of remaining in the commonwealth?

( The www., an English inventition, is limited.)

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

A sailing friend loaned me his copy of "To the Baltic with Bob".Try it and you will see what a prtofoundly unpleasant man Ryhs-Jones ismThere was scope for a decent programme on this subject without further enriching the "celebrity" Rhys-Jones, who could add nothing to the subject.If you find the subject interesting, get a copy of "Down Topsail" by the late Hervey Benham.

[Peerie Maa]

The only times I have seen barges sailing on telly ( twice now) GRJ was on deck. Mute the sound and enjoy the moving images.

[purri]

A sailing friend loaned me his copy of "To the Baltic with Bob".Try it and you will see what a prtofoundly unpleasant man Ryhs-Jones ismThere was scope for a decent programme on this subject without further enriching the "celebrity" Rhys-Jones, who could add nothing to the subject.If you find the subject interesting, get a copy of "Down Topsail" by the late Hervey Benham.

So he's Welsh then...

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I don't care about his Welshness. I just don't think that he is a nice man.

[AndyG]

^ Agreed

Not least because if he'd really loved Undina as much as his writing and TV shows seemed to suggest, why did he quickly turn-face and put her up for sale a couple of years ago?

Andy

[Presuming Ed]

Seems OK to me. Just as human as the next man.

[wardd]

Seems OK to me. Just as human as the next man.

as human as romney?

[purri]

^ Agreed

Not least because if he'd really loved Undina as much as his writing and TV shows seemed to suggest, why did he quickly turn-face and put her up for sale a couple of years ago?

Andy

3 men and a boat? Nice boat btw.

[Presuming Ed]

Well, he did the Baltic voyage in 02. So 8-10 years ownership. Not a lifetime, but not a 1 year dilettante. And he did buy an S&S yawl - Argyll.

[Presuming Ed]

as human as romney?

Next man, not next politician.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

So he made enough money out of the Rhodes to buy the S&S.

According to the broker, whom I know quite well, a female BBC celebrity who also wrote a book or two and made a few telly programmes about her sailing experiences and whose initials might be LP put her Holman yawl up for sale with the heads blocked. Nice.

There are a small army of people who can bore, if not for England, then for the London River, Kent, Essex and Suffolk about Thames barges, their history, trading patterns, design variances, etc. Quite a few of them are members of the Thames Barge Sailing Club. But no, we have to have Griff Rhys-Jones. And we know why.

The programme was no doubt made by GRJ's production company because these days the BBC outsource this stuff, see also the British Council and the rise to riches of Jeremy (C) Hunt.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

If you've not read Dick Durham's book - try chasing down a copy.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I know Dick Durham, and Powder Monkey was laid up alongside Mirelle when he sold her...

(decode sheet indicated here - Dick Durham was Bob Roberts' last mate, and his biographer. Bob Roberts was the last Master of a Thames barge trading under sail without an engine - the Cambria. Having written a book called "Coasting Bargemaster" Bob Roberts was known in Pin Mill as "Boasting Bargemaster"...)

[Presuming Ed]

Actually, he and Mel Smith sold the business they started together - Talkback - for £62 million. AIUI, he ended up with £20 million.