Great Canal Journeys

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Discussion

Saleen836

Original Poster:

11,408 posts

215 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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Watched this last night, they travelled along the Fourth and Clyde and the Union Canal starting in Edinburgh ending in Glasgow, very interesting and as for the Falkirk Wheel...bow amazing piece of engineering.

Smollet

11,615 posts

196 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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It's an interesting series however I think the hosts are a bit too precious at times. Basil would've been a better choice. smile
Whilst on a canal boating theme John Sergeant has one on Ch4 called Barging around Britain which again is interesting apart from some of his inane comments. I think Clarkson should do a series on the gentle pastime of narrow boating. I think he'd do a better job.

snuffy

10,367 posts

290 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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The John Sergeant one is on ITV at 8PM on a Friday. Episode 8 out of 10 this week. It's been very good, but it's a bit too short. Last week's came out at 20 minutes by the time you took out all the ads out. I think it could have been better if it went into more detail, but it's still well worth watching.

Smollet

11,615 posts

196 months

Monday 6th April 2015
quotequote all
snuffy said:
The John Sergeant one is on ITV at 8PM on a Friday. Episode 8 out of 10 this week. It's been very good, but it's a bit too short. Last week's came out at 20 minutes by the time you took out all the ads out. I think it could have been better if it went into more detail, but it's still well worth watching.
Yes you are quite correct. It's the other one that was on Ch4

Laurel Green

30,835 posts

238 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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As said, a most enjoyable series but, just wished Timothy would put on his spectacles thus preventing the barging of other boats/bridge abutments, ETC.

nicanary

10,154 posts

152 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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Laurel Green said:
As said, a most enjoyable series but, just wished Timothy would put on his spectacles thus preventing the barging of other boats/bridge abutments, ETC.
Yes. I felt a bit sorry for Pru when she had to complain about the gap she was expected to jump when they moored. He was so far away from the bank it was like a woman parking her husband's car. The purpose-built barge had massive rubber fenders built all around to cope with amateur sailors- why not use them?

FiF

45,388 posts

257 months

Monday 6th April 2015
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He hasn't got the hang of wheel steering on anything that isn't extremely responsive. He appeared to do OK on the steam mini-puffer , but the episodes in this and last series when they went on French waterways were painful to watch as he zigged and zagged all over the place.

nicanary

10,154 posts

152 months

Monday 21st March 2016
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New series started last night. Pru seems much more frail and the Alzheimers has really taken hold. It's so sad - she's a game old thing, but I reckon these programmes may not be continued in years to come.

They rented a motor cruiser far bigger than he could really handle, but they were crossing open water so I suppose it had to be that size for safety. They're in Sweden - beautiful place.

55palfers

5,999 posts

170 months

Monday 21st March 2016
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Great programme. Really enjoy it.

They are both well over 80 and are clearly happy doing something they enjoy.

http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/654180/T...

Laurel Green

30,835 posts

238 months

Monday 21st March 2016
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A very enjoyable series with some spectacular scenery, only marred by Pru's deterioration. frown

jet_noise

5,795 posts

188 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
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another fan, great TV ([tongue in cheek]even though there are no car chases[/tongue in cheek])

Coneyhurst Blue

588 posts

198 months

Tuesday 22nd March 2016
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I love this and am an avid watcher - for me whilst the canals are amazing, the engineering fascinating, the scenery beautiful it is more than that.
For me its a look at marriage, life and a journey two people have taken together. That's the appeal.

nicanary

10,154 posts

152 months

Sunday 27th March 2016
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I'm watching my recording of tonight's episode. They visited the oldest working theatre in the world, and it really was quite amazing. Timothy was spouting Shakespeare (I recognised Lear, but not the soliloquy he uttered on stage (Macbeth?)) But what interested me was Pru freely quoting from a French play she had once performed - she has fairly advanced Alzheimers, yet could easily and competently remember the lines in a second language from many years ago. Extraordinary.

Mind you, I still think of her as Sybil Fawlty - "....oh, I know....oh I know....how old?? EIGHTEEN! "

Davel

8,982 posts

264 months

Sunday 27th March 2016
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Quite enjoying the series.

Like the way he describes it as 'a contact sport'.

snuffy

10,367 posts

290 months

Sunday 27th March 2016
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nicanary said:
But what interested me was Pru freely quoting from a French play she had once performed - she has fairly advanced Alzheimers, yet could easily and competently remember the lines in a second language from many years ago. Extraordinary.
I'm no expert but I think that's quite a common thing with Alzheimer's, i.e. suffers can't remember what they did 5 minutes ago but they can recall things from years ago with incredible accuracy.

Oddly, I watched one tonight I'd recorded from a few weeks ago (the one around the canals of Oxford).

Iva Barchetta

44,044 posts

169 months

Sunday 27th March 2016
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I watched the 2 episodes because they were crossing Sweden,just a lovely country.

hora

38,038 posts

217 months

Monday 28th March 2016
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I like this, she's also from Huddersfield although her accent isn't laughbiggrin

Dogwatch

6,271 posts

228 months

Monday 28th March 2016
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snuffy said:
nicanary said:
But what interested me was Pru freely quoting from a French play she had once performed - she has fairly advanced Alzheimers, yet could easily and competently remember the lines in a second language from many years ago. Extraordinary.
I'm no expert but I think that's quite a common thing with Alzheimer's, i.e. suffers can't remember what they did 5 minutes ago but they can recall things from years ago with incredible accuracy.
I'm afraid it comes to us all as we get to bus pass time. Can't remember what we had for lunch but longterm memory is as clear as ever - or seems to be.

Anyway I think I've seen all their wanderings and bumps. Very enjoyable but Pru does have a hard time occasionally!

Beati Dogu

9,163 posts

145 months

Monday 28th March 2016
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Coneyhurst Blue said:
I love this and am an avid watcher - for me whilst the canals are amazing, the engineering fascinating, the scenery beautiful it is more than that.
For me its a look at marriage, life and a journey two people have taken together. That's the appeal.
Yes, well summed up.

nicanary said:
I'm watching my recording of tonight's episode. They visited the oldest working theatre in the world, and it really was quite amazing. Timothy was spouting Shakespeare (I recognised Lear, but not the soliloquy he uttered on stage (Macbeth?))
Richard II

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/247646


FiF

45,388 posts

257 months

Tuesday 29th March 2016
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Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Never seen it before but saw that one and it looked a wonderful thing to do.

They, however, look a liability.
I think it's fortunate they are in closed waters......
Tbh I just assumed, possibly wrongly, that considering there seems to be a camera boat hovering around quite a bit, plus what appears to be a drone, literally hovering, that the production crew provides some degree of minding. In the canal sections they're OK but navigation on some of the wider lakes and on the Baltic can be tricky outside of well marked channels.