Tag: tv

Barges on the telly: Jimmy Lawrence and Nick Ardley on BBC2 TV 29th and 30th September

Jimmy Lawrence talking about life on the barges

I gather that the first programme of the new BBC2 series Floating History of Britain goes out on the 30th September, and that it is to be about Thames sailing barges. I’m told it will include material from this year’s Thames Match.

I told also that the BBC Breakfast show on the 29th September will include an interview with legendary barge skipper, sailmaker and wonderful raconteur Jim Lawrence together with cruising sailor, long-time barge hand and author Nick Ardley, whose young life was spent on the barge May Flower.

The Tyne, 1962

Your Heritage: the Tyne is a Tyne Tees film from 1962 with a wonderful voiceover full of flowery language, and skilful accents and acting by Mike Neville. It’s full of nostalgia for me, as I remember much of this from my time in Newcastle a decade later. I thought it a fabulous place with a fabulous river…

TV film about schooner sailing and racing on the coast of Nova Scotia

Schooner sailing and racing on the Nova Scotia coast

Here’s another nice film, this time about schooners, schooner racing and the people who build, maintain and race these fabulous working boats along the coast of Nova Scotia.

It’s a touch schmaltzy for British tastes, but takes me straight back to the times when I dreamed of working on these boats as a young teenager. By that time, of course, the days of working schooners were already long gone but no-one had told me, or if they did I wasn’t listening…

Thanks to Mike Goodwin for letting me know about this one.