GOOD TV

[Stanley]

I watched the latest episode last night and I am afraid I gave up on it. It all got too far fetched and confusing. Retching up black blood isn't my idea of entertainment!

[Stanley]

I noted more Keeler. Too late for me so I will get it on catch up when I have seen whether there is another tonight. If so I'll save them and have them back to back. I remember all that so well and it's interesting to watch a modern take on it.

[Stanley]

Watched the latest episode of Keeler and suspect it is very close to the truth. Even then I got the impression that she and Mandy were more sinned against than sinning. The role of the Astors and Cliveden was always minimised and I note that even in this modern version they are treading very carefully. I suspect the 'learned friends' have been keeping a close eye on things. Read Harold Nicholson's diaries for a flavour of just how important parties at Cliveden were in national government. Much policy was decided round the dinner table there before being exposed in the House. Harold Macmillan was a frequent guest.....

[Tripps]

As an antidote to the increasingly ridiculous crime dramas on TV - did you see 'Bancroft'? Try Ch 4 tonight - '24hours in Police Custody'. Second part of a credible inquiry.

[Stanley]

Thanks David. Will look see.

[Tripps]

Talking Pictures TV on now - Ch 306 on Freesat.

"Man of Aran"

Black and white documentary from 1934 - I think the voices were added afterwards.
Life on the Isle of Aran off the west of Ireland where the people live from potatoes and the basking sharks which they catch. There is no soil to grow the spuds - they make it from crushed up rocks, sand and seaweed !

They are catching a basking shark at the moment by the old 'Moby Dick' method. Brutal for the people as well as the shark.

Ah now - google reveals the truth - Man of Aran- the basking shark was all 'arranged' . Still worth watching I'd say.

[Stanley]

Sounds like a good film, I shall seek it out.
If any of you have a streaming service that carries it you could do worse than find Tunes of Glory (1960) (LINK). Though not a direct parallel it replicates exactly the atmosphere I experienced when I was with the Black Watch in Wavell Barracks in Berlin on 1955.

[Gloria]

Last night we watched How the Victorians Built Britain in Ch5. Michael Buerk showing Blackpool from when it was a village, to the piers being built, the tower etc a very interesting watch.

[Wendyf]

I watched Digging Up Britain's Past and The Bone Detectives but missed that one Gloria. Saturday night is turning into history night on TV!
One of our History Society members gave a talk on the history of Blackpool on Tuesday, that was very interesting too.

[Gloria]

I watched Digging Up Britain's Past and The Bone Detectives but missed that one Gloria. Saturday night is turning into history night on TV!
One of our History Society members gave a talk on the history of Blackpool on Tuesday, that was very interesting too.

Well worth catching up on Wendy.

[Stanley]

I wouldn't mind betting that a man called Walton was involved in that programme. He taught me at Lancaster and has specialised on Blackpool for years.....
I remember him being delighted when I described the railways as Mycelium and the ports and sea side resorts as the resulting mushrooms. Rumour is that he has used that analogy at times....

[Tizer]

I can recommend the following...
`David Jason's Great British Inventions' (Channel 4) Jason inventions

[PanBiker]

Trying but there are a lot of historical inaccuracies and production errors. "The Queen", thankfully only 3 more episodes on Netflix binge watching to get to the end of series 2.

Starts with the abdication of Edward VIII then on to "Shirley Temples" dad George VI through the war years. Shirley Temple was how George VI's and then Elizabeth's when she became Queen, Private Secretary Alan "Tommy" Lascells referred to the Queen in private. The Queen Mother was known as "Cookie". Lascelles is the fixer who basically controls the game and is a bit more like Warwick was in Tudor ties. We are thankfully now up to 1969 at the moment. There will be another series at some point.

A glaring production error came in an episode set in 1958. The Queen switches on a 19" table top model television receiver and it displays the picture almost instantly despite receivers of that era having 20 or more thermionic valves in addition to the CRT itself. Typical warm up time would be 60 - 90 seconds!

This episode also shows the revelation of formerly secret files to the Queen due to be imminently published by the Americans (so the British had no reason not to publish themselves), regarding Uncle David's, (Edward VIII) Nazi sympathies and his agreement secured with Hitler in the late 1930's that he would be willing to be re-instated as King when Germany invaded the country. Historically this was already common knowledge within the family and the Civil Service but was put over as a big reveal.

Another glaring historical error that the series was slated for was the episode covering Prince Phillips time at Gordonstoun when he was sent there as a young boy from Nazi Germany. It shows him single handedly struggling in the rain day and night building the main gate up to the school. Put over as a personal challenge, he was not well regarded by the other boys at the time and had something to prove. Unfortunately not factually correct. He did go to the school and also insisted that Charles went their as well, Charles has since revealed that his time there was the most miserable period of his life.

All in all the series has one good thing going for it. It fully reinforces my view that we should have had a revolution at the same time as the French and topped the lot of them along with the hangers on! If we had we would not have the likes of Boris, Mogg or the Bulligdon Club boys oh well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Stanley]

The Hess book I am reading details the members of the royals, aristocracy and very senior government members who approved of Hitler and Fascism. They were legion!

[plaques]

Not forgetting Prince George Edward Alexander Edmund Windsor, Duke of Kent. Fourth son of King George V. Killed in an air crash 1942 was supposedly lining himself up to be King of Poland should things go Hitler's way.

[PanBiker]

Two programs to make you think last night.

BBC1 - Panorama - Killer Motorways - Less than smart so called smart motorways. 38 people dead simply for breaking down.

BBC2 - Windermere Children - Docu Drama - The rehabilitation of former death camp children who survived brought to the UK in 1945.

Both excellent programs in their own way.

[Stanley]

I'm looking forwards to the War of the Windsors P!

[PanBiker]

Got to the end of the present series of the Queen. It was actually series 3 not 2, so I have watched 30 episodes so far. It's up to the Silver Jubilee, Uncle Davids death and Charles having Camilla taken from him with an overseas posting and a hastily arranged marriage for "the Shand girl" to Parker-Bowles. Princess Anne had a dalliance with Parker-Bowles as well. Meltdown of Princess Margaret with her break up with Snowdon. Harold Wilson reports that he has to step down as PM as he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On parting after their final official meeting at the palace she asks him if she could be invited to Downing Street for dinner with him and Mrs Wilson, an accolade only given once before during her reign to Churchill.

[Tripps]

Some one (Maz?) recommended Jane McDonald's cruising programme so I've just watched an episode. Not what I'd usually choose, but to my surprise. I enjoyed it a lot. She's good fun.

She's in The Falklands and South America. Good TV. The steaks from Uruguay seem good. Won't be long till we can get them. . . .

[Stanley]

I watched Mary Beard's 'Shock of the Nude' last night. I like and admire Mary she is so down to earth!

[Stanley]

I've been watching old programmes in the 'Silent Witness' series. They are holding my attention nicely!

[Tizer]

I watched Mary Beard's 'Shock of the Nude' last night. I like and admire Mary she is so down to earth!

She had a wicked gleeful look when chipping away with a chisel at that male statue's fig leaf!

[Stanley]

She's very earthy Tiz. I shall watch last night's episode tonight on catch up.

[Tizer]

I think in that episode she takes a starring role - gets herself painted as a nude!

[Stanley]

I forgot to watch it. Wouldn't surprise me at all if she was a model. I like the woman.