BBC4 Canal History Programme

Quite an evening on BBC4 yesterday for canal enthusiasts. After Ms Bradbury did an interesting walk on the Kennet & Avon, there was an hour-long programme about how the canals were rescured from oblivion after WW2. Incuded some superb colour cine footage which must have dated from the early fifties showing working boats on the canal network, told the story of Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman, accounts from some more recent restoration pioneers, including Stourbridge basin and the Huddersfield Narrow, and a group of chaps who actually revived coal-carrying in the 1970's. Went on to talk about the transition to leisure use. Included interviews with the well-known names in canal writing.

Overall a very well put together one hour programme, well worth a look if it comes round again.

 

Watched them both bar a ten minute interruption during historical one, both well worth watching again!

 

Julia Bradbury's programme on her walk along part of the K&A remarkably left out the water-wheelworked pump at Claverton!

The one on the 20th centuary history of canals really tried to pack too much in in the time available - it could have easily been twice the length (or in two parts) and given an even wider view of restoration. I was particularly disappointed that the Waterways Recovery Group got no specific mention. It would also have been good to have given maps at the end showing the canal system prior to restoration efforts and the current network.
Other omissions were the dreadful winter of 1962/63 which was the final straw for most of the last regular narrow boat carriers and the waterways which still carry some freight traffic - it's not all leisure boats!

John Webb (Member of the Inland Waterways Association for 40 years)

 

An excellent program with some superb vintage footage of working boats. Well done BBC!

 

Watched both of these excellent programmes. They do actually put some good stuff on the TV .............sometimes!

 

Repeated on BBC4 this evening (thursday). I take John's point above, but they could not reasonably cover the entire field of canal decline and revival since WW2 in one programme. For what it was, I think they did well, and as others have mentioned, the early colour cine was outstanding.

(and to echo green five's comment above, at least it was not "another" cooking/cookery programme!!)