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Tim and Pru on the K&A 1990


Philip

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Would anyone happen to know if the Channel 4 documentary that Timothy West and Prunella Scales made in 1990 is available anywhere as DVD or download? It detailed their trip from Bath to Reading as the first boaters to navigate the full length of the Kennet and Avon Canal for 40 odd years, and was broadcast over 4 episodes

 

We did have it recorded on VHS at home but haven't watched it for many years and can't find it now.

Edited by Philip
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10 minutes ago, Philip said:

Would anyone happen to know if the Channel 4 documentary that Timothy West and Prunella Scales made in 1990 is available anywhere as DVD or download? It detailed their trip from Bath to Reading as the first boaters to navigate the full length of the Kennet and Avon Canal for 40 odd years, and was broadcast over 4 episodes

 

We did have it recorded on VHS at home but haven't watched it for many years and can't find it now.

Same here

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1 hour ago, Derek R. said:

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/great-canal-journeys/episode-guide

 

Any use? Just search "Tim & Pru Kennet and Avon".

 

I found the best episodes were where Tim wasn't steering. I wish them well, but can't watch them.

That is a 21st century program, not the 1990 one, with a newly reopened K&A and much younger presenters the OP is looking for.

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12 hours ago, Philip said:

Would anyone happen to know if the Channel 4 documentary that Timothy West and Prunella Scales made in 1990 is available anywhere as DVD or download? It detailed their trip from Bath to Reading as the first boaters to navigate the full length of the Kennet and Avon Canal for 40 odd years, and was broadcast over 4 episodes

 

 

Is that correct? I can't remember the year but it was a long long time ago when we jumped at the chance of taking an Anglo Welsh boat from Market Harborough to a new base they were setting up in Bath.  There were 10 boats to be taken down and Anglo Welsh not only charged a very much reduced amount for the 3 week trip but they supplied all the diesel and Thames licences etc. and they had negotiated with BW for the boats to be allowed to go down the Caen Hill flight which was still closed. This bit of the trip, I remember annoyed some boaters who moored on the K & A. It was an interesting trip as we were stopped in Cropredy as there had been a factory fire further down the cut and a wall had fallen into the canal. AW arranged for the boats to be craned out and dropped (literally in one case) back into the canal at Aynho.  The timings of the trip allowed us to go to Lechlade and back before going onto the K & A.  It was very much a break down trip for the boats and on our first night we got as far as the bottom of Foxton and went to the pub. When we came back to the boat we were ankle deep in water! Fortunately we were near the water point and were able to fill the kettle in the morning. We arranged with AW (this was in the early days of mobile phones and I had my work one with me) that the boatyard (North Kilworth?) would lend Iain the tools to fix the leak .

A great trip! 

 

haggis

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13 hours ago, Philip said:

Would anyone happen to know if the Channel 4 documentary that Timothy West and Prunella Scales made in 1990 is available anywhere as DVD or download? It detailed their trip from Bath to Reading as the first boaters to navigate the full length of the Kennet and Avon Canal for 40 odd years, and was broadcast over 4 episodes

 

We did have it recorded on VHS at home but haven't watched it for many years and can't find it now.

That is what made us decide to take a canal boat holiday

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I remember that series. They used their own boat, but had stickers with the name "Honeystreet"  over their own boats name.

 

I watched it with interest, as we had been to Devizes to watch Her Majesty open the Caen Hill Flight a few weeks earlier.

 

I don't remember Tim's steering being so bad then. Dis he get worse with time, or is my memory playing tricks?

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5 hours ago, haggis said:

Is that correct? I can't remember the year but it was a long long time ago when we jumped at the chance of taking an Anglo Welsh boat from Market Harborough to a new base they were setting up in Bath.  There were 10 boats to be taken down and Anglo Welsh not only charged a very much reduced amount for the 3 week trip but they supplied all the diesel and Thames licences etc. and they had negotiated with BW for the boats to be allowed to go down the Caen Hill flight which was still closed. This bit of the trip, I remember annoyed some boaters who moored on the K & A. It was an interesting trip as we were stopped in Cropredy as there had been a factory fire further down the cut and a wall had fallen into the canal. AW arranged for the boats to be craned out and dropped (literally in one case) back into the canal at Aynho.  The timings of the trip allowed us to go to Lechlade and back before going onto the K & A.  It was very much a break down trip for the boats and on our first night we got as far as the bottom of Foxton and went to the pub. When we came back to the boat we were ankle deep in water! Fortunately we were near the water point and were able to fill the kettle in the morning. We arranged with AW (this was in the early days of mobile phones and I had my work one with me) that the boatyard (North Kilworth?) would lend Iain the tools to fix the leak .

A great trip! 

 

haggis

Think that was `1991.

 

 

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I was very young when I first watched it, a few years after it was done, but I still have good memories of it, remember it being of high quality; very informative and detailed, and it almost felt like I was joining them on the trip. They started off doing the holiday shopping in Bath, then loading the boat, drinks and finally setting off. All felt very cosy watching. 

 

They were held up at Widmead lock as the canal was still closed there for a bit longer, for some reason; Cain Hill/Devizes gates looked shiny brand new; footage of the quirky Monkey Marsh, Aldermaston and Garston locks; they stopped for a drink in the George at Bathampton after working up the locks at Bath. I can also remember Tim talking to a walker on a hike to Bath who didn't seem to recognise Tim! I hadn't seen anything like Bath deep lock before and I remember thinking it looked monstrous. 

 

A shame it isn't available on DVD like the GCJ programmes are.

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8 hours ago, haggis said:

 and they had negotiated with BW for the boats to be allowed to go down the Caen Hill flight which was still closed. 

To be precise, BW were only allowing one passage each way per day, because of water supply issues, and I think AW were allowed to get the whole fleet down in one go rather than book five (or more) successive days

 

The canal reopened in 1990, but with a big water supply problem at Devizes unresolved. I think it was 1995 before the back pumps were fitted - they were already in place above and below Devizes, but lockage at Devizes was lost to the summit until then.

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2 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

To be precise, BW were only allowing one passage each way per day, because of water supply issues, and I think AW were allowed to get the whole fleet down in one go rather than book five (or more) successive days

 

The canal reopened in 1990, but with a big water supply problem at Devizes unresolved. I think it was 1995 before the back pumps were fitted - they were already in place above and below Devizes, but lockage at Devizes was lost to the summit until then.

Yes I remember the report about the AW boats in WW entitled K&A conundrum  ( I think )

 

Keith

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28 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

To be precise, BW were only allowing one passage each way per day, because of water supply issues, and I think AW were allowed to get the whole fleet down in one go rather than book five (or more) successive days

 

The canal reopened in 1990, but with a big water supply problem at Devizes unresolved. I think it was 1995 before the back pumps were fitted - they were already in place above and below Devizes, but lockage at Devizes was lost to the summit until then.

That was possibly the reason local boaters were a bit annoyed then as AW were given permission to do something they weren't allowed to do. I remember ash bring put down behind the gates to seal them. I had never seen that before but it worked. It

Haggis.

 

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

Seems to be mainly about the Cotswolds.The canal only appears in the first few minutes, and again right at the end, which repeats some of the scenes from the beginning sequence, with Pam saying the canal had been her favourite part.

Edited by Ronaldo47
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On 27/03/2021 at 14:56, bizzard said:

Tim was quite bombastic in that series. Shouting orders at his crew. They broke down too, Auquadrive busted.

 

Jeez he can break Aquadrives too... Respect.  Must be that 40 odd years of experience.

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