The Boat That Guy Built

[ditchcrawler]

I read this on the BBC website so I didn't bother watching it.

 

"Guy Martin starts a six-week mission to renovate a neglected narrowboat, named Reckless, with inventions from the Industrial Revolution. In this episode, he builds his own 18th-century blast furnace to cast an iron pot so he can boil some water, then learns how to throw his own traditional Wedgwood mugs so he can enjoy a perfect old-school cup of tea."

 

I'm not interested in casting iron pots or throwing traditional Wegewood mugs. It sounded to me like another programme ostensibly about boats which actually had nothing to do with boats.

I think you were right

[alan_fincher]

I'm usually fairly diplomatic, but what utter crap that programme was. Made by people who know sod all about boats, presented by a bloke who knows sod all about boats, probably chosen to front the show as himbo eye candy with an amusing regional accent.

 

Copied from response on another post about this.

But only one copy of it this time!

 

It was bad, wasn't it. Even unusually bad, by the usual standard of these things.

[sociable_hermit]

I'm usually fairly diplomatic, but what utter crap that programme was. Made by people who know sod all about boats, presented by a bloke who knows sod all about boats, probably chosen to front the show as himbo eye candy with an amusing regional accent.

 

Copied from response on another post about this.

Yes, but you're forgetting something - the target audience are people who know sod all about boats.

[alan_fincher]

Yes, but you're forgetting something - the target audience are people who know sod all about boats.

And, after episode one, at least, still know absolutely sod all about boats, then.......

Edited March 2, 2011 by alan_fincher

[DeanS]

I enjoyed watching the barbecue on the roof of the boat at the end. Didnt know that was allowed

[gaggle]

And, after episode one, at least, still know absolutely sod all about boats, then.......

No but they might know not ALL boaters are not old moaning grumpy gits.

[Dominic M]

It was mentioned that casting iron meant various canal structures could be made , also was the trent and mersey used to transport pottery.

Like said above its light entertainment for a wide audience ,some of that wide audience will be asking me over the following days about the canals because they know i have a boat and i will be glad to tell them what it is all about , probably end up taking several out on the boat , we are going to be depending on the general publics charity i believe in the not to distant future to keep the canals and if it lifts the waterways profile ,be grateful.

Fine, but calling it "The boat that Guy built" is completely misleading. Who built the shell? What is that "1931" engine? Will the general public be drawn to the canals by some himbo making his own mugs and sticking a few bricks together to emulate the process of producing cast iron a la Abraham Darby?

 

Utter rubbish television, that could have been so good. We might as well have, "The Cornish Crabber that Guy built," on which we have brief glimpses of a fine wooden yawl, no information about it, but footage of the owner mining his own tin and making pasties.

 

I don't know if the word bollocks is allowed on this forum , but the programme was exactly that.

[Laurie Booth]

I thought it was rubbish!! I will try again next week but not holding out for much hope.

Sadly I agree 100%. What a waste of a good idea.

[tillergirl]

I'm usually fairly diplomatic, but what utter crap that programme was. Made by people who know sod all about boats, presented by a bloke who knows sod all about boats, probably chosen to front the show as himbo eye candy with an amusing regional accent.

 

Copied from response on another post about this.

 

Eeeee - I hope no-one thinks I've got one of these.............on another note............was anyone as fasinated with his sideburns as I was.............?

[Laurie Booth]

I enjoyed watching the barbecue on the roof of the boat at the end. Didnt know that was allowed

I was praying the barbecue would set the boat on fire, thus finishing the series.

[canaldrifter]

I was praying the barbecue would set the boat on fire, thus finishing the series.

 

Not the boat's fault. Setting his sideburns on fire might have been more spectacular....

 

Tone

[mykaskin]

Anorack on

Did anyone notice the industrial JP2 with a marine heat exchanger/silencer thought the JP2 was a real hodge podge

 

Ah, yes, the 1931 overhead camshaft model...

 

TV shows very often have massive continuity errors and historical inaccuracies that you'd only spot if in the know. Some of the programmes there have been on railways have been far worse than this! I don't think it's bad as a piece of light-hearted entertainment.

 

Worth remembering that nearly all TV shows are made to roughly the same quality level. Don't believe everything you see!

 

Boat related industrial heritage show?

 

It's obviously not a program about the canals that they travel down (travel show), and while there is a little about the boat, and obviously going to be more about the fitout, it's going to be about industrial heritage and recreations of the processes like so many other programs out there. Please remember that the way these programs are made, none of the production staff, editor, or probably even the on-screen talent did much boating, so they go, 'Oh that will make a nice picture to go between these two shots', and not worry that it's a view from the other end of the country.

 

On against football on ITV I don't expect it will get a massive following, and I don't suppose that the BBC spent all that much on either.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[Dominic M]

Eeeee - I hope no-one thinks I've got one of these.............on another note............was anyone as fasinated with his sideburns as I was.............?

Product placement by Wilkinson Sword. Next week he makes his own razor by reconstructing the original Wilkinson blast furnace and steel press. Oh, and he puts a Vanette hob into the boat galley, but we don't get to see that.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

 

I don't know if the word bollocks is allowed on this forum , but the programme was exactly that.

 

Its not, but you can say bollox

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

You are a miserable lot.

 

I watched it for what it was, prime time light entertainment and quite enjoyed it. But then I enjoyed Neil Oliver talking about our ancient history later, and demonstrating making a bronze sword. I'm sure historians and archiologists in the know would take just as much delight in telling you what's wrong with that too.

 

As for programs showing steam engines, almost with out fail Richard will be telling me that that engine would never have been on that line, or where they said it was. To most people it's a steam engine, to enthusiasts it's a steam engine but not quite right.

 

I'm going to watch next week and see where it goes next, and I intend to enjoy it.

 

Sue

[Dominic M]

You are a miserable lot.

 

I watched it for what it was, prime time light entertainment and quite enjoyed it. But then I enjoyed Neil Oliver talking about our ancient history later, and demonstrating making a bronze sword. I'm sure historians and archiologists in the know would take just as much delight in telling you what's wrong with that too.

 

As for programs showing steam engines, almost with out fail Richard will be telling me that that engine would never have been on that line, or where they said it was. To most people it's a steam engine, to enthusiasts it's a steam engine but not quite right.

 

I'm going to watch next week and see where it goes next, and I intend to enjoy it.

 

Sue

Not miserable at all, Sue. It was unmitigated rubbish. By any measure of the programme's title.

[sumajan]

.

One thing that surprised me was the Barton Swing Aqueduct being missed out with it being on the route from Worsley to the Anderton boat lift and also being another of the 7 waterway wonders

 

 

Apparently he is crossing the aquaduct next week as he leaves Oxford on his way to Llangollen via Lincoln where he is calling in to make a Buckby Can.

 

I'll give it a couple of week and then decide.

[canaldrifter]

You are a miserable lot.

 

I watched it for what it was, prime time light entertainment and quite enjoyed it. But then I enjoyed Neil Oliver talking about our ancient history later, and demonstrating making a bronze sword. I'm sure historians and archiologists in the know would take just as much delight in telling you what's wrong with that too.

 

As for programs showing steam engines, almost with out fail Richard will be telling me that that engine would never have been on that line, or where they said it was. To most people it's a steam engine, to enthusiasts it's a steam engine but not quite right.

 

I'm going to watch next week and see where it goes next, and I intend to enjoy it.

 

Sue

 

I'm with you Sue. I wouldn't expect the miserable old know-it-all gits on this forum to appreciate what was actually quite an amusing programme on prime time telly, that might just attract first time boat hirers to come and visit these places themselves. The Black Country Museum, Wedgwoods and the Anderton Lift are all good tourist attractions.

 

Actually I quite enjoyed it. It was a refreshing break from the middle class posh presentation style of Water World. I didn't get any impression that Guy was trying to do a Fred. Fred would never have said, "I've got a lot to learn." Maybe as he gets more used to the camera he will be a bit less manic.

 

Of course there wasn't much about the boat in this episode. It was entitled "A cup of tea'. A good place to start. As a tea addict (with whisky flavouring) I learnt a lot about tea. Next week they are fitting and plumbing a shower. Maybe then Guy's mate 'Chief' will come into his own as a chippy doing a fit out?

 

What is interesting is that the boat comes up as unregistered on the BW boat checker site, and according to Jim Shead:

RECKLESS Built by HARBOROUGH MAR/BTS - Length 18.3 metres (60 feet ) - Beam 1.84 metres (6 feet ) Metal hull, power of 999. Registered with British Waterways number 54998 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 19/04/2008.

 

Lets hope they bought a visitor licence for the L&L, but I didn't spot one in a window.

 

Watched it on BBC iPlayer

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z88v0/The_Boat_That_Guy_Built_A_Cup_of_Tea/

 

Tone

 

Edited to add, I think Jim Shead missed out '10ins'.

Edited March 2, 2011 by canaldrifter

[Albion]

A vastly important program, they've found the world's only overhead-cam JP2

 

MP.

 

Yep, I wonder if they realise that the boat is equipped with such a unique and very rare Lister. Probably makes the engine worth more than the boat.

I was alarmed to see the barbecue on top of the boat though. That seemed totally pointless unless they wanted to start the paint removal process early

Roger

[Dominic M]

Nothing to so with miserable know-it-all-gits. Just a boring programme that had nothing to with building a boat, as its title suggested. I watched it with someone who has no especial knowledge about boats, bit was interested to know. What they got was some bloke making mugs in a pottery and an ill-defined display of how to make a kettle from cast iron in a home made furnace.

 

Patronise the miserable gits and their criticism of this programme as much as you wish, if convenient pigeonholing is your bag. The fact is that this programme had little to do with its title, and to point out that aberration is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

Edited March 2, 2011 by Dominic M

[canaldrifter]

Nothing to so with miserable know-it-all-gits.

 

If the cap fits....

 

Tone

[welshmike]

Some history about 'the boat that Guy built'

 

http://www.waterwaysworld.com/latestpost.cgi?post=2457

 

http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/2007/03/recked_reckless.html

Edited March 3, 2011 by welshmike

[Dominic M]

If the cap fits....

 

Tone

Meaning?

[Tillerman]

Some history about 'the boat that Guy built'

 

http://www.waterwaysworld.com/latestpost.cgi?post=2457

 

http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/2007/03/recked_reckless.html

 

Yes I noticed it moored at Streethay this week.

 

I doubt, though that it will have quite the same qudos as "Ragdoll" (Rosie and Jim's boat still tucked away at Fenny Compton) which probably did more for boating and the canal network than this series is likely to do!

[canaldrifter]

Yes I noticed it moored at Streethay this week.

 

I doubt, though that it will have quite the same qudos as "Ragdoll" (Rosie and Jim's boat still tucked away at Fenny Compton) which probably did more for boating and the canal network than this series is likely to do!

 

It amazes me that so many are so judgmental after just one episode.

 

Tone

 

Meaning?

 

Whatever you want it to mean.....

 

Tone