Tim and Pru New series

[tillergirl]

I think the bit where you exchanged greetings was caught on film wasn't it? Right near the start it looks like a lady with blonde hair on your boat and wearing sun glasses sat in the front deck well says 'good morning' in return to them as they walk past.

 

Err yes that would be me desperately trying to stop one of our two Border Collies jumping off the boat to greet them. Smiffy had hold of the other one but he had his back to the camera.

 

We were down there visiting his folks. Had no idea this was happening. It was just a case of being in the right place at the right time................nice bit of free advertising for us though. Not complaining

[blackrose]

I didn't think the editing was too bad. It was all in sequence but obviously there were big chunks missing.

 

Their mooring in Paddington under the overpass was a bit grim. I managed to squeeze in next to the BW office boat and stayed there for a week a few years ago.

 

The programme made me want to do the trip again .I've been to the Grapes in Limehouse a couple of times when I was down there on my boat, but never realised it was owned by Ian McKellen.

 

One thing I didn't understand was at the beginning they talk about their own boat. Have they now sold it? Just wondered why they use a hire boat? I guess getting it to the various locations is the issue. I'd certainly rather be on my own boat on the tideway than bouncing around on that little boat.

 

The other thing I don't understand is that if they've been boating on the canals for so many years, why is Tim's steering so awful?

[Peter X]

Tim made a minor but understandable error when he described the road over Paddington Basin as the M40. It's actually the Westway, formerly known as the A40(M) and now not even technically a motorway. But it is a very busy road and does lead to miles of the A40 through west London and eventually to the M40.

 

It's easy sitting in an armchair and watching Tim's steering to say I could do better, but I think I could although I've only done about 5 hours of steering so far. My guess is that maybe he has some age-related health problem which makes it harder for him. Also, maybe that turn where he went into the wall is harder than it looks if there's a current pushing the stern sideways.

[tillergirl]

I believe their own boat is somewhere on the South Oxford just south of Banbury? Not sure it would be a good idea to advertise their own boat on TV. Using a hire boat does give them a degree of anonymity when they are out on theirs for pleasure.

[Guest]

I didn't think the editing was too bad. It was all in sequence but obviously there were big chunks missing.

 

Their mooring in Paddington under the overpass was a bit grim. I managed to squeeze in next to the BW office boat and stayed there for a week a few years ago.

 

The programme made me want to do the trip again .I've been to the Grapes in Limehouse a couple of times when I was down there on my boat, but never realised it was owned by Ian McKellen.

 

One thing I didn't understand was at the beginning they talk about their own boat. Have they now sold it? Just wondered why they use a hire boat? I guess getting it to the various locations is the issue. I'd certainly rather be on my own boat on the tideway than bouncing around on that little boat.

 

The other thing I don't understand is that if they've been boating on the canals for so many years, why is Tim's steering so awful?

 

I would say this. They have over the series been far and wide across the UK system and of course two episodes, one in this series and one in the last were made on the French system so given all of that even if they still own a boat it would be much more practical to hire (and get some free advertising for the companies too of course.

 

I have a hunch that some of the cock ups and collisions are a little bit 'staged'.

[Wanted]

The first bit up to The Hanwell flight is as leafy and quiet as it appears on the film. We always said it was hard to remember you are in London.

[Cruising Mike]

Tim made a minor but understandable error when he described the road over Paddington Basin as the M40. It's actually the Westway, formerly known as the A40(M) and now not even technically a motorway. But it is a very busy road and does lead to miles of the A40 through west London and eventually to the M40.

 

It's easy sitting in an armchair and watching Tim's steering to say I could do better, but I think I could although I've only done about 5 hours of steering so far. My guess is that maybe he has some age-related health problem which makes it harder for him. Also, maybe that turn where he went into the wall is harder than it looks if there's a current pushing the stern sideways.

 

I would probably suggest it's due to age, maybe his reaction times and eye sight is not as sharp as he thinks it is. Also a current is another possibility.

I believe their own boat is somewhere on the South Oxford just south of Banbury? Not sure it would be a good idea to advertise their own boat on TV. Using a hire boat does give them a degree of anonymity when they are out on theirs for pleasure.

 

I agree, if i was them i wouldn't want to reveal my boat name as i would probably want to have privacy. Also as others have suggested, it's much more sensible to hire when doing what they are doing right now.

[blackrose]

The first bit up to The Hanwell flight is as leafy and quiet as it appears on the film. We always said it was hard to remember you are in London.

 

These suburbs aren't really London. When I grew up in Wembley in the 60 and 70s, everyone said Wembley, Middlesex. Nobody really thought of it as London. Now for some reason these suburbs are considered as being in London. Mind you, a lot of the once leafy suburbs look like the inner city these days.

Edited March 23, 2015 by blackrose

[mark99]

 

These suburbs aren't really London. When I grew up in Wembley in the 60 and 70s, everyone said Wembley, Middlesex. Nobody really thought of it as London. Now for some reason these suburbs are considered as being in London. Mind you, a lot of the once leafy suburbs look like the inner city these days.

 

They are London Boroughs so strictly speaking they are. (32 boroughs, 33 if you count the City). My acid test which is now out of date was 0207 = London proper, 0208 = 'burb.

 

We live in London but on the outer limits.

Edited March 23, 2015 by mark99

[blackrose]

 

They are London Boroughs so strictly speaking they are. (32 boroughs, 33 if you count the City). My acid test which is now out of date was 0207 = London proper, 0208 = 'burb.

 

We live in London but on the outer limits.

 

Yes, technically they are London, but I've lived in places like Hammersmith and Clapham and nobody there really thinks of these outlying suburbs as London. When people ask me where I'm from I say the suburbs of NW London because if I say London it doesn't feel true.

 

Edit: I did my PhD at Brunel University in Uxbridge and they call it Brunel University, West London! That's completely ridiculous - it's out by the M25!

Edited March 23, 2015 by blackrose

[jake_crew]

I can see a new series featuring John Seargent and Jo Brand...........

 

Even better John Seargent and Kristina Rhiannov .............

[Lady Muck]

. I would hazard a guess that once past K. Green the moorings were reserved for them too.

Yes, all of them. The Paddington mooring is either the old CRT 'Jena' boat mooring, or where one of the restaurant boats is kept. Canal museum mooring is bookable, Three Mills is a place where CRT sometimes put up reserved signs for boat trips ( think SPCC book it)

Anyone wanting to visit, If you book moorings, its not that stressy, to visit London, you could do a night at the new bookable spot in LV, then move to Canal museum and there is always room at Limehouse. Or just say you are visiting on London Boaters facebook page, ask for help with moorings, boaters will invite you to raft up with them and give you a good welcome.

[cuthound]

I believe their own boat is somewhere on the South Oxford just south of Banbury? Not sure it would be a good idea to advertise their own boat on TV. Using a hire boat does give them a degree of anonymity when they are out on theirs for pleasure.

The first time I saw Tim & Pru on the TV in a canal related programme was in 1990. That time they traversed the then newly reopened Kennet & Avon canal from the Thames to Bath in their own boat. They did however cover up its original name with a stickers, renaming their boat "Honeystreet" after the canal side village.

[alan_fincher]

I believe their own boat is somewhere on the South Oxford just south of Banbury? Not sure it would be a good idea to advertise their own boat on TV. Using a hire boat does give them a degree of anonymity when they are out on theirs for pleasure.

 

Actually their own boat is rather refreshing, because whilst certainly not scruffy, it can't exactly be called shiny either.

 

When we met them, someone had been digging around at rust spots on the cabin in a not very professional way, and then dabbing primer in, but got no further. It certainly looked like a DIY job, which I found rather pleasing, as quite clearly they would have no trouble finding the funds for a full professional repaint, should they choose to.

 

There was also an open bag of tools on a back bunk, with spanners tipped all over the bed, so I think they had been doing some mechanical DIY as well.

 

To me the only thing that separated them from us following behind in an also not so shiny boat with loose tools about the place was the fact it was obvious that the wine being sipped at the tiller was a considerably better quality than anything we have on board!

 

As I have said before, I love this couple because they clearly are real boaters, and remain canal mad into their 80s.

[Dharl]

just caught up with the first two episodes as been away "foreign" for a while. back on tera firmer for a while. I really enjoyed both episodes, much better than the one that shouldn't be mentioned, but guess having an hour to use rather than 30 mins helps as does having a presenting couple who are boaters!

 

I could spot the continuity errors in the Oxford one (especially seeing Tim watch him self perform as the town crier!) and the London one is encouraging me to pay a visit to the big smoke sometime via the cut. When based in Canary Wharf I used to call in the Grapes for the odd pint (can recommend the fish and chips too) and I must get myself over to the London Canal museum sometime, looked great!

[pophops]

I must admit to being surprised at just how crowded the canals in central London appeared to be. Makes Brum look like a rural backwater.

[mrsmelly]

 

Yes, technically they are London, but I've lived in places like Hammersmith and Clapham and nobody there really thinks of these outlying suburbs as London. When people ask me where I'm from I say the suburbs of NW London because if I say London it doesn't feel true.

 

Edit: I did my PhD at Brunel University in Uxbridge and they call it Brunel University, West London! That's completely ridiculous - it's out by the M25!

 

Anything inside the M25 is London. If an Atom bomb was dropped in the centre fifty pence worth of damage would be caused.

 

Tim

[Tesla]

I believe their own boat is somewhere on the South Oxford just south of Banbury? Not sure it would be a good idea to advertise their own boat on TV. Using a hire boat does give them a degree of anonymity when they are out on theirs for pleasure.

It is, or at least it was last year, we bumped (not literally) into them a couple of times.

 

If you squint hard enough in episode 1 you will see Tesla moored at Thrupp...

[churchward]

I think I have seen them on their boat on the Oxford a few years ago.

 

I agree with all the others that think the programme (due to the pair of them) is very charming and a warm reminder of what we should all be doing, getting out and enjoying our boating.

 

I admit though in terms of being inspired to cruise where the programme is set I was less inspired this week but still entertained by the pair of them. I am not sure I would like to follow the route they did. I don't think it is my thing. On the other hand I have always wanted to boat past Kings Cross/ St. Pancras I saw the view from the train so many times looking down onto the canal going into St. Pancras station.

[Cruising Mike]

As an Essex lad growing up we always saw the M25 as the border of London so anything inside the M25 is considered as 'London'

 

 

I personally don't fancy the London ring. I prefer the rural side of cruising but i do like the occasional cut through urban areas.

[Debby]

We've given up with the Tim and Pru series. We found it far too twee and "luvvie" for us, but then of course they are actors. Too many shots of Pru gazing misty eyed up into the weeping willows. Barging Around Britain was far more interesting for us, though the episodes were too short, since it seemed to be more about what was around the canals and the history, rather than the canals themselves. We are not boaters, to tell the truth we find canal boating boring unless we're working locks, We are interested in the history, but we prefer the urban areas that are accessible by public transport (we don't drive) to the countryside.

I doubt ours will be a popular view on this forum, but we can't all enjoy the same things!

[Phil Ambrose]

 

These suburbs aren't really London. When I grew up in Wembley in the 60 and 70s, everyone said Wembley, Middlesex. Nobody really thought of it as London. Now for some reason these suburbs are considered as being in London. Mind you, a lot of the once leafy suburbs look like the inner city these days.

You are right, I grew up in Willesden and had family in both Harlesden and Neasden, at that time they were almost separate "villages" with bits of green inbetween. I can also remember a large pond which was swallowed up by the Hanger Lane Gyratory, London has changed dramatically since my childhood though some things of old do remain (The Ace Cafe)

Phil

[Murflynn]

. We found it far too twee and "luvvie" for us, but then of course they are actors.

couldn't be much more 'luvvie' then 'DaveandDebby' (unless it was 'DebsandDavie')

[Murflynn]

 

Anything inside the M25 is London.

I guess that anyone living in the area considers that London is bounded by the Norf and Sarf Circulars, but for everyone else it is bounded by the M25.

 

I was brung up in Caterham, at the end of the Southern Region branch line. Our house was set in woodland and bordered the Green Belt; we considered we were in deepest Surrey. Going up to London was an expedition for us although my Dad joined the railway commuters. If he had a long day he could sleep on the train knowing he wouldn't go past his station.

 

Now Caterham is within the M25.

[alan_fincher]

We've given up with the Tim and Pru series. We found it far too twee and "luvvie" for us, but then of course they are actors.

 

Actually, I reckon that they are two people from the world of drama who have been deeply in love with each other for a very large number of years. I don't think there is any acting involved in the obvious affection between the pair of them, and it is refreshing to see people from this background in a very long term and loving relationship, when the tendency always seems to be the distinct opposite.

 

In the previous series seeing Tim describe the changes in the person he loves due to her onset of dementia was particularly moving to me, but then my mum developed the condition, and I find it a positive thing that they are prepared to talk openly about it, rather than carrying on the taboo that people don't really need t hear that such conditions change people's lives for ever.