stuart rowles Posted 19 November , 2019 Share Posted 19 November , 2019 25th November, Channel 5, 9.00 - 10.30pm Chris Tarrant takes to the tracks to explore the train's role in WW1. In Northumberland while riding on a preserved WW1 locomotive, he learns how the railways enabled Britain to mobilise troops, and operate training camps. Aboard a holiday train commandeered for war, Chris tells the stories of two soldiers, one English and one German. who both took trains to the Somme in 1916, and how these trains helped to create the deadly stalemate of trench warfare. This is part 1 of 4 of a new series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 19 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 19 November , 2019 Thanks for the heads up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Filsell Posted 19 November , 2019 Share Posted 19 November , 2019 The great Tarantella is a hard man to watch - or take seriously on the subject in question I would have thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 19 November , 2019 Share Posted 19 November , 2019 I'll give it ago. Thanks for the post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 November , 2019 Share Posted 20 November , 2019 I'm always dubious about the phrase 'Must watch TV'; in my experience, other than Only Connect or Count Arthur Strong, nothing is essential viewing, and as Mr Filsell says, Chris Tarrant may be a great bloke, but he is not necessarily to evryone's taste and the format might not suit everyone, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 20 November , 2019 Share Posted 20 November , 2019 Just managed to buy a copy of the Railway Gazette for 1920 the "Great War Special" absolutely fascinating it covers all aspects of the railways with many good photographs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phsvm Posted 20 November , 2019 Share Posted 20 November , 2019 Again, maybe not a person to everyone's taste, but Michael Portillo's 5 parter about the Railways of the Great War was a very good series to watch. If you can catch it - may not be available on iplayer anymore so you may have to search for it or wait for it to be repeated - I'd recommend that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 20 November , 2019 Share Posted 20 November , 2019 On 19/11/2019 at 15:58, stuart rowles said: 25th November, Channel 5, 9.00 - 10.30pm Chris Tarrant takes to the tracks to explore the train's role in WW1. In Northumberland while riding on a preserved WW1 locomotive, he learns how the railways enabled Britain to mobilise troops, and operate training camps. Aboard a holiday train commandeered for war, Chris tells the stories of two soldiers, one English and one German. who both took trains to the Somme in 1916, and how these trains helped to create the deadly stalemate of trench warfare. This is part 1 of 4 of a new series. In the first episode you will have the pleasure and extreme privilege of seeing me with Chris Tarrant. Could life be any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 20 November , 2019 Share Posted 20 November , 2019 1 hour ago, healdav said: In the first episode you will have the pleasure and extreme privilege of seeing me with Chris Tarrant. Could life be any better? Yes. Dear Agony Aunt, Is it "Railways of the Somme" or "Railways of the Western Front"? I think there is a difference. Thank you, Confused of the Somme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 25 November , 2019 Share Posted 25 November , 2019 On 20/11/2019 at 20:08, Don Regiano said: Yes. Dear Agony Aunt, Is it "Railways of the Somme" or "Railways of the Western Front"? I think there is a difference. Thank you, Confused of the Somme Cheeky blighter. The first episode is called Railways of the Western Front. The other episodes are: Hungary an Romania, The Eastern Express, Crossing the Emerald Isle, and The Lunatic Express. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Regiano Posted 25 November , 2019 Share Posted 25 November , 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, healdav said: Cheeky blighter. The first episode is called Railways of the Western Front. The other episodes are: Hungary an Romania, The Eastern Express, Crossing the Emerald Isle, and The Lunatic Express. OK - thanks. Some erstwhile listings (Radio Times and the digital planner on my dvd) have the first episode as "Railways of the Somme". Haven't checked the planners on the tv itself. Guess it's all the same to them. Reg Edited 25 November , 2019 by Don Regiano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonbem Posted 25 November , 2019 Share Posted 25 November , 2019 "Record Series" link to Sky Box already set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 An interesting programme, with a Tizwas voiceover! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 I'm afraid my viewing experience went something like this. Luxembourg: ah!. Liege: good. Ah. Oh dear. Off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woodland Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 I watched the programme and feel that like so many similar offerings it was very much a Curates egg. I suppose it was aimed at people who had limited knowledge of WW1 but I feel it tried to be too broad a brush. It could have given a lot more detail in many areas but instead skimmed over a very wide panorama. I found the closing remarks particularly annoying, using very much a 21 st Century viewpoint I felt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 It was dire. It was littered with inaccuracies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 I recorded it; at least we can then fast forward the adverts and the tosh. Is 20 minutes too much to allow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 30 minutes ago, Keith Woodland said: I watched the programme and feel that like so many similar offerings it was very much a Curates egg. I suppose it was aimed at people who had limited knowledge of WW1 but I feel it tried to be too broad a brush. It could have given a lot more detail in many areas but instead skimmed over a very wide panorama. I found the closing remarks particularly annoying, using very much a 21 st Century viewpoint I felt. I've said elsewhere that they cut me out completely from the Luxembourg bit. They showed only something which never happened, with Tarrant arriving by train - he came by car and left by car - and didn't even mention rail lines being torn up, nor the telegraphs being destroyed. They didn't even go to where the rails were torn up - which would have cause chaos, with troop trains crashing into one another (it was around a bend in a cutting and invisible from the direction of travel of the trains. All the photos of the station and surrounds, and the report which flashed across the screen are mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 10 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said: Yes. 10? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 28 minutes ago, Gareth Davies said: It was dire. It was littered with inaccuracies. I agree. The thing that most annoyed me was that a programme presented as “history” had a 21st century viewpoint and was clearly from the “Lions led by donkeys” school. But then TV these days needs a celebrity presenter, whether that presenter knows anything about the subject is an irrelevance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 The fact that it was on Channel 5 was a good indicator that it would be as has been described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 21 minutes ago, healdav said: I've said elsewhere that they cut me out completely from the Luxembourg bit. They showed only something which never happened, with Tarrant arriving by train - he came by car and left by car - and didn't even mention rail lines being torn up, nor the telegraphs being destroyed. They didn't even go to where the rails were torn up - which would have cause chaos, with troop trains crashing into one another (it was around a bend in a cutting and invisible from the direction of travel of the trains. All the photos of the station and surrounds, and the report which flashed across the screen are mine. I hope you got paid more than my brother did for appearing in a Penelope Keith programme about villages. £1 They even sent out a contract, and expected it's return. The postage would have been more than a quid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Lees Posted 26 November , 2019 Share Posted 26 November , 2019 I stuck it out to the end and wish I hadn't bothered. For anyone who does watch all of the programme, be prepared for the German "unconditional surrender" at the end. I didn't see that coming! Tarrant should have phoned a friend - a friend who knew something about the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 28 November , 2019 Share Posted 28 November , 2019 On 26/11/2019 at 10:56, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: I hope you got paid more than my brother did for appearing in a Penelope Keith programme about villages. £1 They even sent out a contract, and expected it's return. The postage would have been more than a quid! I received nothing for either of the documentaries I've done, and nothing either for standing in a very muddy field for a day, doing a lot of pieces (including interrupting all BBC channels) at the site of an air crash. I did get paid about £30 or so for an interview on Radio 4 about 30 years ago. The rule seems to be (for the BBC), that if you call them, they don't pay, if they call you, they do pay. And the amount paid is by the minute. I'm guessing that from experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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