Wednesday 2 March 2011

The boat that Guy built

He really should be called Reckless Eric.....
2.3.11

Written as I watched it:

I have had calls all day long from friends and relatives telling me all about this new canal boat programme, screened over 6 weeks as he restores a down at heel trad along with his carpenter friend Mavis.

This is a showcase for industrial revolution technology, hung together as they build all they need to restore nb Reckless. Guy's delivery is Fred Dibnah - esque, complete with blue boiler suit and Lancashire accent, supported by Liza Tarbuck who provides the background commentary.

These guys seem to have started on the Bridgewater but in a flash  they are onto the Anderton Boat lift and in the next scene they are at the Black Country Museum to cast / smelt Iron, then to Stone to throw a pot or two (I thought Wedgewood was closed?). Challenging boating geography, but mouthwatering stuff.

Smelting Iron - I love it! I have never seen this process before, raising the temperature and getting mix just right - " as delicate a balance as making a souffle". It looks dangerously exciting to me. Now its "green sand casting" - that's something I remember from my schoolboy metalwork classes. Tragedy - the resulting metal is more lumpy slag than pure iron, so 20th century technology is drafted in to save the day and create the perfect pot. It may have been a semi failure but it does serve to illustrate how clever those industrial revolution boyo's really were.

Conclusion? Interesting and educational but maybe not as much about boat restoration as I had expected. None the less, it's definitely one to watch.

I miss Fred and maybe Guy is the man to step into his hobnailed boots.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

not sure about it yet
i am going to follow your blog maybe you like to follow mine http://go-for-ithobbs.blogspot.com/

Brian and Diana on NB Harnser said...

Interesting, but it doesn’t do what it says on the tin. Nothing about boat building, it is just as if it is something to wrap a programme round. Maybe the boating bit will pick up in the next few episodes?
Brian

Andy Tidy said...

Brian
I suspect it will become a bit more boaty but so far its really a hanger to explore industrial revolution stuff, as you say.
Even if the boating comes up short I will still enjoy the technical / historical exploration.
Worth persevering with.

Anonymous said...

"Lancashire accent"??? Guy Martin has a Lincolnshire accent and is nothing like Fred Dibnah's.