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"Clare Balding on cycling round Britain"

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  1. chdot
    Admin


    "
    60 years ago a journalist called Harold Briercliffe wrote a series of books about his great passion - cycling. “The Cycling Touring Guides” were the culmination of a life long journey covering the whole of Britain on two wheels. Over half a century later, equipped with one of his books and riding one of his vintage bicycles, Clare Balding has re-traced Harold’s tyre-tracks for a six-part BBC4 series called “Britain by Bike”. She tells Jane how much the places he visited have changed since his original guides were published.

    "
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t17jy

    I remember him - a keen CTC/Youth Hostel person. Was married to Glasgow journalist Anne Horne. His books (out of print).

    Series starts BBC4 8.30 tonight http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4lqf

    (Watch on-line http://tvcatchup.com/watch.html?c=13)

    From the Lion TV Press Release -

    "Clare follows the wheeltracks of compulsive cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe whose evocative guide books of the late 1940s lovingly describe by-passed Britain - a world of unspoiled villages, Cycle Touring clubs and sunny B-Roads"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    It's always fun to find out that such-and-such a TV presenter has these strong interests. Julia Bradbury was always "the lady from Watchdog" or "the girl off L!VE TV", and only after she'd been presenting Wainright's Walks did I realise that walking was actually her real passion. So perhaps Clare Balding isn't just the lady from the Grand National coverage.

    That literary bastion of British broadasting, the Radio Times, has a questionable description of her bike riding prowess. It would seem that reviewer/critic David Crawford is unlikely to be a cyclist himself.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    That looks interesting. Thank you chdot, as they say, for the heads up.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Hmmm. Watched it last night and I have to say (apart from the fact I'll admit to not liking Clare Balding) it was all rather disappointing. I think the bike is there as a gimmick rather than being a true passion of Clare.

    They've seen the success of the Wainwright walks series (which really was rather good, and I utterly detest Julia 'When Is There a Shot of me in my Swimsuit' Bradbury) and wondered how they can do something similar. They've found the bike trip idea, then had to dip into their cache of 'stars' to pull one out to front it.

    At one point she stated that, "most people come to the village by car, which is a good thing." Now I think I know what she meant (later they talked about the road being upgraded so more trade could get there) but it was an odd phrase. And she didn't look entirely comfy on the bike.

    Nice old Dawes though. But it's really of background interest. She does short pieces to camera while riding, or while stood straddling it (the bike, not the camera), then spends the next 5-10 minutes doing something entirely different that doesn't involve the bike.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "Nice old Dawes though"

    Think it was Harold Briercliffe's - though clearly not the one he used when writing the guides!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    Series being repeated on BBC2.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t4lqf

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. ruggtomcat
    Member

    ya, not enough cycling.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. gembo
    Member

    I thought Julia Bradbury's main passion was make-up? She always has tons of slap on when going for a walk. I would like to see her being humpfed up the Inaccessible Pinnacle like they did to Muriel Grey on her hillwalking show in the 1980s? Jimmy McGregor did one too but they say he used helicopter to get between shots. I am not sure Claire Balding is cycling the entire route? I saw a bit of it on BBC4 in Scotland that was quite interesting.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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