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How Britain Worked

ive been watching it since it started its a fantastic program if you are into britains industreal history.
Yes it seems to me to that they trying to make a fred dibnah out of him.
Guy also had a program on last year called the boat that guy built that was another fab program
It was nice to see the botanical gardens and also curzon street station

celia
 
i've been off all week and caught up with the series on 4oD, the first one isn't available anymore to watch, that was down the Seven Valley Railway, but yes interesting series, a bit more light hearted than some of the stuff Fred did but he genuinely seem interested in the things he gets involved in. Can't see him building a coal mine in his back garden though
 
I've watched all of Guy's offerings, he is very passionate about this countries contribution to world progress, a breath of fresh air, one for the archives.
 
Last night's episode on Channel 4 showed Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston being modernised, the glass which was originally used was supplied by Chance Brothers who also did Crystal Palace. It also included glass blowing which was interesting to me as I had ancestors in this trade.
 
Guy Martin is also a motorcycling road racing champion, in a magazine, discussing the series, he was described as a "150mph Fred Dibnah"

Colin
 
I first saw Guy Martin when he and his mate refitted a narrow boat and visited various crafts and trades on the way.

Strikes me as not a young man who is afraid to get his hands dirty.HGV vehicle mechanic,Motor cycle racer, and appears to be very
committed to everything he takes on.
 
I love this sort of programme, and have always been fascinated by people who have such amazing hand craft skills. I think that passing down a hand skill from father to son, mother to daughter is almost like telling a family history story that’s has been passed down the generations and keeps the past alive.

I think it is why the Blackcountry Museum is such a popular place, you can watch people makings things by hand. Its something that the people of Birmingham were very good at; the city of a thousand trades.

I do feel sorry for some of our younger people, especially those like me, who didn’t do so well from the education system. At least I had the opportunity to become an apprentice, and learnt a trade with my hands, and doing so set me up for life, allowing me to become independent.

It reminds me of the saying; give a man a fish, and he can make a meal, learn a man to fish, and he can have food for life.

I wonder if anyone remembers in the late 70’s early 80’s there was a series of programmes shown on TV, filmed in Ireland called ‘Hands’? The Government was concerned at the lost of hand skills, so they commissioned a filmmaker called David Shaw Smith to film some of dying out skills.

I recall these quite well, and was inspired to take up cabinet making by the film about the Robinson Brothers, they were cabinet makers from Cavan, Ireland. Sadly the three brother are no longer with us, but there skills that they developed now live on in the hands of others.

Here is a link to the programmes, which if you have half an hour to spare, I am sure you will find them quite interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx2y7MAys20&list=FLr94oT1lZFb2vsKAfmYRsVA&index=7&feature=plpp_video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NuIMTALZRo&feature=relmfu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM3OT66iTOs&feature=relmfu
 
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