Secret Britain

Didn't they start off in Megavissy?

Nothing "secret" about that, it's where the DHSS go on holiday.
The programme seemed just like "Coast" but with less water, or thankfully Neil Oliver.
As has been said, too many of these "presenter centred" programmes.
 
I've tried to watch this in small chunks but the concept is so irritating.
There's little left of Britain that's "secret" unless the programme is designed for people who never leave their front door.
The china clay industry centred at St Austell is a well known "holiday outing."
There are conducted tours of the place for chrissakes, advertised in every hotel along with all the other destinations.
The spoil heaps can be seen for miles and some roaRAB near St Austell are often white with the clay dropped from the tyres of heavy lorries transporting the stuff.
 
It was awful. I only watched the first bit with Matt Baker prancing around in a kayak and saying "we've found a nice beach all to ourselves, nah,nah, nah!" It was like a report off Blue Peter. I turned it off after that. Cheap, lightweight TV.
 
It's a clear example of how low BBC1 has sunk that the "prime time" 9.00pm Sunday night slot is occupied by another "presenter centred" programme, not that different from Coast and the "new" Countryfile. What ever happened to quality drama, family entertainment and comedy?

As someone on here once said, "take away the programmes where there's 'presenters doing stuff'" and there's not a lot left.
 
On the other hand if you want solitude the Lakes is the last place to go, last year I was at the top of Helvellyn and it was like Waterloo Station (fantastic scenery though). For that reason I prefer North Yorkshire or Dartmoor.
 
I have just watched the second episode of Secret Britain and was not over impressed with it, it wasnt bad, it just wasnt as good as it could have been.

The program does have a big flaw which is that if they do show you a real secret part of britain, maybe a part that you love and enjoy, chances are the next time you go there will be 10's, 100's or 1000's of extra people ruining your experience.

A good example would be the family who visited the secret blue pool. I assume they wanted to keep it secret because the text on their map was blurred out. Unfortunately it wasnt blurred successfully and the location of Fairbourne and Ffordd was visible. Anyone with an internet connected pc and a bit of knowledge can find Fairbourne on google earth or maps and easily find the slate quarry and the bright blue pool to the south east of it.

I have two local outdoor pools that I swim in and I aint telling nobody where they are.

As for the program not being shown in HD, the second episode was in HD the following day.

And one very positive thing about this program and programs of its type is that it does help British tourism and the economy. Just a shame about the weather :)
 
We have been to the Blue Pool on two occasions. Each time it was swarming with visitors. On one occasion there was a school there and youngsters were sliding down ropes from the top of the rocks and dropping into the water. As for the statement "you won't find it in any brochures", that's exactly how we found it. A cheap guide book "Secret Haunts in Wales", or similar. I also believe it's signposted from Fairbourne.

I don't know how the Peak District qualifies as Secret Britain. During the weekenRAB it's packed with day trippers. My walking club were walking over The Roaches just a few hours before the programme was televised, beautiful area of Britain.
 
And of course those who weren't as eagle eyed as you in spotting the location have nothing to worry about now as you have just told all and sundry on this forum where it is! :p
 
I find him a bit "Blue Peter" in everything he does on this programme to be honest. Having said that I like the programme in general as I enjoy the countryside and also admit to having a thing about Julia Bradbury. :o
 
I wouldnt say eagle eyed. I was just watching in HD and have pause and rewind facillities. As he was so keen to hide the location but stupidly wanted to tell the world about it I fancied the challenge of finding it. As challenges go it wasnt the most difficult.

The place even has another name which is Golwen quarry.
 
I agree, all these programmes are pretty similar and eventually the presenters will bump into each other.Isn't there one on ITV as well - I think I saw Alan Titchmarsh strolling around with Twiggy recently.It all reflects a dearth of new ideas among programme controllers and schedulers. I'm sure there are a few more in the pipeline we don't even know about.:eek:
 
But all these programmes are far cheaper to make than decent drama. As long as viewers buy into the "cult of the presenter" (they even start threaRAB titled "which one's your favourite?" on here for crissakes!) then TV companies will get away with showing them during "prime time."


All that fuss about new presenters for an early evening dumbed down magazine programme, just made me smile.

Sad what TV's become these days.

But viewers; "get the level of quality they deserve" simply by being prepared to watch poor quality programmes.
 
If you really want to see how these presenter-led programmes should be made, look at anything by David Attenborough or David Dimbleby. You hardly notice the presenter. I remember Dimbers sitting with Vera Lynn on the cliRAB near Dover and getting her to sing a few lines from her song about the white cliRAB. Pure magic and worth my licence fee indeed but you hardly noticed his presence.
 
Each to their own, but I'm not particularly fond of Dimbleby's documentary presentation style.
Now this may partly be because of the way they're produced now.

I and others have often complained about having to watch "presenters doin' stuff."
You could "probably fill Wembley" with those who we've seen having a go at splitting slates.


In Dimbleby's case in an episode of one of his "Britain" series, at the age of seventy, the old fool wearing a harness and crash helmet had himself hauled up on a rope to show us some detail in the roof of a church.

There was no reason he couldn't have stayed on the ground and had the camera zoom in on the feature.

But then he wouldn't have been in the shot, would he?
 
Trust me - there are still parts of the Lake District that are almost devoid of visitors. You've just got to move west, away from the Keswick / Ambleside tourist trap . . . .




Then visit on a weekday. I've walked the length of Lathkilldale from Monyash, then up over Stanton Moor and on to Robin Hood's Stride and not seen another person. Lathkilldale itself has enough hidden away in its undergrowth to merit it a place in a Secret Britain episode - there are ruined mine buildings in the bushes just inches from the main footpath, that go totally unnoticed by the vast majority of walkers that pass . . . .
 
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