TV .. BIRDS BRITANNIA + Young Gardener + Great British Countryside

Excellent thanks Terra !!!

:o)))))))

Thank you, TT. You are very good at putting interesting series our way.

Hi Oji... Thanks...
just about to add another show to this blog...

Thanks Terra, will look forward to that. :o))

Hi Tulaslady ..

Just included another ... Young Gardener of the Year....

I'm adding them as I find them. Lol. :o)))

and another... The Great British Countryside :o)))

Thanks Terra all set to record all of them, just for insurance. Keep em coming!

Thanks Terra. My husband is very keen on feeding the birds......I will tell him to watch this afternoon. (He has a cold and needs something to take his mind off it)

I'm pleased this is helpful :o)

Brilliant! I shall go and programme them all in right away, Terra!

Thanks Terra, just rang daughter as she loves them as well, so we are all getting set up ready, will series link them...

Hi Sue...
Glad you had time to ring your daughter.
I'm going to record the series. :o)

I've just watched the first programme .. about the history of garden birds in the UK .. very interesting...

Next Saturday ... Water birds..
I'll put a reminder on this thread. :o)

Some great stuff coming up there TT. Thank you!

Please keep reminding us TT. I know I will forget. Thanks.x

Thanks Karen and Grandmage...
I'll put reminders here on the day of each show. :o))

Wasn't it great? Barry managed not to complain about his cold for a whole hour. Look forward to next week. I was horrified when Robert at Kew said there were no sparrows in London. At least Glasgow can't be too bad with car pollution.

.. and my back garden must be pollution-free too, with those 17 sparrows in the photo I put on GoY today... :o)

I hope Barry gets well soon :o)

I don't watch TV so I looked on Amazon for "Birds Britannia" on DVD - it offered me a book of the same name, and a Worzel Gummage collection!

Lol. I keep wanting to type Birds Britannica ...

I did at first!

Thank you TT. I think I'd be most interested in the countryside prog :o)

Hello Hywel ..
Yes. I guessed that show would suit you.
Devon and Cornwall on Thursday :o)))

is that Bird Brittania a repeat Terra i seem to remember somthing like that last year? they are all good though thanks for the heads up. :-)

Hi Surreylad ...
As far as I can tell, this is a new series.
Episode one is very informative.
I recommend it :o)))

excellent thanks..

Sorry... getting a bit sleepy here..
I've just noticed that I put above in the blog...
"previously shown on BBC 4."

we both missed that.. Lol..

Thanks TT what would we all do without you, so very helpful x

Thanks Dotty ... I try my best ;o)

just seen this and sadly missed the birds on tv, maybe i can catch up on internet :o)

Hi Sandra..
I think you'll get the first episode on i player...
... it's very informative .. talks about the history of birds in our gardens etc. Nice programme :o)

ok thanx Terra :o))

I checked, and found 4 eps: garden birds, seabirds ... um, and two others!

Episodes 1,2,3,4 =

Garden Birds,
Water Birds,
Sea Birds,
Birds of the Countryside.

:o)))

dat's 'em! thanks *s*

Just sat and watched it Terra, it was absolutely brilliant, I always enjoy those sort of programmes, I liked all the historical facts as well....

Hi Sue ..
Yes, the history part was well-explained... it covered some aspects which I'd previously not considered. Good programme :o)

So Sad! It was this or England v. Italy, and the rugby won! I shall be watching tonight, though, and next Saturday.

Thank you Terra - watched 2-nd part of it yesterday. Hard to believe my favourite robin could be such a monster, lol. But that's the life as I always keep saying.
What time is a Young Gardener on? I hardly watch a TV so not buying a TV programmes, lol.

Hi Kasy.

Yes, the lovely robin can be very territorial !

Young Gardener is 8 pm - 9 pm.
Sorry I missed that off the blog, I'll add it above to the other details. The show didn't get a very good review but try it and see ... ;o)

Thanks Terra - will try to remember to watch it;-)

A very odd review in the TV supplement, Kasy .. I shall be interested in your reaction to the show. Lol.

Ok - so setting my alarm clock to 7:55 p.m. then;-)

I await your official GoY review of the show ;o)

ouch - will do my best:) it should take my mind off from worrying about the first day at new job, lol.
But to be honest - I am not that great, lol. I think about gardening as my biggest hobby rather than my profession.

Kasy... do not talk about yourself like that !
You have very good gardening knowledge and your new employers will be very lucky to have you !!!

I shall be thinking of you tomorrow.. xxx

Oh, Terra - thank you for your kind words. Will let you know how it went tomorrow:)

Yes, please let me know. x

fingers crossed here as well, Kasy - get out there and knock 'em dead - you can do it!

Thank you Fran - I hope this time it will be easier - i.e. less people speaking English with Welsh accent as the new job is closer to English border, lol

provided they don't actually speak Welsh ... what kind of work will it be?

Any new accent is hard to understand at first, but one tunes in over time, and then there's no prob - provided the people tolerate your asking them to repeat themselves. *s* I always pretend I've got a bit of a hearing prob, it's my fault, please say it again.

I've always wanted to learn Welsh (well, not *always* - didn't tell the midwife that I wanted lessons!) but for as long as I can remember - would love to move to Wales, one way to learn a language is to live in the country that speaks it!

well - it's sort of OK now but I am getting confused a lot when somebody from the Valleys comes and says something to me, lol.
The new job is the same as old one - sales assistant in Planteria in Garden Centre. I sort of learnt to 'switch' my ear to different accents - mean concentratinig more - but at the end of the day I found I am 'switching off', lol. Welsh looks difficult to learn - but I like driving through villages and trying to guess the pronounciation. Still have to work on my English a lot - so do not think about learning new language at this moment.

good luck, not that you'll need it, you'll be excellent. Sure you'll be able to switch back on with no probs.

lol Rob Brydon, on QI, said that the Welsh for "ironing board" was (sounded something like) "flatteny boardy".

Someone wondered once why so many Welsh people are named Jones when there's no J in the language!

just seen the Garden Birds ep of this series. You were perfectly right, TT - fascinating programme. Poor old spadgers! their decline might indeed be signalling that somethng's wrong that's going to hit us, or the next generation, later, like miners' canaries. Hope by the time they find out what, there'll be time to do something about it.

Hi Fran..
Yes, very informative programme.
I'm looking forward to future episodes.
I'll put reminders on this blog :o)

We had absolutely no tv reception at all yesterday evening. So yet again I am missing out on all these wonderful programmes. Boo Hoo! I'm sure they'll be repeated, though, so Nil Desperandum!

awww, Gattina! I did look on Amazon, but it's not out as a DVD - yet! hope it will be later. Is there anyone you could ask to video it for you? or try Catchup TV on the pc??

Hi loved the bird program......

Yes, I agree Dotty .. the bird programme was good.

Let's hope the next 3 episodes are also interesting.
I'll put reminders here on the appropriate days. :o)

I was bit dissapointed with the Young Gardener. I was hoping for a different formula to the program to be honest. More intuitive approach to tasks. They were testing knowledge of young people not professionals! How can you compare knowledge of 16 years old who just started a career in horticulture with 26 years old who is in the business for years. Not fair! LOL

Hi Kasy ..
I saw the second part of the Young Gardener show, and I agree with you ...

... the format didn't seem well thought out, and there was too much of a discrepancy in ages etc. ...

... and the cameras didn't show the plants etc that I wanted to see ... just a lot of people walking about ! Lol.

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T O D A Y ... T E L E V I S I O N

The Great British Countryside

Thursday. 16th February, 2012.

BBC 1. ... 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Episode 1/4: Cornwall and Devon

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Thanks TT :~))

shee, another series to catch up on! :-). but the birds series was totally excellent, so I trust TT's judgement as a TV critic ...

Hi Grandmage/Fran..
I'm just the messenger ...
Not always sure how good these TV shows will be ! ;o)

as it turned out, you were spot on!

Lol,. good to know you won't shoot the messenger ;o)

Thanks, TT, for these programme guides & the reminders. I still haven't caught up with the other 3 we're watching & now I find I have to add another three! :-D)

I won't have time for GoY at this pace! You'll be turning us all into TV addicts! LOL! :-D)

Lol. Balcony ..
I hope I'm turning you into a selective TV viewer ..
only the best programmes ;o)

Does anyone manage to catch Gardeners' Question Time on Radio 4 on Sundays? it's repeated, but also available as a pdocast. sigh, got about six eps to catch up on when I get round to it!

I watched the programme last night & I was suitably impressed & learnt a few things I didn't know before! I'll watch the following episodes as well.

I looked through our service of TV on demand, but I was unable to find the 'Botany' programme. I've seen 2 episodes. What day is is shown?

Butterflies is available & I'll watch it later today.

Hi Balcony..
This is my blog about the Botany TV programme.
Details there ..

http://www.growsonyou.com/terratoonie/blog/18256-botany-a-blooming-history-tv-series-and-garrya-pics

Fran, what time is Gardeners' Question time on on Sundays? (We don't have Radio Times here)
OOOh! I've just answered my own question - 14.00h (3p.m. here), and I've also just discovered that I can catch up with them on my computer. Hurrah! Television programmes on-line are seldom available out here because of international copyright laws, but it seems radio programmes are different.

GQT Radio 4.
2pm - 2.45 pm. Sundays :o)

Sorry, to answer your question to Fran, it is at 2 pm in the UK. I never miss one, love it a lot. :)))

lol no probs, Micheala, better to answer twice than risk not answering at all!

but you can get regular podcasts, Gattina, then you can listen at leisure

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/gqt

*s* it's a lot easier than what I used to do - listen, with my Garden Tips file open on the PC, and try to note names of plants (as they sounded, rather than proper spelling!). now I can pause and replay bits to give me more chance of getting names

some preogrammes have archives of past progs that you can also download, to catch up - these are on the GQT home page - wow, it says 134 programmes available!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f

when I went to the page to copy the link, there were two antoher garden prog availaible: Gardeners' Corner and Gardening with Tim and Joe.

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Today on Television …

BBC2 Saturday 18th February. 2012

3.30 pm – 4.30 pm

Birds Britannia: Episode Two.

Water Birds.

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lol wonder how much you're helping the viewing figures, TT?

Lol. Fran ..
I'm not receiving commission from the BBC ..

... not from GoY either ... :o)

aw, missing out both ways there! Maybe you could start a "TV Consulting Agency" - advise people of programmes that might be of itnerest to them - for a fee, of course *s* - ha, bet you'd get people signing up for the service, and not just from GoY!

Ha ha Fran...
Checking the listings for GoY is as much as my eyes can cope with .. and I put the times for GQT a bit further back on this thread and nobody noticed... LOL.

aw! sorry, I have to admit that I did'nt notice, either. Was so taken up by the Birds information - lol jut goes to show that even a small diamond can be overshadowed by a larger one!

I just went back to the link I posted to get some GQT - the 134 programmes are available to listen to, but not to download except as HTML, which only takes one back the the website page! so it's back to listen-and-type - but at least I should be able to pause it while I'm frantically trying to keep up with the long words!

Just missed the 'Birds' programme "live"! Now I will have to look out for it on our 'TV On Demand' channel. I thought it was in the evening! That's what happens to not writing down ALL the details on a Sticky!

I could have left the TV on as it must have started about the time I was finishing watching 'The Great British Countryside'.

Ah, well, I can catch them on the "wing" later!

Hi Balcony...
I put reminders on all of my TV blogs for the programmes I've listed... I add the reminders on the day of the broadcast....

Doing my best for you ;o) !!!

lol "TT-TV" - tune in now, folks!

Lol. Fran...
Hug Week blog now on GoY ;o)

Found it, TT - I don't have a hamster (it's just the way I walk, har har) so I'll have to find other things to hug

I've managed to watch the latest "Birds" programme, since there's been no 6 Nations Rugby to clash with it. Amazing! Magic! I was spellbound for every second of it. If it ever comes out on dvd I shall treat myself. We used to go to Slimbridge when I was a little girl, and I remember it quite well.

Hi Fran ..
awaiting your amazing hug pic :o)

Hello Gattina ... yes, the TV bird series is excellent, isn't it !
The people interviewed are knowledgeable and eloquent.
Great series ! :o)

I'll continue to put reminders on my TV blogs on the day the programmes are due to be screened.

working on it, TT, or at least working on thinking about it, or thinking about working on it????

Just off to listen to Gardeners' Q. T.!

lol Gattina, did you find the web page for podcasts? and the 143 programmes available to listen to, even if not download? I've been getting so lazy since I stqrted getting podcasts; now the tyranny of time has been finally overthrown ...

I listen to QT whilst I look at GOY at the same time :))) The radio is right next to me, hang on... I can even listen to it online whilst I am on here. lol

I've been getting podcasts recently, which means that I can listen at any time - which really means that I don't - what can be done any time usually is not done at all! I usualy listen with my Garden Tips Word file open, to make notes of anything i find interesting; sadly, I miss a lot of the names a lot of the time, so being able to pause is a blessing.

But even apart from that, I find I'm not able to multi-task very well; I can do any number of things, but the moment I start to think about one, I lose track of the others; I can't concentrate on more than one at a time.

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R E M I N D E R ....... T V

The Great British Countryside

Second episode this evening

Thursday. 23rd February. BBC 1. 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

New series. Hugh Dennis and Julia Bradbury travel across Britain to explore its landscapes and the people who live in them, as well as how they have been shaped by the country’s varied geological history. Tonight ... Yorkshire.

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Today on Television …

BBC2 Saturday 25th February. 2012

3.30 pm – 4.30 pm

Birds Britannia: Episode Three.

Sea Birds.

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Birds Britannia
Series 1. Episode 3/4: Seabirds

The relationship between people and seabirds, including how the great auk became extinct and why a British stately home owes its existence to bird droppings.

The programme also examines the 1967 Torrey Canyon oil tanker disaster, which brought coastal birds back into the public eye, and reveals how seagulls began to populate city centres following the Clean Air Act.

With Bill Paterson.

seen it, it's brilliant - but then so were all the others in the series.

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R E M I N D E R ....... T V

The Great British Countryside

Third episode this evening

Thursday. 1st March. 2012. BBC 1. 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Hugh Dennis and Julia Bradbury travel across Britain to explore its landscapes and the people who live in them, as well as how they have been shaped by the country’s varied geological history.

Tonight ... The South Downs.

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I found the catchup page, but forgot to go back; I think the programmes are only available for a week, so I'll have to try to remember to get one of 'em, at least!

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Today on Television …

BBC2 Saturday 3rd March. 2012

3.50 pm – 4.50 pm

NOTE LATER TIME THAN PREVIOUS EPISODES.

Birds Britannia: Episode Four.

The importance of countryside birds and how their existence is under threat from factory farming, featuring the cuckoo, skylark, pheasant, and red grouse.

Last in the series.

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Thanks, TT! Hoorah! Now the snow is nearly all gone we have BBC2 back again, and since OH is on his way back to the UK to watch the rugger there, I don't have to fight him for the remote control, so this afternoon's programme is definitely on.
P.S. I can hear woodpeckers hammering away down in the valley, and pheasants are very thick on the ground, so Spring is definitely on the way. No cuckoos, skylarks or red grouse yet, though! I shall watch with great interest.

Hi Gattina..
Today I published a blog for the new Gardeners' World as well.... enjoy :o)))

Haven't caught up with the blogs yet, TT. I shall cut straight to the chase. Thanks!

the programme does mention cuckoos, and how they're diminishing; wouldn't have thought they would, as they're hardly high in the parenting or even nesting stakes! but maybe their foster parents are also getting scarcer?

I'll check out the new blog, too, thanks!

Hi Fran ... Yes. It will be interesting to see the reports about cuckoos ... maybe too many being used for clocks ? ;o)

lol TT; that's the Swiss Cuckoo species? I was going to find the species name for cuckoo to put in here "cukoois helveta" or something, but got sidetracked ...

Tracking Cuckoos to Africa: http://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking

cuckoo facts: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob7240.htm

cuckoo vids:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Common_Cuckoo

Cuculus Clockulus ;o)

Brilliant! How do you think of these things, TT? One year our resident cuckoo didn't turn up until the end of April, and we thought he wasn't going to get here, but the following year we got several, and by the end of the season, we'd gladly have shot the damned things. They NEVER know when to stop, do they?

supply and demand, Gattina - supply of resient hosts to bring up the kiddies, they must be doing well as well, which means there must be more insects to feed the kids on, which means ... long chain of tiny links adds up to too many cuckoos!

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The Great British Countryside

Final episode this evening

Thursday. 8th March. 2012. BBC 1. 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Hugh Dennis and Julia Bradbury travel across Britain to explore its landscapes and the people who live in them, as well as how they have been shaped by the country’s varied geological history.

Tonight ... Scottish Highlands.

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