Planet North!!!

For those of you who aren't fond of The North, or are sick to death of those of us who constantly love on it...look away now! 

(better yet, get yer own BBC season/series...oh that's right, that's what the BBC represents all the time anyway ---> London/Home Counties, that is  )


Ta da!  A new BBC season/series called Planet North!  "From great buildings to great food, great television to great big lads on the rugby field, BBC Four celebrates the culture, history, life and architecture of northern England in a season of films."

From what I can surmise, the first week's schedule is this:

People's Palaces: The Golden Age of Civic Architecture
Part 1 (of 2)  Monday 6th Sept 2010, 21:00 on BBC Four (repeats at various times)
Two-part documentary in which historian Dr Jonathan Foyle explores the magnificent civic architecture of towns and cities across the north of England.  (yay!  I'm sure we'll see some buildings from our beautiful Leeds in there)

Eddie Waring: Mr Rugby League
Tuesday 7th Sept 2010, 21:00 on BBC Four
Something about a historical rugby guy.  ??

The North on a Plate
Wednesday 8th Sept 2010, 21:00 on BBC Four
Paris-based cultural historian Andrew Hussey travels to the north west of England in search of its lost food culture.

And more still, dates/times to be announced...

The Road To Coronation Street - a drama

People's Palaces: The Golden Age of Civic Architecture - Part 2 (of 2)

Maybe other cool stuff too! 

(Yeah it's the north of England...sorry Scotland.)

However, I don't want this beautiful place too heavily advertised........

Eddie Waring is a legend in rugby league commentary, and an early crush of my mum's when he was a young reporter on the local Dewsbury paper apparently! 

I saw a trailer for this and thought "oh yes, just lump the entire north together", what is it, north of Watford Gap "here be dragons"?

Yay. Can't wait.

I saw a trailer for this and thought "oh yes, just lump the entire north together", what is it, north of Watford Gap "here be dragons"?

No, that's Wales!  Maybe we're the barbarians up here, or just the rebellious ones? 

Stuart Maconie says The North begins at Crewe, in his Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North book.

No, that's Wales!  Maybe we're the barbarians up here, or just the rebellious ones? 

Stuart Maconie says The North begins at Crewe, in his Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North book.

I didn't think anything began at Crewe. Thought things just ended or ran through Crewe. 

Oh, just saw this... sounds pretty cool. Not caring too much about rugby, but will pop over and record the first bit on architecture now!  The show Coasts did quite a bit of coverage on the beautiful Northumberland coast, if anyone happens to catch a repeat. 

Re: People's Palaces. From the BBC blurb doesn't look like there'll be any coverage of the Town Hall in Leeds. Or did I miss that? Maybe it's considered too obvious?
The shows are on i-player but "not available in your area" 

Yes, they showed Leeds Town Hall.  It was a wonderful program, so I'm sorry to hear that you can't access it from overseas. 

I'm loving "Coast" too.  I would actually consider buying this on DVD.

Yeah, BD, I don't think that the BBC I-Player for over here is going to work over there. 

And - Yes!  They did show our fabulous Town Hall! 

However, most of the program was about a sort of (historical) architectural one-upmanship between Liverpool and Manchester, with a few bits about Leeds, Bradford, Todmorden & maybe somewhere else pasted on at the end. 

Will have to see how we fare in Part 2 (not sure when it's on yet).

I think DH may watch the rugby one tonight, but I'm not all that interested in that one and may be  by then.

Yesterday, Bmore2UK was visiting me here in Leeds, and I gave her what I am now calling my Half A*sed Historian's Tour of city centre. 

Some of the closing tour commentary (as we were turning up Briggate on the way to Whitelocks) - 'See that big clock on that building there?'

'Yes.'

'It's the Dyson Clock Building.'

'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah.'

 

Yay! Dyson clock building!! 

*Loved* the foodie one tonight!  (Still don't plan on eating tripe.)  But oh - Wigan pies!  Blackpool chips!  Bradford curries!

And of course, Leeds' very own, very special, very classy EU's Protected Designation of Origin forced rhubarb! 

Well I found the bit about the rhubarb really interesting - why the area has perfect growing conditions for how they do it, the eerie sci-fi appeal of the forced rhubarb sheds, the high nitrogen content of shoddy (wool waste by-product)...just amazing! 

I am watching "The North on a Plate" now.  I am SO glad they're doing lobscouse.  Of course, it's known as a Liverpudlian dish, but it's sort of crossed cultures.  We had it growing up and even now I call it that.  It's definitely a north Wales thing though, because my husband's family definitely doesn't eat "lob scouse".  Some people of Irish, north Welsh, and Scandinavian decent definitely have grown up on it.  It's such a neat, cross cultural dish.

I missed the bit on lobscouse - program had already started when I went downstairs to watch! 

May have to watch that bit via I-Player!