From BBC: Britain Afloat – A history of the British people told through six of its best loved boats
A six-part documentary series for BBC Two – Saturday 30 September BBC2
Mary Ann Ochota presents the series
Mary-Ann Ochota travels the waterways of Britain, discovering how boats have shaped our lives.
Britain Afloat is a six part series that explores the regional distinctiveness of boat design and the floating way of life, from the modest coracle – whose shape was adapted to suit individual rivers across Britain – to the imposing Thames sailing barges – boats that helped build London.
In each episode, Mary-Ann uncovers the story of a different boat’s design and evolution and discovers the impact it had on the people and communities who have used it, both in days gone by, and today. Although many of the boats in question are no longer used for their original purposes, the series shows why they are still such an important part of ‘British heritage’.
Along the way Mary-Ann meets the people who are passionate about the boats: people who maintain traditions and are a link to past-times, further on in the series Mary-Ann meets up with celebrated Olympians Anna Watkins and Sir Steve Redgrave, as well as veteran boat builders, learning how technology and the athletes’ quest for speed continues to drive design to the limits.
The series explores:
1 The Thames Sailing Barge – Mary -Ann discovers the boat that helped build Victorian London and played an important part at Dunkirk. There are still about 30 of these boats on the water – once there were more than 2000 – though nowadays the emphasis is very much on pleasure, something Mary-Ann experiences for herself when she joins the annual Thames Barge match. Shows on BBC 7.30pm – Friday 29 September, London and South East; Saturday 30 September 8pm rest of England and Wales.
2 The Coracle – Mary-Ann finds out about the coracle, an ancient boat that can be made from twigs and a bed sheet, yet which has saved lives in desperate times. She also makes her very own, which she uses to race in the annual Ironbridge Coracle Regatta, an event that proves there is still an enduring popularity to these little boats, even if the focus is now very much on fun. Saturday 7 October BBC2 8pm
3 The Narrow Boat – this episode explores the story of the working Narrow Boat discovering how this boat helped power our great Industrial Revolution and shaped the lives of those who earned their living from the canals.
4 The Punt – From a Bronze Age craft dug up in the mud of East Anglia to the extraordinary gun punt, Mary-Ann discovers how these boats allowed people to hunt, fish and trade. Archive film tells the story of their transformation into an Edwardian leisure craze that still endures today.
5 The Mersey Sailing Boats – This episode discovers how the Mersey, famous for its port, also played a vital part in the development of pleasure sailing. What began with fishermen racing each other, led to the formation of numerous sailing clubs, all with their own particular design of boat.
6 The Rowing Eight – Mary-Ann discovers how the Rowing Eight – the fastest rowing boat in the world – can trace its origins to Thames river taxis from the 1600s. From its working class origins the boat has become the centre-piece of regattas all over the world. Yet despite its origins – entertainment for river workers – the Rowing Eight found itself at the centre of a class war that ended up in Parliament. Shows in regions other than the South East on BBC1 September 29 7.30pm.
Series producer, Ed Barlow says: “Britain Afloat is a series that really embodies ‘great’ British tradition, enterprise and ingenuity, and shows how some of our most well-known boats have developed throughout the centuries – often in ways their original designers and users could never have anticipated.
“It’s not just about the boats though – Britain Afloat is as much about the people and communities that have used them, both in centuries gone by and today, and around the country Mary-Ann meets the dedicated and passionate enthusiasts who are maintaining traditions and preserving old boats, ensuring that they stay on the water for years to come.”
The series will take us from pole to paddle, sail to steam – from the disarmingly simple to the state of the art. Britain Afloat can be watched on BBC Two on 30 September at 8pm.
Main image shows sailing barge Edme. Preview clips: HERE