A1: the road musical

[percy toboggan]

The Great North Road...such an evocative moniker for a stretch of tarmac.

Did anyone else see C4's 'road movie' at half seven tonight? All about the A! heading north under the Archway out of London.
At first I thought it eccentric, even daft but it soon grabbed hold of me. A truck driver heads north from London and encounters all and sundry from ex-miners - graft etched in their faces- to a bunch of bikers near Sherburn-in-Elmet.

A grieving brother, tormented by his young siblings death near Wetherby.... one of so many claimed by the road down the years.

For all proud Scots there was a brilliant set in Berwick-upon-Tweed where a passionate guy enlists the help of the town to stake a claim for 'Scottishness'

Add a really funny song from a Pole in Peterborough and here we have a classic of its time - now! In years to come this might rank alongside 'Night Mail' in importance. If you missed it you missed a treat. I think C4 have a view again facility if you're interested. If you're a thinking human, or just like roads and travel ,it's well worth a look.

It's a shame the A1 doesn't go all the way to Scrabster...what's with this number nine nonsense anyway??...we need a revolution*..to re-name it the A1...in my umble opinion.

*in-joke for Beatle fans.

[Angela]

I absolutely loved it :D and I did wonder if you were watching, percy.

Wonderful characters and some great music -one of these rare programmes I wished was longer.

It reminded me of the years I lived in York and drove a lot both north to Edinburgh and also south on the A1 - it really took me back to some very happy times and brought a tear to my eye.:~(

[percy toboggan]

thanks for the thought Angela.
I think what struck me most was the pallour on the faces of those old miners. Most
coal miners don't live to a great age but these lads have done pretty well in the longevity stakes. Hard work was etched into their faces though and moistened my eyes. I've just invested a few quid into UK Coal and besides the selfish motives involved I'm pleased to be a miniscule part of the industry which broke backs, fed families, and made this country great. True it also made the fat fatter but I can't help that.

I'm so glad I taped this programme to disc. The A1 has played a minor role in my life but an memorable one. Like the time I picked up a homosexual hitchhiker outside Dunbar...he didn't go all the way (turfed him out north of Newcastle)
....to the blow-out me and my mate Tom survived at eighty near Scotch Corner....my (then best friend's) best friend being killed as he pulled out of a junction near Dishforth...hundreds of trips in all manner of vehicles including a belter in '68 to see City win the championship at Newcastle....a rain soaked midnight rally ride 'Storming the Castle' in 1993 on the old XV750...me & Sue arriving wet on the outside at 1am and soaked on the inside with Strongbow Super by 4-00am!...Following our mates on her 'ironhead' hardtail chop and his Katana1100up to Lindisfarne the day after....countless 'nights-out' (yeah right) at Barton Truck Stop (and various others) outside Darlington...late night meals in the caff watching all and sundry come and go and engaging many in conversation. The odd pish up at Birtley Truck Stop watching third rate cabaret....and the time my trailer roof was opened overnight like a can of beans at Washington Services and hundreds of thousands of full fag packets went west...oh yes, the A1 has played a substantial part in a Bminus working life to which the end is slowly approaching...I guess in terms of the road I'm an old Foden chugging up a gradient north of Alnwick with that rugged stretch of coastline to come over my right shoulder, and with Scotland ahead the best is yet to come.

If only I could put it all to music!

[Michael S Ross]

Dear Percy

I'm the guy from Berwick. Very pleased that you enjoyed the thing. I must say, it was a box tick for me, before I die, (not too soon I hope).

The amazing thing, when you don't work in TV is realising that I spent three and a bit days, to produce about three minutes of TV.

I'm trying to get some cash to stand SNP in England at next election.

BTW I think this must be the busiest web site I have ever seen! Well done.



Mike


Berwick upon Tweed

[AfternoonDelight]

Dear Percy

I'm the guy from Berwick. Very pleased that you enjoyed the thing. I must say, it was a box tick for me, before I die, (not too soon I hope).

The amazing thing, when you don't work in TV is realising that I spent three and a bit days, to produce about three minutes of TV.

I'm trying to get some cash to stand SNP in England at next election.

BTW I think this must be the busiest web site I have ever seen! Well done.



Mike


Berwick upon Tweed

Class in a glass!!:cool:

[Angela]

Dear Percy

I'm the guy from Berwick. Very pleased that you enjoyed the thing. I must say, it was a box tick for me, before I die, (not too soon I hope).

The amazing thing, when you don't work in TV is realising that I spent three and a bit days, to produce about three minutes of TV.

I'm trying to get some cash to stand SNP in England at next election.

BTW I think this must be the busiest web site I have ever seen! Well done.


Mike


Berwick upon Tweed

Was that really you, Mike? well, my word, I thought you were great -maybe only three minutes LOL but they were real quality! :D

Berwick upon Tweed feels Scottish to me whenever I'm there. Do you think the majority of the population would vote to return to the fold ?:)

[percy toboggan]

Let's face it, in any referendum for Berwick at the moment you'd have to be a raving nutcase to vote English.

Your 'spot' on the prog was brilliant and I'm not surprised it took so long to perfect. The girl guitarists oozed attitude and everything really gelled. I will watch it again soon.

I'm hopefully north of the border on saturday for a week and will revel in my albeit temporary status as a resident of a country which seems to be governed for the benefit of its own citizens, whichever party is in power. One day I'll make it permanent - we've had a referendum in our 'ouse already! - Unanimous.

(but the politics isn't my motivation I must add)...anyway...

....I'm glad you posted here Mike...stick around.

[Melancholy Man]

For all proud Scots there was a brilliant set in Berwick-upon-Tweed where a passionate guy enlists the help of the town to stake a claim for 'Scottishness'.'Fraid I was grimacing, although not at the musical preformance (and I know he's on this thread). His ideal situation would be to move the border doon a couple of miles so his house would be included? A proud Scot would move! A proud Berwicker wouldn't counternance leaving other Berwickers under the Westminster yoke just so he could make jolly in Scotland!

Illegally occupied Scottish land? Okay, let's ignore the first word, and ask why not extend all the way down through what was the Anglo-Saxon kingdom Northumbria... or cleave off up to Edinburgh which, following this argument, is legitimately part of a territory which is predominately in England.

Sounds like paradox of the Shetlanders' oil the SNP wants to steal!