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"Restoration" is returning!
Straker
Posts: 79,657 Forum Member
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One of my fave shows ever is coming back after appearing to be ditched for good:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/restoration-saved-but-bbc-pulls-down-griff-rhys-jones-1863269.html
No Griff but I hope they’ve not been so foolish as to jettison the Mulder and Scully of the architectural world, Ptolemy and Marianne.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/restoration-saved-but-bbc-pulls-down-griff-rhys-jones-1863269.html
No Griff but I hope they’ve not been so foolish as to jettison the Mulder and Scully of the architectural world, Ptolemy and Marianne.
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At last maybe the BBC are moving away from their; "fixation with the cult of the celebrity presenter."
What I found irritating was that apart from some hovel in Scotland, despite all the millions collected and the various series screened, naff-all seemed to get finished.
Well the Greyfriars Tower in Kings Lynn is now restored also the Windmill at Moulton is very nearly finished just the sails left to go on.
Hmm..
So after all this time, "one and a bit?"
It's not really the same programme though, sorry to disappoint you. Three experts reporting on private individuals restoring Grade I/II listed buildings, so very interesting I hope but not remotely the same format or ethos.
I've no idea whether Ptolemy and Marianne are going to be involved in this one!
Hmm..
You've seemed to have missed my point.
I can't remember any "follow up" programmes that showed much real progress.
I lost interest as there was so much "rabbit" and very little action shown, too much of the "restore-offs" and "phone votes." After months we'd be told; "the plans are well on the way."
The dedicated BBC message boards seemed more interested in the inter-action between Ptolemy and Marianne.
The last series? Which was "Hey let's throw lots of money at rotting piles in inaccessible places!" was a disaster as the subjects I found boring.
You can't go 500 yards in this country without finding something someone will say is worth restoring.
It's all about "sustainable use" and some schemes were really fanciful. There's a finite amount of money people are prepared to shell out in visiting "historical attractions" so a lot must have been doomed to failure.
Personally, I'm of the opinion that "enough's enough."
I hope this new series doesn't come with another begging bowl. If it's a completely different format, why have a working title of "Restoration?"
Oh yes, "ratings chasing."
Really? You commented fairly lengthily in another place that you watched the Restoration Revisited programme and that as you expected nothing had been achieved, when they revisited all the ones I mentioned and a good few more besides. If you lost interest and didn't watch, fair enough, but it seems disingenuous to then present your incomplete information as fact! But then, it gives you an opportunity to moan, so who am I to deprive you of that!
It's pretty usual to have a working title that isn't the same as the final one, so we'll have to wait and see what they do with it. It seems a fairly sensible marketing ploy to tie it in with a popular programme. But we won't know that for a bit.
Personally I think the programme did a lot of good and encouraged a lot of people to get involved in their local built environment, which I think is a good thing. Anything to hinder the gradual erosion of buildings with even the slightest degree of interest for the sake of a fast buck. I hope this new show encourages people to look at restoring buildings for domestic purpose as well.
I don't have the clearest recollection of Series 3 as I carelessly gave birth in the middle of the final, but I thought you had commented fairly thoroughly on that too? Sorry if I'm confusing you with someone else.
I don't think it's particularly useful to comment that nothing gets done if you haven't followed the progress, really.
Agree about the presentation of some of the cases - a small price to pay though I feel.
As I remember it there was always "more rabbit than restoration."
I'm a bit vague about it now but I seem to remember one project where after two years, nothing much had happened.
"As a price to pay" for me, it's too much.
Digressing,
I could never stand "Time Team" I always wondered "What's the difference? Take another month!"
I felt that it was worth it if it got people involved and thinking - not everyone has a gift for presenting, and particularly people committed enough to get involved in a project like that and get it that far are inclined to go a mite over the top when they have a chance to plead its case. Certainly it never got in the way of my enjoyment of the programme and what it achieved.
I can't stand Time Team. It always seems very shoddily done to me, but I have a next to nil knowledge of archaeology so maybe I'm not the best person to criticise!
I cannot emphasise how much red tape gets in the way of securing the future of a property. Not only are there landowners to negotiate with, there are councils, neighbours and Government bodies. The very fortunate few that are not Grade listed or within conservation areas will avoid some hurdles but generally speaking it can be years to get all these people to agree. And then comes money and that really is a nightmare - filling in forms to get money is a full time job in itself and pretty much everyone in our project has been working full time so that means practical work like ground clearance, making structures safe is largely down to other volunteers. And so it goes on - over the period of several years people leave for all sorts of reasons from jobs to death, birth and marriage so that vacant role needs to be filled.
Restoration did do a brief programme on how the buildings got on but it wasn't all of them which is frustrating and I agree that I would much rather the focus was on the buildings not the presenters but I understand from people involved in the properties featured that all three knew their stuff including Griff who has restored both a boat and a cottage.
What Restoration did succeed in doing is making communities aware that there was a project on their doorstep that needed help and finding volunteers is a nightmare. It also raised money- please do remember that the 'begging bowl' is essential to funding these projects. I would love to see a programme that gives equal status to each project in an intelligent manner that shows the difficulties that I've mention, the successes and acheivements so that others might be inspired to save somewhere or learn from it. The competition just cheapened the entire affair and served no purpose but waste valuable minutes.
In the meantime it's worth remembering that the most effective way to get a restoration moving is to get involved so please volunteer to help. Time is critical despite the lengthy red tape and help is always appreciated.
GRJ I believe was offered the job in the first place due to his fund raising involvement for the restoration of the Hackney Empire.