Heart of the Country [Programme 165]

Description

Lisa Foden visits Matlock Bath in Derbyshire which has become a mecca for motorcyclists, although no-one is sure why. Views of the town and shots of the bikers riding along the A6 (cut to music) and arriving at the town. Vox pops with bikers about the atmosphere and camaraderie they find. View of the railway station. Shots of the bikers in a café eating fried breakfasts. Interview with Brenda Peach who runs a shop in the town and can remember when it was cyclists who filled the streets.

The next report is about the village of Cold Aston in Gloucestershire. In an unlikely move the title of ‘Lord of the Manor’ was recently bought by the Sunday Times newspaper for £6,000 and given away in a competition. Views of the village fete and a speech from the competition winner Jean Eastman who is from Preston and was making her first visit to the village. Interview with local woman Joy Moreby who is not so happy about the sale of the title and with Alan Kirby of the fete committee who didn’t know about the sale, he also talks about the confusion over the village’s name which is sometimes known as Aston Blank. Tony also talks to Jean Eastman about her win and how she can hand it down to her descendants in her will.

The final report from Laura Martin is about fishing for shad on the River Wye in Herefordshire. The Shad is a sea fish but travels up the river to spawn. She talks to anglers about the species, which is not particularly popular, but may be easier to catch than salmon, and tries shad cooked by a chef on the riverbank. Tony ends the programme with an appreciation of lime trees showing various examples from around the region.

Credits

Camera: Tony Freeman; Barry Gregory; Stuart Middleton
Sound: John Payne; Michael O'Flynn
VT Editor: Peter Mason
Dubbing: Rob Nugent
Research: Holly Tatham; Laura Martin
Reporters: Lisa Foden; Jill Fraser; Laura Martin
Location Director: John Dickinson
Series Producer: Tony Francis

Notes

CAR/00838/021