Tag: Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes

? UK TV programmes to watch this week : 01/09/2018

How the Victorians Built Britain (Channel 5/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Saturday 1st September 2018)

Michael Buerk travels Britain to explore the innovations of the Victorian age. Michael reveals how Victorian engineers revolutionised public transport, with the inventions of the omnibus, the modern-day bicycle and the London Underground.

Bodyguard (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 2nd September 2018)

As the capital shudders in the wake of two terrorist attacks, specialist protection officer PS David Budd is more under pressure than ever to keep the home secretary Julia Montague safe. The threat to her life does nothing to curb Julia’s political ambitions, as her counterterrorism bill takes another step towards being made law, provoking political rivalries. With the police marginalised from the investigation into the attacks in favour of the security service, David is caught between his new-found loyalty to Julia and his superiors’ demands for intelligence on her activities.

Neighbours (Channel 5/HD | 1:45pm to 2:15pm | Monday 3rd September 2018)

Aaron and David tie the knot, despite Susan having pulled out as their celebrant. An eccentric woman turns up in the Waterhole and offers to stand in. To everyone’s amazement, she turns out to be Jemima, Karl’s half-sister. Elsewhere, Leo and Terese finally succumb to temptation.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (more4 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 3rd September 2018)

Phil explores the magnificent Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and gets to know its formidable builders, John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah. Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, Phil’s host, explains that the palace was a gift to the Marlborough family from their friend Queen Anne, a monument to the Duke’s victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. However, in the archive Phil discovers the build was plagued with problems: fall-outs with the architect, unpaid builders and costs beyond even the wildest estimates. Phil tots up a total in today’s money that makes Blenheim the most expensive house he’s ever visited.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 4th September 2018)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). In Brighton the crew are called out to what they think is just a routine job – towing a yacht that has lost power back to harbour – but a sudden spring squall and mountainous waves leave the crew fighting to save the yacht and themselves from being dashed on the shore.

Britain by Bike with Larry and George Lamb (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 7th September 2018)

Travelogue series with the father-and-son duo, exploring Britain’s most spectacular cycle routes from the saddle. The Lambs set off to conquer Snowdon but are blown off course, George puts a Llama display team through their paces, and they have to hang on tight when they try one of the longest zip wires in the world.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 25/08/2018

The Adventure Show (BBC 2 & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 26th August 2018)

The Adventure Show is at Fort William as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup returns to Scotland. Events include the fast, gladiatorial 4X and the brutal downhill, which launches off from the top of the Nevis range, with the best riders in the world plummeting 555 metres down one of the longest and toughest courses on the circuit. Presented by Duncan McCallum and Dougie Vipond.

Flying Across Britain with Arthur Williams (Channel 4/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 26th August 2018)

Arthur’s final airborne journey covers the epicentre of Britain’s wartime aviation effort – the east coast. He visits four airfields that played a role in World War Two, but have completely changed since. First up is Lincolnshire, which once boasted 46 military airfields. Only five remain today. At East Kirkby, a local family have bought and preserved part of the former airbase as a memorial. Flying over East Anglia, Arthur has an overview of the staggering scale of the wartime ‘friendly invasion’ by tens of thousands of American servicemen. At RAF Lakenheath, he sees the US Air Force’s awesome F15 fighter. At Cranwell, he visits the world’s oldest and grandest air academy and home to the only aerobatic team in the world licensed to take passengers – and there’s no way Arthur’s leaving without hitching a ride.

Hidden Britain by Drone (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 26th August 2018)

Britain is full of places that are hidden from public view, with their secrets locked away behind high walls and heavy gates… until now. History and travel enthusiast Sir Tony Robinson uses the latest aerial filming technology to reveal new aspects of our country in a completely different way. Dispatching flying cameras of many shapes and sizes, Tony opens up the far reaches of Britain. In this episode, Tony sends his drones to a top-security active nuclear decommissioning site. They also reveal the truth behind crop circles and explore the hidden world of bats.

Bodyguard (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 26th August 2018)

After distinguishing himself by courageously neutralising a terrorist threat, troubled war veteran Police Sergeant David Budd of the Metropolitan Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch (RaSP) is assigned as a principal protection officer to the home secretary, the Rt Hon Julia Montague MP. Julia is a controversial politician intent on pushing a new counterterrorism bill through Parliament which would give the security service enhanced surveillance powers. Her political ambitions make Julia a high-profile target. Dedicated to his job but concealing deep resentment of politicians following his traumas in Helmand, David’s divided loyalties might make him Julia’s greatest threat.

Bodyguard (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 27th August 2018)

Another terrorist attack raises the UK threat level to severe. Home secretary Julia Montague holds secret meetings with the director general of the security service, freezing out the police and her own minister of state for counter terrorism. As Julia’s stance on national security propels her into the public eye, specialist protection officer David Budd is on high alert while being put under pressure by senior police officers to spy on Julia. However, David’s natural animosity towards Julia fades as his home life becomes more difficult. When Julia becomes a target, David’s loyalty to her is challenged.

Drinkers Like Me – Adrian Chiles (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pn to 10:00pm | Monday 27th August 2018)

In this revealingly intimate documentary, Adrian Chiles takes a long hard look at his own love of boozing. He wants to find out why he and many others don’t think they are addicted to alcohol, despite finding it almost impossible to enjoy life without it. Adrian, who drinks almost every day, decides to start a drinking diary and soon finds out his intake is way over the recommended limit. He decides to visit his parents to find out what it was that motivated him to start drinking as a teenager and reveals that sneaking into pubs underage was all about friendship and being part of something, and that the allure of the social side of drinking has never really left him since his teens.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (more4 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 27th August 2018)

Phil visits the beautiful Houghton Hall in Norfolk, built by Britain’s first Prime Minister, the wily Sir Robert Walpole. Phil is keener than ever to uncover the building costs, because they were Sir Robert’s best kept secret. As guest of its current owner, Lord David Cholmondeley, Phil uncovers a house clearly built without any limit on costs: It features some of the finest carved stone interiors ever created, jaw-dropping bedrooms, ‘beer taps’ in a marble dining room, and the most extravagant thing Phil has ever seen: a 17ft silver embroidered bed. It’s no wonder Sir Robert wanted to keep the costs – and how he raised the money – a secret; the truth could have rocked Parliament.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 28th August 2018)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Keeping watch over the River Thames, the crew at Tower in central London, the busiest of the RNLI’s 238 stations, are called to a man reported in the water eight miles downstream. On arrival, they discover a river bus already on the scene and their crew desperately trying to hang on to the unmoving man before he disappears under the water.

Britain by Bike with Larry and George Lamb (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 31st August 2018)

Travelogue series with the father-and-son duo, exploring Britain’s most spectacular cycle routes from the saddle. The Lambs challenge each other to a race through Britain’s first ever National Park, join the World Hen Racing Championships, and indulge in the local tradition of springtime sheep-washing.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

? UK TV programmes to watch this week : 18/08/2018

The Adventure Show (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

In the first of a new series, the Adventure Show travels to Balmoral on Royal Deeside for the British Orienteering Championships as members of the orienteering community battle it out in a supreme test of physical fitness and mental dexterity. Also on the programme, how one man is determined not to let his life-changing illness stop him doing what he loves most – mountain biking. 

Flying Across Britain with Arthur Williams (Channel 4/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

Arthur leaves his home airfield in Warwickshire and heads north of the border to Scotland. The complex coastline of Argyll and Bute is his ultimate destination, but there’s time on the way for a visit to Glasgow and a day-trip to Loch Lomond in a seaplane, for a quick lesson in highland flying. The sun shines for Arthur’s flight up the west coast with Jura and Kintyre as a majestic backdrop. At Oban, Arthur goes in search of wrecked seaplanes from World War Two, before flying to the Inner Hebrides and one of the most celebrated and beautiful tiny airfields.

Hidden Britain by Drone (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 19th August 2018)

Britain is full of places that are hidden from public view, with their secrets locked away behind high walls and heavy gates… until now. History and travel enthusiast Sir Tony Robinson uses the latest aerial filming technology to reveal new aspects of our country in a completely different way. Dispatching flying cameras of many shapes and sizes, Tony opens up the far reaches of Britain. In this episode, Tony’s drones reveal the largest cave complex in Britain, hidden beehives on top of Fortnum and Mason, and a ginormous recycling plant for aeroplanes.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (more4 | 9:00pm to | 10:00pm | Monday 20th August 2018)

When is a stately home not a stately home? When it’s a stately castle. At beautiful Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, Phil is invited by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland to learn how the castle was built – and discovers a Regency love story to rival Jane Austen. The present-day Duchess Emma introduces Phil to her Regency predecessor Duchess Elizabeth, and allows Phil exclusive access to the Belvoir’s usually off-limits archive. Phil learns that the castle’s creators had to sell whole villages to fund the building work, and reveals the mind-boggling total cost in today’s money. Phil encounters evidence of an aristocratic sex scandal painted on the ceiling, which was later disguised by royal decree. He searches for a lost railway under the castle, and tries his hand at modern-day pest control with a medieval twist.

Saving Lives at Sea (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 21st August 2018)

Documentary following the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The crew of Salcombe lifeboat station attend a mayday call to a fisherman pulled to the bottom of the sea ensnared in his own fishing gear, and a devastating fire on a boat 15 miles out in the channel. As they go to the rescue of a father and his 13-year-old son missing at sea, the crew of Moelfre station uncover a story of survival and heroism.

Mega Shippers (Quest/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Tuesday 21st August 2018)

The pressure is on to export three offshore wind towers to safeguard a Scottish town’s economic future. And, a 130-tonne locomotive is winched onto a narrow trailer.

The Secret Life of Landfill: A Rubbish History (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:30pm | Thursday 23rd August 2018)

In a unique science experiment, Dr George McGavin and material scientist Zoe Laughlin chronicle the history of rubbish and explore how what we throw away tells us about the way we live our lives. With unprecedented access to one of the UK’s largest landfill sites, the team of experts spend three days carrying out tests all over the site, revealing the secret world of rubbish. They also carry out three other ‘archaeological’ digs into historic landfills to chart the evolution of our throwaway society. Ultimately, their quest is to discover whether the items we throw away today have any value for tomorrow’s world.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

? UK TV programmes to watch this week : 11/08/2018

Flying Across Britain with Arthur Williams (Channel 4/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 12th August 2018)

Arthur Williams used to be a Royal Marine, but eight years ago he realised his life-long ambition of learning to fly, and is now the proud owner of a tiny – and very yellow – aeroplane. Together, they’re off on an amazing aerial adventure – a grand exploration of Britain from the air. In the second episode, Arthur is in the South East, plotting a path around London airspace, where, ‘One wrong move here, and you can land yourself in a lot of trouble’. Over the Isle of Sheppey, on the North Kent coast, he locates clearer skies and visits the spot where British aviation first got off the ground in 1909. Later, Arthur follows the M25 from 1000 feet, before dropping in on the vast Cardington Sheds, home to the biggest aircraft in the world. He also visits Biggin Hill and takes a Spitfire out for a spin, high above the Kent countryside.

Hidden Britain by Drone (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 12th August 2018)

Britain is full of places that are hidden from public view, with their secrets locked away behind high walls and heavy gates… until now. History and travel enthusiast Sir Tony Robinson uses the latest aerial filming technology to reveal new aspects of our country in a completely different way. Dispatching flying cameras of many shapes and sizes, Tony opens up the far reaches of Britain. In this episode Tony’s drones reveal the mysterious workings of a sewage plant, a top-secret underground Cold War bunker, a super-sized luxury car emporium, and a collection of rusting sea-forts that were once a hideaway for pirates.

Saving Poundstretcher (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 13th August 2018)

As the crisis on Britain’s high streets grows, big brands are going bust or axing stores and thousands of jobs. Poundstretcher, one of Britain’s oldest discount stores, is caught up in the maelstrom. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the family-owned chain, with 6000 jobs, the family’s fortune tied up in the business and the public relying on it; for many, on a budget, it’s a lifeline. In need of expert help, Aziz Tayub and his three sons bring in retail guru Chris Edwards as a new CEO. His brief: to save the company. Poundstretcher loses millions of pounds every year to theft, as there seems to be a growing army of shoplifters, who store managers like Tracey, in Bolton, heroically confront. However, in this episode, shocking revelations suggest that the real issue lies closer to home. Chris has brought in a new head of loss prevention, ex-army tough guy Mark Boyd, who discovers that some staff members are partly to blame for Poundstretcher’s losses.

Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes (more4 | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 13th August 2018)

Phil Spencer returns for another grand tour of Britain’s magnificent stately homes. This series includes trips to Blenheim Palace, Belvoir Castle, Houghton Hall, and Longleat House. With special access to amazing archives, Phil uncovers the dramatic stories of how these exceptional homes came to be, and calculates the staggering amounts of materials, manpower and money it took to turn aristocratic ambition into bricks and mortar. Phil’s first visit of this series is to Longleat House in Wiltshire, home to the Viscount of Weymouth and his wife Lady Emma.

Britain by Bike with Larry and George Lamb (Channel 5/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 17th August 2018)

Travelogue series with father-and-son duo Larry and George Lamb, exploring Britain’s most spectacular cycle routes from the saddle. The pair load their bikes on to the Paddington-Penzance sleeper train and after taking a ferry across the Celtic sea, they head to the island paradise of the Isles of Scilly.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.