Balamory goes cycling

[David Martin]

Yup, everyone's favourite nursery teacher goes cycling. As one would
expect there was the usual H* word but most of it focussed on following
the rules of the road.

The producers obviously hadn't been on a bike for a few years.. they'd
manage to raid the antiques department for a cycling proficiency badge
and most of the advice was OK but some was dated and deprecated.

Scenario: Josie is being taken through the motions by Plummers.. she is
envisaging going down to the harbour and slowing down. So instead of
keeping both hands on the brakes she is instructed to wave her right
arm up and down indicating slowing down. Great. Not only do you confuse
the heck out of motorists who have no idea what you are doing, you also
have less control of the bike.

But the focus was generally good, being on riding behaviour rather than
apparel and included a bike check, even though they didn't say what was
being checked.

Not bad.. gets 6/10 in my book.

...d

[Danny Colyer]

David Martin wrote:
> Scenario: Josie is being taken through the motions by Plummers..

I'll never again be able to watch Balamory without thinking of the
discussion of tactical voting in Balamory on the Dead Ringers election
special:
"Nobody wants to let PC Plum in the back door."

> So instead of
> keeping both hands on the brakes she is instructed to wave her right
> arm up and down indicating slowing down. Great. Not only do you confuse
> the heck out of motorists who have no idea what you are doing, you also
> have less control of the bike.

Nothing wrong with correct signalling. I use that signal every day. Of
course there are plenty of motorists who don't know what it means -
that's not a problem, because they tend to back off while they try to
work out what I'm about to do.

If you have adequate control of the bike to start with then appropriate,
well timed signalling doesn't significantly reduce it. Unless you're
riding downhill, of course.

Of course, the target audience of Balamory probably ought to be
concentrating more on having adequate control of the bike to start with.
OTOH some of the parents may benefit from being taught a signal that
they haven't learnt by not reading the HC.

> But the focus was generally good, being on riding behaviour rather than
> apparel and included a bike check, even though they didn't say what was
> being checked.

Sadly I haven't seen the episode, but I'm sure I will at some point.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

[andhar]

Myself and a few others were involved with the filming of Josie takes
part in a cycle race for an episode of Balamory. The BBC of course
forgot to bring a bike for the actress who plays Josie, so she had to
borrow a bike from one of the lady cyclists; who was around the same
size. Josie also hadnt ridden a bike since she was 15, so this current
episode may only be the second time that she has ridden one recently.


--
andhar

[David Martin]

andhar wrote:
> Myself and a few others were involved with the filming of Josie takes
> part in a cycle race for an episode of Balamory. The BBC of course
> forgot to bring a bike for the actress who plays Josie, so she had to
> borrow a bike from one of the lady cyclists; who was around the same
> size. Josie also hadnt ridden a bike since she was 15, so this current
> episode may only be the second time that she has ridden one recently.

Sounds like a typically incompetent bit of management..

The thing that got me about the episode I saw was the two adults
(Hoolie and Jump) riding the wrong way into a junction, obvious due to
the rather large white arrow painted on the road.. while the voice over
was doing the rules of the road spiel and how important it is to obey
them..

...d

[Zog The Undeniable]

David Martin wrote:

> The thing that got me about the episode I saw was the two adults
> (Hoolie and Jump) riding the wrong way into a junction, obvious due to
> the rather large white arrow painted on the road.. while the voice over
> was doing the rules of the road spiel and how important it is to obey
> them..

I'm always amazed by the incredible range of ethnic diversity in a
Scottish island community. I thought Balamory [1] would be like
Summerisle, only without the Wicker Man - i.e. 100% white pagans with
one Swede thrown in ;-)

[1] it's Tobermory really; but the pink castle is somewhere near
Berwick, hence the computer-generated graphics showing the supposed
relation of the buildings.

[emma]

The actress who plays Edie Mc Credie was apparently IN the wicker man.
And sadly I was disappointed I only caught the end of this episode -
It's on way too much as its keeps the tiny offspring quiet for about 10
mins. And me apparently :)

[soup]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
> [1] it's Tobermory really; but the pink castle is somewhere near
> Berwick, hence the computer-generated graphics showing the supposed
> relation of the buildings.

From :-
http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_4155.shtml

Archie the Inventor's castle is Fenton Tower, a 16th-century tower
house at North Berwick, 20 miles east of Edinburgh.
--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

[soup]

emma wrote:
> The actress who plays Edie Mc Credie was apparently IN the wicker man.
> And sadly I was disappointed I only caught the end of this episode -
> It's on way too much as its keeps the tiny offspring quiet for about
> 10 mins. And me apparently :)

/me sings
"Call on Edie , Edie McCredie... "

Guess who's youngest is able to tell new episodes from old ones by the
lines on the road?

Was it Britt Eckland that was the publican's/landlord's daughter and did
that wall slapping dance?
(only seen the film once and [gets pipe 'n' slippers] I were nowt but a
nipper)

--
yours S

Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione

[Sara Kirk]

In article >, soup
> wrote:

> emma wrote:
> > The actress who plays Edie Mc Credie was apparently IN the wicker man.
> > And sadly I was disappointed I only caught the end of this episode -
> > It's on way too much as its keeps the tiny offspring quiet for about
> > 10 mins. And me apparently :)
>
> /me sings
> "Call on Edie , Edie McCredie... "
>
> Guess who's youngest is able to tell new episodes from old ones by the
> lines on the road?
>
> Was it Britt Eckland that was the publican's/landlord's daughter and did
> that wall slapping dance?
> (only seen the film once and [gets pipe 'n' slippers] I were nowt but a
> nipper)

Yes - saw her interviewed (if such is the word) by Johnathon Ross a
couple of years ago, where he cited that scene as one that helped him
through those troublesome teenage years. Can't imagine what he meant.

--
Sara

iChat: sarakirk (AIM)
So, what are you going to do? Sucker me to death?