Ray Mears' Next Series?

[Stew]

I would just like to see someone yack about our woodlands.....

I totally agree!

That was one of the things I liked about the early Tracks episodes Ray did. Although i know it's not quite what you mean Jack, they were generally a lot more relevant.

Things such as, how to make cordage out of willow bark, or different uses for fungi other than eating are realisticaly much more useful to me than knowing how to survive in the desert! (although it's nice to know that too!! )

 

[Adi007]

I agree ... while it's great to see more and understand different cultures and environments, I've felt that it's rapidly becoming a travel programme. Desert survival and Arctic living are interesting but there's plenty that could be done that is UK based. What we want is a Bushtucker Man for the UK ... OK, I loved that show even if most of it was irrelevant to the UK but I'd like to see something like that for the UK.

We know more about the planes of Africa, & the North Pole than we do about our own countryside.

 

[Womble]

Another update from the Woodlore Mailing list:

"Spring is now here! The sap is rising in the Birch trees and Ray is in the forest filming with the BBC and is unable to write a personal message to you. If you tune in to his new series Bushcraft, in the Autumn, you no doubt will be able to see what he has been up to!"

YAY!!!!! :-D

Pity it doesn't involve a skateboard...

 

[Adi007]

Pity it doesn't involve a skateboard...

:shock:

 

[Womble]

the teeny-tiny writing I thought appropriate considering the poorness of the joke.

 

[Adi007]

the teeny-tiny writing I thought appropriate considering the poorness of the joke.

:rolmao: :biggthump

 

[Ed]

Well I for one will be looking forward to Rays new seris

Ed

 

[larry the spark]

Me too. With the title 'Bushcraft' it conjurs up all sorts of hopes and fingers crossed it ventures into topics Ray hasn't covered on film before, or maybe only touched on in his tracks segments.

Autumn seems very far away...... but the woodlore mailshot mentioned Heroes of the Telemark is repeated sometime at the end of the month, specific date not stated.

 

[donkeyporge]

Don't want to hijack this thread but does anyone have a copy of RM in the Jungle with Ewan McGregor? either Vid or even better a digital copy (VCD) i've been waiting for an aeon to see this again.

 

[bigjackbrass]

With the title 'Bushcraft' it conjurs up all sorts of hopes and fingers crossed it ventures into topics Ray hasn't covered on film before, or maybe only touched on in his tracks segments.

It's to be hoped that it's not a series about topiary, then, or you'll be gutted.

 

[larry the spark]

Haha, you're right there mate! I guess another disappointment of sorts would be the x-rated interpretation of Bushcraft........

 

[Ed]

We know more about the planes of Africa, & the North Pole than we do about our own countryside.

A sad but true fact Jack....

:-(
Ed

 

[Mikey P]

Suspect that from the message on raymears.com and the 'Tracks' stuff that has been on, new series will be skills based. Again, I hope the majority will be based on UK woodlands as I agree that it's about time we found out a bit more about what is on our doorstep than how to make a solar still.

I will be SO pleased if there is stuff on plant recognition - I am pants at this.

 

[bigjackbrass]

I'm in the same boat as you there, Mikey. My plant recognition skills amount to this:

If it's rooted to the spot, it's probably a plant.
If it's head down and charging across the field at me, foam flying from parted lips... it's not.

 

[bushwacker bob]

you met my missus then!

 

[SquirrelBoy]

Im really excited to see a new series coming along and that it will be on DVD - media I like as you get to view just the tips on how to do stuff.

What I would really like to see is all of Rays Tracks programs brought out on DVD. I wrote to the BBC a long time ago about doing this but didnt get much joy at the time.

Perhaps his next series will be more like his 5min slot on Tracks. Can only hope :-D

 

[Gary]

It would be nice if he were to spend some time covering skills and subjects much closer to our hearts but I think you all miss the point - TV isn't abut bushcraft TV is about about Audience viewing figures.

We are only a small portion of the viewing public and a travel programme even one such as 'world of survival' will attract better figures if its set in some far off land than a bushcraft programme set in Fred's back garden.

This is weighed against production cost and in many cases it is cheaper to hire a hotel for the presenter and film crew and to rent the San bushmen for three days filming in a third world country (with the expected viewing figures) than it is hire a hotel and a patch of woodland here (with less viewing figures) - the BBC arent a charity!

Having said all that I too hope its a more Track like series set in the UK as I think the whole 'World of survival' thing has been done to death now (as good as it was) Especially as you can now watch programmes on National Geographic which plainly show you the set up the San Bushmen or the Inuit now use to bring in TV dollars. In many cases their traditional skills are keep alive soley for hire by TV companies - they will be your friend too if you grease their palms in green backs.

This in itself is a good thing as otherwise the skills might be lost forever which is something that happened to our own skills base once we all got a dose of technology.

We definately need more prog's set here - Tracks was good, but anything to re-awaken awareness in our own country side would be just as welcome - shame old Jack Hargreaves isnt still about - now that was a good programme!

 

[Stew]

anything to re-awaken awareness in our own country side would be just as welcome - shame old Jack Hargreaves isnt still about - now that was a good programme!

Am I showing my age (or lack of it) by not knowing who Jack Hargreaves is?

 

[Gary]

Lack of it Stew - he had a series on TV when I was a kid and it was all about the countryside, everything from fly fishing to bodging.

Jack looked like Colonel Sanders and puffed on a pipe as he chuckled over some earthy anicdote - it was the first thing that ever inspired me to venture into the forest.

Old world magic. lost now I fear!

Cant remember what it was called though! - anybody?

 

[SquirrelBoy]

Jack Hargreaves Rules !!!

Absolutly loved that program and so did my old dad - It was called `Out Of Town`

I only have one of his programs on tape, he`s just as you say Gary. The one I have is on cider making. He used to live in the New Forest - lucky begger :-D