Notes on A Dirty Island - Panorama 11 August

[Twoflower]

I don't watch much telly if I can help it but this looked interesting.

Panorama: Notes on a Dirty Island
6 August 2008

When writer Bill Bryson first arrived in Britain in 1972, he thought he'd found the loveliest, most cared for country in the world. His massive bestseller Notes From a Small Island celebrated the intrinsic worth of our thoroughly pleasant isle and won the national poll to find the book which best represented modern England.

So, how is modern England doing? Reporting for BBC’s Panorama on Monday 11 August, in a personal and passionate account, Bryson says he's appalled at how we now treat our surroundings like a rubbish tip, and castigates our apparent inability to walk or drive anywhere without leaving a trail of litter. He tours the country, illustrating the scale of the problem, whilst also demonstrating change can be achieved and that we should not despair of the task.

"Travelling for Panorama I was reminded just how beautiful this country is and also how routinely trashed it is by people that litter and fly-tip." Said Bryson, "Studies show that it's done by a very small proportion of people, and of the people who litter, high proportions can be persuaded to change their ways, and that's what gives me hope. We easily filmed enough material for an hour long documentary, but I hope people will enjoy the 30 minute impact of Panorama and then be inspired to help us".

As president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Bryson believes he's just the man to challenge us to clean up our act and, more importantly, to clean up Britain. To that end, he has launched CPRE’s Stop the Drop campaign as a crusade against litter and fly-tipping. Visit www.cpre.org.uk to find out more.

Panorama: Notes on a Dirty Island

BBC One: 8.30pm, August 11th 2008

Reporter: Bill Bryson

 

[mick miller]

Speaking as someone who frequently return from my local woods laden with at least one full bag of discarded litter I'll be watching this. My own take on this is that since the collapse of discipline in schools and homes around the country the problem has only got worse.

I often see the 'yoot' of today casually discarding there food wrappers and drinks cans seemingly without any regard for their environment or surroundings, a very sad state of affairs. When I was a wee lad I would have dropped litter at my peril, as there would have been a dozen or more adults around willing to wade in with clipped ears or smacked backsides. Moreover, I was taught very early on that only the moronic drop litter, an attitude I maintain to this day right or wrong.

Still the problem doesn't begin and end with children, I've had personal experience of catching up with a child who had casually threw a wrapper; only to be warned by the following father that it was none of my business and that I had better not talk to his kid like that again. Makes you wonder doesn't it, morons breeding more morons.

Anyone else remember the Keep Britian Tidy ads from the 70's and 80's? Whatever happened to those messages?

 

[IntrepidStu]

Nice find TwoFlower, Ill be watching.
Intrepid.

 

[ANDYRAF]

I've read most of his books and think they are good. It is strange though that a colonial thinks more of Britain than some of the people that live here, good luck to him I'll be watching.

 

[Twoflower]

For anyone that missed this, it's now on iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00d1z0b/

(i'm about to watch it myself)

 

[susi]

For anyone that missed this, it's now on iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00d1z0b/

(i'm about to watch it myself)

The BBC don't feed this outside of the UK, so if anyone comes across another source, would appreciate to hear about it.