Another telly makeover prog?

[Nemesis]

Channel 4 seeking quirky buildings undergoing residential conversion

Tiger Aspect productions, an independent television production company working on a restoration series for Channel 4, is looking to locate a number of properties of unique historical or architectural significance that are to be restored this year.

The project hopes to include buildings from follies, windmills, lighthouses, post offices to water towers, and signal boxes etc that have been recently acquired and are to be restored for use as a residence. Ideally the owners would already have secured planning permission for such a renovation. The producers are looking to start this project as soon as possible and hope to follow and film the renovation process from start to finish over approximately a six month period.

If you know of any buildings that fit the bill, please contact Rhodri Jones on 0207 434 6910 or email rhodrijones@tigeraspect.co.uk

From the latest Heritage Link.

Yes well - we of course call it repair, not renovation or restoration, and windmills for residential conversion?

Grrrrr!!!!!

 

[Penners]

Sounds like another opportunity to film people arguing with each other. :roll:

 

[Moo]

- and, of course, suffer the compulsory deadline stress.

 

[Penners]

- and budgetary over-runs.

"George and Linda have already spent half their funds on Martian Granite worktops. I just don't see how they're going to bring this project in on budget."

 

[Nemesis]

'Start to finish over a six month period...'

Now then - hands up all those who have ever managed that?

 

[Ian Bond]

Six months?!

Hah - not even six years.

These things are never 'finished' or completed to an arbitrary deadline.

It is just a continual programme of maintenance, conservation and gentle repair.

Not good telly that though, is it? Mind you, given some of the cr*p that's on, watching someone endlessly mixing lime mortar would be light relief.

Watching people throw £100Ks at 'renovating' a house, and finishing it all in six months justs leaves me feeling depressed as I look upon my period ruin/property!!!!!

The TV people didn't come fishing here did they? I seem to remember quite a few of these media types being sent running for the hills!

How about 'Strictly Come Limewashing'

 

[Nemesis]

Nah - I seem to think that Gervase did that (along with non stop pointing) on Destroyed to Buggery.

I think the lack of progess got up the noses of the telly people too, but like a decent wine, decent repairs should not be rushed.

 

[Ian Bond]

That and their refusal to be provoked into a panic/strop - I seem to remember that Middi and Gervase remained distinctly unflappable throughout!

And the cowsh*t definitely got up noses I'd expect.

 

[Penners]

'Start to finish over a six month period...'

Now then - hands up all those who have ever managed that?

It took Mrs P and me that long to settle our argument about the colour of the bathroom tiles.

You won't need telling who won.

 

[Nemesis]

The person with the impeccable taste?

 

[Gervase]

Nah - I seem to think that Gervase did that (along with non stop pointing) on Destroyed to Buggery.

I think the lack of progess got up the noses of the telly people too, but like a decent wine, decent repairs should not be rushed.

It drove the poor production assistant up the wall, I'm afraid. She was a terribly nice girl who was clearly under huge pressure from the series producer to come up with sturm und drang, angst and all sorts of Germanic dramas, and all I was doing was chugging away with repointing and limewashing. The crew did get excited over some dodgy plastering done by a lad I'd taken on, but even that wasn't quite as dramatic as they'd hoped.
The truth is, TV wants quick results and drama, and the only way you're going to get that with old buildings is by b*ggering them up or knocking them down.

 

[Penners]

But hey, who cares? So long as makes good TV.

 

[Penners]

The person with the impeccable taste?

No, she did.

 

[Matt Green]

Director for Grand Designs: So what percentage of timber in the farmhouse has been attacked by death watch beetle.

Me: I've no idea, I can't see all of it.

Director: ...so of the damage you can see, what percentage requires treatment, what threat is there to the building?

Me: Zero. None.

Director: ...but if you can't see all of it, how do you know it doesn't need treating?

Me: ...because tearing the farmhouse apart to find out would do more damage than the beetles...?

Director: so you're not going to recommend that then?

Curiously, I didn't make the final cut.

 

[Nemesis]

Perhaps you have a face more suited to radio?

 

[Penners]

Curiously, I didn't make the final cut.

You're applying the wrong thinking. Next time, don't think sensible, think dumb.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Channel Five (re-, re-) revisiting some of their "build a new life in the country" projects starting on Thursday and including my off-screen appearance chucking a hefty spanner in the works of someone's listed water tower conversion.

 

[Nemesis]

Ah - even with our new aerial we can't get Channel Five.

But of course that water tower conversion, and your opposition to the unlawful works, went to an inquiry I believe, where the inspector supported your actions?

Of course you are the baddie as the bloke was saving the planet with his actions, despite not having applied for any consents at all, and you are nasty for thinking the law and government policy should have been heeded.

Ya can't win.

 

[BMcD]

Gareth Hughes wrote:

Channel Five (re-, re-) revisiting some of their "build a new life in the country" projects starting on Thursday

I worked on a site (grade II* listed) where this programme turned up to film, it was the one of the most pleasant sites I'd ever worked on, every one was very helpful and thoughtful of the other trades, a right nice little team but the production company obviously thought this made for dull viewing and started manipulating people, setting one of against the other "when are you going to finish the plastering in here? only the decorators want to get on with the window frames" "is it because the carpenter hasn't done the door linings?" and basically stirring up the atmosphere, really trying to wind everyone up with a he said, you said, they said back biting and buck passing bitchiness. Getting them to agree on camera to unrealistic time scales only to film it fail. And they disrupt the working day so much, you can't have the mixer on or do any hammering because it upsets the continuity etc. etc.
You wouldn't mind so much if they actually had an interest in the the building or the traditional techniques involved but all they were after was conflict and when they didn't find it they engineered it. After the first couple of days filming I refused to take part in any more and just left them to it.

 

[middi]

There is a tremendous conflict of interests between a film crew and builders, more so with the self builder.

In many circumstances there is no owners financial gain in participating in these kind of programmes, it is up to the idividual owners to look deep within themselves and find out the reason WHY the want to do it.

In my case it was the intrigue in learning as to how other people go about doing a job which I was torally ignorant about, then like to believe I could probably do a better filming job ( that is me, I'm afraid!!), also the thought of participation , I believed, would break the monotonous repair routine.

I told the film crew from the outset (a very nice bunch) that I would only be concerned with MY building repairs, the fact that they could film warts and all would be purely coincindental, definetely with no hint of any repeats or scripts.

I got a nice " expresso " coffe maker and a couple of dics at the end, very nice too.

My moment of fun is when I watched the end product and thought " what and idiot, I could do better repairs than him ( me !!!!)"

It was all lightharted fun and quite pleasing to see ( at times) stressed people in their line of work.

All good fun.