What an appalling shambles!

[mjt]

I am, of course, referring to the BBC coverage of the Thames Pageant. Seemed to be planned and directed by luvvies with no interest in boats and an attention span of about 3 seconds. I tried my best to watch it but just had to keep getting up and going out of the room. I wonder how many people tuned in to find out the number of jubilee babies that had been born.

As one newspaper columnist commented : "it's about the boats, stupid!"

[Hylander]

We switched off in the end. Thought the BBC without constant adverts for car insurance would have been the best but like you I think they had lost the plot.

[Springsong]

I could not agree more. I was so disappointed I feel a letter to the DG coming on an absolute disgrace.

[thirdmate]

Totally agree, a total waste of BBC cash. Who cares about artists painting in the rain or what the presenters are wearing

There was better coverage in the 15min Anglia news at 6.00 tonight !!!!

[Baz]

I thought it was supposed to be a ' River Pageant'. To say I was disappointed would be a total understatement. The organizers of the 'show' should hang their heads in shame.

Baz.

[AdnamsGirl]

I was really disappointed too with the BBC coverage - lots of shots of the man-powered craft and very little else! I found myself screaming "Show me the boats!" at the TV !!

Bit of a waste of an afternoon really.

Hopefully some better footage will turn up on YouTube! This is a nice bit of film of MTB 102 and the Dunkirk Little Ships .... I just wish they'd have carried on filming for a bit longer to get the historic ships section and Broad Ambition.

There seem to be a few time lapse films of the pageant - it sort of puts it all into perspective really doesn't it?

Carol

[Brian J.]

Totally agree, a load of rubbish.

Just given up watching the jubilee concert as well, another complete waste of an occasion to have a concert that we can remember for good entertainment instead of the rubbish that has been screened so far.

[Brian J.]

Agreed. Just watched Madness and Sir Paul, much better.

[Soundings]

Even Tom Jones showed what a professional he is, unlike the early rubbish that came on. All in all I enjoyed the show but nearly switched if off at the start!

[mjt]

Hi Carol,

Thanks for posting those YouTube clips. The BBC could take a lesson from those cameramen. On Sunday you would never have known there were 1000 vessels in the pageant. I don't think there was a single shot of the recreational boats and very few of the Dunkirk Little Ships and working boats. They cut away from MTB102 just as it was coming into view.

I see a BBC spokesperson is quoted as saying “We're very proud of the quality and breadth of the BBC's coverage of this extraordinary event†which just emphasises the utter arrogance of the organisation.

[pks1702]

We watched some of this after coming in form our own up the Orwell on Sunday.

It really was very poor and seemed aimed at BBC's yoof audience.

There was no heavyweight anchor and so much history and interest was missed with the time filled by banal rubbish more akin to the One Show.

There was a whole raft of stuff they could have done for instance around The Dunkirk Little Ship, it was the BBC at its very worst.

In contrast the coverage of the concert in the evening was back to 'normal' standards.

In days gone by the person responsible for the boat pageant direction would have paid for it with his head!

[Happy Jax 3]

Thank you very much for the clips Carol..

I found myself shouting at the television at The BBC coverage, absolutely pathetic!!!

[Guest]

i saw a shot of broad ambition or less than a second

i shouted at the tv ive seen enough of the queen waving & her reactions ect in the first five mins of the program they should have put people in charge who have an interest in boats of course thats what the day was about after all ..........

the concert was about the music 95% of the time the cameras were pointed at the stage SO YOU THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITH THE BLOODY BOATS

i was so miffed of the coverage before & after the thames pageant & the lack of interviews with boaters i sent an email to bbc lookeast & itv anglia after all BA IS A BROADS BUILT CRUISER

Jonny

[mjt]

I've just been having a look through my recording and I reckon that Broad Ambition was in shot for just 7 seconds, and then I only found her by referring to some still images posted elsewhere on the web.

You're right Jonny, from the information posted about her she was the only one built and her hull was then used as a plug to mould some GRP clones, so she is unique and certainly deserved better coverage from our local TV stations. I didn't see the Anglia item on her and as far as I know BBC Look East didn't mention her at all although it's possible she got a mention on the local part of the programme but we only get the Western news in our area. All I saw was a rather un-newsworthy item on a dragon boat from St Neots and a rather more useful report on MTB102.

[Jim]

The so called "expert commentator" Rod mentioned was quite amazed to see the Royal Barge moving sideways to moor up. If anyone worth his salt had been ramarking about this then perhaps they could have informed everyone how it is achieved!

[Hockham Admiral]

With 2x 360 azimuthing props .Rod

Are those the pod thingies Luke has got on Job Done?

[Antares_9]

Luke's would be the V.P. IPS system John.

[pks1702]

According to the technical specification twin Schottel and a pair of thrusters

http://www.spiritofchartwell.com/settin ... tions.aspx

http://www.schottel.de/marine-propulsion/

It does not need all that though they just needed a Broads AA to be 'steering'

They can make a yacht move sideways from a lee shore without engines and with a gale blowing beam on to the shore..........