How Britain Worked

[Black Sheep]

There are no, so far as I am aware, driving entitlement categories which specifically cover steam powered road vehicles. You appear to be able to drive a traction engine/road locomotive on a category B though, strictly speaking, that limits you to a 3,500 vehicle weight. That anomaly will be resolved next year, 2013, when a category C (HGV) licence will be required.

 

The steersman requires no licence whatsoever, there's no age limit either, though should be accompanied by a qualified driver.

 

So, presumably, Guy Martin holds a car licence and could drive legally.

 

However, road rollers, diesel or steam, require a category G licence entitlement.

 

There are some age limits attached to the various entitlements.

 

That's my understanding, I'd be happy to be corrected if wrong.

 

I'd imagine, given his profession that he holds an HGV license

 

Am I right in thinking that you need to pass a different test and have the right category of licence to drive a traction engine on the road - Guy seemed to be doing the driving with his friend on board - there appeared to be a third person on the trailer who I assume was supervising - but should he have been driving. They got through the narrow gateway OK - if it had been like the comedy programme 'Classic Car Rescue' from Channel 5 then they would have crashed into the stone pillar, swore a lot and fallen out with each other

 

Mike

 

The approach to the mill may well be a private road, as such you merely need the vehicle and land owner's permission.

[Ruston]

Overall I thought it was pretty enjoyable. Ref the script, mostly it didn't grate too much for me. We've all learned about the railways over years and years. The tv makers have to make a prog that imparts information, is enjoyable to your average Joe, and explains things to generations who've grown up not knowing anything about these matters, and who live in an age of sound-bites and instant gratification.

 

Yes the program makers have to make something that is enjoyable to the average person who isn't into railways but there's no excuse for some of the things they got wrong. And why pander to folks who want soundbites and instant gratification anyway? They can clear off and sit in front of their playstations!

 

For instance - you had that bloke in the firebox with his stay hammer, and I'm sure he said he was hitting the stays - so why did the voiceover contradict him and keep referring to rivets?

 

Then there's the mix up between PW gangs and navvies and saying that the rails are made of wrought iron...

 

These mistakes may be something that only we anoraks would notice but they're still imparting misinformation. in fact I'd say that the mistakes were inexcusable because the program makers had a vast source of knowledge to hand in the SVR staff, who could have set them right before the script for the voiceover was even written.

 

It's also a missed opportunity to educate - why didn't they say exactly what the stays do? Or why didn't they explain what the safety valve does and how it works when Guy Martin was fitting the safety valve cover? Dibnah would have done and look how popular his programes were, so no one could argue that it would be too techical and boring for most people.

 

I think Guy Martin is properly enthusiastic about what he does but he needs some decent researchers and script writers behind him. Either way it was better than the X factor, I'm sure.

[melmerby]

X factor,

My idea of hell on earth.

The audience seemingly brain dead morons led by a Psycho (or should that be Syco?)

Mind you here comes "I'm a celebrity......"

 

Pass the sick bag.

 

Guy Martin's programme, for all it's faults, is streets ahead of that garbage.

 

Keith

[RJL]

The presenter looks like he could be the new Fred Dibnah.