Unlike that other route into London from Luton, the M1, this little chalk stream is a magical, secret and enchanting place. I have kayaked the Wye. Our rivers are in trouble and this distresses me. This newspaper has been a central part of community life for many years. The water authorities wanted to keep pesky humans off their valuable commodity, but the pesky humans fought back. Beyond it was Danelaw. Not easy. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY, Passing through the restored lock at Stratford St Mary. Elizabeth I allowed her adviser Lord Burghley to turn the Lea into a canal for his barges. Griff Rhys Jones comes to the end of his adventure along the rivers which have influenced, nurtured and powered our lives. It’s been hot. Griff Rhys Jones found his way into the country’s hearts and funny bones with Mel Smith, appearing in films together, on stage together, and in their hit show Smith & Jones on television together for nearly twenty years. Fish are expiring. Cruising the waterways, paddle sports, rowing and sailing are permitted – for all tiers subject to rules specified for each tier. After a varied gap year including a job looking after a plethora of Canadian schoolgirls on the P&O ship Uganda he took up his place at Cambridge. Griff Rhys Jones out on the River Stour just before it enters the estuary at Grantham. The answer is simple thirst. Not enough control of their own sewage farms’ loose bowels. Now? 23. We are hardly aware of what is happening. It remained clean. The Stratford lock has been renamed the Roger Brown Lock to honour the trust member who led the 12-year restoration project. Henry VIII built a massive gunpowder factory in the woods near Waltham Abbey. I have upset a coracle in Welsh rapids, abseiled through waterfalls in Scotland and swum in the Waveney. I have surfed the Severn Bore. Officialdom is supposed to police the water. My own trip down the tiny river Lea was a revelatory experience. From the raging torrents of Scotland to the working waterways of northern England; from the mystical West to the urban South East, Griff has paddled, sailed, barged and sometimes swum his way along this often hidden network which was once the lifeblood of the country. Or the flood of cow pats. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. And these are the most important arteries of the body that is the United Kingdom. Our Lee-Enfield rifles were made alongside it. But we are a much bigger city and we regularly get sewage overflows into the Thames from this antique, out-of-date system. Yet it is not a tiny number of canoeists who pollute rivers today. A great living cultural marvel is dying because somebody loves our water so much, they are using too much of it. But today would I be so cheery, given that the microplastic content in Gerry Marsden’s favourite watercourse is higher even than the great Pacific Garbage Patch? I even went ‘lave fishing’ with one the very few remaining operators in the Severn. The ‘navigable river’ so carefully recorded by John Constable, is also an open water main. Chancellor, Senate has resolved that the Degree of Doctor of the University be conferred upon Griff Rhys Jones. It is all what ecologists call ‘unsustainable’ and what I call ‘a racket’. Apparently, paddlers frighten fish and upset anglers. Yet, despite all this furious usage, it survived and sang. It is the authorities themselves. Fresh water from the Fens goes in near Clare, is pumped out again just north of Colchester and gushes out of the taps in Dagenham. It is surely time for some more Parliamentary head-scratching. There is another Great Stink today and it is coming from the inert, half-dead, rotten political bodies, quangos, authorities and institutions that fiercely protect their own rights to our water, while allowing it to become polluted, fetid and dead. 5/5. Join us as we explore the myriad of wildlife species that can be found along the Hogsmill River in the south of England. These Victorian works were so successful that 160 years later we are still utterly reliant on them. Scenes like this one - of the River Itchen in Winchester, Hampshire - are idyllic, but so often Britain's waterways are full of raw sewage and chemical fertiliser that chokes the life from them. Movies & TV Hello, Sign in. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones [DVD] at Amazon.com. It is a genuine pleasure and truly an honour to introduce this year’s University of Essex Honourary Graduand. This year the few remaining lave fishermen who catch no more than six in a year have been ordered to stop to preserve stocks. In the late 18th Century, a water closet got to be as fashionable as a smart TV, with pretty much the same content. Salmon have gone. We got about halfway across before we had to put a stop to my floundering. Lock Lintel RESTORING AND CONSERVING THE RIVER STOUR NAVIGATION. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY, Mark Harling of Enovert cuts the ribbon on the new lock gates at Stratford St Mary. The River Stour forms the boundary between Suffolk & Essex. The official opening ceremony of a historic lock on the River Stour which took 12 years to restore took place on Saturday. Rivers With Griff Rhys Jones: Amazon.com.au: Movies & TV Shows. They needed gentle wooden sailing boats to carry the dangerous cargo down to the Thames right up until the Second World War. Catch-up on iview It was made a navigable river by law and should remain so. The vast majority of our towns were founded on the banks of rivers. You may have noticed. The latest episode of Griff Rhys Jones’ BBC series Rivers visited the Fens, the Norfolk Broads and the River Stour last night – and delivered him to his own front door, which overlooks the Stour Estuary. Oration for Honorary Graduand Griff Rhys Jones . Downstream came the fresh drinking water. The water is dying. Griff Rhys Jones explores East Anglia on his river journey, enjoying the contrast between the man-made ditches of the Fens and the picturesque windy river Stour which takes him home. If you are unsure how best to edit this programme please take a moment to read it. Speaking to the crowd, Mr Jones said: “I feel strongly that the trust is doing so much good work and a vital element of this is that it is keeping the river navigable. The new lock at Stratford St Mary marks a major step in the River Stour Trust’s ambition to open up the Stour for use by the local community and the wider public, who come in their thousands to visit Constable Country every year. One successful prosecution after 76,000 reported cases. Today its modest, winding course still disrupts the East-West traffic and snarls up the East End as it heads for the Thames opposite the O2. But the mess had to ‘flow’ somewhere – and in London that meant the Thames. “Once we have opened Stratford St Mary Lock, and then Dedham Lock later this year, the whole stretch of the river from Cattawade to Langham will become usable for everyone, either to walk beside, or travel in their own rowing boats or canoes,” said Emrhys Barrell, a trustee. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY Massive pumping stations were constructed to offload the lot on to Southend. - Credit: Archant. Prime. As a natural phenomenon, the Lea is unique. Or the tidal wave of pigswill. Rivers were, since the very beginnings of man’s primacy in these islands, a reliable, automatic city-flushing system. The water in these unique rivers comes from what is known an aquifer. Actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones continues his delightful journey through the river network of Great Britain, this time travelling from Liverpool to the Humber across Britain's working rivers. Griff tries to swim the Mersey before travelling by barge through the canal network and going underground to help clean up Britain's network of hidden rivers. Experts assert, astonishingly, that no river in the UK is really safe to swim in. Member. 23. The riverway is so beautiful and unspoilt, especially with the wildlife and water-lilies and bullrushes, it is just terrific. Where are Suffolk's top 10 Covid-19 hotspots? Higher than any other environment on Earth? River Stour Trust. Another guest was Mary Harrison, whose late husband Tony left a legacy for the project after he advised on the scheme as an engineer for the Inland Waterways Association. But sewage, fertiliser and chemicals kill those fish dead. - Credit: Archant. His trade had died, in the very place where they named a cathedral after the huge number that used to be caught there, Ely. I love all our waterways. - Credit: Archant. “When Constable painted this river he called it a ‘Scene from a navigable river’ and his father was also involved in keeping it navigable. Many of us have been venturing on to our waterways in this suffocating, staycation summer. Little Welsh rivers such as the Llynfi have recently choked with dead fish. Go for a dip. Yet the mighty London river was simply too sluggish to carry the waste away. BBC One has commissioned a new five-part series, River Journeys With Griff Rhys Jones, in which the actor and comedian sets out on a new adventure and explores how rivers … Supporters of the River Stour Trust, the charity which has overseen the ambitious restoration, congregated at the lock at Stratford St Mary on the Suffolk/Essex border to mark the occasion. Just a few weeks ago, I escorted my infant grandson, the two-year-old Elwyn, down to the riverside, wrapped him up in a buoyancy jacket and paddled my canoe up the silvery Stour. Mark Harling of Enovert cuts the ribbon on the new lock gates at Stratford St Mary. It was important that little Elwyn did not fall in, not because he can’t swim – at the age of two he can: the prodigy merman – but because he might swallow some of the water. More than 11,000 Covid infections in seven days as rates continue to rise across the region, Former Suffolk student makes name for himself modelling for Prada and Valentino, Covid patients at Ipswich and Colchester hospitals triple peak of first wave, Magician accused of doing 'disappearing act' with customers' cash, A welcome return, difficult decisions and plenty of familiar faces - Town return to action against Swindon, Suffolk's vocal expert Charlie Haylock helps Ralph Fiennes in new Sutton Hoo film, Man left with facial injuries after incident on Ipswich street, Tributes paid to 'always smiling' Jamie, 35, who died with coronavirus, Attacker jailed for one-punch killing of man with 'heart of gold'. Fifteen years ago, I was invited to swim across it. Hats off to them, they initiated all sorts of ingenious infrastructure to get the stuff away from their own back garden. Passing through the restored lock at Stratford St Mary. It’s been hot. The potent fertiliser that keeps them glowing seeps through the good earth to join the liquid soup in the valley. Yet things are getting worse and worse, while the water companies trumpet that we have never had it so good. The weeds are rotting. Griff Rhys Jones launches John … Issue No 161 Winter 2013/14 . GRIFF RHYS JONES: I thought we were the green generation... so why are we killing our rivers? The legislators actually noticed. Griff Rhys Jones, media personality and vice-president of the River Stour Trust, inaugurated passenger services on the restored Stour lighter, John Constable, at Sudbury on Sunday, 12th May. What is going on? None at all. COMEDIAN and TV presenter Griff Rhys Jones visited Bures during June 2008, filming for his television new series. River Stour Trust vice-president Griff Rhys Jones. To one. Eels have gone. You may have noticed. 0. River Stour Trust vice-president Griff Rhys Jones. Roger Brown, River Stour Trust volunteer who led the 12-year project to restore the lock at Stratford St Mary. Definitely worth a watch. Not enough testing. Singer-turned-campaigner Feargal Sharkey is pleading with us to pay attention to the chalk streams. It’s been hot. This was one of the reasons that an historic battle was fought to close it to boats. Not enough monitoring. The river dies. And it’s all getting murkier and murkier as the tide of noxious waste floods in, and the tide of proper supervision ebbs away. View – Find Lowest Price – Show All Prices. I am very afraid that it is not just human faeces. Into the river went the detritus, and the flow carried it all away. Our industry faces testing times, which is why we're asking for your support. Griff Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor and television presenter.He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner Mel Smith.. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones alongside Mel Smith. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. Not enough prosecution of tippers and polluters. It got so smelly during a particularly hot heat wave in 1858 (ring any bells?) But one of the most polluted rivers of all in Britain is still the poor old Mersey. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY. The weeds and slime take out the oxygen. I sincerely hope that my beloved river Stour in Suffolk is not one of them. Synopsis. I remember the eerie feeling of the reeds brushing against my thighs and the sweet taste of fresh water in my mouth. But even then, 15 years ago, I was ashamed to discover that the highest recorded catch of salmon on that river had been as recently as the 1970s and the number had then sunk, during my own lifetime, to become a crisis. Credit: John Worrall/Alamy Live News Sudbury, UK. that the smell of the river – The Great Stink – overpowered the smell of Parliament. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY So how, in this modern age, at a time when we should know better, when we are rich and have rockets blasting off to Mars every second week, and no longer manufacture poisonous chemical rubbish in London, how can we be wrecking this river? For the first time since October, Real Madrid did not score in La Liga, drawing with Osasuna, Julian Nagelsmann: Leipzig would like to break away from Borussia by 9 points, but its victory is deserved, Mikel Arteta: Arsenal want to win more games. scassi . Griff Rhys-Jones, along with his faithful companion, a chocolate labrador aptly named "Cadbury",give us a fascinating insight into British rivers and tells the story of how they were named,and why rivers were important for commerce as well as leisure time. From the raging torrents of Scotland to the reflective flatlands of East Anglia, Griff barges, canoes, swims and sails his way along a hidden network which has been the lifeblood of Britain. Every contribution will help us continue to produce local journalism that makes a measurable difference to our community. I have paddled up to Runcorn. Mr Brown was on hand to see the first small flotilla of boats, canoes and kayaks go through. It was created by Rhys Jones own production company Modern Television. It is a great example of why rivers should be open to people...I salute the River Stour Trust for opening the locks...it is supposed to be a river that traffic travels on." The firm provided a £85,000 grant for the work through the Landfill Communities Fund. So long as nobody stops them, hard-pressed farmers with massive, intensively farmed flocks relieving themselves all over the shop, will quietly wash the slop into the nearest river. “When we started looking at the project, the channel was filled with mud and rocks, the locks gates were decayed and there was four feet of mud in the lock itself that had to be dug out. Picture: ROSS BENTLEY, A flotilla of boats, canoes and kayaks mark the official opening of Straford St Mary lock by passing through. Rivers have dried up. Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones. Aside from comedy, Griff’s career has seen him presenting, acting and writing. - Credit: Archant, “Sadly, 95% of rivers are actually closed to navigation and boats - to me, I find this sad.”. Mr Jones then invited Mark Harling, the regional manager of waste management company Enovert, to cut the ribbon on the lock gates. It has dried up along great stretches of its length and the descendants of the very fish that Walton chased have suffocated through lack of water. - Credit: Archant. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones sets out on an adventure to explore how rivers have influenced, nurtured and powered our lives throughout history. Many of us have been venturing on to our waterways in this suffocating, staycation summer. I also went out with our last remaining professional eel-catcher. Apart from a few in France they are totally British wonders. A CELEBRATED comedian and TV presenter with a special connection to the Dedham Vale has been honoured with an OBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Supporters of the River Stour Trust, the charity which has overseen the ambitious restoration, congregated at the lock at Stratford St Mary on the Suffolk/Essex border to mark the occasion. IN THIS ISSUE. Mines are permitted to wash a bit of their waste in as well. Educated at Brentwood School in Essex, he won an exhibition to Emmanuel College, Cambridge to read History, transferring later to English. Rhys Jones says, "I am a strong supporter of the River Stour Trust and everything to do with it. And those bright gorgeous green fields on the slopes above? The riverway is so beautiful and unspoilt, especially with the wildlife and water-lilies and bullrushes, it is just terrific. Rivers was the top programme in its slot in terms of viewing figures reaching 4.7 million viewers. The BBC series in which Griff Rhys Jones explores how rivers influence, nurture and power our lives. But their flow of testing has dwindled to a trickle. Vested interests have closed off more than 90 per cent of our rivers to exploration by the simple expedient of banning the canoe. You will effectively be cooling off in a network of great British open sewers. In this five-part series Griff, joined by his dog Cadbury, explores some of Britain's most well known rivers. They are only ever supposed to do so in cases of extreme rainfall. There is a lot of self-congratulation among water companies. Griff Rhys Jones "Rivers" scassi. Post Aug 20, 2008 #1 2008-08-20T14:47. We have carefully managed this vital water source ever since the Lea was the border with the invading Danes over a thousand years ago. Griff Rhys Jones out on the River Stour just before it enters the estuary at Grantham. This is not just because you might dive head first on to an old car, or be attacked by unloved alligators washed into the system from private terrariums, but simply because the rivers are full of… yes what is that floating past there? Rhys Jones may refer to: Rhys Jones (archaeologist) (1941–2001), Welsh-Australian archaeologist; Rhys Jones (rugby player) (born 1987), Welsh rugby union player; See Murder of Rhys Jones for 11-year-old murder victim, shot dead in Liverpool, 2007; Rhys Jones … Griff Rhys Jones was born in 1953 in Cardiff. BBC One London, 23 August 2009 21.00. It became the source of the barley that created the great London beers. Go on. Between a third and half do so every month. The actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones has criticised plans to build a £20 million solar farm in the countryside near his home as "cack-handed and opportunistic". Picture: ROSS BENTLEY AbeBooks.com: Rivers:One Man And His Dog Paddle Into The Heart Of Britain (9780340918647) by Jones, Griff Rhys and a great selection of similar New, Used … Further round the M25, in Chesham alone, three abstraction points run by Affinity Water and Thames Water take out 12 million litres per day –that’s about 80,000 baths. What bliss. 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