Timothy Spall: ...at Sea

{{Short description|British television series}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

File:Dutch barge at Henley.jpg, (except The Princess Matilda has no raised aft cabin).[https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=images+%22the+princess+matilda%22&id=2A7B67E4E7A1DF0A432E0AC568D36FDD2BF4F882&FORM=IQFRBA Images of "The Princess Matilda"]]]

Timothy Spall at Sea series is a set of three BBC Four television seriesNote: This TV documentary series is made by the same team who make Escape to the Chateau for Channel 4 that features Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel. that follows the voyage of actor Timothy Spall and his wife Shane as they take their Dutch barge, The Princess Matilda, on a circumnavigation around the British Coast, with visits to Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/aug/10/timothy-spall-back-at-sea | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Sam | last=Wollaston | title=TV review: Timothy Spall: Back at Sea; Who Do You Think You Are?; Village SOS | date=10 August 2011}}[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-tv-wallis-simpson-the-secret-letterschannel-4br-timothy-spall-back-at-seabbc4-2343226.html Last Night's TV: Wallis Simpson: the Secret Letters/Channel 4
Timothy Spall: Back at Sea/BBC4 - Reviews, TV & Radio - The Independent]
{{cite web|first=Jane |last=Simon |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/columnists/todays-tv/2011/08/10/timothy-spall-back-at-sea-bbc4-8-30pm-115875-23332457/ |title=Timothy Spall: Back at Sea - BBC4, 8.30pm |work=Mirror|date=10 August 2011 |accessdate=6 March 2012}}

The Princess Matilda was designed and built by Peter Nicholls Yacht Builders Ltd.[https://www.steelboats.co.uk Peter Nicholls] She is a {{convert|52|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} 35-tonne steel-hulled seagoing Category BBoat Categories A, B, C & D were established by the EU's Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) Dutch barge.[https://www.boatshed.com/dutch_barge_65ft-boat-256423.html BoatShed]Note: The Princess Matilda was commissioned and was built (without a wheelhouse) at a cost of £200,000 in May 2010. Now, with a wheelhouse, she is valued at £350,000,

Series

=''Timothy Spall: Somewhere at Sea''=

This is the first series, though their trip from London to Cornwall was the first leg of their journey. The series comprised three programmes, covering their journey from Cornwall to the Bristol Channel and their winter mooring at Penarth in Cardiff Bay.{{cite web|title=Race Against the Tide|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sfsqy|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2 October 2012|author-link=BBC}} It was first broadcast during May 2010.{{cite web|title=Timothy Spall: Somewhere at Sea|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00scckw/episodes/guide|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2 October 2012|author-link=BBC}}

=''Timothy Spall: Back at Sea''=

The second in the series comprised four programmes and covered the journey after the first winter's break. They travel around Wales to Liverpool, to the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The last programme in this series follows them from the western Scottish Isles to winter port in Aberdeenshire via the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness.{{cite web|title=Scotch Mist|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0140vqb|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2 October 2012|author-link=BBC}} The series was first broadcast in August 2011.{{cite web|title=Timothy Spall: Back at Sea|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013cnv4/episodes/guide|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2 October 2012|author-link=BBC}}

=''Timothy Spall: All at Sea''=

The third and final series in the set comprised four programmes, and covers the final leg of their journey. The final programme of the previous series left them needing a winter mooring in Eastern Scotland, and the first programme of this series tells of their winter mooring in Buckie and Banff, Aberdeenshire.{{cite video|people=Timothy Spall|year=2011|title=Message in a Bottle|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cl52j|publisher=BBC|time=03:38|quote=before we came to Banff we were in Buckie}} This series follows them from Scotland to London, via North East England, the East of England, the River Medway and Chatham, and an RNLI RIB arrives to help finishing with their return up the River Thames. In August 2011, while filming an episode in the River Medway estuary, Spall and his wife became lost and had to be guided in by the Sheerness lifeboat. Arthur Ormesher and Nicki Wood were among the RNLI crew who escorted his barge to Queenborough Harbour.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-14670050 |title=Actor Timothy Spall rescued by Sheerness lifeboat |publisher=BBC |date=25 August 2011 |accessdate=6 March 2012}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14671595|title = RNLI rescues actor Timothy Spall|work = BBC News|date = 25 August 2011}}

The series was first broadcast in February and March 2012.{{cite web|title=Timothy Spall: All at Sea|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cmbc8/episodes/guide|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2 October 2012|author-link=BBC}}

Further reading

  • The Voyages of The Princess Matilda - Shane Spall - Ebury Press - 2012 - {{ISBN|9780091941802}}
  • The Princess Matilda Comes Home - Shane Spall - Ebury Press - 2014 - {{ISBN|9780091941826}}

References

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