Vobes Show

Its seems balmy, but I am working on two productions of the bald Explorer at once. Having virtually completed the script for second episode (there are a couple of bits of information I need to ascertain) I have decided to start work on the computer graphics elements. This is Petworth's House of Correction which was one of the first of its type in the country. It wasn't so much a prison, but place to round up vagabonds, layabouts, petty criminals and itinerant homeless and give them something to occupy them during daylight hours.

There is little left unfortunately of the original prison, but this gives me an excellent reason to get my hands on the CG program and build a replica. Luckily for me there is plenty of source material, albeit scattered in books, reports and web pages. It has been a mini detective project and Jimmy Hastel and I have enjoyed digging into the past to get the relevant information. In fact, only yesterday, Jimmy found a prison inspections report from the 19th century which featured our prison and it gave very exact measurements for the cells, treadmill block, keepers house and chapel. It was an exciting moment.

I will keep you up dated as to the progress of the cg work. Its early days and so far all I have is a skeleton of the buildings based on an old planning map of the area.

For the past few days I have been working on the script for another Bald Explorer video. It would appear that I am working on two films at once which I suppose is a good thing. The reason for this productivity is simply down to the grim weather. Recently, it has been rubbish. I have one episode ready to shoot in Shropshire, but due to the wind and rain I have been forced to wait.

The second script I am currently working on is about a visit to the old market town of Petworth in West Sussex. If you like your British towns quaint then look no further. It is a prime example of a community that grew along side the lord of the manor. The de Perci family had a castle, or at least a fortified manor house here for quite a few generations after the Norman invasion. It slipped to the Wyndham family in more recent times, who were also the Earls of Egremont and the third one seems to get most of the publicity and kudos from the townsfolk, even today. It was he who built a town hall and courtroom in the main square, he also gave land for a newer and cleaner prison. Schools for both girls and boys were erected thanks to his say so and money and the parish church of St. Mary's was given a thorough restoration. One of his more generous acts at the beginning of the 19th century was to make sure Petworth has a water supply by installing a beam pump a mile way on the River Rother and pumping the stuff up lead pipes to outlets in the town centre.

Trying to get this into an interesting video script and avoiding it being too parochial is not easy. As you being to research you start to uncover small and curious facts. These naturally fascinate me because I am on site very often and can see how the puzzle all slots together. These facts very often lead to other information, which in turn has me speculating on parts of the story which isn't readily available. The big question is though, when presented to an audience on film, who might be on other side of the country or even across the world, how do you make it equally absorbing and fascinating for them? I don't want people tuning in, get bored by a series of facts and simply grumble,  'So what?'

I suppose the answer is to engage this audience during the discovery process so that they can share your joy and understanding as you undercover these odd little nuggets of history. If you can hook them and make them as interested as you are to find out the answers to certain problems or questions, then they might stick with you to the end.  I notice that Television programmes use this principle all the time and very successfully, so maybe it is about time I emulated them and try it for myself.

Recently I haven't been as proactive as normal. I have been tweeting disturbing comments on Twitter and generally making a  misery of myself.

I do not suffer with clinical depression in anyway, but I do get down and emotional drained. There are days, I sure we all have, when things seem not to be working, life is tougher than normal, smiling is a bit of an effort and being agreeable is tricky. I am there at the moment.

Friends and family, fans and colleagues are keen to remind me that I have much to live for or to be proud of. The children, the videos, podcasts, the past achievements and so on. Yes that is of course true. These lovely people also can tell you there is always someone else worse off than you and naturally that is very true. I don't think I have forgotten that nor misunderstood that fact. And while all of that is true it doesn't immediate make me lift up from my misery and leap out of bed to determine to carry on. (I do that anyway, in spite of feeling low!)

The demon I struggle with most is knowing how to proceed. I am aware that I am getting older and my career hasn't started. I know many people in television land who have had a illustrious career by now and have left the industry at my age. I have old friends, people I grew up with, who are in the business, getting on and doing great things. I am not really in contact with them now or have the same things in common any more, but I look at them and I cannot help feeling jealous, resentful and even envious that they have had such a success and I am still here in the fringes, unable to get in.

That is life of course and I am not stupid enough not to realize that. It is just damn frustrating.

But what is more frustrating is when many of my fans, viewers, listeners and friends and family agree that I have something, should be working within the television/film making industry, should be making more videos like the Bald Explorer, should be allowed to hone my skills, but that I cannot find anyway to achieve that.

If I were totally crap at something, as I am at speaking languages, football, opera, etc then naturally I would soon loose interested, move on to something else and find a new career. I often wish I was crap at entertainment, film making and so on because then I could move on.

The stuck in the mud situation also begins to make me question my abilities and start to question how good I am and whether I ought move on and stack shelves for a living.

That said, I am looking forward to bouncing back - but it does seem more difficult these days.

It will happen and I will get there. I am not feeling sorry for myself, just frustrated at not being able to work in the chosen field and one I could contribute in and make a difference.

Okay, time to move forward!

Last week it was my pleasure to meet a delightful 70 year old coracle builder and video him and record his passion for his dying craft. I also discovered the history of a recently preserved Norman Tower house which underwent a terrible siege during the English Civil War resulting in the deaths of many of the inhabitants when they finally were forced to surrender.



I have started the filming of the fourth outing of the Bald Explorer. I am seeking in this episode the whereabouts of the ancient Briton Caratacus and his last stand against the invading Romans. The battle is reported to have taken place somewhere in the Welsh Marches, mostly likely around the south Shropshire and north Herefordshire borders in around AD50.

As part of the documentary I visit a coracle maker. I wish to determine the kind of vessels the ancient Britons might have had on the local rivers from which to fish, get about and cross, particularly where there were no fords or bridges available. These primitive boats were simple and although the smaller form were ideal for fishing and local transportation, larger craft were produced, suitable for crossing the oceans and have been recorded made in the same traditional manor, from baskets weaving techniques and covered in hides.

Peter Faulkner, aka the Coracle Man, has been making coracles for nearly 25 years at his workshop in Leintwardine, adjacent to the River Teme in north Herefordshire. He told me he gets the cow hides from the butcher next door and scrapes them himself and then goes about the tanning process to stop them from rotting. These coracles are quite remarkable objects with the black and white skin on the inside revealing the original friesian cow type. There are very sturdy and quite heavy, although still portable and able to be carried on the back and shoulder. Peter demonstrated this, quite effortlessly as he walked with it to the river.

As he says, it is looks a little strange when out of the water, but once afloat the coracle comes alive. Of course, Peter makes it look easy and whizzed up and down the River Teme for my camera, paddling sublimely and managing to manipulate the speedy craft where ever he wanted. It was a joy to watch.



Later the same day, my lovely daughter Georgie, who is helping me with the filming, and myself popped down to the old tower house, recently preserved by the local trust, at Hopton Castle, a stones thrown from Leintwardine. Although it doesn't really have any connection to story I am investigating, I wanted to chat to the local historian about it as I have a certain fascination with castles and medieval houses. Tom Baker was more than happy to pop over from his timber frame cottage, which looks onto the remains of this castle, and tell me something of his history.

The Channel Four programme Time Team had visited the site and found a wall to an underground cellar indicating that at one time there had been other buildings supporting the main house. It isn't thought that the De Hopton family, who originally owned it, lived there the whole time, but that it was more likely a hunting lodge. The land around the castle is perfect for hunting and would have been no doubt well stocked with deer.

During the English Civil War the Parliamentarians besieged the property and eventually murdered the defenders inside when they were forced to surrender due to lack of food and water and this became known as giving Hopton Quarter, or in other words no quarter at all.

Why not check out the two short format videos I have put together as a foretaste of the Bald Explorer's exploits. Check out the coracle man at the website at:   The Coracle Man

I am thrilled to have received a phone call yesterday to congratulate me on my success on getting through to a place on a top quality presenting course run by the BBC.

A few months a go, at the beginning of 2012 in fact, I was advised to go for a presenters course that would be sponsored by the BBC to seek new presenters. This presumably was an equal opportunities initiative and aimed at disabled people. I was very hesitant about applying at first because although I suppose technically I am disabled by the fact that I have had to loose an eye and have no vision on my left side (and as a result do occasionally bump into little old ladies in Morrisons) I didn't feel terribly unable to work normally.

However, I got in touch with the department running the scheme and asked them if they thought I qualified and they said yes, absolutely. At the end of the day, the BBC and the license payer want great presenters and often the smallest disability can put interviewees off from taking part or putting themselves forward. This is an opportunity for anyone with something 'different' to proudly say I would like to have a chance.

I had to send a detailed email about myself, likes, hobbies, work experience and background and a short video of myself presenting something. Naturally I sent a clip from the Bald Explorer. It must have worked because I was then shortlisted for an audition.

Last month I nervously travelled up to London to the Wood Lane digital city buildings and presented myself to the people running the auditions. As soon as I entered the building I was became, calm, totally relaxed and very confident. I was warmly welcomed by all the staff and flew through the audition.

I confess I was totally in my element. I felt so at home in the BBC studio with the commissioning editors and other senior executives watching me. They viewed a few pieces I had to do to camera, and although I cocked on of them up, I carried on as if it were 'live' and found my place in the script and rattled on to the end. Thanks to endless Vobes Show podcasts for that I am sure. After the performing came the questions and answers, which again I felt most comfortable with and demonstrated my passion for the medium of television and the genre of history and heritage. It was fabulous fun.

Something must have worked as yesterday I received a call from one of the executives informing me that I had been selected and had a place with nine others on this professional and highly rated presenters course. More details to come after Easter apparently, but in the meantime I am dancing on air.

Where possible I try to visit places I might not otherwise get to see when out working. The other day I had a few hours to kill in between some film making I was doing for a client of mine and I took the opportunity to have a visit to Cardiff Castle. I decided I would take the more expensive option and have the guide tour which set me back £14 which at the time I considered quite expensive, but most likely give me the best experience of the castle and grounds.

Cardiff Castle is an impressive building, particularly on the outside as the wall is massive and wraps itself around a large area right in the centre of the city. You cannot avoid the dominant crenelations as you drive or walk around around the city and the entrance tower is spectacular and definitely draws you in. What I didn’t appreciate though was that most of what you see is actually Victorian and not all that old. The oldest part of the castle is the Motte, the mound that the 14th century keep stands on. There are bits and piece of the original Roman fort and some elements of the Norman wall, although not really enough to get terrible excited out. The old shell of a keep on the motte dates from 14th century, which is pretty old and very impressive and you can access it and climb the stairs to the top. However, it is only a shell and there is not a lot to show you exactly how it might have looked or to inspire you as to how it was used by the Norman barons.

The main house as I mentioned is mainly Victorian and although very ornate with lust decorations, it sports a 19th Century view of the middle ages which I found curious but not really helpful to someone who is interested in the medieval period. The guided tour was only limited to the house and although the chap was very knowledgeable, you really got the sense he was going through the motions and didn’t really engage with the audience. I wanted to ask many questions, but he was constantly checking his watch and I felt pushed along.

All in all, I think there many things missing from the experience at Cardiff Castle and I do believe that the cost of entrance is far too excessive.

My sister had come to visit whom I hadn't seen for many years and we decided to celebrate with a visit to Ask in Warwick St, in Worthing taking my two teenage children with us. Initially the service was adequate and pretty average, although the prices reflected on the menu were a little high. So I expected that the food would be something special.

I ordered the spaghetti  bolognese as I was in the mood for something safe and filling. The portion was quite small, not much bigger than a starter size, the plate was cold and consequently the food wasn't very hot. It wasn't especially tasty, but there wasn't anything intrinsically wrong with it other amount and temperature.  Initially I didn't make a fuss as it was a family affair and we all had our meals at the same time and we wanted to eat together.

After the meal and when we came to pay I mentioned these facts to the waitress mainly to give feedback. She looked blankly at me and simply stated, 'But you ate it'. Yes I I ate it, I was rather hoping to eat more of it, but there wasn't much and it was tepid.  

I wasn't overly wanting to make too much of a fuss, but instead any apology and any attempt to appease me, she went on the defensive. Because of that, I then asked perhaps if she might reflect my dissatisfaction in the price. Eventually she marched off and came back begrudgingly having removed the cost of the item from the bill and slapping it down on the table she asked 'Happy now?'

Needless to say any thought of returning to that establishment had vanished from my mind.

 I read that the media giant Youtube.com want to have people stay longer on their site. I gather they wish to present themselves as the alternative to television. Well they have a long way to go.

If they are serious about having professional and quality programmes on their service they need to start changing their model. Instead on encouraging people to post 1 - 2 minute amateur nonsense, they ought to be investing in those who are making interesting long format programming. And by invest, I mean both in financial and marketing.

Having been associated with the television industry in Britain for a while I do think the commissioning model has merit. If a platform like YouTube were to adopt a similar methodology I think they would be surprised by the results. By setting up a series on genre specific channels on their home page, such as drama, soaps, history, comedy, travel, etc and putting aside a budget to run them they could open the doors to talented film makers to produce content. Proposals from the would be programme makers could be submitted and a commission for the film or series offered. The channel gets it quality content which it has the market share already to promote it and the film maker gets his income. Everyone is happy.

Even the viewer has a better reason to visit Youtube and move away from traditional television. I wonder if Youtube are listening though?

Richard Vobes is the Bald Explorer and in this episode he is searching for the free traders on the south east of Britain. The Romney Marshes were notorious for ancient tradition of smuggler because of its close proximity with Europe.

The invasion coast, as it was known, was the home to daring men and women who became involved in clandestine activities in the dead of the night. Boats would come and go and illegal goods would be unloaded and sent ashore, hidden in secret locations on the old marsh land. These luxury items should have a duty paid on them, but the smugglers wanted to avoid all that because it was deemed unfair.

The Cinque Ports played their part in the smuggling story too and the Bald Explorer is on the path to discover the story of how these nefarious activities took place and just how they got away with it.

For the past week I have been working on the graphics and CGI for the third Bald Explorer episode entitled ‘Smugglers on the South Coast of England’. This is not really my speciality and I struggle with the various programmes I use to create reasonable animations. It is always a learning curve, but thank goodness for the good old Internet and tutorials. Someone has usually done more or less what I have wanted before and even better put together either a written or better still video version of what I want to do.

I try to keep them small and to the point so they simply enhance and explain information that is difficult to describe any other way. I don’t like to use computer graphics just for the sake of it or to show and say ‘Hey, look what I can do!’ But when you have a limited budget some parts of the story cannot be easily shot and a clever piece of CGI is perfect to get you out of a hole.

The good thing is that although it is a tricky job I am learning all the time and each time I try to push myself to do better effects.

There is not much more to shoot for the production. One scene I have to do is where I have a conversation with myself. That should be relatively easy for me as I am continually chatting to myself when at home. I aim to have two versions of me face to face. Its nothing new in video of course and those with just a smattering of experience will already be guessing ‘Split screen’ and you would be right.

So when is the release of Ep 3? Probably around the first week of February, allowing for time out to go and work and actually earn some money to pay the mortgage! I will keep you posted of course!