Paula Hammond - Features EditorThose of us of a certain age will remember, perhaps with rose-tinted glasses, the children’s TV show How, which set out to entertain and enlighten in equal measure. A much-loved part of the show was Jack Hargreaves’ film sequences, celebrating the sort of countryside life that, by then, had all but vanished.
Prior to How, Hargreaves had his own show, Out Of Town, which followed the same formula, with Hargreaves’ gentle narration and easy-going persona a huge part of the appeal.
Further Out Of Town showcases sequences of digitally-restored film from Jack Hargreaves’ collection, introduced by his stepson, Simon Baddeley.
When the series ended, Jack saved many hours’ worth of Out Of Town film footage from destruction. It is this material–much of it unseen for decades–that has been painstakingly restored and revisited to produce six new episodes of Further Out Of Town.
It’s worth noting that Not everything on Further Out Of Town may be comfortable viewing today. However, there’s something undeniably seductive about these snapshots of a time gone by. Whether that’s due to Hargreaves’ golden tones, his knowledge and passion for the material, or just pure nostalgia, its hard to tell. But in these troubled times, Further Out Of Town may be just the medicine you need.
EPISODE 1. Garden Pests/Red Squirrels/Country Flowers.
EPISODE 2: Planting a Vine/Sheep Fair.
EPISODE 3: Southall Market/Fishing in the Hebrides/Peeler Crabs.
EPISODE 4: Andalusian Horses with Brassy Searle & Sons.
EPISODE 5: Mr Cuckoo/Sea Bream/Stocking a Motorway Lake.
EPISODE 6: Butterflies/North Wind Fishing/John Bass Lakes.
