The Real Sea of Adventure

[Moonraker]

Lovers of The Sea of Adventure should really try to watch this Channel 5 programme, Lost Worlds with Ben Fogle: Scotland.

I was totally mesmerised, really feeling I was travelling in the Mannering's, Trent's and Cunningham footsteps. Desolate islands, rough seas - bobbing about on the waves. All that was missing were the seaplanes and enemy presence!

A staple diet of Roast Puffin (yes, we saw Huffin & Puffin!) and other seabirds. Total isolation from the mainland. Eventual emigration in the 20th century to more habitable regions left the islands in a time warp, still populated by the birds, wild cows and sheep.

Do seek this programme out, you won't regret it.

[Lucky Star]

Thanks Nigel. It looks and sounds good. I'll have a look later.

[Katharine]

That sounds interesting.

In a similar vein, I've just read a book by Carol Rivett called 'Island Spell' which might be of interest to anyone who likes island adventures. Assuming of course the can get hold of a copy.

[Boatbuilder]

I have that program recorded on my Sky box as I was watching something on another channel on Thursday when it was on. I need to get round to watching it.

[Jack400]

Possibly I posted on another forum by mistake, but I really recommend it too.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Cheers, Nigel. Sounds like my cup of tea and I'll definitely give it a watch.

[Jack400]

Yes, I recommend it too.

[timv]

For those who want to get a good sense of the atmosphere of the real 'Sea of Adventure', I also recommend the various TV railway travel programmes that cover the West Highland Line from Fort William to Mallaig, which seems to be a favourite with programme makers - probably as it crosses the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct which features in the Harry Potter films. It's appeared on Michael Portillo's rail tours , where the West Highland Line was repeated recently with him visiting the Special Operations Executive training-school near Arisaig en route to Mallaig, and also on comic Susan Calman's road trips with her campervan. There's a 'real time' programme travel documentary on the trip by rail to Mallaig shown a few Christmases ago which usually gets repeated over the Christmas holidays, so keep a look out for that this year - it's nice and relaxing for a winter evening. I've written a book on the history of the region and its clans myself; I've never been that far (my own Scots ancestors are from the Clyde valley but one of my schoolfriends married a Highland chief so I've seen her photos of it.

This line seems to be the one which Enid meant when the Mannerings, Trents and Bill go by train to a Scots seaside port to pick up their boat, unless it's the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh route - the train journey from Glasgow via Fort William to Mallaig would be the most logical route to the Hebrides. I would love to know if Enid ever did this on holiday, but I suspect she just used a guide-book - but it seems very real all the same! The actual 'puffin island' where the adventurers camp is presumably meant to be a few days by boat from the port and its neighbouring island has an abandoned quay (where the crooks' boat is tied up) and buildings, so Enid may have been thinking of the Outer Hebrides with their abandoned fishing villages. Did she see newsreel film of the famous 1930s abandonment of St. Kilda, even further out to sea? And did the 1930s films of John Buchan's thrillers, esp 'The 39 Steps', give her the idea for the part played by mysterious and menacing planes and the threat of pursuit by them? Stuart Tresilian's illustrations of the islands are among his best in my opinion, and are essential to getting the area's full atmosphere.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've now watched Lost Worlds with Ben Fogle: Scotland and loved entering the world of The Sea of Adventure. There's something alluring and exhilarating about the remote ruggedness and the swirling seabirds, though the changeable weather and the deserted houses add a note of forlornness. I remember watching a series of programmes (probably about twelve years ago now) in which Kate Humble went to St. Kilda and delved into its history. It's sad to hear about the loss of a community, though it was clearly a tough life.

I've seen one or two railway programmes covering the area you mention, Tim. I recall that Lucy-Ann puts the words "Travelling far, travelling far, travelling far..." to the rhythm of the train wheels.