Gransnet forums

TV, radio, film, Arts

Castles in the Sky

(11 Posts)
tanith Fri 05-Sept-14 12:14:21

Did anyone else watch this splendid Factual Drama on BBC2 last night? It was about the building of Radar in the UK by the Scottish engineer Robert Watson-Watt, a very inspiring and emotional story thoroughly recommend it if you missed.. I don't even like Eddie Izzard but he made an excellent Robert Watson-Watt.

annodomini Fri 05-Sept-14 13:26:01

I also enjoyed this drama last night. I was reminded of my FiL who worked on radar during WW2. I don't think he was ever more than a private but he did have a Cambridge Maths degree.

Tegan Fri 05-Sept-14 13:36:57

I really wanted to see this but I've had no time to watch telly this past week. There's been nothing much to watch for ages and now I'm short of time all the good programmes are starting.

petra Fri 05-Sept-14 15:07:21

I love Eddie Izzard and he's a very good actor. I thought the programme was great. I could have cried for him at the end ( where they wouldn't let him in to the room)

Deedaa Fri 05-Sept-14 22:01:59

I really enjoyed this and amazingly so did DH (very hard to find dramas he will watch) Eddie Izzard is so good in things like this, I wish he would do more. I was particularly interested because my mother worked with radar during the war tracking enemy planes for the Ack Ack guns in Liverpool. She had a little notebook full of figures which always amazed me because numbers weren't her strong point. She would never say much about it because she said she was bound by the Official Secrets Act and after watching Castles in the Sky I've realised quite how new and secret it will have been. I've since found that she and her friend were also teaching The Americans who came over how to use radar (and making waves by refusing to discriminate between white and coloured Americans)

merlotgran Fri 05-Sept-14 22:17:09

This was right up my street as Dad was in Signals Command and I worked as a secretary for Plessey Radar in the late sixties. After retiring from the RAF Dad worked for Marconi so we both had to sign 'Conflict of Interest' declarations. No worries though. Radar installations does not family chit chat make. hmm

I though Eddie Izzard was excellent.

soop Sat 06-Sept-14 15:24:54

I agree that the drama was excellent. Eddie Izzard played a first class leading role.

suebailey1 Sun 07-Sept-14 09:23:03

I loved it we were enthralled - total silence throughout the programme. At the part where he finds his wife has left (did she ever come back) DH became very emotional and gave me a big spontaneous hug which is rare for him.

soop Sun 07-Sept-14 12:34:36

suebailey1 We also thought about that moment when he returned home to discover the letter. I would like to believe that she returned. A big spontaneous hug is one of the best. smile

The weather here is glorious. The perfect early autumn day. Smell of bonfire smoke drifting across the pasture and the sight of conkers waiting to fall from the horse chestnut trees.

We've been hunting high and low for the Advanced Spider Stay Away spray (contains Horse Chestnut extract) disliked by but harmless to spiders. After much kafuffle, it was eventually located. It works...last year and the previous year we saw not a single arachnid...which suits me fine. grin

soop Sun 07-Sept-14 17:35:41

My apologies for including part of this message in the wrong wotsit. blush

Deedaa Sun 07-Sept-14 22:43:05

Googled him tonight. He and his wife got divorced and he married again in Canada. His second wife died in 1964. He returned to Scotland and proposed to Dame Katherine Trefusis Forbes. They both died in the early 70's.

I just read a very dismissive review of the programme in the Telegraph, but I see that the critic thinks that Boomers is very funny and really well written!