UK TV programmes to watch this week : 18/03/2023

Challenge Anneka (Channel 5/HD | 8:50pm to 10:20pm | Saturday 18th March 2023) ** NEW SERIES **

Foal Farm. Series 1, episode 1. Revival of the 1980s and ’90s show in which Anneka Rice takes on tasks that must be completed in a set time She begins at a dog rescue centre at Foal Farm in Kent with the building of a new block of kennels, a grooming parlour and a play area, all in time for its 60th anniversary.

Wild Isles (BBC 1/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 19th March 2023)

Woodland. Series 1, episode 2. The wildlife of Britain’s woodlands through the seasons, including a look at how the reintroduction of wild boar to the Forest of Dean has helped robins to find food in winter. Other creatures featured include the world’s largest land slug and starlings falling prey to owls on Bodmin Moor. Plus, a look at how a subterranean network of fungi connects the whole forest together.

Hornby: A Model World (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Monday 20th March 2023)

The FLIRT. Series 2, episode 10. Simon and Montana attempt the hard sell at The Dorset Steam Fair, whilst designer Steve takes on the challenge of replicating one of the world’s newest trains.

The Architecture The Railways Built (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 21st March 2023)

London Bridge. Series 4, episode 4.  Tim Dunn gets to grips with his local station – London Bridge, meeting the architects who turned this station into a bright, airy and tranquil modern terminus.

Race Across the World (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 22nd March 2023) ** NEW SERIES + PICK OF THE WEEK **

Five teams race 16,000 kilometres across the breadth of Canada starting from Vancouver on the Pacific coastline and passing through seven checkpoints before reaching St Johns on the island of Newfoundland, the most easterly town in North America. Their skill, ingenuity and determination are put to the test as they embark on their journey without access to smartphones, the internet or credit cards. Armed with only the cash equivalent of the airfare to fly their route, the teams travel at ground level through some of the most remote regions in the world.

Beyond Paradise (BBC 1/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 24th March 2023)

Reports of strange lights in the sky above North Farm lead ramblers to a newly appeared crop circle where they find an unidentified man’s body. Humphrey finds himself at pains to suppress conspiracy theorists speculating alien involvement while methodically pursuing the case. Meanwhile, Martha’s restaurant is reviewed by an influential food critic as she misses an important IVF appointment and makes an important decision regarding plans to start a family. Detective drama set in rural Devon, starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Now done 36% of #walk1000miles – 2023

That’s me already done 36% of #walk1000miles. So 360.72 miles down and 639.28 miles remaining!

walk1000miles - 2023

Keep up-to-date with all my cycling and walking adventures over at www.strava.com/athletes/gsvalentine

Middle of March 2023 most popular photos

Below are the top five most looked at photos on this website so far during March 2023.

Number 1 (54 views) : Rangers Champions Home Shirt
Rangers Champions Home Shirt

Number 2 (47 views) : Diesel Pride T-Shirt
Diesel Pride T-Shirt

Number 3 (43 views) : Fetters Padded Leather Muzzle
Fetters Padded Leather Muzzle

Number 4 (37 views) : Marshall Meadows Manor House
Marshall Meadows Manor House

Number 5 (29 views) : Royal Border Bridge
Royal Border Bridge

Love these photos? Many more at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/me/2023/

Bugsy has his own website header image!

Since Bugsy is now a very, very big part of my life. It’s about time, he got his own website header image on my website!

Had Tears of Joy, while looking for images for this! Yep, I’ve really falling for him!!

Cooper’s 15 longest walks…

Day After making a list of 15 longest walks that Bugsy has done so far. I was like, it would also be nice to look back at the 15 longest walks that we did with Cooper…

Walking the Trent Valley Way

Of course, this list will not be 100% correct. Since got we Cooper, way before I got my first smart watch.

  1. Day 2 : Chesterfield Canal – 12/07/2018 – 18.42 miles
  2. Day 3 : Chesterfield Canal – 30/08/2018 – 17.24 miles
  3. Greetham, Fort Henry, Rutland County GC, Clipsham and Thistleton – 05/04/2022 – 16.47 miles
  4. Day 2 : River Thames to Slough via Grand Union Canal – 09/09/2018 – 16.44 miles
  5. Grantham Canal : Hickling Basin to Hollygate Lane Lock 7 – 13/08/2017 – 16.24 miles
  6. Day 1 : Chesterfield Canal – 03/07/2018 – 16.04 miles
  7. Day 1 : GUC : Leicester Line : Norton Lock to Yelvertoft – 21/06/2020 – 15.68 miles
  8. Three counties – 03/06/2018 – 15.68 miles
  9. Day 4 : Rutland Round : Empingham to Thistleton – 15/02/2018 – 15.48 miles
  10. Paddington Basin to Bull’s Bridge – 03/09/2017 – 15.10 miles
  11. Southwell Trail – Southwell, Bilsthorpe and White Post – 22/02/2022 – 14.56 miles
  12. Day 11 : GUC : Blisworth to Long Buckby – 07/04/2019 – 14.26 miles
  13. Day 1 : Rutland Round : Oakham to Uppingham – 25/01/2018 – 14.12 miles
  14. GUC : Leicester Line – Market Harborough Branch – 01/01/2022 – 14.03 miles
  15. Day 3 : Rutland Round : Barrowden to Empingham – 08/02/2018 – 13.70 miles

It was great looking back at some of the amazing walks we did with Cooper. Also very upsetting, even after a year of him not being in my life. Still miss him, each and everyday…

Doubt, I would have done a single of them walks, if it had not been for him!

Bugsy’s 15 longest walks!

WOW! Really can’t how many long walks Bugsy has took us on! 14 out of his 15 longest walks are over 10 miles!

Mark G, Bugsy and myself

Here is a list of 15 longest walks, we’ve done with Bugsy:-

  1. Monsal Trail, tick! Plus his longest ever WALK!! – 18.53 miles
  2. Day 2 : ECP : Berwick-upon-Tweed to Lindisfarne Inn, West Mains – 15.72 miles
  3. Day 3 : Isle of Wight Coastal Path : Freshwater Bay to Niton – 14.64 miles
  4. Day 7 : Leicestershire Round : Hallaton to Glooston Circular – 13.31 miles
  5. Day 4 : Isle of Wight Coast Path : Niton to Sandown – 12.35 miles
  6. Day 1 : ECP : Marshal Meadows to Scottish Border and Berwick upon Tweed – 12 miles
  7. Day 5 : Isle of Wight Coast Path : Sandown to Ryde – 11.57 miles
  8. Day 13 : GUC : Leicester Line : Loughborough to River Trent – 11.47 miles
  9. Day 2 : Isle of Wight Coast Path : Yarmouth to Freshwater Bay – 11.43 miles
  10. Day 1 Part B : Isle of Wight Coastal Path – 10.94 miles
  11. Day 1 of 2 : Brampton Valley Way : Northampton to Lamport – 10.76 miles
  12. Day 1 : Market Harborough Round : Hallaton, Tugby, Rolleston and Goadby Circular – 10.48 miles
  13. Day 5 : GUC : Leicester Line : Foxton Locks – 10.21 miles
  14. Day 3 : Leicestershire Round : Thorpe Satchville to Owston Circular – 10.10 miles
  15. Fylingthorpe to Whitby via Raw and the Cinder Track – 9.68 miles

Please give him a follow at www.strava.com/athletes/bugsythedog

Now done 34% of #walk1000miles – 2023

That’s me already done 34% of #walk1000miles. So 341 miles down and 659 miles remaining!

walk1000miles - 2023

Keep up-to-date with all my cycling and walking adventures over at www.strava.com/athletes/gsvalentine

WOW! Got Bugsy one year ago!!

WOW! So hard to believe that we got Bugsy one year ago!! So happy with the young man he’s turned into! He was very, very hard work for the first number of months. He’s now so loving. Loves going for long walks. And has to sleep on my bed each and every night!

Please welcome Bugsy to our family

Mark G, Bugsy and myself

Bugsy and myself

Many more photos of him can be found at www.gordon-valentine.com/zenphoto/bugsy/

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 11/03/2023

Dusty Springfield at the BBC (BBC 2/HD | 8:45pm to 9:45pm | Saturday 11th March 2023)

Volume 2. A selection of archive appearances on the BBC by singer Dusty Springfield through the decades, including performances of You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Son of a Preacher Man and The Look of Love.

Wild Isles (BBC 1/HD | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 12th March 2023) ** PICK OF THE WEEK + NEW SERIES **

Our Precious Isles. Series 1, episode 1. David Attenborough explores British woodland, grassland, freshwater and ocean habitats, revealing the surprising and dramatic wildlife that exist right on the doorstep, the existence of which is critical for the survival of species right across the globe. The first episode examines the benefits of Britain’s natural geology and examines ways in which depleted islands can be restored for future generations.

Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 12th March 2023)

Part two of two. Paul visits the River Wye and discovers how an explosion of algae caused by fertiliser run-off from farming is part of a cocktail overwhelming the habitats along the waterway. He travels to Hampshire where he hears about the damage being caused to rare and precious chalk streams, before discovering how regular sewage discharges on the coast are causing problems for Whitstable’s famous oyster industry. Ending his journey in London, Paul finds a beacon of hope in the form of the £4.4billion Thames Tideway super sewer.

Hornby: A Model World (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 14th March 2023)

Spitfire. Series 2, episode 9. For the first time in 50 years, the Airfix team attempt a 1:24 scale kit of a Spitfire. Will designer Chris be able to capture the iconic warbird in sufficient detail?

The Architecture The Railways Built (Yesterday | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Tuesday 14th March 2023)

Channel Tunnel. Series 4, episode 3. Tim goes deep beneath the waves to explore the Channel Tunnel, stopping off at Ashford International to take in this underappreciated piece of 90s railway architecture.

The Piano (Chanel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:15pm | Wednesday 15th March 2023) ** WOW **

A concert at The Royal Festival Hall sets the stage for the final of the competition, as the remaining pianists rehearse and prepare before they walk out onto one of the world’s great music stages in front of a packed house. Mika and Lang Lang have got one last surprise up their sleeves, but who will win the performance of the night?

The Piano (More4 | 10:15pm to 11:15pm | Wednesday 15th March 2023) ** WOW **

Claudia Winkleman presents the final concert at the Royal Festival Hall, featuring performances by Lang Lang, Mika and the finalists of the competition.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 17th March 2023)

Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker are joined by guest comedians Nish Kumar and Fern Brady for a comic review of the significant moments of the past seven days. As usual, the hashtag #isitok paves the way for the gang to round up, examine and explain the leading and most entertaining news stories of the week.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

Bugsy walked 60.3 miles in one week!

Here is a list of longest walks we did with Bugsy during our holiday. He walked a total of 60.3 miles.

Day 2 of the England Coast Path

These are in date order:-

Please give him a follow at www.strava.com/athletes/bugsythedog