Showdown sets pace for TV slot
Published at 21:56, Wednesday, 23 July 2008
THE committee expressed concern and indignation at the total lack of liaison between itself and Yorkshire TV which intended to make a documentary video of this year’s proceedings.
This followed a statement by the chairman who had received a letter from the programme producer, Barry Cockcroft, saying all arrangements were complete.
This came as a considerable surprise because there had been no mention of the intended programme since a casual mention several months earlier.
Concern was voiced over the siting of cameras and cables and of how many television vehicles or shooting stances would be placed without interfering with the general public’s access.
An immediate meeting between the chairman and the television people was needed. In the August 17 issue the newspaper said the film, The Cornet and The Crown, which Yorkshire TV made of the Common Riding was 170 minutes in length but was originally intended to be a half-hour programme and it would be screened in December.
The film was not of the Common Riding as such but was intended to show what happens to athletes who attend sports meetings up and down the country.
The athletes who were the subjects chosen by the producer were George McNeil, of Tranent, the world 110m record holder, and Jim Thompson of Edinburgh, the British 90, 100 and 110m champion.
Thompson won and McNeil came second in the British 90 metres sprint championship at the Common Riding games.
The producer was so impressed with the scenes he filmed on the last Friday in July that the chance of the show running to more than one hour had come about.
However, as the cameras were out and about at 7.30am, taking background shots and moving in the ceremonial, you can see among the highlights the morning gallop up the Kirkwynd – through the eyes of the zoom lens.
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