Y Dyn Gwyllt

It wouldn’t make a very good programme if he was out in the Black Mountains somewhere and the camera crew were browsing the shops of Crickhowell, would it? :smile:

3 Likes

Television programmes are usually made for television! :wink:
The ‘camera team’ in this instance consists of two people - one guy looking after the sound and the other is the director who also does the camera work. They are the only two out with him and are also on foot with him the majority of the time.

2 Likes

Absolutely nothing, in my opinion. They used to be worth money dead! But it was not, at first, clear that it was greys he was after. And my objection was to the rifle - use of with no explanation of permits needed! When I was young, you could cart shot guns around without anyone turning a hair, and I carried a couple of rifles on the tube as a student, but now???
Sorry @siaronjames, we passed in the post there! I am sorry for the poor guys making those programs! All three! And Gwen! The weather has been pretty bad and now it’s going to be mountain winter! I only nit pick because I worry that adventurous lads might be tempted to try something similar. OK, nowadays they can’t just nick Dad’s 12 bore or an old 4.10 lying around the house, or even an air rifle…possibly an air rifle? But they could try it with catapults!

The soundman and director/cameraman are both pretty hardy souls (they happen to be local guys, so well used to working - and playing - in, up and around mountains!), and since Carwyn does this type of thing on a regular basis off-camera, Gwen’s used to it! :wink:

1 Like

I just know Gwen doesn’t look as if she’s having the time of her life! Maybe she’s just a brilliant actress?! :wink:

All this discussion has rather increased my interest in watching the programme, which I haven’t got around to yet.

It’s good to have your insider knowledge @siaronjames though I always tend to look on the positive side of things, and I know the dog would be fed and the correct permissions obtained etc. Those things obviously have to be taken care of behind the scenes so we can all pretend he’s a Dyn Gwyllt :slight_smile:

4 Likes

OK @Deborah-SSi, I take your point. But when things are documentaries, not fiction, well, care is needed to show all aspects that matter, and conservation, protection of species, firearms legislation and shooting laws are not, maybe, known to all. I know that, even for rabbits, you can’t just take a gun anywhere. I know the difference between a rabbit and a hare, and that the latter is a protected species. If everyone knows all that, well, ignore all objections I,have raised!
Edit! It seems hares are only protected here in Scotland, although many in England and Wales want the species, mountain and brown. to be protected! I grovel, but am sorry I was wrong, because I value hares, despite having eaten quite a few!

Watching the last episode shot in winter, at least they mentioned that wild geese are the only legal thing he can shoot and he has to prove they are damaging the land. But later, I notice how very, very well behaved Gwen is! Noway would. my Toffi sit away from me politely, if I was on the ground with food! I wish she’d wake up and watch Gwen, she might learn manners!

1 Like

He took white flour as carbohydrate, why not whole grain? He said the cave was primitive, but caves can be cosy with a fire just outside! Cat Hole, Gower was one such! Lots of talking to the camera and sound team this time!Oh dear! Jet fighters! And people! Shades of Brecon Beacons back when!
Series? Not educational, positively the opposite in terms of encouraging poaching, probably young lads would end up poisoned! But most will probably be put off by rain, cold and dismal look of everything! @siaronjames have they had any feedback do you know? I guess most young people today don’t spend as much time as I did wondering around mountains, moor and dale!

As far as I know the feedback’s been quite good - I bumped into the sound man the other day. He said people had told him they enjoyed the slower ‘rough round the edges, un-lesson like’ approach compared to the other well-known backwoodsmen’s series. I guess that’s what S4C were going for when they commissioned it.

2 Likes

I’ve enjoyed the bits I’ve watched. I’ve only watched the first episode and half the third. However, I never really saw it as an educational programme. To me it was just a bloke living in the wild for 5 days. I didn’t get the feeling he was trying to teach others how to do it.

Clearly i saw it in too serious a way. But my favourite character was still Gwen!

These days, you can’t even carry a can of beer on the tube.
Elf and safety gorn mad innit?
(I’m only half-joking here … :slight_smile: ).

1 Like

Was he up around Bwlch y Batell - maybe they said and I didn’t pick it up? I came across a similar looking ‘cave’ in that general location once but I’m not sure it was the same one. It’s a pity they didn’t travel around that area more in the last programme - perhaps they’ll do another one?

I’m not sure (I wasn’t actually involved in the show). I think the locations in the final show were all on private land - that and the weather and the time of year (dark early!) would have restricted how far they could reasonably travel for TV purposes. As far as I know, there is not another series commissioned at the moment, so we’ll all have to wait and see!

1 Like