Beryl Burton radio drama

[deptfordmarmoset]

Well, I enjoyed it. Listened to it on iPlayer in the bath and I stayed in the tub for the full 45 minutes. This is probably a personal best for solo immersions.

The use of ''invite'' for ''invitation'' grated a little because it was very anachronistic but apart from that no complaints at all.

 

[Ian H]

NB We'll be interested to hear what cyclists think. I'm the director / producer. We set out to write about how she achieved such amazing wins with none of the support or acclaim cyclists have today, - but after we met and interviewed Charlie, we realised it was a love story; hence the title. Hope we manage to please all parties........... we'll see. Maxine was determined to honour Beryl's achievements and memories in this drama and it ends with a list of some of her finest achievements. Let me know on twitter @SavvyJustine

A friend of mine who raced against BB thought it was beautifully done and touching.

 

[dellzeqq]

I didn't quite feel the isolation and the sheer bloody horror that is a long time trial. To be honest I thought it would make a better television than radio - there are times when silence would have been more telling than the speaking voice.

 

[Ian H]

I didn't quite feel the isolation and the sheer bloody horror that is a long time trial.

That would be difficult on radio. Might work very late night on R3.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

@SavvyJustine - I used to see Beryl Burton on her bike around Woodlesford, a village 5 miles SE of Leeds, a lot in my early years- around the mid-60s... I remember my dad telling me that she lived in the Beechwood estate near us, but I mentioned this to someone on here recently and they said it wasn't true, and it doesn't mention her living in the village in her web listings.

Woodlesford....

Not far from where I grew up, I lived in/around Lofthouse Gate/Stanley until I was 38.

I used to go with my dad, up to Clumpcliffe when it was a tenanted farm, & he'd collect Lambs for Sadlers Butchers (on Morley market)

 

[Paulus]

I am listening to at the moment. Most enjoyable. another radio 4 first.

 

[dellzeqq]

I know what bothers me about it - the 'historical' sections were all a bit too decorous. On Beryl's first outing she struggled on a hill - well, I've encouraged people up hills, and mostly they give a fair imitation of dying, or wanting to die. And maybe times were different then, but the conversation between Charlie and Beryl at the 25 mile mark seemed to take an age - and I think she might be have been in a bit more of a hurry, given she had a world record to set. And then, when you ride at that kind of speed the noise kind of accumulates, and it starts to batter you, albeit there are times that you simply don't hear it.

What came across was a modest woman (and that may be perfectly correct) somehow finding herself beating the world, but I don't think you get to beat the world unless you are prepared to put yourself at death's door - but, then again, the business of getting to death's door is probably indescribable in words. It would be like trying to describe transubstantiation. As a story it was well told, and the interview sections were moving, but, as an explanation....

For some reason I'm put in mind of 'Blue' by Derek Jarman. http://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqImjOrZQvEsAl0N2BQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTBrc3VyamVwBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQD?p=blue derek jarman&vid=7C0EBD5144B18D6D00FF7C0EBD5144B18D6D00FF&l=&turl=http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=V.4870244615389344&pid=15.1&rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJmFg_UyQz4&tit=Derek Jarman - You say to the boy open your eyes...(Blue.1993)&c=15&sigr=11a9ie6bq&fr=crmas

 

[Archie_tect]

Woodlesford....

Not far from where I grew up, I lived in/around Lofthouse Gate/Stanley until I was 38.

I used to go with my dad, up to Clumpcliffe when it was a tenanted farm, & he'd collect Lambs for Sadlers Butchers (on Morley market)

Went to Rothwell Grammar School at Loftus!

 

[PaulB]

I didn't quite feel the isolation and the sheer bloody horror that is a long time trial. To be honest I thought it would make a better television than radio - there are times when silence would have been more telling than the speaking voice.

We listened to it last night and as enjoyable as it was, we both said it would make a better TV programme and who knows, maybe they'll do the decent thing and transfer it to the screen?