Countryfile off roading

[landmannnn]

Assuming you didn't watch Countryfile on Sunday, a 10 minute article on greenlaning.

Surprisingly balanced I feel.

Here it is on iplayer, scroll through to 17:50. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00wstlg/Countryfile_12_12_2010/

Interesting the bloke in a defender at 24:30 who says all greenlaning should be banned, while driving on a greenlane.

I think iplayer only lasts a week so this link will only last until 19th Dec.

[landroversforever]

Interesting article. Nice to see a bit of a balanced argument.

Maybe a bit of good publicity for us/TRF?

[martifers]

Was interesting to see. So thank you for the link!

I didn't like the ending suggestion that 'the conflict will rage for as long as there are those that want quite access to the countryside and those who want to test their machines against the elements' - That is far to black and white!

I go green laning to gain access to the countryside in my vehicle, certainly not to test it against the elements. That is what pay 'n' play and competitions are for. I suppose there are some who will use lanes as a 'free' vehicle test but in the end we all end up paying the price for that minorities selfishness. Though I would rather not be tarred with the same brush.

[defender dave]

i went along the foss way and came to an area that had been destroyed by some twats in offroders they even smashed through 2x farmers gates and wheel span up the fields.they are the ones that are giving it a bad name.i believe that by green laneing the lanes are keept open and that they would soon get overgrown.

[Anderzander]

It was certainly a better balanced article than it might have been. I would have liked to see the differences between green laning and pay and play explained - particularly the mind set between the two.

There was quite an emphasis on the Pay and Play folks when really they don't figure in the access debate - other than perhaps being a viable alternative for those that want to rip things up etc and shouldn't be doing it on the lanes.

[axlechorus]

I have to agree that I was fearing the worst when it started considering the recent "leftward" move of countryfile but it was certainly more balanced than expected. I would've liked to have seen more about what legal laning is about and its different attitudes but hey. I think the man from the TRF on there did a very good job and that it certainly did no damage to our cause!

[Ruuman]

I didn't think it was too bad.I've just been laning for 5 days across Wales, we didn't see a single other walker or horse rider and the only other 4x4 party was on Strata which we expected. What was annoying is the amount of perfectly good lanes closed in Brecon for no reason we could see. At least they were clearly marked as closed though. We did come across one Brecon sign that was torn off it's post, but that was about it.

The woman at 23:00 is talking about incidents in the 1990 and 2000, I don't see how that really added anything. Maybe one day a news crew might go greenlaning with a responsible group and actually see what it's really like. Empty lanes, nice views and interesting things that most walkers never see as it's too remote and the odd person shouting at you...

[disco_al]

Maybe one day a news crew might go greenlaning with a responsible group and actually see what it's really like.

why not put the suggestion to countryfile as a follow up to the article? (just remember to have plenty of lr4x4 stickers on display)

TBH it wsas a fair argument for the cause, although i think they really should have distinguished between pay n play sites and real lanes. maybe even point out why certain lanes are closed during the winter, and maybe even point out the amount of work that some local 4x4 clubs do to keep the lanes open for all.

[winton]

I think we should get a Land Rover TV channel, that would be awesome

[David Sparkes]

You may like to see the alternative comments from people who objected to the biased editing.

http://www.countryfile.com/forum/12-december-peak-district-slot-t555.html

Also see the comments on the GLASS Forum. http://forum.glass-uk.org/viewtopic.php?t=3441 although that may not be accessible to non-members.

From Bogfrog:

When I got into work this morning, my boss said to me "You lot were featured on Countryfile last night, churning up the countryside".

His impression of Greenlaning is what he saw on the programme....a bunch of Mudplugging 'Off-Roaders' doing their best to get plastered in mud. No doubt anyone watching that programme that knows nothing about Greenlaning will now have the same impression. Mad

The feature starts at 18 minutes into the programme.

From me:

Thankyou Bogfrog for two points:

1, the timing of the relevant section within the programme.

2, passing on the reaction of someone who isn't of 'our fraternity'. Having read the comments about the programme, both here and in other fora, I had wondered if people were being a little too critical. At that time I hadn't seen the programme.

I'll say I thought that the section concentrating on the Pay and Play footage was perfectly OK. Where the editors were wrong were in 'sexing up' the next section about green lane travel by interposing Pay and Play footage, and I think it's that which misled your 'general viewer'.

Not that I think Countryfile give a damn. They still follow the maxim of 'power without responsibility', which is why they have a standard email reply which doesn't address any particular issue. If people want to challenge them it has to be via 'Points of View' or similar programmes.

For what it's worth, I have downloaded the programme outside the iPlayer restrictions. It's a 380MB FLV file, which plays directly with the VLC Player. I've no doubt there are other applications which play files in the FLV format.

Regards,

[Rich_P]

I'd like to say similar comments have been raised about me and my Series, after that Countryfile program. It seems even an old Series will not save you from comments from the massively deluded public.

[tinweasel]

I have to say I not happy with this, the comments made by the owner of the bogged down 90 were those of a pay and play fan, and as such not the sort of thing a laner would say, also the shots of spinning wheels and 4x4's that were in no way road legel only played into the comment that half off roader's out there wernt legel on the roads a comment based on one convoy cought on using paths or bridel ways.

Had they spoken to the owner of the disco seen winching out the 90 they would have had a much more reasoned dicusion, which would have been much more incitfull in how most laners think (he is a very good mate and long time laning companion of mine),also it wasnt made clear that byways are leagaly roads and as such not paths as they were disribed

I should add I do a good amount of pay and play driving, its a good way of letting off a little steam, but more importantly I cant think of a better way of keeping your skills sharp and learning new ones so that when out on the lanes you know what your doing, and as such have as small an affect as possable.

Cheers

Shaun

[DrRob]

I have complained to the BBC

LRO talking about this too

[ashtray]

i would just like to point out that my local bridleway is impassable by foot, and thinking about it, i wouldnt even consider driving along it (if it was legally allowed) without having mud terrain tyres fitted. This route is not in regular use by horses but it has been turned into a bog because of its use, by horses, in wet conditions. I dont see a traffic order temporarily halting horses from using this route, even though it is used by walkers a lot. I could guarantee you that if motor vehicles had caused this amount of damage to the route it would have been closed off.

How typical of countryfile to find the best characters suited at expressing how responsible they are at driving off road. I can just picture John Craven waving his walking stick at my vehicle along a greenlane. I bet his blood pressure goes through the roof seeing a car driving through the countryside.

[nicks90]

dont forget who the new president of the ramblers association is either - that WILL have had an impact on the bias of the feature.

[Retroanaconda]

Well %*@& the lot of them I say.

Go out, enjoy the lanes while you still can. It's inevitable that we will lose them so just make the most of the opportunities while they exist.

I admire the spirit of the guys fighting the cause, but the fact is that the measly percentage of ROW users that vehicles represent can never win out against the force of the ramblers and horse people. Add in the political correctness element and media 'coverage' and it's an unwinnable war in my opinion.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but not too suprised if proved right

[Exmoor Beast]

I'm of the opinion that you need two Land Rovers for offroading. A kitted out one for playing at P&P sites a competing and a completely standard (or appearing to be so series one or two for laning, wear a flat cap and wax jacket in a classic LR and have a pipe hanging out your gob and I reckon theres not a rambler in Britain who would challenge you

Will

[sean f]

Along with the general consesus I also agree they should have pointed out the difference between the shots on a pay and play PRIVATE site and driving on a green lane. Perhaps some footage of basically standard vehicles crawling along nice gentle lanes with elderly or disabled people onboard who would not otherwise be able to get there would have shown things in a better light, I am sure this could have been arranged very simple but would have made such dramatic footage.

The actions of any one on a private site are basically irrelevent to what goes on on greenlanes which are as has been pointed out legal roads. On a private sites an damage done is legal and would pale in the light of the damage most agricultural equipment would do particularly a plough!.

The comments about being nearly run down by bikes or 4x4's whilst walking on a bridleway are totally irrelevent to the access debate and it annoys me that they are brought out, this is already illegal and has been for a long time (trespass, driving without due care and attention, criminal damage and I am sure other charges), the issue here is not legislation but enforcement of the laws that already exist. Although various forces are taking action against people driving off road (rather than on a green lane which after all is ON road) with the budget and manning cuts they are facing I can only see the resourse allocated to this being reduced in favour of more serious crime. As for unroad worth vehicles which was mentioned walk down the road or round a car park in some towns and have a look at the tax disc's and obvious mot failure points, I am sure you can easily find plenty driven on tarmac roads as well and thats with out access to the insurance database.

[Adam001]

No mention of GLASS, Off road Clubs or anyone promoting good use of lanes in 4x4s

Was only 2 weeks ago that I was in the peak district and we got a vehicle stuck in the snow, while recovering it (nothing bad) had loads of people ranting and taking photos...even though you couldn't even see any mud as it was all snow

Our group got pulled over by the police, he quickly saw my GLASS stickers and we had a nice chat, he was doing routine checks looking for illegal drivers, nice to see, I now have their number so can report things

[landmannnn]

If the point of the programme article was to answer the question "should vehicles be banned from the peak district?" then I don't think this was biased.

They showed 4x4's in a field, listened to rants about irresponsible bikers flouting the law, presented a feeble piece of evidence about damage to habitats and listened to a short debate between two interest groups.

[FridgeFreezer]

I can't watch countryfile without seeing the Vic & Bob version...

[dailysleaze]

Brilliant video!

I see it that the people that go illegally offroading are the same type of person that drives through a residential area at 50mph in a lowered Punto with no silencer. Same scum, different pastime.

If anything, i've seen more motorbikes whizzing down footpaths surrounding towns and in estates than in National Parks. Same problem, less controversial.

[JJB Serenity]

On the one hand the programme did not rant and rave about people greenlaning.

On the other hand the use of film showing people legally off-roading when discussing greenlaning, the constant referral of greenlaning as off-roading and the lack of a counter argument from a member of GLASS or a responsible 4x4 club was hugely harmful.

The average person will not take a balanced and educated view from what they have learnt from this programme.