Matt Baker’s survey of the United Kingdom continues its varied route this week, touching down in Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland before landing in the West Midlands. This third episode maintains the show’s established format, turning its attention to local guardians of tradition and landmarks, finding the stories behind the scenery.
The episode opens in Northern Ireland with the McKinley family, who are working to preserve their native breed of horses while giving visitors tours of the landscape. From there, Baker heads to Mumbles in South Wales, where he finds two brothers fighting to save their family’s pier, a well-known local fixture. The scale increases in Falkirk, Scotland, as the show looks at the people dedicated to maintaining both the massive Kelpies sculptures and the Falkirk Wheel, two significant man-made structures.
The hour rounds out with a stop at Simon Topman’s whistle factory in the West Midlands. The segment looks at the specific sounds produced there that became integral to policing and major sporting events, including the 1966 World Cup Final. It’s a series of vignettes tied together by Baker’s affable curiosity and a clear respect for the people keeping these distinct parts of British culture alive.
Matt Baker’s British Isles airs on More4, Tuesday, 17 June at 9:00 PM GMT.
