BBC Olympic Trailer And Being Active

Hmm, find the BBC Olympic trailer a little bit odd. I know it's just a bit of stylistic fun, but it just reminds me how forced it appears.

That it has subconscious links to the horrible caging and killing of animals, notably Juma the Jaguar, is one thing. At a simpler level it reminds me that no animal runs sportily against other animals. Animals DO run around and play just for fun (although a lot is learning), which is always delightful to see!

Maybe I link this with the massive emphasis that the media, especially the BBC, puts on sport as the only way to get active.

Just in cycling for instance. The message will be "join a club, get riding, start racing". True, we will get a lot of kids on the streets playing at being Laura Trott or Jason Kenny. That's great! But it doesn't last. Before these Olympics, I asked a lot of kids (I work with lots of different groups regularly) about previous medal winners. Around 90% didn't know anything about them.

Kids want to play on their bikes just the same way as animals play naturally. It's about having some fun with your friends, getting around, being independent of parents, and growing up. Only a small percentage will want to do it as a sport.

So, the message the BBC completely miss for a large proportion of people is that being active is not about sport. It's just about getting out and enjoying being active, the vast majority of which will have nothing to do with sport.

The WI on BBC Radio 6 Roundtable with Steve Lamacq

Yes, many of you will notice this isn't about cycling. Actually it's a bit closer than you may think.

Last year I had the luck of meeting loads of fantastic Women's Institute members as part of a project to knit little jerseys for the Tour de France visit to Cambridge. In February I had tweeted a picture of what Yorkshire was doing and bemoaned that the only thing that seemed to be happening in a city full of commuter cyclists was a few long distance cycle club rides. The BBC picked it up and suddenly I found myself with a project to run.

Key to the success was Jo, who asked me ot come along and pitch the idea to their WI AGM as a brief 5 minute fun piece before the serious meeting took place. Little did I know that the county chairperson was present and loved the idea so much that she took it to all the county's WI groups.

16 weeks later 400 volunteers had knitted 2000 jerseys that the council put up along the route and the local business development group helped get into shop windows along the way and in the city.

Anyway, on the way I also met Joanne who was full of boundless enthusiasm that sucked in many a volunteer and created a buzz of excitement all aroudn the project.

Both of whom have been shakers and movers in the WI, creating a slightly different* brand to the Jam and Jerusalem we all know. As such, they went on BBC Radio 6 Roundtable with Steve Lamacq last Thursday (12th November 2015) and had a wail of a time.

*And when I say "slightly different" I think that Steve summed it up perfectly when he said "I'm going to have a meltdown" in response to Joanne's current play list!

The WI on BBC Radio 6 Roundtable with Steve Lamacq

00:00 Intro
00:46 Cult Review
07:00 Daughter Review
11:14 Prodigy Review
14:01 Aurora Review
16:18 Santigold Review
22:10 Beans on Toast Review
27:32 Guy Garvey Review

Why Start Cycling

Much has been written recently (Guardian, BBC, others) about the legacy of the 2012 Olympic games and how sports participation increased in a couple of bursts to do with the games. Since it hasn't really gained much traction and is seemingly in decline.

This seems like it was all a waste of money and time. However, I'd argue there are some good things that came out of the Games, and possibly added to by the delights of the Tour de France being in Britain last year.

The very nature of the comment about people being involved in sport starts from the wrong premise. What we should be looking at is how many people have more active lives. This is not "sport". It's who chooses to do things using motor vehicles less and their own legs, be it riding or walking, more. Whether that's doing it as a way of getting around, or as a leisure activity, or as a race, it doesn't matter. Why are we only counting the last category? It's a perculiar British failure to see the full picture here.

I got involved in some of the legacy planning for the Tour de France in Cambridge. It was full of people talking about having a new cycle racing, about building up cycle clubs, measuring our sportiness, and many less, being slightly drowned out, trying to ask for better facilities for all. True, the former does have more substansive ideas and is less prone to "hidden benefit" syndrome, where no-one can monetise how it will help.

Into this mix I bring three stories about how some people I know went through this and created their own legacy. These three took up cycling in very different ways in different places.

Althea's Story.

Althea is from Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale, Yorkshire. A most stunningly beautiful dale. And with that goes some stunning hills and steep inclines to scare the chocolate off a Yorkshire Teapot.

I need to lose 4 stone and get fit. That’s the idea anyway. I tackled giving up smoking and won the battle last year – this year it’s about giving up food. Food and slothfulness. I’m a large-boned Yorkshire woman – I reckon I can kick slothful (walking to the post office involves a hike up hill and down dale with crampons and the Mountain Rescue Team on speed dial), but giving up food is going to be way more tricky. Drastic measures are called for.

I digress here but back in February, someone gave me a pattern to knit tiny jumpers for bunting for the Tour de France. Isn’t that a bicycle race in Europe? What’s that you say – it’s starting in Yorkshire this year? Really? Ok, I’ll knit 1. Then it got competitive and I knitted a nice round dozen. On my knitting journey, I got interested in the race itself. To be fair, I didn’t get a choice in the matter as my spare bedroom and those of my neighbours started being booked out with friends and relatives for the great weekend in July.


I used to cycle everywhere in my youth. It isn’t that difficult. I’ve cycled a tandem across the Golden Gate Bridge. Twice. Not that long ago either. Nobody pointed at my capacious bottom and laughed. Or if they did, it was only some skinny Californian on some joyless macrobiotic diet, and they did it quietly and politely. And who cares what they think anyway?

Not only that, but if I need an extra incentive, some kind person somewhere in the local planning office has given us a cycle track between Ripley and Harrogate and Knaresborough. The word on the street is it’s flat. On an old railway line. That sounds good. I smoked far too long to consider cycling up hills at my time of life.

So – off to Decathlon in Sheffield to get a nice cheap ladies bike with shopping basket and extra large comfy saddle, then to Halfords to get a cycle rack fitted to my Fiesta. Ready to roll. I won’t cycle the road between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate because it’s a nightmare to drive along, parts of it are so narrow and it’s infested with the world’s worst drivers – suicidal boy racers, rear-ending young women, crawling geriatrics who retired to somewhere pretty when they were 60 and are now wholly reliant on their cars to travel 15 miles each way to their Outpatients appointments at Harrogate Hospital, 30 years later. I kid you not. Then you’ve got the juggernauts which have started cruising this B road for something to do when they’re not driving side by side on the 2 lane sections of the A1. Cycling this road would be an exercise in expediting death. Where can I take my bike? Ripley in my car with my cycle rack.


The first time, I went by myself and it was just great. Off road but on a largely flat, tarmacked path, all the way into Harrogate. I came back raving about it and as a result, got my husband, daughter, son-in-law and baby grandson all enthusiastic – we’ve since been out many times and it’s always great fun. Safe, great fun. I sing as I cycle, they pretend they don’t know me, and each time I go, I manage a bit further, or a bit faster. I haven’t lost any weight by the way. I can’t give up food, but I reckon that cycling is preventing me from having to undergo bariatric surgery. That has to be a good thing, right? However, I think the council needs to open up more of these paths if they’re going to encourage us to cycle more – at the moment, there aren’t nearly enough safe places to go with my bike.

Since writing this, Althea has really taken to riding. Still riding on quiet roads but she's started to conquer steeper and steeper hills and longer and longer distances. I cannot begin to say how proud I am of her joy of finding her ability. She is the first to say the only thing that held her back was her fear that somehow she couldn't do it.

Daniel's Story.

I know Daniel from the pub. You know that place of high sporting ideals, lean diets, early nights and early starts!

I travel everywhere by foot or public transport all the time. Which can be time consuming, if I had to travel somewhere that took a while to get to. The reason I decided to start cycling was, talking to people down the pub and we talked about the benefits of having a bike. Also it was a few months before the Tour de France stage came to Cambridge, so a lot more people were talking about bikes than normal.


My initial thoughts of having a bike was a little apprehensive as I have never rode a bike before. I did not know what sort of bike to buy because at the time to me a bike was just bike. I just wanted something to bike around Cambridge that would get me from A to B and didn’t cost the earth.

I started saving some money to put towards buying a bike, which by coincidence happened to be the day after the Tour De France passed through Cambridge. For a while it just stayed in the hallway of my flat, as I was slightly nervous about going out by myself. However I have now been out on my bike practicing a few times with a friend who has been teaching me. Despite not being on bike for a long time I now fell a lot more confident than I started. I feel with a bit more practice I will be able to start going out on small journeys such as to the shops, and then gradually go a bit further.


My concerns now would be going on the road. You have to be a lot more aware of everything around you. I also have concerns about using cycle lanes a few of them don’t seem that wide, and how close thing cars and buses get to people on their bikes.

Daniel travels further and further by bike and, ta da, has had his first fall! What is great about Daniel's spirit is that he immediately got up, dusted himself down, and got back on the bike. Again, a very personal spirit, although I'd suggest the positive experience of riding also helped in this return to riding.


From The Guardian, What makes Cambridge a model cycling city?

Sue's Story.

Finally Sue. I know Sue, as many others will, through BBC Cambridge Radio. She's interviewed me about cycling and the Tour dr France project #CamBuntingTdF several times in the past year or so. Sue lives in the country well to the south of Cambridge.

I started cycling as the organiser of the fledgling City of Cambridge triathlon sort of ‘dared’ me to give it a go, so I borrowed a friend’s hybrid to get some basic fitness, had a go at the Wattbike (a thing of torture) in the gym. I then took a big breath and bought a road bike … and all the kit and caboodle! I was also inspired by the inaugural Women’s Tour which came right past my front door this summer and the Giro D’Italia in my native Northern Ireland.

The biggest worry was how to handle the roads – I’m lucky in that I live in a rural area so I tend to cycle on less busy roads, and those well frequented by recreational cyclists but I needed to get road confident, learn how to clip in and out properly and safely negotiate even apparently quiet junctions. I also worry sometimes about the safety of being a lone cyclist and a woman out on the roads by myself but try not to get too hung up on that!

After starting I realised how it requires a very different style and level of fitness than running! But I’m up to a good level of fitness and confidence now. The, er ‘undercarriage’ discomfort takes a bit of getting used to, as well! I’m probably more often on my bike than out running at the moment, quite a change for me!

I found time the biggest hurdle. Working fulltime and often alone with a small child at the weekend, it’s just sometimes difficult to get out there. I invested in a pull along trailer so my son comes too.

The roads quality where I live are quite good, well lit and relatively safe. I do find it tricky in village situations, negotiating parked cars and the like. I’ve not cycled in Cambridge city itself but there are junctions I know I would be loathe to tackle – but my overall impression is that Cambridge is worthy of its cycle-friendly city badge.

I’m a keen runner anyway and I know the benefits of being outdoors and of exercise. I’ve found myself cycling around villages I’ve only driven through and it’s good to see the countryside in a very different way.

Sue continues to ride and run and did confess she'd got some lessons from Olympic Gold Medalist, Vicky Pendleton and, UK National Time Trail Champion, Michael Hutchinson. She loves her sporting side, which is welcome. As is all people who've worked out that challenging yourself makes you enjoy your life more. This could be in sport or could be just getting to the shops under your own steam where you thought it impossible before.

So when I think of legacy, I think of these three people. And the many more people challenging themselves it whatever way they can.

The Supposed War on the Roads

The only thing worth doing directly with the quite short sighted and sensationalist BBC programme, in my view.

Complain to BBC under their Guidelines 3.4.6

You should use your own words. Mine were as the following section.

Footage of the "Alley Cat" race was not marked up as:
- professionally created "danger" footage
- over 6 years old

It was passed off as "normal" cyclist behaviour by associating it with the overall editorial concepts of the current rise of the helmet camera cyclists.

Why don't you produce something positive for all road users. I'd approach Chris Boardman to work on a programme on the benefits of cycling that would show people how safe roads are most of the time, how there is no "war", and how the more people do it the less our cities are congested (for all road users) and become liveable in.

Better still join a group you feel fits with the promotion of cycling you want. Like British Cycling, CTC, Sustrans, The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, or local groups like London Cycling Campaign or Camcycle.

If you have time, promote the cycling you want using local connections at your councils and/or police and/or local political campaigners.

!! UPDATE  !!  !! UPDATE  !!  !! UPDATE  !!  !! UPDATE  !!  !! UPDATE  !!

I've had a reply from my complaint that reads as follows.

Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘The War on Britain’s Roads’ from 5 December on BBC One.

I understand you were unhappy with this programme as it used footage which you felt misrepresented cyclists.

Executive Producer on ‘The War on Britain’s Roads’, Samantha Anstiss, has written a blog following discussions on the show, including the segment on the Alley Cat footage you’ve mentioned. This can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/blogaboutthebbc/posts/A-range-of-opinions-and-perspectives-in-The-War-on-Britains-Roads

I hope this can go some way to reassuring you and I’d also like to assure you I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily and is available for viewing by all our staff. This includes all programme makers and commissioning executives, along with our senior management. It ensures that your points, along with all other comments we receive, are considered across the BBC.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.

Well, in terms of reassurance, it makes me feel pretty angry. To palm off a complaint about failure to adhere to the BBC programming guidelines with a blog post by the excutive producer misses the point of the complaint entirely. The complaint requires investigation of the producer not a reply from them, it was them that broke the guidelines.

I've replied asking for them to actually reply to the complaint properly.

Previously I asked you to respond about the footage of the "Alley Cat" race, which was not marked up as:
- professionally created "danger" footage
- over 6 years old

These break your guidelines under point 3.4.6. Your response does not address this failure at all.

Again, join a group you feel fits with the promotion of cycling you want. Like British Cycling, CTC, Sustrans, The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, or local groups like London Cycling Campaign or Camcycle.

If you have time, promote the cycling you want using local connections at your councils and/or police and/or local political campaigners.


!! SECOND UPDATE  !!  !! SECOND UPDATE  !!  !! SECOND UPDATE  !!

I've had a second response from the BBC.

Thanks for contacting us again regarding ‘The War on Britain’s Roads’.

I note that you still believe that viewers were misled by the footage of the so-called ‘Alley Cat’ courier race because the programme did not state the age of the footage or the fact that it had previously been released as part of a commercial DVD. We do not believe it was in any way dishonest to include the footage for the reasons that have already been explained in the executive producer’s blog.

The programme aimed to show many different types of road behaviour and this short extract was just one small element. We never suggested the clip showed normal or everyday activity, but the fact remains the footage depicted the real behaviour of couriers engaged in a real event. The blog explained that this was authentic footage shot by one of the cyclists involved in the race and that it had been subsequently posted online and released commercially.

If you would like to take the matter further, you can contact the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit at Stage 2 of the complaints process and they will carry out an independent investigation. You must do this within 20 working days. You can email them at: ecu@bbc.co.uk , or alternatively write to them at the following address

And again, the response makes me feel pretty angry. Well, tired and angry. Tired because it feels like banging my head against a brick wall. Angry, as it's just the same fob off.

I'm sure that the BBC manages to get a drop off of complaints as a result of continuing to make people jump through more hoops to get the complaint genuinely reviewed. Alternatively, they may just feel they have to stick to their guns now, or it begins to look bad that they let the programme through in the first place.

There are two critical phrases. The first is as follows.

We never suggested the clip showed normal or everyday activity

But by not labelling as any different from the other headcam footage (specifically footage from a 3rd party depicting a paid for race) it IS saying it's the same. This is one reason why it should have been labelled, as specified in the BBC guidelines.

The second phrase is in the same sentence.

but the fact remains the footage depicted the real behaviour of couriers engaged in a real event.

We'll gloss over the fact that this conveys a completely different and contradictory meaning from the first part of the sentence. This does NOT depict everyday courier behaviour. It depicts a road race trying to break the rules. Saying it does is grossly misleading.


So, I have to work again, to follow through on the complain. The email left my outbox just a few moments ago.

I would like to complain about the BBC programme “The War on Britian’s Roads” broadcast on Wednesday, December 5th 2012 at 9pm on BBC1. Both replies to date fail to address the complaint.

Specifically the footage of the "Alley Cat" race towards the end of the programme. This was a race professionally created, specifically to look dramatic and reckless. Sources describing the interaction between the programme creators and race creators exist here (in case you didn’t already know!).
http://buffalobillbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/lucas-brunelle-the-king-of-new-york-and-the-war-on-britains-roads/
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/bbc-doc-portrays-dvd-stunt-cycling-footage-as-standard-behaviour/014036

This was not marked up as:
- professionally created footage
- over 6 years old
- specifically set to break all the roads on the road

It was passed off as "normal" cyclist behaviour by associating it with the overall editorial concepts of the current rise of the helmet camera cyclists.

This clearly breaks BBC Guidelines 3.4.6.

Again, join a group you feel fits with the promotion of cycling you want. Like British Cycling, CTC, Sustrans, The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, or local groups like London Cycling Campaign or Camcycle.

If you have time, promote the cycling you want using local connections at your councils and/or police and/or local political campaigners.