Grand Designs

[Bm101]

Though I did wonder why his vice was on the right hand side of his bench, when he appeared to be right handed.

Glad it wasn’t just me who noticed that!
I thoroughly enjoyed the programme and it was a pleasant change for Kevin McCloud just to accept the build for what it was rather than analyse it to death with his normal cliches.

The only thing 'wrong' with Grand Designs is McCloud. I actually quite like him as a presenter. I know he knows his stuff it's just his opinionated commentaries that can sometimes bother me. More neutrality wouldn't go amiss but then again perhaps it's a deliberate ploy to provoke. Or maybe he has a big head. Who can guess. Personally I think this project was to much for him to have a dig at. Only a hobby boy here but know enough about wood to know what a feat that house was. That ceiling. Each boss cut individually by hand in chestnut by one man. Pretty incredible doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[AndyT]

Yes, well said Chris.

I wonder if the problem is with the producer rather than the presenter, so often trying to get the familar story of an over-ambitious project running out of time and budget? Just not possible on this one, or on the other one which was so inspiring to so many people, where woodsman Ben Law built his own house for about £20k by being a thoroughly nice bloke who let people help and learn skills.

McCloud does seem to be interested in people who can imagine things and then make them.

 

[Bm101]

Nail on the head Andy. Think he's probably a thoroughly nice and interesting guy to know personally in real life. Quite possibly it's the Damocles Sword of Entertainment For All that is the real motive. Just Off to watch the x factor. No. I'm not.

 

[thetyreman]

it's amazing how much less agressive McCloud seemed in 2017 compared to 2007, still like bm101 says his comments can be annoying, he's very passive agressive, but maybe that's scripted and not authentic, again hard to tell without knowing him personally.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Staggeringly clever guy - and very modest and ordinary at the same time.

First one I've ever seen where they don't get pregnant six months into the build!!

 

[Tasky]

Looks like something out of The Hobbit.

I rather liked some of the architecture in Bag End.

I wonder if the problem is with the producer rather than the presenter, so often trying to get the familar story of an over-ambitious project running out of time and budget?

TBH, that's why I gave up watching Grand Designs - It mostly seemed to be a bunch of people, usually with loads of money who were thus able to afford large plots of land and period buildings, but rarely with any idea of what they were doing yet still insisting on doing things their way and then wondering why it all fell to ruin.

I watched some of George Clarke's stuff, like Amazing Spaces for a while. That too got a bit stale as he was forever doing up his own house in parallel and always called in a specialist... who was always the same one, his mate Will Hardie, but introduced as if it was their first meeting. Saw some pretty cool ideas still, nonetheless.