1971: This FISHERMAN Is Living His DREAM | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive

[@marciabaldwin2506]

What a top bloke i hope he found success he surely deserved too

[@MrDastardly]

A person pursuing his dream. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Tmuk2]

Quite an inspiring speech towards the end. Well done him for following his heart - I hope he had a happy life.

[@buickadelaide1283]

HE RIGHTLY SAYS…I WANT THE WORLD TO DANCE TO MY TUNE,,,FROM NOW ON,,,,, CLASSIC

[@jasonayres]

(0:40) "He is, of course, single.." Ouch. Still, he was a man on a mission.

[@CasperWidd]

Tiny, dirty van! That one was mean!

[@sevenwatson5854]

'Marriage isn't a sound idea for a man with a burning ambition' ...I agree and I respect that he focused on his goal and didn't waiver!!

[@Liofa73]

As long as he was happy. All good.

[@JAB771]

“The world jumps to my tune now”love it 👍

[@georgewashington92]

He died in 2001 if I remember correctly

[@stepheng8779]

Yes & fallen out of love with fishing some years earlier I believe.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

wow that means he was 71 when he died..

[@TrueFilter]

@@stepheng8779 any reason why?

[@stepheng8779]

@@TrueFilter Dunno, I read a tribute to him some time ago and whoever wrote it said that they hoped he managed to go fishing again before he died after falling out of love with it. I know no more than that 👍

[@davk90]

interesting but I wish bbc would at least a bio of people like this. how long did he do it . when he past away etc.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

he must be 93 yrs old this year!

[@TAY-570]

@@AdoreEndure yeah but hes still 93

[@IamBATMAN2024]

@@TAY-570 No, he WOULD be 93 if he didn’t die 22 years ago lol.. you don’t grow older once you’re kaput 😂

[@kamandi1362]

@@TAY-570 Not if he’s dead.

[@jasonayres]

@@TAY-570 Let's call it "the anniversary" of his birthday. His family mourn their loss. The giant pike, roaming the waterways, take a sigh of relief.

[@raypurchase3597]

Life expectancy of mid 70s was pretty spot on! Good on him

[@stepheng8779]

Is that a Hillman Imp van?

[@fidelcatsro6948]

not a datsun? i see..

[@helenabarnett6441]

Yep. Also called a Hilman Husky I believe.

[@zebedep]

@@helenabarnett6441 Yes, it's a Hillman Husky

[@iainmorrison4606]

Commer Imp. Got one myself. Previous owners went to Africa in it, so they've always attracted some individually minded people 😂

[@as3cs3]

@@zebedep the Husky was the factory's attempt to make an estate (cheaply) by putting windows in the van. It wasn't very attractive.

[@SandrasSpicySpanishSalami]

Wow the bbc did him dirty with the first few minutes. I bet this man was free of depression and looked forward to each next day that comes.

[@Liofa73]

Nonsense, the film was of it's time. The BBC (which you seem to have a hate on for) reporter was fine.

[@SandrasSpicySpanishSalami]

​​@@Liofa73 _"He is of course, single. For no woman would want to live in this tiny dirty van as he does"_ Yes, the bbc has earned my ire and are responsible for a great many ills of the country today along with spreading constant propaganda.

[@IamBATMAN2024]

@@Liofa73 the BBC are known for protecting pedo’s so I’d be quiet if I was you 😅

[@danyoutube7491]

@@Liofa73 I agree, the way they reported back then was just matter of fact, it wasn't about mocking or doing down the subject of the piece when the reporter said no woman would want to live that sort of life in a dirty little van. It's not a life I'd choose as a man, but I have to admire his dedication to his plan and he followed through with it, clearly knew the life he would enjoy most and did what he had to do to live it. It probably wouldn't be so pleasant with the state of English rivers these days. He says he never cared what others thought of him; a good attitude that I think most people benefit from.

[@davemustaki134]

I miss the pools here in Australia!

[@thrilhous]

I miss the rains down in Africa.

[@davemustaki134]

@@thrilhous i miss you like the deserts miss the rain!

[@plezurhounds]

One that slipped through the net...

[@littleowltelevision1418]

Be interesting how long actually stayed in Ireland in back that van from 1970 ? Also how many years did spend in a nursing Home ?

[@as3cs3]

he could have easily polished the (Commer Imp) van after fishing. no TV to distract him

[@pauls8456]

Now that’s a nesting dinghy !

[@swaneknoctic9555]

41! What is it with people looking far older than their true years back then? Loads of clips like this people look 10-15 years older.

[@davk90]

Didn't have the health care etc we have today. Smoked etc . Harder work eg coal mining etc . Now we sit in rooms on computers . Put it this way 1965 theage people lived to was around 65 or so . We ve add another 15 to 25 years of living compared people from the 1950-70. You didn't have deal with polio and other stuff that could kill you .

[@MrSimonmcc]

People worked hard then.

[@hellie_el]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@sydneydarts5911]

BBC how did this gent end up?

[@Shaun.Stephens]

How everyone ends up I imagine...

[@NoosaHeads]

He died in 2001 aged 70.... (He co-wrote a book "Fishing for big pike").

[@davidmclachlan6592]

Unfortunately he suffered poor mental health towards the end of his life, but he remains a legend in the pike angling world.

[@garryleeks4848]

Don’t tell him pike , uuuu mr mannering

[@unnamedchannel1237]

These days he would need that 10k for one weeks fuel

[@nictrax]

10k from then is about £197,914 now.

[@unnamedchannel1237]

@@nictrax that is my exact point

[@JJONNYREPP]

1971: This FISHERMAN Is Living His DREAM | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive 0831am 22.8.24 and there will be one day in his life wherein he thinks, like many men before and after: gawwwwwwwwwd, i f****** hate the spartan life. austerity? f*** that for a game of soldiers.

[@af4od02]

Did Mr Webb get to live to his predicted 73 years old and did he get his big world record Pike?

[@davidmclachlan6592]

He died in his early 70's, his biggest pike was 29lb so nowhere near the record, he did however hold the Irish tench record for many years.

[@IAmSoMuchBetterThanYou]

He gave up the avocado toast and lattes and was of course able to save. Imagine ten grand being enough to retire on.

[@robbflynn4325]

What would he think of life these days.

[@enlightenedprophetss]

Fisherthem*

[@mattevans3637]

Hello mum X

[@thecaveofthedead]

Escaping capitalism in the 1970s. Pretty tough.

[@StripedLime]

😂😂😂😂

[@unnamedchannel1237]

👁️👄👁️

[@rosegreensummer]

another thirty years of working nowadays:(

[@NoosaHeads]

He looks older than 41yrs. He died in 2001, aged 70. Married men live, on average, 7 years longer than unmarried men. There's a saying:- "If you don't marry for love, marry for survival"... I hope his years were happy and fruitful. He co-wrote a book "Fishing for big pike". It was good when the BBC were a quality broadcasting organisation, rather than the left wing mouthpiece they now are.

[@Pvt_Hudson]

Rubbish.

[@zuldo8577]

Meh, quality over quantity. Who wants to sit in a retirement home for 20 years anyway.

[@longjohn77]

So he lived another 29 years after this. I wonder if his van and money held out for the rest of his life. I hope he spent every last cent.

[@NoosaHeads]

@zuldo Hmmm. Difficult to say. 1 day of absolute bliss or 50 more years of mediocrity? Tricky decision....

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

Old age doesn't have to mean retirement homes, you know. What, do children have no duty to their parents? Besides, health is what's really key to a long AND happy life.

[@strayaDaz]

Just like those going off grid and ditching the rat race in the 2020s.