Meades, Father to the Man, 2007

[@mpersad]

Next to his wonderful programme on the River Severn "shacks" this remains my favourite programme by Jonathan Meades. His explanation of what he finds fascinating about place and the conjunctions between that and architecture and the environment are the perfect explanation of my own view, only a view I could not articulate so beautifully. Thank you for uploading here.

[@aidy6000]

Inform, Educate and Entertain.

[@VincentComet-l8e]

Entertaining…and thought-provoking. The mission-statement of Jonathan Meades. With a very poignant ending…

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

I by chance ended up watching this after having watched the rest of his oeuvre over many years. It adds a depth to see what he was really trying to get at in all those other explorations of the world around him... it is about the meaning of a life well lived, acceptance of its absurdity and a courageous attitude of appreciating the world as we it in front us in its wonderful detail and eccentricity. And not seeking refuge in insipid blandness or delusional fantasy. Which is what makes the ending so profound... and the way the strains of Lippen Schweigen came. It was then that made me realise more than anything this is connecting everything else he has shown to a profoundly self-effacing reflection on our time on earth.

[@faustusTVR]

This man is should be celebrated by the masses, but we are careening towards the Idiocrasy so he'll be largely forgotten or undiscovered.

[@davidfisher92]

Enough people know. Just enough.

[@overhere1694]

Thanks Paul; I have read 'An Encyclopaedia of Myself', but didn't know about this somewhat accompanying programme. It certainly gives many clues about how the adult Meades became the fascinating, droll polymath he is today; mostly that he took an interest in the minutae all around him as an unwittingly itinerant child, and then sought to understand the connections between them all, I guess. All helped along by a ferocious intellect and verbosity, too. I know he'd hate to be called a 'national treasure', but he's certainly something akin to that.

[@benwherlock9869]

Wow! I drew a map of the holiday centre in Dorset I used to visit when I was about 8 or 9. Thanks for the unearthed memory Mr Meades.

[@davidskeet6220]

I wonder does anybody know what the opening music is?

[@davidskeet6220]

It's by Benjamin Britten, 'Variations of a Theme by Frank Bridge', Op.10, 'Romance'. I can sleep soundly now.