Monday 18 March 2019

On Location with ITV Wales, BBC Radio Wales and S4C Newyddion



Introduction:

The news of Foel Penolau being classified as a mountain in the Hewitts list seemed to stir the imagination of many in the news media, with its reclassification being reported in national newspapers, both online and in traditional hard copy. 

BBC Wales interviewed me on their Good Morning Wales radio programme at 7.25am on the day of the announcement, with Aled Williams also being interviewed by BBC Radio Cymru.  A few days after the announcement I did radio interviews with The Moncrieff Show on Newstalk National Radio in Ireland, with Howard Bentham on BBC Radio Oxford and for the Paul Ross Show on TALKRADIO.

However, the day before the announcement ITV Wales contacted me wanting to film close to Foel Penolau, soon afterward S4C also contacted me wanting to film and edit this into an interview with Aled that was scheduled for later in the day.  A few minutes later and BBC Radio Wales also wanted to meet and conduct an interview.    

Via a number of phone calls and emails a time of 2.00pm was arranged to meet on the outskirts of Trawsfynydd with each broadcaster more than happy that interest had been shown by others.



Filming Shoot:

The arrangements to meet at the garage where the A470 meets the A4212 close to the outskirts of Trawsfynydd had been hectic, as I juggled three broadcasters; ITV, BBC and S4C with a number of emails and telephone calls resulting in all three being more than happy to meet at 2.00pm and proceed in convoy to where Foel Penolau would be in view.

The first to make contact was Rob Shelley from ITV Wales who wanted to film and conduct interviews at the base of Foel Penolau, but was adamant that he was not going to venture toward the summit.  I then spoke to Dafydd from S4C as their news programme; Newyddion wanted to also film from the base of Foel Penolau and edit this with an interview they later conducted with Aled.  During juggling ITV Wales and S4C, Rob from BBC Radio Wales contacted me and as 2.00pm had been arranged to meet the others he grabbed all necessary equipment and three cars and an ITV van descended upon the newly classified Hewitt and Simm of Foel Penolau. 

(L-R) Rob - BBC Radio Wales, Rob and Gerallt - ITV Wales and Dafydd - S4C Newyddion

I’m always amazed at the pressure that outdoor broadcasters must work under, as they seem able to deal with a variety of subject matter on a whim and to conduct interviews with knowledge relating to the subject matter that they may not have come in contact with until a short period of time before the interview.

I’m also grateful that the people I’ve met from organisations such as ITV and BBC have the knack of putting a person at immediate ease with jovial conversation interspersed with interest relating to the subject matter at hand, which for today involved a rather rocky mountain by the name of Foel Penolau.

As our convoy set off toward the southern perimeter of Llyn Trawsfynydd mist clung to the valley further south, and a high cloud base gave clarity to the adjacent hills, and thankfully the star of the show was clear of murk and looked down on proceedings from its rock strewn perch.

As ITV Wales had arranged this meeting it was Rob and his cameraman; Gerallt, who started to film first and I was asked to accompany Rob walking down the road toward the small parking area next to an old disused mine with Foel Penolau in the background, with Rob asking pertinent questions about the survey, its classification and what exactly the qualifying element of drop is.

(L-R) Rob and Gerallt from ITV Wales

During this Dafydd was also filming with scenes of Foel Penolau in the background, followed by me sitting on a rubbled mound of rock with the Trimble in hand accessing and pressing various functions in the innards of the equipment on its screen.  This footage was later edited in with an interview S4C conducted with Aled after he had finished work.

(L-R) Rob from BBC Radio Wales and Dafydd from S4C Newyddion

Lastly Rob from BBC Radio Wales wanted to interview me as we walked down a near track with the northern Rhinogydd as backdrop.  Many questions were asked and answered and the classification for mountain status within the Hewitts was given and the fineries of drop also explained.  Much of the interview did not reach a wider audience as is the want of such things, but Rob was excellent with his manner and knowledge of the subject matter.

As we walked back to the cars Rob and Gerallt were preparing to leave and having thanked them I waved them off, closely followed by Dafydd and then Rob from BBC Radio Wales.  As I undid my boot laces and changed out of my walking gear I looked at my watch and it was just after 3.00pm, all the filming and interviews had only taken an hour from when we first met to when we all left.



Postscript:

It was an extremely enjoyable experience meeting Rob, Gerallt, Dafydd and Rob and I thank them for their interest in mountain surveying and putting me at ease during the film shoot.

The film from Rob and Gerallt formed an entertaining piece on ITV Wales that was shown throughout the following day, with an extended piece on their early evening news programme.  Whilst Newyddion also had an extended piece on their 9.00pm news programme that included the interview with Aled, and the BBC Radio Wales interview formed a part of a piece that was broadcast on the 6.00pm news programme on BBC Radio 4.  


Myrddyn Phillips (March 2019)


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