Hugh's three hungry boys

[Mr. X]

My favourite, yet 'simple' book has to be my appropriately named 'pocket gem'; food for free. It's a little mini book that I take with me whenever out out such adventures and thus always have a quick reference to hand. You'll be amazed just how many plants that are edible.
...

I have that book but it is pretty useless to me, unless I have my reading glasses with me :head

 

[manalive!]

Book bought (Collins Gem - Food For Free), I also bought the Edible Seashore: River Cottage Handbook No.5.

I look forward to reading them and getting inspiration for what to do with these tiny pollack and wrasse I've just caught.

 

[winky]

I know that this will sound a bit geeky but I posted an off the cuff comment on one of Hugh's forums about some of the issues that have been highlighted in this thread. I got home tonight to an email from one of the television producers regarding my comment and thought you all might like to see it.

Dear Mr Williams,

I am writing from the television Production team behind Hugh’s Three Hungry Boys.
Firstly I’d like to thank you very much for taking the time to write to us about the programme. Please rest assured that your comments have been discussed internally and with the presenters – and are taken very seriously.

We will issue a blog on the Three Hungry Boy website which will reiterate the importance of safe and sustainable spear fishing.

Thom assures me that he is aware of the DEFRA MLS and, in his determination to bag a fish supper, we suspect that as you pointed out he may have fallen foul of sustainable practice. You were also quite right to point out that there should not have been a loaded spear gun on the boat and this will be addressed on their blog.

Thank you for taking the time to write to me.

Kind regards

Craig Hunter



I wasn't after a response but nice to get one anyhoo's so thought I'd share it.

 

[Spiderman]

It's a pity that Hugh didn't give them a copy of Edible Seashore before they left as they could have avoided the need to raid supermarket bins if they had used it

 

[grantl]

Firstly I'm surprised that they responded to your comment at all but the really surprising thing is it seems very genuine and there's no attempt to avoid responsibility or somehow justify their actions.
Interested to see the blog about it all.

 

[winky]

Firstly I'm surprised that they responded to your comment at all but the really surprising thing is it seems very genuine and there's no attempt to avoid responsibility or somehow justify their actions.
Interested to see the blog about it all.

I agree, like I said I wasn't expecting any response but it does sound very genuine to me too. Craig the guy who replied is the executive producer of the show too according to his email signature!

 

[climbingperch]

They hardly covered themselves in glory again last night did they? Firing a gun from a jetty, failing to dispatch fish properly and then made a complete mess of the hot smoking. :ycard

 

[Spiderman]

At least the fish were a legal size this week. Can't say much else in their favour!

We concluded that the aim of the programme was to not to promote foraging so much as to promote local businesses and show how friendly and charitable the people of the west country are to visiting idiots

Highlights of this week's episode were their attempt to sell "rare plums" to a man who grew them in his own garden rofl, their failure to consider that the tide might come in roflrofl, and their ability to swap a barrel of beer and some really good sausages for a few items of mixed veg roflroflrofl

 

[climbingperch]

I had really expected more from a HFW venture and three supposed marine biologists at least the mullet were of an acceptable size I agree. However firing a gun from a jetty is just gonna give some idiot ideas and we know where that will lead.
Totally agree on the foraging aspect of the show pathetic to say the least beautiful countryside, summer, close to the coast they should never be hungry. As for giving away the beer and sausages for some tinned food and a bit of veg it really summed it up for me :duh :duh :duh !

 

[speerolee]

To summarise:

2 very irritating and 1 slightly irritating middle class idiots.

Not at all informative.

All about publicity of local businesses.

Totally unrealistic (singing happy birthday to pay for ferry, etc....)

Negative portrayal of spearfishing "like shooting fish in a barrel" or from a "jetty!!!!"

Waste of beer and sausages.

Jeggins and rigger boots are not a good look on a 30 year old man.

But I did still watch it?????

 

[grantl]

IMO ( other than the misuse of spearguns) it was the waste of beer that was just totally inexcusable.

 

[Spearo Si]

It didnt get any better than last week really did it? As tempting as it may be to spear that lazy mullet cruising along the side of a jetty, its just not the way to go. Anyway, didnt they have a throw net previously? How long until someone buys a gun and ends up shooting themself after copying these guys?...

 

[mirror]

It didnt get any better than last week really did it? ..

Considerably worse in fact ! the only useful info so far is not to eat fresh snails (as tempting as they maybe ) no real foraging tips other than supermarket bins ,but this is now illegal ,as someone in Totnes got prosecuted a while back !! Was quite looking forward to the series ,but now find this thread more interesting !!

 

[Spiderman]

Last episode and we actually had a bit of foraging and some fish caught! As before the camera man was very careful not to let us see how big the fish were

 

[Trelawney]

It was tragic. Those poor little pollock. No wonder they needed to catch so many for a meal :naughty.

 

[Mr. X]

To summarise:

2 very irritating and 1 slightly irritating middle class idiots.

Not at all informative.

All about publicity of local businesses.

Totally unrealistic (singing happy birthday to pay for ferry, etc....)

Negative portrayal of spearfishing "like shooting fish in a barrel" or from a "jetty!!!!"

Waste of beer and sausages.

Jeggins and rigger boots are not a good look on a 30 year old man.

But I did still watch it?????

roflYup, that's about it.

I think one "benefactor" managed to get a decent amount of work out of them -- and that for one bucket of veg. They got off extremely lightly in most cases though (like not shooting squirrels, log splitting, apple picking, lobster potting,...).

I resisted the wife's demand that I turn-over though. She thought this was another example of the kind of "jobs for the boys" approach that led to the banking crisis.

The angling all seemed rather half-hearted too. No attention to time of day, just a few minutes here & there - for the camera - attention deficit? No information of what they used for bait or where they got it.

It might be interesting to see a follow-up, maybe after the guys have gained some skills (a Ray Mears course or two or three perhaps, a fishing trip or two with ADM in Guernsey, forestry training at Sparsholt, some lessons at Portland,...). Hey, maybe that training could be series 2??

 

[Mr. X]

Here's a link to the book of the show that I mentioned above:

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907595171/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=various02-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1907595171"]The Three Hungry Boys: Amazon.co.uk: Thom Hunt, Trevor Brinkman, Tim Cresswell: 9781907595172: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51brnUTISRL.@@AMEPARAM@@51brnUTISRL[/ame]

 

[Gaz D]

I know that this will sound a bit geeky but I posted an off the cuff comment on one of Hugh's forums about some of the issues that have been highlighted in this thread. I got home tonight to an email from one of the television producers regarding my comment and thought you all might like to see it.

Dear Mr Williams,

I am writing from the television Production team behind Hugh’s Three Hungry Boys.
Firstly I’d like to thank you very much for taking the time to write to us about the programme. Please rest assured that your comments have been discussed internally and with the presenters – and are taken very seriously.

We will issue a blog on the Three Hungry Boy website which will reiterate the importance of safe and sustainable spear fishing.

Thom assures me that he is aware of the DEFRA MLS and, in his determination to bag a fish supper, we suspect that as you pointed out he may have fallen foul of sustainable practice. You were also quite right to point out that there should not have been a loaded spear gun on the boat and this will be addressed on their blog.

Thank you for taking the time to write to me.

Kind regards

Craig Hunter



I wasn't after a response but nice to get one anyhoo's so thought I'd share it.

That was good of him.

Would you please pass on my regards, next time you chat to him, as well as my hopes that all three of them end up desperately ill as a result of starvation or food poisoning.

.