The Real Marigold Hotel

Jan's need seems to be another husband , surely she has close friends in this country, living part of the year in India for company seems the wrong reason to up sticks

I agree that Jan seems very needy. She's been married a few times so she's either made the wrong choices or is difficult to live with.

I rember Rosemary in a programme called How to be a Lady a few years ago where she was teaching clueless girls how to cook. Clarissa Dickson Wright died a couple of years ago so I didn't confuse Rosemary with her. Rosemary seems a much nicer person than CDW was.

I doubt if Jan would find companionship out there. Not without the film crew in attendance.

She did seem to be a very lonely person, though. In one of the previous episodes she said she never went on holiday because she had no one to go with.

Yes very lonely , and I could be so wrong but I think it is a man she is needy for , I find this so sad , surely five ex husbands would put anyone off needing a sixth

I think Mariam M was lucky to find a toilet. When my sons were in India they couldn't find one!!!!!

I agree about the flowers 'things' Jan wears in her hair they are so dated and ageing, maybe she'll read this thread and realise they need to GO!

I really enjoyed this series. I nearly didn't bother to watch but I'm so glad I did. Lovely to see a bunch of celebs getting on together without all the backstabbing you seem to see on most of the reality shows. Loved the family of puppeteers And what a nice chap Bobby seems to be.

Who would ever of thought Bobby George and Wayne Sleep could become bessy mates

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and agree that it was nice to see a group of people who were considerate of each other and not arguing all the time - as seems to be the case with many reality programmes.

I've never really liked Wayne Sleep but have changed my opinion of him completely. He came across as very kind and caring.

I really enjoyed the series, made such a change having people I have actually heard of and who did not argue to camera all the time. Roy did not get to say much did he.

Roy Walker had very little to contribute though, didn't he? I thought that a lot of the time he seemed quite unsure and really quite sad. He did say his wife had died (not recently, but not many years before). Warmed to Wayne Sleep, too - and it was good to see the friendship growing between him and Bobby George.

Roy Walkers wife died over twenty years ago , I am sure he said this

Oh I loved every moment of it and wish we had more programmes like this.

It made me smile and it made me cry.
I cried for Jan Leeming when she admitted she is lonely, and I cried for Roy Walker when he talked about losing his wife all those years ago. I never really liked him before, but I could have reached out and hugged him when he talked about her.

I'm hooked. I have already looked into flights and accommodation. The idea of going there for a holiday is very enticing

I have not yet seen the Marigold prog as I am in India, and return home by the end of the month.

My first visit was in 1992 travelling alone with my camera for company. Sadly I have not seen the Taj. At the beginning of a trip I am too eager to get on with my plan, and by the end cant be bothered by the hassle by touts.

I have seen but a fraction of the country, and each state differs from the last, food people, climate.

For the last 15 years we have rented a flat in a temple town in Tamil Nadu. Each month on the full moon day people converge from all over S India to walk round the holy mountain here, barefoot, its about 14km and the wise ones do it at night.

However when we first came our street died at 7pm and there were only a few pedal cyclists around, and you could easily cross the road., now its full of 2 wheelers weaving in and out. Rules of the road...... Ha they dont exist anywhere in India, and the policemen spend all their time in tea shops.

In our 15 years here traditions have changed a lot, but the caste system still exists, and dowry too. Before ladies always wore flowers in their hair, no itsonly on marriage days which are designated by astrologers, for a fee of course.

Bribery is rife and overcharging foreigners is fair game

The people are friendly and kind, and if you can get over poor people existing, you wiil enjoy your trip.

Please dont be beguiled by travel companies who tell you to bring pens to dish out to kids. Thekids who ask for them normally attend private schools,and that is very costly fro their parents, normality is that if it is a good school you are asked for a donation[ large] to get a place. I used to bring baloons, light and easy. Good pens are cheaply availalable.

Another scam is tuition. The teachers both private and Govt are not well paid, so supplement their income by extra tuition, and if the parents dont play ball the kids get marked down.

In the 15 years we have seen kids do well despite the caste system, earning good money abroad which is sent back home.
Sunday we get a train from Madras to Calcutta which should take 27 hours,